NUS DoA M.ARCH1 OPTIONS STUDIO - NEW YORK 2040 by NUS Department of Architecture

YEAR 4 OPTIONS STUDIO COMPILATION OF SAMPLES

M.ARCH 1, STUDIO JOSEPH LIM

NEW YORK 2040

IMAGE CREDIT: STUDIO JOSEPH LIM

MASTERS DESIGN PROJECTS

INTERESTS

PROJECT ATTRIBUTES

Masters Design Projects include those explored in two Options Design Research Studios (M.Arch 1), the Advanced Architecture Studio and the Thesis project in M.Arch 2. All studios may explore issues relevant to the interests of the Research Clusters, adjunct teachers and professors in practice. Students are encouraged to capitalise on faculty expertise in widening the scope of investigations which collectively strengthen the Thesis Project in M.Arch 2.

A good Masters project is one where:

Essential and Elective modules are useful in underpinning your Masters studio investigations. Although Options Design Research studios may be varied in content and method, students are advised to be selective and to use them as ‘learning runways’ to identify a Thesis topic and to apply accumulated knowledge there. The Advanced Architecture Studio preceding the Thesis may be used to explore thesis drivers in greater detail and focus. It is expected that the Thesis project will be the most comprehensive and extensive study of all the Masters Design Projects. _______________________________________________________________________________________

• the research process informs design strategy which can be followed through a coherent sequential process of explorations or iterations • the research generates an underlying order giving rise to a number of architectural or urban propositions • the research or issues engaged with, give rise to new solutions through design, some of which are singular, permutable or recombinant • it addresses the contextual specificities of site, material, spatial, culture and program and all of the above are communicated through architectural drawings, well-crafted models and annotations which curate a design process and outcome(s) that can be understood without a verbal presentation by the author Beyond a commitment to individual academic portfolios, Masters projects play an important role in characterising the discursive ethos of a design school. It is important that you do your best.

DESIGN AS INQUIRY Masters projects can be research investigations where design forms a principal mode of inquiry. Methods can be heuristic or empirical or in mixed modes of inquiry. There are a number of research methods in design investigations leading to different outcomes but they are by no means exhaustive: • textual/graphic analysis of theoretical concepts with investigations drawn from critical discourse using text references, works of art/representation • quantitative analysis to verify qualitative hypotheses with simulation, physical experiment, prototype testing and mixed methods • scenario-driven speculative design to suggest solutions to emergent need. The process in itself is a new way of seeing/thinking which generates many solutions. One version of a solution may be articulated spatially and in full materiality • new research knowledge is interpreted in architecture as a new way of thinking/making/experiencing • existing practices, processes or existing technologies are applied to design and which produce ‘unprecedented’ outcomes

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MASTERS DESIGN PROJECTS

INTERESTS

PROJECT ATTRIBUTES

A good Masters project is one where:

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RESEARCH CLUSTERS

ASIA RESEARCH FOCUS

III. TECHNOLOGIES

The Department positions itself as a design and research think-tank for architectural and urban development issues emerging in South Asia and SE Asia contexts. Graduate coursework in design engages with key challenges in population growth, industry, infrastructure, housing and environment, climate change and rapid economic change with disruptive technologies. In engaging with trans-boundary economies and technological change, the Department addresses concerns with the environmental impact of new settlements and cities on the natural environment in the light of climate change and on the threat to heritage and cultural presentation. MArch studios anticipate planning solutions through design explorations at various scales of intervention. The Master’s coursework are thus aligned to a core of five teaching groups viz. History Theory Criticism, Research by Design, Design Technologies, Urbanism and Landscape Studies. _______________________________________________________________________________________

The Technologies cluster investigates environmentally performative/sustainable building forms and systems,and generative-evaluative processes for designing liveable environments. Its research employs traditional and emerging technologies contributing to a new understanding of the human ecosystem, and emerging computational methods and techniques for discovering the relationships between form and performance. It researches on the relationship between human and natural landscapes, at every scale, from the building component scale to the urban scale. Special emphasis is placed on the context of high density Asian cities and the context of the Tropics.

I. HISTORY THEORY CRITICISM The History Theory Criticism cluster develops critical capacities to examine questions of architectural production, representation and agency within historical and contemporary milieu. Taking architecture and urbanism in Asia as its primary focus, members work in interdisciplinary and transnational modes. We explore a range of topics relating to colonial/postcolonial and modern/ postmodern Asian cities; aesthetics and technopolitics of tropical climate and the built environment; affective media including film, contemporary art and exhibitionary modes; heritage politics and emergent conservation practices. We develop discursive fronts through a variety of media and scales. The cluster research encompasses scholarly, creative and advocacy activities. Output includes monographs, edited volumes, research papers, architectural reviews in professional journals, curatorial practice, conservation work, film and photography, object-making, and policy-influencing advocacy work.

II. RESEARCH BY DESIGN The Research by Design cluster performs translational research through the practices of making as research rather than through traditional forms academic research. It links the importance of creating, drawing, and building with rigor, originality, and significance to produce innovative and creative designs that shape the built environment. Located strategically between the NorthSouth axis of rapidly urbanizing Asia and the East -West line of the tropical equator, the Research by Design cluster performs research through practice in three main themes: • Novel aesthetics of climatic calibration and performance; • Contemporary architectonics of fabrication, material, and resources contingent on South East Asia; and • Emergent spaces of inhabitation and production surrounding the equator.

IV. URBANISM With a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and distinctive characters of emerging urbanism in Asia, the vision is to develop sustainable models and innovative urban strategies to cope with various environmental, social, economic and technological challenges that Asian cities face today and in the future. Emergent urban issues related to community & participation, conservation & regeneration, ageing & healthcare, built form, modelling & big data, and resilience & informality are investigated from multiple perspectives and inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations to question conventional norms and conceptions and establish new visions for a sustainable urban future.

V. LANDSCAPE STUDIES The Landscape Studies cluster undertakes research to generate new knowledge of landscapes as socio-ecological systems and promotes the use of knowledge in governance systems and landscape design that improve the well-being of humans and the ecological integrity of the environment. The geographic focus is primarily high-density urban regions in Asia, but members of cluster also work in the transitional zones within the rural-urban continuum, where urban regions are expanding at a rapid rate into rural landscapes. The overall research approach is both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary — we are concerned with not just advancing theoretical concepts and knowledge, but also applying the knowledge in practice and public policy to shape the environment. Our research areas cover a wide spectrum of socio-ecological dimensions of landscape, from landscape science, landscape management, to design research and socio-behavioural studies.

RESEARCH CLUSTERS

ASIA RESEARCH FOCUS

III. TECHNOLOGIES

With deepest thanks to: Prof. Joseph Lim (Dr.) Mr. Chan Soo Khian, Principal Architect, SCDA Dr. Hossein Rezai, Director, Web Structures Guest Reviewers (New York) Ms. Julia van den Hout Ms. Sharon McHugh Mr. Robert Whitlock Mr. Forth Bagley Guest Revieweers (Final Critique) Mr. Wong Chiu Man, Founder, WOW Architects Site Research done with year 5 M.Arch Students from Joseph Lim Studio

