Alchemy
A Floating isle for Performing Arts Architectural Salvage: Reviving a Floating Shelter Arijit Chatterji | Shilpa Mewada | Keerthan BV Khyati Goswami | UG180304 |
The core idea driving this design intervention comes from the understanding of how the cargo ships operate and how those containers are suspended from the metal frames while loading them on to the ships. The idea was to explore the strand which this program offers, of building something on a context which is constantly in motion and also has an entire different expierience while one is inside of the intervention. Figure: 1 The cargo ships with the cranes loading and unloading containers.
This idea was explored further and the figure below shows the initial interpretation of how the metal frames from the key idea of the cargo ships loading un-loading were derived and understanding the scale of it the following arrangement was achieved. Where the frames were kept openable and the levels were created. As one can see in the shorter section a ramp was supported from one end and were hung from the other end via the metal frames. Figure: 2 The initial intervention with the metal frames.
Figure: 3
The 2014 Serpentine Gallery Pavillion, designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radic was taken as a case study. The pavillion, a glass fibre reinforced plastic shell resting on a large quarry stones was inspired by a papier mache model which Radic created four years ago as a response to the Oscar Wilde story, ‘The Selfish Gaint’. The resulting structure, a seemingly impossibly thin translucent shell, will attract passers-by “like moths” during the evening hours, as the amber-tinted light glows from within. From inside, “the natural setting will appear lower, giving the sensation that the entire volume is floating,” according to Radic. This intriguing idea that Radic created inspired me to create organic volumes and suspend them from those frames. Figure: 3 Figure: 4 Figure: 5 Figure: 6
Figure: 4
Figure: 5
Organic shape that Radic achieved. The cut-outs for taking in light. Cut-out kept open for taking in air. The square balcony jutting out.
Figure: 6
Further to develop this thought, an exploration was done where a potato was taken and its plan and elevation were traced over the previous intervention to get an idea of how a volume can be created and how a journey could be created throughout the intervention.
Connecting the dots, the below shown composition was arrived at and now the idea was rephrased as, two enormous organic shaped volumes were suspended from thin metal frames that were elevated from the surface of the dry dock.
Overlaying those potato plans on the plan of the previous idea an understanding of scale was derived and how huge the space would feel was inferred.
This experiment was the turning point of the design intervention, as it changed the perspective of a person when one look at it, standing at The Taj or The Gateway of India.
Figure: 7 The potato exploration: To get the sense of scale of the volumes to be suspended throughthe frames.
Figure: 8 The potato exploration: Arriving at an idea to suspend two volumes and connecting them through a bridge.
The idea was further explored and the process of how the boat hulls are made was considered and then the entire structure of how these forms will be suspended was put together and a nest like looking structure made out of wooden ribs was thought of, and the entire intervention was put together.
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Figure: 8
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When the Barge is under construction the outline for the program that the dry dock will host is, those volumes will be occupied as the exhibition for the boat building and movies or documentaries will be displayed. These volumes will be air conditioned to control the climate and they also behave as the roof for the spaces below them. One can come and visit the spaces below in the dry dock where the barge is getting built as well. There are pontoons on side of it creating an arrangement which makes the entire idea work and also to store the materials and for services. Figure: 8 Above deck level plan (Condition: Barge under construction) Figure: 9 Section cutting through the volumes that are getting built (Condition: Barge under construction)
Figure: 9
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Figure: 10
Further to add to the design, the jut outs were created on the roof to get in natural light and were fixed with glass. These jut outs were also created at the floor level to create a sense of balconies which faces either towards The Taj or The Sea. As one is inside of those volumes they experience a different vibe.
