ARTIFICAL ENVIRONMENT

The Blur Building and Fondation Cartier both create an artificial environment, directly related to the existing site, through their specific choice of materiality.

The Blur Building not only takes concepts directly related to its environment, but also creates an environment through a continuously shifting structure and ephemeral state. 8 The primary material, indigenous to site – water, is used as the key material to achieve this artificial environment. ‘Blur is not a building, BLUR is a pure atmosphere, the water particles suspended in mid-air’. 9 This creates a weather system with the fog reacting to wind and temperature directly off the lake. The Blur Building emphasizes the absence of distinction between architecture and environment. 10

Pre-existing environmental conditions on site of the Fondation Cartier influenced the design, the layout and the materials. Heavy choreography around the Cedar Tree with the intermediate surface framing this feature. 11 Similarly to Blur, the Fondation Cartier creates it’s own environment through the properties of glass and light, reflecting and refracting to create a series of superimpositions of the surrounding sky, trees and streetscape. 12 ‘Both physical building and the reflections the façade collects are part of the environment the human subject appreciates’. 13

Figures from top left 13. Site location of Blur Building with lake blacked out for reference to materiality the design incoporates. 14. Angel Deck with fog floating beneath and lake water (dark) in context. 15. Site Map of Fondation Cartier with all existing trees blacked out for reference to influence in materiality. 16. Garden area between structure of Fondation Cartier with heavy reflective properties creating a deeper environment.

Figures from left to right (Colour blocking used for images to show sense of subtraction and minimal visual qualities) 17. Section Drawing of Blur Building on lake showing quality of fog produced through 30,000 nozzle system to create artifical evironment. 18. Water nozzle to produce fog through the Blur Building.

Figures from left to right 19. Section drawing of Fondation Cartier showing existing vegetation designed around and incoporated through the visual effects of the glass. 20. Glass window within Fondation Carter to produce heavy reflective qualities creating extra layers to the environment.

DIRECT & DRIFT

Movement through the Blur Building begins on ground, with access to the experience via tunnels and bridges that cross the water. As the visitor approaches, visual and acoustic references become more erased, inducing feelings of disorientation and isolation. 14 The movement for visitors is pre-determined and direct, with a single approach onto the open-air platform. Movement is unregulated, but it is expected visitors to finish on the higher level to at the Angel Bar where the fog is left behind.

Fondation Cartier leaves behind the traditional gallery with similar notions of disorientation. The layers of reflections intrigue the visitor and enhances the desire to drift. ‘The visitor passes beneath the cedar and sees the spectacle of the trees surrounding the glazed exhibition hall.’ 15 Between the gardens and the undistinguished interior/exterior there’s no sense of directed movement, instead visitors encouraged to drift and be immersed within the depths and layers of visual effects.

Figures top to bottom 21. Ground Floor Plan of Fondation Cartier showing unlimited movement and circulation through main exhibition space. 22. Top Floor Plan of the Blur Building showing directed circulation upon entering Angel Deck and exiting via one way stairs.

23. Image above of Fondation Cartier Exhibition space (ground level), showing open floorplan with large floor plates encouraging drifting from space to space.

Figures top to bottom 24. Rooftop deck of Fondation Cartier with multiple door openings allowing multiple entry and exit points from interior to exterior. 25. Ground Floor of Fondation Cartier with wide acces through spaces.

Figures top to bottom 26. Stairway through the Blur Building, narrow and one direction encouraging constant movement in the same direction. 27. Angel Deck of the Blur Building with a linked up circulation directing traffic through the space.

Figures large then bottom right (small) 28. Angel Deck of the Blur Building with a direct circulation enouraging similar movements through the same space for visitors. 29. One of the starcases within the Blur Building no more than three people wide.