What was initially a studio that was meant to study the pencil tower typology slowly evolved over the semester to become a megastructure project that spanned up to 325 000 sqm. The very scale of the project, which spans two of New York’s plots, (each 60m x 200m) each brings with it architectural questions that borders on the urban - paths through the building cut paths through the linearity of the Manhattan grid, elevations start to effect upon a multiplicity of adjacent skyscrapers and public housing units - designing a programme has a chain reaction that connects the development to others down the highline and across New York’s well connected transport system. In speculating what New York would be like in 2040, we had to approach the creative class and economies of tomorrow, as well as to embrace the new technologies that are constantly disrupting the industries of today. Thus, three overarching programmes were chosen for their perceived ability to create shockwaves throughout New York. Food and Horticulture was a programme that tapped onto NYC’s dining scene, as well as to build on the Highline’s effects as a park. Synergies would be created between the growing of edible plants and its consumption, bringing city dwellers across all classes closer towards nature and wellness. The Nike Campus is a programme which looks at Nike’s trend of innovation and creates a space for athletes, or atheletes to be to gather for sports, but also to partake in the act of making the gear and tools for their respective activities. Finally, the Post Digital Art programme synthesises galleries, engineering schools, art schools, and accomodations to create a technology and art driven spaces that rides off Chelsea’s art district. Architecturally, the studio was essentially a foray into an unknown urban environment. As Singaporeans used to the winding streets of Asian countries, the effects of the Manhattan grid and urban phenomena of New York city life were new to the entire studio. The study of a different urbanism, climate, culture and lifestyle opened many of our eyes to Architecture beyond Singapore. We are deeply thankful to Mr Chan Soo Khian, who helped us to unpack the intricacies of New York’s urban choreography, and opened our eyes to issues we would not have seen without his insight. We would also like to thank Mr Hossein Rezai, who not only shared valuable structural advice, but also reminded us about the ethics of design with his focus on ustainability Most importantly, we would like to thank Prof. Joseph, who has led our studio tirelessly, charging through the massive scale of the project through multiple revisions and consultations every week. It has been a tiring journey, designing both at the urban and the interior scale, but it has been an amazingly fruitful one because of your tutorship.

NEW YORK 2040

Content Site

Proposals FOOD AND HORTICULTURE

Hudson Courtyards by Andrew Oh

gastro .04 by Chan Joshuel

NYC Gastro Flora-Hub by Sherry Goh

NIKE CAMPUS

Urban Nike Campus NYC by Justin Sim

Nyke City by Tay Chi Fan Keith

Nyke Sports Research and Innovation Facility by Wei Daxin

110

POST DIGITAL ART

120

Industry 5.0 by Hablani Chirag

134

The Loop by Lee Lip Jiang

144

New Industrial by Matthew Lee

154

RoboTown by Wu Han

164

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

SITE

SITE INFORMATION

FOOTPRINT: 30 000 sqm PLOT RATIO: 7.5 ( 10 and 5 on 2 plots) Zoning: Light Manufacturing, Commercial The studio is focussed on an eclectic site, situated on the Morgan General Postal Facility at 9th Ave and W 29th Street in New York. The site sits at a junction in the urban fabric, in between the steel and glass skyscrapers of the Hudson Yards development, the brickwork of the arts district, and the public housing projects to its south. In the patchwork of New York’s diverse urban fabric, the site sits at an intersection of various discrete elements, and allows the Studio to give a diverse and varied response to how we envision the city to develop into 2040. Mappings were done through digital means, and were confirmed on site during a trip to New York. Challenges of the site included its adjacency to various sites with disparate characteristics, as well as the scale of the two plots. The Site’s proximity to various projects still in development made it important to project the design into the futur, as well as to emvision how circulation would work in the future.

SECTION A-A’

610

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Key Areas: Area A: USPS Morgan General Postal Facility (Site) Area B: Madison Square Garden / Penn Station Area C: Hudson Yards (Phase 1 complete as of 2019, Completed 2023) Area D: Chelsea Arts district Green line: Highline

SECTION B-B’

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

THE HIGHLINE

Jamers Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Piet Oudolf

The highline is a 2.3 kilometer (1.45 mile long) stretch of elevated park. Built over the disused network of elevated tracks that ran through West Manhattan’s Meatpacking district, the highline has been critically acclaimed since its inception and is often lauded as a prime example of ground-up initiatives and the repurposing of disused industrial spaces. The landscape of the Highline acknowledges the wild plants that had grown on the rail tracks after it fell into disuse, embracing the natural organic growth of matter which had taken over the tracks. The space, is also a main circulatory artery for locals and tourists, as in runs from the Whitney Museum in the south at Gansevoort St. all the way to Hudson Yards in the North. As the highline meanders through the city, it also disperses people and activities into the Chealsea art and flower districst, the stores at hudson yards, and the nodes of the transport system which lie along the Highline. The project has also spurred the the real estate development and gentrification in the various neighbourhoods that lie adjacent in it, leading to the revitalisation of multiple neighbourhoods.

THE SPUR Completed in 2010, the Tenth Avenue Spur lies at the intersection of the Morgan Post Facility and Hudson yards, and also serves as a direct linkage between the High line and our site. Built in the 1930s, the connection allowed freight trains to carry mail and packages to the upper floors of the building. To reach the Spur, one passes through the “Coach Passage”, where a loggia of columns running down from 10 Hudson Yards encloses the public track of the highline. On the Spur itself, two tilted planters create a lush wall of greenery and serve as a method of enclosing the central Piazza, which affords panoramic views up 10th Avenue and 30th Streets. The space is meant to host larger groups of people at public programs and art events, and also hosts a Plinth, for a series of rotating monumental public artworks. When we visited in 2019, Simone Leigh’s Brick House, a tribute to Black beauty, sat on the plinth, staring down 10th Avenue. On the facade of the Morgan, a bricked up entryway through whic mailcars once passed through into the facility serves as the only reminder of the sites linkage to the railroads that used to run along the highline.

MORGAN GENERAL POST FACILITY

1. https://www.nytimes. com/2009/07/30/nyregion/30metrooms.html

The USPS Morgan is a 10-story Art-Deco mail processing center completed in 1933.The postal buillding connects directly to the High Line and created a seamless path for the more than 8,000 mail trains that crossed the country each year on an intricate network of rail lines. James A. Wetmore, who was Acting Supervising Architect of the Public Works Branch of the U.S. Treasury Department at the time of the building’s construction, is credited with its design. Alan Feuer, a reporter for the New York Times, described the building as “the central nervous system of mail delivery”. 1 Set on a limestone base, the upper portion of the building is faced in tan brick and articulated with alternating piers and window bays. Art Deco details embellish the taller 10-story Ninth Avenue portion of the building. The rest of the building over to 10th Avenue is 6 floors tall. A frieze with a geometric relief pattern runs above the base, a belt course with a similar pattern runs above the 8th floor, and a cornice projects above the 9th floor. On the Ninth Avenue façade, the brick piers take the form of fluted pilasters. Sculpted eagles and carved floral blocks embellish the base. Over the main door is an ornamental bronze screen above a fixed transom window. There is a broken connection to a rail spur from the High Line at the Tenth Avenue façade. The bricked-in space where the trains used to enter the building is visible at the corner. A 3-story 1992 annex across 29th Street is connected by a 2-story skywalk above the street, which is lined with loading docks on both sides. The annex is clad in concrete, brick and glass, and occupies the entire block. This Annex is often seen as a blight to the life of the street below. Named for Edward M. Morgan, the postmaster of New York from 1907 to 1917, this building is the main processing and distribution center for the city of New York. At 2.2 million square feet, it takes up an entire city block. Nearly 4,000 employees handle up to 12 million pieces of New York City’s mail every day, sped along by a 5-mile system of conveyor belts called Barney after the cartoon character because it’s huge and lavender.

A tunnel links the site to nearby Moynihan station

New York City’s largest green roof high atop the Morgan mail processing facility was opened in July 2009. The rooftop garden was designed by landscape architect Elizabeth Kennedy and built by Michael DiMezza. The garden is filled with mostly native plants and the landscaping was designed to help reduce storm-water runoff in the city’s sewage system. In Oct 2019, halfway through the progress of the studio it was released that Tishman Speyer would redevelop 630 000 sq ft of office space at the facility, aimed towards the creative industry. The space was also proposed as a new home for Madision Square Garden.

NEW YORK 2040

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

HUDSON YARDS

Hudson Yards is a new development by Related Companies, with varioius skyscrapers and towers designed by various world renowned architects.The project incorporates around 14 acres (or 56 000 sqm) of accessible public open space with offices, retail spaces, residential blocks and the Equinox hotel. The project retains the Train yards at the ground level by elevating all the buildings above it, therefore creating a new ground level for the city. At the center of the eastern public square stands Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel, a public sculpture which doubles up as a nexus for the urban spectacle that is Hudson Yards. Next to it, Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Shed serves as a cultural node for the entire masterplan As Hudson yards is also a masterplan akin to a single megastructure with muliple programmes, we will be comparing our spaces to tbe proportion of differing programmes in the Hudson Yards Masterplan, so as to give readers a sense of scale to our development, and also to allow comparisons to the nearest megastructures and integrated developments to our site.

