MArch Final Project

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[IN] BETWEEN POLARITIES Highlighting the Transitions between the Existing and the New

MARY ONAJI 10596125 Integrated Design



INTRODUCTION One of the major identities of the Egypt is embedded in the River Nile where it acts as a provider to the city. However, water transportation is the most threatened means of transportation in the city. Furthermore, the level of interaction with the Nile is very limited on the field of operation. The nature of the point where the land and river come together create an edge condition that prevents interaction with the Nile. This reoccurring issue of disconnection is spread across the site between the people and their cultural history, the east and west of the Nile, land and water and the past and present. Hence, the edge condition would be the major tool to tackle the issues of disconnection, threatened transportation and lack of interaction with the Nile.


AGENCY STATEMENT

COMMUNITY Beginning with background knowledge in the hybridization of the contemporary and vernacular architecture to create a continuous reflection of the past in the present and the future in my bachelor, I began my masters journey exploring the themes that both connected people to their history and fragments of cities. I explored these themes from through experiencing spaces that reflected reactive qualities in texture, scale and form where transitions and threshold were key elements of design. Expanding on that topic, my manifesto focused on the reflection of our historical identity in public spaces in an attempt to contribute to reinforcing the relationship between people and their cultural heritage. This aim was to tackle the idea of connecting among people, and time on a bigger scale, from visual point of view that concluded a reaction from these spaces is the beginning of the interaction. In order to tackle the connective theme from a different end of the spectrum, I have decided to conclude my master’s studies focusing on the nature of the joining point of the elements that are being connected.

HYBRIDIZATION

CONNECTION


AGENDA STATEMENT

HYBRIDIZATION

CONNECTION

TRANSITION

This project aims to tackle the issues through exploring different qualities of the point where the contrasting elements come together in other to create a relationship between them. This relationship hence creates a level of connection that blurs out the existing edge conditions. This point where they come together will be termed THE INBETWEEN. This exploration would create a discussion around how the nature of the “inbetween” can contribute to celebrating both elements without taking away from their individual qualities. These contrasting elements involved would create three relationship types made up of the existing and a new intervention. The key tools used in this project are models, diagram and collages. This concept would be tested in two ways; the qualities of the inbetween spilling into the contrasting elements and the qualities of the contrasting elements making up the Inbetween space.

AGENDA STATEMENT


CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT


LINKING PROJECTS

A common theme that has been present in the previous projects resonates around connecting disconnected spaces in an urban and building scale. This theme has been approached by creating a dialogue between people, place and time to form relationships across fragments. Project 0 investigated the fragments of city and how a relationship between the people and their culture and history can improve the growth and development of a city and the people. This informed the film that ran a parallel study of Damietta and Plymouth in relationship to a further disconnection between nature and culture with people place and time as the factors involved. This study revealed the shift from cultural and ecological matters towards economic gains and development which resulted to the detrimental effects on nature and culture. Taking this forward, the Urban strategy looked to revitalise the cultural and natural aspects of the city of Damietta while weaving fragments with lines of movement through the to the Nile.


Mary U. Onaji 10596125

PUBLIC SPACE AS A DRIVER FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION:

17

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Reconnecting through experience

ARCH753B

200

0

1900

RE] EXPERIENCING OUR CULTURE

POJECT 0

PROJECT 1

EMMERGING RESEACH IN ARCHITECTURE

Word Count: 6433


THEORETICAL CONTEXT Aishwarya Tipnis: Vernacular Traditions. Contemporary Architecture In understanding the term vernacular, it means getting involved in the process, using your hands in the fabrication process. In the past, there was a closer gap between design makers and the builders, where the local methods of carving and constructions were highlighted by the building designers. Hence, it brings about oneness and closure between the construction process, building and the people.

