PROJECT 4: THE JOURNAL AND THE EXPANDED FIELD
STUDIODELTA Thomas Martiniello 834 955 Allan Burrows
Contents 004
Solander Box Images
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01. Nezu
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02. Mueve la Colita
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03. Distorted Dimensions
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04. Void of Space
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05. The Projective Library
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06. The Viewing Room
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07. The Arch as an Architectural Typology
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08. A Library of Artifacts
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09. Lines in the Landscape
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10. Curating the Textural Experience
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11. The Girl Before
034 Reflection 035 Bibliography
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01. Nezu You don’t ask a mother who her favourite child is. This is what it felt like being asked to pick a favourite building. As my mother has always said to me; ‘you are my favourite Thomas’ or ‘you are my favourite son’ Avoiding the task, or unfair bias, of picking between myself and my older sister. For me, there are many buildings which I admire - some by great architects such as Frank LLyod Wright and some by lesser known architects such as Brad Swartz. I also enjoy traditional Japanese architecture, and the list goes on - hence my dilemma with picking a ‘favourite’. To me, the space created by a building, which in turn shapes the users experience is the most important aspect of a building. Following this track, I thought about what spaces stuck in my mind. This turned out to be a window in my parent’s home in Canberra. A simple full height window in which I would press myself into, gazing out into the garden beyond.
The Nezu Museum in Japan was designed by the renowned architect Kengo Kuma and sits neatly in inner city Tokyo. It was not the items within the museum that won me over, but instead the magnificent garden which was complimented by the architecture of the building. Walking into the museum you are welcomed by deep eaved roof which covers the walkway around the side of the building through to the point of entry. On one side of the walkway there is a lush planting of bamboo which directs you down the path. On the opposite wall you also find bamboo, but in its dried form. The simplicity and beautiful play between the light, structure and garden took my breath away. This building characterises aspects which I try to replicate in my own designs, hence why at the current point in time it could be labled as my favourite building. Space. The Garden. Light.
The garden. This is where I realised, my favourite building had to incorporate my other passion being plants.
Fig. 1 Digital + Analogue Sketch Collage of Nezu Museum Entry Walkway
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02. Mueve la Colita mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita *** mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita *** mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita *** mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita *** bueno mi gente todos a bailar comenzando suavecito con la mano pa’ lante pa’ lante pa’ arriba pa’ arriba de nuevo pa’ lante pa’ lante pa’ arriba pa’ arriba rapido pa’ lante pa’ lante arriba arriba pa’ lante pa’ lante arriba arriba pa’ lante pa’ lante arriba arriba pa’ lante pa’ lante arriba arriba mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita mueve la colita mamita rica mueve la colita
I have attempted to utilise graphics to define the actions and steps rather than relying heavily on text to describe the actions.
The main dance from within the opening minutes of the film ‘The Great Beauty’ caught my attention and interest. The energy within the dance and the nostalgia of being taken back to leaning line dances in high school made me want to join in and learn the dance. The idea of there being one dance which everyone knew and everyone could just break out into when the related song came on captured my interest, and as such I decided to create a dance step sheet so one could also learn this fabulous dance. The drawing I have created is intended to be a simple poster which one can use to learn the main part of the dance from the film.
Fig. 2 Interpretation of Dance Steps from ‘The Great Beauty’
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03. Distorted Dimensions This new world is one without a set dimension. Intersecting lines moving in different directions imitate pathways in which one can travel. Yet at the same time, on a different plane, there appears to be a more defined path leading somewhere. A known shape floats in the middle - again changing the orientation and possibilities of where spaces are created in this world. Movement and direction, such that can be found through the guidance of a map or a dance chart appear in the world. Layers of information present themselves. It is from the interpretation of this information that one can find their own route through the world. It may be a world for people, it may be a world for information. It may be a future world where neither are present. The three pieces chosen to create this new world were all from Nendo’s models of a house in its different transformed forms. The use of lines and planes which shifted and created spaces in three dimensions are what drew me to the works. Inspiration came from the humble subway map where lines cross and move in all different directions. These lines represent movement through a city or world; however it is up to the user to select which lines to follow.
