Timothy J. Kim Thesis 2010-2011.
Timothy J. Kim Undergraduate Thesis 2010-2011.
Introduction to Lookism
Lookism is an appearance discrimination. The image of the person becomes the foremost important factor of the individual. Product of Lookism is appearance obsession. The obsession derives from desire to be free from the judgment. The appearance obsession then bears physical transformation amongst the society that also spreads to the context of the city and the built environment. Seoul is developing fast in all scales. Fast solution for reshaping the city is by radical transformations that often include architects with distinguishable look in their works. The city is trying to look like other major cities through achieving the look of it. The city follows the way other cities look and how it’s modeled. This is the existing form of lookism in the city scale. The project aims to apply lookism as the filter to design a shopping mall. The architecture shows alternate reality that would, or could take place once the phenomenon of lookism has overloaded. The mall embodies spaces and situates behaviours that would follow in the space of lookism.
Individual boutiques and shops are inserted into the big cabinet like concrete structure. Individual boutiques and shops are only showing their facades to lure in the customers. Nothing else. Depending on the attraction from the look of the individual shops, people pick which stores to go into. The project shows four typical spaces within the structure: Entrance to the shops Inside the shops Bathrooms (gossip pods) Corridor and Physiognomy carts
Contents
Context
Fast transformation of Seoul in the context of Lookism and its existing form of adaptation in growth of the city.
Entrance
This space is the idling space for the consumer to be determined if she or he is accepted or not. The consumer picks the store through looks as the shops judge also.
Store
The boutiques are like storage warehouses. The look of the building has already won the consumer. Perhaps all that is needed in the store are packaged clothes that are all ready to be taken away.
Bathroom (gossip pod)
In the space of lookism, the main function of the bathroom becomes proclaimed spaces for the denied ones. People use these spaces to filter out their frustuations and gossip about one another. The space resonates out into the public space.
Corridor (physiognomy carts)
The corridor is the main runway space of the structure. The public space is used to show and to be seen. People are watching the corridor from every angle. The wall clock voices off people’s opinions from the people watching space. The field that extends to the other side is the public space where the physiognomy carts roam around.
Context of site within lookism, Seoul.
Seoul is a fast developing city in all scales and aspects. Because of the fast growth, the urban planners often want the city to mimic the silhouettes of other world cities. By copying and transforming the city to look like another city, the direct implication of appearance obsession from Lookism is taking its place. The obsession of transforming the image and the appearance is being applied in the city scale also. The important piece of the project is thinking about how Lookism and its never ending appearance obsession can actually start to distort and shift the image of the city and the built environment. Perhaps the desire to achieve the western appearance is being translated into the language of cities. It is important to see the connection between the human body transformation that tries to mimic the western typology and the city that copies and mimics different world cities to appear like one. Like how the western idea of beauty was casted over the people, strange notion of cities having to be looking closer to New York City or
Chicago is manifesting throughout Seoul. As the city grows faster, perhaps the best way of transforming the image of the city is not just following the appearance of other cities, but redefining the ‘appearance obsession’ manifesting into the vernacular typology. In the age where everything is merged and made fuzzy, appearance obsession can be used to define the critical image of Seoul and its unique context. The obsession then can be used to create a built environment that is new and “hip” like other world cities while maintaining its own distinctiveness. The project aims to create the existing context of the site within the structure by seeing the project through the filter of appearance obsession. The project embodies lookism in the way of using appearance obsession as the main driving tool. Main focus of the project is the adaptation of lookism in the city by focusing on the element of appearance obsession that transforms the physical image of the body and the city.
Site of the project is situated in Seoul, South Korea. The buildings on the site used to be a housing project that is no longer serving as people’s homes. Different small business entities took over the building and have made each home within the housing complex into small and individual shops.
The individual shops are multifunctional and can be rented out and be modified at the owner’s preferences. The desire to be unique of individual shops and boutiques on the site already exists as the owners decorate and ornate their spaces.
The importance from the site is the preexisting context and notion of individuality of the shops. Each shop wants to appeal to the consumers by displaying their products.
With Lookism, one begins to imagine the small individual shops trying to lure people into the business solely through the appearance of their buildings. The human interaction between the owner and the consumer is limited to faรงade and it is only the appearance of the architecture that can bring people into the shops.
1
2
3
1 min: 220’
4
5
6
2 mins: 353’
7
8
9
10
The project is sited on a long narrow alley that is surrounded by individual commercial buildings with diverse scale. 11
The alley gives opportunity for separated entities to bounce off of each
12 other
and create possibilies of engagement.
4 mins: 710’
3/8” = 20’
Perhaps the narrow alley typology allows for individual stores to extend their signage into a spatial facade that flips the city inside out or outside in. The method of creating spatial facade creates a thick city, which makes each buildings thicker through making the skin of the building apparent. The initial typology of thick city considers the outter image of buildings as importance and creates a space where the served space of the inside is now servicing the outside space.