Aishwarya Tipnis is an Indian architect, educator and heritage conservationist, whose eponymous practice Aishwarya Tipnis Architects focuses on heritage conservation of neglected monuments and significant buildings of India

VERNACULAR TRADITIONS CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS

Vernacular traditions are a creative process developed by the interpretation of past knowledge. Tapping into the vernacular does not mean throwing local materials scantly around a project but using it to communicate and speak to everyone. It highlights the importance of people’s awareness of their cultural context in order to understand and appreciate the message passed on from the building. This highlights the first point that emphasises on the sense of community and inclusivity in the methods adapted. In order to revive these benefits, a bridging in the gap between the contemporary and vernacular architecture is required. It does mean a complete adaptation of the past, but a better understanding needs to be had in order to re infuse into the contemporary to solve modern day issues. Hence in this project, Hybridization will be defined as a result understanding the importance and relevance of the vernacular and inherited existing context and merging it with advanced contemporary approaches to solve present and future problems. This means vernacular cannot solely survive by itself because it was a dated for outdated contexts and issues. However, a refabrication of those ideas can be infused to solve modern day issues without losing the sense of identity and culture in the process.


AGENDA APPROACH

Creating a relation between elements Railway and water :Tranportation The existing and the new: Architecture Land and water: Place

Connecting to the existing: Existing railway station and context

Water transport connection; Sustainable mode of transportation Adapting a traditional practices in a modern way Water transportaion is one of the ancient mode of transport in egypt as the Nile flows across the country. As this mode has had a detrimental effect, an attempt to recover this practice is important to futher strength the conection between the east and west bank.


FINDING SITE

Building Clutsers

Circulation paths


EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS

Constrast in the urban lines between the east and west abank

The constrast the the flow of the Nile against the urban grain of the west bank.

This diagram highlights the flow and continuity beyond the edge of the Nile, where the east bank is accessible to the water in constrast to the west bank

The site has provided an opportunity to create a connection between the east and west back through interaction

The difference in the social class between the east and west present an opportunity for these communities to benefit economically and culturally.

The interaction between the east and west bank to be archieved by extenting the circulation lines.


REFINING THE SITE CONDITIONS

The Nile

Urban Grain

Extending beyond the edge to connect


FINDING SITE WORKSHOP

The existing line of circulation that ends on the river nile edge as it currently serves as a boundary

The existing site overlayed by the masterplan through continuous circulation lines cutting through the site to the edge that houses interactive activities.

he line of circulation directed towards the existing train station that creates an opportunity and starting point of a tranport system.


The overlay of the different findings of the site revealed the clusters of the urban grain, opportunity in the circualtion that frames the access to the site, the presense of a transport terminal in place and an accessible edge from the urban strategy.


IDENTIFYING THE EXISTING COMPONENTS

Flow of Transportation

Existing Directional Lines formed from the circulation and and the edge of the Nile


REFABRICATION TO TAKE MULTIPLE LAYERS

The rawness of the texture of the hand crafting complim ents the smoothness of modern materials.

Hand Crafting Fabrication In the egyptian vernacular, one pf the methods that created a semse of community and closer conection between the builder and structure was the hands- on approach to it. It supports the definition of the vernacular as getting involved in the process, hence using your hands in the process.

Takes the form of the framework An important quality of using these local materials is their ability to take the shape of any framework. Hence an opportunity for refabrication in a contemporary approach.

Hand crafting allows from carvings and local stone cutting methods to create facades.


MODERN ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Fragments of volumes and activities under one program

Double skin for shading and cooling of the solid structure

Ancient inscription on the walls


CONCEPTUAL STRATEGY


The shaduf shift highlights the function of the shaduf in the urban strategy as mechnism to connect and act as a pivot between to balance the water an the nile. Hence, this shaduf becomes the intermediary between the existing and the new.


THE NATURE OF THE INBETWEEN


The edge that celebrates both elements The point they meet

The point on which they come together focuses on the different edge conditions that aims at celebratinhg the qualities of different constrasting elements when they come together. These relationships involves that between the vernacular (the existing) and the comtemporary (the new intervention), land and water, water transportation and railwat transportation. This point is then magnified into a spatial element that acts as an transition tool called the INBETWEEN. These scenes aim to guide the project to identify different edge conditions that would successfully create a hybridized relationship that connects people, place and time through interaction and activation. Hence, a relation that stikes a balance.


