Flash Urbanism l ephemeral architecture

flash urbanism architecture of the ephemeral

Rachel Lappegaard University of North Carolina at Charlotte Comprehensive Architecture Project 2011

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“Every year a dense metropolis arises in the Black Rock Desert; every year it disappears without a trace. Tumult and change, churning cycles of invention and destruction - these forces generate the pulse of urban life. Great cities are organic, spontaneous, heterogeneous, and untidy. They are, like Burning Man, magnetic hubs of social interaction.”1 Each year tens of thousands flock to this desert, creating a vast city, only to leave a week later forever changed, yet leaving no trace of their temporary city.

Festivals are ubiquitous in contemporary society, and have roots tracing back to the beginning of civilization. Festivals vary in scale, scope, and type, yet each is about an experience that is fostered by the environment both natural and built. This document will examine these temporary cities in both the historical context as well as contemporary examples, with an extended case study of the Burning Man festival. It also includes preliminary designs from a design sharette, and ends with goals for future research and installation design for unique temporary environments.

While questions of permanence and Architecture are not new, we are now seeing the question of permanence on a larger scale, that of the city. Historically, permanence has been associated with the metropolis, juxtaposed with the transient frontier. These boundaries have begun to blur with populations that are more transient and cities that are growing rapidly and chaotically.

As world population figures are increasing at unprecedented rates, people are flocking to cities around the globe. According to the first US census, conducted in 1790, only 5% of the nation’s population declared residence in a city of 2,500 or more and 90% reported themselves as farmers.2 The 1950 census reported 64.2% of the nation’s population living in cities, and in 2000 a reported 79.1%.3 That number is expected to continue to climb in the coming years, and in developing nations population migration is even more dramatic.

“Urban migration, [is] a trend that has created at least 26 cities worldwide with a population greater than 10 million.”4 That number continues to grow. Meanwhile, “There are almost a billion people worldwide who live in makeshift housing or unplanned

1

Burningman Organization LLC, 2010.

Quinn, James Alfred. 1955. Urban sociology. New York: American Book Co.: 3.

3 http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/aug/18/percentage-population-living-cities: March 20, 2010.

4 Lewis 2

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communities, off the grid, off the economy, off the map.”5 Whether displaced by war, politics, natural disaster, or homelessness, these people are in need of shelter, and basic necessities.

CON > ERGENCE & PILGRIMAGE Moments of human convergence are abundant throughout human history. The act of pilgrimage is practiced in many world religions including Christian, Judeo, and Islamic faiths. Ritual has been an integral part of civilization since its inception as evidenced by remnants left behind from our earliest ancestors.

The Hajj pilgrimage, a religious duty to those of the Muslim faith, is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. Evidence of the pilgrimage can be traced back to 2000 BC. Millions converge on the holy land between the cities of Makkah and Muzdalifah for eight days of religious rituals and festival.

The Saudi Arabian government has created the Tent City of Mina to provide needed shelter for these pilgrims. During the Hajj, more than 5000 inhabitants per hectare live in this space making it one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. The large field of lightweight structures remains in place and tents are projected to last 50 years, bringing to question its permanence.

A well-known ruin, Stonehenge, was built over a 300-year period from ca. 1900 to 1600 BC. All theories of the functions of Stonehenge are interpretive and hypothetical, however most anthropologists, historians, and astronomers agree that it was a place of gathering, ritual, and festival.6 These early nomadic ancestors left monolithic traces of their convergence on this place at particular times of the year, likely the summer and winter solstices. It was an environment of festivals that reoccurred through time.

Today, only thirty-five miles from the ruins of Stonehenge, on a mile and a half strip of farmsteads, the “largest Greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world” takes place on the summer solstice.7 First celebrated in 1970, following the death of Jimi Hendrix, the Glastonbury Festival started with a group of 1,500 attendees. The festival grew to a

5

Lewis, Jim. “The Exigent City,” The New York Times (June 8th, 2008).

Ray, Benjamin C. “Stonehenge: A New Theory.” History of Religions 7 Hailey, Charlie. Camps. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009: 128.

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crowd of 177,500 in 2009. The masses gather to listen to music from a range of artists and converse about environmental issues largely spurred by Oxfam, and Water Aid. Gathers camp in designated fields in a chaotic array of tents and temporary structures. It is a social experiment in spontaneous urbanism. In contrast to their ancestors, organizers have enacted the “take it with you” campaign to encourage participants to “leave no trace” of having been on the grounds. As gathers leave the cows are returned to the farm and it is once again a place of agriculture.

“Leave no trace” is a core principal of the burning man festival in Nevada. Founder Larry Harvey describes the experience: “Imagine you are put upon a desert plain, a space which is so vast and blank that only your initiative can make of it a place. Imagine it is swept by fearsome winds and scorching temperatures, and only by your effort can you make of it a home. Imagine you’re surrounded by thousands of other people, that together you form a city, and within this teeming city there is nothing that’s for sale. The Black Rock Desert is an empty void. Not a bird or bush or bump disturb its surface. It is a place that is no place at all apart from what we choose to make of it. The playa is like an enormous blank canvas. The desert is a blank slate. It is empty when Burning Man begins and it is cleaned up, it is empty again at the end, as if it never happened.”8 In San Francisco, on June 21, 1986, Larry Harvey and Jerry James constructed an eight-foot tall wooden structure in the shape of a man. They decided to burn it on the beach in an act of “radical self-expression.” They immediately attracted the attention of bystanders who began to interact with one another. From a small gathering on a beach, the Burning Man festival was born, and has since grown to a festival attracting 51,054 people in 2010,9 creating a temporary city for one week a year.

Burning man festival is camping in an extreme sense. Each member must bring everything they need for survival, and all contribute to the community and create the unique city each year. It is the epitome of the Jane Jacobs idea that “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”10 Black rock desert, known as the “playa,” is the one of the flattest places on earth and exceeds four hundred square miles. With average August temperatures reaching 110

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Harvey, Larry 2000. http://afterburn.burningman.com/10/ 10 Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: The Modern Library, 1993.

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degrees Fahrenheit and winds gusting at over 50 miles per hour, “Burners” brave the conditions for a week of camping and self-discovery.

Burning Man Festival officially starts with the driving of a concrete stake into the center of what is to become Black Rock City (BRC). Volunteers use 200 ft. chains to create concentric rings that make up the city streets of BRC. Each ring forms two-thirds of a circle. Using the clock as an orientation reference, the opening is centered at twelve o’clock leaving a clear view of the “man” from any spot in the city. This opening acts as vast public space that becomes home to over 200 art installations.

The “man” is a wooden statue that is the focal point and center of the event. Like the event the “man” has grown with the years reaching a height of 80 feet in 2002. The “man” is removed from the city of campsites to create a pilgrimage for burners on the final night of the festival, which culminates in the burning of the “man”.

