THE INSTITUTE OF
SCIENTIFIC HERMETICISM
THESIS PROJECT BRIEF
CHLOE YUNSHU YE
‘You already know about alchemy. It is about penetrating to the soul of the world, and discovering the treasure that has been reserved for you.’ — The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Iron Age
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Evidence of settlements
Middle Ages
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The name Woolwich was derived from Old English - ‘trading place for wool’
1500s
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Henry VIII founded the Woolwich dockyard and built the royal ship Henri Grace à Dieu Elizabeth I launched her ship Elizabeth Jonas in Woolwich
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1600s
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Establishment of the Royal Laboratory and the Barracks
1700s
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Establishment of the Royal Artillery and the Royal Military Academy
1805
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Establishment of the Royal Arsenal, creating a community of workers Closure of the dockyard
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1800s
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The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society was established, developing Powis Street in Woolwich
1900s
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Closure of the Royal Ordnance factory, starting the post-war decline Closure of the Royal Arsenal
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2000s
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Success of redevelopments and ongoing regenerations
General History of Woolwich
The Barracks, the Academy, and Powis Street, 1900s
Woolwich has always been a military town, and here, a workers’ community was formed as a result of the military establishments. This community contributed to the early commercial expansions in Woolwich, which was particularly successful due to prosperity brought about by the wars. These developments have undoubtedly facilitated the ongoing regenerations of Woolwich.
1847
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Arrival of the Railway
1850s
• •
Construction of the Royal Docks Establishment of light industries Workers’ housing attracted to the area
1889
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The Woolwich Ferry service opened
1912
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The Woolwich Foot Tunnel opened
1920s
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The ferry service is pressurised by the Increase in motor traffic
1940s
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Wartime bombing caused significant damage to North Woolwich Decline of industries New council housing schemes New residents from outside London
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• • •
1950s
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The ferry service still could not divert traffic effectively
1960s
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The building of the concrete terminals and the introduction of an upgraded ferry service
1980s
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Regenerations Council plans to establish a new cultural centre
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History of North Woolwich & Means of Transportation
The railway (1912), the tunnel (1979), and the new ferry (1963)
North Woolwich is an old industrial town that sits opposite of Woolwich. Although transportation between the two places were constantly being improved, North Woolwich didn’t benefit significantly from the military establishments. Consequently, when the industries started to decline, North Woolwich fell into a state of stagnation that it is still struggling to escape.
PROLOGUE ‘... it is impossible to receive the psychic benefit of poetry unless these two function of the human psyche — the function of the real and the function of the unreal — are made to co-operate.’ — The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard
Project 1 ‘Touchstone’ Piece | A Daydreaming Device
Commencing the initial investigations on the 'crossings and landings' in Woolwich, project 1 presented the theme of daydreaming — mediating between a place of future prosperity (Woolwich) and a place of stagnation (North Woolwich), daydreaming seemed the only available mode to bridge the 'void' created by the disparity of the two landings. Here, the mechanism of daydreaming is understood as the coherent process of 'observation', 'mergence', and 'realisation'. This theme was extended into project 2, when the focus shifted to the landings to create two waiting rooms for the Woolwich Ferry. The juxtaposition of Woolwich and North Woolwich evoked the idea of 'paradoxes' and 'parallels', resonating with the 'paradoxical state' necessary for daydreaming — this is where the idea of 'crossing' and 'landings' started to interweave. The laundresses took on the role of a 'performer', converting the abstractions into a fictionalised and comprehensible reality for people to observe, embrace, and finally to come to a realisation with their inner worlds. As the journey goes from one waiting room to another, and as the travellers' inner selves reveal, it is time to move from 'realisation' to an 'elevation'. This corresponds with the idea of ‘self-actualisation’ (from Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) in humanistic psychotherapies. The previous projects have already introduced the idea of exploring the human psyche in the climate of a 'hypnotised' society where people have stopped looking inwards but instead chose to be preoccupied by external stimulants. However, in North Woolwich — a place 'lost in time' — we dream, and it is here that the restoration of our inner worlds could start, in the form of an institution where the amalgamation of alchemy and psychotherapy is employed as an instrument to help us 'abide within ourselves' again: this will be achieved by the creation of a new branch of humanistic therapy which fuses the pre-existing approaches together under the influence of Hermeticism. The Scientific Hermeticism will be the unification of dreams and realities, paradoxes and parallels, the ‘real’ and the ‘unreal’.
