Mechanical Merz Theatre in Elterwater for Kurt Schwitter’s kathedrale des erotischen elends
Muyiwa Oki Portfolio 2013
The Mechanical Merz Theatre In Elterwater for Kurt Schwitters kathedrale des erotischen elends Contents: Merz: the art of collage making Kurt Schwitters: Kunstler The Land of elterwater The site Contextual study Alchemical Arrangement The evolution of Merz space Strategies The Merz proposal Visualisations
This studio project entitled ‘Mechanical Merz Theatre’, focuses on Kurt Schwitter Merzbau installations. It is located in Elterwater, Ambelside in the Lake District. The location of Kurt Schwitters last art installation - the Merzbarn. The proposal focuses on the method of Schwitters practice, his undogmatic, un-elitist style of forming his art collages and assemblage installations. He combined many scavenged materials and a hoard of found objects to make his collages. This proposal looks at a new way to display his most prized collection that which was destroyed during the early parts of WWII - his first art installation the Hannover Merzbau {Die Kathedrale des Erostichen Elends (KdeE) }. It attempts at reconstructing a human scale version comprising a theatrical machine that are split into three time-based categories: automative, reactive, interactive. The Mechanical Merz Theatre, is my proposal for a centre that unites the two communes (Elterwater and Chapel Stile), with the learning and appreciation of the work of this unfortunate, yet pioneering artist. It is formed with the idea of discontiguity and superimposition, the idea prevalent in art of collage making.
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Introduction The Art of Collage making
Kurt Schwitters : Kunstler
A brief look at the life of Schwitters
1887 - 1920
Kurt Schwitters creates Merz from a snippet of Kommerz und Privatbank. Merz is an almagamation of different genres in art.
1924 - 1937
WWII and exile from germany
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1945 - 1948
He settles in ambelside in the lake district and begins his final Merzbau
1938 - 1943
His exile leads to settlement in Norway and then incaceration in Edinburgh
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The Land of Elterwater location
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The site:Context Chapel Stile
Merzbarn
the Cylinders Estate @
Elterwater
Kurt Schwitters Merzbarn at Cylinders Estate
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The site: Analysis
Environmental consideration and analysis to the existing Conditions
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Contextual study An assemblaging of found objects to study Schwitters techniques.
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Demoulding - Moulding in elterwater and Chapel stile Schwitters’ nonsensical looking Merz art has a hidden logic to it. As it is art, the logic is open to variant interpretation according to user. Here I attempt in adopting Schwitters logic and technique in a representation of analysis of the site: Elterwater/Chapelstile in assemblage format. The assemblage comments on the community evident in these two towns, the way Schwitters does with his work regarding Germany. What we gather is that there is an obvious acknowledgement of a pioneering art work within the town. Both residence are aware, and continually visit the site of the Merzbarn.
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Alchemical Arrangement Arranging found objects
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The Evolution of : Merz Space Study model exploring the spacial qualities of the pivotal space in the Merz kunstwerk proposal
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design iterations for modelling the Merz space and the building proposal
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Site Strategy building strategies
00
225
00
225
00
00
225
225
00
225
Merzbarn
arn
00
Entrance?
li ne ar
00
150
ie
to
ma
xi m
outdoor workshops
is
e
vi ew s
to
th
e
scap e
nt ed
up to land
or
Del iv
00
150
co ne ct io
Angle d to the a xis
00
150
e ry
00
150
rn n t rzba o the me
of the Merzb
150
mo
un
shop open s
to ps
Summer School
Work
ta in
0
750
New path to be created
0
750 0
750
00
0
750
150
KdeE [Central] Records of Norway Merzbau [A grotto] 0
750
vi s ta
Circulation Proposed Pond
Road
The Merzbarn
Proposed site
65.2m Road
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Site Strategy
building strategies
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Programme Axonometric disassembled building illustrating the uses of volumes
c.