Source: https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/sites/default/ files/2019-03/HY_PressKit_ NEW_031219_web_final_0.pdf

NEW YORK 2040

Eastern Yard

1 109 262 sqm

Western Yard

577 856 sqm

Open Space

56 656 sqm

Total:

1 687 119 sqm

HUDSON YARDS SITE

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

Rent (2015)

This mapping shows the average rent in various districts across New York, revealing the upscale nature around the Chealsea cultural district

NEW YORK 2040

Population Density

The population density is labelled “low” near the site, due to chealsea and hudson yards being zoned for commercial purposes. Residential foot traffic into the site comes primarily from South East.

Population Density

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

Homeless

The mapping reveals increases in homeless sightings in an area corresponding with the gentrification of certain neighbourhoods, as well as concentrations near certain tourist sites.

Homeless Sightings

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Water Movement

The site, situated at the exit of Lincoln tunnel and between 2 crucial piers, can be seen as near the avenues of entrance for people arriving from Jersey Island through use of ferry.

Water Taxi Routes

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

The Cultural Map shows a concentration of cultural activity near the Chealsea gallery district as well as towards the east, at the entrance towards the garment district

Cultural Map

The zoning map reveals that the site is bounded by an array of programmes, from commercial districts to the north east, parks to the south west, and residential to the south.

Zoning Map

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The Building height map reveals the absence of skyscrapers near the site, with most buildings between 0 to 150m high. The exception is Hudson yards and the few skyscrapers near the garment district in the north east. Building height Map

The nolli reveals the break away from Manhattan’s grid near our site, mainly due to the presence of Madison Square Gardens, Lincoln Tunnel and Hudson Yards. The residential zone to the south east is gated. Nolli Map

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

The cycling stations, with a labelled 500m walking radius, exist in a large number near the site, showing how the site can be reached via bike. However, cycling infrastructure such as bike lanes is not developped here. Cycling is also not allowed on the highline. Cycling Stations (Citi Bike)

This mapping of socio-economic institutions maps out locations of various educational institutions and social services near the site. A number of upper class schools exist near the highline. Socio Economic Institutions

NEW YORK 2040

The train and busstop map, along with a 300m walking radius representing a 5 minute walk is shown on the map. Each corner of the site is served by a bus stop. The main subway adjacent to the site is Hudson Yards station. 2 connections exist to the highline - one at 30th St. and one at 28th St. Connectivity

29th street

The traffic map reveals congestion along the avenues as well as Lincoln Tunnel during morning and evening rush hours. A key street, 29th street also cuts through our site.

Traffic Direction + Congestion

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

FOOD + HORTICULTURE ANDREW OH CHAN JOSHUEL SHERRY GOH

‘When you sit in the middle of Times Square, it seems hard to believe that a huge numbers of settlers chose this place because of its natural resources; where skyscrapers and hotels reach for the sky now, endless fields of flowers used to rule. There are even stories of early Dutch explorers who were disoriented by the extremely powerful smell of the flowers. In this concrete landscape, it seems there is no place for plants to grow; the people over at NY Times did a nice slideshow of some nice flowers which are extinct, or at least dissappeared from New York.’- Half of New York’s plants are extinct.1

At the very beginning, the food and horticulture team was highly interested in the broad topic of Wellness. However, after multiple consultation and discussion sessions, we decided to narrow down our scope to focus on Food and Horticulture, as we felt that the programme would synergise well with the existing landscape of the High Line and the city as a whole. The pockets of greens or ‘oasis’ within the city, likened to that of food culture, are significant aspects of the everyday lives of New Yorkers. The studio took a trip to New York where we immersed ourselves in the gastronomy scene and even visited the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) and the Chelsea Flower District. Inspired, and coupled with numerous research, we were able to grasp a better understanding of the site’s tangible and intangible rhythms. Architecture isn’t an art of stitching volumes and voids together but rather people, cultures, and experiences. The fractured nature of New York’s culinary entities weaved into the city fabric affords convenience, thriving businesses, and distinct urban flavours. Regrettably, the lack of reference alluding to a legible and cohesive experience demands for a greater agenda in the near future. We present various proposals which speculates this paradigm shift of our generation in the status of food. Redefining the New York shop front into a 3-dimensional agora of gastronomy, research, and technology in the affluent neighborhood of Chelsea. A vessel for these symbiotic entities to co-exist and flourish through the amalgamation of culture, knowledge and ideologies. Activating a new typology of civic space deliberately threading the tenuous threshold between public and private. The three individual architectural proposals shall take on the challenge to create a new type of oasis for these city dwellers and visitors through a mirage of formal languages and programmes which centres around Research, Innovation and Showcase.

1. Mihai Andrei. “Half of New York’s plants are extinct.” ZMEScience, Environmental Issues, April 2011

FOOD & HORTICULTURE Andrew Oh Chan Joshuel Sherry Goh

FOOD & HORTICULTURAL SCENE IN NYC New York City is undeniably a mega Gastropolis with a rich food history and culture. The food scene spans from unique street vendors all the way to the high end Michelin Restaurants. The city is also well known for its farm to table concepts with ample of urban farming intiatives. Parks are dotted throughout the city, mostly amongst the skyscrapers. The Central Park and the High Line are popular spots for locals and tourists alike. The relationship between the city dwellers and green spaces is intimate. These urban spaces allow for social congregation and they also serve as pockets of urban oasis for one’s mental health in a city so bustling and energetic. Horticulture festivals such as the Macy’s Flower Festival takes place annually.

(from left) 1. A salad bowl from Sweet Greens (SG), a popular destination for healthy food. There is an increase in number of health-centric food outlets as people become more health concious. 2. The Chelsea Flower district is a to-go place for fresh bouquets and home decor. 3. Sunset at Bryant Park, a popular destination within the city. 4. The hydroponic lab within the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). 5. Fresh local produce in a farmers’ supermarket located on the present site. 6. The High Line: An elevated linear urban park.

NEW YORK 2040

FRAGMENTED PROGRAMMES ||NODES DOTTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY

Food Festivals: An approximate of 30 festivals take place throughout the year, varying in sites, scales and duration. Michelin Star Restaurants: NYC ranks 5th in the world for the high number of Michelin Star Restaurants. There are 56 establishments with 3-star accolade, 15 with 2-star and 5 with 1-star. Horticulture: The Macy’s Flower Festival is the largest flower show in the city. Locals would also patronise the Flower Street on w 28th street in Chelsea. The High Line is well known for its lush and seasonal landscapes Site

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

URBAN FARMING

New York city has an existing market for urban farming where edible greens are supplied to nearby restaurants and even schools. There is a growing interest in localise cultivation of crops which also allow for repurpose of under utilised roofs and open spaces within the urban environment. We noticed a lack of such an urban amenity, and therefore saw an opportunity to situate an urban farming facility within the site to expand the network of production. As a research and education centre, we shall also provide a platform for further discoveries of new types of sustainable planting methods, resilient crops and even developing designer plants.

THE HIGH LINE LANDSCAPE

The High Line is a world renowned urban park with a rich historical background. The High Line is a fine example of a lucrative use of artifacts of urban decay by restoring the old railway tracks which cuts through the Meat Packing District, Chelsea and Hudson Yards. Aestheticization of postindustrial landscapes is seen through the refurbished and painted steel. The landscape themed linear park is home to a wide variety of flowering plants, non-flowering plants and herbs species which changes with the seasons. Some critiques claimed that the “park” provides limited facilities and open spaces such as lawns which New Yorkers desire. Hence, there is minimal physical human interactions with the natural elements.