[REALISATION] Deposit
[MERGENCE] Collection
[OBSERVATION] Steaming
Project 2 ‘Waiting Rooms’ | ‘Paradoxes’ and ‘Parallels’ | The ‘Kaleidoscope’
[REALISATION] Collection
[MERGENCE] Drying
[OBSERVATION] Washing
Project 2 ‘Waiting Rooms’ | ‘Paradoxes’ and ‘Parallels’ | The ‘Solar Light Tube’
Act 01
THE EVERYDAY the psychoanalysts’ labs
‘Images are converted into endless commodities manufactured to postpone boredom; humans in turn are commodified, consuming themselves nonchalantly without having the courage or even the possibility of confronting their very existential reality. We are made to live in a fabricated dream world.’ — The Eyes of the Skin, Juhani Pallasmaa
In the age of modernity, rapid developments of technology have urged us to always stay informed, fashionable, and popular under the scrutiny of the public eye; the austerity programme, lack of access to health services, rising housing prices and other social upheavals only accumulate our doubt and anxiety towards the future; and even if we came to the edge of despair, we are expected to take responsibility for our own mental states as isolated entities. This kind of distressing reality is not unfamiliar to Woolwich, as the new luxury housing schemes, railway connections, and cultural establishments are starting to take over the existing community, manifesting a utilitarian mentality and echoing the imposition of gentrification. It would seem like there is no longer a place for genuine individuals in a fast, straining, and highly competitive society. In this isolation, individuals are pressurised, making it almost inevitable that their mental distress grows, and only to be oppressed again by various societal forces. We’re living in this ‘fabricated dream world’ where our souls are not embodied or represented; a world where materialism is bond to succeed over spirituality and sensuality. The human psyche had been forgotten, buried, and lost. We need a ‘refuge’ where we can seek shelter from the current climate, and pick up the qualities we used to possess.
It is my proposition to design an institute which creates, develops, and experiments with a new approach in humanistic psychotherapy to help cultivate people’s consciousness towards their own existence in the immensity of the external world.
Dissolution
In the drawing, the symbol of a bird is used as an analogy for the human spirit; the combination of the moon and the sun represents the cosmos. The illustration suggests that the spirit is ‘dissolved’ in the world, much like how we are immersed in the external world now — and it is this overwhelming reality that has made us negligent towards our consciousness and unconsciousness. Instead of sinking further, we need to counter this seemingly irresistible force — and this is the task of the ‘everyday’.
The ‘Inner World’
The ‘Unconscious’
The ‘Conscious’
The ‘Outer World’
The ‘Everyday’ | The Elevation of the ‘Spirit’
‘... a person is a fluid process, not a fixed and static entity; a flowing river of change, not a block of solid material; a continually changing constellation of potentialities, not a fixed quantity of traits.’ — On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy, Carl R. Rogers
The broad term ‘psychotherapy’ encompasses a range of different approaches, which could be divided into five main categories: Psychoanalysis & psychodynamic therapies — based primarily on the principles of Sigmund Freud, establishing a close relationship between the therapist and the client in order to uncover the underlying motivations in the unconscious. The main goal is to change problematic thoughts and behaviours. Behaviour therapy — based on the theory of classical conditioning, assuming that all behaviour is learned and that bad behaviours could be unlearned. The main result is the correction of abnormal behaviours. Cognitive therapy — based on the idea that abnormal thinking leads to abnormal thoughts and behaviours. The main goal is to change how the client feels and in doing so change what they do. Humanistic therapy — based on the theories of phenomenology and existentialist thinking, treating the clients as ‘fluid processes’ instead of trying to alter their personalities. This approach aims to help the clients foster a stronger and healthier sense of self, and to achieve self-actualisation (the process of understanding and concretising their potentialities and creativities). There are three overarching branches of humanistic therapy: Client-centred therapy — a non-directive approach where the therapist empathises with the client without judgement, allowing them to gain insights by themselves (Stage 01) Existential therapy — emphasises the idea of freedom of choice in life, and encouraging the client to discover the meaning and purpose of life (Stage 02) Gestalt therapy — focuses on the here and now, and the true feelings of the client (Stage 03) The type of psychotherapy employed in this scheme falls into the category of humanistic therapy. However, instead of adopting a pre-existing approach, the institute is to create a new branch of humanistic pychotherapy that unites the three aforementioned branches, forming three distinct stages that also correspond with the three alchemical stages of transmutation (see ‘The Narrative’).