BRC is a full-fledged functioning city during its yearly weeklong existence. The Center Camp functions as the communal gathering space, where burners can buy drinks, enjoy varied works of art and live entertainment, as well as, find the valuable, desert resource, ice. BRC also has a recycling center, airport, DMV, “Department of Mutant Vehicles,” and even a daily Newspaper and radio station.11 Through the years emphasis has shifted from center camp to theme camps, which line the BRC streets. Creative festival attendees submit their elaborate plans to the event’s city planners to design each camp. The only “rule” of the designs for camps is that they be participatory. It is about creating a communal environment that facilitates and encourages social interaction and exploration.

The entire event functions under Burning Mans core ten principles: Radical Inclusion, stemming from the early integration of the cacophony society’s philosophy of “you may already be a member,” anyone can participate in Burning Man, and if you attend it is expected that you will participate. Gifting, participants are encouraged to gift to one another, a gift is commonly non-material, but rather an act of kindness. Decommodification, as a compliment to the gifting society, the community does not allow any commerce in the city, with the exception of ice sales. Radical Self-reliance, the community is designed to push each individual to discover what each is capable of and to

11

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/

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rely on one’s inner resources. Radical self-expression, the community encourages each participant to push themselves beyond the limits of everyday life and express each one’s unique talents. Communal Effort, building a temporary city requires the help of numerous volunteers, artists, and designers who contribute to the experience of all. Civic Responsibility, each participant is a member of this temporary society and has a responsibility to look after the public welfare. Leaving No trace, one of the governing principals that each participant respects the environment and pledges to leave the playa as it was found. Participation, everyone is encouraged to both work and play in this environment to explore their surrounding and make it a deeply personal experience.

Immediacy, too often in life people are not living in the present, Burning Man encourages participants to immerse themselves into their immediate environment and interact with those around you. Each of these principles combines with the extreme environment to create a camping experience like none other.

ENCAMPMENTS “Defining the camp is a central problem of our contemporary moment. Camps result from the exceptional circumstances of conflict, natural disaster, displacement, and marginality with increasing frequency and ever-greater facility.”12 While camps exist in a myriad of situations and locations, this paper will focus on encampments that create the temporary cities of festivals.

A defining characteristic of camps is their ability to be quickly and easily assembled and in turn disassembled. “Because of their rapid deployment and temporal nature camps register these forces at their earliest stages and thus provide an important gauge of local and global situations.”13 Current camping trends mark the social changes in our society and begs the question how designers and architects can accommodate those changes in the built environment. “This unsettling range of permutations provides critical ground to understand how camp spaces are increasingly transforming ways that we think about and make built environments.”14

12 13 14

Hailey, Charlie. Camps, A Guide to 21st Century Space. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009,1.

Hailey, Charlie,1.

Hailey, Charlie,2.

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Permanence has become more and more difficult to define as mobile home parks become immobile and concrete buildings are imploded. “Camps are also defined through time. Just as they are lodged spatially between the open and closed, camps exist between the temporary and the permanent. “15 This boundary has been continually blurred with both the temporary becoming more permanent and the permanent becoming more temporary. This blurring can be found throughout the history of human settlement.

“The transition from temporary to permanent also occurs at the scale of the city through the process of urbanization.”16 Roman military camps enabled the empire to conquer and maintain control over vast colonies. These camps were the foundations of many contemporary metropolises across Europe, including Barcelona, Vienna, and Prague.

Military camps are still employed today. The US routinely uses Military camps as basses of operation around the world, as well as detention centers. These camps, while considered temporary often exist for years, even decades blurring the boundaries of the temporal and permanent. The shift from temporary to permanent can also be observed in mobile home parks, and long-term campgrounds across the US, where “mobile” homes are increasingly becoming immobile, weaving them into the local urban fabric.

Post World War II legislation brought about paid holidays in the US and many European countries, and resulted in the rise of resorts, camps, and “weekend cities.” War had also created an “undifferentiated blurring of public and private live.”17 Public versus private is difficult to distinguish in a camp setting. Camps create a more public form of dwelling.

“Camps also afford shifts from permanence to temporality. This renewed transience might be in response to economic turns or the effects of natural disaster. And in other cases, the camp is a recreational space of play outside societal norms.” 18 This removal from societal norms is paramount to the creation of the festival cities.

“Latrobe documented the potential for societal freedom with a collapsing of the sacred and the profane into a single site as place-event, an indeterminate space temporarily extending the more permanently held tenets of Methodism.”19 These type of revivals were

15

Hailey, Charlie,4.

Hailey, Charlie,5 Hailey, Charlie, 7 18 Hailey, Charlie, 9.

19 Hailey, Charlie, 9.

16 17

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popular throughout the US. Contemporary society exhibits “place-events” in the form of festivals throughout the world.

“The British group Archigram, frequently drew from camping procedure and its mobile vehicles for projects like Plug-In City and Free time Node Trailer Cage.”20 Architecture was forever changed by the collaboration of British Architects, Peter Cook, David Greene, Mike Webb, Warren Chalk, Ron Herron, and Dennis Crompton.

Each member pursued his individual interests and projects without a common program, yet through discussion, pushed each other to create an abstract world that went beyond each individual’s capabilities. They collaborated to produce a publication of their ideas and designs. Combining the words architecture and telegram, Archigram was formed.

Often considered radical, the group designed alternatives to modern cities and houses.

“They were inspired by new developments in science and technology, by space travel and the moon landing, by underground culture and the Beatles, by science fiction and the new materials then coming into use.”21 They became known as the Archigram group.

Archigram group not only created many thought provoking designs and concepts, they also engaged in frequent discussions both within the group and with other innovative architects of their time. Perhaps one of Archigram’s biggest contributions was this concept of “architecture as a means of communication.”22 Many of the group’s ideas were ahead of their time; sparking a discourse that continues today and, once again, are exerting an influence on present day architecture.

Archigram placed importance on the human experience. “The need to regard the city, or whatever replaces it, not necessarily a series of ‘buildings’ as such, but as an infinitely intermeshed series of happenings, and the need to look at housing more as an extension of human emancipation and sustenance rather than the provision of ‘houses.”23 This idea of designing for the human experience is paramount to the festivals of today.

They also focused on the influence of Technology and its ability to enhance the human experience. “The pre-packaged frozen lunch is more important than Palladio. For one thing it is more basic. It is an expression of human requirement and the symbol of one efficient interpretation of that requirement that optimizes available technology and

Hailey, Charlie, 7 20 21 22 23

Cromptom, Dennis. Concerning Archigram. London: Archigram Archives, 1998, 13.

Cromptom, Dennis, 13.

Cromptom, Dennis, 23.

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economy.”24 This intersection of Technology and human experience has also been a key are of research for Robert Kronnenburg, as he explores how buildings can change and adapt.

