Sean book two by OMLOML

Harbour Edge Stitch

Uniting the waterfront with the city centre

“The new waterfront development is enabling us to re-engage with the water’s edge in the city centre”

ily use survey at the Britomart train station has increased more than five folds over the past ten years, expecting a further rise estimated 37,000 commuters per day in 2021. Cruise ship passengers through Queens Wharf have also increased in the mo cent years and is expected to get bigger. “A cruise ship turnaround - during which passengers disembark and embark - can orth US$1-2 million ($1.2-2.4 million) to a local economy, depending on the size of the ship, through re-stocking, hotels and tou ence the city’s waterfront is always a big discussion in the redevelopment plans and as a result of the on-going production, the ere several major changes near the Viaduct basin after Rugby World Cup 2012, for example, the Cloud. Auckland’s waterfro ings both international and local guests to the ‘heart of the city’, where the Britomart train station and Fanshawe and Qu reets meet, bringing in major motorway traffic. From here, city passengers and visitors begin their wander through the ‘C Sails.’ Typical destinations include the Civic centre, Skycity, Auckland Domain, Parnell, Newmarket etc. Through their tri d stay, the functionality of the city as distraction parallels to what happens in Las Vegas’ Strip. As the dispersion of the maj urist attractions gives a set course for the tourists, the urban space to and from the arrival point becomes the distractive oa the city. Entertainment and accommodation give tourists a break from the main show and engender increased concentrati city landmarks. The contextual quality of the waterfront hence arrives to be the starting point of distraction in the cityscap placement in the centre of public transportation - a ‘via’ to city attractions – is also at the beginning of distractive space whi hances this value. The precinct consists of two office blocks – Zurich house and HSBC house - and its footprint is dominat a four storey shopping centre. The phallic towers cast shades over Queen Elizabeth II Square (QEII Square is directly behi e HSBC house), and overwhelm the site with their masculine stands. It is a high density mix-used zone which receives maj affic and pedestrian flows of the city. A major challenge people face is getting to their destinations on foot from the Precin stoms and Quay Streets, with heavy traffic flowing from the motorways, limit pedestrian amenity and crossing points, maki e experience of walking to the city centre and the waterfront difficult. The two-storey-high overhangs - additions above t destrian path along the face of Queen Street – are extremely impractical during wet seasons. It is hard to accept that th ve considered the fact that New Zealand’s rain does not fall (here, the word ‘fall’ does not comply, as fall defines a vertic ovement), instead it hits from all sides. More so, the shopping mall itself is an antithesis of retails in other parts of the c ntre. It is an introvert aggregation of shops, within a fortress-like shell which is entirely covered in advertisements. This is wfully well-kept shopping legacy in this country where this happens all around the suburbs such as Sylvia Park and Albany; severely bigger scale. Considering the ‘profane illumination’ in Auckland’s cityscape, it should be a shame that this is wh uckland has to present to people’s (and visitors’) arrival to the city. The Precinct fails to communicate its identity to people w alk across from Britomart train station and numerous bus stops through which they arrive. The Precinct, in its current conditio a mere volume of distraction that people tend to avoid attending and consider it as a transitional space in their journey d from one destination to another. The shopping mall hardly manages to attract pedestrian flow only for it be a shelter oroughfare between Queen and Albert Streets. The Precinct should rise to become a connective proposition, where it connec e social hubs of the city, as well as being an integral social hub itself. Its geographical position – while on a reclaimed land – h advantageous attribute for it to become a substantial ‘hot spot’ of the city. There is an opportunity to turn the Precinct as arting point of people-focused harbour space. It connects the Wynyard Quarter, the Viaduct basin, Princes and Queens Wharve d all the way to Britomart. Auckland has a strong historical relationship with its surrounding waters. This is always celebrat the suburban beaches. However the city neglects the coastline, perceiving it only as an economic gateway dominated by gorous port. The site should address our incredible coastline and the new development should enable people to engage with t ater’s edge in a city centre. This aim is reinforced by Auckland Council’s Masterplan 2012, which develops Quay Street as a hig ality Harbour Edge space that reunites the city with its waterfront. Auckland Council’s masterplan establishes Quay Street high-quality Harbour Edge space that reunites the city with its waterfront. “Quay Street will become a multi-modal boulevar th the pedestrian space between the red fence and the north side at the water edge referred to as the promenade.”

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an estimated 37,000 commuters per day in 2021. Cruise ship passengers through Queens Wharf have also increased in the m ecent years and is expected to get bigger. “A cruise ship turnaround - during which passengers disembark and embark - can worth US$1-2 million ($1.2-2.4 million) to a local economy, depending on the size of the ship, through re-stocking, hotels and to Hence the city’s waterfront is always a big discussion in the redevelopment plans and as a result of the on-going production, th were several major changes near the Viaduct basin after Rugby World Cup 2012, for example, the Cloud. Auckland’s waterf brings both international and local guests to the ‘heart of the city’, where the Britomart train station and Fanshawe and Q Streets meet, bringing in major motorway traffic. From here, city passengers and visitors begin their wander through the ‘Cit Sails.’ Typical destinations include the Civic centre, Skycity, Auckland Domain, Parnell, Newmarket etc. Through their trips tay, the functionality of the city as distraction parallels to what happens in Las Vegas’ Strip. As the dispersion of the major tou attractions gives a set course for the tourists, the urban space to and from the arrival point becomes the distractive oasis in city. entertainment and accommodation give tourists a break from the main show and engender increased concentration city landmarks. The contextual quality of the waterfront hence arrives to be the starting point of distraction in the cityscape placement in the centre of public transportation - a ‘via’ to city attractions – is also at the beginning of distractive space w enhances this value. The precinct consists of two office blocks – Zurich house and HSBC house - and its footprint is dominated our storey shopping centre. The phallic towers cast shades over Queen Elizabeth II Square (QEII Square is directly behind the H house), and overwhelm the site with their masculine stands. It is a high density mix-used zone which receives major traffic pedestrian flows of the city. A major challenge people face is getting to their destinations on foot from the Precinct. Customs Quay Streets, with heavy traffic flowing from the motorways, limit pedestrian amenity and crossing points, making the experie of walking to the city centre and the waterfront difficult. The two-storey-high overhangs - additions above the pedestrian path al he face of Queen Street – are extremely impractical during wet seasons. It is hard to accept that they have considered the hat New Zealand’s rain does not fall (here, the word ‘fall’ does not comply, as fall defines a vertical movement), instead it hits f all sides. More so, the shopping mall itself is an antithesis of retails in other parts of the city centre. It is an introvert aggrega of shops, within a fortress-like shell which is entirely covered in advertisements. This is an awfully well-kept shopping legacy in country where this happens all around the suburbs such as Sylvia Park and Albany; at a severely bigger scale. Considering profane illumination’ in Auckland’s cityscape, it should be a shame that this is what Auckland has to present to people’s ( visitors’) arrival to the city. The Precinct fails to communicate its identity to people who walk across from Britomart train station numerous bus stops through which they arrive. The Precinct, in its current condition, is a mere volume of distraction that pe end to avoid attending and consider it as a transitional space in their journey to and from one destination to another. The shopp mall hardly manages to attract pedestrian flow only for it be a sheltered thoroughfare between Queen and Albert Streets. Precinct should rise to become a connective proposition, where it connects the social hubs of the city, as well as being an inte ocial hub itself. Its geographical position – while on a reclaimed land – has an advantageous attribute for it to become a substan hot spot’ of the city. There is an opportunity to turn the Precinct as a starting point of people-focused harbour space. It conn he Wynyard Quarter, the Viaduct basin, Princes and Queens Wharves, and all the way to Britomart. Auckland has a str historical relationship with its surrounding waters. This is always celebrated in the suburban beaches. However the city neglects coastline, perceiving it only as an economic gateway dominated by a vigorous port. The site should address our incredible coast and the new development should enable people to engage with the water’s edge in a city centre. This aim is reinforced by Auckl Council’s masterplan establishes Quay Street as a high-quality Harbour Edge space that reunites the city with its waterfront. “Q Street will become a multi-modal boulevard, with the pedestrian space between the red fence and the north side at the water e eferred to as the promenade.” Such an urban fabric requires more than a simple upgrade; it should activate adjoining sites paces, and offer pleasant waterfront and city centre experiences. With slowed vehicle speeds and improved streetscape of Quay Street, the Precinct takes an advantage of the enhanced environment. The Precinct should generate a mixed-used destina

