Wonderland_Interior Architecture Master Thesis by Oana Tudose

Wonderland

Chromo therapeutic inner-spatial atmospheres

Wonderland Chromo therapeutic inner-spatial atmospheres

Oana Tudose Graduation Thesis Report Master of Interior Architecture and Retail Design 2011 - 2013 Piet Zwart Institute for Postgraduate Studies Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam University Assessor: Ruth Baumaister Committee Members: Alex Suarez, Aynav Ziv, Brian Peters, Marta Gonzalez, Silvio Carta,

Imprint ÂŠ 2013 WONDERLAND All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by no means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the author. Oana Tudose oanatudose10@yahoo.com

Acknowledgements The project Wonderland would not have been possible without the valuable contribution and guidance of the assessors-Ruth Baumeister, Alex A. Suarez, AynavZiv, Brian Peters, Marta Gonzalez and Silvio Carta. I owe particular thanks to my friends Milda Liubinskaite, Micaela Nardella, Mariann Hildal, Domka Dymek and Egle Tuleikyte for their constant support and thoughtful comments. I am grateful to Marius Ghitulescu for his extended help and involvement throughout this period. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family for their help and good advice.

Abstract The Port of Rotterdam represents a landscape dominated by machines and industries, producing a deep sense of alienation, discarding the human scale and its condition. Consequently, the human body is influenced at physical andspiritual levels.Wonderland proposes an alteration in reality, a space that appears as bizarre and unfamiliar, utterly contrasting with the environment it is located in. This project investigates, Voedselbank, an obsolete industrial warehouse and its composing elements as a subject to programmatic modification. The user’s first physical contact with the industrial building is at the door. Consequently, this element was explored and manipulated through its metaphorical meaning in literature, as a transition into a new world. The book “Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland” and the fantasy it narrates, inspiredt he development of the project as a fabricated world. The obscure atmosphere, which characterizes the interior space, was inspired from the specific drawing technique of watercolor. By “Research Through Making”, this technique was manipulated from a twodimensional stage to a three-dimensional spatial experience. The proposed building represents a Chromo therapeutic Center, with the potential of restoring the lacking balances in the human body. It is characterized by seven different levels ranging from warm to cold colors. Based on a spiral concept, the transitions impose changes in color, light, temperature and spatial directions. Wonderland aims to create a rupture in the reality of the harbor. A world reveals itself behind the industrial doors and thus marks the conjunction between the spiritual and the material, between imaginary and reality and between universal energies and human typologies.

Contents

PART I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Research

Introduction

Motivation

Framework

Methodology

Case Studies

PART II - Design Phases

Preliminary Design

Experiments & Behavior Studies

Development and Prototype

Location

Program

Final design

Conclusion Appendix â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bibliography

PART I Research

Introduction The Port of Rotterdam is conceived as a massive distribution center independent from the city and with no connection to the people. There is a vast internal infrastructure defined by intense massive container boat traffic along the river and coordinated through the use of autonomous robotic cranes, large scale machines and computer controlled chariots. The overall atmosphere is determined by unfamiliar elements, which intimidate in terms of scale and which encompasse hazardous characteristics. All this contributes and highlights an extensive disregard of the human scale. The typology of the industrial door was analyzed as a transition into a new world, which contains different values , dissimilar to the industrialized reality of the harbor. A space which is entirely devoted to a sensorial experience, developed for the human body, responding and reacting to it. The drawing technique was implemented to inspire the development of a new type of atmosphere. In this extent, the design was based on investigating the potential of watercolor evolving into a three dimensional experience. Wonderland creates a rupture in the reality of the harbor by evoking a different type of experience.

Motivation

General atmosphere in the port

The research focuses on the sensorial capabilities and physical dimensions through which the user interacts with his or her environment. In this extent, the harbor environment produces a sense of alienation, disrupted from the familiarity of the city. In terms of scale, the port industry demanded a type of architecture strictly related to an efficient distribution of goods, overlooking the user`s condition.

The starting point of the research consisted in an analysis of the area. The Merwehaven area of the harbor functions as a fruit port and does not allow any future infrastructural developments. The existing landscape is dominated by massive boats, heavy industry and machines. Whereas it encompasses a fruit distribution center, there is an intense circulation of trucks which produce heavy noise, making the environment appear as unwelcoming. In most cases, fences and massive metal facades block the visual field. The dense, characteristic smell of the area is produced by industrial machines and constant motorized traffic.

