The Folding Fragment _________________________________
Mario Ricci, Residui D’Architetture
Michael Wong
Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman’s dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter “repented,” changed his mind. —Pentimento by Lillian Hellman
ABSTRACT
Tourism is one of New Zealand's largest industries. According to the interactive map which is made up from Trip Advisor's Top things to do, Te Papa museum in Wellington is New Zealand's number one attraction. The current building has a size of 36,000 square metres of floor space, extruding height of 6 floors; using approximately 80,000 cubic metres of concrete; turns out to be a dominant massive architecture in Wellington's skyline. This massive architecture has enclosed most of its inner exquisiteness viewing from the harbour and Wellington's central. This attractiveness than contains inside Te Papa are being gradually lost through the view from the harbour. This thesis looks at one such site, Te Papa National Museum in Wellington. Strategically located south west of the Lambton Harbour; attention are drawn from the east part of the harbour. The location of the museum is also on a less competitive area, becoming more eye-catching; compare to the business districts area in Thordon where surrounding by multi-storey office buildings. The thesis argues that re-designing the building according to the original programme and site, bringing the design into a landmark building for Wellington and New Zealand. And also becoming part of the iconic Wellington skyline viewing from the harbour. The thesis proposes that this can be achieved incorporating and reinforcing natural features of the site into the architectural design; 'curating' special characteristics around the site; signify the beauty of the enclosed walls of the existing museum; encourage contemporary architecture to coexist as an on-going narrative of the site; incorporating symbolic and phenomenological directions; applying architecture elements that are eye-catching that transforms the building into 'signature' of the skyline. Overall the aim of the thesis is to produce a piece of elegant architecture work that stands out in the Wellington's Skyline and also becoming a landmark in Wellington and New Zealand.
PREFACE
Pentimento - was derived as the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms, or strokes that have been changed and painted over. Using the narrative terms by Hellman, I would say that the pentimento phrase abstracted in my site as having a new architecture landmark but leaving the trace of the historical moment of the past. The thesis looks at how the impact of architecture could generate a landmark emblem that establishes the identity for New Zealand - the National Museum, Te Papa in Wellington is the site chosen for this thesis. This is because the strategic site has been separated from the business towers in Thorndon suburb and stands out, facing the magnificent harbour. The title of this thesis - Glimpse of the Past - metaphoric how time has passed in the speed of light but still our younger generations could feel the historic moment by entering the space - museum. It is a unique place where by it could shows the reader that the architecture is modern from outside and archived with vast historical knowledge in the inside of the space.
Abstract Preface
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Site Context Analysis Preliminary Concept Case Studies Literature Review Programme Analysis Preliminary Design Developed Design Conclusions
Appendices
SITE ANALYSIS
This chapter analyses the context of my chosen site. The land of Wellington is located at the southern tip of New Zealand's north island. Wellington has its own character. With a large natural harbour, making it a lot more unique comparing with other lands. Because of it mass development in the 1850s, the government decided to start on sizeable land reclamation around the Wellington's waterfront. The reclamation was completed on 1956. The chosen location for this proposal will be at Te Papa Museum, the national museum of New Zealand. It was constructed on the 1994 and officially opening to the public on 14th February 1998. Back in the 1865, it was named as the Colonial Museum which is located on Museum Street. As time passes, the museum was relocated to the Dominion Museum building in Buckle Street before having its final location on Cable Street which is now the current Te Papa Museum. The site was stationed on a very strategic field. It acts like a pivoting mechanism which separating the Wellington CBD and Mount Victoria suburb. The site also surrogates like a talking timeline machine where bringing the modern (Wellington CBD) to the old days (Mount Victoria) or vice versa. As we know that the site was construction on a reclaimed land, it has its ability to hold against the solid ground and strong gusting wind. Imaging a strong beast with strong feet planting itself firmly on the ground, standing firmly guarding the waterfront and the city from others intruders trying to charge to the in to his territory. Next to the beast were two aggressive lagoons, waiting to be release into the rough strait. The site is also trying to argue against the dynamic from of the water and the static of those surrounding structure and buildings. Upon standing in front of the site, the visitors should be aware that the street scape they see on both left and right might not be the same cause of the contrast between the city and suburbs.
Te Papa History Timeline
Figure 1.1 - Te Papa museum history timeline - Image by author
Figure 1.2 - Map of Te Papa museum - Image by author
Figure 1.3 - Concentration point - Image by author
Figure 1.4 - Reclaimed area map - Image by author
Figure 1.5 - Traffic concentration map - Image by author
PRELIMINARY CONCEPT
CASE STUDIES
There is a close relationship between architecture and story. Architecture now days has been influenced by many aspects that reflects the outcome of a building or structure. All designed object, whether by and architect, landscape architect, interior designer, or artist, tells a story behind of every masterpiece produced. The stories sometimes can be straight forward and in other times some might need to be discovered through thoughtful consideration. Architects have long desired to communicate their art works through their building imagery. This reflects the diverse styles of architecture throughout the past. This part of my case study creates context for the research within a story of experiences involving reflective and curiosity in architectural design. The site of Te Papa Museum locates slightly away from the busy part of the Wellington's central business district. This challenges the demographic flow of the context and the critical analysing to combine with my ideas that reflect on my design.
How does the occupant feel in a slum inhabitant?