NEW YORK 2040

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

CHELSEA FLOWER DISTRICT

During the study trip to New York, we visited the Chelsea Flower district, the 2136sqm Starbucks Roastery in Chelsea and the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), which occupies one entire floor of the Brookfield Place commercial building. We were able to experience the varied spaces which catered to the different programmes.

on W 28th Street

A sensorial stimulation of sight and olfactory. The spark of visual interest (colours of the plants and flowers) and floral scents proliferate the air. Shopfronts are vital to create eye-catching first impressions to entice customers into the shops. Streets are used as extensions of shops, breaking the visual linearity of the shopfronts as people walk through the street. The ad-hoc display of taller shrubs and small trees form soft barriers against the loud vehicles on the street, creating mini oasis; a safe space. One cannot avoid the presence of informal and perhaps illegal sale of flowers. Some locals were seen purchasing flowers from these vendors and were bargaining for cheaper prices. These shops are also one-stop destinations for home decor and event planners ie. New York Fashion Week backdrop designers. Most of them offer similar products such as seasonal blooms, artificial plants and complimentary ornaments. We were especially enchanted by the only fully air-conditioned roses retail shop which stood amongst the other shops. Boxes of fresh blooms were displayed on all sides and offices were located at the backend of the aisles. The team sees an opportunity to relocate or expand the flower district into our site where shops specialised in different types of plant species would create a wider spectrum of unique characteristics. We may also explore on-site cultivation of blooms and herbs with the latest technologies and innovations.

The lobbies of floral-centric Hotel Hayden and Moxy Chelsea Hotel have allowed for the cross pollination of businesses by integrating flower retails into their lobbies. This meant ever changing experiences for their guests, where showpieces are updated every now and then. Skylights were one of the prominent features of the spaces, allowing natural daylight to filter into the area. We also observed an unique interface between a restaurant entrance and public seating plaza. Planters are used as informal and subtle segregation of public and more private spaces. There is an opportunity to bring forth the existing characteristics of the Flower District into our proposals by further enhancing and experimenting with the duality quality of plants.

STARBUCKS ROASTERY Chelsea

“the most luxurious way to get a grande” This is the 4th out of 6 global planned roasteries. A total of five bars occupies the space: two for coffee, and one each for cocktails, takeaway beans, and pastries. The Experience Bar specialises in exploring brewing methods, while the Arriviano Bar focuses on mixology which is centred around cocktails and coffee. The Starbucks Roastery presents itself as the alchemy of precision and innnovation. This store is a workshop and a stage which utilises the art of storytelling. The machine and tubes transports coffee beans across the store, allowing its patrons to better appreciate and understand the process of coffee making. The process of coffee production is displayed in the public realm to narrow the gap between “the factory” and user, thus creating a sense of closeness and authenticity. This is similar to the concept of farm-to-table in the food realm. There is an opportunity to tap onto the essence of the workshop in a larger scale for plant-based research and production in the proposed project, showcasing the tech behind the production of designer crops and possibly increase the interaction of customers beyond the visual connection. We appreciate the overlooking and adjacent spaces that creates a vibrant atmosphere.

NEW YORK 2040

(ICE) INSTITUTE OF CULINARY EDUCATION

The Institute of Culinary Education is one of the major culinary schools in the United States and in New York City itself. Many renowned chefs were trained in this academy. The single-floor academy

comprises of test kitchens, demonstration kitchens, a student-run restaurant, event lounges, classrooms for varied purposes, a hydroponics lab and break-out spaces. Situated at the entrance of the ICE is the reception with a large seating area that overlooks into the “career test kitchen”, meant to stimulate interest. Public who are interested in the culinary classes can find brochures within this space. Located next to the test kitchen is the fully functional studentrun restaurant where full service simulations can be carried out. This space is a multi functional space with a free plan which features movable furniture and island tops with wheels. The demonstration kitchens consist of state-of-the-art equipment with efficient configurations. Work stations are divided equally and are flushed against the walls. The island in the centre of the space allows for discussions and briefings to occur. The breakout spaces between the kitchens and classrooms serve as client meeting spaces as well as a more informal classroom for cooking classes. After the tour, we felt that the size of the academy was relatively small and that it will probably be insufficient for the vision of large scale test labs and research-base experiments ie. for molecular gastronomy and plant-based meat. In our proposal, we shall increase the volume of the test kitchens and to vary the sizes of these test kitchen for various applications, ie. test kitchens for a cafe vs michelin star restaurants are quite different.

The Hydroponics Lab is situated at the backend of the academy and it consists of 150+ rare varieties of herbs, greens and edible flowers. The size of the hydroponics lab is approximately 50sqm, which is considerably small. However, given the nature of the lab - which is purely for rearing small amounts of each specimen, there is no need for a larger lab. However, this meant that the academy has to import produce from external suppliers in order to meet the demands. This is understandable because in order to produce a large yield of edible plants, a large space (vertical and horizonal) is required, likened to that of the AeroFarms in New Jersey. The team sees an opportunity to increase the yield of edible greens by exploring vertical farming techniques to create a self-sustaining building, where experimental and niche ingredients are all produced within the complex itself.

JOSEPH LIM STUDIO

THE FUTURE OF FOOD & HORTICULTURE

This segment features the future of the food and horticulture industry with the influence of science, technology and new media. These new processes and movements will result in the variations of the designs and allocation of programmes in the proposals.

CASHLESS SUPERMARTS

The grocery shopping experience as we know it will see a shift with the alterations of the retail landscape due to the advancements in technology. In 2018, Amazon opened its first Amazon Go convenience store in Seattle, coining the ‘Just Walk Out Technology’, where shoppers can scan their phones when they enter the store and check out easily without having their wallets drawn. This also helped to reduce the need to queue, which proves to be an efficient billing method. Amazon has reported that they would implement an approximate 3,000 cashless stores by the end of 2021. However, as with the criticisms that we have observed, we do align with the fact that cash payment should still be made available in order to prevent discrimination against low income shoppers with limited or no access to bank accounts. Other novel trends too prevail, such as the personalising of grocery shopping experiences, which aims to develop “meaningful” consumer engagement that helps every shopper prioritise the items to purchase based on their budgets and usual preferences.

1. Amazon reportedly plans to open a chain of cashless supermarkets early next year. Consumer Affairs. Mark Huffman. 2019. https:// www.consumeraffairs.com/news/amazon-reportedly-plans-to-open-a-chain-of-cashless-supermarkets-early-next-year-112119.html 2. 2019 and beyond: Six trends shaping the supermarket of the future. Food Navigator, Kate Askew, 2018. https://www.foodnavigator.com/ Article/2018/12/21/2019-and-beyond-Six-trends-shaping-the-supermarket-of-the-future#

DIGITAL FOOD MAPPING

The pursue of sensorial experiences have led to the creation of projection mapping in a restaurant in Tokyo, the Sagaya Restaurant. It employs state-of-the-art sensor technology along with sound and visual cues to generate a spectacle for the consumer. The experience is almost theatrical, with carefully choreographed scenes that changes according to the dish that is placed in front of the customer. The En Tea House presented by the teamLab Borderless in Odaiba, Tokyo alters the traditional tea tasting experience. The setting of the cafe is in a dark room with a curated setting of sensors and projectors. A flower blooms inside the tea cup according to the tea that one has chosen to indulge in. The tea is a transformative liquid and the amount of tea that remains in the cup determines the size of the canvas where there flower is projected upon.