The following steps of the analysis focused on the physical dimensions and limits perceived by the user in the harbor environment. Thus, it represents a micro analysis of the elements that the users come in contact with. This resulted in an investigation of the openings in the industrial buildings e.g. doors and windows. In comparison to the city scale in the harbor buildings, the windows are mostly located above eye level, blocking any visual connection with the user. In some cases, according to the function of the warehouse and the type of goods it has to contain, there are no windows at all. In the existing warehouses, the doors are not built in human scale and can be operable only through mechanized systems. This particular element stands as the pivoting point in its relation to architecture. It signifies the first physical contact with the user, simultaneously creating a boundary between the outside environment and the interior space. Its existence marks the transition into a different type of atmosphere.

In the context of the harbor, any atmospherical correspondence between the interior spaces and the exterior environment is blocked by the massiveness of the industrial architecture. Nothing allures you into the interior spaces, ensuing in a visual and sensorial rejection. The environment is experienced through the essences of the human perception and sensorial capabilities. In comparison to the vibrating and familiar condition of the city, the seemingly deserted landscape of the harbor suppresses the users. The human body is consequently influenced in terms of physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental levels. Every element within the harbor seems to generate an imbalance into the human body. The immediate reaction is the desire to retreat. Wonderland arose from the need of an interior space that disengages the user from the reality of the harbor and enhances a divergent sensorial experience, which is strictly related to the human body. The aim of the project is to create a secluded space, independent from its environment and with the potential of restoring the lacking balances in the human body.

Industrial doors out of human scale

Framework

In the future development plans, the existing port industry of Merwehaven area, in particular the large-scale container transshipment, will be relocated to Maasvlakte II. The program developed by Rotterdam City Council and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, consists in reinforcing the economic expansion of both the port and the city. However, this intervention will create a new urban structure that will have to be incorporated in the existing city. The vacant industrial buildings and warehouses will require a different use and program in order to fit the new vision. The research aimed at investigating the warehouse as an obsolete typology within the harbor. This type of building is the most present in the port and encompasses extreme conditions in relation to the user. The overall atmosphere is defined by cold and dark spaces, out of human scale, only operable by machines and often with an independent infrastructure. In contrast to the harbor condition, which suppresses the user, Wonderland aimes at evoking an extricating sensorial condition. The use of watercolor as methodology in developing the atmospherical condition resulted in two main elements: water and pigment/color. The last has been regarded in various Eastern traditions as a form of alternative medicine.

Chromo therapy is used wherever a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body would be lacking, whether it is on physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental levels. It is associated with the restoration of normal balance of color energies into the human body. This philosophy developed from the conviction that all organs, cells and atoms exist as energy, and each individual form has its own frequency of energy. Moreover, each of the human body organs and energy centers harmonize with the frequencies of a particular and distinct color. The colors derive from the visible color spectrum, which is composed of reds, greens and blues and their auxiliary. This combination produces the colors that stand between the infrared and ultraviolet vibrations of energy. It is assumed that every color and its unique wavelength can impair and provide the necessary restoration of energy, when applied selectively, to its specific system of the human body. Chromotherapy treatment is based on vibrational color frequencies and readjusts the energy fields in the human body, which are interconnected with other systems such as the physical condition and non-physical energies. Practitioners categorize the human body with seven main â&#x20AC;&#x153;chackrasâ&#x20AC;? or spiritual centers, located along the spine and which correspond to a specific bodily system and function.

First, from the base of the spine, red is associated with grounding and survival and corresponds to the kidneys, spine and the sense of smell. The second, orange, corresponds to the lower abdominals, being associated with emotions and sexuality and influencing the urinary tract and reproduction. The third, yellow represents the Solar Plexus, corresponding to ego and power and being beneficial for the stomach and liver. The forth color, green, is associated with the heart, hence love and sense of responsibility and influencing the lungs and thymus. The fifth, blue, located near the throat employs a physical and spiritual communication and can be beneficial for the ears, mouth and hands. The sixth color, indigo, is located in the middle of the forehead and stands for forgiveness and compassion, corresponding to the eyes. The seventh color, violet represents the final step as connecting with the universal energies and frequencies, being associated to the cerebral cortex and nervous system. Whenever one of the spiritual centers is imbalanced the human body can ensue in a physical disorder. This imbalance can be adjusted through the application of the appropriate color for a certain amount of time.

Chromotherapy main colors

Framework

Wonderland stands as a solitary space, a different world defined by colors and environmental changes. Through an interdisciplinary analysis in literature, the project investigated the concept of unexpected disruptions in reality. In this extent, the book “Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland” wrote by Lewis Carroll was used as an example of exploring the concept of different fantasy worlds. While dreaming, the protagonist finds herself passing from one space to another, often brutally, for example falling down the rabbit hole. Unlike many dream worlds in literature, Lewis Carroll`s plot is like that of actual dreams, with smooth transitions and flexible causality. The perception of the new environment is influenced by the constant change in scale. The interdisciplinary investigation led to the development of the project as an independent space determined by unusual elements, utterly contrasting with its location.