Concrete seem the ideal choice of material. Their heaviness ‘fortifies’ the architecture, enhancing this sense of seclusion and secrecy; their appearance accentuates the therapeutic activities and minimises distractions; the smoothness and roughness of their surfaces also provide a way to control the acoustic and lighting conditions, making the spaces truly tactile. As Pallasmaa says: ‘all sensory experiences are related to tactility’, the use of concrete will certainly render the structure into an architecture of senses, an architecture which reflects and transforms the human soul. The following precedents aim to study the ‘Béton Brut’ aesthetic and the monumentality of the structures.
Salk Institute / Louis Kahn The shear simplicity of the structures, the almost sublime monumentality of the concrete, and the occasional warmth radiating from the teak panels — all these qualities allow the play of light and shadow to be amplified, creating an ethereal and seclusive atmosphere that resonates with the qualities of a monastery.
La Plage du Pacifique Hotel / Kristin Green Referencing to ancient monuments, these concrete structures emanate qualities of a ‘ruin’: their surfaces are so ‘raw’ that they can record any traces of human activity or natural forces, making the architecture seem instantly immemorial by magnifying traces of time and weather. The curved edges also seem to suggest that the whole structure has been ‘carved out’ from a solid mass — it thus take on a ‘shelllike’ quality — consolidating its standing as a ‘shelter’ from the external environment.
Act 02
THE EXTRAORDINARY the alchemist’s hub
‘The whole universe of science is built upon the world as directly experienced, and if we want to subject science itself to rigorous scrutiny and arrive at a precise assessment of its meaning and scope, we must begin by reawakening the basic experience of the world of which science is the second-order expression.’ — Phenomenology of Perception, Merleau-Ponty
With her almost transcendental presence, and her perpetual pursuit of a spiritual ‘realisation’, the laundress certainly helped to facilitate daydreams in the waiting rooms (project 2). She is the element of ‘unreal’ that compliments the ‘real’, the ‘trigger’ of the series of events that followed. The extraordinary, therefore, involves in the introduction of a character that exercises the very process we’re required to take had we want to comprehend and purify our souls. In C.G. Jung’s Psychology and Alchemy, he established an unlikely connection between modern psychotherapy and the hermetic tradition of alchemy, suggesting that the alchemical processes of transmutation find parallel in the process of self-actualisation. The esoteric nature of alchemy adds a touch of mystique and ambiguity to the scientific methodology employed by psychotherapy, recreating the ‘paradoxes and parallels’ that predominated the previous projects. In the scientific schematisation of psychoanalysis, the alchemist brings about a kind of surrealist exuberance with the practice of the Magnum opus (a process to produce the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life), and this energy is what amplifies the ‘everyday’, as it awakens our curiosity and senses, concretising our ‘being in the world’. As Merleau-Ponty said, only when we acknowledge our ‘experience of the world’ can we start to understand matters, even when this ‘matter’ is our inner selves.
The ‘extraordinary’ utilises alchemy as a medium to reveal the existential realities we are engaged with to help us journey inwards; and concurrently, the ‘everyday’ starts to unfold the psychic nature embedded in our existence as well as in alchemy: They emerge as a symbiosis.
Separation
The alchemical process of transmutation involves in seven operations, which are closely guided by the four elements: fire, earth, water, and air. Since this quadrangulation is crucial to the transformation process, the four elements must strike a balance, and create different pockets of spaces that emphasis their different qualities. This could be used to explore the specific atmospheres that each of the key space is trying to create, and in doing so, enriching the overall ambience of the institute.