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an estimated 37,000 commuters per day in 2021. Cruise ship passengers through Queens Wharf have also increased in the m ecent years and is expected to get bigger. “A cruise ship turnaround - during which passengers disembark and embark - can worth US$1-2 million ($1.2-2.4 million) to a local economy, depending on the size of the ship, through re-stocking, hotels and to Hence the city’s waterfront is always a big discussion in the redevelopment plans and as a result of the on-going production, th were several major changes near the Viaduct basin after Rugby World Cup 2012, for example, the Cloud. Auckland’s waterfr brings both international and local guests to the ‘heart of the city’, where the Britomart train station and Fanshawe and Q treets meet, bringing in major motorway traffic. From here, city passengers and visitors begin their wander through the ‘Cit ails.’ Typical destinations include the Civic centre, Skycity, Auckland Domain, Parnell, Newmarket etc. Through their trips tay, the functionality of the city as distraction parallels to what happens in Las Vegas’ Strip. As the dispersion of the major tou attractions gives a set course for the tourists, the urban space to and from the arrival point becomes the distractive oasis in ity. entertainment and accommodation give tourists a break from the main show and engender increased concentration ity landmarks. The contextual quality of the waterfront hence arrives to be the starting point of distraction in the cityscape placement in the centre of public transportation - a ‘via’ to city attractions – is also at the beginning of distractive space w nhances this value. The precinct consists of two office blocks – Zurich house and HSBC house - and its footprint is dominated b our storey shopping centre. The phallic towers cast shades over Queen Elizabeth II Square (QEII Square is directly behind the H house), and overwhelm the site with their masculine stands. It is a high density mix-used zone which receives major traffic pedestrian flows of the city. A major challenge people face is getting to their destinations on foot from the Precinct. Customs Quay Streets, with heavy traffic flowing from the motorways, limit pedestrian amenity and crossing points, making the experie of walking to the city centre and the waterfront difficult. The two-storey-high overhangs - additions above the pedestrian path al he face of Queen Street – are extremely impractical during wet seasons. It is hard to accept that they have considered the hat New Zealand’s rain does not fall (here, the word ‘fall’ does not comply, as fall defines a vertical movement), instead it hits f all sides. More so, the shopping mall itself is an antithesis of retails in other parts of the city centre. It is an introvert aggrega of shops, within a fortress-like shell which is entirely covered in advertisements. This is an awfully well-kept shopping legacy in ountry where this happens all around the suburbs such as Sylvia Park and Albany; at a severely bigger scale. Considering profane illumination in Auckland’s cityscape, it should be a shame that this is what Auckland has to present to people’s ( isitors’) arrival to the city. The Precinct fails to communicate its identity to people who walk across from Britomart train station numerous bus stops through which they arrive. The Precinct, in its current condition, is a mere volume of distraction that peo end to avoid attending and consider it as a transitional space in their journey to and from one destination to another. The shopp mall hardly manages to attract pedestrian flow only for it be a sheltered thoroughfare between Queen and Albert Streets. Precinct should rise to become a connective proposition, where it connects the social hubs of the city, as well as being an inte ocial hub itself. Its geographical position – while on a reclaimed land – has an advantageous attribute for it to become a substan hot spot’ of the city. There is an opportunity to turn the Precinct as a starting point of people-focused harbour space. It conn he Wynyard Quarter, the Viaduct basin, Princes and Queens Wharves, and all the way to Britomart. Auckland has a str historical relationship with its surrounding waters. This is always celebrated in the suburban beaches. However the city neglects oastline, perceiving it only as an economic gateway dominated by a vigorous port. The site should address our incredible coast and the new development should enable people to engage with the water’s edge in a city centre. This aim is reinforced by Auckl Council’s masterplan establishes Quay Street as a high-quality Harbour Edge space that reunites the city with its waterfront. “Q treet will become a multi-modal boulevard, with the pedestrian space between the red fence and the north side at the water e eferred to as the promenade.” Such an urban fabric requires more than a simple upgrade; it should activate adjoining sites paces,12and offer pleasant waterfront and city centre experiences. With slowed vehicle speeds and improved streetscape of Quay Street, the Precinct takes an advantage of the enhanced environment. The Precinct should generate a mixed-used destina

most n be ours. here ront Quay ty of and urist n the n on e. Its which by a HSBC and and ence long fact from ation this g the (and and ople ping The egral ntial nects rong s the tline land Quay edge and f the ation

SANITARIUM

FITNESS CLUB

Lit with soft light, the subtle tones of the materials are delivered more explicitly. The room is filled with a light touches of cologne, allowing a cordial experience of well-being. Yet the fitness club is highly articulated. Behind the statuesque bodies, lacquered wood, spotless mirrors and motivational poster float on the wall. The mirrors on three sides are conveniently put for regular check-ups. The club is devoted for fitness and freedom, freedom from illness.