SCENE ONE The edges of the two elements are separated the in between space.


SCENE TWO The inbetween space starts to spill into into the two elements blending the edges.


SCENE THREE The edges of the two elements start to spill into the inbetween space to mirror the qualities on both sides.


SCENE FOUR

Here, the edges overlap eachother on the in between space to create a unique relation between them and a different edge condition.


HYBRIDIZATION SCALAR COMPLEXITY

This methodology explores the nature of the in-between in form, scale and texture. It looks at how the existing and new interventions can come together physically. The tests in this exploration are approached from two perspectives: the nature of the in-between spilling into the elements and the elements making up the in-between.


The first is a series of conditions where the in-between is independent in its form, scale, and materiality and starts to interact with the existing and the new intervention. Hence, the in-between creates the conditions of the elements coming together. The second is a scalar approach from the most complimenting to most contrasting. Here the in-between and new intervention are very dependent on their relationship with, and conditions of the existing.


CONNECTION

The pattern of the movement through the buildings is the focus of this approach which focuses on the flow, transitions, and continuity between the three spaces supporting the relationship created in the hybridization.

This is in relation to movements through these fragments. It focuses on the transition from one element to the other, flow, and continuity beyond. The flow generated is a transition to congregation to transition movement. Hence the in-between brings a sense of start, end, or change.


Circulation concept betwen Polarities: In an appraoch to test the complimented relationship between the existing and the new form, different circulation patterns are adapted to connect within and also protrude beyond the established edges to continue the journey.


TRANSITION

THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Structure between Constrast: A test on the nature of the structure and how they come together is done between a constrast relationship to explore how the skeleton sits next to the shell. The structural elements overlap on either edge contion to blend the boundaries which is aimed at creating an experience in transition between constrast.


This is like capping the main intentions by connecting the users and the spaces in an experiential journey through the building, Where the spaces aim to congregating, overlaying activities. which focuses on the spatial experience and the layers of activities embedded within.


INFUSING THE CONCEPT ON SITE


A RITUAL OF CONNECTION

The movement and and edge conditions between the existing and the new intervention, land and water, train and ferry transportion. These edges conditions look into fluid movements and features of blurring the point at which they meet eachother. Bringing two constrasting element to create a relation that celebrates individual qualities to create a balance. This ritual focuses on the point of transitions focusing on circulation and materiality to test how best the two opposing planes can come together and how the edge can be inhabited.


WITHIN THE TRANSITIONS

Connecting the inbetween to the existing train station. THis can be used to re-present the train station on the site

The inbetween creating a different atmosphere in structure, scale and material to the existing


ARCHETYPES

Gestures towards a connecting the existing and the new

ASSEMBLAGE LINES Circulation used to connect the fragments of the existing, the inbetween and the New Taken from the site and working with an existing context, assemblage, and lines are the adapted typologies where these elements in a relationship, are fragments in themselves, being connected by lines that creates a sense of movement. That is, a beginning or ending of a journey


LINES AND ASSEMBLAGE IN SECTION CONTINUE FLOW TRANSITION

The idea behind this exploration is to create fluid circulation in and around the building.


TESTING SITE WORKSHOP

Precedent cut and paste

Overlaying the precedent, National museum of Spain t o create lines connecting that run from the Nile’s Edge to the Train station. This was a cut and paste exercise that revealed a sequence of transition and congretation through the site

Trace over collage

Reinterpretation of exercise on site


The model further highlighted the language of assemblage and lines created by the precedent cut and place collage to connect the existing, inbetween and the new.

The first test on site was done by playing a cut and paste with the Prado Museum in Madrid where the lines of long corridors connect the main exhibition spaces, and they contribute to the experience. Like a build-up for the next stage of the journey. However, the constricting line of movement does not explore the multiplicity in accessing the existing context.


