Fangtu Gong - MFA-Interior Design Thesis Work Sample

Project Name : NOHO Memory Archive [NMA] Archive Center of Theater Performance in Lower Manhattan

Section 01-a: Thesis Statement:

Considering the relative simultaneous time dimensions of past, present and future, I investigate how to make memory tangible in spatial form.

Key Words: Memory, Tangibility, Archive, Theater Performance, Time

Student: Fangtu Gong Contact: fgong@pratt.edu 347 575 0815

Collage: “Dialogue Between Memory and Present�

Diagram Family Tree

Thesis Statement: Considering the relative time dimensions of past, present and future, I explore the meaning of memory, archive and performance simultaneously to investigate how to make memory tangible.

Keywords:

Memory

Archive

Time

Tangible

Type: Archive Center

User: Theater Performance Artist / School Faulty and Sudent / Public

Who?

Memory

Design Method

Time cascading

Past, Now, Future

Interweave

Open the Archive

Record the Moment

Analogy

Reflection

Section 01-b: Thesis Abstract Situated in the NOHO district in New York, the surrounding neighborhoods have a profound history of theater performance that continues today. Inside my 18xx masonry and cast iron building site located at 436 Lafayette St, I combine over the first three floors, a series of archive, exhibition, research and performance recording spaces. To keep the past alive while new memories are made, I am testing these ideas through interior design methods that explore how to encourage people to engage in seeing, feeling, retrieving and making memory as an outer and inner process. I utilize themes of illusion, interweaving, reflection, and cascading, The program has been made with the n hypothetical collaboration between the Playwright Dance Academy (an existing tenant who will remain on other floors) and the famous, New York Public Theater, across the street as the financial partners. Inside spaces consist of an archive center history timeline of performances, video and audio collections, research areas and recoding studios. Tangible and tactile spatial ideas are manifested by presenting a series of spatial processions with choices. Care has been given to develop a new urban interior with a timeline history and performance research and meetings spaces, an archive of minature theatre models and stage designs, sand paces for professional theater performing artists to meet and record. Many types of people will come to this new resource to explore the memory of New York through the topic of theater performance.

While theNMA project, on the one hand, collects video and text data of theater performances in New York City’s 100+ year history to achieve the purpose of commemoration of past work; oit also allows for the exploring of how tanhis archive center can provide for and witness the process of current events gradually turning into memory by continuously updating its position in the extended timeline. Therefore, there are stages and reserach spaces offer the chance to record current performances of local and visiting individual artists and groups, thus continuously guiding contemporary performing artists to actively participate in making current and future activities.

MEMORY

ARCHIVE

Collage: “ Memory, Time and Archive”

TIME

Explore “Archive� in the Notion of Memory Spatially Tangibility

Instead of packing everything tightly, my task is to unfold it, open the archive and guide people to feel the memory. That means, not only by retrieving various documents and historical heritage, but also by stimulating people’s initiative through the design of the space To retrieve memory.

Relative Time Dimensions of Past, Present and Future

Considering the relative time dimensions of past, present and future, what we experience today will become memories of the future. I hope that the spatial form of the archive center also has the function of witnessing the generation of new memories. Encourage recording the present, pave the way for the future. Archive can always update its position on the ever-expanding timeline.

Section 05: Site Description & Analysis

Memory of Theater Performance in NOHO DNA The Noho district in lower Manhattan has a deep history of theater performances that continues today. The area is densely packed with theaters, dance performance studios, playwright schools, and related companies. They not only pay tribute to traditional classics, but also strive to carry out new forms of exploration experiments.

Fluxus in avant-garde movement New York Public Theater Performance Space 122 La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club Blue Man GroupClub Yiddish theater ... .... ... ...

