Kabuki Theatre Design Report

Imagined Scene of Chasing Fireflies in the Evening Light, 2014

Design Report / Sam Comrie

Imagined Scene of Chasing Fireflies in the Evening Light, 1855

SAM COMRIE s0821790

PREFACE The project detailed in this report is my latest attempt at an interrogation of the relationship between the reality of the built environment and the subjectivity of meaning. What is the connection between architecture and the idea?

In relation to the environment of the site, the main proposal of my project is a traditional Japanese Kabuki Theatre recreated and suspended in the air above one of Tokyo’s many busy junctions. Exploring the verticality of urban Tokyo and the use of a fragment of Tokyo’s past as a site – piss alley, my building combines traditional and contemporary programme to create a mixture of the two and a journey up through the building that allows the user glimpses into two different worlds.

Alongside my investigation of a building situated in Tokyo is the use of Marcel Duchamp’s Large Glass as a conceptual reference point. If you are not familiar with it, it is a collection of images framed to create a narrative through allusion to depth and movement, where the meaning is never specified, only left to interpretation. Duchamp’s work and questioning of the meaning of art ultimately led to the investigations of the Situationists in attempting to give meaning to everyday existence and tackle the ‘poverty of modernism’. As such, my building acts as a collection of spatial experiences expressed as stacked objects with a narrative with the aim at providing a connection between the worlds of dreams and reality and the duality that they create.

The framework of this narrative takes the form of a Kabuki Theatre, suspended in the air from a restaurant and gallery space that projects from a steel superstructure. This superstructure contains workshops and practice space, green rooms and culminates with a roof garden, 60 metres above the Tokyo street level. Rather than the theatre being the centre point of the scheme it is expressed as an object supported by the rest of the building. Taking inspiration from Rafael Vinoly’s Curve Theatre in Leicester where the inner workings of the theatre are exposed to the public, the public and private routes through the building mix together affording the public glimpses into the Kabuki practice rooms and an opportunity to mix with the actors themselves in true Kabuki fashion. The worlds of acting and dreaming intersperse through the interactions of people and gain meaning.

Sam Comrie

Design Report

3

CONTENTS

RESEARCH

CONCEPT

REALISATION

55 Slides / Expression of a personal framework

Large Glass / Objects in space - intertwining the three threads Site Strategy

55 Japan / A glimpse of Japan

Kabuki

55 Site / The spatial qualities of Piss Alley

Acting/dreaming / Development of a conceptual duality

/ Programmatic choices

/ Re-inventing Piss Alley

Objects in Space / A vertical strategy for a suspended theatre Spatial Narrative / Spatial narrative through programme, structure, materials

MAPPING Design Report

5

RESEARCH 55 SLIDES

EXPRESSION OF A PERSONAL FRAMEWORK

55 JAPAN

A GLIMPSE OF JAPAN

55 SITE

THE SPATIAL QUALITIES OF PISS ALLEY

CONCEPT DUCHAMP

OBJECTS IN SPACE - INTERTWINING THE THREE THREADS

ACTING/DREAMING

PROGRAMMATIC CHOICES

KABUKI

DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPTUAL DUALITY

Design Report

7

REALISATION SITE STRATEGY

RE-INVENTING PISS ALLEY

OBJECTS IN SPACE

A VERTICAL STRATEGY FOR A SUSPENDED THEATRE

SPATIAL NARRATIVE

SPATIAL NARRATIVE THROUGH PROGRAMME, STRUCTURE, MATERIALS.

Design Report

9

INTRODUCTION

The project has materialised via a complex design process, incorporating multiple sources of influence and inspiration. As such producing a clear design report has required careful mapping of the various stages of research. concept development and the realisation of the project. Each segment of the first semester has been narrated chronologically to highlight the layering of research and understanding, firstly of myself, secondly of culture and location and thirdly of context. This research and the course directive of investigating the relationship between art and architecture, and questioning the response to context were brought together at the end of semester one. At that stage the connections were not completely clear, but with the benefit of time to consider each thread, they were interwoven into the scheme presented in this document.

The development of the concept is mapped via a short introduction on the main sources of inspiration, Duchamp and the Kabuki theatre and the creation of an ‘un-art’ collage that expresses the colliding of the ideas of art and architecture in such a manner that visualises the complexity of the world we now live in. My aim for the project has been to embrace the complexity of the idea in the scheme, while simultaneously attempting to simplify the narrative, structure and expression in the hope that the building remained visually suggestive and open to interpretation. This relationship between the idea and the realisation is a subtle one that this report is intended to reveal.

Ultimately this project is a coming together of the old tradition of Kabuki, a new way of thinking about its position and a desire to design a building that speaks to Tokyo. It is also an assertion that the idea is as important in the design process as the aesthetic, and that it should reveal itself in the realisation of a scheme.

Design Report

11

SEMESTER ONE EXHIBITION

EXPRESSING A PERSONAL FRAMEWORK

55 SLIDES

An ‘iconographic autobiography’ Upon undertaking the New Spatial Practices in Architecture (& Art) course at the beginning of semster one we attempted to create independent & parallel modes of thought regarding our own architectural practice.

In order to uncover this practice every student presented a series of 55 images, firstly personal, then of the Japan visit and finally of the site for the project. The first section of this report will focus on the collections of images produced, the accompanying models and the relevance of the excercise in defining and understanding a personal framework.

Personally my first 55 slides are a collection of diverse images that explored the narrative of my education from my early life up to my penultimate year at university. The resulting model extrapolated from these images can be read as the solidification of the framework that surrounds us in our built environment, the basic planes of the ground and the built are contrasted. Any project conceived must respond to both, but critically should not be restricted to either. The connecting space is the one I wish to occupy with my architecture.

Design Report

13

Design Report

15

1 Marischal College. Archibald Simpson. 1844

2 Aberdeen Grammar School, James Matthews. 1863

11 Screen print of RNLI Lifeboat, Sam Comrie. 2009

12-13 Arthur & Yvonne Boyd Art Centre, Glenn Murcutt. 1999

21

22

31 Laban Dance Centre, Herzog & de Meuron. 2003

32 Long section of community centre project, Portobello. Sam Comrie. 2012

3 Aberdeen Harbour. 2005

13

23 Clyde Auditorium, Foster & Partners. 1997

33 Totes Meer, Paul Nash. 1941

4 Aberdeen beach, Rowena Comrie. 2004

14-15 Concept models exploring place, Sam Comrie. 2009

24 Photograph of the Blasiusstraat, Amsterdam. 2011

34 Casa Rotonda drawing, Mario Botta. 1982

5 Dunnotar Castle. Earl Marischal 1400 - 1600

15

25 Photograph, Weesperstraat, Amsterdam. 2011

35 The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art extension, Steven Holl. 2007

6 Megacity One, Ron Smith. 1979

7 Scene from Bladerunner, Ridley Scott. 1982

16-17 Byker Wall Scheme, Ralph Erskine. 1982

17

26 Zuidas business district, Amsterdam.

1993 - present

36 Parc La Villette concept sketches, Bernard Tschumi. 1987

8 Drawing of tower block de-assembled, Sam Comrie. 2007

18 WLV Building, Bolles & Wilson. 1995

9 Unite D’habitation, Le Corbusier. 1952

19 Photograph of a house, Glasgow. 2011

27 Muziekgebouw, 3XN Architects. 2005

28 Delta metropool, Netherlands, OMA. 2002

29 Image of the attic/cellar duality, Sam Comrie. 2012

37 Glass Video Gallery, Bernard Tschumi. 1990

38-39 Tres Grande Bibliotheque, OMA. 1989

39

10 Pacific Design Centre, Cesar Pelli. 1975

20-21-22 Industrial buildings, Glasgow. 20th century

30 Image of the phenomenological home, Sam Comrie. 2012

40 Taipei Performing Arts Centre, OMA. 2015

Design Report

17

FIFTEEN UNCATEGORISED IMAGES

Grangemouth refinery, INEOS. 1924

Notre Dame du Haut Chapel. Le Corbusier. 1955

Interpretive sketches, Hillel Schocken.

The duck/rabbit illusion, Ludwig Wittgenstein. 1953

Vanna Venturi House, Robert Venturi. 1964

Glasgow School of Art, Charles R Mackintosh. 1909

Queens Cross Church, Charles R Mackintosh. 1899

Sydney Opera House, Jorn Utzon. 1973

St. Josef blood bank, One Architecture. 2009

Stedelijk Museum extension, Bentham Crouwel. 2012

Southgate Housing Project, Stirling & Gowan. 1977 Leicester University, Engineering Faculty. 1959

Neue Staatsgalerie, James Stirling. 1983

I find these 15 connector images the most intellectually interesting in terms of the subject matter behind each. They represent interesting ideas about architecture, ways of interpreting the built environment and the creative process. As a result I see these as forming the connecting space between our common understanding of horizontal and vertical, as the space with potential to form innovative ideas.

The old and the new are visualised in the model as two perpendicular axis, as two solid elements that are universally readable. Thus it became the connectors that grew from simply being the awkward images that didn’t fit, into the most important part of the model, as they are the pieces that occupy the space between the old and the new, between the horizontal and the vertical.

Design Report

19

CREATING THE FRAMEWORK MODEL

The first model was an exploration of the self, developed from 55 slides chosen in order to define my architectural experiences so far. These took the form of a timeline of diverse images that explored the narrative of my education from my early life up to my penultimate year of education. As such making a model from these images proved to be difficult in the sense that there was little correlation of themes or subject matter. Simplifying these images had little results and I realised that there was no other way to represent my images in a model other than to embrace the complexity that is inherent in them.