BESPOKE TAILOR

Bitter, yet invitingly warm smell fills the salon. The fresh brewed kopi luwak remains bottomless in the honey leathered seat. The mezzanine looks down to the garden through a patina copper frame. The bottom of the frame extends out long and slim, becoming a Kauri shelf with turquoise-copper melting on to the wood. The wait is a gift, a pleasure of conquest over a tailored suit.

DEGUSTATION

THE PRECINCT

In the middle of the spa, an endless intertwine of tropical flora impedes the view to the other side. Occasional movements cast nude-coloured silhouettes on the banana leaves, and the hints of flesh penetrates through weaved holes of mangrove roots. The bodies remain primitive, however, the space gives them an illusion of beauty and wonder.

Being and Time; Heidegger – “Mood cannot be reduced to the realm of psychological ‘feelings’ or any anthropological understanding of ‘lived experience’. We are not displaced into moods; the disposition displaces us. Simply put, moods make a world come about.1

1 Martin Heidegger, Being and Time. (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1962)

Distraction - zerstruung is an evenly distributed attention; it means both to turn away from a certain activity or attentive focus, and to in its place focus on something else... ...hence if distraction would help direct where focus truly needs to go in a hyperactive environment.

DISTRACTIVE MILIEU Distraction – an evenly distributed attention; Distraction means both to turn away from a certain activity or attentive focus, and to in its place focus on something else. ‘To be distracted is to be ‘called’ elsewhere. Despite the fact that distraction is everywhere in experience, it is not at all difficult to image a world without distraction. Such an idea is in fact the norm if we consider it from the point of view of social control.’2 The concept of distraction in space comes from the account by Horkheimer and Adorno, referenced in I am a monument; Zerstreuung allows us to recover from intense condition of scepticism and it brings to a status of relaxation and distraction. The loosening of vision and attention often evokes equanimity and responsiveness to the near environment.3 Engaging in a distributed attention, during an analytical encounter, also gives a desire to delay selection or criticism, allowing one to pay attention to everything.4 From the theories aligned from the German Zerstreuung and Vinegar’s I am a monument, it is worthwhile investigating whether “unconscious vision (in distraction) will widen its focus and thus gives more capability of scanning the many complications”5 in a hyperactive environment and hence if distraction would help direct where focus truly needs to go.

2 Grillner, Katja. 2005. “In the Corner of Perception - Spatial Experience in Distraction.” Architectural Research Quartely (3-4): 245-254. 3 Vinegar, I am a monument: On Learning from Las Vegas, 27. 4 Ibid., 27. 5 Ibid., 28.

In a city, distraction occurs between; one building and another, one area and another, or on space and another. It defines the space where people turn to, on their ‘via’ to a certain destination... ...Las Vegas Strip is an examplar of a city distraction that brings seduction and ambivalence to the city.

DISTRACTIVE CITY In an urban context, distractive environment occurs between; one building and another, one area and another, or one space and another. It defines the space where people turn to, on their ‘via’ to a certain destination. And this is not anything peculiar. Their essence is to turn the attention of the city’s audience, and as a whole, provoking an evenly distributed attention that reflects the city’s unique character. Aron Vinegar notes that: “it is never the words of meaning that count in advertisements, but rather the ‘colour’ of those words, their ‘profane illumination’.”6 This questions the idea of distraction in a cityscape. A renowned exemplar would be the Las Vegas Strip7 which was rediscovered in Learning from Las Vegas. The Strip represents the city’s identity and its distraction colours the city’s image. The blinding lights from casinos and entertainment infrastructure blow the tourists’ minds away every visit. The dispersion of commercial blend in the Strip acts as the urban distraction to its city. It brings out greater ambivalence of the casinos and their gambling nature. Caused by these desert oasis’ (casinos) in the Strip, there is scarce chance in avoiding the seductive distraction in Las Vegas. It is possible to estimate the credibility of social proof in Las Vegas when nine in ten visitors end up gambling in their trip.8

6 Vinegar, I am a monument: On Learning from Las Vegas, 30. 7 Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas. 8 “What to do in Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada.” Slots of Vegas, accessed March 20, 2013, http://slotsofvegas.com

New Zealand also has a significant growth in tourism for the past few decades. As being the largest city in New Zealand, and with the recent development of Auckland’s central business district (e.g. Britomart, City Works Depot) the number of public transport passengers has been soaring up. The daily use survey at the Britomart train station has increased more than five folds over the past ten years, expecting a further rise to an estimated 37,000 commuters per day in 2021.9 Cruise ship passengers through Queens Wharf have also increased in the most recent years and is expected to get bigger. “A cruise ship turnaround - during which passengers disembark and embark - can be worth US$1-2 million ($1.2-2.4 million) to a local economy, depending on the size of the ship, through re-stocking, hotels and tours.10 Hence the city’s waterfront is always a big discussion in the redevelopment plans and as a result of the on-going production, there were several major changes near the Viaduct basin after Rugby World Cup 2012, for example, the Cloud.11 Auckland’s waterfront brings both international and local guests to the ‘heart of the city’,12 where the Britomart train station and Fanshawe and Quay Streets meet, bringing in major motorway traffic. From here, city passengers and visitors begin their wander through the ‘City of Sails.’ Typical destinations include the Civic centre, Skycity, Auckland Domain, Parnell, Newmarket etc.13 Through their trips and stay, the functionality of the city as distraction parallels to what happens in Las Vegas’ Strip. As the dispersion of the major tourist attractions gives a set course for the tourists, the urban space to and from the arrival point becomes the distractive oasis in the city. Entertainment and accommodation give tourists a break from the main show and engender increased concentration on city landmarks. The contextual quality of the waterfront hence arrives to be the starting point of distraction in the cityscape. Its placement in the centre of public transportation - a ‘via’ to city attractions – is also at the beginning of distractive space which enhances this value.

“...the two-storey-high overhangs are extremely impractical during wet seasons. It is hard to accept that they have considered the fact that New Zealand’s rain does not fall (here, the word ‘fall’ does not comply, as fall defines a vertical movement), instead it hits from all sides.”