Fig. 3 Paper and illustrated collage of my new world
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04. Void of Space ‘Papa! I’m over here’, she exclaimed with the tone of joy in her voice. ‘It is good to see you my child’, he responded. ‘But how am I supposed to be with you when you are over there?’ Reaching her hand across the void, his daughter grasped at the air between them - not quite able to touch his. Looking down at the unknown that lay beneath them, her smile grew low. Listening to the podcast ‘The Room of Requirement’ created images in my mind of spaces where people would come to meet, yet despite being within the same room, they were unable to converge. Carrying the notion of space and distorted dimensions from the previous collage, I created a space which was mirrored but contained a void running through the center. The space is framed with the familiar shape of the silhouette of a house, evoking the sense of a space and a room. However, the jaggered lines in the background remind the viewer that this room is seemingly floating within another space which is separating the two halves. The use of colour highlights that the halves are simple mirror images of each other, however there is something preventing them from being one.
Fig. 4 Illustrated collage of a space imagined from the podcast ‘The Room of Requirement’
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05. The Projective Library The public reading room is a space with overlaid program and function. It serves as a space for a diverse range of activities to occur simultaneously, in which the many occupants of the space are accepting as it is not a private zone. The space is surrounded by a large, welcoming terrace, which provides a separation between the spatial hierarchy of what is large and open (inviting many to converge) verses what is smaller, darker and further away (implying that only one or few would occupy the space at any given time). The terrace is a key feature of this space as it is used to provide natural light into the reading room as well as creating visual interest. The materiality being more monolithic and solid using stone and brick, creates the notion of longevity and solidity. This alludes to the notion that the space is capable of accommodating heavy movement and masses of people. Repetition and mirroring of the plan of desks adds to the notion that it is a public space, in which there is a clear circulation path and an easily accessible plan to follow.
Fig. 5 Digital collage of the terrace and reading room
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06. The Viewing Room The depicted space in my collage is a room in which human interaction and experience is cataloged. The collage depicts a room in which people are passing through, and externally to that there is another group of people observing their activities. Within my designed library it is my intention to carry across the theme and notion of ‘to see but not to be seen’. Within this, a glass box is created within the internal courtyard for people to watch, from the outside, the actions and behavior of the humans within. Thus, cataloging human interaction and experience.
I have utilised the foreground and background people presented in the original artwork to build the 2 layers within my space. I have manipulated the foreground people to be looking towards the space in the middle (the glass box) in which the other people are still moving about their daily routine. As such the painting remains the same in the sense that it is still about the movement and daily activities of the people. However now it has changed so that it is also about the observation of this activity.
As humans we (I) always find it fascinating to watch others, and this room exaggerates the notion of spaces where you can be seen and those which you cannot, and hence are more private. The strong notion of visual direction within the artwork inspired me to select it, as it amplifies the notion of people looking and watching. The depicted daily mundane movement of people through Collins Street was also of interest as it ties into the idea of human interaction and experience which I seek to catalogue in my library. The painting is about the mass movement of people through Collins Street at 5pm when the working day comes to an end. It depicts the seemingly sombre mood and mundane routine in which the people are participating in moving from point a to b. The collage is about the observation of this movement and human interaction and experience - as if one was looking back to the past and watching the previous experiences had by humans - cataloged within the library. Thus, my collage and space is recreating what the painting is, by depicting an event that once occurred.
Fig. 6 Digital collage from John Brack’s artwork, Collins St, 5p.m.
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07. The Arch as an Architectural Typology The second key space within my library is the Little Bourke St facade and the covered walkway created within the double facade, This space is about providing a transition into the interior public space of the library. The facade is key as it portrays the typology of the arch, as seen across many public buildings throughout history.
The collage created using John Brack’s work uses the mess of lines as the materiality for the arches and places the sketched people behind.