Therefore I decided to re-organise them into themes based on my understanding of how we understand architecture on a human scale, these themes being history, making roots and escape. I decided to expand on this and, instead of escape, I split the future theme into progress and escape, the latter being the alternate future that humans fantasise over. After this reinterpretation there were 15 images that were left over and could be placed in any category so I decided that these would be the connectors that link the themes. With this framework devised I added another layer of complexity by simplifying these themes into the basic ideas of old (history and making roots) and new (progress and escape).

In my explorations for a community centre in Portobello in the year one of my Master’s course I examined how architecture can inspire a feeling of community by appealing to various areas of the human physche. In an urban setting such as Portobello it was important to appeal to all ages of people, as well as taking into consideration their past, present and future aims and interests. As such I developed three themes that formed the framework for my project, these being history, making roots and escape. As previously mentioned I used these categories to organise my 55 slides with some additions. The images opposite were grouped into history and making roots, with each picture corresponding to these themes aesthetically or theoretically.

History and making roots build on the idea of past and present.

I believe that a successful community is built on a shared history. Making roots was the idea of the present and literally making roots in a place. To this end communication between people, particularly of different ages was very important in creating a community spirit. Imagining the model as a framework of my own understanding of architecture, these two themes made up the horizotal ground level, with making roots being represented as a collage of images that would form an undulating landscape. History is represented as that landscape being stripped back to reveal the basic frame

Design Report

21

The images opposite were grouped into progress and escape, with each picture corresponding to these themes aesthetically or theoretically. The previous themes are rooted in phenomenological ideas of placemaking and form the ‘landscape’ of the model which is intended to support the other ideas. In my community centre the intention was to explore the notion that many people are stifled by their surroundings and that this could be channeled into creating a desire to better themselves, with the ultimate ambition of ‘escape’ or finding something more from existence. I realised while I was categorising the slides however that while these themes made sense in the context of a community, they were not as easily applied to my slides.

As such I created a new theme, progress. To this theme I attributed slides that featured pragmatic buildings and realistic proposals for improving the built environment, as well as modern industry such as the financial sector and intelligent planning schemes. The theme of escape became an alternate reality, where fantasy projects and dystopian worlds were contained.

A future that fascinates us but which we wish to avoid. These themes made up the vertical plane which cuts through the horizontal, reliant on it for support but still able to cut through. Again I sorted the images into collages which I assembled as the section of a vast building, progress being grey and solid, escape being transparent and with a stranger form. These two themes together symbolise the idea of the future, and the choices we make in defining it through architecture.

Design Report

23

Design Report

25

55 SELF MODEL

55 JAPAN MODEL

9 IDEAS

BOOKS

55 SITE MODEL

55 SELF MODEL

55 JAPAN MODEL

9 IDEAS

BOOKS

55 SITE MODEL

SEMESTER ONE EXHIBITION VISUALISATION

GLIMPSES OF JAPAN

55 JAPAN After completing the 55 slides excercise and shedding light on our architectural interests and potential directions, the next task was to use the same criteria to map our trip to Japan. A selection of photographs were used from diferent days of the visit, in itself this was revealing, as it was difficult to process Japan as context in such a short time and with such a fragemented visit. The model, a piece of glass cracked in such a way that it remained intact, was intended to visualise this. The massive cultural differences of Japan from the west were fascinating in setting the scene of the project as not being reliant on context but rather on the idea.

Design Report

27

Design Report

29

KYOTO 1 Myoshin-ji Temple gate

2 Myoshin-ji Bamboo boundary detail

3 Myoshin-ji Paths on a grid

4 Kyoto Central Station Canopy structure

5 Myoshin-ji Building joint detail

14 Jun Aoki Louis Vuitton store

15 OMA & Shohei Shigematsu Coach flagship store

Tokyo / Harajuku 11 Pavilion Roof & hedge composition

12 Christian Boltanski Archives du Coeur

13 Kazuyo Sejima HH Style store

16 Herzog & de Mueron Prada building

Tokyo - Asakusa 23 Vertical building View from chair

24 ‘Feel’ chair Facing vertical building

25 Kazuyo Sejima Small House

26 Mario Botta Watari-um Gallery

Hiroshima 35 Machiya-dori Street with water way

36 Miyajima old town Traditional house

37 Machiya-dori Extendable canopy

38 World Peace Museum View of the dome

27 Postmodern building View from Olympic Park

28 Kengo Kuma Asakusa Tourist Information Centre

39 Piss Alley Power lines composition

40 Piss Alley Fake flowers

Tokyo

Teshima 6 Ryoan-Ji Temple Temple gate drainage channel

7 Teshima View from a hill

8 Ryue Nishizawa Art Musuem

10 Retaining walls Constructed in different patterns

21 Meiji Dori Street-scape

22 GA Bookshop Brutalist style

Tokyo

Tokyo - Kanagawa 17 Junya Ishigami Kanagawa institute of technology

9 Shinto Shrine Path into the forest

18 Junya Ishigami Table and chairs

19 Junya Ishigami Roof and column detail two

20 Junya Ishigami Exterior view

Miyajima 29 Kengo Kuma View from Tourist centre

30 Kaminari-mon Gate Busy shopping street

31 Senso-ji Hanging Lanterns

32 Senso-ji Buddhist temple

33 The Great Torii At high tide

34 Itsukushima Shrine Roof joints

41 Tokyo station Canopy structure

42 Ryue Nishizawa House & Garden

43 Kazuyo Sejima Shibaura house office building

44 Akihabara Multi-story leisure buildings

45 Akihabara station Yodobashi Akiba store behind

46 Kengo Kuma Nezu Museum

Design Report

31

9 OBSERVATIONS / OVERLAY Each of the nine images contains themes and architectural ideas observed upon the trip to japan/

NATURE AND THE CITY

We made several trips to different cities during the Japan trip and also visited rural islands. This left a strong impression of the relationship between the countryside and the built environment in Japan, as the cities seem to merge into the hills that form a large part of the landscape of Japan. Looking at maps of the country it is largely the flat marshlands that are built upon, and indeed they are densely covered with buildings due to the large population of Japan at 126 million, while the hills are left untouched.

I had first imagined that this relationship existed as an opposition but having visited the Silver Temple shrine (Ginkaku-ji) in Kyoto, which is situated at the very edge of the city and Shed features a circular path that leads up one of the mountains for Overlapping repairs a view back over the city, I realised that the transistion from city to nature was very sudden. Rather than the city trailing There were two main examples of layering that I witnessed. They off, it touches the forest and draws it into the city as part of it.

Myo cemetary existed in contrasting scales, the first being material and the second the urban. The image of the shed is interesting as it shows the overlay of different types of corrugated iron and plastic, which have been replaced gradually as the building has aged.

The contrast between the spotless shed and the messy materials revealed something about the Japanese attitude towards change and beauty within the larger ideas of Wabisabi. The Japanese attitude towards the change differs from the western attitude of superceding styles, rather it is an additive process where parts layer up from different periods. In building this results in an urban environment that appears to be random and chaotic but actually is the superimposition of the new without change to the existing as in the image of Tokyo on the right.

Ginkaku-ji Looking across Kyoto

VERTICALITY

DESTRUCTION

Our understanding of the street in the west is that of a predominantly linear space that leads you from one end to the other, reinforced by the kerb edge and the orientation of building facades. While exploring Tokyo it became clear that there exists a different approach, where verticality is incorporated into the streetscape. There is less of a clear boundary between the elements of the city at a human scale, and as a result there is a more openended feel to the street. For instance in smaller streets there is no paving edge and the street is shared by pedestrians, bicycles and cars alike. The buildings form a part of this but on STRUCTURE AS CONCEPT Junya Ishigami Forest of columns the vertical axis, as bars and restuarants are stacked on top of one another. One building can contain multiple programs that are During our stay in Japan, we sought out multiple buildings of specific architecturopen to the publc as self contained spaces within the larger shell al interest, spending entire days walking and exploring. Slowly an understanding of the building. of the difference between the attitudes of east and west began to appear, and the project I felt best captured this was the Kanagawa Institute of Technology workshop building designed by Junya Ishigami. Situated in shimoogino district, on the outskirts of Tokyo, it is a 2000m2 workshop for the design of creative goods.

Collaborating with Japanese architecture students in Hiroshima, i had the opportunity to explore the city and visit the world peace museum.

Being interested in the history of the second world war, I understood the significance of the Genbaku Dome but this didn’t diminish the effect of seeing the ruin in person. I started thinking about the role destruction has played in shaping Japan’s cities and attitudes towards materials and space. Tokyo for example has had large areas destroyed throughout its history, either due to man made or natural distasters.

As such there is an attitude of temporality to buildings, where the life span is relatively short, often less than thirty years. This is a strong contrast with the west where buildings have stood for centuries and are protected and maintained. I felt that this aspect of Japan resulted in a certain freedom towards architectural design.

MVRDV / SANAA GYRE retail / Dior building

The Genbaku Dome UNESCO world heritage site

Rather than having a straightforward structure, the interior of the building is conceived as a forest of pillars, 305 to be exact. The space is intended to draw comparisons with the stars in the sky and making goods in the woods, there is deliberate attempt to capture a manufactured version of a natural space. The exterior wall is made of glass with subtle structural fixings to add to this effect.

The thin pillars are meticulously engineered to support the roof of the building with 42 thicker pillars that deal with loading and 263 thin pillars that deal with the shear forces. Every pillar is slightly different in thickness or angle, and are situated densely enough to provide a feeling of privacy without walls. Using the structure as the conceptual basis for the design lended it a visual power that was recognisable and powerful.

Design Report

33

ELEMENTS AS MARKERS OF TIME

CHANGE

Kiyonori Kikutake Edo Museum

This theme goes in hand with destruction, as a byproduct of it. The theory is that a cycle of destruction has inspired cities that are more flexible and less conservative. To think of this critically is to find examples, for instance the Edo Museum in Tokyo designed by Kiyonori Kikutake. This building appealed to me because of its sheer scale and unusual design. The actual museum is suspended upon four ‘legs’ of circulation, which leaves a huge void space 15 metres in height below. I think this building is very post modern in its aesthetic, and is an interesting take on making a building anti-monumental. Even though it is huge in scale, its size is focused downwards and it isn’t integrated into any larger urban plan, standing alone as a self contained object. Within the themes I like to imagine this as an object dropped from space onto a feshly rebuilt Tokyo, I think it embodies the idea of newness, or change.