The effect of distraction in this particular urban context can be examined by specifying the architectural typology and its schematic significance in a wider context. The precinct consists of two office blocks – Zurich house and HSBC house - and its footprint is dominated by a four storey shopping 9 Gibson, The New Zealand Herald. 10 Hembry, Owen. “Cruise Ship Passengers in NZ to Soar.” The New Zealand Herald, last modified March 26, accessed March 20, 2013, http://www. nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10794575. 11 “Auckland City Attractions.” Heart of the City., accessed April 1, 2013, http://www.heartofthecity.co.nz/things-to-do 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid.

centre. The phallic towers cast shades over Queen Elizabeth II Square (QEII Square is directly behind the HSBC house), and overwhelm the site with their masculine stands. It is a high density mix-used zone which receives major traffic and pedestrian flows of the city. A major challenge people face is getting to their destinations on foot from the Precinct. Customs and Quay Streets, with heavy traffic flowing from the motorways, limit pedestrian amenity and crossing points, making the experience of walking to the city centre and the waterfront difficult. The two-storey-high overhangs - additions above the pedestrian path along the face of Queen Street (left)– are extremely impractical during wet seasons. It is hard to accept that they have considered the fact that New Zealand’s rain does not fall (here, the word ‘fall’ does not comply, as fall defines a vertical movement), instead it hits from all sides. More so, the shopping mall itself is an antithesis of retails in other parts of the city centre. It is an introvert aggregation of shops, within a fortress-like shell which is entirely covered in advertisements. This is an awfully well-kept shopping legacy in this country where this happens all around the suburbs such as Sylvia Park and Albany; at a severely bigger scale. Considering the ‘profane illumination’14 in Auckland’s cityscape, it should be a shame that this is what Auckland has to present to people’s (and visitors’) arrival to the city. The Precinct fails to communicate its identity to people who walk across from Britomart train station and numerous bus stops through which they arrive. The Precinct, in its current condition, is a mere volume of distraction that people tend to avoid attending and consider it as a transitional space in their journey to and from one destination to another. The shopping mall hardly manages to attract pedestrian flow only for it be a sheltered thoroughfare between Queen and Albert Streets. The Precinct should rise to become a connective proposition, where it connects the social hubs of the city, as well as being an integral social hub itself. Its geographical position – while on a reclaimed land – has an advantageous attribute for it to become a substantial ‘hot spot’ of the city. There is an opportunity to turn the Precinct as a starting point of people-focused harbour space. It connects the Wynyard Quarter, the Viaduct basin, Princes and Queens Wharves, and all the way to Britomart.15 Auckland has a strong historical relationship with its surrounding waters. This is always celebrated in the 14 Vinegar, I am a monument: On Learning from Las Vegas. 15 Auckland Council. 2012. “Harbour Edge Stitch: Uniting the Waterfront with the City Centre.” In City Centre Masterplan 2012, 78. Auckland: Auckland Council`.

“The phallic towers cast shades over Queen Elizabeth II Square......and overwhelm the site with their masculine stands.”

“...the Strip represents the city’s identity and its distraction colours the city’s image. The blinding lights from casinos and entertainment infrastructure blow the tourists’ minds away every visit.”

suburban beaches. However the city neglects its coastline, perceiving it only as an economic gateway dominated by a vigorous port. The site should address our incredible coastline and the new development should enable people to engage with the water’s edge in a city centre. This aim is reinforced by Auckland Council’s Masterplan 2012, which develops Quay Street as a high-quality Harbour Edge space that reunites the city with its waterfront. Auckland Council’s masterplan establishes Quay Street as a high-quality Harbour Edge space that reunites the city with its waterfront. “Quay Street will become a multi-modal boulevard, with the pedestrian space between the red fence and the north side at the water edge referred to as the promenade.”16 Such an urban fabric requires more than a simple upgrade; it should activate adjoining sites and spaces, and offer pleasant waterfront and city centre experiences. With slowed vehicle speeds and improved streetscape of the Quay Street, the Precinct takes an advantage of the enhanced environment.17 The Precinct should generate a mixed-used destination - a series of ‘beads on a string’ linked in to the grand harbour ‘edge stitching.’18 The Precinct becomes the postcard images of the city, reflecting their significance as a forecourt to Britomart Station and the point where the heart of the city meets the waterfront.19 The aforementioned Council scheme reproduces a benevolent and pedestrian-friendly environment. These salubrious amenities and developments are inevitable necessities for the Precinct. However, this project argues that such hackneyed attributes are insufficient for the project to change the attitude of distraction in the site. Without a profound identity being established, the Precinct would simply be a ‘better’ thoroughfare to the destinations. The notion of distraction in cityscape is effectively portrayed in the daring depictions of urban condition in the film industries. Blade Runner (1982), directed by Ridley Scott with futurist illustrator, Syd Mead, depicts an eerie city image which engages with the distraction in an urban context. It truly demonstrates a futuristic urban retrofit – in this case Los Angeles. Considering the time of the production, the images we are exposed to is esoteric. Every still in the film inscribes to be very colourful and rich, leaving the viewer overwhelmed with the level of detail in its urban depiction. These moments in the film archetype the futuristic settings in latter movies, and is continuously seen even in recent movies such as Total Recall (2012). The fusion of Eastern calligraphy and cultural motifs are almost 16 Auckland Council, Masterplan 2012. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 Ibid.

identical in both films. These movies capture another thing in common; the active environment in a city. Most of the time where a built environment is portrayed, there is always movement; activity caused by people, vehicles, signage, machinery etc. With the movement of the camera, all surroundings approach the viewer as distraction. Only when the camera holds and focuses on one set subject, the subject becomes the essence of the scene. It eliminates the effect of distraction without completely deleting distraction out of the view. The shift in focus achieves the manipulation of distraction. The manipulation of distraction controls the immediate urban context.

“...Karangahape Road represents Auckland’s explicit sexual appeal. The neon lights from strip clubs and adult shops signal for a distrusted place uncomfortably placed at the fringe of the city.”

The Precinct, in its immediate urban context, exists as an unnecessary distractive environment occurring between renowned places of the city. It is a pestilential distraction where people avoid turning to, on their ‘via’ to a certain destination. The project essence is hence to turn the attention of the city’s audience, and provoking a controlling distraction that inaugurates the Precinct’s eccentricity. The proposal of this project is a speculative city fabric placed in the precinct, comprised of a series of substantial parts, which aims to perform as architecture of seductive distraction. The distraction presents itself as a classy adult playground – a revealed milieu occurring within the politics of the waterfront. The notion is to create a series of sensual spaces that are integrated in an explicit complex, creating a new attraction paradigm. The series of thematic components sometimes explicitly, and at other times implicitly, highlight the Precinct’s identity and its distraction colouring the city’s image. Seductive illusions and lucid entertainment infrastructure of the Precinct blow the visitors’ minds away every visit. The dispersion to and from the Precinct acts as a new urban distraction in the city centre. The following text argues about the hypothesis in terms of eliciting greater ambivalence of the adult entertainment and their elucidating nature. The waterfront oasis in the Precinct, and its seductive distraction rediscovers the vehement resemblance to the ambivalence we discover in the studies with Learning from Las Vegas. It challenges to be a superseding paradigm for the current Precinct.