Calcination
Dissolution Separation Conjunction
Fermentation
Fire
Earth
Water
Air
Distillation
Coagulation
The ‘Extraordinary’ | The Seven Operations of the Alchemist
‘Look not so deeply into words and letters; for this Mystery hath been hidden by the Alchemists. Compose the sevenfold into a fourfold regimen; and when thou hast understood thou mayest make symbols; but by playing child’s games with symbols thou shalt never understand.’ — The Vision and the Voice: With Commentary and Other Papers, Aleister Crowley
The seven operations of alchemy are the basis to progress a substance from one alchemical stage to the next. This process is practiced by the alchemists, in conjunction with the therapeutic processes. The travellers will be asked to bring in a personal item that symbolises their problems at the start of their therapy, and as the two processes progress in parallel, the personal items will be turned into alchemical solutions unique to each traveller:
Calcination — turns materials into ashes by heating them over a flame Psychotherapy — Preparatory Stage: Ceremony of Initiation Dissolution — the ashes are dissolved in water Psychotherapy — Stage 01 Separation — the produces are filtered and isolate Psychotherapy — Stage 01 Conjunction — uses the extracted elements to form a new substance Psychotherapy — Stage 02 Fermentation — induces chemical breakdown of the substance Psychotherapy — Stage 02 Distillation — repeats the process of boiling and condensation to increase purity Psychotherapy — Stage 03 Coagulation — concludes all the previous operations Psychotherapy — Stage 03 + Ceremony of Completion
For detailed psychotherapy stages and general event timelines, refer to the ‘Narrative’.
By embedding the alchemical processes into the architecture, the otherwise monotonous alchemical labs and ‘routines’ will be translated into a fluid experience, pervading the spaces with a kind of dynamic presence and animated spirit. Here the esoteric practice of alchemy becomes not just a ‘symbol’ or a rendition, but an integral part of the journey.
The theme of alchemy calls for more vibrant materials to enrich the concrete structures. The alchemists’ perpetual pursuit of gold points to brass, adding a golden hue to the concrete surfaces, especially when it is met with a beam of light; lead has always been used as the base metal in the alchemical operations, and its natural charcoal colour suggests a cast iron or steel structure which would compliment and enhance the concrete structures; the ruby-coloured philosopher’s stone also finds parallel in the russet cor-ten steel. The following precedents explores different metallic finishes and perforation techniques, as well as how these elements interact with their surroundings.
Ali Mohammed T. Al-Ghanim Clinic / AGi architects Employing perforated brass screens that reveal as well as conceal, the clinic not only succeeds in creating privacy for the patients, but also in allowing them to connect with the external environment. The screens are accompanied by the fortifying high walls, enhancing the exclusivity of the architecture further, and allowing it to be perceived as a monolithic element. Museo di Castelvecchio / Carlo Scarpa Museo di Castelvecchio is one of the masterpieces in building renovation. The juxtaposition between the original structures and the modern materials highlights both the historical and the contemporary aspect of the design. Throughout the building, there seems to be a harmonious converstaion between the old and the new, enhanced by the playful details that often emphasis the idea of asymmetry. The interplay between the softness and sharpness, warmth and coldness of different materials, and the contrast between light and shadows was so masterfully handled, that a profoundly haptic and experiential architecture was created.
Bologna Shoah Memorial / SET Architects The Bologna Shoah Memorial is a space that evokes contemplation and memory with its emptiness, its unostentatious structural expression, and its majestic quality when interacted with light. The path of the two mirrored cor-ten steel structures converge to make a passageway that gradually narrows, creating a sense of oppression, and provoking deep emotional responses. As the cor-ten steel corrodes, the Memorial is given the ability to bridge the past, the present and the future, becoming a monument that stands in the continuum of time.
Act 03
THE SITUATION the progressive journey
‘In architecture, there are two basic possibilities of spatial composition: the closed architectural body which isolates space within itself, and the open body which embraces an area of space that is connected with the endless continuum.’ — Thinking Architecture, Peter Zumthor
For a long time, Woolwich and North Woolwich have been seen as a ‘pair’ because of their shared historical background. In reality, however, they’re isolated not only by the Thames, but also by the inconsistent speeds of their respective urban regenerations: they have now become separated communities. In project one, the daydreaming experience first occurred in the Woolwich Foot Tunnel: as we investigated the threshold conditions of Woolwich from north to south, there was a clear progression from starting with uncertainty and doubt, to ending with positivity and hope. In project two, this sequence is reversed — the daydreams start in the flourishing Woolwich, and end with the degenerated North Woolwich — and it is at the end of the journey that a sense of purpose and realisation arise in the travellers. The two waiting rooms thus create a natural ‘journey’ which allows the residents of the south side, who after tolerating a draining pace of life ceaselessly, to commit to a ‘pilgrimage’ to the north in order to appreciate their inner worlds again in a slower, more peaceful environment. Consequently, the institute is to sit on the extended axis that connects the two waiting rooms in Woolwich and North Woolwich in order to complete the progressive journey for the travellers. This axis bonds the separate elements gathered by the ferry crossing, and begins to shape a ‘complete landscape’ that will transpire as an ‘endless continuum’. A complete journey starts with experiencing the three daydreaming stages in the waiting rooms; as they come to a preliminary understanding with their inner self, they can advance it further and approach the institute; and by accomplishing the alchemical stages in the institute their underlying spirits will finally be awakened, followed by the transformation of the ‘self ’, and the purification of the ‘soul’.