Miyajima island, a small island off the shoreline of Hiroshima, has been a religious site for approximately 1200 years. A collection of temples surround Mount Misen and celebrate the islands spiritual resonance. This is a place that combines the harmony and beauty of human craftsmanship with the forces of nature. The Itsukushima shrine’s foundations are below the water level, and its mainly wooden structure is exposed to coastal weather conditions which results in a constant state of decay. As a result of this the temple has always had to be constantly maintained, and as a result it is nearly 800 years old, and yet is identical to the origninal in all but small details.

Further up the mountain in the Shibaura urban fabric Itsukushima Shrine DUALITY Small plant store View of the Torii Reikado Hall there is a flame that is claimed to have been I felt that the previous themes and ideas held within the burning for over 1200 years. images could be collated under one grand theme. That is duality, an instance of opposition or contrast between two I find the juxtaposition of this concepts or two aspects of something. I felt that Japan was idea of rebuilding and maintainvery extreme in many senses, big and small for example or ing with the contrasting view of nature and urban. The image opposite captured that, in the constant change fascinating. It urban sense, a tiny store selling plants could exist happily is as if time is measured by the inbetween two much taller buildings. Many aspects of Japapeople, through the skills of nese culture seem contradictory and yet exist together. This building being passed on, and is extended to the religions of Shinto and Buddhism, which the elements as the method of co-exist, for instance Buddhist temples would be constructed decay, the buildings are simply next to Shinto shrines so that shrine spirits could aspire to a part of this continuous cycle Buddhahood and in turn could protect the temples. There have of time, and become more than been instances of conflict in the history of the two religions just structures. but the over-riding legacy is of peaceful co-operation. I find it inspiring that things that would seem to be opposed can be brought together to work in harmony.

EXPRESSION OF THE NINE OBSERVATIONS Design Report

35

CRACKING THE GLASS

The second model is an attempt to make sense of two weeks in Japan. Again this was developed from 55 slides, in this case these were all photographs I had taken on the study visit. I felt that at this point in the development of the semester I wanted to have some idea of the direction that my architecture may take in the coming months as the project is gradually defined. As such I again categorised the images yet not as rigidly as previous.

This time I decided to try and interpret the images as a series of ideas, and as I worked the images fell naturally into several collectives.

Interpreting Japan has been a case of attempting to exert control over a vast amount of information and contrasting experiences, and ply them into meaningful thoughts. I felt that the contrast between the peaceful temples and islands and the vast, bustling cities gave us two snapshots of Japan, and as such my slides jumped from several images of nature and beauty, to hectic urban fabric and density. I had a strong sense of this duality throughout my stay. Several other notions that appeared in the slides fell within this larger idea, such as nature in conjunction with the city, verticality, change and destruction. The second major idea was that of layering, of information, restoration and representation. This idea ties together anti-structure and elements as markers of time.

It seems impossible to explain concisely the experience of visiting Japan, the only means of explaining it visually being through the photographs. The 55 slides of Japan only provide 55 snapshots of an experience which is intangible to anyone but myself.

Although I have concentrated these images into nine ideas, there is an interesting problem of how to represent them. I have drawn inspiration from studying Marcel Duchamp’s Large Glass and Gerhard Richter.

As capturing Japan through a camera is insufficient in communicating ideas or meaning, only providing autonomous snapshots, we must look beyond the photograph. In order to achieve this you must take the ‘camera’ or window and make the spectator aware of it by disfiguring its view, which prompts awareness that there is a window rather than just the object on the other side.

This provokes a more intense and speculative form of observation from the spectator. The representation of this window will be a pane of glass, which will be broken intentionally and suspended in the air behind the first model. Beyond that will sit a box containing the 9 images which contain the ideas. Thus the model becomes a method of interrogating representation and allowing spectator and also myself to reflect upon it. The work of Marcel Duchamp offers a more specific interrogation of representation by creating a mysterious narrative.

SPATIAL QUALITIES OF PISS ALLEY

SITE 55

After compiling the Japan images, we moved on to investigate our site in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. This site offered an interesting glimpse of an older Tokyo as it seemed to be a remnant of the historical fabric of the city, resisting the high density vertical buildings around it. Flows of people move around the site across large traffic junctions going about their business in the city but relatively few actually enter the alley itself, except to eat at one of the 54 small restaurants located within. My first reaction is that this environment of small restaurants that spill out in to the alley is worth keeping - could this area be re-imagined in a new form?

The model focused on examining and capturing the relationship between these flows of people and the static restaurants within the site, and of how the boundaries of the two seemed to blur.

Design Report

37

Design Report

39

CREATING THE MODEL The third model is an investigation of the forces at work within and around our site in Tokyo, Piss Alley. The site is interesting as it is surrounded by high density vertical buildings, yet has remained low rise and undeveloped. Flows of people move around the site across large traffic junctions but relatively few actually enter the alley itself, except to eat at one of the 50 small restaurants located within. The narrow alley way creates a pleasant space as the cafe’s spill out into the street with no strict boundary, and a collection of wires, plastic flowers and lanterns form a canopy above. This creates a very different spatial environment than the street directly outside but is altered hugely by the time of day, during the daytime it is deserted and unappealing. I was interested in this relationship between static and moving forces and of how one can define the other.

Design Report

41

STATIC vs. ACTIVE As seen in the previous images I used plaster casting to explore the contrast between static and active forces. In order to represent the static spaces I decided to manufacture replicated spaces, one for each of the images and to this end I laser cut 54 10 x 10mm cubes from acrylic. These could be arranged in any manner, and beginning with the plan of the site I arranged them as quarters of the rectangle. It occured to me that this would be problematic as the cubes arranged in this way would resist the ‘flow’ material and channel it only at certain points.

As i was not intending just to recreate the site conditions but visualise a more refined concept I decided to arrange them so that none of the ‘spaces’ were physically touching. As a result of this the contrasting material would flood inbetween the spaces and become part of them.

I constructed an inverted mold using blue foam to create a raised platform and embedded the cubes inside the foam. I then cast plaster on top of this in order to create a basin shape. When the mold was removed the cubes were embedded in the plaster on a flat plane surrounded on four sides by a curving ramp, the result being that the two materials, or movement vs. static spaces were now one object which inter-relate. The basin shape is an attempt to capture the hectic flow of the city around the surprisingly peaceful site. On one edge I cut out a small section and rested some of the cubes on it, as if they are on the verge of crossing the boundary and falling into the chaotic basin to mix with the other spaces.

SITE PLAN HIGHLIGHTING PISS ALLEY Design Report

43

SITE MODEL WITH FINAL SCHEME

OBJECTS IN SPACE - INTERTWINING THE THREE THREADS: The first brief that we received in the New Spatial Practices in Architecture (& Art) module quoted this paragraph on context:

“Over the last twenty years the question of contextuality has become all pervasive as a kind of moral basis, which is regarded as necessarily informing every architectural project. as a result, architects now primarily approach their work in terms of a reaction to their environment. however, i believe that architecture can develop out of an idea, from a thought, and that such an idea does not in principle have to be tied to the prevailing context. historical examples can be found in temples and churches. even barns and stables are hardly ever contextual but are nevertheless beautiful. in most cases they are beautiful buildings – buildings that have emerged from an idea, buildings that do not exclusively react to contextual, economic, technical, and functional requirements. i am convinced that today it is still possible and indeed necessary to base designs on ideas, and to create buildings that are capable of contributing to the culture intelligence of our time.”1 1. A Lecture by Valerio Olgiati 2011 Birkhäuser GmbH, Basel ISBN 978-3-0346-0783-4 www.birkhauser.com

A personal framework based on the principles of human well-being + a glimpse at a foreign culture + a site with a complex and beautiful spatial condition.

When these three threads come together an opportunity is presented. Without the strict adherence to context, can an architectural concept emerge from an idea? This idea is completely removed from the world of buildings and envrionment, instead it will come from the world of art, where reality can be questioned and pulled apart. This idea is the Large Glass by Marcel Duchamp.

Design Report

45

Dialogue between myself and ‘Marcel Duchamp’ on the 55 images excercise: D - The desire to categorise objects or images in this case, is a manifestation of the desire to understand the world. By breaking down the images you refine the meanings of them. The easy categorisation of the four categories suggests that these images had a clear and resonant connotation that could be identified. However the fifteen images that couldn’t have exhibited several connotations, their meaning becoming unclear. Alternatively you understand that they contain multiple meanings and become grouped in their own category of a kind of metaphorical transparency. It is human nature to desire and search for obvious meanings but the reality is that life is complex and is made up of many overlapping layers of information. My early work for instance focused on traditional and specialised mediums such as paint to explore ideas but I soon grew tired of my inability to articulate my thoughts. I turned to other methods such as sculpture and glass, my art becoming more about meaning than retinal. These images demonstrate this, they could exist in any category or none and this gives them far more potency than the clear images. This makes me think, perhaps there are comparisons that can be drawn between the worlds of art and architecture?

S – I think to understand the worlds of art and architecture alongside each other it is necessary to trace their philosophical sources, existentialism and the search for reality, for example. If you look at the Dada movement, and its subsequent evolution into surrealism and then situationism, there is a common thread of anti-war, left wing thought that rejected rationalism as a dominant philosophy of human life and communicated using ‘anti-art’....