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The experience of being on the water is compeletely different than being on the land. Also because the dry dock is floating over water and is constantly in motion the metal roads are fixed at intervals to hold these volumes suspended through belts used in launching a ship. Figure: 10 Roof plan (Condition: Barge half-way construction) Figure: 11 Section cutting through the volumes exhibiting the artifacts (Condition: Barge half-way construction)
Figure: 11
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Figure: 12
Now, when the barge is out of the dry dock and is compeletely built the arrangement is such, when one arrives at the intervention via a ferry a pontoon is placed which connects both the barge and the dry dock and both of them now has different programs for each. The barge hosts three performing arts studios where one comes and learns music, dance or theatre. And the dry dock now has concerts and events which changes over a period of time.
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Also, as shown in the figure below the pontoon between the dry dock and the barge follows the same languege and has wooden ribs going over and houses the cafe and the dormitory. Figure: 12 Above deck level plan (Condition: Barge is compeletely built and is out of the dry dock) Figure: 13 Section cutting through the volumes, the barge and the pontoon that houses the kitchen and the cafe (Condition: Barge is compeletely built)
Figure: 13
The moment when the barge leaves the dry dock and the dock is sunk in the sea, the arrangement expresses a very strong coherent connection withing the barge the dry dock and the pontoon housing the kitchen and servives. Figure: 14 The moment when the dry dock goes down and sinks in water and the barge gets out of it.
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Figure: 15
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The barge follows the same langue and there are is one frame elevated from the middle courtyard and a similar kind of volume is suspended. Also, in the condition when one artist arrives and says that, ‘I want one of my sculptor workshops to be held here’. In that case this volume could be used as an indoor workspace and the dry dock could be used as an exhibition space for the same. Also, there is a possibility of taking the volume off and a sculpture could exhibited over there. Hence, the entire arrangement hosts a flexibility over the possibilities of programs.
Figure: 16
Figure: 15 Roof level plan (Condition: Barge is compeletely built and is out of the dry dock) Figure: 16 Section cutting through the volumes, the barge and the pontoon that houses the kitchen and the cafe showing the events happening inside of them (Condition: Barge is compeletely built)
The dry dock when the barge is constructed and houses a musical event or a concert with the volumes above it hosting a small exhibition about perfoming arts and the sculptures etc. There can be a variety of programs that the dry dock can hold. Figure: 17 A section where the flexibity of the dry dock in the possibilities of the events that are going to be held is shown.
The structure of the shell is made out of wooden ribs forming nest like structure which holds the shell made out of venier strips put together with epoxy. The horns jutting out of the shell are also made out in similar way. The ‘T’ shaped metal plate columns are elevated and further are braced with horizontal metal plates and then are bolted. Figure: 18 The structure of the shell, how it is made and how the entire intervention works coherently. the language followed by the barge and the pontoons to make it a rational arrangement Click on the link below to view how the structure gets exploded. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fDMeOTmXT1Dwo-xyLe6XNmfEP_KuuAkF/view?usp=sharing
Figure: 20
Figure: 19 Above Deck Plan
Above Deck Plan
Above Deck PlanAbove Deck PlanAbove Deck Plan
Figure: 21
The barge while construction is redigned and the middle courtyard has been converted into a smaller version of the core idea which the dry dock follows. Hence, the compelete arrangement works coherently. The space inside of this shell has a music studio, to its left there is a dance studio and to the right the third courtyard houses a theatre studio. The barge also houses a flexibility in the posibilities of programs that could happen inside of it. Figure: 19 Above deck level plan for barge Figure: 20 Longitudinal section showing the shell introduced in the middle courtyard while the barge was under construction. Figure: 21 The structure of the shell and how the spaces are used.
Transpose The change in perception when one is in the sea and looking towards the land.The shift in experiencing the moment of being in the sea and feeling of being constant motion.
Dichotomy of space When one is actually inside of the volume and looks at it getting built the perception changes entirely from the idea that one gets by just looking at it from outside. The Shell has ribs casted out of wood which is treated for bending and then nailed and a mesh is formed. And on the inside part of this framework the thin venier strips are pasted one on the other with epoxy to achieve a smooth inner surface. The outer edge is left exposed to get a sense of the structure.