The Ale Store behind the Foot Tunnel entrance, 1920s
The proposed site for this project has a long industrial heritage, but is currently a waste land with overgrowing vegetation and overflowing rubbish. Alchemy and psychotherapy are essentially processes of purification and transformation, and therefore the building of the institute may be able to transform the site. Potentially, it could be a ‘purgation’ of the derelict site, replacing the ‘edgeland’ condition with a kind of liveliness that is reminiscent of the bottling company which occupied the site for over a century.
BT London Telegraph (developing site)
Pumping Station
Disused Railway
Proposed Project 3 Site
Waiting Room North Woolwich
Waiting Room Woolwich
The Situation | The Journey Axis for the Travellers (‘Pilgrims’)
1829
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Myles Birkett Foster established the Victoria Ale Stores (the warehouse was a four-storey brick building with arched windows that distribute sunlight evenly in the bottling plant)
mid to late 19th century
•
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The company expanded significantly and started exporting goods internationally Became one of the largest bottling companies in the world (extensions were added to the side and rear of the original warehouse, doubling the building footprint)
1940s
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The bombing caused irreparable damage to the warehouse
1950s
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The site is sold to Henley’s Telegraph Works (the company adjacent to the site), and storage for cables were built
1959
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Henley’s left the site, and applications were made for the storage structures to be demolished
1990s
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A pumping station was built in connection with the Royal Docks on the north end of the site
History of M.B Foster & Son Beer Bottling Company
Interior of the bottling plant in M.B. Foster and Son, 1930
Exterior of the M.B. Foster & Son Company, 1930s
Historical Map of North Woolwich, 1847 and 1898
Ushers Brewery Bottling Store, Trowbridge
In response to the historical context, the activity of ‘bottling’ will be integrated into the therapeautic journey of the travellers: as they continute through their therapies, an alchemical product will be made and bottled in the recycled glass bottles made on the site. This means that when they reach the end of the journey, a physical ‘memento’ will be created for them.
The M.B. Foster & Sons Ale Store Insurance Plan, 1900
The site borders a pumping station and a series of housing to the north, a developing site to the west, the Woolwich Foot Tunnel entrance and the old North Woolwich Station to the east, and the Thames to the south. The historical uses of these surrouding lands include eletric telegraph works, chemical works, sewage works, and transportation.
Industrial Community Commercial Residential Educational Green Areas
Building Uses
2 stories 3-5 stories 6 stories >15 stories
Building Heights
The Site
The immediate context to the north (top) and west (bottom)
The Tunnel Entrance Rotunda North Woolwich Station
The site and its context to the east (top) and west (bottom)
The Site (behind)
Tate & Lyle Sugar Refinery
The site and its context to the south (top) and north (bottom)
The Site (North-west corner) The Tunnel Entrance Rotunda
The Pumping Station
The immediate context, showing the pumping station which may affect the visual effects on the site
Relationship between the site and the ferry
The Site
The Waiting Rooms
The Ferry (and flood defence)
Approaching the site
Act 04
THE NARRATIVE the three alchemical stages + the three ‘alchemists’
‘Our first problem is the fact that the whole text can never be perceived at any one time. In this respect it differs from given objects, which can generally be viewed or at least conceived as a whole. The “object” of the text can only be imagined by way of different consecutive phases of reading. We always stand outside the given object, whereas we stand inside the literary text. The relationship between text and reader is therefore quite different from that between object and observer. Instead of a subjectobject relationship, there is a moving viewpoint which travels along inside that which it has to apprehend. This mode of grasping an object is unique to literature.’ — The Act of Reading, Wolfgang Iser
The alchemists, by operating continuously and openly, provide insights into the alchemical principles for the travellers and the psychoanalysts, helping the therapeutic processes to improve as the practice evolves. The travellers are the ‘specimens’, who are subjected to the treatment of the psychoanalysts, contributing to their research as a kind of ‘mediator’ between the two seemingly conflicting realms of scientific research and hermeticism. The psychoanalysts are almost like onlookers, who observe, document and analyse all the events that take place. They guide, but never intervene. The relationships between the alchemists, the travellers, and the psychoanalysts are much like the relationship between novels (texts), readers, and authors: the travellers are immersed in this mystical world that seems to be whimsical and incomprehensible unless directly experienced; they are guided to gain understanding themselves, but not to have everything intepreted for them — much like how readers interacts with books; comparable to the relationship between novels and authors, the alchemists and the psychoanalysts could not exist without one another, as they form a symbiosis which creates and makes sense of the ‘extraordinary’ from the ‘everyday’.