DISTRACTIVE SPACE The depiction of built environment in Blade Runner hints the density human activity. Individual built moments act as a source of distraction for every moment in life. The food stall in the alleyway demands pedestrian attention not only with its fluorescent bulbs, but with the smell of food, noise of the people, and not to mention, the cordial invite from the owner. The discourse on spatial distraction in its simplest meanings is the drawback attention to anything in our built environment. The effect distraction has in our life however is contrastingly strong and heavy. A familiar sense of distractive moments can easily be found in our surrounding built environment. When a space is surrounded by a constant diffusion of distraction, the rigidity of the private space allows viability of a focused attention, but at the same time gives apprehension to the milieu. An example of this would be a vociferous condition, where clubs and bars provide an unlimited opportunity of distraction. However, people still attend in an illusion of privacy, while being acquainted to the whole interior space as an audience of the event. Another exemplary demonstration of distraction is whilst in private learning, a distraction of music plugged into one’s ear, result of eliminating the distraction of the whole to give attention to the text or the matter that requires concentration. These moments show hints of relationship, again, to Zerstreuung where products are created to be alertly consumed in a state of distraction. Walter Benjamin discusses about the perception of buildings in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: “Buildings are appropriated in a twofold manner: by use and by perceptions – or rather by touch and sight. Such appropriation cannot be understood in terms of the attentive concentration of a tourist before a famous building. On the tactile side there is no counterpart to contemplation on the 34

optical side. Tactile appropriation is accomplished not so much by attention as by habit.”20 Regarding architecture, mood or atmosphere hint both the use and its perception of a built environment. Furthermore, mood is a fundamental element that provides cognitive experiences. The intake of visceral perception is realised by the result of reflection and refraction within the diverse range of mood occurring within a space. Having control - or a gesture of control - of mood allows the projection of a certain pitch in a space. At the same time, the atmospheric experiences such as warmth, coldness, lightness and mass, is created by the physical strengths of the visceral that is articulated inside the space. And this challenges the question of where these mood can come from. How far do they push beyond their function of brightening up a space? This challenges to view spatial intensity, nodes of focus, and distraction – both inside and outside the building. At the same time, it desires to be a beautiful piece of distraction in the city that attracts people’s attention. A distractive space hence is redefined as a space where mood is controlled. Controlling the mood, by the means of adjusting the pitch, enables architects to define a space. The potential of distractive spaces for the Precinct is primarily explored through the delineation of speculative provocations for the site. The narratives harnesses literary forms to conceptualise and propose architectural designs and examine the possibility of sensual depiction in the development of the distractive spaces. It is the language that tells us about the nature of a thing, provided that we respect language’s own nature. In the meantime, to be sure, there rages round the earth an unbridled yet clever talking, writing, and broadcasting of spoken words. Man acts as though he were the shaper and master of language, while in fact language remains the master of man.21 The importance of the literary media in architecture was developed as part of the technology and instrumentation of the digital age.22 The very idea of the “digital age,” serves the period as a symbolic concept, doubtless to say largely induced by the media industry. It is in resemble to Le Corbusier identification in the very existence of the printed 20 Walter Benjamin, ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’, in Illuminations, edited by Hannah Arendt (New York: Schocken Book, 1969), pp. 240. 21 Martin Heidegger, ‘Building Dwelling Thinking’, in Poetry, Languages, Thought, translated by Albert Hofstadter (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), pp. 144. 22 Beatriz Colomina, Architetureproduction, edited by Joan Ockman. (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1988), pp. 66

media an important conceptual shift regarding the function of architecture in the “machine age” of his time.23 Beatriz Colomina in architectureproduction holds a similar idea when she talks about architecture, as distinct from building, as an interpretative, critical act. “It has a linguistic condition different from the practical one of building. A building is interpreted when its rhetorical mechanism and principles are revealed.”24 Literary forms take prestigious position as to quickly deliver messages to other parties, more than different modes of representational discourse: drawings and models etc. It happens especially through Social Network Services, where this information is communicated online through applications such as Instagram or Facebook. The physical distance does not vacillate nor hinder the delivery of information and in the virtual realm. And hence the society’s information floats mid-air - as we call it the ‘cloud’ - where people choose to be exposed to media and certain dialects of their favor.

Tall, slim, in morning, in majestic brief, A woman passed me, with a splendid hand Lifting and swinging her festoon and hem; Ni that fascinates, pleasure that kills. One lightning flash then night! Sweet fugitive Whose glance has made me suddenly reborn, W

The recent damage from cyclone Lusi calmed its news

headlines with minor damages and power cuts through

the Northland and parts of Auckland. Power cuts in Auckland occur every night, indefinitely more incidences that problems that has been caused by the unstoppable behaviour of cyclones. This phenomenon starts around half past eleven every night. The streets remain vacant, shop-lights and signs are turned off and only the distant clubs hum their basement profiles. Post-dinner, post-bar, post-BYO, post-wine, post-shisha, post-karaoke, where are Aucklanders headed? Unless it involves a heavy affectation of alcohol, almost all are headed home. Among the rapidly growing city body, Auckland still is absent of an ‘after space.’ The following propositions are not necessarily an alternative night-life programs however they are aimed to be a seductive provocation for the ‘other-space’ that people desire for. The following narrative was inspired by Henri de ToulouseLautrec’s painting of Le Coucher de la Mariee – ‘the Bridge goes to the Bed’. The poster depicts a colourful and theatrical life, yielded in exciting, elegant and provocative images. It opens up to a performance that featured a nude woman, almost for the first time in a live act. This resonates with the project’s narrative as a harbinger of the sensual experience.

23 Colomina, Architetureproduction, 72. 24 Ibid, 84.

A small entrance hidden behind gold painted folding screens and fretted frame holds the noisy hall back. Inside, past French oak tables and paper lanterns, lies an inviting bar surrounded in mellow colours. The eatery is a small, yet moody dining scene. Moleskin limestone complements a line of velvet seats, while waxed timber and a traditional hand painted Japanese cabinet add to its lure. At the centre of the bar is a staged kitchen wrapped in thin bamboo strips, a reminiscence of Hiroshige’s paintings, reveals the art of fusion cuisine. On the wall floats old ivories, bronzes, porcelain mosaic, and a picture of a girl in embroidered satin. As he arrived at the end of the soft embroidered carpet, he climbed into a boat that was floating among the reeds. He went all the way out to the farthest end and threw his token, but the boat wasn’t tied securely, and with his movement, it glided away from the dock. They drifted towards their station.

imble and stately, statuesque of leg.I, shaking like an addict, from her eye, Black sky, spawner of hurricanes, drank in sweetness Will we not meet again this side of death? Far from this place! too late” never perhaps! Neither one knowing where the other goes,

The windows were high up with panes that were red, blue O you I might have loved, as well you know. and yellow. Austere light shone so strangely inside from all those colours. On the table were the loveliest cherries, and -Baudelaire he ate as many as he liked, because he was no longer afraid. While he was focused on the cherries, she combed her hair with golden comb, and her hair curled and gleamed fair all around her cheerful face. And when he finished the last cherry bud, her satin robe sled down past her bust and fell on the batons.