PROJECT BRIEF


WHAT

To tie it all together, the proposal is a transport hub that integrates a ferry terminal and the train station mainly for the reason of the limited means of travel between the east and west of the Nile and a surprisingly threatened water transportation, as the Nile greatly contributes to Egypt's Identity. The Nile River is associated more with commercial purposes and a lack of public transportation which highlights the lack of interaction between the two banks. Also, Water transportation has a significant contribution economically, giving an opportunity for the two contrasting socio-economic classes to benefit from one another.


WHO

This program aims towards participation, inclusivity and connecting people, place and time, hence the main users are people who frequently go across the nile. They may include mainly the working class and the students. As the east bank of the Nile is more developed with jobs and formal learning, the west end tends to migrate for daily greener pastures. On the other hand, the west creates opportunities for developments, hence a constant movement of people on both ends making a cross connection.


WHY

Lorem Ipsum

Limited connections between the east and west of the Nile

Threatened water transportation // Inaccessible public transport for locals

Presently, the only used conections between the east and west banks. Further to that, these connections, road bridges over the nile, are very far apart restricting fluid movements between them. This results to either lack of interest to commute to either side or these lines connecting are very packed all the time.

In as much as the River Nile creates a greater part of Egypt’s identity, water transportation is the most threatened means of transporttaion in the country. However, there are jetty points for canoe travel, but it is very ineffiecient for the encouraged movements between boths banks.

Lack of interactions and activation on the edge

The west side of the nile presents an edge condition that prevents maximum interaction with the Nile through a long busy road and uncatered greenery on the bank. However, from the urban strategy, the edge has been pedestrianised and levelled down to break the height barrier and improve interaction. Hence, a catalyst is needed to activate this interaction.


WHERE

The lines created in the urban strategy responded to transportation as one of the themes. Therefore, the finding site included these lines connecting to the existing context that is, the train station and settlements clusters around it. These directional lines revealed forces towards the train station, hence the site revealing itself.


HOW

A cooperation agreement has been signed between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Egyptian Ministry of International Cooperation (MOIC) that outlines the provision of up to €1.5 million in grant finance to support a feasibility study, including an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, for the Tanta-El Mansoura-Damietta Rail project. The project will work to improve the railway safety, availability and reliability of a vital rail corridor through the Nile Delta. The EIB financing will be used to upgrade the 118km of line between Tanta and Damietta, with the scope of the investment to be defined during the implementation of the feasibility study. The upgrade will include the doubling of the El Mansoura-Damietta section – representing 65km of track – the re-signalling of the whole line, investments in the railway stations and, potentially, a freight yard and freight link to Damietta port. The project will impact an important railway corridor connecting Cairo to one of the major Egyptian Mediterranean ports in Damietta, contributing to the overall improvement of the Egyptian railway network, as well as contributing to the development of Egypt’s economic infrastructure.

Damietta 2030 Masterplan for transportation

Urban Strategy for the railway and water transportation


PRECEDENTS STUDIES THE INVESTCORP BUILDING Oxford, uk Zaha Hadid Architects 2015

This precedent explores a new intervention that connects two existing buildings reinforcing their role. The new structure contrasts the existing through material and scalar presence.


THE TRANSPORT HUB

SOLEC KUJAWSKI, POLAND RYSY Architekci Rafał Sieraczyński 2016

This precedent explores the ideas of openess of the program for easy access and circulation. The use of lines to define the flow and transitions between the inside and outside, sheltered and open.


ALEXANDRIA LIBRARY Alexandria, Egypt Snohetta 2001

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Egypt’s Mediterranean Coast is a spectacular, state-of-the-art facility with an unresolved architectural identity. Commissioned in 1989 as a contemporary resurrection of the fabled Library at Alexandria once venerated throughout the ancient world, the present building was intended to serve as a city’s connection to history and heritage. But its stark modernity and technological innovations make it decidedly more forward-looking than historically referential, a cosmopolitan exploration of form and engineering perhaps longing for a stronger sense of regional belonging.