Concurrently in Architecture, the modern movement was gaining traction, and it was only by the 1970s that any alternative way of thinking had arisen, in the form of post-modernism. If meaning in art (or rather anti-art) was the prime concern of said art movements, then architecture would be many decades behind the curve, as it wasn’t until the arrival of post-modernism that a critique of the semiotics of building, and a unified attempt to use architecture as a tool for communication and cultural expression became the primary concern of architects. Although the first iteration of Post-modern architecture is deemed a failure I think the search for meaning in our built environment is very important. Ultimately the first model can be seen as a capture of my psyche and in its unfinished nature it acts as a framework that provides the opportunity for things to happen. Meaning is subjective and it can be anything we desire, provided the reasoning is convincing enough, but it needs a sound framework or it will collapse. That framework for me is based on the complex relationship of the old and the new, the appreciation of our accumulated past, communication and interaction with each other, a willingness to look ahead into the future and embrace it and the ambition to push the boundaries of what we can do in our short lifespan. This interpretation is inherently personal, but I think the over-riding point of me constructing this is to use architecture as a way of understanding and testing. Subsequently I think there are many important things that need to be held in mind when approaching design, the ideas of genius loci, and the work of Glenn Murcutt in particular is a good example – these approaches fundamentally appeal to our basic human instincts and please us on an instinctive level. But they are reductive, for me personally, architecture should be about more than this. As your art became about meaning in the Large Glass then so should the architect look to use architecture to offer something more than a simple re-enforcing of our basic functions.

D – It is important to understand your own motivations and ‘framework’ as you have discussed, but in the end it is your vision for the future that will colour your work. You talk about meaning as a general principle, what is your specific understanding of it? Subjective first requires a subject.

You need a device with which to deploy your ideas. The Large Glass was about meaning, but that came about through a narrative that unfolded across the piece. The prevalent interpretation of ‘The Bride Stripped Bare

by Her Bachelors, Even’ is of two concurrent sequences, the first being the interaction of female and male desire. Let’s call it the Amorous Pursuit. It has a beginning and an end. The second sequence describes the influence of chance and destiny. Let’s call it the Fate Machine. It is continually in motion. The Large Glass depicts a chain reaction among abstract forces, but these forces are the emotions that we all share and exhibit to varying extents. The message here is really very simple; the random chance of human encounters, these define us and shape our understanding of reality, but it is a message communicated using a vague and mysterious language. Plus it is portrayed on glass, a material with transparency, so you also see depth and include whatever is located behind the work.

S – To answer your question, I can’t give a specific definition of meaning, it’s so subjective. I think it’s an important as a part of the creative process, as in your intentions upon what an object should suggest. Ultimately people will read whatever they want into an object and often it will be misread. My vision of the future is simply that we keep on questioning and changing, and that things don’t grow stale and placid. This means that the individual should be inspired by my designs but not subverted.

I think Rem Koolhaas has it right when he describes architecture as a force for change, something that can be used to explore different ways of thinking about the way we live.

D – Did you consider this idea of change in relation to your visit to Japan? D – That understanding is in line with current thinking about the subject, in that we have had art, then anti-art, but today the experimental S – The experience of visiting Japan was fascinating in this respect, as artist practices un-art, as defined by Allan Kaprow. In other words, art we witnessed first-hand the differences between east and west. Granted that reminds us of life and captures its idiosyncrasies and contradicthe experience was just a snapshot, but after researching Japan I came tions, the art of process. Artists have reached a stage where everyday to realise that the differences deployed on a human scale were a result life itself is inspiration enough. Art and culture and society, and I could of a far wider ranging difference of attitudes towards life in general. In go on, have merged into an amorphous mass, where separating them particular the religions of Shinto and Buddhism and the long term at- is difficult. I suppose this is the legacy of Marcel Duchamp. Is this idea titude that they promote seemed to filter down through the society into also apparent in architecture today? the urban environment. Japan seemed to embrace change. My second model was an attempt at solidifying this overriding feeling that Japan S – I would say yes and no, on one hand we are a society of individuwas fundamentally different and that although you could appropriate its als with our own personal expectations of freedom, and yet we are lessons, it would be impossible to understand it as a native would. To more and more generic as a collective, the power of television and communicate this I carefully cracked a pane of glass and held it between social media, and the shift of power from the state to corporations – two unbroken sheets. This was also a comment on the photograph as global capitalism. The global balance of power is changing and in our a capturing device, my feeling being that because a photo is a two di- indifference we passively support it. Certeau’s Practice of Everyday mensional capture of a scene it misses out on the important things, such Life investigates ways in which we individualise this mass culture and as atmosphere and movement. Visiting Japan could be visualised as a make it our own, and try and find some meaning in our life. It is here window into another world, which is interesting when thinking about the that I feel the strongest connection between art and architecture can Surrealists ideas of reality. For example the ‘Readymades’ are a challenge be established. Take any architectural space for example, it is defined to accepted reality, as Japan was to our western principles. By simply by its edges and volume but it is characterless until it has been used choosing a mass-produced, consumer object with neutral connotations, by people and shows some traces of their patterns. If this space acts taking it out of its context and displaying it as an art piece, you propose as a frame for the activities/un-art within it then it forms a boundary that any object can be an expression of human creativity, and treated as which acts to define the un-art itself. Thus the space becomes part of art. The object itself isn’t really important, nor is the ‘art’, it is the thought the narrative. I think this is an interesting starting point with which to process that elevates the object that gives it significance. interrogate architecture as a container for its functions.

Design Report

47

Marcel Duchamp

Fig .1 The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even 1915-1923 Marcel Duchamp A delay in glass, two worlds existing in duality. A narrative of amorous pursuit or a fate machine. The Large Glass is open to interpretation, any number of meanings could be derived from its visual language. Ultimately thought it is an expression fo Duchamp’s search for the four dimensional object - meaning, and how to represent it.

There is a constant push and pull between the traditional values of architecture; of the old, the stable and established, and the new, this flux of changing values has surfaced since the ‘death’ of modernism in 1972.

These events create a framework in which we can situate our own attitudes towards architecture, but ultimately in this age of the demise of form follows function, what is architecture? What is the relationship between ideas and the reality of the built environment? Are these ideas even important?

My final project has been an indirect attempt to understand these questions. As a device for testing this relationship Marcel Duchamp’s Large Glass was chosen as a point of reference to the world of ideas and meaning.

Duchamp questioned everything that art stood for, and ultimately destroyed the conventional idea of what art was and could be with his ‘Fountain’ and other readymades. It was Duchamp’s will alone that extracted these objects from their everyday context and turned them into works of art. His was a quest in search for understanding that spanned his entire life.

CONCEPTUAL NARRATIVE Although a chief inspiration in the project, the Large Glass did not act as a framework, more it was a case of having the image to hand as a reminder of the larger aim of the concept. The Situationist’s believed that the quality of human life was in a downward slide of degradation and actively searched for ways to improve this quality by questioning the conditions of society. They believed in dreaming as essential to human existence. I am referring in particular to the the Surrealist idea of dreams and reality and how of how they exist in a contradictory state. The Surrealists attempted to resolve this duality by creating fantastic paintings and producing literature produced using automated writing and other techniques. As such my project became about the relationship in everyday life of fantasy and reality, acting and dreaming. The Large Glass could be read in this way, as a duality between fate and desire, and a narrative of the sequence of events that connect the two. Early concepts for my project revolved around this idea.

ACTING AND DREAMING SKETCH

Design Report

49

CONCEPT MODEL DEVELOPMENT

FINAL ITERATION Design Report

51

CONCEPT IMAGE & SKETCHES

Design Report

53

PROGRAMMATIC CHOICES

I tested several combinations of programme throughtout the early concept stage, in order that the programme of the building would allow the users the conceptual experience. The framework of acting/dreaming lent itself to a theatre as the stage is a location for the highest form of social performance. A person watching such things feels enthused to pursue their own affairs with new vigour. Then it becomes equally as important as to what a person does before, during and after a performance. The need for sequencing in order for excitement to build, the need for a quiet place to sit afterwards for contemplation. The building could become a day long experience which sucks the user inside and then spits them out again some hours later slightly different from what they were upon entering.

Drawing inspiration from the observations of Japan, I decided upon a roof garden, high in the Tokyo skyline for contemplation, as well as a gallery for viewing contemporary art, which would inspire. A restaurant for the theatre and to replace the Piss Alley programme would also be essential. The duality of a theatre and a gallery /garden began to take shape, and the idea of the building as a narrative of spaces working vertically made the most sense considering the small footprint of the site at 2500 metres square. I decided to spend some time researching Japanese theatre in order to further explore these ideas and selected Kabuki due to its surreal performances and exaggerated style.

THINKING ABOUT ACTING/DREAMING

Design Report

55

DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPTUAL DUALITY Design Report

57

KABUKI THEATRE Fig. 1 Nakamura Kabuki Theater 1684 - 1704 Hishikawa Moronobu The image on the front cover is taken from a screen design showing scenes of a Kabuki Theatre in traditional Japanese woodblock printing.

Fig. 2 Imagined Scene of Chasing Fireflies in the Evening Light, 1855 Kunisada Another scene of cooling off after the heat of a summer’s day, as six actors relax in the evening by a stream.

They wear light cotton robesknown as yukata, with bold tie-dyed patterns. Two are smoking tobacco, three hold fans, and the onnagata (female role specialist) is chasing fireflies.

After selecting Kabuki as the focus of my theatre, I set upon researching the rich development of this specific style of Japanese theatre. All attention is focused on the actor and set presented upon the stage and this is viewed via a floor seating arrangement quite unlike the western idea of a theatre. A raised grid based on the Japanese tatami grid measurement system seperates seating areas on the floor and the audience look up at the actors. More expensive seats are situated in boxes on each side of the space and occupy two levels, offering a quite different perspective on the events on stage.