1. Tokyo restaurant serves up a digital, multi-sensory meal, The Straits Times. 2017 https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/tokyorestaurant-serves-up-a-digital-multi-sensory-meal 2. En Tea House, TeamLab Borderless. https://en-tea-house.teamlab.art/odaiba

PERSONALISING FOOD

This year (2020), the Sushi Singularity restaurant will commence its operation in Tokyo, Japan and it shall be the world’s first biometrically-engineered sushi joint. Hyper-personalised sushi will be churned out based on the customer’s health and biometric data, opening a new realm of the art of sushi making. The process starts of at the food fabrication machine that is equipped with 3D printers, followed by the food operation system and lastly, a health identification to match the perfect nutrients to the individual. Conventional sushi preparation techniques will be replaced by carefully curated sushi prepared digitally. The menu includes items such as “cell-cultured tuna” and “negative sitffness honeycomb octopus”. Upon reservation, customers will receive a biodata kit in the mail which requests for urine, saliva and stool samples. This takes personalisation of food to a whole new level. SA Rogers. 3D-Printed Sushi Nutritionally Customized Based on Diner’s Biodata. n.d. https://weburbanist.com/2019/03/15/3d-printedsushi-nutritionally-customized-based-on-diners-biodata/

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HANDS-ON ARCHEO MILL

Showcased in 2013, the Archeo Mill was designed by Maria Vogelzang for the Rotterdam Food Festival. It is an interactive installation which focused on the theme of Future Food. The curator took notice of the public’s growing interest in knowing the origins of the food they consume. Thus, the installation provides an experiential space for hands-on processes such as the grinding of grains and even carrying out ‘primordial baking’. She wanted to counter the fact that one day many of the organically produced grains may be overcome by the proliferation of technology, gene selection and dominant plant species.

Arabeschi di Latte. The Archeo Mill. 2019. https://arabeschidilatte.org/installations/archeomill/

URBAN FLORAL EXHIBITIONS

“Flower flashes” have grown in its popularity in recent years and has been employed by various high-end brands such as Bergdorf Goodman and Ferragamo. This sustainable-centric movement was coined by Lewis Miller of Lewis Miller Design, who would use leftover blooms from events to create beautiful pieces of art. Moira Breslin, the founder of L.E.A.F. will also be holding a city-wide festival of flowers in line with the NY Flower Week. Mundane urban furniture, shopfronts and sculptures will be decked in breathtaking floral pieces, allowing city dwellers to appreciate the natural beauty of nature amidst the skyscrapers.

Alex Schirn. Catch a Pop-Up Flower Show All Over Manhattan Before Its Gone. 2019. https://untappedcities.com/2019/06/12/catch-apop-up-flower-show-all-over-manhattan-before-its-gone/

DESIGNER CROPS

Genetric manufactured (GM) crops is not unfamiliar to most of the world. Originally, it was meant to curb the increase in food production by growing more resilient foods, to enhance productivity and ensure food security. In recent years, the advancements of technology has enabled break throughs in the realm of Biotechnology, where scientists are now able to delve deeper into designing the perfect crop. TAXA is one of the major companies which looks into facilitating metabolic engineering in plants, creating new ways to enhance the flavour profile, colour and production of useful molecules such as vitamins. Their goal is to allow users like us to design our own crops “without touching a pipette” via the online platform. Contrary to other biotech companies, TAXA operates with greater transparency.

Sophia Griffiths. Designer crops, 2015. https://fstjournal.org/features/29-3/designer-crops

PLANT BASED

In recent years, the world has seen a growing interest in plant-based meat. Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are two of the largest players in the market, with the former leveraging on molecular engineering to create its “bleeding” plant-based meat. The company uses heme, an iron-rich molecule in animal proteins to replace the flavour of a typical meat patty. Various fast food restaurants and restaurants have launched partnerships with the company to provide consumers alternative choices. On the otherhand, Beyond Meat primarily sells directly to consumers in grocery stores. Another alternative-meat product is the lab-grown or ‘cultured meat’ produced from self-reproducing cells, thus avoiding the need to breed, raise and slaughter massive amount of animals for the same amount of meat.

Our Meatless Future: How The $1.8T Global Meat Market Gets Disrupted, Research Brief. CBInsights. 2019. https://weburbanist. com/2019/03/15/3d-printed-sushi-nutritionally-customized-based-on-diners-biodata/

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USER ECOSYSTEMS + PROGRAMMES The goal of a Food and Horticulture Hub is to enhance the existing ecosystem that is present in New York City. The Hub shall be one that focuses on culinary education and the research and production of food and crops. We envision an ecosystem that is secular such that cross interactions between the stakeholders could be improved on. We have identified the following stakeholders: The Investors, Researchers, Horticulturists, Retailers, Culinary Academy (with kitchen incubators), Celebrity chefs (including michelin chefs) and lastly, the Consumers. The diagram on the next page (top) shows the existing ecosystem (black arrows) and the red arrows are the areas where we would like to enhance further through the planning of spaces and allocation of programmes. The arrows represent the variables of exchange, mainly of knowledge, skills and/or produce. Through our observations and analysis, we notice the existing network is a one-way system where there is a lack of collaboration between stakeholders. Investors would invest in bio tech companies and the researches would pass on their knowledge of high tech farming methods and procedures to the horticulturists. The horticulturists would then cultivate and produce the crops for major retailers such as hypermarts. The produce would then end up in restaurants and culinary schools. We also discovered that many chefs aquired their skills and knowledge after going through culinary academies. Lastly, at the end of the network lies the consumers who would then pay for the skills and produce (food) in restaurants. We felt that there is an opportunity to rethink the network to faciliate a more holistic and meaningful ecosystem to create a more vibrant food and horticulture scene. The sharing of skills and knowledge should occur both ways. For example, it is crucial for the horticulturists to feedback to the researchers on ways to improve the existing farming methods; celebrity and michelin star chefs should also impart their knowledge and skills to the culinary academy through cooking workshops for the young chefs. Consumers should be more aware of the methods of food production and food source through greater interactions with the chefs. They may also partake in culinary workshops held in the culinary academy. The diagram on the next page (bottom) depicts the stakeholders and the possible programmes that we may want to include in our proposals. It shows the relationship and adjacencies between programmes. The main components are the Culinary & Research Academy, Dining options, Hotel/Residential, Hypermart and various Events’ Plazas and Showcase Spaces.

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The existing (black arrows) and improved (red arrows) Ecosystem: stakeholders and the exchange of knowledge, skills and produce.

Programmes & stakeholders

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PRECEDENT STUDIES

The team researched and analysed floor plans of various programmes and typologies such as residential units, research labs, Michelin restaurants and hotel to have a better understanding of the necessary spatial characteristics. We also noted the possible alterations and adaptations of specific spaces that would better suit each of the individual proposals.

Eleven Madison Park by Allied Works. https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13119-eleven-madison-park-by-allied-works Mercato at Three on the Bund by Neri&Hu. https://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/24/mercato-at-three-on-the-bund-by-nerihu/ https:// Williamsburg Way Apartments. www.jamesmgt.com/property/williamsburg-way-apartments/

Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen. https://www.thekitchendoor.com/kitchen-rental/cleveland-culinary-launch-kitchen Center for Culinary Enterprises. https://sciwestblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/center-for-culinary-enterprises/ Center for Economic Empowerment & Development (North Carolina). https://www.ncceed.org/kitchen-incubator/

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Research Laboratory Design Guide. http://www.csp-state.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/lab.pdf Research Laboratory. https://www.wbdg.org/building-types/research-facilities/research-laboratory

NYU Langone Health by Ennead and NBBJ. https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13522-nyu-langone-health-by-ennead-and-nbbj CUNY Advanced Science & Research Centre. https://www.archdaily.com/780386/cuny-advanced-science-research-center-flad-architects-pluskpf/56987bc2e58ece22610000d9-cuny-advanced-science-research-center-flad-architects-plus-kpf-floor-plan The Rockefeller University’s new collaborative Research Centre. https://pronto-core-cdn.prontomarketing.com/79/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RUCampus-Map-Directions-to-Weiss-Building.pdf

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MASSING STUDIES & DOCUMENTATION OF PROCESS

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Adjacent buildings & future developments that contribute to the massing considerations as depicted in the process documentation

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NYC GASTRO + FLORALHUB SHERRY GOH

NYC Gastro & FlorabyHub Sherry Goh

NYC’s Gastro - Flora Hub by Sherry Goh

[ Agriculture has deep roots in New York City, and a wide range of agricultural uses continue to make the city a more sustainable, livable, and equitable place. Food is a global language and a driver for global economic prosperity. Food is also a catalyst for change and food players are often pioneers that are responsible for more than just the bottom line; their choices can have tremendous impacts on human health and world sustainability. ]

---

The Gastro-Flora Hub is envisioned to be the mediator between the built and natural environment in New York City, through the careful curation of plant species, designer plants and agriculture within or on the buildings. The two mega Manhattan plots are situated at a crucial segment of the High Line - the Spur. Visitors and New Yorkers who visit the High Line for its natural landscape shall be channeled towards the new Hub via the visually stimulating glass Conservatory block where horticulure events such as floral shows may be held frequently. Tapping onto the rich industrial past of production and consumption of produce, the programme of the development capitalises on innovation, education and research in the realm of horticulture, gastronomy and the future of sustainable food. These programmes are manifested into 3 major parcels - the Research block, the Culinary school & Hypermart block and the Horticulture Conservatory & Gastro Restaurants block. Architecturally, the 3 mega blocks are mediated by smaller human-scale spaces and blocks in between. The former unpleasant w 29th street is now activated as the street of commerce and showcase. Upon entering the street via the 9th Avenue, one would first encounter the Botany Street (a continuation from the Chelsea Flower Distrct) and will later pass by the conservatories and showcase spaces of the Research block. The composition of the blocks shall shed new light on the possibilities of fragmented Architecture.