The skin transformation of the existing building includes three processes. Through the processes, the signage that gives identity to the shops become spatial and a visual subject/object that can be seen. Three transformation processes include: measuring, constructing, and detailing. Each of the processes have specfic machines and devices that is brought at a different stage of the procedure.
The machines are the metonym for the lookism that exists in the city. The machines are the plastic surgeons, architects, carpenters, and interior designers that change the apperance of the structure. The materialization of the machines in the project is essential to show the developement of the masks that inhabit the city and to the overall narration to the allegorical architecture.
Measuring machine
The mapping machine’s purpose is to map out the surface of the structure for the construction machine to carve and cut through. The machine is 8 feet by 10 feet wide. The height goes anywhere from 5 feet to 40 feet. The machine operates on its own, moving side by side as one section of the building completes, it moves onto another section. Cameras and different measuring devices are running through the grid of the machine constantly taking pictures and documenting every 10 seconds. The grid moved up and down according to the necessity to the surface of the building. Because the mapping machine does a fairly simple task, the map maker is not included in the machine. It is only the computer that handles the tasks.
As the machine works its way through, people often pass by thinking that it’s just another construction being done. However, as the machine starts to produce physical manifestation of the data onto the building, leaving marks and little hints and guidelines or what is to come, it arouses questions and anxiety to see how the building will transform. The mapping machine also produces physical maps of the existing conditions of the structure. The map is intended for the construction use and warranty use in the future, but perhaps it is more of a gift to the people who share the memory of the structure that will be altered forever.
Construction machine
The construction machine’s central role is to cut, add/subtract, and to seal. It is operated by human. The operator for the machine is called the surgeon. He is careful with his hands and he makes critical decisions as to bring as little rupture as possible. From the mapping machine, he gets the digital data of the building section that is to be taken care of. He injects the data into the projectors and the exact information is all given and the surgeon is ready to operate.
The surgeon follows the information that is portrayed through the projector against the nodes. Like the mapping machine, the surgeon works on the building from grid to grid. Although it creates uneven surfaces and leaves room for blemishes, he trusts the detailer and doesn’t worry too much about working around the surface. The construction machines vary in sizes and functions depending on what the client wants. If it requires heavier and stronger structure to hold up the masks, special machines are used to manipulate the structure of the existing building.
Detailing machine
The detailing machine’s role is to fix up all the blemishes or take care of scars from the construction machine and the mapping machine. The detailing machine is the quietest one where one detailer works inside the cozy room. The machine is 15 feet by 15 feet cube that is cantilevering out from an industrial elevator. The machine moves up and down the scaffolding and side by side through the rails that were laid out. The detailer goes into the machine, and finds the machine as very much a peaceful room where he can focus.
Most of the work is not through robotic arms or high tech cameras, but it’s with human hands that fix up the small scratches and mistakes. All the tools that are needed are in the machine. Extra storage is provided for large pieces of junk to be stored in for the later future.
Perhaps another method of interpreting the mixture of the exisiting typology of the site and lookism is by recognizing each store as boxes that are being stored in the overall structure. Underneath the signages of the stores, what lies in essential is the cabinet like typology where the individuality of the stores are plugged into the shelf.
The engagement in the pubic happens through acknowledgement supported by lookism. Because people are more aware of each other’s looks, the silent engagement through looking at one another defines the public space in the space of lookism. The cabinet like typology behaves in the same way, that people are drawn to the individual look of the shops, thus creating engagement between the architecture and the person. Each facades behave as different faces for the stores. The faces are compared and looked at by the public.
The design embraces the existing typology and the core of lookism as appearance obsession. It takes form of cabinet of different rooms that holds different images from the facades of the stores.The structure becomes a collage like structure where each individual images are unique. Each stores’ facades are showing and being seen.
Like how appearance obsession gets portrayed in the society, the architecture follows the same format of function, where the appearance of the building is used to make decisions. The buildings are showing and being seen to lure the public to come to the store with the best look.
Design
The shopping mall begins its first encounter with the public as many different façades are being displayed. In the space of Lookism, rather than the products being shown to the public, it is the entire image of the stores and boutiques being portrayed to the consumers. The emphasis of appearance obsession has led the building to become like a cabinet that holds images of the shops and boutiques. It is the appearance of individual shops that matters the most in the space of Lookism. It could create a building or perhaps the whole city where the façade is treated more importantly than the quality of the product being housed in the space. The public space within such place becomes a space of showing and being seen.
The designed structure gives backdrop for the public space. The structure tests and provides possible outcomes of engagements that could happen within the space of Lookism. Two constant themes within the public space happen. The first is through the silent acknowledgement of each other through judging each other’s appearance. Although physical or tangible acts of engagement are not happening, through the filter of Lookism, the appearance obsession allows people to be aware of each other by judging one another’s looks. Another form of public space that exists is the space of being bluntly made public to show and to be seen.