Dada Gallery roof Shaft
b. Dada Gallery roof
Accomodation expand from the floor
d. Break-out balcony
c. Dada Gallery
e. Kurt Schwitters Norway exhibit
Norway Gallery expands from floor and raised on stilts
UP Stairs
st
ai rs
a. Summer School accomodation
f. Workshop Floor
workshop exapnds out of the floor
UP Stairs
g. Summer School Floor
dir ec
mov
Summer School expands onto the hill
te
ingd
vie
up w
to
r ai
st
sta rt i ng
s
dir
h. Entrance/ Reception / Lobby
e
r Me
n ar zb
pu bl i
c
s
th
Vi No st rt as he t rn o hi ll
Li
ar ne
ec nn Co
on ti
th wi
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en
tr a
nc e
movected ing view up
to
sta rt i ng
poi
nt
poi
nt
The tower and its shaft
Breakout balcony
4th Floor
Merzbild 3 Steel Core beams
3rd Floor
Merzbild 2
Steel Core beams
2nd Floor Ln
r ea
c
i ct ne on
e th
r
Me
on
ar zb
se
th
wi n
is
fl
oo
r
d an
in ta
in ma
. ed
Merzbild 1 3.Concrete Service core
r de vice li s ve in ri es
2. Steel Core Columns
1.Concrete base loading bay
1st Floor
Merzbild 0 Raise on a plinth
Public Entrance
Merzbild 0
building Construction elements
building form
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The facade is clad in copper strips that are overlaid on top of each other. As the accommodation nestles into the front of the building, operating as its own entity
The Merz Proposal
The Merz Theatre has two seperate spaces . the white box gallery + lobby and the disjunctive
The central merz theatrical machine possesses thre
merz spaces
reaction exerted by the creative user. the Mechanical Merz Theater
The Recreated Hannover merzbau
Norway Merzbau grotto The elterwater merzbarn
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The facade is clad in copper strips that are overlaid on top of each other. As the accommodation nestles into the front of the building, operating as its own entity
The central merz theatrical machine possesses three time based categories.. automation,
interaction and reaction exerted by the creative user.
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it is lit from above and is allow to grow towards the light, in the same manner Kurt Schwitters modelled the original Merzbau
The Merz Proposal
the Mechanical Merz Theater: Plans and Sections
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B
stairs
A
two -way elevator
entrance/ lobby
A
reception cloak room
Ground floor 1:100
B
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void
delivery bay repository
hydraulic lift
Stairs
void
Goods delivery entrance temporary repository units lift access
stairs two -way elevator void entrance/ lobby
reception
Delivery Bay 1:100
Ground floor 1:100
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Summer School
office
class room
Void
Void
Hydraulic lift
Toilets [F]
two -way elevator Social area
void Toilets [M]
Schwitters Norway grotto
First Floor 1:100
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workshop
void
Social space
Hydraulic lift
void
void
toilets [F]
two -way elevator
The mechanical merz theatre
toilets [M]
Second Floor 1:100
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summer school accomodation
bathroom
elevator service room
two -way elevator
Dada gallery
Entartete Kunstler grotto
Break-out balcony
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Third Floor 1:100
Detail Section
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The Entrance Lobby
B
entrance/ lobby
stairs
B
reception
cloak room
two -way elevator
A
Ground floor 1:100
White box space that gives abrief introduction to building and Schwitters
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A
vantage point
The Dada gallery
Dada gallery
Break-out balcony
Entartete Kunstler grotto
elevator service room
two -way elevator
bathroom
Third Floor 1:100
intentions of disjunction in the Mechanical Theatre. Here we see schwitters work in the context of Dada Movement
summer school accomodation
White box gallery that unravels the
vantage point
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The mechanical Theatre
The mechanical theatre is situated on disjunctive floor 3[merzbild 2]
toilets [M]
two -way elevator
The mechanical merz theatre
void Social space
void
Hydraulic lift
void
toilets [F]
Second Floor 1:100
control and operates the machine to begin recreating the Hannover Merzbau [die kathedrale des erotischen elends].
workshop
This is where the creative user takes
vantage point
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