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1:100 sectional model of Gastro-Conservatory Block

POST-DIGITAL ART HABLANI CHIRAG LEE LIP JIANG MATTHEW LEE WU HAN

We live in an age where the digital is ubiquitous. The once-revolutionary computer has become a familiar sight, whether it be large office screens to the smartphone tucked away in every individual’s pocket. So too has art that once pushed the bounds of our imagination become mundane — computer illustration, CGI, photomanipulation and other such media are now merely part and parcel of our digital society. From this digital mileu arises the POST-DIGITAL — a new sphere of expression that simultaneously disavows, yet fully embraces, the digital revolution.1 As much as it is a response to the ubiquity of digital technology, the post-digital is equally a product of new, exciting forms of technology; ones that allow art to transcend the bounds of the screen. What is post-digital art? For the purposes of this project, we have limited our scope to art that deals with the following fields: 1) Digital fabrication 2) Virtual reality 3) Artificial intelligence 4) Interactive multimedia While the concept of the post-digital era remains in its infancy, we believe post-digital art is characterized by a few major traits. It is posthuman — post-digital art is created either fully or in part by artificial intelligence or automated processes. It is spatial — while traditional digital art exists largely in 2D or in the virtual world, post-digital art allows for some form of spatial experience either through virtual reality or physical manifestation. It is tactile — many forms of post-digital art manifest themselves in the real world, incorporating a sense of texture, tectonics, and materiality.2 Throughout history, scientists and inventors have undoubtedly been the drivers of technological progress and innovation. Yet, it is always the visionaries — artists, creatives, science fiction writers — who constantly push the boundaries of our imagination and inspire us to question: what if? Post-digital art leverages new technologies to their fullest potential, marrying the arts and sciences in a way that goes beyond the current academic paradigm. We envision a center for the development of these art forms and their associated skills. Cross-disciplinarity and public engagement would be at the core of such a facility, creating a breeding ground for new ideas and skillsets uniquely positioned to take advantage of the post-digital landscape.

Bishop, Claire. “Digital Divide: Contemporary Art and New Media.” Artforum, September 2012, Vol. 51, No. 1

Gramazio, Fabio, and Matthias Kolher. Digital Materiality in Architecture. Lars Müller Publishers, 2008.

POST-DIGITAL ART Hablani Chirag Lee Lip Jiang Matthew Lee Wu Han

ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY The post-digital revolution is not merely an ideological one. It is also firmly grounded in the proliferation of technologies that have allowed us to go beyond the screen. In the case of digital fabrication it is a union between the the digital and the analog; where virtual reality or artificial intelligence are concerned, it is a foray into entirely new frontiers of digital creation and representation.

1. Sulavik, Chris. Robot-ready: Adopting a new generation of industrial robots. PwC, 2018. 2. Bourne, Antony. The Rise of Robotics in Manufacturing. Manufacturing Global, June 09, 2018. 3. Top 10 Best VR Headsets of 2019. Republic Lab, 2019. 4. Beyond Gaming: 19 Industries AR/VR Is Poised To Transform. CBInsights, October 25, 2018. 5. Artificial Intelligence: What it is and why it matters. SAS Insights, 2019.

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Digital Fabrication The advancement of digital fabrication technologies such as robotic fabrication and 3D printing have opened up entirely new means of artistic expression as well as industrial fabrication. Not only do such technologies save on time and cost, they are ushering in a new age of customization1. More than half of all manufacturers already use some sort of robotics technology2 — with advanced forms of digital fabrication, it takes the same amount of time to 3D print a solid cube as it does to print an intricately structured design of the same volume. Furthermore, although digital fabrication machines remain slightly out of reach of the average consumer, the day which such machines are ubiquitous is the day when design becomes truly democratized — anyone will be able to download, customize, and print any simple item of their choosing. Virtual Reality Virtual and augmented reality technology has become increasingly developed in recent years, with market options ranging from the industry-leading HTC Vive Pro to the humble Google Cardboard — a $10 foldable design that transforms your smartphone into a rudimentary VR set3. Primarily developed for gaming purposes, the VR and AR industry has become hugely important in fields as diverse as architecture, healthcare, sports, and conservation for its immense simulation and immersion potential4. The promise of virtual reality is the ability to bring the digital out from a 2D visualization into a complete spatial experience. Artificial Intelligence The use of artificial intelligence has proliferated greatly in recent years, being used for everything from urban planning analytics to the software that controls phone cameras. Certainly, there is no denying that it offers unprecedented computing power and pattern recognition; yet the key question regarding AI is how it redefines the human condition. If AI can perform not only menial tasks but also high-level tasks such as art and socialization, what then is left for humans to do? This is where art is able to perform the role that art always has — push the boundaries of our expectation and question what it means to be human.

THE NEW MICROSOFT HOLOLENS BEING USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DEEPBLUE BEATS CHESS GRANDMASTER KASPAROV IN 1996

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THE FUTURE OF ART

This section contains a list of objects , created as art or design objects, that highlight the essence of “post - digital art”. Each represent a new form of aesthetics derived from the implementation of new technologies.

CONCRETE CHOREOGRAPHY Students of the Master of Advanced Studies in Digital Fabrication and Architecture explore the unique possibilities of layered extrusion printing, demonstrating the potential of computational design and digital fabrication for future concrete construction. This novel fabrication process allows the production of concrete elements without the need for any formwork. In addition, one-of-a-kind designs with complex geometries can be fabricated in a fully automated manner. Hollow concrete structures are printed in a way where the material can be strategically used only where needed, allowing a more sustainable approach to concrete architecture. Computationally designed material ornament and surface texture exemplify the versatility and significant aesthetic potential 3D concrete printing holds when used in large-scale structures. Framing and informing the dance performances of the 2019 summer season in Riom, the project showcases how technological advancements can bring efficient and novel expressions to concrete architecture. 1. CONCRETE CHOREOGRAPHY. Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich. 2019. http://dbt.arch.ethz.ch/project/concrete-choreography/

ARABESQUE WALL

The Arabesque Wall is a massive 3D printed wall with ornamental details down to scale of millimeters. It plays with the aniconic, geometric tradition of arabesque ornaments by creating intricate constellations that are at once figurative and abstract. The Arabesque Wall’s rhythmic, interwoven curve elicit viewers’ individual interpretations and engage viewers to approach it, touch it and to explore. Each perspective offers new impressions. Just as arabesque ornaments, the compositional principles of the Arabesque Wall are both geometric and mathematical. They are based on an iterative tiling and division of a surface. With custom software, these tiles can become microscopic and they can all be completely unique. An algorithm folds a single surface over and over again until a structure composed of millions of individual surfaces emerge. Shifting the design process to this abstract level has a dramatic impact, creating a complexity and richness of detail that would otherwise be almost impossible for a designer to specify or conceive of. New materials and fabrication methods have historically led to radical changes in architectural design. Today, additive manufacturing promises a design and manufacturing revolution. There is no longer a cost for complexity, nor is there a cost for mass customization. The Arabesque Wall exploits these newfound freedoms to the fullest. 1. Dillenburger, Benjamin. Arabesque Wall. 2019. https://benjamin-dillenburger.com/arabesque-wall/

CHALKROOM

Chalkroom is a virtual reality work by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang in which the reader flies through an enormous structure made of words, drawings and stories. Once you enter you are free to roam and fly. Words sail through the air as emails. They fall into dust. They form and reform. “For her, it’s attractive because it can help to tell the stories she wants to tell but it’s also participatory,” he says. “You can somehow create your own journey through the kinds of objects floating in the virtual reality and it doesn’t necessarily involve her as a performance. It’s a very intimate way of communicating when you’re not only wearing a headset and it’s you and her voice, which is a very extraordinary voice. I’ve never heard a voice like hers.”