Dance Theater

Anne Hebard School of Ballet Training centre

Musical

School of New York Theatre Ballet Ballet school

Mary Anthony Dance Studio Dance School

Dokoudovsky New York Conservatory of Dance

Musical Theatre Factory Non-profit organization

Ballet school

Astor Place Theatre

Off-Broadway theater & New York Landmark

The Public Theater

The Carl Fischer

Music Publishers Since 1872

Performing arts theater center in historical dig

343 Labs Music school

The Center for Ballet and the Arts Arts organization

Theater For the New City

Offbeat, nonprofit American playhouse

NYU Dance Office Dance School

Jack Crystal Theater Performing arts theater

Gene Frankel Theatre Performing arts theater

Duo Theatre

Historic performing-arts venue hosting a variety of theater, dance, film & music productions.

La Mama Experimental Theatre Club Influential Off-Broadway theater company

Kraine Theater

Diverse off-Broadway productions in an intimate, old-school theater

Rod Rodgers Dance Company & Studios Dance company

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture Performing arts theater with religious theme

New York Theatre Workshop

Avant garde arts center featuring works by emerging playwrights, musicians & more

Section 05: Site Description and Analysis 440 Lafayette Street, Manhattan, New York

440 LAFAYETTE STREET

Neighborhood: Location: Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 4th Street Year Built: 1871 Architect: Edward H. Kendall Building Size: 108,000 SF Floors: 6, 1 below-grade

NOHO

440 LAFAYETTE STREET

The building located at 440 Lafayette Street was designed by Edward Location: Lafayette Street between Place and Street warehouse. The buildH. Kendall and completedAstor in 1871 asEasta 4th carriage Year Built: 1871 ing was later converted toArchitect: industrial where Alfred Benjamin & Co., Edwarduse H. Kendall Building Size: clothing, 108,000 SF was established in 1879. manufacturers of high-end men's Floors: 6, 1 below-grade The building located at 440 Lafayette Street was designed by Edward

H. Kendall completed 1871 as a carriage The buildLocated in the neighborhood ofand Noho, 440inLafayette sitswarehouse. in between ing was later converted to industrial use where Alfred Benjamin & Co., NYU and "The Public" Theater.

The property is surrounded by many manufacturers of high-end men's clothing, was established in 1879. coffee shops, restaurants and bars that highlight the livelihood of NYC. Located in the neighborhood of Noho, 440 Lafayette sits in between Transportation to and from Lafayette should come easy with NYU440 and "The Public" Theater.

The property is surrounded by many shops, restaurants and bars that highlight the livelihood of NYC. access to R, W and 6 trainscoffee at ones doorstep orLafayette a short walk toeasy Union Transportation to and from 440 should come with access to R, W and 6 trainsaway. at ones doorstep or a short walk to Union Square transportation hub just moments Square transportation hub just moments away.

Digital Access Site Model Subway

Musical Theatre Factory

Non-profit organization

Subway Access

Anne Hebard School of Ballet Training centre

Dance Theater Musical

Anne Hebard School of Ballet

Training centre

Dance Theater Musical School of New York Theatre Ballet Ballet school

The Carl Fischer

Music Publishers Since 1872

ater

al dig

abs

chool

Arts

ation

Theater For the New City

Offbeat, nonprofit American playhouse

NYU Dance Office Dance School

Jack Crystal Theater Performing arts theater

Kraine Theater

Private

Theater Theater

Dance School

Public

ARCHIVE ARCH community center

n o iti

ib h ex

ARCHIVE

ARC HIVE ARC ARCHIVE

community center

ion

ARCHIVE

community center

ARCHIVE ARCHIVE ARCHIVE

exhib it

exhibition

Section 06: Programming

Lecture Room Memorial Record stage Office Resea Video A Au Re

Book Archive

Relics Mo

Entry Exhibition Research Ba Exhibition Caf

l arch Archive udio Archive ecord stage Office

odel Archive

athroom fe

Basic functions of space ?

For who ?

40% Archive + Research Theater Performance Artist - Industry stakeholders

50%

School Faculty and student - Building Qccupants

30%

Public - Non-professional

20%

10% Memorial themed exhibition 30% Recording traces of contemporary performing artists 20% Organize related seminars and activities

1 Archive + Research

2 Recording traces of contemporary performing artists

Compressed archive or Open archive?

Recording images of contemporary New York theater performing

Open the box Not bury memory

artists and travelling artists performing in New York, in order to promote the generation of memories, pave the way for the futher.