FLEXIBILITY Temporary arch has often been considered marginal to permanent architecture, however in recent years adaptable architecture has proven to be a notable and often a better solution to a myriad of architectural problems. “ Flexible architecture consists of buildings that are designed to respond easily to change throughout their lifetime. The benefits of this form of design can be considerable: it remains in use longer; fits its purpose better; accommodates users’ experience and intervention; takes advantage of technical innovation more readily; and is economically and ecologically more viable. It also has greater potential to remain relevant to cultural and social trends.”25 As Heidegger once maintained, “places are brought into existence by something more than the act of building.”26 Kronenburg also notes the importance of the human element in the built environment “the search for a fluid architecture that only becomes complete once people inhabit and use the building.”27 This suggests that the situation also plays a role in the architecture. The experience of the occupant should be a primary goal of design.

Kronenburg also suggests minimal impact on the environment. “It could be a structure that is lightly placed in the landscape of our cities and countryside, rather than founded there, allowing the physical environment to continue around it, subtly and perhaps only temporarily affected by its presence. It could be a house that interacts with the surrounding landscape in a less formal sense and becomes an event rather than an object.”28

Cromptom, Dennis, 27.

24 25 26 27 28

Kronenburg, Robert. Flexible: Architecture that Responds to Change. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2007, 7.

Kronenburg, Robert, 13.

Kronenburg, Robert, 7.

Kronenburg, Robert, 12.

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ARCHITECUTRE AS INSTALLATION In recent decades installations have become a common practice in the art world.

These site-specific works of art have engaged the public through the senses inviting them to touch, and enter. Installations offer architects the opportunity to explore new ideas and focus on content without many of the limitations of traditional architecture. “In some way, an installation is a distillation of the experiences of architecture.”29 Building for the temporary environment allows architects to explore new ideas and concepts at a smaller scale and in ways that may not otherwise be possible. New forms and methods can be explored with less investment of time and money.

As the world population continues to grow, we need to be able to address new ways of expanding our (permanent) cities, and dealing with waste. Can we learn from techniques used by temporary cities to accommodate real world growth?

What draws people to converge on a place? Gathering has been important to mankind throughout time. As architects we are often the orchestrators of bringing people together. Hailey states “The camp can be understood as an engraved field, etched, layered, and ordered by diverse objects and programs. Remote and near, enduring and fleeting, recollected (as in Piranesi’s plan) and direct, events activate and qualify the camping field.

Combing field and event, camp is in effect spatial practice.” 30 What can we learn from the successful endeavors of Burning Man and Glastonbury?

What can our (permanent) cities take away from these temporary cities? Are temporary cities better? As we are becoming more and more of a global society, there has been a shift back to a more nomadic lifestyle. How does this shift impact our cities?

With the tremendous growth at each of these festivals, event planners have had to find ways to accommodate the increasing population. As the world population continues to grow, we need to be able to address new ways of expanding our (permanent) cities. Can we learn techniques from these spectacles that would enhance our society and cities, and find solutions to real-world problems of growth and waste confronting us today?

Bonnemaison, Sarah, and Ronit Eisenbach. Installations by Architects: Experiments in Building and Design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2009, 14.

Hailey, Charlie. Camps. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009: 3.

29 30

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CASE STUDY Burning Man Festival Imagine you are put upon a desert plain, a space which is so vast and blank that only your initiative can make of it a place. Imagine it is swept by fearsome winds and scorching temperatures, and only by your effort can you make of it a home. Imagine you’re surrounded by thousands of other people, that together you form a city, and within this teeming city there is nothing that’s for sale. The Black Rock Desert is an empty void. Not a bird or bush or bump disturb its surface. It is a place that is no place at all apart from what we choose to make of it. The playa is like an enormous blank canvas. The desert is a blank slate. It is empty when Burning Man begins and it is cleaned up, it is empty again at the end, as if it never happened.

- Larry Harvey 2000

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“what is burning man?”

“An unintelligible passionate yearning drove them out into the desert.” ~T.E. Lawrence

“It often manifests itself as circus, ritual, and spectacle… It is a movement away from static gallery art and formal theater and towards site-specific, time-specific installation and performance… It is profoundly democratic. It is radically inclusive, it is a difficult challenge, and it is beckoning.” ~ Christine Kristen

“Burning Man is more decadent than Warhol’s factory, more glamorous than Berlin in the 1920’s, more ludicrous than the most lavish Busby Berkley musical, more of a love-fest than Pepperland, and more anarchic than Groucho Marx’s Freedonia, more implausible than any mirage.” ~Daniel Pinchbeck “Go to a museum. Find one of Salvador Dali’s more disturbing, but beautiful paintings. Climb inside it.” ~annonomous

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“ It is as if tens of millions of people had decided simultaneously to conduct risky experiments in living using the only material that lay at hand- their own lives.” ~Daniel Yankelovich

“Burning Man is something like a physical version of the internet.” ~ Bruce Sterling

“Burning Man employs ritual, but it is ritual removed from the context of theology. Unhindered by dogma ritual becomes a vessel that can be filled with direct experience, Burning Man is about having that experience, not about explaining it. In fact, if you can explain it you’re probably not paying attention.” ~Stuart Mangrum

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“an act of radical self-expression�

1986 On the summer solstice in 1986, Larry Harvey and Jerry James hauled an eight-foot tall wooden structure they had constructed in the shape of a man to Baker Beach, and burned it with a group of bystanders who began to interact with one another and enhance the experience.

In 1990 Burning Man attracted a large crowd and the attention of the police department, who stopped the group from burning the man on the beach.

The attendance of the cacophony society resulted in the man travelling to black rock desert on their zone trip over Labor Day weekend.

The event in the desert was so successful that it became the tradition of burning man.

burn location 1986 - 1990

photo: Jerry James 1986

baker beach: san francisco, ca

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1990 1990 - present 400 sq. miles flat, alkaline lake bed

“you may already be a member�

black rock desert nevada

cacophony + burning man = black rock city

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notable events

histograph

event named burning man

1986

cacophony zone trip #4

black rock arts festival

1990

1992

1988

1987

1989

1991

1994

1996

1993

1995

first theme camp christmas: camp

black rock city offical name

1

1997 clock layout

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first fire conclave

1998

burners without borders formed

2002

2000

1999 first temple

2001

2004

2003

2006

2005

2008

2007

2010

2009

yellow bike ride share

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evolution of event 50,000

population of burners

40,000

30,000

20,000

1 8,000

10,000 20 80

1986

1987

175

1988

300

1989

800 90 250

1990

1991

600

1992

1,000

1993

2,000

1994

4,000

1995

baker beach: san fransico, ca

black rock desert: nevada

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the inferno

themes

1996

2009 2010

metropolis evolution

the green man

american dream

hope & fear

floating world

beyond belief

the body

nebulous

wheel of time

the seven ages

vault of heaven

psyche: consciousness

2007

43,558 47,097 38,989

2008 2006 2003

2004 2005 2002 2000

2001 1999 1998 1997

25,400 25,659 23,000

35,567 35,564

51,054 49,599

30,586 29,085

15,000 10,000

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city placement drifts across the playa

siting 1997 -2006

california national historic trail

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city plans city plans encircle the man like traditional camps circled around the camp fire. the city radiates from the center along concentric rings. since 1999, the radials have refrenced a clock face for navigation with the man in the center.

