Thin City-Octavia-RetriHaryanto

THE SPIDER WEB CITY

OCTAVIA

Retri Haryanto Atta. 1106002936. Interior Architecture Studio 5. Universitas Indonesia

prologue If you choose to believe me, good. Now I will tell how Octavia, the spider-web city, is made. There is a precipice between two steep mountains: the city is over the void, bound to the two crests with ropes and chains and catwalks.

You walk on the little wooden ties, careful not to set your foot in the open spaces, or you cling to the hempen strands. Below there is nothing for hundreds and hundreds of feet: a few clouds glide past; farther down you can glimpse the chasm's bed.

This is the foundation of the city: a net which serves as passage and as support.

All the rest, instead of rising up, is hung below: rope ladders, hammocks, houses made like sacks, clothes hangers, terraces like gondolas, skins of water, gas jets, spits, baskets on strings, dumb-waiters, showers, trapezes and rings for children's games, cable cars, chandeliers, pots with trailing plants. Suspended over the abyss, the life of Octavia's inhabitants is less uncertain than in other cities. They know the net will last only so long.

Calvino, Italo. ‘ Invisible cities’

octavia

Fig 1. Octavia City Sketch

“There is a precipice between two steep mountains: the city is over the void, bound to the two crests with ropes and chains and catwalks.” “ All the rest, instead of rising up, is hung below: rope ladders, hammocks, houses made like sacks, “

octavia

Fig 2. Octavia City Model

Octavia city created by 3 different layers that support the city's life.

1, The ropes as the city access and path 2. The houses as the city dwelling 3. The net as the lower protection for Octavian

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Fig 3. Octavia City Plan

If we see Octavia from above. We can imagine the spiderweb city through the ropes that hang and connected each other to support Octavia

TIES

HANG THIN

All the rest, instead of rising up, is hung below: rope ladders, hammocks, houses made like sacks,

Fig 4. Octavia City houses

octavia You walk on the little wooden ties, careful not to set your foot in the open spaces, or you cling to the hempen strands. Below there is nothing for hundreds and hundreds of feet ; farther down you can glimpse the chasm's bed.

Fig 5. Walk in Octavia City Sketch

Fig 6. Octavia City walking pattern

Fig 7. Octavia City walking Experience

I imagine the pattern of the ropes as our daily access in Octavia. It’s overlapping, connected , endless, confusing and seems to be dangerous at the same time..

octavia

Fig 8. Octavia City net, ladders & rope

a net which serves as passage and as support. All the rest, instead of rising up, is hung below: rope ladders, hammocks, houses made like sacks, clothes hangers, terraces like gondolas, skins of water, gas jets, spits, baskets on strings, dumb-waiters, showers, trapezes and rings for children's games, cable cars, chandeliers, pots with trailing plants.

epilogue “ Suspended over the abyss, the life of Octavia's inhabitants is less uncertain than in other cities. They know the net will last only so long.”

It’s the last description about the Octavia city. But through several sketch and model about the city, if i could imagine to live in Octavia i think it will be an challenging but enjoyable city for me.