Reconstructing the memory scene The memorable scenes about the city theatre

This recording process emphasizes the notion of witnessing.

run through the entire storage, research and reading space

The entire recording process is open to the public through a special

Create immersive experience for the retrive of past

spatial organization method, and guides the public to understand

Video storage Viewing space

the discussion of memories from relatively perspectives of the past,

Book storage Reading space

present and future.

Record stage

Cultural relics and vintage models storage Exhibition space

3

Organize related seminars and activities

Related events will be held for this professional group.

Such as holding experimental performance consultations, lectures and seminars open to the public.

Stage for experimental performance lecture room Unformal meeting area

4

Office Space-for Records Committee

Memorial themed exhibition A more public-oriented exhibition related to this theme.

May overlap with archive or event space.

Memorial

Exhibation

Section Rendering

Section A-a

A N DN

B

Lafayette Street

DN

b UP

DN

a

Section B-b

1

2

3

4

Floor Plan Rendering

After entering from the entrance, passing the reception hall, this is the first main space to be seen. The

Beginning of the Timeline

two huge stairs face away from you, forming a passage in the middle, and the space becomes narrower

- From Now To Past

bottom of which is designed to be partially incomplete, exposing the reinforcing steel, and people can

and narrower as you go forward. At the end of the passage is a mountain-shaped concrete structure, the peep into the exhibition of the theater stage model through this gap. On both sides of the passage are two exhibition spaces, which mainly place sculptures related to the theme.

Key Plan

This wall, The shape of it is abstracted from the curtain of the classic theater stage, and the number of the year is hided in each arc groove, from 2020 to 1920. Inside the arc is a mirror. When looking at these years names, people see their reflections on the mirror at the same time. This part means the beginning of the timeline.

From now on, people will gradually return their thoughts to the past and explore memory.

At the end of the passage, the solid concrete structure blocks your way. The reflection on this part of the glass encourages you to look back at the book archive on the stairs. This design, which guides visitors to turn around, echoes the theme of reflection.

Book Archive On Stair - Time Cascading

Perspective - Rendering Key Plan This is the library on the stairs. The books are from low to high according to the year, reflecting the design ideology of time cascading.

In this place, pictures of well-known performing artists in New York over the past 100 years are displayed.

The entire library is framed with textured weathered black metal from the ground, walls, and ceiling. This part of the ceiling is a translucent electronic screen with a ceiling on the second floor and a floor on the third floor. The map of the theater in New York is displayed on it.

Key Plan

These pictures represent this area. When you are on this corridor on the second floor, look down. The first floor is the archive of the stage model of the theater. On the third floor is an art installation called time and clock. It shows the present world, like the soul in space.

Time tunnel

Costume Display This light and temporary structure of metal and mesh contrasts with the solid and heavy concrete material on the outside, reflecting the interweaving of the present and the past.

This part is the display of theater costumes, the upper layer is the display of video recording equipment and projecting video on the wall.

Video Display

Key Plan

Old pictures of New York’s past are

Video Archive Hall & Research Playground

Key Plan This is a video archive corridor located on the main space on the third floor. The screen in this corridor is installed on the wall. People can sit in this window-sill-like place and pull down the headphones to watch the video in front of them.

On the outside steps, the iPad installed on the ground can be pulled up. This part of the ground

Record Stage & Witness Balcony

Location in Plan/Section Key Plan This is a record stage. The space is two stories high. On the second floor, performing artists can come here to record their performances and show exploratory performances. On the third floor, people can see what is happening below on this encircling passage and witness the creation of new memories.

This space faces lafayette st, and the New York Public Theater can be seen from the window.

Scheme Develop and Parti

B

a

A

b

I divided this long and narrow building into four parts from the inside out, and then divided the central area and the surrounding area based on the two rows of pillars in the middle of the building. The three areas in the middle are the main archive space and exhibition space, and the surrounding area is the research area and the auxiliary transportation function. Then the main traffic connections in the central area are established on the two symmetry axes.

