Free Night Chapter 1
The Space of Infrastructure
Chapter 2
Day / Night
Chapter 3
The Individual in the Night
Chapter 4
The Neutral Space in the Night
Chapter 5
The Index of Neutral Space
Chapter 6
Retreat for a Free Night
Chapter 1
The Space of Infrastructure
The infrastructure space is the node of a moving path. It functions to connect different places and keep people moving to their next destination. Within the density of the city, the infrastructure is unavoidably packed of people. the individual can’t stop on the way, he is like an object been moved from one place to another.
The City in the Day London, Circle Line, the underground at 4:30 p.m.
The City in the Day Kings Cross Station at 11:56 a.m. People are waiting in front of the time table.
The City in the Day Parking lot in Euston Station at 4:00 p.m. Taxi cars are waiting the customers in a queue.
Chapter 2
Day/Night
In the night, the infrastructure space that was packed with people and objects becomes empty. The familiar space is strangely large and borderless almost like a natural scene.
Absence of Objects National Car Parks, 74 Welbeck Street,London, W1G 0BA at 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m.
Absence of Function St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 12:30p.m. and 6:55 p.m.
Absence of Movement St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 1:30 p.m. and 11:20 p.m.
Absence of Objects and Movement St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 10:40 a.m.and 11:22 p.m.
Chapter 3
The Individual in the Night
The infrastructure space now is the place to stay. The nigh worker can stay in the space undisturbed. He is alone in the space experiencing the dramatic emptiness.
The Night Worker A night worker at St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 11:00 p.m.
The Night Worker A night worker at St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 11:12 p.m.
The Night Worker A night worker at St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 11:20 p.m.
The Night Worker A construction worker at St. Pancras International Station in Pancras Road, London at 11:25 p.m.
The Night Worker A night worker at the underground station, London at 5:00 a.m.
Chapter 4
The Neutral Space in the Night
The space in the night does not longer function, it is instead a neutral space. Objects and furniture are completely deprived by their uses.
The Neutral Space Chairs and tables without uses.
The Neutral Space Sofas without users.
The Neutral Space The space can’t be used because chairs are put on the table for cleaning.
The Neutral Space Trolleys are all together without users.
Chapter 5
Index of Neutral Space
People in the day shall have the opportunity to experience the neutral space. Different spatiality and experiences are investigated with an index of possible neutral spaces.
The Index of Neutral Space The index of neutral space is composed by ceiling, columns and floor which are the basic architectural elements existing in the space of infrastructure. Each type of space is designed by scaling, relocating and changing material of the elements.
Dense space star columns double density small waf�le ceiling complex pattern on the �loor
Unstable space square columns cut in the middle waf�le ceiling grid �loor
Misoriented space square columns waf�le �loor grid ceiling
Large space slim columns continuous ceiling continuous �loor
St. Pancras Station. The first implementation of the index occurs in the infrastructure space of St. Pancras station.
The Large Neutral Space Slim columns, smooth ground and continuos ceiling define the large neutral space.
The Dense Neutral Space High density columns and high density floor tiles define the dense neutral space.
The Misoriented Neutral Space Ceiling and floor are switched in place, while columns keep their original position.
The Unstable Neutral Space The columns are not supporting the ceiling, they are not touching the ground and their material is not structural.
Parking Lot. The second implementation of the index occurs in the underground parking lot in Baker Street.
The Large Neutral Space Slim columns, smooth ceiling and mirror floor define the large neutral space.
The Dense Neutral Space High density columns and high density floor tiles define the dense neutral space.
The Misoriented Neutral Space Ceiling and floor are switched in place, while columns keep their original position.
The Unstable Neutral Space The columns are not supporting the ceiling, they are not touching the ground and their material is not structural.
Chapter 6
Retreat for the Free Night
The design introduces the neutral space to the daytime as an extension of the infrastructure. Contrasting to the noisy and busy infrasructure space, this created space reproduced the quality of the night space which has no distinated program but allow people to experience this large volume by themselves.
The London Infrastructure Euston train station, St. Pancras station and King’s Cross train station in London.
The London Infrastructure The stations are defined by similar type of spaces. A large ceiling that cover the platforms and the spaces. Ground level plan of the three stations.
The Free Night Retreat - Ground Level Plan People can enter from the King’s Cross platform on the ground level through escalators. Small extension is added on the east of Euston station.
The Free Night Retreat - First Floor The large space between St. Pancras and King’s Cross station is buffered by three types of neutral space. The buffer becomes denser when it meet the main entrance of the stations and it is much more open towards the north area of the site. People can enter to the main space from the St. Pancras platform at the first floor; they can then follow the narrow path between stairs and columns. First level plan of the three stations.
The Free Night Retreat - Underground Plan The large space also has access from the tube station by escalators. These entrance are buffered by a dense space, a an unstable space, and a misoriented space.
The Free Night Retreat - Detail Plan railway platform with columns railway dense space unstable space misoriented space dense space large space
The Free Night Retreat - Section
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The Free Night Retreat - Overall Plan Plan showing all the levels at different scale to visualize how the different neutral spaces are composed together.
The Free Night Retreat - Detail of Overall Plan Floor and ceiling views.
The Free Night Retreat - Detail of Overall Plan Entrance from the escalator surrounded by the dense space.
The Free Night Retreat - Detail of Overall Plan Large space with marble floor.
The Free Night Retreat - View of the four neutral spaces Three spaces are the buffer to the main large space of the retreat by providing different spatial tensions. The columns preserve the continuous movement from outside to the interior space.
The Free Night Retreat - Panorama view from the Central Neutral Space Changes of spaces and articulation of ceilings, floors and columns create a continuos space from the infrastructure to the retreat.