00:00
•
Arrival
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Observes bottle making processes
00:05
•
Waiting
00:15
•
Ceremony of Initiation: Calcines personal item and starts the therapy and alchemical processes
•
The first stage of transformation commences: Client-centred Therapy
00:30 + overnight
The alchemists practice the operations of Separation and Dissolution 12:00
•
The second stage of transformation commences: Existential Therapy The alchemists practice the operations of Conjunction and Fermentation
14:00
•
The third stage of transformation commences: Gestalt Therapy The alchemists practice the operations of Distillation and Coagulation
16:00
16:20
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Ceremony of Completion: the travellers pour the final product from the alchemical processes into a bottle which is produced in the building
•
Departure
Ideal Sequence of Activities 3/3 Stages Completion
2/3 Stages Completion
00:00
•
Arrival
• Indirect
Route: Bottle Making Labs
00:05
• Direct
Route: ‘Cathedral of Bottles’ (the ‘Waiting Room’)
00:15
• The
00:30
• Nigredo chambers:
Alchemists’ Hub
the travellers could stay overnight to dream, and the dreams will then be subjected to psychoanalysis
+ overnight
12:00
• Albedo chambers:
14:00
• Rubedo chambers:
16:00
• Access
the travellers will be instructed to lie down and close their eyes in order to amplify and accept their senses
the travellers are encouraged to be more active, and the therapy sessions become more flexible
Level: Ceremonial Chamber
Level below: Psychoanalysts’ Hub
16:20
1/3 Stages Completion
•
Departure
Ideal Sequence of Spaces 3/3 Stages Completion
‘The nigredo or blackness is the initial state... a union of opposites is performed... followed by the death of the product of the union and a corresponding nigredo. From this the washing either leads direct to the whitening (albedo), or does the soul release at the “death” is reunited with the dead body and brings about this resurrection... At this point the first main goal of the process is reached, namely the albedo... It is the silver or moon condition, which still has to be raised to the sun condition. The albedo is, so to speak, the daybreak, but not till the rubedo is it sunrise. The transition to the rubedo... follows direct from the albedo as the result of raising the heat of the fire to its highest intensity.’ — Psychology and Alchemy, C.G. Jung
After the initial ceremony, the travellers will be guided to the psychoanalysts’ labs and begin the three alchemical stages. These stages correspond with the existing branches of humanistic psychotherapy, addressing multiple aspects of the ‘self ’:
Stage 01 Nigredo — Client-centred Therapy The first stage, nigredo, involves in a ‘blackening’, a ‘death’ of the old self. During this stage the travellers may be asked to recall moments in their lives that they don’t want to confront; or to dream and describe any disturbing nature that have surfaced; or to simply articulate their thoughts until an inner world reveals. The psychoanalysts empathise, and facilitating this process further. At the end of this stage, the travellers will reborn, and they are now ready for further purifications.
Stage 02 Albedo — Existential Therapy The stage of albedo advances the journey inwards. The travellers would come to be aware of the existence of their soul, understanding who they are as individuals, and noticing the qualities and gifts they possess. This process leads to a heightened sense of purpose and spiritual awareness, which means that these purified souls can go back to their physical bodies (the vessels of the soul) to create an elevated new self.