1992

1997

1996

1998

1999

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the journey = universal experience

pilgrimage black rock city

reno “The idea of a journey out of the normal parameters of life, entry into a different other world, the search for something new, the multiple motive of participants, ranging from homage and veneration to simple impulses of curiosity are extremely common if not always universal denominators of pilgrimage.� ~ Reader & Walter

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threshold: greeters

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“Every year a dense metropolis arises in the Black Rock Desert; every year it disappears without a trace. Tumult and change, churning cycles of invention and destruction - these forces generate the pulse of urban life. Great cities are organic, spontaneous, heterogeneous, and untidy. They are, like Burning Man, magnetic hubs of social interaction. This year’s theme will function as a micro and a macro-scope, an instrument through which we will inspect the daily course of city life and the future prospect of civilization.” =burning man organization

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when they are created by everybody” -jane Jacobs

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ns

e

lan ad

sp

-e

-a agd th ad e

-c etr ur -b airo oit gh

-e re gzh -d dinbnce ou

-g ano bul -flo uan i

-i ka -h stan rta

-k -ja yoto

black rock city 2010

temple

center camp

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wa

lk in

cam

pin

g

“The juxtaposition between the vastness of the Black Rock Desert and the civic circle of Black Rock City has the power to foster unique perceptions of space, land, environment, and time – both embodied and imaginable – such that the natural world itself can be productively perceived as other.” – Lee Gilmore

brc airport

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center camp art installation

plazas: public spaces

center cafe

arctica: ice sales

infrastructure

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3 o’clock & 9 o’clock

to man

3’oclock

to man 9’oclock

camp above the limit

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10 principles of burning man

radical inclusion gifting decommodification radical self-reliance radical self expression communal effort civic responsibility leaving no trace participation immediacy

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“The desert is a place worlds away from that to which most of us are accustomed, and it is governed by physical laws that cannot be ignored.

You are responsible for your own survival, safety, and comfort.�

-Burning Man survival guide

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theme camps

locations 2010

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Theme camps are the center of playa life. The only guiding principle is that they provide an interactive experience for burners. They are considered a “gift� to the citizens.

nexus

1993- the first theme camp emerged, Christmas Camp, serving egg nog and fruit cake to citizens of the playa.

# of theme camps by year

460

01

450

434

504

503

485

02

03

04

05

06

460

07

681

08

738 618

09

10

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ritual: the man, an effigy 20’

“Burning man provides a setting in which participants have been encouraged to express and release deep emotion, to feel bonded to one another in comunity, to critique the default world through parady and reversal, and to thereby seek both personal and collective transformation.”

-Lee Gilmore

30’

40’

40’

40’

40’

40’

40’

40’

50’

50’

8’

size of man each year in feet

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50’

40’ 40’ 40’

40’

40’

40’

40’ 40’

40’

40’

32’

32’

32’

50’

40’

30’

40’

47’

40’

50’

30’

65’

size of base platform

35

36

ritual: temple

37

locations 2010

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art installations

# installations by year 300 300

300

275 220

240

180 150 120

01 02

03 04

05 06 07 08 09

39

40

41

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INSTALLATION AS ARCHITECTURE esquisse: a design sharette

Ronit Esienbach

Jean Tinguely

Christo & Jeanne-Claude

“Our work is like a lever: it opens, measures, illuminates, but also creates a connection. It weighs a moment against a place, an event against an object. It finds a crack and widens it.”

– Terence Van Elslander

Temporary arch has often been considered marginal to permanent architecture, however in recent years flexible, adaptable architecture has proven to be a notable and often a better solution to a myriad of architectural problems. New questions arise from this form of architecture: -How can temporary architecture create a sense of place?

-How can installation architecture be connected to a site?

-In a city that is temporary, how can a sense of community be fostered through the built environment?

The following is a design sharette creating an installation that explores these issues as well as incorporates concepts of pilgrimage and ritual, for the temporary city created by the Eelpout Festival. The installation seeks to address the site, the frozen lakebed of Leech Lake near Walker, MN, as well as contribute to the sense of community.

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Winter Gardens: Pierre Theibaut

PRECEDENT STUDY

Created in 2004 in Quebec Canada, the winter gardens were an expression of the collective environment.

Thiebalut proclaimed of the project.“nomadism is constantly with us, and that everything is in motion all the time.�

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PRECEDENT STUDY the snow show 45

site of installation

EELPOUT FESTIVAL

eelpout city 2009

Leech Lake Minnesota

Walker, MN [latitude = 47.197 longitude =-94.607] 46

CELLESTIAL NAVIGATION esquisse logic

minnesota constellation map [feb. 18, 2011]

The temporary city lacks a clear sense of organization.

Minnesota winter nights are very dark on the frozen lakebed.

This installation organization draws on the constellations as an organizational source for navigation with the intent that the installation will serve as a means of wayfinding within the temporary urban environment. installaion plan view

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ursa minor: little diper

CELLESTIAL NAVIGATION

A constellation map generated for the minnesota night sky on the opening night of the festival, forms the layout of the installations. These installations can in turn be used as reference points throughout the temporary city, allowing festival attendees to navigate day or night.

Constellations inspire a myriad of possibilities for each form, relating to their names, myths, brightness, or shape.

For the exercise of the esquisse four of the constellations were explored in pairs: the ursa major & ursa minor; and pegasus & andromeda.

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CELLESTIAL NAVIGATION ursa major: big dipper 49

interior occupation

OPEN SKY PAVILLION

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GLOWING ICE

line constellations

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tethered weather balloons WAY-FINDING

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INSTALLATION CONSTRUCTION fabricating ice bricks

silicone cake pan

ice auger [anchoring]

uniform ice blocks

ice auger [anchoring]

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fire and ice

EMBEDDED OBJECTS

+

+ 54

architecture 7104 ⋅ thesis studio ⋅ spring 2011 ⋅ rachel lappegaard

architecture of the ephemeral ephem ⋅ er ⋅ al

⋅lasting one day only ⋅lasting a very short time

patrick dougherty ⋅ andy goldsworthy ⋅ norman foster

“The future of Architecture lies in the Brain’… A complex thought may be bigger than the universe. The design of a computer’s circuitry is as complex as the ideal network of a city or a global communications system, and it should be as flexible as the brain. The realization that there were as many dimensions as could be imagined was one of the main creative achievements of Archigram. Besides the three classical dimensions of architecture, [Archigram] took into account the 1 dimension of time.”

premise Temporary architecture has often been considered marginal to permanent architecture; however in recent years adaptable architecture has proven to be a notable and often a better solution to a myriad of architectural problems. “ Flexible architecture consists of buildings that are designed to respond easily to change throughout their lifetime. The benefits of this form of design can be considerable: it remains in use longer; fits its purpose better; accommodates users’ experience and intervention; takes advantage of technical innovation more readily; and is economically and ecologically 2 more viable. It also has greater potential to remain relevant to cultural and social trends.”

objective This course will expand current understanding of the built environment, blurring the lines between the temporal and permanent, as well as, art and architecture. We will examine contemporary practice through an investigation of the role of installation architecture within the context of the global phenomenon of temporary cities. Through active engagement of a design + build project and thorough analysis, we will explore what role[s] temporary architecture plays in contemporary society. We will contemplate the ephemeral at multiple scales, from the scale of the city to that of an architectural installation.