TRINITY QUATERS Leeds Uk Chapman Taylor’s 2013


BUILDING DEVELOPMENT


INTERPRETING THE CONCEPT TRANSITIONAL COLLAGE


PROJECTING THE LINES OF THE EXISTING

Site

Extruding the lines from the train station

A more flexible approach, going back to existing contexts defining the qualities of the In-between. So, I started by identifying several access points that are new or existing and connecting them with lines that serve as the main transitional circulation which overlapped to create a congregational space within

Identifying and connecting access points on the site


DEVELOPING THE LINES OF THE IN-BETWEEN

This overlay of the lines started to make me think, how these lines can start to cut across the in-between to connect the contrasting elements.

Taking the lines and starting to create spatial qualities, I have started to explore the layers leading up to the congregational point, thinking about layers of activities that makes this transport hub not just a space of ritual change but provides an experience that empowers and uplift the users. The qualities of the lines are generated from the train station, adapting the scalar approach from contrasting to complimenting. I am exploring a sense of openness between the lines with the arches that lead up to an enclosure with a canopy.


TRANSITION

Joing the existing train station with the reroute road through the building,


LINES CONNECTING FRAGMENTS

The continuity and flow that creates a relationship to all the acess points and the existing contexts.

This explores the physical qualities of the lines. The cutting through the façade and translucent roofing to play around with the potential lighting. Also, the multi play of layers within the corridor, thinking about a potential vertical interaction.


PERFORATED CANOPIES

Bringing the flow together to a point that engages and empowers.

this explores the enclosure of the congregation point with the use of a canopy. Where it may exhibit a textured roof and play with a perforated light stream that could be interacted with.


READDRESSING THE DIRECTIONAL LINES Joing the existing train station with the reroute road through the building

In order to create a definite path connecting the existing and the new, the directional line from the rail tracks is extented to the Nile edge as the first dedired line. This line is cut across by the perpendicular directional line of the rerouted road. The solid lines indicate the the flow of the nile edge in a rectilinear form. This lines are them projected to the middle to connect access points.


DEVELOPING QUALITIES OF LINES AND THE INBETWEEN

Play with the flow and levels

Line overlayed for fluid circulation Canopy to bring all the separate fragments to one


DEVELOPING VOLUMES AROUND DIRECTIONAL LINES



Inward

Projected river nile edge curve

Projected Rail track line

Overlaying projecte lines

Outward Creating volumes within the overlay


ALIGNMENT OF DESIRED LINES AND CIRCULATION

Cutting across Ritual of change between the inward and outward movements

Upper floor creating an extruding presence in the acces point


CREATING VOLUMES AROUND THE CIRCULATION

Circulation Lines: This process statrted by connecting the access points while playing with levels to create a fluid circulation across, connecting the existing to the new.

Presence on site: The light structure canopy started to create an entrance and presence on the site to pave and attract people to the building

Volumes Around Lines: In order to strategically place spaces in hierachy, the spacial volumes are created and identified around the circulation paths for easy accessibility.

Shading: The double skin has revealed to create a level of shading to improve the cooling of the building.

Double Facade: An attempt to tie all the fragmented volumes together is made by using a light structure to connect them.

Direct accessibility to the water


ITERATION ONE

The first iteration attempted to create a direct line of circulation between the existing and the new. The ground floor of the inbetween is made to be very acessible and public to both travellers and local residents. Ground Floor

First Floor

Second Flor


CANOPY PATTERNS CREATING THRESHOLDS

Canopy 1 This pattern creates a transition in the middle of the canopy that celebrated the access where the patterns change.

Canopy 2 This canopy creates a transition pattern connecting to the to the existing and the new.


MAIN HALL QUALITIES

the main hall which is the inbetween create a sense of openness and enclosed spaces that gives the feeling of an inside -outside. The circulation flows uninterupted across the main hall. The independent volumes are made of concrete materials thats are borrowed from the existing .



HIGHLIGHTS IN THE JOURNEY The highlights of the journey are created by different spatial qualities in scale, material and geometry creating diferent experinces.

