the emanation of the commons architecture in a city without majorities campus Sint-Lucas Brussels, KU Leuven international master of architecture 2021 spring semester tutors: Patrick Moyersoen & Jasmien Wouters by
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phase 1: PRESENCE IN THE CITY LANDSCAPE _ reading || site & references _ spatial vocabulary _ translation into the context phase 2: (RE)DEFINING COMMON GROUND _ understanding the topic _ vocabulary _ translation into visual _ into process phase 3: MAKE IT TANGIBLE _ reflection || new beginning _ narrative _ reading references _ into process
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PRESENCE IN THE CITY LANDSCAPE phase 1
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historical aspect – the underground connection between north and south stations by metro in 1950-1960s changed the layout of streets, buildings and layers of life in between
the connection which caused the separation
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reading || site
The city, however, doesn’t tell the past, but contains it like the lines of a hand, written in the corners of the streets, the banisters of the steps, the antennae of the lightning rods, the poles of the flags, every segment marked in turn with scratches, indentations, scrolls. - ITALO CALVINO, Invisible Cities, p11
1930-1935
1971
1953
1977
1961
today
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reading || site
grid & order || big scale & freedom
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2 grid & order || context & layers
grid & order || approaches & irregularity
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grid and order of the existing buildings became a background to observe the life in between regular urban landscape. everyhting what doesn’t follow strict horzontal or vertical axles becomes interesting part of the life in the site.
therefore, the contrast for intervention is chosen
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reading || site
observation & experience Experience is the field where we collect the material and immaterial contributions that form our work; it is the starting point. - Francesca Torzo, in Hasselt, 2012
impression: big scale | freedom open space: natural strong wind, rain
sound without view: police is hurrying bells of cathedral are ringing people are talking
finance tower as the dominant of the site
experience: layers | approaches | irregularity historical context cathedral and town hall tower in the horizon layers of life intimate moments connection betewen inside & outside activity and light: street at night & plynth during the day
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Experience is also the purpose: to offer people space to experience. - Francesca Torzo, in Hasselt, 2012
Listen! Interiors are like large instruments, collecting sound, amplifying it, transmitting it elsewhere. - Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres, p29
<...> architecture involves movement. Architecture is a spatial art, as people always say. But architecture is also a temporal art. - Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres, p41
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reading || references
SUPERSTUDIO I Monumento Continuo, Arizona desert | 1969 SUPERSTUDIO I Villa Suburbana | 1968-1970
BERNARD RUDOFSKY | “Architecture without architects”
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contrasts transformed into the shape: light | darkness shared | private silent | loud imtimate | active moving | stable open view | closed involving | rejecting
contrast leads from observations, feelings, surroundings, variety of people
therefore, great hall as a contrast is not necessarily one big volume – it involves smaller connected spaces
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spatial vocabulary
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JONAS KISSLING | gypsum prototyping
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goal These were spaces you would enter and begin to feel you could stay there – that you were not just passing through. I’d be standing there, and might just stay a while, but then something would be drawing me round the corner – it was the light falls, over here, over there: and so I sounter on – and I must say I find that a great source of pleasure. The feeling that I am not being directed but can stroll at will – just drifting along, you know? And it’s a kind of voyage of discovery. - Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres, p43
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impression
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translation into context
experience
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ambition
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translation into context
intervention
principles of intervening into existing landscape finding the best way
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connection of different layers
what is the relation to the site?
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translation into context 01
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intervention covering the plynth and the street
how is the intervention is integrated into the context?
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translation into context 02
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sketch of the proposal to differentiate the spaces
what kind of connection to these spaces is important?
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translation into context 03
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what is the relation to the site?
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translation into context 04
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what are the main urban statements?
