HKU BAAS Design 5 - Sculpturing the Present

SCULPTURINGTHEPRESENT ARCH3075DESIGN5 XUBENCELINE INSTRUCTOR: RAYZEE

DEPARTMENTOFARCHITECTURE THEUNIVERSITYOFHONGKONG

“Thedistinctionbetweenpast, present andfutureisonlyastubbornlypersistent illusion.”

-Albert Einstein Thedimensionof timeisimmesurableandintangibleinaphysical sense. Therefore, thepresenceof timeandtheperceptionof “thepresent“ havetoalwaysrelyonsomemedia, tobedocumented andtraced, whichalsobecomesanessential topicincontemporarymediaart. Thedurationof mediaartemphasizesthedimensionof timeandreshapesaudience’sperceptionof time, whichmakes theexhibitionintoanunfoldingjourneythat expandsintime. Theproject looksintovariouswaysof highlighting“thepresent” for amediathequeasthematrixof time-basedmediaart, which consistsof studyonJohnHedjuk’sMasqueandsite-specificdesignonKulturforuminBerlin. Themediathequeisaplacetosculpturethepresent moment that issharedbyeveryone.

PROJECT1 STOP-MOTIONFILM:INFILTRATIONOFLIGHT Reinterpretationof JohnHedjuk’sMasque

/Drawinganddescriptionof Scare-CrowHousefromJohnHedjuk

/Light IntoAnIsolatedArtisanHouse Theproject startswiththereinterpretationof JohnHedjuk’sScare-CrowHousefromTheLanscater/Hanover Masque. Related toHouseof Suicideinthearchitectural formandtext, thesocial conditionsandunrest causedasensationtoboththehouse andtheKeeper of Scare-Crows. Thesocial context andindividual’sinner thoughtsareabstractedintotheoutsideandinside theenvironment inthefilm.As theKeeper moves upinsidethehousealongtheunrollinginterior, his mindandthoughts arevaryingaccordingtohisperceptionof theoutside. Theinfiltrationof light vialightwellsandopeningsbecomesthemain mediaof communicationbetweeninsideandoutside, whichtracesthechangeof timeandcontext, aswell asamplifyingthe emotional transformationbeforethelast act of hisdanceperformance, fromchaostoserenity, andfinallythedestruction, for theideal andperfectioninhismind. /Infiltrationof light intotheScare-CrowHouse

Scene1: Movement of light andartist -enteringthehouse

Scene3: Movement of light andartist -goingupstairs

Scene2: Groundfloor -peepingtheoutside

Scene6: Wall toskylight

Scene4: First floor -workshop

Scene7: Channel for light

Scene5: Secondfloor -“chapel“

Scene8: Foldingtheenvelope

/Variationof light throughlightwellsandenvelopes

PROJECT2 MEDIATHEQUEINBERLIN:APLACETOSCULPTTHETIME Totracethepresenceof timeviathemediaof sunlight andurbancontext

/Roleof TimeinMediatheque Asthedimensionof timeisextendedintime-based media art with a duration as well as audio-visual techniques, theperceptionof timewhenaudience areinvolvedintheseartworkscanbequitedifferent fromtheabsolutetimedefinedbythemovement of thesunandclock. Therefore, thecontrast between the presence of relative time and absolute time becomes thedrivingconcept for themediatheque design, aswell asnarrating“thepresent“ perceived byeveryone.

/Relativetimeintime-basedmediaart Enlongated“1second“ inBill Viola’sVisitation(slow-motionfilm)

/AbsolutetimeinsiteandarchitectureMeasurement anddocumentationof timedilationvialight andclock

/Masterplanof thesite, KulturforuminBerlin

/Unrolledelevationof thecontext

/BerlinContext astheDesign Theproposedsiteislocatedinthemiddleof KulturforuminBerlin, ahistorical areawithcultural buildingscompleted indifferent times. Theuniquelocationmakesthemediathequemoreinasenseof asignificant knot of thetimeline of thesite. Thus theadjacent buildings areusedas adesignprinciplefor mediatheque- thevisual extensionfrom mediathequetothecontextshapestheboundaryandform. Apartfromthetimelineinahistorical perspective, theaxis of thesunlight andtheaxisof churchclockarealsointegratedintotheformal approachof designingthemediatheque asaresponsetothepresenceof timeinsidethearchitecture.