In his second book, “Through the looking glass”, Lewis Carroll describes a mirrored version of Wonderland as a dissimilar world of dreams. In this case, the protagonist finds herself experiencing the world behind the mirror (see fig. 1). “First,there’s the room you can see through the glass— that’s just the same as our drawing room, only the things go the otherway.” 1 The plot device uses frequent changes in time and spatial direction. The theme of the mirror is highlighted by incorporating opposites, time running backwards and books written distorted, only readable in the mirror. The book is based on a reference to the game of chess and divided by streams.

A notable change in the environment always occurs when the protagonist advances one square on the chessboard and crosses every stream. The project proposes to implement this pattern of constant changes in the environment while advancing.

Fig. 1. Alice entering the Looking Glass. Illustration by Sir John Tenniel

The perceptual uniqueness of the harbor environment forms a memorable character and a strong identity onto the user’s condition. From the first impact with the industrial building, at the edge of the threshold, Wonderland proposes to dematerialize reality by encompassing an atmosphere in response to the user`s sensorial capabilities. The project aimed at creating atmospheres rather than spaces or objects of only visual seduction. This led to an investigation of the concept of atmosphere in architecture with a particular focus towards the relation and perception of the user. In this extent, the judgment of environmental character is a continuous merger of innumerous factors that are immediately recognizedas an overall atmosphere. “I enter a building, see a room, and - in the fraction of a second – have this feeling about it.”2 This intuitive and primarily feeling described by Peter Zumthor, indicates that the user perceives a condition firstly through its sensorial capabilities and under the form of an overall atmosphere rather than independent objects. It relates to the dominant perceptual, sensory and emotive impression of an environment. The concept of Phenomenology in architecture was first mentioned in 1970 by Martin Heidegger and had a major influence in architectural theory.”Phenomenology is both a philosophical design current in contemporary architecture and a specific field of academic research, based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties.”3 Architects who investigated this field presume that any type of building or landscape employs a multi-sensorial experience, where the features of space, scale and objects are evaluated by the human eye, nose, ear, tongue, skin and muscles.

This particular sensory interaction and experience was mentioned by Maurice MerleauPonty: “My perception is (therefore) not a sum of visual, tactile, and audible givens: I perceive in a total way with my whole being: I grasp a unique structure of the thing, a unique way of being, which speaks to all my senses at once.”4 The atmosphere of a particular setting is defined though the fusion between the user`s instinctual perception of the space and its defining solid elements which have particular materials, shapes, and colors. The project aimed at exploring the overall atmospheres in the interior spacefrom the user’s point of view, as a fully embodied spiritual experience rather than solitary shapes and objects. Consequently, Wonderland proposes to manipulate the solid elements that define the interior space in order to employ a multisensorial interaction. In this extent, the project investigatesthe effect of the sudden changes in temperature, materials, light and colors and their reaction with the user`s perceptual and sensory impression.

1. Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking Glass”. (London: Macmillan, 1981) pg. 12 2. Peter Zumthor, “Atmospheres – Architectural Environments – Surrounding Objects”.(Birkhäuser, Basel • Boston • Berlin, 2006) p. 13. 3. see<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_ (architecture)> 14.02.2013 4. Maurice Merleau-Ponty, “Sense and Non-Sense”, (Northwestern University Press, Evanston, IL, 1964) p. 48.

Methodology One of the methods used to elaborate on the concept of Wonderland as a refuge space, is to investigate and manipulate the metaphorical meaning of the door as a transition into a new world. In literature, doors symbolize passage from one world to another, often imposing certain conditions of transition and signifying a clear change in the environment. In his book “Alice`s adventures in Wonderland”, Lewis Carroll describes the change of atmosphere that the transition signifies: “The door lead right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from one end to the another: the Duchess was sitting on the threelegged stool in the middle, nursing a baby; the cook was leaning over the fire, stirring a large cauldron which seemed to be full of soup.”5 In her book “Wuthering Heights”, Emily Bronte describes in detail the condition of transition into a new world by exploring the significance of the threshold as a clear boundary: “Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about theprincipal door; above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless little boys, I detected the date ‘1500,’ and thename ‘HaretonEarnshaw.”6 In architecture, doors stand with the same values. In different case studies, the transition signifies the importance of the interior space underlining the different atmosphere, which stands after passing. For example entrances to holy places (temples or churches) do not necessarily invite to participate in the activities inside, the simple act of passing over the monumental threshold signifies that the faithful must set aside his personalities and engage into a different condition, a feeling of awe towards the Divine.