In my project I wished to stick closely to the traditional arrangement of the theatre, in acknowledgement of the rich history - but I set out to present it in a new way, firstly by embracing the urban condition of Shinjuku and secondly by acknowledging its place as a part of Japanese history and culture now. The relationship between the actor and the audience provided an interesting conceptual opportunity to explore how these two worlds of public and private exist together.

RESEARCH Key points were picked out from my reseach that highlighted the surreal nature of the Kabuki performance and the potential for architectural ideas. These texts are intended to give the reader a snapshot into the world of Kabuki and is sourced from the British Museum. Points that I found interesting are highlighted in orange.

Kabuki, the popular theatre of Japan, has captured the hearts and minds of audiences from its appearance at the beginning of the seventeenth century to the present day. Plays range from realistic tragic dramas to fantastic adventure stories. Music and dance are skilfully employed, bringing to life characters from the Japanese past, both real and imaginary. Impressive costumes and make-up, and startling stage effects add to the drama.

All the actors in Kabuki are men, playing the roles of warriors and thieves as well as respectable ladies and low-class prostitutes. They have always been worshipped by an adoring public and at critical moments during the long performances the audience participate by shouting out the names of their favourite actors. In the past, fan clubs were set up and many people collected the prints and other memorabilia produced in celebration of their favourite actor.

Fig. 2 Uki-e print by Utagawa Toyoharu showing a kabuki performance in 1769

The beginnings of Kabuki are usually dated to the spring of 1603, when a troupe led by a woman called Izumo no Okuni first performed on a dry riverbed in Kyoto. They performed exotic dances and risquÊ skits which had their roots in a variety of new and popular dances that began to appear around the mid-sixteenth century. Women entertainers were relatively unusual, and Okuni’s outlandish, cross-dressing performances caused a sensation.

From the mid-eighteenth century, the cultural centre of Japan began to shift to Edo (modern Tokyo). The plays produced in that city, particularly those by the famous nineteenth-century playwrights Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755-1829) and Kawatake Mokuami (1816-1893), featured thieves, murderers, extortionists and low-class prostitutes as their heroes. Nanboku was also known for his bloodcurdling ghost plays, which exploited marvellous stage effects and machinery. This hanging scroll painting reflects the wide Japanese interest in the supernatural at that time. Dance plays also became popular, especially those where a single actor would play several different characters using quick costume changes.

Text courtesy of The British Museum Online Tours - https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan.aspx

Fig. 3 Konpira theatre exterior on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Design Report

59

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

While in Western theatre the playwright or director usually assumes the greatest authority, in Kabuki the actor is paramount. Japanese audiences have always celebrated the contributions made by individual actors to the tradition, in terms of acting styles or approaches to certain roles.

One of the most distinctive features of Kabuki is the onnagata, a male actor who plays the parts of women. From its earliest years, Kabuki had featured women dressed as men and men dressed as women. After women were banned from the stage in 1629, it became necessary for men to play female roles and the art of the onnagata developed. To this day, there are no actresses in Kabuki.

The onnagata does not aim to mimic a real woman on stage. Rather, he becomes an idealized and artificial symbol of femininity as seen from a man’s point of view. As the onnagata does not rely upon facial beauty, it is possibly for an actor in his sixties or seventies to play an innocent teenage girl. The greatest onnagata have the ability to transform what could be a grotesque fiction into an emotionally moving truth.

Text courtesy of The British Museum Online Tours - https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/ japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan.aspx

Fig. 6

Design Report

61

Fig. 9

Historically, Kabuki audiences have had closer relationships with their idols than are usual in Western theatre. In purely physical terms, the hanamichi brings the actor to within touching distance of the audience. Kabuki fans go to the theatre to see particular actors, not plays or directors. A Westerner viewing Kabuki for the first time may be surprised by shouts from the audience of actors’ nicknames or other comments when their favourite star appears on stage or at other climactic moments.

Fig. 7 Fig. 8

During the Edo period (1600-1868) there was an even closer relationship. Fans of particular actors banded together into clubs, and occasionally sponsored events at the theatres. They also commissioned prints of their idol. This farewell print for Ichikawa Danjiro VIII is a fine example, paid for by two haiku poetry clubs from Edo fishmarkets. For their part, the actors do not ignore the existence of the audience. Humorous ad-libbed asides sometimes make reference to recent fashions or pop stars. Plays are sometimes halted so that an actor can introduce his young son to the stage for the first time. Most spectacularly, when a famous actor succeeds to a new name, all the actors line up on stage in formal dress and ask the audience for their continuing support.

Text courtesy of The British Museum Online Tours - https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/ japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan.aspx Design Report

63

PROGRAMMATIC CHOICES

As I gathered information on Kabuki it became clear that the operation of a working theatre is a large scale operation. The stage area is extremely complex with a revolving main stage and traps for dramatic entrances. The sets and costumes are elaborate and works of art in themselves. As the scheme developed I decided to integrate a series of workshops and a practice room above the backstage area of the theatre in order to provide support and a permanent workspace for the various craftsmen involved. I developed these spaces through sketches and model making.

The seperation of public and private became a key theme of the building as there would be two seperate entrances for the theatre goers and the actors, for reasons of efficiency and privacy. However I decided that as people travelled up through the scheme the circulation would meet on the restaurant level and the public and Kabuki performers could share the same space.

EXPLODED THEATRE SKETCH

WORKSHOPS SECTION SKETCH

RESTAURANT SKETCH Design Report

65

SITE STRATEGY - RE-INVENTING PISS ALLEY

So the framework for the project had become about the relationship between two parts, acting and dreaming. I spent time researching programme for the building that could allow this dual situation to flourish.

A person entering the building had to get carried away for a whole day, so there needed to be enough to sustain this. The Kabuki Theatre provided such an opportunity. At first I expressed the dual situations of the building as completely seperate, but later I realised that it made more sense to mix them together, pull them apart and make them complex. The Large Glass is made up of several objects in space, could I imagine a building as a series of defined objects, connected by circulation that provided a unique narrative.

The concept models here were explorations in the relationships between these objects.

Design Report

67

UNDERSTANDING THE THEATRE / PUBLIC SPACE

A striking feature of inner city Tokyo is the high density of buildings, with narrow gaps between them that allow passage. In suspending objects in the air there was always the practical question of how it could be achieved. Taking inspiration from the Edo Museum, it occurred to me that in raising the building on legs, I could simultaneously suspend objects and create an open space for the public to gather.

This started a long train of thought in improving the sites connection to Shinjuku station, at present accessible via a small stairway. I wanted to create a spectacular entry point for the scheme from below ground level, which would allow the full impact of the suspended pbjects above to be appreciated.

Design Report

69

panels to provide further acoustic buffering and an aesthetic for the theatre.

RE-INVENTING PISS ALLEY / UNDERSTANDING THE THEATRE

The layout of a Kabuki theatre today should be more or less familiar to a Western audience. There are, however, some crucial differences to Western theatres. Most noticeable is the hanamichi, a narrow raised runway that extends from stage right to the back of the auditorium.

Leading actors make dramatic entrances and exits along the hanamichi right through the centre of the audience. The stage conceals a large revolve and several trap lifts that can be used to raise actors or even whole sets to dramatic effect. Another difference is the striped main stage curtain. Instead of being raised or lowered, it is pulled across to open.

Today’s Kabuki performances last for around five hours, but in the past they ran all day from dawn to dusk. Consequently, theatres contain several restaurants and lunchboxes and snacks are sold. You will frequently see people eating, drinking or talking during the performances - unthinkable to most Western theatregoers. There is still the sense that a Kabuki performance is a social event, with the audience enjoying the whole day’s experience, not just the plays.

Before the twentieth century, Kabuki audiences spent the whole day at the theatre, from dawn until dusk. The main part of the day was usually occupied by one multi-act play, in which music and dance had an important role. Rather than inventing completely new plots, playwrights often took well-known stories and wove them together. Audiences enjoyed seeing familiar characters in unlikely juxtapositions, like having Hamlet falling in love with Juliet in Sherwood Forest.

Text courtesy of The British Museum Online Tours - https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan.aspx

are hung within the frame and the steel is covered to prevent cold-bridging.

light from above. Built using traditional Japanese construction techniques and based on the original Kanamaruza theatre in Shikoku.

DISCUSSION ROOM

DISCUS

GA

KABUKI T UPPER LE

As I was aiming to recreate the theatre I paid careful attention to the layout of the theatre which is based on the strict dimensions of Tatami, a Japanese mat that is used as flooring. Due to the narrow nature of the sire and In order to allow for an even distribution of seating, the theatre had to be narrowed and lengthened. The walkway that projects from the stage to the small room at the back allows the actors to walk through the audience and make dramatic entrances via a small lift.

THEATRE STAGE LEVEL +15 1:200

PREP ROOM

STAGE

ROTATING STAGE

WASH ROOM

UPPER LEVEL ACCESS

KABUKI THEATRE

LIFT ACCESS

ACCESS TO RESTAURANT

UPPER THEATRE LEVEL +20 metres 1:200

The relationship between front and back stage is expressed as two seperate objects, yet they merge together as a reflection of the relationship of the Kabuki actors with their fans. The support program for the theatre, such as toilets and cloakrooms are situated on the floor below, in order to provide a more structured apporach to the theatre entrance.

Design Report

71

RE-INVENTING PISS ALLEY / UNDERSTANDING THE THEATRE

Careful consideration was given to the light condition within the theatre, as the context for it was so different from the original, which sits half way up a mountain, only reachable after an 800 step climb. The original is surrounded by open space and nature, whereas my version sits in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. Thus a modern solution had to be found that wouldn’t compromise the theatre environment.

The materiality of the theatre is expressed in extruded panels of charred larch wood, locally sourced, which clad the entire facade of the suspended box, inset from these are triple layer polycarbonate panels which provide sound insulation from the busy junction and train lines nearby. The polycarbonate allows diffuse light to penetrate inside the theatre space and provides an urban alternative to the open windows and natural light in the original Konpira theatre. Together these elements form a merging of old and new, rough and smooth, which gives the theatre a haptic appeal to the passerby.