Transitions

Congregation Transitions


MATERIAL INTENTIONS


ITERATION TWO: REFINING THE AGENDA ON SITE

Agenda

Resolution

Transition

Connection

Ground Floor

Creating a frontage to the nile


Ground Floor

First Floor

Second Floor


RESOLVING THE EXISTING AND THE NEW

The existing and the new resolved

Connecting to the inbetween with canopy


TECHNICAL APPROACH

Structure: Composite structure of light and heavy structures with clay and concrete columns

Material: The red pins identify the concrete, the black indicates the new intrduced as the fine clay and the inbetween is a hybrid of the two.

The circulation flow shows an uninterupted pattern with multiple access points.


REFINING THE TRANSITIONAL GESTURES

Arches and Collonade defining the presence and access of the building

Difference in scale of spaces to create multiple experinces

Circulation through narrow paths between the solid volumes


PRESENCE ON SITE

The building’s presence on site presents a stood out element attracts people to it. As a transport hub that is surrounded by residential buildings, the element of stand out is not just as a program but as a building.


LAYERING THE URBAN GRAIN OVER DESIRED LINES

The rectilinear forms of the informal settlements

The urban grain

The cluster creates a gathering -transition - gathering formation when you walk through the the streets of the settlements

This clusters were replicated in the volumes of the inbetween to create a transitional journey in the public inbetween for the shops and public exhibition.

Desired Lines


CANOPY PATTERNS DEVELOPMENT

The patterns of the canopies underwent several iterations in order to create the proper shading system while trying to retain Egyptian patterns


FINAL RESOLVED DESIGN


GROUND FLOOR Scale 1:1000

12 10

8 11 1

9 4

13 3

5

2 6 1 Train terminal waiting room 2 Ferry terminal waiting room 3 Open garden 4 Cafe 5 Retail Shops 6 Ferry terminal office 7 Fery dock 8Train Platform 9 Bus and bicycle stop 10 Office for Train terminal 11 Train Storage room 12 Train toilets

7


FIRST FLOOR Scale 1:1000

17

13

14 14 15

16

13 Digital historic exhibition room 14 Retaim shops 15 Toilets 16 Ferry terminal roof 17 Tain terminal roof


ROOF PLAN Scale 1:1000


SECTIONS

B B A A Section B-B

Section A-A



ELEVATIONS

East Elevation

West Elevation


JOURNEY TRANSITION: DEPARTING TRAIN STATION


JOURNEY TRANSITION: DEPARTING TRAIN STATION


TRAIN STATION TRANSFPORMATION


BUILDING PERFORMANCE


ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS SEA LEVEL RISE PREDICTIONS

2050

2100


SUN MOVEMENT THROUGH THE DAY

18th May 7am

18th May 10am

18th May 2pm

18th May 6pm


SITE SHADOW PATTERNS

7am

10am

2pm

6pm


SHADOW PATTERN FOR COOLING 7am

2pm

10am

6pm

4 1

3

5

7

7

6

8

2

5

2

4

6

8

3

1


COOLING AND DAYLIGHTING Hot Aoir Flow

Green Roof

Natural Ventilation





joists framing with wire mesh as roofing system on webbed rafters

TECHNICAL DETAILS

wire mesh between horizongtal wideflange stel members

Vertical wideflange steel members on concrete arches

concrete colonades with steel framing above

concrete arche finished with cla plaster concrete vslab with outdoor tile finishing floring

concrete pile foundation

concrete footing pavement



APPENDIX


CANOPIES OVER LAYERS


CONNECTION

CLUSTER IN THE MIDDLE

STOP IN FRAGMENTS




LAYERS OF MOVEMENT





PRECEDENT STUDIES

The spatial constructs involves the fabrication of old materials to create a modern facade to create the contrast in the narratives.

This precedent explores the line of circulation that defines the building. The use of corridors that lead into an open atrium for congregating.

The spatial orientation is embeded in the fluid circulatiion from the existing museum structure connecting the fragments with a main circulation pattern.

The psatial narrative involevs connecting the extention through a juxtoposed dialogue in the fabrication of the materials and contrast between the old and the new.



THE BUILD-UP OF THE INBETWEEN



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