The project proposed to manipulate the conditions of transition into the different spaces and the atmospheric changes they employ.

The drawing method of watercolor employed the developmentof the contrasting and unfamiliar elements that define the interior space. The technique itself assumes the usage of water as a base soluble element in mix with natural pigment. The analysis investigated the effect of pigment in relation with water and analyzed different scenarios. Depending on the amounts of water and pigment used in different techniques, the outcome produced a contrast between the sharp edges of color and more blurred, gradient ones. Paint diffusion appears when a concentrated drop of paint is applied onto a rewetted area of the paper. In contrast, dropping in technique, produces sharp edges of color. Moreover, unpredictable cuts of color appear in the drawing after drying.The aim is to explore these contrasts and transpose it into a design solution.

5. Lewis Carroll, “Alice`s adventures in Wonderland”, (Chicago: VolumeOne Publishing, 1998) pg. 81 6. Emily Bronte,”Wuthering Heights”, (United Kingdom: Thomas Cautley Newby, 1847) pg. 2

Methodology

blurr edges

sharp edges

unpredictable cuts of color

Watercolor Analysis; defining the main characteristics

Case studies Lebbeus Woods

Surrealism

Further research steps analyzed several case studies, which presume the concept or materialization of a different world, one that contrasts with reality. In his architectural drawings, Lebbeus Woods explored a new type of architecture driven by political issues and which exposed a provocative vision of a possible reality. In the series of depictions about war and disaster such as Zagreb Free-Zone and Underground Berlin, Woods questioned the thinking about rebuilding in architecture. Instead of removing bombed and damaged buildings consequently hiding evidence of social conflict, the architect designed new kinds of environments that build free spaces out of ruptures. In Underground Berlin 3-2, designed in 1990, Woods rethinks an abandoned building in Berlin, which was affected by the war. In his vision the new space stands individually in the building filling the gap that the bombing provoked. This creates a contrast and tension between the old shell and the new one. The hole becomes a new type of space that creates a dialogue with the cause of the hole. This is envisioned into a new environment defined by chaos and disorder.

Furthermore, the concept of a different world was materialized in the surrealist movement, which explored the contradiction between reality and the world of dreams. Andre Breton described the surrealist movement for the first time in the manifesto in 1924 as “pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought. Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation.” 7 Surrealist works highlight the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions of images, consisting in a contrast between the realistic painting method and the final image e.g.Salvador`s Dali “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening” (see fig. 2). The painting is an example of Sigmund Freud’s influence on Dalí’s attempts to explore the world of dreams. In this painting, Dali attempts to recreate a world of dreams caused by a simple act close to the moment of awakening. A different value could be attributed to every element of the painting. Moreover, the concept of entering a different world through the mirror was also explored in surrealist motion pictures. Fig. 2. “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening”, 1944. Salvador Dali

The analysis of LebbeusWoods conceptual drawings underlined a possible reality, which declared a new form of existence. The most interesting aspect consisted in the brutality of the shapes and the powerful visual contrast between the old and the new. The new world can be identified in terms of shape, encompassing a symbolic essence recognizable to the user. All these contributed to the development of the project as an autonomous space, defined by contrasts.

7. see<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism#cite_ note-6> 11.03.2013

In the second section of the surrealist movie â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Blood of a Poetâ&#x20AC;?, the protagonist is conjured to pass through a mirror into a different world. The mirror connects to a hotel and the artist finds himself glancing through several keyholes, witnessing different environments and actions taking place. In this case, the door does not allow any intrusion or conversation with the outsider protagonist. The worlds contained inside can only be observed but not interrupted, therefore the door stands as a solid barrier. The most interesting aspect consists in the unexpected association of elements that highlights the contrast between the world of dreams and reality. The project proposed to explore different scenarios, which employed unpredictable changes, and associations within the interior space and investigate the impact onto the user.

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion The project investigated several case studies consisting in spaces of retreat in unexpected locations, which function independently from their environment. In the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in July 2011,architect Peter Zumthor designeda secluded and intimate interior space independent from the crowded city and simultaneously located in the heart of it. The transition from the reality of noise, traffic and smells of the city to the intimacy of the garden takes place through a matrix of utter blackness and games of shadow. This intervention highlights the disconnection from the city and prepares the user for entering a different space. The building itself acts like a frame, highlighting the interior garden as a central masterpiece. The architect included benches and tables similar to a cafe, in order to provide users a space within which they can sit, observe and socialize. The garden is illuminated through an open roof while its wild flora carefully planted by Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolfattract a multitude of insects and birds provoking an unexpected mixture of sounds and scents.