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translation into context 05
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translation into context final stop
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translation into context final stop
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phase 1: PRESENCE IN THE CITY LANDSCAPE _ reading || site & references _ spatial vocabulary _ translation into the context phase 2: (RE)DEFINING COMMON GROUND _ understanding the topic _ vocabulary _ translation into visual _ into process phase 3: MAKE IT TANGIBLE _ reflection || new beginning _ narrative _ reading references _ into process
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(RE)DEFINING COMMON GROUND phase 2 together with Raquel Prudencio
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namegiving | autumn | spring | carnival
adulthood | harvest | love | midsummer
death | winter
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understanding the topic
shared moments rites of passages
When it comes to open public spaces in a diverse city like Brussels, it becomes very important to analyse its variety and complexity. Therefore, I see phase 2 as an opportunity to take a fresh look at the diversity of people, their needs and cultural habits. Personal experiences have become an essential aspect, which take on a different meaning when they are experienced in a public place, in a group of people. The boundary between personal and shared moments is the most intriguing part of this phase. How do people celebrate their lives? How are their habits affected by space? Or how do people themselves appropriate space? How do natural phenomena influence people’s lives? Finally, polyptych is chosen as a tool for this analysis. It is considered as a group work, which connects main topics of human and nature life: circle of life: namegiving, adulthood, love, death circle of earth: midwinter, carnival, spring, midsummer, harvest, autumn / decay
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namegiving... what does it mean to give a name? to name = to give a sense
one of the very first acts of free will exercised by man was the act of naming name is seen as part of identity each name carries so much meaning the need to distinguish became essential the necessity of inventing common names in order to create a narrative
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understanding the topic
... in relation with space what gets first: name for the place? or action gives a name to the space? does the name change or form the identity of the place? unlabelled spaces give more opportunities We decided to go in a different path and relate the concept to space. The purpose is to analyse: how does the namegiving influence on its use and reflect on how a space, given its Name can be interpreted in different ways, based on cultural values. The approach towards culture was a focus given that the city of Brussels is multicultural and this diverse appropriation can be seen within te same city.
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namegiving translated into concepts: free will / freedom beginning of the narrative external influences personal experience cultural values meaning / sense
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vocabulary
patterns of the square | street | stairs
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one NAME several meanings
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translation into visual
reference to understand the appropriation of public spaces: Loose Space: Possibility and Diversity in Urban Life
In cities around the world people use a variety of public spaces to relax, to protest, to buy and sell, to experiment and to celebrate. Loose Space explores the many ways that urban residents, with creativity and determination, appropriate public space to meet their own needs and desires. To represent this concept we thought about having the space represented in an abstract way, being more identifiable by their Names. The idea of situating the space into a context was brought by having an outline of some buildings in Brussels. These are not only typical historical buildings but they go from older, to modern and different styles, what we feel really represents the layers that Brussels has. As previously mentioned a reference used as inspiration was the book Loose Spaces and in it we got several images that have people appropriating certain spaces in different ways and in different countries. It is interesting to see how people relate to spaces differently and what aspects of the culture lead to this. The purpose was to also explore the use of these spaces beyond their Name and whatever this designates towards it. Taking into consideration that people tend toward their needs and through these diverse uses we can see what is essential to the space and to their needs.
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People dancing on the East 3rd Street, New York
In Prosfygika, Greece, feast to resist government plans
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Children playing on Chisenhale Road, London
Filipino maids, working in Hong Kong without their families, gather in public spaces all over the city on their weekly day off. They chat, eat, play cards, read magazines and try out make up and nail polish
translation into visual
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Vegetables for sale, Noryangjin fish market, Seoul
People sitting on New York Public Library steps, mostly office workers eating lunch.
Getting married is a big step; wedding photos outside Parliament House, Melbourne, Australia
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Chinese dry food store, Grand Street, Little Italy
translation into visual
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Winston Churchill memorial defaced with ‘was a racist’ during London Black Lives Matter protest
people protesting against police brutality against people of colour and, generally, racism in Brussels
Climate activists form a protest camp near the statue of King Leopold II at Trone square (Place du Trone) on March 25, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium.