1. Anderson, Laurie. Chalkroom. 2019. http://www.laurieanderson.com/?portfolio=chalkroom

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CAN’T HELP MYSELF

1. Sun Yuan; Peng Yu. Can’t Help Myself. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum,

2016.

https://www.

guggenheim.org/artwork/34812

In this work commissioned for the Guggenheim Museum, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu employ an industrial robot, visual-recognition sensors, and software systems to examine our increasingly automated global reality, one in which territories are controlled mechanically and the relationship between people and machines is rapidly changing. Placed behind clear acrylic walls, their robot has one specific duty, to contain a viscous, deep-red liquid within a predetermined area. When the sensors detect that the fluid has strayed too far, the arm frenetically shovels it back into place, leaving smudges on the ground and splashes on the surrounding walls.

AI-DA, ROBOT ARTIST

Ai-Da is the world’s first ultra-realistic AI robot artist. She can draw, and is a performance artist. As a machine, with AI capabilities, her artist persona is the artwork, along with her drawings, performance art and collaborative paintings and sculptures.

1. Ai-Da Robot Artist. 2019. https:// www.ai-darobot.com/

In the time of online avatars, AI chatbots, Alexa and Siri, Ai-Da as a robotic artist is acutely relevant. She is not alive, but she is a persona that we relate and respond to. This surreal situation of confusing realities is already part of our daily lives: in our digital realms, who are we speaking to on online platforms? What algorithms are working behind our internet choices? Who writes the algorithms, and who benefits and who loses? Extraordinarily complex, our online worlds are pushed and pulled by forces and personalities that are sometimes apparent but largely oblique. Ai-Da, the machine with AI capacities, highlights those tensions: is she an artist in her own right? Is she an artist’s alter ego? Is she an avatar, or a fictional character? All these options bring powerfully to the forefront the complexity of our interacting digital and physical worlds and the masked identities we can assume in both.

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USER ECOSYSTEMS

1. Mogel, Lize. Two Diagrams: The Business of Art. Chart. 2009. “The Business of Art/ Non-Profit Art Practice” , 2009 2.

Egusa, Conrad. “An Entrepreneur’s Guide to NYC’s Tech Scene.” The Next Web, 4 Mar. 2019, https://thenextweb.com/ contributors/2018/08/03/ an-entrepreneurs-guideto-nycs-tech-scene/.

3. http://nyctechmap.com/

The aim of the Post-Digital Arts Center, is the synergies that it creates between the realm of technology and arts. However, the disciplines are nothing alike, each with their own ecosystems in terms of users and markets. Manhattan already has a vibrant ecosystem of startup spaces, schools, fabrication labs, universities and more. The aim of the center, to centralise all these disparate forces towards the procuction of post digital arts, is not meant to replace these different nodes, but rather to complement them. The mapping overleaf reveals various relationships between different players in technology and arts, and has been based on research by Lize Mogel for the arts industry as well as Conrad Egusa and the work by Endeavor Insight at nyctechmap for the technology industry. The omission of the academic pillar here is intentional - while the academic pillar has its own topology in terms of user relationships, the envisioned academy is one that is able to work with the industry and market in the creation of novel and experimental artworks and technologies. Thus, the pedagogy of the institution is one that is geared towards the respective vocation, with its resultant architecture one that aims to blend industry and education. Key Learning Points Art 1) The main transactions in an arts ecosystem are Art production, Art commodities, Time, Money and Cultural Capital. 2) There are distinctions between for-profit and non-profit arts practices. 3) The main showcase venues for the arts ecosystems are the museums, the galleries, the independent art spaces, the biennales and the public spaces. Tech 1) Connections in terms of Mentorship, Angel Investment, Inspiration, Serial Entrepreneurship and Former Employee spinouts help the industry to grow. 2) The main showcases for technology are often corporate in nature, with showcases and deals struck behind closed doors. However, avenues for showcase to potential investors exist within tech hubs, hackathons and co-working spaces.

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FRAGMENTED PROGRAMMES The post-digital arts center will serve various users from the tech and arts fields, and from both the public and corporate realm. While New York City has such programmes, it has no centralised space where innovation in both technology and art can both take place. The aim here is to centralise these disparate programmes of education, retail, cultural consumption, and makerspaces.

FOUNDATION GRANTS AUCTION HOUSE

MATURE FIRMS VENTURE CAPITAL

IPO

ARTS INVESTORS

CORPORATE

ANGEL INVESTORS

GALLERY

SPONSOR

TECH PARKS

INCUBATORS

ART SUPPLIES

STARTUPS

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTERS

COWORKING

OFFICES HARDWARE SUPPLIERS

ROBOTICS

TECH

ENGINEERS

CODERS

COLLECTORS ART SCHOOL

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

TINKERERS

ROBO SPORTS

VR/ AR

COMPUTING

NET-BASED WORK

ARTS

ARTIST

VR/AR EXPERIENCES

MEDIA

FABLABS

PROJECTION MAPPING

ETHNOGRAPHERS

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

HISTORIANS / CRITICS INDEPENDENT SPACES

DESIGNERS

REPAIR CULTURE MAKERCULTURE

LIBRARIES

HACKATHONS

ART FAIR/ BIENNALE

ART JAMMING

APPS AND BIG DATA

ART RESIDENCY

RESIDENTS

TECH ENTHUSIASTS

ART ENTHUSIASTS

PUBLIC

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

GIFT SHOPS

PUBLIC ART SPACES

GOVERNMENT GRANTS TOURISTS

NYC Event Calender for Future Arts

TECH & ARTS

TECH

COMMUNITY

ACADEMICS

ARTS

Event NYC Broadway Week New York Fashion Week NYC Off-Broadway Week Affordable Art Fair The Armory Show Tribeca Film Festival Frieze New York NYCxDESIGN Museum Mile Festival MOMA PS1 Warm Up Harlem Week New York International Fringe Festival New York Film Festival New Yorker Festival Brooklyn Academy of Music Festival IC on Computer & Information Engineering Intelligent Robotics Process Automatic Summit New York Global Innovation Summit ICSD (Sustainable Development) United Nations General Assembly New York City Technology Forum Machine Learning Innovation Summit Holiday Train Show NYC Restaurant Week Earth Day/Week Fourth of July Shakespeare in the Park Summer Street US Open Tennis 9/11 Commemoration New York Comic Con Open House New York Radio City Christmas Spectacular Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade New York Comedy Festival Christmas New Year's Eve Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree New York International Auto Show Hackfest Developer Week New York Future Tech Week CUNY Hackathon Brooklyn Tech Week AI Summit New York Creative Tech Week Architecture & Design Month

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Location Broadway Spring Studios (TriBeCa), 6 St Johns Lane Broadway Affordable Art Fair, 125 W 18th Street Pier 92/94 Tribeca Film Center Various MoMA PS1 Harlem Downtown Manhattan (Various) Lincoln Center Various Brooklyn Academy of Music Hotel Pennsylvania NYC Seminar and Conference Center Grand Hyatt New York Columbia University UN Headquarters New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge Melrose Ballroom New York Botanical Garden Participating restaurants in NYC New York United States of America Central Park Brooklyn Bridge to Lafayette Street USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center The National September 11 Memorial & Museum Jacob Javits Convention Center Various Radio City Music Hall West Central Park to Central Park South Caroline's comedy club United States of America United States of America Rockerfeller Center Jacob Javits Convention Center Brooklyn Expo Center Brooklyn Expo Center Microsoft Baruch College Brooklyn Commons Jacob Javits Convention Center NYIT Auditorium Various

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PRECEDENTS

A series of precedent studies were carried out, to study the distributions of programmes and the relationships between them, in buildings that are similar in function to our project. The five main functions we studied were: 1) Research Faciltiies 2) Museums 3) Fabrication Labs 4) Academic Institutions 5) Co-Working spaces 6) Accomodation Through studying the scale of the buildings, and their relationship to the scale of our site, we can better understand the maximum capacity of our eventual architecture in relation to its intended functions.