The pavilion consists in a space of refuge independent from the city and which is mainly developed for the user and strictly related to its sensorial capabilities. The analysis of the pavilion led to the exploration of secluded and intimate spaces within the project.

Unity Temple Unity Temple is a Unitarian Universalist church located in Oak Park, Illinois, and the home of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation.It was built between 1905 and 1908 and designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The building consists of a long sequential transition between the outside environment and inside space. The architect divided the community space from the temple space through a low, middle loggia that could be approached from either side by those coming from the temple and those from the congregation. This intervention kept down the noise between the two main gathering areas. The temple space is located at the street level of a crowded area. In order to reduce the noise, the architect eliminated the windows; in addition natural light enters the space through glass windows in the roof and clerestory ones above eye level. The stained glass was designed with natural tones of color in order to awaken a sense of connection with the outside. The space consists in various sitting and floor levels, however designed so that no person in the congregation is more than 40 feet from the pulpit.Through these interventions, the temple space becomes intimate and secluded from the outside environment and even from the community space. The building`s spatial arrangement ondifferent floor levels creates various points of view towards the pulpit space. Moreover, by placing the windows above eye level and secluding the congregation space under the level of the floor, the architect created an intimate interior. From this point further, the project researches the impact of the change of floor levels onto the user.

Part II Design Phases

Preliminary Design In order to elaborate on the idea of Wonderland as a different world, in the preliminary design phase the watercolor drawing technique was transposed into an overall spatial atmosphere. The diaphanous characteristics of watercolor determine the space to appear as unfamiliar. The building aims at engaging and enveloping a multi-sensorial interaction and experience. The user`s journey is seemingly influenced by the spatial atmosphere, inducing sensory responses and thoughts. This led to the development of a short story, which described the overall atmosphere and the emotional involvement and perception of the user throughout the space.

As she passed the large threshold, a warm breeze of air invaded her vanes, making her body uncontrollably shiver of joy. There was a red, blooded light enveloping the space, somehow looking mysteriously different from the outside. She felt welcomed and secured. The continuous interplay of curious shadows was obscuring the space, puzzling her, as she did not perceive any corners or limits. Her footsteps echoed powerfully so she understood the greatness of the space. This bizarre encounter with the powerful red determined her to pause for a moment and immerse herself into the color. The transition was sudden so she couldn`t glimpse any familiar forms or distinguish anything. She found herself pondering through a powerfully colored interior, with ambiguous shades of red, green and blue, curiously bleeding into each other. Everything seemed soft. There was an absorbing silence inside, rhythmically interrupted by droplets of water, which echoed into a sublime harmony. The water was reflecting the colors from the ceiling throughout the space in sensuously altering figures. For a moment, she felt vulnerable. The glass pathway underneath her feet provoked the illusion that her body was levitating above the water, somehow submersing her into the unusual and abstract blend of colors. The space was strangely inviting and guiding her towards the other side. She was seduced to step forward by the imposing massiveness of a orange staircase. Suddenly, the light and space converted into slight orange shades.

Experiments & Behavior Studies

The investigation of watercolor as a methodology used in elaborating the project Wonderland, led to a Research Through Making approach towards the design. During schematic design phase, several experiments were conducted with the goal of transforming watercolor from a two dimensional technique into a three dimensional experience, hence creating a different type of atmosphere. The aim of the experiments was to investigate and identify the possible applications at an architectural scale.

Similar to watercolor technique, the base soluble element used was water and its effect with pigment. In the first experiment, pigment mixed with water was poured on a thin sheet of Plexiglas. The second sheet of Plexiglas was placed on top. This created unexpected patterns as the water shifted towards the corners. This particular test proved a difficulty in controlling the final outcome and appearance.

In relation to daylight, the more dense areas of color in between the layers created strong shadows. The transparent zones in relation to the blurred color produced a more opaque effect. The experiment alters the perception of colors whereas yellow produced slightly purple hue shadows. The negative point stands in the evaporation of water and drying of the pigment, which cause a significant and irreversible change in the pattern.

Further steps led to the use of ink mixed with pigment and water. The ink formed more defined shapes when the second layer of Plexiglas was placed and it did not evaporate. Furthermore, unpredictable voids of color arose, being highlighted by the visual contrast with the black ink. In relation with artificial light, the layers created different vivid color shadows and an increased contrast at the level of the voids. The overall characteristics of the experiments resembled and alluded to watercolor ,in terms of atmospheric condition. The diaphanous character of the overall ambiance was determined by the blurred edges. In addition, the unpredictable cuts of color allowed light to penetrate and form an interplay of strong shadows.