1 2

Crompton, Dennis, and Pamela Johnston. A Guide to Archigram, 1961-74 = Ein Archigram-Program, 1961-74. London: Academy Editions, 1994, 40.

Kronenburg, Robert. Flexible: Architecture that Responds to Change. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2007, 7.

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content The course will be broken up into four phases. The first two phases will involve designing and building a temporary installation for the eelpout festival in Minnesota. It will include recording the process of building and documenting the built installation, as well as, interactions of participants with the installations. The third phase will draw from lessons learned at eelpout to postulate parameters for a final design for the Transformus festival in Asheville. The fourth and final stage will be a final design project for the festival including detailed construction drawings and will include mock-ups of construction details. method The first assignment will involve plans, sections, elevations, perspectives, and phenomenological documentation of proposed installation. The student will also produce physical examples and experiment with materials and technology. There will also be a construction instruction component to allow for volunteers to help with assignment two.

For the second assignment the student will travel to Minnesota prior to the eelpout festival on Feb.18th to begin building installation. The student will document the process of building. The student will utilize local materials and help of the locals to produce a community space for the participants of the festival.

During the festival the student will photograph and film the participants interaction with the installation as well as, its changes over time.

The third assignment will draw conclusions from Glastonbury Festival, Burning Man, and Eelpout, and synthesize them into parameters for a final design. The student may use a range of media to display the findings, ie. photography, collage, etc.

The final assignment will be a design for the Transformus festival in Asheville. Using concepts learned over the course of the semester to create a comprehensive design including mock-ups of the details. evaluation “Architecture, if it is an art at all, is a social art and its value can only be judged by the effects it has on people.”3

Each of the four phases of the course will be evaluated upon completion. The student must fully complete one stage before moving onto the next. Students’ success in the course will depend on the thoroughness of the research, project development, and implementation of the design within the context of the temporary city. Designs should follow principles of research acquired over holiday break. Designs will be evaluated on the degree to which they follow these principles. Execution of design will be evaluated on participant responses. The student will record interactions of the public with the designed installations, and a successful project will result in people utilizing these spaces.

3

Kronenburg, Robert. Spirit of the Machine: Technology as an Inspiration in Architectural Design. London: Wiley-Academy, 2001, 6.

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architecture 7104 ⋅ thesis studio ⋅ spring 2011 ⋅ rachel Lappegaard

designing for a temporary community “The love is gone The poetry in bricks is lost.

We want to drag into building some of the poetry of countdown, orbital helmets, discord of mechanical body transportation methods and leg walking Love gone.

Lost our fascinating intricate movings are trapped in soggen brown packets all hidden all art and front, no bone no love.

A new generation of architecture must arise with forms and spaces which seems to reject the precepts of ‘Modern’ yet in fact retains these precepts.

WE HAVE CHOSEN TO BY PASS THE DECAYING BAUHAUS IMAGE WHICH IS AN INSULT TO FUNCTIONALISM. You can roll out steel any length You can blow up a balloon any size You can mould plastic any shape Blokes that built the Forth Bridge THEY DIDN’T WORRY You can roll out paper any length Take chamber’s dictionary THAT’S LONG You can build concrete any height FLOW? Water flows or doesn’t or does Flow or not flows YOU CAN WEAVE STRING any mesh TAKE THIS TABLE you’ve got a top there Top and four legs You can sit IN it you sit ON it, UNDER it or half under.”4 David Greene, Archigram Issue One 1961

m.c. escher

premise In recent decades installations have become a common practice in the art world. These site-specific works of art have engaged the public through the senses inviting them to touch, and enter.

Installations offer architects the opportunity to explore new ideas and focus on content without many of the limitations of traditional architecture.

“In some way, an installation is a distillation of the experiences of architecture.”5 -Mark Robbins

objective This assignment will encourage the student to explore an idea through the design process creating an installation that engages the public. content Complete detailed plans, sections, elevations, and construction documents for an installation at the eelpout festival in MN. Communicate with event coordinators, and organize volunteers to facilitate installation completion. method Develop plans, sections, elevations, perspectives, and phenomenological documentation of proposed installation. The student will also produce physical examples and experiment with materials and technology, as well as a construction component to allow for volunteers to help with the build phase. evaluation The assignment will be evaluated on the clarity of ideas expressed and thoroughness of design completion. A successful project will push the boundaries of architecture and installation.

4

5

Crompton, Dennis, and Pamela Johnston. A Guide to Archigram, 1961-74 = Ein Archigram-Program, 1961-74. London: Academy Editions, 1994, 37.

Bonnemaison, Sarah, and Ronit Eisenbach. Installations by Architects: Experiments in Building and Design. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2009, 14.

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site: leech lake, walker, mn

EELPOUT FESTIVAL

aerial view 2009

leech lake

3rd largest lake in Minnesota 112,000 surface acres 150 feet deep in areas

walker population 1,000 festival population 15,000

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circulation paths

proposed site

main axis

site plan Weather is a prime concern during the minnesota winter season. In order to keep out as much wind as possible, entry to the space will be on the south/ southwest facade, as primary winds come from the north/ northeast.

The site will align with the main access keeping a visual connection with the main event spaces of the festival, yet remaining slightly removed from the highly trafficed area nearer the shore.This will create a pilgrimage for visitors to find the space. This area is ideal as it will allow the qualities of fire and ice to been seen from further away, and from all angles.

polar plunge 59

polar plunge + games

chase for the pout

CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK

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EELPOUT TYPOLOGY mobile units

plywood boxes

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precedents + testing the method

EXPLORING CONSTRUCTION METHODS Traditional masonry construction has been used in forming ice and snow structures for centuries. Precedents from the Snow Show, use large bricks cut from the ice that are moved to the site by traditional logging methods and cranes.Teams of builders used an array of tools to cut and shape blocks into the desired size and shape. Looking to simplify this method, I investigated the use of silicone loaf pans to form bricks that are light weight and can be easily manipulated by a single person. While this method is a viable option in terms of ease of construction, a vast number of bricks would be required to build a structure for a gathering space. The additional step of first having to freeze the bricks would significantly add to the time of construction, and the need to purchase a large quantity of cake pans raises the cost of the installation.

