I n c r e at i on
The Buskers’ Club Juliette Sung
Th e B u skers’ C l u b
There are many factors which count against the human ability to get along, such as culture, religion, race and languages. Each of us came from a different background, living on the past unique experiences and stories. However, we humans find meeting someone with common interest and similar thoughts a great source of comfort. There is one uniting factor that we can draw on, something that touches human so deeply that it can help us transcend our differences and find common ground, the music. My project, the Buskers’ Club will be established for sustaining the fragility of the culture of busking in Hull, yet preserving and enrich the value of the old town. In response to the previous research, the Buskers’ Club will be a new gathering and supporting place for buskers, from Hull or from other cities in the world.
Hu l l ri ver co rri do r
As mentioned before at the site analysis process, the river acts as a division between the Hull’s old town and the undeveloped East bank. Since there is not much activities happening here, it is always deadly quiet, despite the people moving through to enter or leave the city centre. Having gone through the previous explorative development in Hull, people in Hull are really friendly and united that you can see the harmony within the neighbourhood. Buskers make conversations to public, people will come up and offer help, and more importantly they are proud of being in Hull. However, there is not much places to go for socialize nor entertain.
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Th e Geo rgi an Ol d to wn
Back to 1807, The river Hull is crowded with tall- masted sailing ships trading with the Netherlands and the Baltic. Beside the cobbled street stand the grand houses of the wealthy merchant families. Between them, in dirty narrow passages off High Street, live working families, close to their jobs, the shops and the pubs. With the distinct feature of long and narrow alley in between the old buildings, it created a beautiful acoustic environment for buskers/ musicians, also it provides a great intimate atmosphere for them to express emotions.
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1:4000 site map
Arcadia in the Back Alley - Huang Chi - Teng
Keret house - Jakub Szczesny
Saigon house - A21 studio
Preceden t stu di es My chosen site is the alley between the existing buildings, sitting within the old town, facing towards the Hull River bank. The site is really long and narrow, is 3.4 metres, 48 metres long.I looked up on several precedent studies, to analysis the spatial organisation and also studying their construction.
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1.8 metre house - YUUA Architects and Associates
Arcadia in the Back Alley - Huang Chi - Teng
Keret house - Jakub Szczesny
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Kakko House - Yoshihiro Yamamoto
Devel o pm en t 01
My initial idea is to design a temporary and informal structure for the buskers. Having experienced as a busker in my previous research, I feel like playing music outdoor is good to be in places that are open, and more favorable when it is a natural good acoustic backdrop. I am imagining the structure will be constructed as wooden platform fixing with the scaffolding structure system. Each platform is free space for buskers, they can busk, socialize and read whenever they want.
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Devel o pm en t 02
In the consideration of circulation and safety reason, I put in paternoster as a central core for my building, serving as circulat ion, as well as a temporary performing space for busker. According to the existing circulation on the ground floor, connecting to the existing performance art college and design studios at two sides, I will remain it as a public use circulation route towards the river, but enriching the space by putting in a bar or a cafe in the day time.
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Devel o pm en t 03
As the previous development went on, I kept trying different arrangement of platforms, in relation to the programmes. In order to get a better understanding of the spatial quality of my proposal, I made a 1:50 physical model for analysis. And I realised the need of paternoster is getting vague and questionable, when you can get access to the exisiting building.
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study model
Th e B u skers’ C l u b Finally, recalling on my previous research and busking experience, I want to cooperate the most of my research into my proposal. I went back to my design of the small scale proposition and combine it with my previous development. The programmes of the building will be distributed in a bottom-up structure, the most public area will be at the bottom while the dormitory spaces will be at the top. This club is always open to the public, and is mainly functioned by buskers , the bar provides buskers another way to make living, as well as another socialize point for the public.