In the second experiment, water and pigment were poured on a rewetted surface of cotton, derived from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;wet in wetâ&#x20AC;? watercolor technique. The experiment was aimed at implying the blurred and soft edges derived from watercolor. The diaphanous cotton allowed natural light to penetrate, increasing the colors intensity and blurring the existing edges. In contrast, the connection points between the cotton surfaces made unpredictable cuts of color. When merging into each other, the different colors made the actual connections difficult to perceive. However, this experiment did not create any shadows and when the water evaporated the pigment lost its intensity failing as a potential pattern.

However, at the larger scale of the interior space, these experiments would fail due to the materials used. This conclusion leads to a change of material and technique, which will lead to developing the same effect with longer lifespan.

Experiments & Behavior Studies

Several scenarios were investigated where the created layers standed as walls, ceilings or thresholds. The similarity with watercolor was obvious when the layers were used as ceilings in relation with natural light. In this way, the pattern was doubled onto the floor evoking a new type of atmosphere. The potential space created did not reflect any familiarities; there was a lack of obvious corners and sharp edges. The shadows ensued in a continuous fluidity of the space, no boundaries such as walls or floors could be perceived.

Experiments & Behavior Studies When applied vertically, as walls, arranged at a certain distance, the layers produced a more dim and blurred atmosphere, characterized by more dense or transparent areas of color. In all the experiments conducted the pattern was unpredictable and difficult to control. However, the overall system and the effects it produced in different scenarios determined a further research in developing it at an architectural scale.

Experiments & Behavior Studies Based on the layering technique existent in watercolor, further tests were conducted with a variety of different materials and type of colors with the goal of creating a more lasting effects. The layers of Plexiglas contained in different mixes water, oil, colors and ink. The result was unpredictable in every case as the elements inside react different in conjunction to one another. Glue was used as a binding element for the sheets of Plexiglas.

oil / oil color / glue The glue creates unpredictable voids whereas the oil color and color blend and create shifting patterns.

ink / glue The glue and oil push the color and do not allow any color shifting. Unpredictable patterns appear in the areas where the glue does not exist. This test produced wider voids of color.

water / oil / ink The glue pushes the water, acrylic color and ink making the voids predictable but not controllable. When the glue dries it produces unpredictable bubbles of air therefore affecting the overall pattern.

The set of tests concluded in setting elements such as glue and oil pivoting for creating voids of color. Ink as an element loses its abilities whereas it evaporates. In contrast oil color and acrylic have a longer lifespan however their density does not allow light to pass through nor create any shadows.

water / oil / acrylic The two sheets of Plexiglas were glued on all four edges, leaving a void inside where the elements were fused together. The acrylic shifts and mixes with the water without exceeding the edges. Oil does not mix with water and acrylic therefore creating voids.

oil / acrylic The elements do not mix and create sharp edges characterized by the more dense areas of color. These stand in contrast with the voids defined by the oil.

water / glue / acrylic Glue does not mix with water and acrylic and creates unpredictable voids, furthermore it ensures that the sheets of Plexiglas will not collapse and release the color.

Experiments & Behavior Studies

Further experiments were conducted with the aim of creating the blurred and soft edges characteristic to the watercolor two-dimensional drawing technique. In this extent, soft foam was used in correlation with light and colored light. Based on the layering technique in watercolor, thin layers of foam were placed on top of each other with the light source located in the inside. This led to the creation of a dim light effect and a blurred light color with no apparent edges. The softness of the material was highlighted by the light source. When the foam was manipulated in shape and the light source located above, the test produced more accentuated curves and undulations, which were constantly changing and depending strictly to the light source.

Additional tests were conducted with the goal of investigating the relationship between the main elements and artificial light. Water, oil and ink were poured into a Plexiglas tank while the light source was located above it. The shifting and different placement of the light source created unpredictable shadows, altering the overall perception of the space. In consequence, the sharp corners became blurred. In the more dense color areas, the light did not penetrate however the transparent voids produced by oil created undefined and undulating shadows. In some areas the black ink ensured a constant change of the shadow`s colors.

Due to its density, acrylic color did not react positive in relation to artificial light. When poured, the colors fused with the water and produced a unified pattern with almost no voids, not allowing the creation of any shadows. The mirrored walls produced a continuity of the pattern with the illusion of an endless space. In addition, the result produced an overall intensely colored space, immersing the user into a unified experience.