Stage 03 Rubedo — Gestalt Therapy The process of rubedo sees the implementation of change from the travellers. They’re asked to assess the reality of their lives, and to identify the root of the problems in themselves. The presence of the psychoanalysts helps them realise the possibilities of changing their problematic personalities in accord with their own true nature. When the change is accomplished, the transformation is complete.
When the travellers begin their therapeutic processes, the alchemists also commence their alchemical operations. However, even though solutions are being produced during each stage, they will remain unfinished products unless all three stages of psychotherapy have been completed. Therefore, the travellers will be encouraged to complete the whole alchemical cycle.
‘I have known true alchemists,’ the alchemist continued. ‘They locked themselves in their laboratories, and tried to evolve, as gold had. And they found the Philosopher’s Stone, because they understood that when something evolves, everything around that thing evolves as well. Others stumbled upon the stone by accident. They already had the gift, and their souls were readier for such things than the souls of others... And then there were the others, who were interested only in gold. They never found the secret. They forgot that lead, copper, and iron have their own destinies to fulfil. And anyone who interferes with the destiny of another thing never will discover his own.’ — The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
As the travellers can chose to complete as many or as few therapeutic stages as they wish, not all of them will reach the state of transformation and ‘elevation’. Consequently, there will be three types of ‘alchemists’, distinguished by their respective levels of commitment to the therapeutic processes:
The True Disciples of Hermes — 3/3 Stages Completion Alchemy, as a branch of Hermeticism, springs from a series sacred texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Only those who are the faithful disciple of Hermes receives the finished alchemical product, as they are sincere, devout, and unwavering.
The Fortuitous Followers of Alchemy — 2/3 Stages Completion With the help of the psychoanalysts, many of the fortuitous followers may be able to succeed in transforming themselves. It is possible for them to find the essence of alchemy without experiencing the hardship of many others, but they will never achieve true actualisation.
The Avaricious Practitioner of Distillation — 1/3 Stages Completion Ardent as they are, these impatient practitioners could never truly transform themselves. Their objectives are not pure enough, and still have traces of the materialistic external world. They may gain insights from the institute, though their understandings would only be superficial.
In addition to the psychotherapy, the travellers can also chose to participate in other activities in the institute. For instance, they can observe the alchemists and engage in parts of the solution-making process, or take part in the glass bottle making. This is to accommodate the different needs of different types of building users, instead of providing a predetermined routine and expecting all to follow. This kind of flexibility allows the free-spirited travellers to ‘give and take’ as they wish, creating a more spontaneous and dynamic environment for the institute.
The birds in the flask represents nigredo, albedo, and rubedo
The drawing suggests that the three alchemical stages are entwined and inseparable. The spatial layout of the institute will therefore be more playful instead of purely symmetrical. Secretive pockets of spaces will be created, enhancing the mystery of alchemy, and inviting people to engage but not to become mere spectators. These dynamic spaces will be united in a central space, where the clashing energies are to be balanced and harmonised — and ultimately, consolidated as an unified entity.
The Narrative | The Three Alchemical Stages + the Three ‘Alchemists’
Act 05
THE PROPOSITION the unification of psychotherapy and alchemy
‘We seek to determine being and, in doing, transcend all situations, to give a situation of all situations... Many metaphysical systems would need mapping. But in philosophy, all short-cuts are costly, and philosophical knowledge cannot advance from schematised experiments. ’ — The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard
The institute of Scientific Hermeticism seeks to combine the analytic techniques used in psychotherapy and the dynamism brought about by alchemy in order to open up a new way for people to be more mindful of their inner consciousness and unconsciousness. Different from a psychiatric centre that focuses on specific mental health issues, it is a place that does not have the ‘sterile’ atmosphere of hospitals, but a place of spiritual freedom — in that you are not asked to achieve a certain goal, but only to understand yourself — and the only intention is to make the external world seem less hostile and distressing. It is a place that is almost a ‘chapel of self ’, where our psyche is acknowledged, appreciated and amplified.