The space is delivered in the few seconds of reading in the text. This would be a similar effect of how the space would be experienced. The sensual distraction in the room fills ecstasy and enthusiasm of simultaneous events and hence manifesting a sensorial effect. Benjamin’s writing on the poet Charles Baudelaire explores further impact of spatial distraction on the human sensory and the effective experience. The ‘sensorial onslaught’ generated by the speed of a space deflects the response and status of oneself. A protective gesture in a distracted form prevents one from overwhelming oneself with distraction. The impact of this reaction ‘tease out an experiential realm which is at once hidden within, other to, and beyond the polarities of experience described in Benjamin’s commentaries on Baudelarire.’25 Such a reading of the distracted look shifts our understanding of what the 25 Latham, “The Power of Distraction,” 454.

places— and ‘the people who populate those places—in ways that go beyond those of self-protection and its efforts to anaesthetise the environment she or he is in.’26 The production of a civil dis-attention (the placing of others into a background) is in fact an affirmation of the surrounding environment. This contact and affirmation is, as Benjamin describes is about ‘negotiating the distance between two strangers, signalling that they mean each other no harm or ill will.’27 It can also be depicted as a warm gesture, a gesture of ‘mutual humanity, of the shared subjectivity, of the self with the other.’28 The affirmation of sensuality also contends with the social attributions. Evocative materials and visceral speculations announce their distraction to the immediate context. However it would present an atmospheric gesture that does not hinder with the existing functionality of the Precinct. The development of the fleshly narratives continues to reveal the momentariness in spaces. It articulates that a time that has passed by, which is not only felt temporary, but its stains may remain permanent. It could also mean that time spent in a spatial experience can be conceived as a momentary incident. Benjamin speaks of this effect using Charles Baudelaire’s poetry in his sonnet, “To a woman passing by”: “Around me roared the nearly deafening street.”

In a distracted moment, the poet and the woman are ‘caught within the momentum’, and their meeting only ends up b the social meeting can create an illusion of time lapse. ‘The passio Tall, slim, in morning, in majestic brief, A woman passed me, with a splendid hand Lifting and swinging her festoon and hem;

Nimble and stately, statuesque of leg. I, shaking like an addict, from her eye, Black sky, spawner of hurricanes, drank in Sweetness that fascinates, pleasure that kills.

26 Ibid, 465. 27 Ibid. 28 Ibid.

One lightning flash then night! Sweet fugitive Whose glance has made me suddenly reborn, Will we not meet again this side of death?

Far from this place! too late” never perhaps! Neither one knowing where the other goes, O you I might have loved, as well you know.

being “one lightening flash.” This momentary experience occurs with the existence of distraction. In a distracted space, onately empathetic sighting is the most perfect urban relationship.’ Benjamin wrote, “far from experiencing the crowd as an opposed, antagonistic element, this very crowd brings to the city dweller the figure that fascinates.”29 In a distracted moment, the poet and the woman are ‘caught within the momentum’, and their meeting only ends up being “one lightening flash.” This momentary experience occurs with the existence of distraction. In a distracted space, the social meeting can create an illusion of time lapse. ‘The passionately empathetic sighting is the most perfect urban relationship.’30 Furthermore, these ideas drive the proposition, and shows the potential of spatial articulation in the current – somewhat static – status of the Precinct, developing its nature into a more of an extraordinary one.

29 Benjamin, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” 275. 30 Ibid.

Sorties; Helene Cixous – It is much harder for man to let the other come through him. Writing is the passageway, the entrance, the exit, the dwelling place of the other in me- the other that I am and am not. I don’t know how to be, but that I feel passing, that makes me live- that tears me apart, disturbs me, changes me, who? - a feminine one, a masculine one, some?1 1 Helene Cixous, The Helene Cixous Reader, edited by Susan Sellers (Routledge, 2003), 42. Ibid.

DIS(TRACK)TIVE SPACE Auckland detracts from its image of a vibrant commercial centre, as it manifests explicit sexual typologies in the shades of Karangahape Road and other backstreets of downtown. Questioning the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, and the growing act of sexual accommodation in the city shades, is there an alternative solution to this controversy? This project is speculative city fabric placed in the heart of CBD, comprised of a series of substantial parts, which aims to perform as architecture of distraction. The design presents itself as a classy adult playground – a revealed milieu occurring within the politics of downtown CBD. It challenges to mock the inevitable masculinity and the cold-hearted splinters behind the teasing gestures of the Precinct’s phallic towers. It focuses on developing a complex that integrates the downtown fabrics and refrains from becoming a mere visible architecture. Public transportation, once recalled to be one of the weakest amenities of the city, now is rapidly renovated with the new City Rain Link upgrade. This project proposes to accommodate the new city amenity with the notions creating a series of sensual spaces that are integrated in an explicit complex, creating a new attraction paradigm. The new paradigm aims to lure anyone who is in a voyage. The complex provides an intimidating experience in a short time before the passengers sail back away from the city centre.

31 Helene Cixous, The Helene Cixous Reader, edited by Susan Sellers (Routledge, 2003), 42. Ibid.

THE QUEEN’S BESPOKE DRESSROOM “The Snow Queen” is one of Anderson’s longest and most acclaimed fairy tales. It was first published in 1845 as part of Nye Eventyr. Første Bind. Anden Samling - New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Third Collection.34 The tale is based on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Gerda. Anderson portrays an exhilarating adventure of Gerda on her heroic rescue for Kai, who is kidnapped by the Snow Queen after an incident when the splinters of an evil mirror penetrate into his heart and eyes. The following narrative distorts Gerda’s successful retrieval of Kai, and asks the question to question to the masculine behaviour, which Kai would have had were he a few years older. It is discovered as an alternative sequel of the Queen’s kisses for Kai.

“Are you still freezing?” the Queen asked, and then she kissed him on the forehead. Ooh! It was colder than ice; it went right to his heart, which was already half ice. He felt as if he would die, but only for a moment, and then he felt fine. He no longer noticed the cold all around him. It was what he desired for, - he wanted to blend in – to be someone suitable to sit next to her majesty’s perfection. Now, he was at an entirely different level, with her kiss. It covered him fit, and promoted his position to be at her side. He could no longer accept anything deficient to her majesty’s class. The Queen kissed him again, this time on his cheek. Ooh! It felt colder than before; freezing his heart completely. He felt as if he would die, but only for a moment, and the he felt fine. 34 The Hans Christian Andersen Center. “Hans Christian Andersen: The Snow Queen.” HC Andersen Centret., last modified August 27, accessed March 22, 2014, http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/register/info_e. html?vid=68.