Typical plan of the structure that includes the entrance to the shops, bathrooms, shops, and the corridor connecting to the field where the fortune telling (physiognomy) carts roam around.
3/16 “ = 1’
12’
10’
12’
15’
30’
15’
3/16 “ = 1’ it. The structure stretches far and wide, repeating the four major programs within
Entrance.
This space is the idling space for the consumer to be determined if she or he is accepted or not. The consumer picks the store by its look as the shops judge also.
People are asking “mirror mirror, who is the fairest of them all?” while waiting for the store to decide on who should enter or not. As the person waits, the blinders from the store entrance shows images of past customers who were granted the entrance. The individual starts to measure and compare herself to the image projected on the “mirror” of the store.
It is a narrow space that can be used for only one person. The curtains surrounding the space creates an individual private space and personal engagement with the store.
15’
If entered with another person, the other individual would have to wait for the store’s permission as well.
The metaphor of snow white and the mirror reflects on the culture of lookism, where people constantly question who they can look like.
“mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?� she thought to herself as she waited for the curtain to roll over. She felt sudden growth in size horizontally and shrinking confidence as she compared herself with others that were being projected to the big entrance of the boutique.
Images being projected from the entrance is guided by the blinds that changes its blades as the gears turn. One side of the blade has images of store’s products and the other side of the blade portrays individuals who have entered the store before. As the person waits for entrance to be granted, they are constantly seeing who have entered before and challenging themselves to meet the margin of beauty set by the store.
As she stands in front of the entrance, the display changes back and forth from images of people that have been in the boutique and items that are being sold at the boutique. “Oh, the squeaking noises were from the gears that were sliding the blinds!� she exclaimed.
The wheels constantly turn and turn displaying who are the fairest of them all.
“k-reeeeeek..... k-eeeee. k-reeeeeek....”
The ‘pumpkin carriage’ comes out from the boutique to escort her. ...and so she finally enters...
Once the individual has been accepted, little machine that protrudes out from the store guides the person in. The machine is the changing room that always follows the person around in the store. It is the threshold and the personal room at the sametime.
Shops
The boutiques are like storage warehouses. The look of the building has already won the consumer. Perhaps all that is needed in the store are packaged clothes that are all ready to be taken away.
After patiently waiting for the entrance, when entered, the individual feels as if they have been granted with some kind of reward. The machine that follows the person around in the shop is like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage that only certain individual can have privilege over.
However, because the shop has already won the consumer’s decision by it’s looks, maybe all that is needed in the shop are the products that are ready to be sold.
The unexpected interior of the shop is structured with scaffoldings and basic structural units that houses the products like that of a storage space.
“hmmmm...? this is it?” her immediate reaction was that of a surprise by the boutique’s storage like space.
Each moving shelves house specific products that are shown on the door of the shelves. The products are in a gift box as if it is a gift that is given away for only those who are privileged or beautiful enough to claim it.
The machine that protruded out into the entrance is the changing room that follows the person around. It is a personal pumpkin carriage that only Cinderella can go in. Although the space is a storage like un-elegant space as expected to be, within the pumpkin carriage, the individual feels like a princess as she rules over her privilege of being accepted and trying on different products.
As she started to walk along the alley of racks, a funny machine followed her. The roof of the machine looked like a pumpkin leaf. “that’s where you change. pull down the stem!” muffled voice behind the scaffoldings shout out to her. As soon as she pulled down the stem, curtains from everyside of the machine fell down.
Inside was just like the outside. They were just images. no real objects that can be touched. It seemed as if the clothes were racked ready for shipment.
“i want to try this dress on.... now.. what do i do to.. get....... oh!” She tries to find the dress that is the store and she realizes that all the items have been packed and wrapped as if it’s a gift. While she opened the box to try on the dress, she felt certain yet ambiguous feeling of previlege. “this is quick and easy.. i like the gift wrapping.. it’s as if i got a gift for being accepted...”
Bathrooms +gossip pods
In the space of lookism, the main function of the bathroom becomes proclaimed spaces for the denied ones. People use these spaces to filter out their frustuations and gossip about one another. The space resonates out into the public space.
Because the space of Lookism is that of judgment, one can begin to imagine a space where gossiping is not that of social taboo, but of remedy. People who have been denied by stores might gather in the gossip pods to talk about others flaws and make themselves feel better.
Whatever is said inside the gossip pod is being filtered out to the public and within the bathroom also. The sounds resonate and bounce around within the space.
Angered individuals that have been denied come to this place. Like the Queen of Snow White and the sisters from Cinderella, the words that should not be said to a person is spoken. By having it spread out to the public outside, the gnasing intentions to hurt the specific individual becomes dull.