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A statue of former king of Belgium Baudouin was defaced with red paint to protest his role in the colonisation of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
translation into visual
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Researching the topic of namgiving in relation to space, we were forced to think more about the diversity of people, their cultural habits and ways of appropriating space. In connection with my project, I was again struck by a contrast or a paradoxical statement: one name has several meanings - we call the same, but experience it in many different ways. The second phase leaves me with the idea of unlabelled - not strictly defined - spaces. On the other hand, a space that could be defined by people and their use. Thinking about the great hall and the variety of people as well as activities that have been explored, I’m interested in creating a space without strict boundaries, where inner and outer spaces merge.
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translation into visual final stop
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collage as a technique enables to bring various moments into one place, expresses the multi-cultural society and different layers
A collage allows a lot of voices to be in one place. - Tatiana Bilbao, 2019
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into process choosing the language
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into process discussing
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into process collaging
A collage also accepts processes, it accepts mistakes. - Tatiana Bilbao, 2019
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into process celebrating
people celebrate their life in shared moments the process itself – became a sequence of shared moments together with Raquel – celebration
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phase 1: PRESENCE IN THE CITY LANDSCAPE _ reading || site & references _ spatial vocabulary _ translation into the context _ into process phase 2: (RE)DEFINING COMMON GROUND _ understanding the topic _ vocabulary _ translation into visual _ into process phase 3: MAKE IT TANGIBLE _ reflection || new beginning _ narrative _ reading references _ into process
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MAKE IT TANGIBLE phase 3
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Matthew Simmonds
Giancarlo Gareiss
two ways of the intervention as a contrast following the urban landscape the second is chosen
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reflection || new beginning
_ intervention matches the suroundings in the urban landscape – flat and strict roof surface correlates with the existing environment _ the inner and outer spaces of the intervention follows the contrast principle – different atmospheres are created _ intervention becomes a public space, which connects the existing layers – street level is integrated in the upper part of the site _ two clear spaces – ground floor & roof (top floor) – become relevant in more detailed proposal
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01 space
02 following the axis
03 access - circulation
roof
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square in relation to congress observation deck
b c
following axis of the gardens
a - path on the roof b - path under the roof c - path on the plinth
following axis of the buildings and congress station
connection between street and upper levels
ground floor
forming the square on the ground floor - connection to congress station
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narrative
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pond
forest
cave
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dunes
narrative
forest
light, rain and columns become key elements referring to the forest atmosphere – people are invited to find their personal way how to use the spaces, which can be imtimate and public at the same time
cave
several open to the sky spaces can work as gathering spots including cultural activities – the darkness around, sound and echo suggest new experiences
pond
openness and connection to the street allows to involve more natural elements in this segment – inviting and curious atmosphere
dunes
the landscape becomes the key element while experiencing this part – the segments can work as a playground for children
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These were spaces you would enter and begin to feel you could stay there – that you were not just passing through. I’d be standing there, and might just stay a while, but then something would be drawing me round the corner – it was the light falls, over here, over there: and so I sounter on – and I must say I find that a great source of pleasure. The feeling that I am not being directed but can stroll at will – just drifting along, you know? And it’s a kind of voyage of discovery. - Peter Zumthor, Atmospheres, p43
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narrative
the sequence of the spaces – separated by atmospheres but physically connected contrast felt by observing from the top and experiencing while being inside
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Carmen Kempf and Linda Sjoqvist I Unpolished | 2021
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reading || references
Junya Ishigami I House and Restaurant Cave | 2018
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clay
plaster
foam
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into process exploring materials
cement & cardboard
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into process making
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into process trying
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into process learning
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into process final stop
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into process final stop
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open to appropriation, to variety of experiences and activities, unpredictable – connecting
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the emanation of the commons architecture in a city without majorities campus Sint-Lucas Brussels, KU Leuven international master of architecture 2021 spring semester tutors: Patrick Moyersoen & Jasmien Wouters by
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