On Section, I am trying to build a past to future timeline form bottom to top. The spaces representing the future and the past are vertically staggered and squeezed.

Archive Zoon Exihibation Performance Stage Other Research Zoon

Sketch Floor Plan and Section

Section A-a

A N DN

B

Lafayette Street

DN

b UP

DN

a Section B-b

1

2

3

4

Video Archive Research

Visit Guide map

Video Display DN

UP

NYC Theater Map Video Witness Balcony (See Below)

Research

Clock Installation

Video Archive Video Display

Locker Room

UP

N

DN

Book library

3rd Floor

Costume Display Library on Stair

Theater Stage Model Archive

Library on Stair

Stage for Record

Theater Costume

UP

Audio Display Hall

Research

Costume Display

N

DN

2cd Floor

Cafe Bar Sculpture Display

Video Archive

DN

UP

Reception

Stage Model Archive Research Sculpture Display Lobby

Audio Archive

Display Advertise

UP

DN

Chat Area

N

1st Floor

Witness Balcony (See Below)

Therefore, in this space, I store these different types of memory fragments separate-

1920

1940

2020 2000

Timeline Interweave & Cascading

1900 1880

2020 2000

1900 1880

Method - 1

1960

1980 Future

Video Archive

Future Video Display UP

DN

Clock NOW Installation

1920

1940

1960

UP

the main archive space is divided into four main spaces: book archive, stage design

1980

Video Archive

ly, and store each type of archive separately according to the timeline. In this space,

Video Display Future

N

DN

3rd Floor

model archive, music and audio archive corridor, and video archive. These spaces are developed in the form of semi-storage and semi-exhibition. The four archive Future

the chronological changes in the design of the space atmosphere. Each timeline in

2020 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880

spaces are clearly arranged in chronological order from 1880 to 2020, and highlight space is in a different spatial direction in the horizontal direction, but from the bottom to the top in the vertical direction, the timeline mainly expands from the past to the present. This design of gradually shortening the time from bottom to top is based on

Audio Display Hall

the concept of the accumulation of soil layers in geography. The bottom layer of the Stage for Record

older age is located below, and the upper layer is the most recent age. The use of this cascading method can make visitors aware of the concept of time passing in the archive space.

2020 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880

UP

N

DN

2cd Floor Future

After constructing time clues in the vertical direction and some horizontal areas, the tour path cuts through multiple time clues in a interweave manner. The visiting circulation are sometimes along with the timeline and sometimes staggered. As a result, the illusion of chaotic time arises. The past, present and future spaces are intertwined, reminding people to define the position of “now� in this ongoing history.

UP

1900 1880

1920

2020 2000 1980 1960 1940 DN

N

1st Floor

NOW

UP

NOW

NOW

NOW

DN

PAST PAST PAST PAST NOW NOW PAST NOW PASTNOW NOW NOWFUTURE NOW NOW FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE Future Video Display UP

tion

community center

Future

ARCHIVE

2020

1980

ARCH 1960

ARC HIVE

Video Display Future

1920

1940

1960

N

DN

2020

2000

1980

1960

1940

1920

1900

1880

2020 2000 1980 1960 Future 1940 1920 1900 1880

Past

Future

Now

Future

2020

2000

1980

1960

1940

1920

1900

1880

1920

1880

Stage for Record

2020 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880

1940

Audio Display Hall

1960

1980

2020

Now 2000

Future

UP

Past

3rd Floor

2cd Floor

1900

N

1980

Video Archive UP

1880

1900

N

Past

Past

2020

2000

1980

1960

1940

1920

1900

1880

2cd Floor Future

1920

1940

Future

80

UP

2020

Now DN

000

1960

1980

2000

2020

DN

NOW

UP

N 1st Floor

NOW

DN

1920

Clock NOW Installation

1880

1940

1960

1980 2020 2000

Future

1920

UP

DN

ion

ARCHIVE

community center

exhibition

Future Video Display

1900 1880

2020 2000

ARCHIVE

ARC

community centerNow

t ibi

Witness Balcony (See Below)