In reaction with water, the nail polish created an additional thin layer above the surface whereas the oil ensued in unpredictable and transparent voids. In relation with artificial light, this experiment produced the most accentuated shadows, affecting the overall perception of the space. The shadows intensity and shape were constantly changing depending on the location of the light source. The colors did not fuse into each other ensuing a lasting pattern. Furthermore, thin layers of foam were added as walls. The rectilinear planar geometry was strongly influenced and affected by the undulating shadows. From here a similarity with watercolor was found in this particular contrast between the sharp and blur edges.

Development and prototype The experiments concluded in the usage of paint in combination with water, whereas these encompassed the longest life span. Moreover, the pattern created proved to be the most interesting in terms of color alteration and similarity to watercolor. In every panel, the water separated the pigment creating different color shades towards the edges e.g. yellow hues within the green panel. This separation was unpredictable and uncontrollable. The final prototype was developed according to the main elements that define the project. It aims at evoking the experience and atmospheric condition of Wonderland .Developed in 1:1 scale, it is characterized by the seven colors of the Color Wheel and consists in two main thresholds. The transitions produce contrasting effects, whereas one is located in the warm colors and one in the cold ones. This reveals a reference to the atmospheric condition of the project.

Prototype main colors and patterns

Development and prototype

Threshold through violet

Location

Merwehaven port

The Rotterdam Merwehaven is located between Delfshaven area and Schiedam city, encompassing long quays determined by considerable dockland architecture with an internal independent infrastructure. Due to its location in report to the city of Rotterdam, the area became increasingly favored by pioneers and artists who established their headquarters in the characteristic industrial warehouses. This shift of several companies and entrepreneurs towards the Merwehaven harbor signifies a primary impulse of the area`s metamorphosis. Consequently, this intervention will change the appearance of the overall environment ensuring in an indistinguishable connection with the city. However, the amount of industries that dominates the area in the present suppresses the minor interventions at an urban scale, with the fruit distribution trade remaining the most significant. Due to this, private domains that block the dock views and any pedestrian access, characterize the existing landscape. Seagulls, massive boats along the river and a constant truck traffic create and overall unwelcoming sound. In addition, these produce a hazardous and specific smell, highlighting the disregard of human scale.

Program Wonderland was developed as a Chromo therapeutically Center, characterized by the seven colors, which stand at the base of this treatment method. In Chromo therapy, the exposure to warm colors frequently showed a pronounced pattern of stimulation whereas the cold colors showed opposite effects by acting as a relaxant and tranquilizer, lowering blood pressure, providing relief from tension, and reducing the level of stress, alleviating towards a meditative state. In this extent, the program relations between the spaces were based on levels according to the seven colors and their alleged functions. The programmatic arrangement of the spaces takes into account the verticality of the human spine and location of the spiritual centers along it. The overall area that defines every space developed in accordance to the color energies and their proportion in relation to the human body. From red at the first floor, occupying the highest amount of square meters, the spaces decrease in size enveloping more intimate rooms towards the upper levels. Based on a spiral concept, the different levels are programmed as platforms for therapy in addition to the ramps for accessing the next level. The spaces form a coexistence that approaches the organic; each evolves in relation to the others, occupying more or less space on the spiral, but never forcing a division. Whereas each level is designed for a unique purpose, their size, flexibility, circulation and color palette varies. Each platform encompasses individual characters determined by the specific color and spatial arrangement.

Crown of the head

Meditation

Middle of Forehead

Forgivness and compasion

Throat

Heart

Love and harmony

Solar Plexus

Power and Ego

Lower abdomen and genitals

Emotions and sexuality

Base of spine

Chakra Location

Spiritual communication

Grounding and stimulating

Alleged Function

Programmatic development of the spaces

Final Design

Color is strongly related to temperature and to the physical condition of the human body. From the starting point of the door, the sudden change of temperature and color signifies the transition into the new world. The transition from one platform to another is determined by long sequential passages that maintain the color requirements. The investigation of the seven colors and their attributed functions lead to the development of two types of therapy: group therapy assigned to warm colors and individual therapy spaces for the colder colors. The design manipulated the transitions through the different levels and proposed an alteration of the original building. Consequently, the primary encounter with the building targets an intimate interior through the long transition towards the red level located under the ground floor. Whereas violet employs meditation and spirituality, this level breaks through the original roof of the building, connecting with the universal energies. Red was used as a grounding color, whereas it hastens blood circulation hence producing a divergent sensorial condition from the harbor. It contains group therapy platforms determined by open spaces systematically located above slight pools of water. The purpose of the spatial arrangement is to treat the associated disease at a physical level and consequently encourage communication and socialization. Furthermore, orange and yellow act as nerve stimulants for the human body.