INTERIOR VIEW OF THEATRE Design Report

73

THEATRE MODELS

Design Report

75

THEATRE TECHNOLOGY

FACADE

STRUCTURAL FRAME

SUBSTRUCTURE

Facade system consisting of 150mm opaque three layer polycarbonate panels fixed within the steel frame for insulating and acoustical properties as well as light diffusion for the internal space. Extruded frames of charred larch timber are pinned to the panels to provide further acoustic buffering and an aesthetic for the theatre.

Hollow steel frame 800mm x 800mm, suspended by 100mm diameter steel cables, tensioned in situ.

Hung from structural steel superstructre above. This allows the structure to be released for rebuilding at the end of its lifespan.

Panel systems for insulation and acoustics are hung within the frame and the steel is covered to prevent cold-bridging.

A wooden substructure constructed from Japanese cypress timber is situated within the steel frame. Five main beams allow for the open space of the theatre, held up by dozens of smaller columns. A tatami sized grid of wooden joists create a grid, covered by wicker, which diffuses light from above. Built using traditional Japanese construction techniques and based on the original Kanamaruza theatre in Shikoku.

Design Report

77

THEATRE ENVIRONMENT

Kabuki Theatre cooling strategy

Heat recovery ventilator’s release stale humid air outside and intake fresh cold air into the theatre

Air intake mechanical vent systems suck in cold air from outside and use it for cooling cycles.

Kabuki Theatre heating strategy

Hydronic radiant heating floor systems provides warmth through the wooden floor.

Design Report

79

OBJECTS IN SPACE / A VERTICAL STRATEGY FOR A SUSPENDED THEATRE

In order to suspend obects within a space the Large Glass had required glass sheets and a metal frame. So what would hold the objects in my building? In order to create the maximum effect of suspending objects in the air I made the decision to raise the building ten metres in the air and have all access from a basement level. This also had the practical advantages of connecting the lobby directly to Shinjuku station and allowing the creation of an open public space for people to congregate. Above ground the building became a series of different framing systems using contrasting materials of wood and steel. An oversized steel superstructure provided the support that I needed to allow for suspension of the theatre and large open plan areas internally. It is interesting to view this development in comparison with my creation of a framework model in semester one and see how my approach to architectural design has been influenced by using the Large Glass as an inspiration.

STRUCTURAL FRAME ENCLOSES OBJECTS

Design Report

81

A VERTICAL STRATEGY FOR A SUSPENDED THEATRE / EXPLORATION THROUGH MODELS

STRUCTURAL FRAME / SUSPENDED THEATRE

Design Report

83

STRUCTURAL FRAME

EXPLORATION THROUGH MODELS / STRUCTURAL FRAME ENCLOSES OBJECTS

Design Report

85

LONG SECTION

FINAL STRUCTURAL STRATEGY STEEL SUPERSTRUCTURE + PROP A vast steel superstructure provides support for all elements of the scheme. A frame of four 600x600 mm steel columns adjoined by thinner supports rise the full height of the building (60 metres). Four of these large steel structures are connected to form a symmetrical frame that resists shear forces and allows a 30 metre span across the width of the site. The steel structres are set in earthquake resistant foundation utilising rubber bearing technology which move independently of structure.

A steel tubular prop supports load from the extended steel veirendeels above in order to prevent structural failure. This structural strategy allows the ground level to be kept relatively free of building and create a new public space. The large gap in each structural ‘leg’ provides space for lift shafts, cables and ducting in order to simplify the servicing strategy and also provide support for externalised circulation.

Design Report

87

HANGING STEEL FRAME + WOODEN THEATRE STRUCTURE

An unusual structural strategy has been utilised in this scheme in order to achieve the conceptual objective of hanging a traditional Japanese theatre in the air as well as including a contrast of steel and wooden structural systems. The following images describe the overall structural strategy for the scheme.

In order to retain the authentic wooden frame structure of a Kabuki theatre, a steel frame was devised to enclose an internal wooden structure and also support a facade with acoustic properties and light transmittance. This frame is suspended from projecting structure above via steel tensioned cables. Where the steel frame meets the steel superstructure of the rest of the building it is pinned in place to prevent swinging, although the cables would allow for some movement in order to deal with wind pressure and live loads as the theatre fills with people.

STEEL TRUSS BASE + WOODEN SUBSTRUCTURE + VEIRDENDEEL LID The connecting backstage area of the theatre is contained within a large steel truss and forms the base of the building - in the understage area a gap is left for the rotating stage to operate. Diagonals are used to combat shear forces in the superstructure. Providing a solid and oversized steel base allows for the insertion of a wooden structure above which contains the backstage of the theatre, workshops and practice room and can operate as an independent substructure within the larger steel system. The wooden structure is largely exposed for aesthetic purposes, and so is treated with fire retardant to improve fire safety. In the upper stories of the scheme a larger span was required and an strong extension required to provide a frame for the suspended theatre to hang from. As such huge steel vierendeel trusses 60 metres long run from one end to the other and also allow an open plan layout in the spaces within.

Structure is lightened in the suspended half and strengthened in the other to balance the forces at work.

Design Report

89

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY

Tokyo has a humid subtropical climate with hot humid summers and milder winters. There is sustained rainfall throughout the year and it is affected by climactic occurances in the form of typhoons and earthquakes. Tokyo also suffers from the urban heat island effect due to its high population density and the close proximity of buildings. As such the environmental strategy for the scheme had to focus primarily on heat control, particularly as it contains a theatre with a capacity of over 600 people, and is over ten stories in height which means that large scale vertical building strategies had to be considered.

Due to the height of the building, the humidity of the context and the use of four steel structural ‘legs’, three of which are used for services (the other as a lift core), a strategy of sustainable biomimicry was chosen. The strategy is based on the termite mound principle that cold air enters from the underside of the mound and exits via dozens of small openings. As the scheme is raised from the ground level, the underside is exposed, where ducts intake air up through the structural legs, which act as chimneys to circulate air throughout the building. This strategy is employed for the majority of the scheme, however as the theatre is expressed as a seperate object, it also requires a seperate strategy. This also applies to the restaurant and gallery which are projected from the main structure. As such there are several local conditions throughout the buildings, described below.

A

B

B

N Sun path diagram

A Design Report

91

The backstage area is connected to the superstructure and as such to the main ventilation system, sucking air in from the underside of the building. This air is routed through controlled venting systems in oreder to preserve the controlled environment of the the theatre.

The Kabuki theatre acts as a seperate condition from the main building. This space is tightly sealed for noise control by an exterior facade of polycarbonate and charred timber, therefore a system of heat exchangers are used for cooling cycles.

A

As the underside of the restaurant is exposed, the strategy of using underside vents for fresh air intake can be utilised again, providing the air exchange necessary in a food serving area. In the winter underfloor heating is used to provide warmth.

The gallery above is sealed from the space below and has a reflective roof to minimise solar gain.

The workshop area sits atop of the backstage, again the superstructure ventilation system provides cooling as well as natural ventilation which circulates across the width of the floor plates and is controlled by window openings in the summer. On the top level an intensive green roof acts as a rainwater sump and has a built in greywater system which feeds back into the system.

Intensive roof garden with stormwater run-off that feeds back into water system.

Passive natural ventilation across workshops via window openings and air vents.

Underfloor radiant heating systems contained within wooden floors provide heat that rises throug the building.

Large ducting units situated in steel superstructure void intake fresh air at street level and circulate stale air.

Bries Soleil shading system on west facade provides shading from direct sunlight.

B

Design Report

93

SPATIAL NARRATIVE

SPATIAL NARRATIVE THROUGH PROGRAMME, STRUCTURE, MATERIALS.

SUPERSTRUCTURE + CIRCULATION The main entry point of the building with a lobby and reception is situated on the basement floor with a grand staircase to provide access from the junction. Inside the lobby there is direct access to the underground level of Shinjuku Station.

The circulation is split into public and private, with the public access to the theatre being via a suspended staircase. Two lifts provide quick access to the upper levels, one to the theatre and another is a direct route to the restaurant level. Private access to the stage area for the Kabuki actors and staff is via a stair core at the rear of the lobby. A fire stair is situated in between these two circulation routes to meet Japanese fire distance regulations.

The steel superstructure acts as support for the rest of the building but also allows the creation of new public space as the building is raised 10 metres above ground level. On hot Tokyo evenings people can gather here and watch crowds pass by on the busy Shinjuku junction while they wait for a Kabuki performance.

SHINJUKU JUNCTION SHINJUKU JUNCTION STRUCTURAL PROP

BASEMENT LEVEL -5 metres 1:200

GROUND LEVEL 0 metres 1:200

BASEMENT LEVEL -5 metres 1:200

STRUCTURAL PROP

GROUND LEVEL 0 metres 1:200

LIFT ACCESS

COURTYARD

COURTYARD

THEATRE LIFT

THEATRE LIFT

RESTAURANT LIFT

RESTAURANT LIFT

FIRE STAIRS

FIRE STAIRS THEATRE ACCESS

SUBWAY ACCESS

LIFT ACCESS

THEATRE ACCESS

SUBWAY ACCESS

BAR LOBBY

BAR

LOBBY

PRIVATE ACCESS CORE PRIVATE ACCESS CORE

RECEPTION

RECEPTION SERVICE ACCESS

SERVICE ACCESS

Design Report

95

KABUKI THEATRE + BACKSTAGE The public arrive at the Kabuki Theatre via a small lobby area where there is access to a cloakroom, toilets and lifts. Continuing up a larger stair, past windows offering a view of Shinjuku junction, leads to the theatre entrance. The theatre interior is a closely modelled on the last remaining traditional Kabuki theatre in Japan, the Kanamaruza, paths on the right left lead into a large open space floored with tatami where the audience sit cross legged on the floor. More expensive seats line the sides and the upper level, which is accessible bvia two small staircases. From here you have a view of the stage.