/Context asthedrivingfactorformassing

/Overall formshapedbytheurbancontext

/Internal planreactingtotheexternal condition

/Sunlight -Daily

/Light fromchurchclock

/StudyonLight andTime

/Sunlight -Annual

Tosculpturethebeingof timeinmediatheque, light is usedas themost essential media. Onone hand, theinfiltrationof sunlight viathelightwellsonwallingandfloorstracestheelapseof time onbothadailyandannual basis, whichmakesthemediathequearesponsivesundial. Ontheother hand, amoredirect wayfor peopletoperceivethetimeistowatchtheclockonthechurchtothe southof themediatheque. Therefore, the viewof theclockislargelyextendedintothemediatheque throughtheapertureontheupperflooraswell astheperiscopestructuredownintotheunderground auditorium. Theconceptof introducingtheclockviewstrenghthensthepresenceof timethroughout thearchitectureinaveryexplicit way, andfurther connectsthecontext tothemediatheque.

/SEView-AperturesandPeriscopefacingthechurch

/Overviewwithurbancontext

/NEView-Slitsfacingthemusuem

/Sculptural Blocks Astheinteriorhighlightsthepresenceoftimeinaphenomenological way, theexteriorofmediatheque respondstothatkindof sculptural andaggressivesense. Thesharp-anguledblocksareorientedand strengthenedbytheurbancontext andadjacent buildings, withaperturesandslitsfacingdifferent directions. Theoverall formisgettingmoreaqualityof asculpturethat visualizesthedimensionof time, aswell ascontrastswiththesurroundingtoemphasizeitsownexistence. /NWView-AperturesandSlitsfacingthenorthernKulturforum

/SunPathAxis

/ClockAxis

/Axesof PerceivingtheTime Inordertohighlight theideaof extendingthedimensionof timeaswell asrespondingtotheurbancontext, twoaxesthat cut throughthesunpathandsymmetrical axisof churcharedevelopedasaformal approachtodefinetheinteriorspatial quality andprogramming. Asvisitorsgoingalongthetwoaxes, theunfoldingspatial sequencethat highlyrespondstothepassing of timewill enhancetheir perceptionof thepresent.

/13:00Gallery

/09:00MainExhibitionHall

/15:00Library

/ExhibitingSundial Derivedfromthesundial axis, theexhibitionspacemainlyconsistsof skylight andwalling intheformof anatriumshapedbythesunlight. Whenvisitorscomeintothemediatheque andwatchtheexhibition, they canalways feel theexistenceof thetimenot just fromthe time-basedmedia art, but alsothe spotlight fromthe lightwells tothe walls andfloors, whichtracesthechangeof time. Astheformandheight of skylight andsundial atriumvary, theeffectsof sunlight intrudingintotheexhibitionspacearealsobecomingdifferent. The dynamicexperiencefollowingthepassingof timeandmovementamongdifferentexhibition spacewill maketheaudiencemoresensitivetothecontext andtimetheyaresituatedin.

/17:00Sundial Tunnel of ProjectionArt

/19:00Passageof Clock

/00:00Auditorium

/20:00AperturetotheClock

/FollowingtheClock

/21:00InsidethePeriscope

Theother journerydevelopedfromtheclockaxisismainlyinthetransitional spacefromabovethe groundtotheundergroundspace. Theclockof thechurch, whichmarkstheabsolutemovement of time, canbeseeneither inadirect viewor areflectedviewviaperiscope, alongtheentirepaththat followstheclock. Nomatterduringthedayorthenight, thepresenceof timeisalwaysembeddedin thejourneythroughthemediatheque. Theabsolutetimeisbecomingainevitablephenomelogical dimensionofthespacethataggressivelyechoesthedistortedperceptionoftimeinmediaart.

2020JUNE