Hyōgo
Prefectural
Museum
of
Art
/
Tadao
Ando
‘ ... in the darkness of the innermost rooms of these huge buildings, to which sunlight never penetrates, how the gold leaf of a sliding door or screen will pick up a distant glimmer from the garden, then suddenly send forth an ethereal glow, a faint golden light cast into the enveloping darkness, like the glow upon the horizon at sunset. In no other setting is gold quite so exquisitely beautiful. ’ — In Praise of Shadows, Junichiro Tanizaki
THE
CATHEDRAL OF BOTTLES
With enticing glimpses of the bottled alchemical solutions hanging from above, the Cathedral of Bottles attracts the travellers in, arousing their sense of curiosity and inducing them to complete the whole therapeutic cycle. It is a space that prepares the travellers for the mystical world of alchemy. It contains a central atrium space which employs echoes to accentuate its solidity, and utilises shadows to amplify filtered light, making it a space which triggers reflections and heightens emotional sensitivities — especially when light refracts as it passes through the glass bottles, bringing about an ethereal atmosphere to the space. Population: 15 Size: 80m2
Xavier
Corbero
Residence
/
Xavier
Corbero
THE
ALCHEMISTS’
HUB
A generous central space where the Ceremony of Initiation takes place. It connects the ‘Everyday’ and the ‘Extraordinary’ with playful circulation spaces, and acts as a ‘catalyst’ of the transformation process. As a space that bridges different realms, a ‘hybrid’ aesthetic will be created in response. A concrete structure will be employed in continuation of the mystical spaces, providing mass and a sense of monumentality. Additionally, a steel frame is to be jointed to the solid structures, generating an industrial character that accentuates the production processes in alchemy and glass making. Population: 30 Size: 150m2
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art / Heatherwick Studio
THE
ALCHEMISTS
LABS
Three alchemists will be present in the institute, each working in parallel with one of the three alchemical/ psychotherapy stages. The labs will be integrated into the architectural structures, and have a mixture of opaque and transparent elements in response to storage as well as display purposes. Population: 3 Size: 40m2 x 3
THE
BOTTLE MAKING
LABS
To gradually engage the travellers attention, the bottle making labs will have a high percentage of glazed areas to establish good visual connections to the circulation spaces. Although an industrial workshop, it will still be a welcoming space, and the travellers will be encouraged to observe and participate in the production process as they wish. Size: 100m2 Distillation Apparatus - Aesop Rough Trade Nottingham / CiguĂŤ
Sainsbury
Laboratory
/
Stanton
Williams
THE
PSYCHOANALYSTS’
HUB
Like the alchemists, the psychoanalysts have a central space where they meet and discuss progresses on the research of the Scientific Hermeticism. It is a space exclusive to the 12 psychoanalysts, as they are not practitioners of alchemy, but contributors of the alchemical principals in the realm of psychotherapy. As they are the ‘hidden figures’ behind the alchemist, their space is also relatively hidden, and the public will not be allowed access. Population: 12 Size: 100m2
The
Brion
Cemetery
/
Carlo
Scarpa
THE
PSYCHOANALYSTS’
LABS
The psychoanalysts’ labs will be separated into three segments corresponding to the three therapeutic stages, and as there will be 4 chambers for each stage of the transformation. They will be strategically interconnected to provide a coherent journey for the travellers. Population: 24 / hour Size: 15m2 x 4 x 3
The chambers will differ in materiality: for the nigredo, as it requires the release of pain (or other kinds of disturbing energy), the room surfaces will be roughened to correspond with this darkened side of the ‘self ’;
The albedo is much calmer, and therefore needs a peaceful space that invites positivity instead of negativity;
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel / Peter Zumthor
At last, the rubedo is centred around the interaction between the psychoanalyst and the traveller, thus the tone of the material will be much warmer and welcoming.
Kolumba
UNESCO Meditation Space / Tadao Ando
Museum
/
Peter
Zumthor
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PALLASMAA, J. The Eyes of the Skin. John Wiley & Sons. 13 Apr 2012. 3rd ed. BACHELARD,G. The Poetics of Space. Penguin Classics. 30 Dec 014. Revised ed. MERLEAU-PONTY, M. Phenomenology of Perception. Routledge. 9 Aug. 2013. COELHO, P. The Alchemist. Harper Thorsons. 2 Jul 2015 JUNG, C.G. Psychology and Alchemy. Routledge. 31 Dec. 1980. 2nd ed. ZUMTHOR, P. Thinking Architecture. Birkhäuser GmbH. 21 Jun. 2010. 3rd ed.