The backstage area is focussed around the 18 metre diameter revolving stage. Serviced from underneath with lifts and a rotating mechanism, it allows rapid scene changes and grand entrances by actors which take the audience by surprise. Slightly in front sits the main stage with a fly tower above. This stage area is a double height space with a gangway that allows access to light arrays and sets. The area is connected to the fire core and private stair core and there are several meeting rooms for the actors, writers and support staff to discuss the upcoming performance in Kabuki tradition.

ACCESS TO RESTAURANT ACCESS TO RESTAURANT ACCESS TO RESTAURANT

THEATRE UNDERSTAGE THEATRE THEATRE UNDERSTAGE UNDERSTAGE +10 metres +10 metres +10 metres 1:200 1:2001:200

THEATRE STAGE THEATRE LEVELTHEATRE STAGESTAGE LEVELLEVEL +15 +15 +15 1:200 1:2001:200

UPPER THEATRE UPPER LEVELUPPER THEATRE LEVELLEVEL THEATRE +20 metres +20 +20 metresmetres 1:200 1:2001:200

UPPER LEVEL ACCESS UPPERUPPER LEVELLEVEL ACCESS ACCESS

THEATRE GANGWAY THEATRE LEVEL GANGWAY LEVELLEVEL THEATRE GANGWAY +25 metres +25 +25 metresmetres 1:200 1:2001:200

KABUKI THEATREKABUKI THEATRE KABUKI THEATRE UPPER LEVEL UPPERUPPER LEVELLEVEL

THEATRE KABUKI THEATREKABUKI KABUKI THEATRE CLOAK ROOMS CLOAKCLOAK ROOMS ROOMS

MALE TOILETS MALEMALE FEMALE TOILETS TOILETSFEMALE TOILETS TOILETS FEMALE TOILETS

LIFT ACCESS LIFT ACCESS LIFT ACCESS LIFT ACCESS LIFT ACCESS LIFT ACCESS STAGE ACCESS STAGESTAGE ACCESS ACCESS

STAGE

STAGESTAGE

GANGWAYS UNDER-STAGE UNDER-STAGE UNDER-STAGE

GANGWAYS GANGWAYS

STAGESTAGE ROTATING STAGEROTATING ROTATING

DISCUSSION DISCUSSION DISCUSSION ROOM DISCUSSION ROOMROOM DISCUSSION ROOM DISCUSSION ROOMROOM ROOM ROOM WASH ROOM WASHWASH PREP ROOM MECHANICAL MECHANICAL MECHANICAL

STORAGE

DISCUSSIO

PREPPREP ROOMROOM

STORAGE STORAGE

Design Report

97

EXPLODED THEATRE SKETCH

THEATRE INTERIOR VISUALISATION

Design Report

99

SUSPENSION CABLES + WORKSHOPS Visitors can continue past the theatre if there is no performance, or they wish to visit the gallery or restaurant above and will travel up an enclosed stairway which provides lift access, views of Tokyo and also a glimpse into the Kabuki practice room. On show are the large suspension cables that support the theatre.

Above the backstage area is a collection of workshops and a practice space where the Kabuki actors and craftsmen can hone their skills. The first floor is directly connected to the fly tower in order to allow sets to be moved directly into the space to be repaired or altered via a rope pulley system on the ceiling. New sets are designed, built and painted in this large open plan space, with opening on both sides to allow natural light in to the deep space. On the floor above is a practice room with a mock walkway and mirrored walls for thorough practice of the self control and intricate movements of the Kabuki technique. Storage, changing and meeting rooms connect to this space. The practice room is double height and the the floor above looks directly into the space. There is a public viewing window and also large windows which allow views from a smaller costume design area. The designers can watch the actors and study their movements when designing the ornate outfits they wear on stage.

SET DESIGN LEVEL +30 metres 1:200

RKSPACE

SET DESIGN LEVEL +30 metres 1:200

PRACTICE ROOM LEVEL +35 metres 1:200

PUBLIC ACCESS

FLY TOWER

PUBLIC ACCESS

FLY TOWER

PRACTICE ROOM LEVEL +35 metres 1:200

PRACTICE ROOM LEVEL +35 metres 1:200

PUBLIC ACCESS

PUBLIC ACCESS

STORAGE

FLY TOWER

STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

STORAGE STORAGE

STORAGE

STORAGE

PRACTICE THEATRE

COSTUME DESIGN LEVEL +40 metres 1:200

PUBLIC ACCESS

PUBLIC ACCESS

PUBLIC ACCESS

STORAGE VIEWDESIGN WINDOW COSTUME

VIEW WINDOW COSTUME DESIGN

COSTUME DESIGN

PRACTICE THEATRE

SET DESIGN WORKSHOP

SET DESIGN WORKSHOP

WORKSPACE WORKSPACE

PUBLIC ACCESS

COSTUME DESIGN LEVEL +40 metres 1:200

VIEW WINDOW

PRACTICE THEATRE

SET DESIGN WORKSHOP

COSTUME DESIGN LEVEL +40 metres 1:200

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE WORKSPACE

WORKSPACE

Design Report

WORKSPACE

101

WORKSHOPS SECTION SKETCH

PRACTICE ROOM INTERIOR VISUALISATION

Design Report

103

RESTAURANT, GALLERY, GREEN ROOMS + ROOF GARDEN The last image shows the top of the scheme, which is orientated towards relaxation, meditation and dreaming. The two elements of circulation, previously seperated, come together at this point and the users of the building have the opportunity to mix together as they share the facilities. Connected to the private circulation are green rooms for the actors running along a large openings that offer views of Shinjuku.

The public ciruclation route arrives in the center of the floor, with a view of the green rooms on one side and the restaurant reception on the other. The visitor can take a seat for a coffee, visit a private room with in floor seating for a meal with family, head up one floor to a mezzanine bar that overlooks the restaurant or continue up to the top floor.

The top floor is split between a gallery, operating as a minimal open plan space that can accomodate a variety of exhibitions, and when not in use by artists, can exhibit Kabuki costumes and ephemera from the theatre. Opposite this is a roof garden with a 3 metre deep soil tray, in order that larger plants and small trees can flourish. The upper stories of Shinjukus vast towers are visible over the garden wall in a surreal moment.

RESTAURANT RESTAURANT RESTAURANTLEVEL LEVEL LEVEL +40 +40 +40metres metres metres 1:200 1:200 1:200

PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATEROOMS ROOMS ROOMS

BAR BAR BARLEVEL LEVEL LEVEL +45 +45 +45metres metres metres 1:200 1:200 1:200

GARDEN GARDEN GARDENLEVEL LEVEL LEVEL +50 +50 +50metres metres metres 1:200 1:200 1:200

ROOF ROOF ROOFLEVEL LEVEL LEVEL +55 +55 +55metres metres metres 1:200 1:200 1:200

PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATEROOMS ROOMS ROOMS

RESTAURANT RESTAURANT RESTAURANT PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATEROOMS ROOMS ROOMS

PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATEROOMS ROOMS ROOMS

MALE MALE MALETOILETS TOILETS TOILETS

GALLERY GALLERY GALLERY

FEMALE FEMALE FEMALETOILETS TOILETS TOILETS BAR BAR BAR

SHOP SHOP SHOP

RECEPTION RECEPTION RECEPTION INFORMATION INFORMATION INFORMATION

STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE GREEN GREEN GREENROOMS ROOMS ROOMS

KITCHENS KITCHENS KITCHENS ROOF ROOF GARDEN ROOFGARDEN GARDEN

COLD COLD COLDROOM ROOM ROOM

STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE

STORAGE STORAGE STORAGE

Design Report

105

RESTAURANT SKETCH

ROOF GARDEN VISUALISATION

Design Report

107

CONCLUSIONS

The final representation of the project came almost as a surprise visually, as the different parts of the scheme came together somewhat haphazardly to create a building. The concept of creating a narrative between acting and dreaming for the user has multiple opportunities to flourish within this scheme, there are surreal moments and practical decisions on show. The design process and development echoes the concept as it is an excercise for myself as a designer in dreaming of a fantastic building that pushes the limits of structure and tries to find new ways of combining spaces, and then acting on those desires to try and accomplish this aim. Duchamp once stated that the ideas present in the Large Glass are more important than the actual realisation - but it is in the essence of the ideas that the forms become interesting. I would like to think that my building operates as a visual experience in the same way. Cracks in the tatami grid of Japan, viewing a world through cracked glass that gives meaning to what lies behind.

Sam Comrie May 2014

APPENDIX - AMPL As the project is located in Tokyo, Japan, it was a little more complex than usual to apply the principles of architectural practice management and law that exist in the Uk, and that I am familiar with. However the relevant principles are based on the same ideas and as such shall be examined in relation to the 2004 building regulations.

GROUND LEVEL 0 metres 1:200

BASEMENT LEVEL -5 metres 1:200

THEATRE LIFT

PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS COURTYARD

The site of Piss Alley has been under consideration as a proposed site for development for some time by the Shinjuku ward authorities as it stands, so the construction of a new scheme on this site has potential. The exisiting buildings are old and at risk of fire, and the land value of the site is high, being situated in the business district of Shinjuku. Thus there would be little problem in having permission granted for intital design development to go ahead.

RESTAURANT LIFT

FIRE STAIRS THEATRE ACCESS

SUBWAY ACCESS

The cultural impact of building a Kabuki Theatre would be considered beneifical to a local ward that contains the largest red light district in Tokyo. The schemes proposed connection to Shinjuku Station would also be benificial in improving the local infrastructure.