Kowloon wall city, Photo by Shirley Lee
When the architect operates within the language of the discipline, not only through action, but through form, an outcome of cultural significance is possible. But the process of design may now need to start earlier with the 'invention' of the client. The power of architecture is the power of synthesis, and the ability to coordinate within cities that lack coordination.
City view, Photo by Beccadowns. Edited by author
Engine city, Photo by Stephan Martiniere
Metaphor. Painting by Rob Gonsalves
Duality, Photo by Nicklas Gustafsson
Trees morph into skyscrapers as it goes up. Is that a synthesis of organic and mechanism?
LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORY
Among the dreadful past, the energy and life have always regain their standpoint, especially from those spots considered as margins and interstices. —(Potteiger, 1998: 213-214)
FORM & SPACE This chapter investigates the design theories to provide and identify design strategies that could be an inspiring spatial paradigm. Ruins could be describe by matter, from, function, incongruity, site, symbol and aesthetic experience and it can be appreciated by requiring two parties to create a spatial experience; the ruins itself and the participating parties. The sense of space created determined by the people and their reactions towards the ruins. Shuai-Ping Ku explains how various interpretations of ruins symptomize different cultural and spatial meanings. By taking a closer study towards the relationship between people and ruins that occurred in different time period, we could obtain creative energy to reformulate the spatial formation and place information for the Museum. One of the theory about industrial ruins is about localized memory and living memory. In some cases, these industrial ruins are considered as cultural heritages thus being transformed into museums, cultural facilities or monument. Rudolf Arnheim uses one of Matisse's painting Luxury, he describes that in that Mattisse overlapped two human figure in that drawing which creates the frontal figure and also defines their spatial relation. This spatial relation lie in the same plane and thereby creating the three dimensional stretch.
Plate II. El Greco. The Virgin with Sta. Ines and Sta. Tecla, 1597-99. National Gallery, Washington, o.c.
"The basic skeleton of the composition is symmetrical. The Virgin, flanked by two angels, holds the center in the upper half of the picture; the two saints face each other in the lower half. The basic symmetry of the shapes is enlivened, however, by deviations, of which the following are relevant here. The attitudes of the Virgin and the child create a slanted axis. The tilt from the upper right toward the lower left links the figure in the clouds more directly to the saint on the left. This connection is stressed further by the closer contact of the coat of the Virgin with the head of the woman at the left, who looks upward and makes an outgoing gesture with her hand. In contrast, the woman on the right is farther from the central figure, her eyes are downcast as though she were wrapped in thought, and her hand points toward herself." - by Arnheim, Rudolf
The collections of big musuems and galleries are like icebergs; only the tip of them is on display —by author
PROGRAMME ANALYSIS
Museums, art galleries, iwi cultural centres or whare taonga, historic places, science centres, interpretive centres, exhibition centres... The purposed of this thesis is to understanding the activity going on externally and internally of the museum. People continue to be inspired by the idea of setting up a place whose appeal and value will have visitors pouring through the doors. They carry out various functions such as care of collections, public programmes (including exhibitions), education, and community relationships. There is no doubt about the benefits - cultural, communal, and economic that they can bring to communities.
Point of interest analysis by author.
Programme analysis is carried out in the thesis in order to fully understand the flow and orientation of the space. Based on the existing Te Papa Museum, most of the detailed space such as retail and cafe spaces has been organised at the lower floor this allows people to fully utilise the space before heeading up to the upper floors. This also allows the design process to incooporate with the flow of people in the building. To futther develop in the design, basic spacial requirements will be needed to provide a sense of scaling in the space.
PRELIMINARY DESIGN Project Concepts The national museum of New Zealand, Te Papa located next to the harbour and erected on a reclamied land, it was one of the magnificant icon that shines out on the Wellington's skyline. Ferries and ship that sails towards the Wellington city will definately noticed the outstanding Te Papa. In this project, my approach was to transform this piece of architecture into an landmark icon not just only for Wellington, but New Zealand. The placement of architecture within the harbour side enviroment requires critical approach. The thesis begins with some initial sketches of my idea. The idea was obtain from a case study at a building designed by Douglas Cardinal, an Canadian architect. One of the building that inspires me the most was a building that he designed has a very unique parametric roof on it. It almost felt like the a 'shell' covering the building. I took the 'shell' structure into a new approuach into my design.
Preliminary Perpsective
Preliminary Sectional Perspective
Preliminary Perpsective
Preliminary Perpsective
DEVELOPED DESIGN
Sectional Perspective The concept of the design was influenced and derived by the hierarchy of the Wellington urban planning. The idea of the design is to show both closure and disclosed. The closure part on Cable Street allegory the harbour whereas the disclosed part which is next to the harbour reveals the skeleton of the building, characterizing the cityscape of Featherston Street.
Developed Site Plan
“Hero Shots”
“Hero Shots”
Panaromic View of Wellington Skyline
ARCI 411 - Phase 2
Conclusion Wellington harbour view is one of the most unique skyline in New Zealand. The shape of the harbour's opening is almost hypothetically like an opening of history knowledge attracting people to occupy the city space. Preserving the historical element of the city is critical. Challenging the tradition invites the moments of creativity and encourages the opening up to the further possibilities solutions that are not showing on the existing building. A museum represents the origin of the country. Giving a challenging site has invites more opportunity to re-design the building that will brings more ingenuity and how the site and location reflects the desgin of the final outcome. This thesis aims is to invite maximum possibility vision of re-designing Te Papa musuem and allws occupants to experience and encourage to become witness of the spatial quality of the historical archived.
Appendices