harvesting bricks

silicoln loaf pan + water = ice brick

simply wetting bricks creates a mortar

mini silicone loaf pan

ice bricks

cutting bricks 62

TRADITIONAL MASONRY l ICE BRICKS

inside the voidspace

Steven Holl + Jene Highstein

finishing interior

Tadao Ando + Tatsuo Miyajima Iced Time Tunnel

Oblong Voidspace

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precedents + testing the method

EXPLORING CONSTRUCTION METHODS The tilt up method became popular in the US thanks to Rudolf Schindler. He claimed that an entire house can be built in a short period of time with a minimal number of people and a small crane. This method results in the creation of slabs that can be tilted up to form entire walls or surfaces. This method was also used at the snow show, yet required a lot of lumber and utilized cranes and other heavy machinery to complete. Rethinking this method for use without excess materials and heavy machinery, I hypothesized the snow could act as form work by packing it down in the desired size and shape with a piece of lumber and lining with polyethylene sheeting then pouring water into the mold. Lacking snow I used chipboard to act as the form work in my trials, which created smooth slabs of ice. While this method could work the resulting slabs become heavy very quickly and would be difficult for one or two people to maneuver.

cast ice

form work on ground filled with water

simply wetting seems creates a joint

packing snow 64

TILT UP CONCRETE l SLABS OF ICE

colored slabs

Enrique Norten + Lawrence Weiner Obscured Horizons

carving forms

Norman Foster + Jaume Plensa Where Are You? 65

precedents + testing the method

EXPLORING CONSTRUCTION METHODS Marc West has been testing various methods of utilizing fabric form work. Using this type of construction to create an ice structure limits the type of fabric that can be used as it must be water tight. polyethelene would be a good option as it is affordable, durable, and waterproof.

Plastic releases easily from the ice once frozen allowing the form work to be reused over and over again. Only two, two by fours would be required to hold the plastic in place and upright. A piece of plastic sheeting cut to the desired circumference can be stapled to a board at each end, then the boards can be screwed together to form a cylinder. The columns would be poured in place by filling with water from the top in layers freezing the base to the frozen lake. Once the desired height is reached and frozen the boards can be unscrewed and the column unwrapped of the plastic sheeting. This is a viable option but likely best used in combination with another method to form and enclosed space.

filled with water in layers prevents over expanding

ice column

CanWest

Winnipeg

Mark West pouring 66

FABRIC FORMED CONCRETE l COLUMNS OF ICE

CanWest columns

Mark West

fabric form work

branching columns

storefront for art + architecture, NY

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native american petroglyphs + art

eelpout coiling body

fire + ice

CONCEPTULIZATION

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EPHEMERAL ARCHITECTURE the journey + spiral form

According to ancient myth, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. This was the birth of civilization.

Fire has the power to draw people near it. In the cold climate of the festival the warmth of the fire holds a special allure. Using the natural material of the place, ice, will result in an installation that is truely temporary.

The translucent quality of the ice will allow the installation to glow at night and become a beacon in the landscape.

fibonacci spiral

“Life is a journey not a destination.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The idea of journey and transformation is one that can be found in many cultures throughout the world. Native American petroglyphs often show spiral symbols, which represent a journey through space and time, and more importantly, the knowledge or awareness gained on that journey. Today astrologists use the spiral as a symbol of the universe in constant motion the connection between time and space.

fibonacci column array 15.00

R11.25

R2.00 7.50 R7.50

R15.00 7.

50

Every festival begins with a journey. It is an experience shared by all people in each instance of flash urbanism. This journey is a venture outside the normal parameters of everyday life, liberating participants from their everyday self, which allows for personal and social transformation. The temporary nature also contributes to this awareness of ones self. There is a heightened sense that the moment is fleeting that leads to a focus on the present and fully experiencing each moment.

spiral variation

8’ iteration 69

INSTALLATION building the formwork

The spiral was formed using 8’ radials. This dimension was chosen so that each radial could be cut from a single sheet of plywood. A template of each curve will be plotted and then cut form the plywood. Each arc will be connected to others by standard 2x4s. The entire frame will be sheathed in plastic sheeting, which creates a smooth surface to build up ice upon. There will be 4 pieces of plywood to the 4 different arcs required to form the spiral.

4X8 plywood(4) 1/radial

2x6 (8) + 2x4 (12)

polyethylene sheeting 6 mil 10’ x 100’ (1roll)

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PROCESS drawing water from the lake

Ice is formed using water drawn from the lake. It emerges from the fishing hole by way of, a generator, sump pump, hose, and nozzle, to be sprayed onto the form work. This will create a rough textured and sloping finish on the exterior walls, while the plastic sheeting will leave the interior smooth. It will be an iterative process to build up layers of ice to a thickness that will stand on its own creating walls that will gently slope.

augering an ice hole

generator

5’ ice auger

hose + spray nozzle

sump pump 71

forming the structure

PROCESS “The journey is the destination.�

Dan Eldon

Starting from a center point, the formwork will spiral outward forming a gathering space made of ice. As the wall winds inward it decends in height as it enters the interior space it forms a bar top and further slopes down to form a bench.

The center of the spiral will be a fire which will create a glow to the entire space at night. It will be a lantern on the dark frozen lakebed. Inviting festival participants to enter and interact with one another.

plan view 72

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experience of installation

BUILT FORM

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architecture 7104 ⋅ thesis studio ⋅ spring 2011 ⋅ rachel lappegaard

instilling an installation in ⋅ stal ⋅ la⋅ tion

⋅a work of art that usually consists of multiple components often in mixed media and that is exhibited in a usually large space in an arrangement specified by the artist.

pierre theibault⋅ jene heighstein + steven holl ⋅ cai guo-qiang + zaha hadid

“It could be a structure that is lightly placed in the landscape of our cities and countryside, rather than founded there, allowing the physical environment to continue around it, subtly and perhaps only temporarily affected by its presence. It could be a house that interacts with the surrounding landscape in a less formal sense and becomes an event rather than an object.”6

premise Building for the temporary environment allows architects to explore new ideas and concepts on a smaller scale and in ways that may not otherwise be possible. New forms and methods can be explored with less investment of time and money. objective The process of building allows for an enriched learning environment. Through the act of building, the student will gain an intimate knowledge of the building materials, and the installation as a whole. The student will also be able to learn first hand the impact on the environment and its residents. content Installation build: Student will travel to Walker, MN to create an installation for eelpout festival.

Fabricate building materials and components from available local materials, ie. ice and snow. Build an installation for the eelpout community. Document build process, as well as, interaction of festival participants with constructed elements. method The student will travel to Minnesota prior to the eelpout festival on Feb.18th to begin building an installation. The student will document the process of building. The student will utilize local materials and help of the locals to produce a community space for the participants of the festival. During the festival the student will photograph and film the participants interaction with the installation as well as, its changes over time. evaluation The assignment will be evaluated on the form and composition of the built project and its expression of the idea. A successful project will result in an engaging built installation that appeals to the public.