COLUMBIA SCHAPIRO 605-615 W 115th St, New York, United States, Floor Area: ~8569 sq m. Columbia’s Schapiro Hall is designed for Sophormores, Juniors and Seniors, located off campus and built up vertically.

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COLUMBIA HOGAN 566 W 114th St, New York, NY 10025, United States Floor Area: 3591 sq. m Hogan Hall is primarily a dormitory of Columbia University reserved for fourth-year undergraduate students. The dorm is popular for its suite configurations as well as its central location.

MIT MEDIA LAB Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States Floor Area; ~ 15 143.19 sq. m

MOUNT SINAI HESS CENTER 1470 Madison Ave, New York, United States Floor Area; ~ 39 276.52 sqm

The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with research that does not conform to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from technology, media, science, art, and design.

As a Medical facility located in Upper Manhattan, the center places researchers, clinicians,educators and patients in an integrated environment.The building is designed with flexibility in mind,and is designed to foster multidisciplinary interaction through different formal and informal settings.

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THE NEW MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART 235 Bowery, New York, United States Floor Area: 5300 Sq. m The New Museum often presents the work of under- represented artists. It is dedicated to introducing new art and new ideas, by artists who have not yet received significant exposure or recognition. Ever since it was founded, the museum has taken on the mission to challenge the stiff institutionalization of an art museum. It continues to bring new ideas into the art world and to connect with the public.

WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART 99 Gansevoort St, New York, United States Floor Area: ~ 19 000. sq. m

The Whitney Museum is a private museum with a focus on 20th and 21st century American Art. It has a keen focus on displaying the works of living artists and the museum’s annual and Biennial exhibitions have been a foundation which many relatively unknown artists could utilise to show their works.

The ETH HIb building is home to the ARCH TEC LAB, and houses the institute for Technology and Architecture as well as the Robotic Fabrication Laboratory. It was built using digital planning and constructio, and demonstrates how digitisation can contribute to resource-efficient, compact and emissions-free construction. Six professors from ETH Zurich have pooled their research approaches and developed a prototype of the innovative building together.

ETH HIB Building Stefano-Franscini-Platz, Zürich, Switzerland Floor Area; ~ 6 291 sq. m

The FAST Facility, part of Tufts University, is a method of integrating and consolidating “maker” resources in a manner that is accessible to all students. Designed for accessibility, openness, and ease of learning, the facility serves the different faculties present in Tufts.

NOLOP - FAST FACILITY Medford, Massachusetts, United States Floor Area; ~ 1399 sq. m

41 COOPER SQUARE 41 Cooper Square, New York, United States Floor Area: 16 258 sq. m 41 Cooper Square, one of theCooper Union’s academic buildings, houses the Engineering department of the school, and also has various spaces that house the humanities, architecture and art departments. The building is meant as an open campus, with a central circulatory spine that connects social spaces throughout the building.

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, SINGAPORE Dhoby Ghaut, Singapore, Singapore Floor Area: ~ 64 650 sq. m

SOTA is Singapore’s first pre tertiary arts school, with a pedagogy based on interdisciplinary learning through their main artistic pillars of the visual arts, music, dance, theatre, film and the literary arts. In addition to art, the school also covers an academic curriculum outlined by the International Bacalaureate.

We Work, a popular co-working space, often leases spaces from landlords, subdivides them into smaller working spaces and leases them to startups, project workers, and small and medium enterprises. Often times, having a mix of different firms in the same co-working space helps to foster inter-disciplinary sharing and the cross fertilisation of new ideas. Typically, a floor plate is around 25% in social space, with a mix of different sized rooms, with large 14 seater offices to single private phone booths.

We Work Charlotte College St, Charlotte, North Carolina, United Statesrea: 2913 sq. m

A We Work typically caters to the area which it has been built in. In a Smaller floorplate, this we work has been designed to accommodate a stage, and to host various music and creative professionals. However, they do not limit themselves to accepting people from that specific industry, playing host to workers from the fields of production, digital design, marketing, finance, and more,

We Work Broadway 428 Broadway, Manhattan, United States Area: 204 sq. m

VOLUMETRIC STUDIES

From the dimensions of the technological advances we have studied, as well as the precedents we have studied, we have derived a “kit of parts” to be injected into the programme. The kit consists of different elements, and coveres our main pillars of Learning, Exhibition, Fabrication, Work and Accomodation. This allows us to generate our massing first before injecting certain key volumes to anchor our design. Most notable are volumes from the “Display” pillar, where new spatial requirements have been distilled from the movements, radii, and spatial requirements of robots, VR movement, etc. Different display volumes, which can accomodate a single robot and multiple viewers or a number of robots working in an industrial process are designed for. For VR, both the solo and communal experience of VR has also been acomodated for. Using the kit of parts - key arrangements and relationships can be drawn in our individual massing explorations.

Volumes with a zoomed in view of a robotic gallery and a social VR room.

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Workspaces and social spaces, derived from the 6m x 6m grid of the old postal facility.

Learning Spaces

D.FAB Exhibition typologies

Key DImensions

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THE LOOP LEE LIP JIANG

The Loop by Lee Lip Jiang

THE LOOP by Lee Lip Jiang

THE LOOP is a project which reacts to the needs of a cutting-edge technological art facility.The project maintains the street edge with a podiu level that create immediate retail fronts to the New York streets, along 28th, 29th and 30th St. However, key punctures in this frontage lead the public into the building upward towards the highline, or bring people to and from the underpass that leads to Penn Station. This leads the main urban mass through the center of the building, near large event plazas which also serves as an extension of the sculpture park of the highline’s spur.

As people pass through the block, their circulation is choreographed through fabrication spaces which display robotic research, spherical projection screens which display screen based works, and most importantly the void formed by the massing of the four towers and connecting skybridges. ER IV

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public from penn station Vehicular view cone from Lincoln Tunnel

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public from highline + hudson yards

This void allows users, and the public, to survey through all the activities in the complex. It gives a panoptic view that allows everyone in the complex to showcase their work towards the public. OL

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art lovers, from chelsea

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More importantly, the void is adjacent to the loop, a void which runs through the inner edge of the building, meant for showcase robots to crawl on, drones to fly through, and horizontal production to occur where the skybridges are.The transparent, glazed loop is in itself a gigantic showcase, that ensures the public is constantly updated with cutting edge artistic production.

public from penn station

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The building is an articulation of the balance that must be struck between segregation and connection in a multi-use building, and an exploration into how voids can be utilised as positive urban spaces in New York’s orthogonal and supercharged. urban fabric.

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Loop created in interior edge

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PublicRetail Skybridges

with Void for private horizontal manufacturing and droneports

University

Startups

Established firms

Hostel

Galleries Hotel

Arena Nexus / Event plazas Retail Library Public Thoroughfare

View of loop from Nexus

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View of loop / void from public glass elevator

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Skybridge with production facility

Floor 1 150 NEW YORK 2040

Hotel suite with view of racing drones in loop

Floor 3

Wall robot on glass facade

Entrance from highline, view upwards of loop

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152 NEW YORK 2040

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YEAR 4 OPTIONS STUDIO COMPILATION OF SAMPLES

M.ARCH 1, STUDIO JOSEPH LIM

IMAGE CREDIT: SHERRY GOH