BAR LOBBY

PRIVATE ACCESS CORE

There is a high rate of development in Tokyo and a large selection of building companies with the infrastructure set up for constructing steel frame buildings over five stories in height. As such there would be anticipated problems in the construction sequence. Experts in Japanese timber construction could also be brought in to supervise the assembly of the wooden sub-frames within the scheme.

RECEPTION

Design Report

109

APPENDIX - AMPL

ACCESS TO RESTAURANT SHINJUKU JUNCTION STRUCTURAL PROP

THEATRE UNDERSTAGE +10 metres 1:200 GROUND LEVEL 0 metres 1:200

ENT LEVEL es

THEATRE STAGE LEVEL +15 1:200

UPPER THEATRE LEVEL +20 metres 1:200

UPPER LEVEL ACCESS

KABUKI THEATRE CLOAK ROOMS

FIRE STRATEGY

MALE TOILETS

FEMALE TOILETS

LIFT ACCESS LIFT ACCESS STAGE ACCESS LIFT ACCESS THEATRE LIFT

STAGE

Japanese building regulations 2007 state that in a building under fourteen stories in height there should a fire escape accessible within a fifty metre distance of any point. My fire escape strategy has been based on this principle with three circulation routes, one stair core at the rear for private use, one public stairway and one dedicated fire stair in the centre.

All stairways are pinned to the steel superstructure for added strength and all steel will be treated with flame retardant for added security.

COURTYARD

RESTAURANT LIFT

FIRE STAIRS

THEATRE ACCESS

SUBWAY ACCESS

UNDER-STAGE

ROTATING STAGE

BAR

LOBBY

The wooden frame systems in the scheme utilise wood charring which vastly improves its fire resistance to over an hour, allowing time for a full evacuation of the building. The theatre has special access routes in case of emergencies to allow large amounts of people to quickly exit.

DISCU

PRIVATE ACCESS CORE

RECEPTION

WASH ROOM MECHANICAL

STORAGE SERVICE ACCESS

PREP ROOM

APPENDIX - AMPL EARTHQUAKE STRATEGY

Japan is hit regularly with earthquakes measuring high on the Richter scale. Tokyo in particular is situated next to a major faultline running along the Pacific plate. As such the scheme must have a suitable structural strategy in place to deal with this danger.

The site is situated on a rockbed so a cost efficient strategy of base isolated damping has been utilised. The steel superstructure is fixed to a large concrete slab, which is then situated onto dozens of small isolation units. These use rubber bearing as a buffer to absorb the seismic forces of an earthquake so that the building above is relatively isolated. This would be very important in preventing the suspended theatre from exceeeding its maximum tolerance for movement. The scheme is also set apart from the surrounding buildings to avoid force transferal.

Design Report

111

BIBLIOGRAPHY 55 SLIDES PAGES 14-19 1 http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8095/8535939289_6c1f5b6beb_b.jpg 2 http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1198/705846123_6b718a12d1_o.jpg 3 http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4080/4788134794_652c56760c_o.jpg 4 http://www.rowenacomrie.co.uk/umbraco/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/2793/shipahoyaberdeenbeach.png&width=500&height=500&constrain=true 5 http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3709/9778722491_e209e36d8e_b.jpg 6 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CHfcL6vQT9Y/SdK0rrD6U9I/AAAAAAAABcs/DsKC-zq0MHY/ s1600/Ron-Smith.jpg 7 http://www.arts-wallpapers.com/desktop_wallpapers/movie_wallpapers/blade_runner/ imagepages/image3.htm 8 http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6795445345_2cd5078bd5_o.jpg 9 Sam Comrie, pencil on paper, unpublished.

10 http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5002/5264993352_afb97e58ca_b.jpg 11 http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5084/5324706752_a974b620ce_b.jpg 12 Jencks. C. (1977). Post-modern Architecture. Great Britain: Academy Editions. p.56 13 Jencks. C. (1977). Post-modern Architecture. Great Britain: Academy Editions. p.56 14 http://www.tbany.com/images/uploads/4652_PDC-CA-TBA-web-1.jpg 15 http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3062/2461206393_a6c221cd3d_o.jpg 16 http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6134/5998232954_7953010f43_o.jpg 17 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Duck-Rabbit_illusion.jpg 18 Sam Comrie, screenprint, unpublished.

19 http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8482759391_49d8db8478_b.jpg 20 http://www.cavanaugh.pro/ryan/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/testuser5_ feb2008_01_murcutt_g_XoaG2w_e0ainr.jpg 21 Maquette 1, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

22 Maquette 2, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

23 http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2065/2043933159_812015c054_o.jpg 24 http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4055/4370424850_61c37b7bfc_b.jpg 25 http://www.elcroquis.es/media/public/img/Magazines/105/big/105_WLV4_big.jpg 26 Glasgow house, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

27 Glasgow School of Art, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

28 Queen’s Cross Church, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

MARCEL DUCHAMP LARGE GLASS PAGES 48-50 29 Garage building, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

30 http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8587478454_f7569edb71_b.jpg 31 Industrial buildings 1, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

32 Industrial buildings 2, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

33 Blasiusstraat Amsterdam, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

34 Municipal building Amsterdam, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

35 http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8490/8216924096_b9c1db4434_b.jpg 36 http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7267/8074824883_965965a9c4_b.jpg 37 http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5216/5384665031_8e96174a4b_b.jpg 38 http://one-architecture.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2010_Architectuur_na_ de_hausse.pdf 39 http://www.archined.nl/uploads/pics/Deltametropool_snozzi.jpg 40 Collage image 1, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

41 Collage image 2, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

42 http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/wp-content/gallery/2003-laban-centre/03_06. jpg 43 Long section through community centre, Sam Comrie, unpublished.

44 http://hughpearman.com/wp-content/gallery/2010/Stirling_runcorn_walkways_ARCAID.jpg 45 http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkXBL0p24kg/T65f2Bq8gfI/AAAAAAAAAZA/JMTgvhiRph4/ s1600/Leicester-engineering-facul.jpg 46 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Staatsgalerie_Stuttgart_bei_Nacht.jpg/220px-Staatsgalerie_Stuttgart_bei_Nacht.jpg 47 http://data.greatbuildings.com/gbc/drawings/Staatsgalerie_Plan_2.jpg 48 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/wars_conflict/art/images/act_totes_meer.jpg 49 http://drawingarchitecture.tumblr.com/image/28132176770 50 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SCShaOZkT1E/UFhLpQ6Pf9I/AAAAAAAAH4w/NRqOXdacOgk/s1600/Nelson+Atkins+Museum+of+Art+by+Steven+Holl+Architects+02.jpg 51 http://drscsparkman.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/lavillette.jpg 52 http://www.prusikloop.org/mrwatson/wp-content//tschumi_groningen3-300x200.jpg 53 http://www.abitare.it/en/files/2012/05/2012_05_16_ML_112__450px.jpg 54 http://www.oma.eu/contentimages/projects/1989-TR%C3%88S-GRANDEBIBLIOTH%C3%88QUE/TGB-tgbpress-009_big.jpg 55 http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3383/3573290222_7df49c961c_b.jpg

Fig. 1 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Duchamp_LargeGlass.jpg

KABUKI THEATRE IMAGES PAGES 56-63 Fig.1 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Hishikawa_Moronobu_-_Scenes_from_the_Nakamura_ Kabuki_Theater_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg Fig.2 http://www.nippon.com/en/files/b03001_ph06.jpg Fig.3 https://www.flickr.com/photos/satorinihon/7845745794/in/photolist-cXiQmE-cXj7QE-cXiwRs-cXiK7Q-cXiGUqcXiDpq-cXiW2s-cXiEzy-cXj2kJ-cXiMub-cXiLed-cXiHZS-cXj5bG-cXiyfG-cXiP21-cXiUL3-cXiRMY-cXiT7d-eeynf9-cXiuTd-cXiAXY-cXiFVU-cXizzL-cXj9b9-cXiXdL-cXj16L-cXiCfU-cXiYzG-cXj6zC-cXj3T7-uA2wv-uA2xD-uA2xe-uA2x3-hJ3oVa-hJ4X7ahJ4dt7-hJ4Loh-hJ3LNj-hJ3RmX-hJ4NGq-hJ49nb-hJ4P6k-hJ4swp-hJ3ATt-hJ3YbE-hJ4Q1B-hJ3rgT-hJ4Lrc-hJ4zVU Fig. 4 p.167 Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing Fig. 5 p.168 Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing Fig. 6 p.160 Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing Fig. 7 p.165 Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing Fig. 8 p.166 Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing Fig. 9 p.170 Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing

BOOKS Arnell, P and Bickford, T. (eds.) (1984). James Stirling, Buildings and Projects. London: The Architectural Press.

Bachelard. G. (1969). The Poetics of Space. France: Presses Universitaires de France Bailly, J-C. (1986). Duchamp. England: Art Data.

Cabanne, P. (1997). Duchamp & Co. Paris: Finest SA/Editions of Pierre Terrail.

Farrelly. E.M. (1993). Three Houses, Glenn Murcutt. London: Phaidon Press Limited.

Jencks. C. (1977). Post-modern Architecture. Great Britain: Academy Editions.

Koolhaas. R. (1995) S, M, X, XL. United States: Monacelli Press.

Immoos, T & Mayer, F. (1974). Japanese Theatre. New York: Macmillan Publishing Norberg-Schulz. C. (1971). Existence, Space and Architecture. Great Britain: Academy Editions.

Sadler, S. (1998). The Situationist City. USA: MIT Press.

Shelton, B. (1999). Learning from the Japanese City. New York: Routledge.

Tschumi, B. (1981). The Manhattan Transcripts. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Unwin. S. (1997). Analysing Architecture. Oxon: Routledge.

Venturi. R. (1966). Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. New York: The Musuem of Modern Art. https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan/kabuki_theatre_of_japan.aspx

Design Report

113