The bathroom door opened, she heard numerous muttered chatters surrounding the bathroom space. As she looks around, she realizes that there is only one toilet and yet there are so many girls in the bathroom.
‘gossip pod’ is to blame for the muttered chatters. The pod picks up the gossip with the mic and projects it out to the floor and to the streets quietly.
Words that could be hurtful if said to a specific person is dulled down to meaningless words to the public. When the public hears the gossips, they do not know who the specfic person is. With this notion, the gossip becomes worthless words that float around not hurting anyone but helping to release stress and frustuation.
Someone in the bathroom is getting heated up while gossiping with her friend. The loud physical voice is scattered through the curtain. Immediately, the curtain moves and it encloses the space tighter.
The bathroom is separated in half. Gossips that are said gets played on the other side as the gossips from the other side is heard on the another side. The separated bathrooms mimic the conditions of Cinderella sisters, who are in unison only when they are both hating on Cinderella.
The hard wall filled with different images get soft by the sound of gossips that engages with the public.
“do you hear that?” “hmm yes I hear it, but I can’t really tell where it’s coming from” “I think it’s coming from the wall....” “the wall?” “here, come closer, this is kind of entertaining! i was feeling sort of trapped with the tall wall surrounding me!”
Corridor + Physiognomy cart
The corridor is the main runway space of the structure. The public space is used to show and to be seen. People are watching the corridor from every angle. The wall clock voices off people’s opinions from the people watching space. The field that extends to the other side is the public space where the physiognomy carts roam around.
Like Cinderella’s beauty is limited by the clock tower, the praises from the people watchers are only temporary. As the individual walks through the corridor, the praises are applied at that specific moment.
As individuals walk through the corridor, those who are people watching are being recorded and the comments from them are played to the people walking in the corridor.
The middle space that conencts the two structures is the place where the physiognomy carts roam around. Physiognomy is a method of fortune telling by analyzing the face. Specific features on the face means different fortune.
She walks through the corridor to get to the second floor. As she is walking, she sees the doors on the wall closing in and out. She thought something was peculiar about the small doors...everytime it closes, it’d get quieter and everytime it opens, it’d get louder.
She felt as if somebody was talking about her. and she liked it.
The speakers are being operated by the people watching space on the other side of the corridor. The work out bikes that are installed become the place where people sit by the corridor and exercise as they talk about others that are walking in the corridor.
“ohh, everytime they pedal, the doors open and the sound comes out... well, i better look pretty so people can check me out and i can hear what they think of me!� She was thrilled to hear what people thought of her.
As Cinderella’s beauty lasted only until 12 o clock, the temporary praise towards the individual in the corridor ends right after the individual walks past the people watchers. The wall of the corridor functions as the watch clock that is constantly praising the individual for their beauty. However, as the clock is telling the limit to it, the wall with its speakers also hint out the temporariness of the praise.
Physiognomy space only focuses on the face. The face of the individual is the only subject that matters to the fortune teller. The irony of the space within the physiognomy cart is that, the place where the face is everything that matters, no discrimination is apparent. However, for any other situations in the context of lookism, face and physical appearance is the foremost important factor.
“come, come, see your future that is within your face!” “come, come, free three immediate fortunes that can be read on your eyebrows!” “come, come, i won’t judge you for how you look! Ha! i will just read your face and tell your fortune!” “come, come, come without hesitation! don’t be shy! ugly or pretty, all i see is the face itself!”
Conclusion
The design is a metaphor of engagement of individuals that happen in the public space of lookism. People in the space of lookism are constantly being judged. The tone of the word judge is not a heavy and negative tone, but that of acknowledgement and the physical act of seeing. In the public space of lookism, people are engaging in the visual form of interaction. By measuring each other’s erotic capital, separate individuals are accepting the fact of the other’s existence in a more conscious way. The overall idea of “to show and to be seen” also includes the idea of private person being publicized by being made available to be looked at. The notion of visual acknowledgement sprawls out from the outcome of appearance obsession.
The project is ultimately asking the three great human questions that are always going to be challenged: Who are we? Where are we going? And, what should we do? Lookism is being used as a tool to visit the questions in the time of fast development and within the possible threat of losing one’s identity within the flow. In the preexisting context of the city, it seems as if the answers are being offered in the form of pretending to be like what it is being modeled after. Investigating through lookism and appearance obsession, the project proclaims that the built environment and the individuals should not merely follow and mimic what is being modeled after. Both the individual and the city should seek the unique qualities that can be found by applying the appearance obsessions to search where individual uniqueness can derive from.
Dedicated to Sook Kim. You will always be beautiful.
Thank you Jim Bassett for teaching me to see and enjoy the real. Thank you Terry Surjan for teaching me to love and to give.