He no longer remembered his little girl and Grandmother and everyone else back home. Now it’s true that he thinks everything at the Queen’s castle is to his taste and liking, and he believes that it’s the best place in the world, but that’s because he has a splinter of glass in his heart and a tiny speck of glass in his eye.

From the sequel, two spatial concepts are articulated. The results equally produce distractive spaces for the Precinct, in the form that takes delineative tool depicting the architectural manifestation. The two provocation parallels with each kiss, with the first becoming a tailor-made suit shop. Kai needed the Queen’s first kiss in order to take a position where he could last next to her. If Kai was to desire for the Queen’s opulence, he would require a status which could content the conditions; as to be suitable to sit next to her throne. The shop keeps the disturbing city at bay, and frames the harbour in its careful touches of material and colour. Through the experience of the attractive distraction, he gains more masculinity: “plus value of virility, authority, power, money, or pleasure, all of which reinforce his phallocentric narcissism at the same time.”35 Bitter, yet invitingly warm smell fills the salon. The fresh brewed kopi luwak remains bottomless in the honey leathered seat. The mezzanine looks down to the garden through a patina copper frame. The bottom of the frame extends out long and slim, becoming a Kauri shelf with turquoise-copper melting on to the wood. The wait is a gift, a pleasure of conquest over a tailored suit. The body of the jacket follows his body, with the chest lying flat and the waist buttons doing up fit without pulling. The shoulders fit parallel with his shoulders. The sleeves fall past his wrist, about a centimetre short for the shirt sleeve to show. Trousers sit an inch above the top of the heel with a slight break in the front leg. The waist fit correctly rather than relying on a belt. Not a single piece of garment here is ‘off the shelf’: every component of the suit is crafted and handled in the pursuit of integrity in its gentle delight. A restrained selection of designer collections suit the customer’s taste. Their adroit fabrication alleviates the men’s self-esteem. The Queen’s Bespoke is a salon assembled by the work of the tailors who are passionate about job, and made elegant by grace and dexterity.

35 Helene Cixous, The Helene Cixous Reader, edited by Susan Sellers (Routledge, 2003), 44.

“Are you still freezing?” the Queen asked, and then she kissed him on the forehead. Ooh! It was colder than ice; it went right to his heart, which was already half ice. He felt as if he would die, but only for a moment, and then he felt fine. He no longer noticed the cold all around him. It was what he desired for, - he wanted to blend in – to be someone suitable to sit next to her majesty’s perfection. Now, he was at an entirely different level, with her kiss. It covered him fit, and promoted his position to be at her side. He could no longer accept anything deficient to her majesty’s class. Bitter, yet invitingly warm smell fills the salon. The fresh brewed kopi luwak remains bottomless in the honey leathered seat. The mezzanine looks down to the garden through a patina copper frame. The bottom of the frame extends out long and slim, becoming a Kauri shelf with turquoise-copper melting on to the wood. The wait is a gift, a pleasure of conquest over a tailored suit. Not a single piece of garment here is ‘off the shelf’: every component of the suit is crafted and handled in the pursuit of integrity in its gentle delight. A restrained selection of designer collections suit the customer’s taste. Their adroit fabrication alleviates the men’s self-esteem. The Queen’s Bespoke is a salon assembled by the work of the tailors who are passionate about job, and made elegant by grace and dexterity. 45

THE HOBGOBLIN’S MIRROR ROOM After the first kiss, Kai turns numb to cold, with the second kiss, he forgets about home, it is because he now has the Queen to himself. “It’s true that he thinks everything there is to his taste and liking, and he believes that it’s the best place in the world, but that’s because he has a splinter of glass in his heart and a tiny speck of glass in his eye.”36 The second kiss leads on to a provocation of a wine bar, a space that evokes intimacy and sensuality, with an eccentric mixture of clichéd elements, deliberately adjoined to one another. It purposefully attacks the society which is made for the male responsibility – for Kai’s stance to be with the Queen - an inevitable fate they have made for themselves. “A man is always proving something; he has to “show off,” show up the others. Masculine profit is almost always mixed up with a success that is socially defined.”37 Rose-coloured satin and artificial flowers adorn the walls and the draped burgundy silk cloaks a loud city in soft darkness. In the middle of the room stood a square bar, with low ceiling, even lower than the room’s. However, the ceiling glows with fronds of glass, precious glass and the floors are dyed with a tastefully restrained colour palette. Within this room fills exposed brick work, lacquered rosewood, brass Corinthian column and the curving vines of a metallic art nouveau wine rack. The red velvet camouflages the flushing faces, and blends with the colour of house red. Sensuality fills the room and engenders real intimacy.

36 Hans C. Anderson, “The Snow Queen.” In Fairy Tales. Translated by Jackie Wullschlager, edited by Tiina Nunnally, (New York: Viking Penguin, 2005), 199. 37 Cixous, The Helene Cixous Reader, 44.

The Queen kissed him again, this time on his cheek. Ooh! It felt colder than before; freezing his heart completely. He felt as if he would die, but only for a moment, and the he felt fine. He no longer remembered his little girl and Grandmother and everyone else back home. Now it’s true that he thinks everything at the Queen’s castle is to his taste and liking, and he believes that it’s the best place in the world, but that’s because he has a splinter of glass in his heart and a tiny speck of glass in his eye. Rose-coloured satin and artificial flowers adorn the walls and the draped burgundy silk cloaks a loud city in soft darkness. In the middle of the room stood a square bar, with low ceiling, even lower than the room’s. However, the ceiling glows with fronds of glass, precious glass and the floors are dyed with a tastefully restrained colour palette. Within this room fills exposed brick work, lacquered rosewood, brass Corinthian column and the curving vines of a metallic art nouveau wine rack. The red velvet camouflages the flushing faces, and blends with the colour of house red. Sensuality fills the room and engenders real intimacy. 49

THE EMPEROR’S INVISIBLE LOOM “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is a well-known Anderson fairy tale which has been translated and published in hundreds of versions. Anderson begins the tale with an Emperor who was “so terribly fond of beautiful new clothes that he spent all his money on dressing elegantly.”32 The Emperor is fabricated with a fraud to wear the most beautiful dress for his procession, sewed from the cloth that had a “peculiar property of being invisible to any person who was unfit for his position or inexcusably stupid.”33 The tale ends with an embarrassing moment as the Emperor is exposed to the public in his nudity. However questioning the masculine nature of the emperor, the following narrative plots a different view of the Emperor, and turns the procession into a narcissistic catwalk for him. 32 Hans C. Andersen, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In Fairy Tales. Translated by Tiina Nunnally, edited by Jackie Wullschlager, (New York: Viking Penguin, 2005), 91. 33 Anderson, Fairy Tales, 91-95.