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L i gh t wel l
Lighting will be a critical problem when it comes to designing in a narrow alley between two tall buidlings. I used paper models for testing out the arrangement of floor planes, to figure out the best arrangement for a suitable amount of incoming light to the ground floor. I put the most transparent programme as the light well in my buiding, which is the stair well. Apart from just giving in light into the building, it sets a good spatial experience to the public, while maintaining the visual connection between the buskers and the public.
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Day an d Ni gh t
Responding to the existing architecture language of the Georgian old town, the position of the dormitory cubes are distributed in parallel to the pitched roof. The building will be mainly constructed with steel beams structure and copper cladding on the top. The transparency of the main body will set a good contrast to the surrounding solid and heavy brick works. To sustain the freedom of music playing, buskers are more than welcome to play or practice their music at the night time, creating noise and activity to the existing quietness.
1:100 section
Pro gram m es
Referring to both the explorative research and the existing features of the site, the buskers’ club will be providing spaces for workshop and lockers, for them to repair instruments and store the utilities for busking. Instead of a normal gas functioned kitchen, I will introduce a charcoal functioned kitchen to this club, so that more than just preparing hot drinks for people, it can provide heated charcoal for the tin box hand warmer. On the existing circulation corridor, the ground floor, will become a bar/ cafe, blurring the boundary between the old town with the river. Last but not least, dormitory cubes will be set on top of the building, they have the best view to the city, and also the most quiet space for them to reminisce the day that they have been through. Sitting next to the performance art college, my building will be able to provide extra access to the college by transforming one of the openings to access point. This can promote the interaction between the performance art students with the buskers. Moreover, benefiting from the existing building, water and electricity can be supported by the existing system.
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kitchen + table + bench
Charcoal functioned kitchen A hand functioned pulley system will be installed next to the charcoal kitchen for servicing any heavy duty item, such as charcoal. Apart from using the kitchen for serving food and drinks, the used charcoal can be put in fisherman tin box and becoming a hand warmer during the winter season. Instruments workshop The workshop will be distributed on two floors, the main workshop space will be on the first floor while there will be a row of instruments hanging along the walkway on the second floor, for temporary storage of the instruments. Dormitory cubes These cubes are the only spaces in the building that are insulated because they are for users to stay, possibly for buskers who travelled from other cities or those who have big instruments.
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charcoal functioned kitchen
instruments workshop
dormitory cubes
Mu l ti - f u n cti o n ed cu bes In response to my previous study on spatial arrangement of busking pitches, several functions can be incorporated in one single cube. A cube is 2m x 2.5m, a suitable dimension where buskers can sleep, write music, read, and practice their instrument.
ergonomic study
viewing
working
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practicing
sleeping
I n c onst ruc t ion Being surrounded by the existing solid heavy brick work, the main support for my building will be steel beams bolting into it, without any foundation but taking the support from the existing buildings. The steel beams are placed in accordance with the location of the existing openings on the building, allowing buskers to get their utensils charged before heading out for more busking.
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Sh ari n g i s cari n g Recalling back to the reason why I picked this site, the main reason is because of the existing distinctive spatial quality, especially for acoustic. However, the alley will only be able to hold one busker at a time, to avoid any interruption. Being a cellist, I understand that being annoyed while playing music is the most terrible thing ever, and I think that is the main reason why buskers in Hull rarely communicate with each other. However, the buskers’ club can turn one space into more varied space. It can hold space for socialize, sharing ideas and more importantly, creating more music.
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1 :100 physical model
A m pl i f y th e h appi n ess Busking is not just about the people that give money, many passers by just give me a smile, or a thumbs up, or compliment. Kids, especially, are fascinated by buskers, and they are often adorable. It is amazing to think I might have brightened the day of some passing strangers, if even just a little. And that, in turn, brightens my day. Also, it can lead to things, just like how one of the busker asked me to help his friend on a book translation, so that the book can be read by more people, an amount of people who can only read English on earth. With all these little happiness happening in between, I hope my building can inspire buskers and public to amplify the joy within music, locally and also internationally.
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