In this extent, the platforms characterized by these colors envelop open group therapy spaces. When ascending towards the upper cold color levels, the transitions impose a change of direction, where the therapy rooms are more secluded and seemingly more intimate. This in accordance with the colors alleged systems, which employ spiritual connections with the universal energies and states of meditation and spirituality. The position of the human body within the space is in permanent modification. Thus the user starts from a vertical position in the warm colors and climaxing towards a complete horizontal position in the cold colors. This intervention is aimed at exploring and manipulating the point of view and visual perception of the user through the different levels. Therefore, at the first three levels the visual field is controlled through the height of the handrails. Furthermore, whereas the amount of natural light is limited due to the location and dimension of the windows, the interplay of the handrails height assures that every platform receives an almost equal amount of natural light. The levels impose long sequential transitions, with unexpected changes in color and temperature that mark the beginning of a new space.

Design Principles

Render violet space _ meditation and spirituality

Final Design

Render atrium

The experiments developed from watercolor are applied as basic elements, defining the interior space. These stand as handrails and walls in the warm colors and as ceiling, walls and floors in the cold colors. In addition, colored glass panels highlight the intensity of the characteristic atmosphere. The color defining the spatial setting changes, maintaining its transparency at a controlled level. The overall atmosphere of every space is independent from the proximate one and its intended at immersing the user into a unanimous experience. Every level is designed to produce a saturation of a distinct color, submerging the human body into an inevitable restoration of energy. The shapes and surfaces are formed for the integrated pleasure of all the senses, giving the existing experience a strengthened coherence and significance. Hence, towards the upper levels, the sitting areas are cladded with soft materials whereas they impose an extensive contact with the human body. The core of the building is defined by a large atrium, which signifies a relief from the saturation of a particular color and simultaneously a unified experience of all the colors. However, the atrium stands as a transition space from the red level to the orange. The transition through the atrium space is made on glass passages located above the water pools. The design proposes ephemeral and dynamic experiential platforms, ratherthan distant shapes and objects. From the first impact with the industrial door, Wonderland alters and interferes with the perceptual, sensory and emotional impressions of the user. The essence of the interior space is in its ability to dematerialize the experience of the real and the perception of reality.

+12.00

+9.00

+6.70

+3.50

+1.70

0.00

-2.00 Longitudinal Section

Conclusion In countries where the sun does not shine for a long time, the human body is not exposed to natural sun light resulting in a psychological disorder manifest, an imbalance at the level of energy fields. In Netherlands in particular, the direct sunlight exposure is limited due to the weather conditions whereas the sun does not shine for up to one or two weeks. Consequently, an illness at an emotional or mental level may appear, sometimes under the form of depressions. Furthermore, frequent changes in atmosphere affect the fluctuation index of human blood resulting in a physical imbalance. The project proposed to improve these inevitable disorders and restore the lacking energy fields in the human body, in the context of the harbor environment and the city itself.

Appendix – Bibliography

Books Bronte, Emily. “Wuthering Heights”.United Kingdom: Thomas Cautley Newby, 1847. Carroll, Lewis. “Alice`s adventures in Wonderland”. Chicago: VolumeOne Publishing, 1998. ---, Through the looking glass.London: Macmillan, 1981. Norberg-Schulz,Christian. “Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture”. New York: Rizzoli, 1980. Pallasmaa, Juhani. “The eyes of the skin: Architecture and the senses”. Great Britain: Wiley-Academy, 2005. Rasmussen,SteenEiler. “Experiencing Architecture”. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1959. Zumthor, Peter. “Atmospheres: Architectural Environments, Surrounding Objects”. Boston: Birkauser, 2006. --- ,”Thinking Architecture”. Boston: Birkauser, 2010.

Motion Picture “Alice In Wonderland”.Based on Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Dir. Tim Burton.Walt Disney Pictures, 2010. “Inception”.Dir. Christopher Nolan.Warner Bros Pictures, 2010. “Un ChienAndalou”.Screenplay by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali.Dir. Luis Bunuel.Les Grands Films Classiques, 1929. “The Blood of a Poet [Le Sang dùnPoete]”. Dir. Jean Cocteau.The Criterion Collection, 1932. ”The Golden Age [LàgeDòr]”. Screenplay by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali.Dir. Luis Bunuel.Corinth Films,1979.

Interviews Herzog, Jacques. Interview.Movie: Jacques Herzog at The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Dezeen online Magazine, 2012. Zumthor, Peter. Interview with Peter Zumthorat the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. Dezeen online Magazine, 2011.