The Emperor took off all his clothes, twisted and turned in front of the mirror. He turned around naked in front of the mirror, trying to examine his finery. No one wanted to admit that he couldn’t see anything, because then he would have been unfit for his position. However the Emperor was deceiving himself as he stood in front of the crowd, “I have to make it through the procession.” He held himself even prouder than before, and walked along the procession. The crowd gave him accolades – petals and applauds. Everyone admired his invisible clothes, beneath which shone his statuesque body. Who would ever have thought to see the Emperor’s nudity in front of their eyes? The Emperor knew the fraud all along, but this was his only opportunity to display his masculine figure. After a prolonged peace, his status foundered below the heroic image that his father has built on. His Imperial Majesty needed a propaganda which would widely distribute his narcissist physique.

From the twisted narrative, seductive spatial qualities are harnessed. The resulting delineation of architectural elements that manifest a speculative provocation evoke potential distractive spaces for the Precinct. As a result of the exploration, the provocation produced here is a fitness club for the narcissists. The club takes a form of a Greek hippodrome, with a taste of rough and arcane material palette. It only invite those who would unabashedly expose their ‘propaganda which would widely distribute their narcissist physiques.’ Although most individuals have some narcissistic traits, the guests to the hippodrome manifest themselves as a pathological form as narcissistic personality disorder, whereby they overestimates his or her abilities and has an excessive need for admiration and affirmation. Lit with red vehicle light, it reveals the contours of t(he)ir physiques more explicitly. The room is filled with a strong scent of cologne masking the stale smell of sweat. Yet the Invisible Loom is highly articulated. Behind the statuesque bodies, blood stains, vascularity, and old ripped Arnold poster float on the wall. The large mirrors on the other three sides are conveniently put for regular check-ups. The place is devoted for free weight work. Adjustable bars, dumbbells, EZ bars, all polished and flickering in the red light. Flat benches, preacher’s stands, chairs for military presses and concentration curls, all prepared for the sensual presentation.

NIGHTINGALE’S GARDEN OF ETERNAL SUMMER The last part is challenged by a twisting Anderson’s Nightingale, but with the grey little nightingale as an irresistible woman. A space devoted for service and comfort, a classy playground that heals you after a night of tiresome journey.

In the garden you could see the most wondrous flowers. Tied to the most splendid of them were silver bells that jingled, and you couldn’t walk past without noticing the flowers. Yes, everything was quite artful in the garden, and among the trees sang Nightingale so blissfully... …”There she is,” said the little boy. “Listen! Listen! And there she sits!” Nightingale’s hair was a rich shade of mahogany. It flowed in waves to adorn her glowing, porcelain-like skin. Her eyes, framed by long lashes, were bright, emerald-green. A straight nose, full lips, had she smiled, the world would sigh with contentment. More to that, her voice was the loveliest coquetry.

The scent of the therapeutic herbs and the white fabric of the walls separate the space from the acrimonious city centre and deliver an unadulterated sanctuary. The tiresome voyage through the wetness of the thunderstorm is assuaged by the augmented glass roof, flawlessly interlaced two floors above. The conservatory hence remains brightly lit even in an overcast, and transcends the weather with the ebullient melody that flows from the exotic instruments of Asia. In the middle of the spa, an endless intertwine of tropical flora impedes the view to the other side. Occasional movements cast nude-coloured silhouettes on the banana leaves, and the hints of flesh penetrates through weaved holes of mangrove roots. The bodies remain primitive. 56

Here the distraction is the mysterious intimacy behind the trees and their leaves. It is the mystery that people seem attractive. “A different sex, a different religion, a different human being.”38 The curiosity occurring within the space engender a distractive environment, and the tranquil nature of the speculation pushes the distraction beyond its ephemerality. Ghandi, in L’Indiade ou I’Inde de leurs reves, points out a human nature similar to the quality of the space suggested in the healing component of the provocation. He calls that “there is one tree with no two leaves that are identical, yet they dance to the same breeze. The tree of humanity. Let us give it time to germinate and mature.”39 The narratives explored various modes of distractive provocations speculative of the Precinct. When these spaces are placed together, and the different environments collide, overlap and transpire among each other, there is a possibility of distractive shock; a transient effect of social experiences within a highly dense distraction and controlled mood. Latham describes the power of distraction in a manner of social ‘mismeetings’ and how these incidents changes the perception of space and environment: In order to spare the self the burden of having to deal humanly with every stranger encountered when he or she is within public and/or exposed space, people work a series of bodily techniques that places strangers into a background, 38 Act II Scene ii of L’Indiade ou I’Inde de leurs reves, translated by Donald Watson, (Paris: Theatre du Soleil, 1987), pp 80-85. 39 Ibid.

a situation where possible meetings are fashioned into ‘mismeetings’. Backgrounded in this way, the self, although it is aware that other people are within his or her vicinity, does not actually ‘see’ the strangers with whom he or she shares his or her space. With this bodily working the self effectively sanitises its immediate environment, clearing away the messiness bought to it by the difficult presence of others.40 The exploration refers back to the particular notion of a distracted and de-focused architectural experience that Benjamin articulates in his essay. ‘With the close-up, space expands; with slow motion, movement is extended.’41 As a design driver, the spaces and their delineations label the distractive quality and suggest the composition of spaces in the adult playground. The dense distractions become an active space in which the sensuality is provoked within the building. Meanwhile, the traces of intimacy enhance spaces of directional movements in momentarily distractive spaces. The spaces formed inside, in-between, or to and from one another space, in attempt to develop a sensual experience of social collective and distractive shocks. ‘The distracted eye in shock performs a very specific function. This function is to act as protection from the excessive stimuli within the city.’42 It reflects to the social distancing where people’s perception unintentionally differentiates social and private notions in space. Private spaces are manifested whilst unnatural social spaces occur in the journey. They become a momentary space of mismeeting, a distractive shock. 43 Distractive shock is when a space engages with sudden turns that allow social experiences that approach as shock. This provokes a ‘dissocialising’ moment in the building into a fragmented moment; a chance for another distraction to take place. Deliberately making these spaces fragmented and disjointed, unarranged momentary experiences will blur the physical barriers in the separate parts of the Precinct. However individual components will produce the social boundaries created by the users. This amplifies the effect of when the mismeeting ends, the concentration on the desired specific distraction, which one wishes to focus on, eventually increases greatly. It is a result of the dissocialised momentum which then is conserved by the consecutive distractions. 40 Latham, “The Power of Distraction,” 464. 41 Grilner, Katja. “In the Corner of Perception - Spatial Experience in Distraction,” in Architectural Research Quartely (2005 3-4): 245-254. 42 Latham, Alan. “The Power of Distraction: Distraction, Tactility, and Habit in the Work of Walter Benjamin.” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 17 (1999) 464. 43 Ibid.