6

Kronenburg, Robert. Flexible: Architecture that Responds to Change. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2007, 12.

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building snow packing formwork

CONSTRUCTING FORMWORK

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EXTRUDING A CURVED WALL

Minnesota was experiencing an unusual heat wave during the time of installation. Temperatures were above freezing which made forming ice a non-viable option. Snow was used instead to form the structure. Still a material of the place, the formwork required is less than that for the ice concept. The process was one that was in constant flux, having to adjust to snow conditions and weather each day.

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camp snojourn emerges

BUILDING PROCESS The building process changed with the change in material. In order to create a curve, the formwork had to be shallow enough to move fluidly. The walls angled up so that the base was wider than the top. Snow was packed in 1.5’ sections from the bottom to the top and packed back againsth the snow wall.

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final form

CAMP SNOJOURN

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83

occupation of installation

SNOJOURN MOMENTS

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85

diagram key

DIAGRAMING EXPERIENCE represents 1 person color = duration of stay

19 minutes or less

20 minutes or more

6 PM 86

OCCUPATION OF SPACE

8 PM

10 PM

CURIOSITY how did you BUILD this who DESIGNED this why did you MAKE this where did you get all the SNOW from how much snow did you use how LONG did it take to make this did you PACK the snow how did you get it to STICK what did you use to pack the snow are you going to do this AGAIN did you make this with your HANDS what are you going to build next EXCITEMENT this must have taken a lot of WORK this is AMAZING it’s like a cinnamon ROLL and it’s even warm in the middle WOW are you going to build this AGAIN next year can I help you next year ENTHUSIASM this is so COOL the camp next door has naked girls, but this even BETTER this place is AWESOME I can’t believe how WARM it is in here I’ve met the coolest PEOPLE at the festival in thisPLACE it’s so INVITING it welcomes you 87

conversations

I intended to interview the GATHERERS, but, in the end, mostly it was they who interviewed me.

melting installation

EPHEMERAL SNOJOURN

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architecture 7104 ⋅ thesis studio ⋅ spring 2011 ⋅ rachel lappegaard

designing from the discourse dis⋅course

⋅a verbal interchange of ideas; especially: conversation ⋅a formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject

⋅connected speech or writing ⋅a linguistic unit [as a conversation or a story] larger than a sentence ⋅a mode of organizing knowledge, ideas, or experience that is rooted in language and its concrete contexts ( as history or institutions)

“A colleague of Galileo, Federico Cesi, wrote that Galileo’s hand drawn images of sunspots ‘delight both by the wonder of the spectacle and the accuracy of expression.’ That is beautiful evidence.

Evidence that bears on questions of any complexity typically involves multiple forms of discourse.”7 John Bender + Michael Marrinan

premise While questions of permanence and Architecture are not new, we are now seeing the question of permanence on a larger scale, that of the city. Historically, permanence has been associated with the metropolis, juxtaposed with the transient frontier. These boundaries have begun to blur with populations that are more transient and cities that are growing rapidly and chaotically. objective Draw conclusions from the festival cities of Glastonbury, Burning Man, and Eelpout festival to form parameters for design. Utilize data from each of the festival cities including population make-up, organization of city, infrastructure, public facilities, etc. to create a design for an installation for the Transformus festival in Asheville, NC. content The student will study the site near Asheville, and create a design for an installation for the July festival of Transfromus. The design will use the local materials and or recycled materials to create the temporary installation. method The student will diagram and analyze the data collected from assignment two as well as from the discourse written in the fall and prior documentation of the Glastonbury Festival and Burning Man. The student may use a range of media to display the findings, ie. photography, collage, etc. and to propose the design for Transformus. evaluation The assignment will be evaluated on the clarity of ideas expressed and thoroughness of design completion. A successful project will push the boundaries of architecture and installation.

7

Tufte, Edward. Beautiful Evidence. Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press LLC, 2006,9.

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MAPPING GLASTONBURY festival images 91

festival images

MAPPING BURNING MAN

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MAPPING EELPOUT festival images 93

PATHS

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DISTRICTS

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EDGES EDGES

L

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LANDMARKS

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POPULATION POPULATIONGROWTH GROWTH 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000

2010

2000

1990

1980

1970

60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000

2010

2000

1990

1986

12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000

2010

2000

1990

1980

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EVENT DISTRIBUTION

EVENT DISTRIBUTION

200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000

60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000

9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000

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architecture 7104 ⋅ thesis studio ⋅ spring 2011 ⋅ rachel lappegaard

Installation for Trasformus

“The pre-packaged frozen lunch is more important than Palladio. For one thing it is more basic. It is an expression of human requirement and the symbol of one efficient interpretation of that requirement that optimizes available technology and economy.”8

premise Archigram group not only created many thought provoking designs and concepts, they also engaged in frequent discussions both within the group and with other innovative architects of their time. Perhaps one of Archigram’s biggest contributions was this concept of “architecture as a means of communication.”9 Many of the group’s ideas were ahead of their time; sparking a discourse that continues today and, once again, are exerting an influence on present day architecture. objective Student will create a design that attempts to answer some of the semesters driving questions; What can the temporary environment offer? Why is it important? content The student will continue to create a final design installation for the Transformus festival in Asheville.

This phase of the design will delve into the details of connections and fabrication of particular aspects of the final design. method The student will be a conceptualize the main ideas explored throughout the semester; deas will be expressed through the final design and will be fully flushed out in the details. evaluation The assignment will be evaluated on the form and composition of the built project and its expression of the idea. A successful project will result in an engaging built installation that appeals to the public.

8 9

Crompton, Dennis, and Pamela Johnston. A Guide to Archigram, 1961-74 = Ein Archigram-Program, 1961-74. London: Academy Editions, 1994, 27.

Crompton, Dennis, and Pamela Johnston, 13.

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the deerfields in horseshoe, nc

Transformus festival 2011

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NEIGHBORHOODS l COMMUNITY creating conections l legibility

As last year’s Transformus census reports, an overwhelming majority of Mysterians view community as their primary reason for attending the event. I find that fascinating and exciting. I wanted to enhance the legibility of the sense of community in the city. The obscured views of the site mean a lack of visual connectivity between neighborhoods. The pathways seem to make a node and path configuration, yet there is a lack of a clear node in each space. I feel that there is an opportunity to create a greater sense of connection between these neighborhoods by establishing a landmark for each that is located near these pathways and is clearly visible to also serve as a navigational tool.

Each year the city hosts a competition for a Temple design. I saw the competition and the Temple as an opportunity to As the temple needs to be mobile, it would allow for it to separate it into smaller pieces that could serve as landmarks within each neighborhood.

This brings another layer of meaning and significance to the nodes, and allows each neighborhood to have a deeper connection to the temple. This also creates the opportunity for a procession to the temple burn. Each neighborhood will bring it’s piece to the field where the temple will be seen in its entirety for the night of the burn, creating a burning landscape that would have greater community participation.

