T a y l o r T o m m a n P o r t f o l i o 2 0 2 0
Content
01
From Detroit to Berlin
2-8
02
Space & Time
10-22
03
Site Analysis
23-26
04
Circle of Life
28-36
05
Eternal Light of Peace
38-48
01 From Detroit to Berlin After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany struggled to reunify itself. There were two of everything. The arts in Berlin especially were impacted. Cultural controversies of the 1990s underscored the significance of the city’s elite musical institutions to its new identity as the capital of the Berlin Republic.
2
Detroit, Michigan
Berlin , Germany
By removing the Fox Theatre from Detroit, Michigan and placing it in Hackesche HĂśfe, Berlin, Germany, it functions as a new unifying theatre for the arts. Keeping the “heart of the buildingâ€?, the backstage walls remain on the site as a remembrance of the countless famous performances that once took place here.
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Detroit, Michigan Fox Theatre
Hackesche Hรถfe, Berlin, Germany
What I took away from this project was the significance of taking taking something out of its original context. A lot of times, buildings, monuments, and other historical simbols are removed from their original location to be placed elsewhere. Studying the cultural impact that the Berlin Wall had on Germany and the arts, I found
a shared connection between
Detroit and Berlin.
In this design I learned
how to retain the context while also providing a
greenspace that honors what was there.
However, what I think I could push further in my design were my drawings. In my critique, the drawing of Detroit appeared to enage the community more than the
design in Berlin.
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02 Space & Time Between 1961 and 1988, 100,000 citizens of the GDR tried to escape across the inner-German border or the Berlin Wall. More than 600 of them were shot and killed by GDR border guards or died in other ways during their escape attempt. They drowned, suffered fatal accidents, or killed themselves when they were caught. It was not until November 9th, 1989 that the wall came down and both East and West Berlin could unite again. However, even with the wall down, parts of it still remain today throughout the country. Some remain and serve as memorials, while other parts of the wall age with time as the world around it does.
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One of the remaining pieces of the wall reside in what is now called Mauerpark. This site was once known as the “death strip”. Here, over 150 people died trying to escape East Berlin. During this time period, this space was a barrier between East and West Berliners from friends, family, and freedom. Today,
Mauerpark
serves
as
an
enjoyable space for the people of Berlin. This space acts as a positive space for people to occupy instead of a negative one like its past. Activities from concerts, exhibitions, and even farmer’s markets include people of all ages. This space was once a site of pain and loss, but now serves as a space of reunification. A space for everyone in the community to enjoy. Mauerpark, Berlin Germany
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Elevation
0’
50’
100’
200’
Locals call this particular part of the park the “Graffiti Zone�. Creating a palimpsest, artists from around the neighborhood come here to leave their mark for all to see.To represent this positive change within the community, implementing a small addition to the remaining part of the Berlin Wall that resides in the park serves to highlight this transition over time.
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“Walls in people’s heads are sometimes more durable than walls made of concrete blocks” -Willy Brandt
“last train to freedom” -Harry Deterling
“I’m getting out of here to the West, anyone want to come along?”
“I wanted to know what it was like to have freedom, to not be constantly restricted.” -Alexandra Schmidt
Light is everlasting, timeless even. Using natural light and artificial light, both symbolize change over time, much like use of the site. Alongside the wall, stemming from the bottom of the wall are acrylic strips. These acrylic strips sink into the ground so that guests can walk over them and read the quotes underneath. What appears to be an “invisible memorial� by day, but illuminates by night revealing quotes of those who crossed the all and those who wished to.
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Butterfly Bush
Bottlebr
rush
Site Section
Latanas
0’
6’
Setsugekka Camellia
7’
9’
Those who may visit the site and are not familiar with its history are provoked to think of what this space once was to the people who lived here before. Too often do we overlook memorials that we pass in our day to day lives. Not once questioning what they mean. These are the invisible memorials. People who are unfamiliar with the history of the site will, at first, see a simple wall of graffiti but by reading the quotes, begin to question the history of the wall. Using quotes of those who were directly impacted by the Berlin Wall provide guests with a better understanding as to what this wall used to mean and be able to reflect on what the wall means today.
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This project made me realize that there is not always a need to change what is already there. The Berlin Wall in this part of Berlin was already claimed by the nearby residents and from it they added a new chapter to the wall’s history. Through design , I learned that highlighting this positive change was more impactful in remembering the history of the park.
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03 Site Analysis In the beginning of my design process, I took the time to conduct a site analysis of Berlin Germany, to grasp a deeper understanding as to what surrounds the Parliament of Trees Memorial, the people in the area, as well as the climate.
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Berlin, Germany
Pankow
Reinickendorf Spandau
Mitte
Lichtengerg Marzahn-Hellersdorf
Parliament of Trees CharlottenburgWilmersdorf TempelhoffSchoneberg Steglitz-Zehlendorf
FriedrichshainKreuzberg
Neukolln Treptow-Kopenick
Germany: Religious Affiliation Orthodox Christian Total Population 82.92 million
Muslim
A common practice in the Catholic and Protestant religions is to light
Other
a candle in memory of someone.
Protestant
Using natural ingredients such as
Catholic
bees wax from the bee harvest, guests create their own candles and
Bees in Berlin
release them into the garden. Once the candle melts away, the ceramic bowls remain, moving on to its next life as an archive in the site itself. Not only do the bees provide wax, but they pollinate the garden facing
Candle Cycle
the Parliament of Trees as well.
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04 Circle of Life The Parliament of Trees serves as a memorial for those who died by the Berlin wall. Planted by Ben Wagin, he claimed this site in protest of the wall. He created a space of peace and unity within Berlin. Influenced by the natural landscape, the center and surrounding garden is designed as a natural extension of the Parliament of Trees. The center and garden serve as a space of spiritual healing and a space to commemorate loved ones.
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Cosmos
Calendula
Maple Tree Agastache
The landscape design of the garden is manipulated to separate public spaces and private spaces for guests to reside in. Using “bee friendly� plants, the vegetation hides what is private and illuminates what is public.
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The site itself sinks below grade, pulling guests away from the bustling city, and invites them into a natural, illuminating space. From MargareteSteffin StraBe, the stairs lead down into the garden and guide across the bridge towards the center underground. The center holds an office space, a cafĂŠ, a studio, candle store, and ceramic archive.
The center is designed to not only meet the basic accommodations for the community but also engage people in the natural life cycle of the garden.
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Third Floor Plan 1/8”=1’
0’
SecondFloor Plan 1/8”=1’
First Floor Plan 1/8”=1’
0’
32’
16’
8’
0’
8’
32’
16’
8’
16’
32’
05 Eternal Light of Peace Although there is not a physical wall in the United States, a mental wall divides Black and White People. In connection to the Parliament of Trees, a satellite lies near the Eternal Peace Memorial in Gettysburgh, Pa. The site of the turning point in the Civil War. The satellite encourages guests to light a candle to spread peace and unity.
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North Elevation 1/8”=1’
0’
8’
16’
32’
South Elevation 1/8”=1’
0’
8’
16’
32’
40
North Elevation 1/8”=1’
0’
8’
16’
32’
East Elevation 1/8”=1’
0’
8’
16’
32’
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United States
Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania
Satellite Plan 1/8”=1’
North Section 1/8”=1’
0’
16’
8’
0’
8’
16’
46
This particular project was a struggle for me that I had not realized I had. Based off of my final crit I realized that my building design did not connect to the Parliament of Trees. Perhaps I could have used the apiary as a way to bridge the design better. I also need to work on my drawings more. The style I went for was more comceptual losing the reality of the building. For future refrence, I might stay away from hexagonal forms .
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