Video Archive

h ex

Audio Display Hall

2020 2000 1980 1960 1940 1920 1900 1880

ARCHIVE

1940

ARCHIVE

N

3rd Floor

1900

Video Display Future

exhib i

ARCHIVE ARCHIVE

Clock NOW Installation

2000

DN

1900 1880

1900 1880

Past

1900 1880

Method - 2 Analogy & Reflection

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(the way to stimulate remind or imagination)

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The method of analogy I used there means by partially imitate past scenes, lead memory to fill up people’s present perception with a psychological cognition through the process of imagination,reflection and contradistinction. Deconstructing and reconstructing the fragments of memory, guide people to reflect and imagine, Thus extending a limited realistic space into a spiritual space where past and present are intertwined beyond reality. In order to link the past and present, successfully insert memory into tangible space. The method of this analysis is mean to successfully connect the past and the present, and bury hidden clues in the space to allow people to actively retrieve memories.

My material palette, strengthen this design strategies. It draws inspiration from the theatre atmosphere in the memories of the past and the outdoor environment in the Noho district.

The entire palette is divided into three parts: past, present reflection, and future. In the past, materials with a historical sense of heavyness were used. The materials were heavy and changed due to time. Now, the theme is reflection, and some reflective and refractive materials are used. Future areas are light and temporary. Overall, the past part as general, present and future part is accent. From past to future, color change from gray tone to brilliant.

Material & Color Palette

Theater Atmosphere- Fragments of Memory

GENERAL

PAST

ACCENT

REFLECTION

FUTURE

Outside View

Conclusion & Reflection 1-Reflection Through the study of thesis this year, through the discussion of memory and archive, I re-understood the relationship between interior and city from the perspective of time.

As an international student, wandering between several cities in the world, I know that not all cities can well protect the past in everyone’s memory, especially during the period of rapid development and change.

From the perspective of urban interiors, I feel that my project had begun to break the boundaries between indoor and external cities Ideologically, especially through the perspective of witness and record. On the one hand It was born because of the change of the city outside the space, on the other hand it remained independent in the dimension of time.

I think that in the following professional practice, I will still maintain my interest in urban interiors, and the discussion of the past, future, and memory will always enrich my design ideas. I am also looking forward to see that my understanding of memory and space at the age of 20 today, how it will change in a few decades when I get older.

2-Discussion of Pandemic or Post-Pandemic Period In this era of pandemic and the post-pandemic era that will be faced in the near future, the theater is undergoing tremendous changes. Actually, the theater has been constantly changing because of society, economy and culture since its birth.

This change carving along with the growth of their age in everyone’s memory.

Now, as the setting of social distance redefines the definition of gathering, our positioning of the theater continues to change. This change is engraved in everyone’s memory as they grow older.

In this period of popularity of COVID-19 and the long-term “new normal” in the future, I think we should also speculate based on the audience’s viewing needs when predicting the future of the theater. Firstly, I don’t think the theater will disappear and its spatial form will be replaced by electronic data means. People still have a special feeling for the live performance, as Walter Benjamin said many years ago, “here and now” is necessary to protect the “aura” of various art forms themselves.

Secondly, at the same time, people need the theater as a gathering place to get a sense of ritual, and the sense of ritual and the formation of memory complement each other. Although electronic data means are convenient, it makes all the arts lose the concept of place and time. Due to the convenience of data transmission, we can freely and flexibly view the images of any time or place, which makes the stage performance and its birth place and era background have no connection.

If the stage performance downplays the concepts of time and space, considering that the definition of memory can be summarized as the misalignment of time and space, then the memory of stage performance will be weakened. Time and place are one of the important media for us to form and extract memories. If we lose this media, do we need to find new alternative media?

Now, as the setting of social distance redefines the definition of gathering, our positioning of the theater continues to change. I think the design of my project will witness the changes of various eras, proving that theater has been changing with our time, filled with the memory of each New Yorker. Theater won’t die.

CONNECT ME !

ASID, LEED Green Associate MFA - Pratt Institute Email: fgong@pratt.edu Phone: 347 575 0815 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fangtu-gong

NICE TO MEET YOU !

Fangtu Gong