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leave no trace

NATURAL MATERIALS

bamboo

natural fiber rope

The temple will be constructed entirely out of natural materials that are all flammable.

Structural members will be formed from bamboo using traditional lashing techniques for all connections. Strong joints have been formed for centuries utilizing simple rope. Bamboo construction in particular lends itself to this technique. This type of construction results in lightweight tectonic structures that can be quickly assembled and easily moved. Using a natural fiber rope will allow these connections to burn completely and leave no trace. Fabric coverings maybe used in some areas consisting of a natural fiber such as burlap.

Fabric would provide shade in temple pieces that would be occupiable.The temples will have a connection to place as well as community as they are made by citizens.

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TEMPLE CONCEPT a burning landscape

In an interest to connect to the burner community at large, this years theme, Rites of Passage, will be incorporated. An astounding number of cultures around the world share common beliefs or myths. Carl Jung referred to this as the collective unconscious of which he believed the most primitive and universal was the symbol of numbers. Mandalas, and Native American Sand Paintings illustrate rites of passage in a circular form, suggesting the circle of life. The temple pieces will come together to form a Mandala on the burn field.

Ennead is Greek for group of 9, and the deeper meaning of “that which brings completion.”

Ennead temple will consist of nine smaller temples. During the festival, each neighborhood will have a piece of the temple that Mysterians will be encouraged to alter or elaborate on. Each piece represents a number and the design reflects the symbolism of that number. As 1 is the beginning and 9 is “that which brings completion” they will be paired together and placed in the center, leaving an opening in the circle to the east. Each piece will be lit in sequence to form a burning landscape.

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mandala landscape

ENNEAD TEMPLE burn night configuration precedents: mandala, navajo sand paintings, wb yeats’ “a vision”, dante convivio

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PROTOS 1 birth l beginning sun l creation non-differentiation

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2 DUTEROS duality seperation polarity conflict of opposites

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TRITOS 3 unity resolution trinity feminine

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4 TETARTOS earth, compass n l e l s l w solidarity, cube elements earth l air l water l fire

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PEMPTOS 5 man l human five senses transcendence l energy

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6 EKTOS love l rommance harmony beauty

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EBDOMOS 7 mystical chakras cosmic connections

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8 OGDOOS infinity conscious unconscious

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ENATOS 9 spiritual “that which brings completion”

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CONCLUSIONS The concept of Journey is one that reoccurred throughout my research and process, and I feel that the past year has been a personal journey for me as well. I have been fortunate to participate in three festivals in differing capacities. I was a participant observer at the Glastonbury festival, camping out for 5 days. I was a participant in build week at Burning Man, which allowed me to arrive at Black Rock City a week early to construct camp, and witness the city emerge from the desert. I got to build an installation of my design and create a public space at the eelpout festival. I am currently looking forward to the Transformus festival for which I am participating in the city planning process as well as theme camp placement.

Festivals date back to the rituals of our earliest ancestors, Hunter and gather tribes held festivals after a successful hunt as a celebration of life and an honoring of the dead.

These were also recognizing a connection to one another and the earth, and the notion of the circle of life. These festivals were great celebratory events with music and dancing and often elaborate costumes. As societies became agricultural, the sun became an important symbol of festival as a giver of life and also of knowledge, and recognition of our connection to the Universe and our place within it. These are traditions, which continue today in our contemporary festivals.

Each festival begins with a journey. It is a venture outside the normal parameters of everyday life, which liberates participants from his their everyday self, allowing for a personal and social transformation. Each festival is really all about the personal experience.

The temporary environment creates a heightened sense of awareness that the moment is fleeting. There is an emphasis on living in the present and being fully engaged with the environment and community.

Civilization has been searching for the ideal city for centuries. In Republic, Plato spoke of the just man and just city. His allegory of the cave also relates to the ideas of journey. One must depart from the familiar to be enlightened and then return to share the wisdom gained with fellow man. This is a core principal of the Burning Man festival. Black Rock city is a rehearsal of an ideal city. Participants get to experience a different way of life and gain insight and ideals that they can then bring back to the “default world� and perhaps enact change.

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Dante’s Devine Comedy drew upon Plato’s allegory of the cave. Through his journey into hell, purgatory, and finally into paradise, he recognizes that he would not have reached his state of enlightenment had he not gone through his journey. Many of the illustrations of hell and of paradise are resemblances of the plan of Black Rock City.

Black Rock City’s plan is also reminiscent of the work Fillarete one of the first in a long series of architects who was seeking the ideal form. Thomas Moore coined the term Utopia, which literally means “no place”. His Island of Utopia is also a circular shape with an opening on one side. Burning Man attempts to live out and enact Utopian ideals. While this is not a permanent city, it is a living, breathing example of what we have been seeking for centuries.

One critique of these instances of flash urbanism is that they are idealistic and not “real cities,” and I would agree, but they are so unapologetically. In fact it is a key point that they are idealistic. I feel that one of the problems in society today is the fact that the term idealistic brings a negative connotation. We may not be able to achieve these ideals in the real world, but we may come close, or even just a fraction, but if we don’t try, we definitely won’t. If we are setting ideals, what are we striving for? How can we progress as a society without ideals?

The ephemeral architecture of these instances of flash Urbanism may exist only for a short period of time, yet they impact the lives of thousands of people, who report being transformed by their experience. These places live on forever in the memories of those who experienced them who will likely talk about it for the rest of their lives. As an architect, I could think of no loftier goal than changing peoples’ lives for the better.

“Architecture, if it is an art at all, is a social art and its value can only be judged by the effects it has on people.” - Robert Kronnenburg

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[sub]texts Bonnemaison, Sarah, & Eisenbach, Ronit. Installations by Architects: Experiments in Building and Design. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2009.

Bowditch, Rachel. On the Edge of Utopia: Performance and Ritual at Burning Man. Calcutta: Seagull Books, 2010.

Brenner, Neil, and Roger Keil. The Global Cities Reader. London: Rutledge, 2006.

Breuste, JĂźrgen, H. Feldmann, and O. Uhlmann. Urban Ecology. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1998.

Bruder, Jessica. Burning Book: a Visual History of Burning Man. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2007.

"Burning Man Grows Up." Reason Magazine. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. <http://reason.com/0002/fe.bd.burning.shtml>.

Calvino, Italo. Invisible Cities. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974.

Clark, Lynn Schofield. Religion, Media, and the Marketplace. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2007.

Cook, Peter, ed. Archigram. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press1999. Â Cook, Peter. The City, Seen as a Garden of Ideas. New York: The Monacelli Press, 2003.

Cox, Harvey Gallagher. The Feast of Fools; a Theological Essay on Festivity and Fantasy. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1969.

Cromptom, Dennis. Concerning Archigram. London: Archigram Archives, 1998.

Debord, Guy, and Ken Knabb. Society of the Spectacle. London: Rebel, 2005.

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