The Romace Tower from the makers of 800 Minutes of City & the Romance Trail, Bookman designs present
A ritual dating destination in Auckland city to seek romance in an observed society for the Tinder and Bachelor Generation.
The Romace Tower from the makers of 800 Minutes of City & the Romance Trail, Bookman designs present
A ritual dating destination in Auckland city to seek romance in an observed society for the Tinder and Bachelor Generation.
Behind the Scenes
inspired by the film and script (2) of 500 days of Summer.
(3) Can architecture cause, or even contribute towards two people falling in love? Follow the writer’s journey of inspiration amounting in a curated built form. the journey involves looking into the concept of love in the city.
(4) Does the city already offer the opportunity for people to fall in love? What can the role of script play – dialogue and description? Talking and narration?
(7) Dialogue ‘ever heard of the concept of 30 questions to fall in love?’ ‘no. But really? Does it work?’ Apparently so.
Arthur Aron- a professor of phycology at the State University of New York proposes this idea. If you engage in these questions with another, you will fall in love.
1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? 2. Would you like to be famous? In what way? 3. Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why? 4. What would constitute a perfect day for you? 5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else? 6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose? 7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die? 8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common. 9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be? 11. Take four minutes and tell you partner your life story in as much detail as possible. 12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be? 13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know? 14. Is there something that you've dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it? 15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? 16. What do you value most in a friendship? 17. What is your most treasured memory?
18. What is your most terrible memory? 19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why? 20. What does friendship mean to you? 21. What roles do love and affection play in your life? 22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items. 23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's? 24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother? 25. Make three true "we" statements each. For instance, "we are both in this room feel ing..." 26. Complete this sentence "I wish I had some
one with whom I could share..." 27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know. 28. Tell your partner what you like about them: be honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met. 29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life. 30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself? 31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already. 32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about? 33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?
34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why? 35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why? 36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
(10) What if this was applied to a date where the surroundings cause each partner to ask one of these questions. An exploration continued down this path creating a trail through Auckland City, where the surroundings cue the conversation of the questions created. This idea stuck with me for a while. Prospect to continue further.
(11) Can architecture really cause two people to fall in love? What about a building type where this happens? An obscure looking building, where people approach it, an obscure interior experience. One lands in a reception where they are greeted by a personality which matches them with another.
(13) A Tinder Tower- too prescriptive, even go as far to say that it is a bit of a one liner- a cop out. ‘Can just normal building types bring people together? How can you talk to someone you like, can architecture bring the two of you together?’
(14- 20) Taking it in. What would be something that would be beautiful in a space where people would be drawn into the center. A public space where people follow a path to the center, a snippet of their features are exposed to the people within the space. water.
The floating rays playfully warped their way around the space.
(21) water up above? water down below?
(22) The narrator, who is the narrator? the narrator knows all. The narrator, is the onlooker, the spectator. People meeting while serving as entertainment for others.
(23) Looking into the space below, inspired by the view shafts looking down onto Britomart station.
(25) Bringing the elements together. water sight meeting
water the significance throughout time the watering hole- animals coming to gether being close to the water- Auckland wa terfront lacking access to water water as ritual- throughout time as a religious ritual of purification bring ing people together. Atheistically and functionally.
Cai Guo-Qiang, Wateringhole, 99 life-sized replicas of various animals, water, sand, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia, 2013
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sight people looking into a space from the outside, of people meeting within. Water is central.
(26)
Separation of gender traditional ritual space separating gender Found in Turkish bath houses, and Jewish Mikvot- specifically for the purification of women. Can a ritual be applied to Auckland central? To the dating life of today? The ritual of dating and the ritual of water meet.
(30) elements distilled
Cast:
Narrator- the onlookers, the curious
The wondering romantics city workers, city dwellers
Scene:
Nestled in the site of former Queen Elizabeth square in downtown Auckland. The onlookers reside for their meal within the sheltered central location. Romantics; those who seek romance make their way below.
ground level
level -1
Site outcomes and varables
Water- flooding the monumental feature
Monumental sculpture – a symbol of love in the city- monumentalize the building
public space- where public can come, enjoy food and look into the space below
Food Trucks surround the central space Dealing with current needs of the square shelter from wind and activating the space
people looking from above coming in from a common space, entrances as a threshold- a space of a common function
Separation of gender and water based ritual space- physical and mental health quarters
male
female
People coming together
Snippets of sight before entering central space
subterranean meeting place water as a
central element
The onlookers The curious
scene (1)
(1)
His eyes scaled the periphery of the central hub. Wondering which food store he would indulge in, the new daily tenants of the food truck to his left caught his eye. He collected his lunch from the sphered structure. After making his order from the outside of the square, he was instructed to collect his order from the space within. The shaded angled corridor drew him towards the monumental structure within. He immediately collected his lunch.
Holding focus to the glass sculpture he notices that there was something penetrating it. The water flowed down either side of it exposing something within. Taking a closer look, he noticed there were people down below, talking and interacting. Holding his stare, he watched the scene unfold as he indulged in his afternoon break.
Peering around the space, he realised he had found himself in an inner city haven. He comfortably made his way into a spot looking into the central space. As he was chewing on his long awaited first bite of his culinary delight he looked around. People all around him were doing just what he was. In this central space a sense of inner city community was achieved. He looked straight ahead at the overwhelming glass feature. Water vibrantly trickled down its faรงade morphing the figures behind into majestic silhouettes.
(7)
The wondering romantics city workers, city dwellers
scene (2)
(3)
She made her way down below. The city screeches transitions into murmurs as she the curved faรงade- trusting upon it the assurance of a destination. The walls drew thinner, a mist of light greeted her ahead.
(5)
Warmth wrapped around her body, penetrating. A sense of ease engulfed her. She was ready to take the opportunity to prepare herself for the meeting ahead. Strems of dappled light played delicately upon clouds of steam.
A small room shielded with a draped material faced welcomed her to put on the robe provided within. Pulling the drapes from around her she made her way into the central space. Laying on the cool platform she was taken to another world of relaxation.
(46)
She was changed and ready. Descending into the space below she felt ready for the meeting ahead. Light grew dim. She could see glimpses of people in the odd moment. A glimpse of the top of a man’s silky hair from above. A glimpse of a women’s hazel eyes. A glance of generic looking black shoes.
The corridors released their embrace releasing her to the space within. The curious glypses were matched with figures. Rays playfully wrapped their way around the space. She was drawn to the pool of pristine water. Taking a few steps forward to touch the cool surface. She was interrupted through gesture by a figure to her left, matching her movements. Catching a smile, they walked towards each other.