The arches and double facade form a circulation space in which people pass through to enter into the grand foyer of the library. As such it is designed for anyone who wishes to enter or come into the public indoor space of the library. This space is different to the last as it is grader in scale - being triple height with the building behind being double. It is about making a statement whilst nodding back to the history of the library and public space. The architecture has been composed so that the bottom arches are not actually at the same depth as the top - they are instead set back. This was done to create a circulation space between the two facades. However, the facade appears to be one solid unit when viewed from front on, and it is not until you move closer and then into the space that you realise that the facade is separated. The use of the double facade in this manner also acts to dissect the use of the arch as an architectural typology, cataloging it in a new form for the library. Changing the material from commonly used brick or stone would influence the perception of the space as monolithic materials portray longevity, strength and an imposing stature. Changing this to something softer such as timber would reduce the permanence and grandeur of the space making it feel less imposing. The main facade and thus space created is 3 stories tall to amplify the grand dominance of the entrance and arches. Fig. 7 Digital collage from John Brack’s artwork, Mirrors and Scissors
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08. A Library of Artifacts Public buildings have a presence and solidity in the landscape - to which the library is no different. Walking into the library of artifacts you pass through the tall brick arches providing the grand gesture of entry and building form. The pavilion acts as the entry point to move through into the library proper; housing a gallery, lounge area, service desk and the head librarian’s desk at the rear. The internal arches mimic that of the facade, drawing one’s eye down the length of the building. The solidity of the room then opens up to the terrace through full height glazing. Light also filters down through the stained-glass panels on the roof. The quality created within this space is grand, yet light, compared to what one traditionally associates with large monolithic structures. This part of the building comprises many references nodding back to libraries of the past as well as the surrounding city typography; • The infill windows within the external facade arches copy the form of those seen on the adjacent buildings along the street • The stained-glass ceiling takes its form from the National Library of Australia which has beautiful stained glass panels on the walls, flooding spaces with warm, coloured, diffused light • The external arches are inspired from the grand forms welcoming one into the New York Public Library • The internal archway plays on the internal public spaces created by Rafael Moneo in the National Museum of Roman Art
Fig. 8 Axonometric parti diagram of library foyer + service area
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09. Lines in the Landscape Ignacio Darras’ final architectural thesis has been a collection of work that has inspired the development of my representation skills. His thesis collection is comprised of a cohesive set of drawings which all follow the same style of simple but effective line work. The drawings consist only of different line weights and grey shading. Despite not using colour, the drawings still maintain and convey a high level of detail and aesthetic appeal. Inspiration for the development of my drawing style has come from his work, and as such I have chosen to analyse different elements of the landscapes in his drawings. The landscapes Darras depicts are key in framing the buildings and designs represented. This then was used to aid in creating my final drawings for the library, taking on board representation styles laernt from Darras’ drawings. For the journal task I studied a number of Darras’ drawings and selected elements from the landscapes to re-create. I utilised hand drawing on trace with different pen thicknesses to create my series of elements. All of the elements were drawn in the same size rectangle so that I could then overlay them on top of each other creating the complete landscape. The reason for layering the drawings on trace was so that I could look at how the different elements react with one another. The drawings completed in order from top to bottom are as follows; • • • • •
Combined landscape Sky with clouds Mountains Rain Greenery
Fig. 9 Hand drawn sketches of landscape elements
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10. Curating the Textural Experience When you experience a building, I believe that the textural and tactile qualities of the materials used are just as important as the architecture itself. Architecture is about the creation of spaces and how we as humans interact and use those spaces. Materials and the textural experience of these spaces play a large roll in setting the tone and mood. For example, darker colours and cold surfaces, such as tiles and stone, can make a space uncomfortable and cold. As a result the space would be somewhere where one may not wish to inhabit for a prolonged period of time.
• Warm fabrics/ felt to be used on seating and wall paneling in and around smaller reading areas to create a softer, warmer and more inviting feel • Cream and warm stone coloured paints to tie into the artifacts and help create a warm and open feel inside the library • Highlight and contrasting paint colours: with the emerald green linking the aging copper and the darker grey tying together the darker speckles throughout the stone and creating a feeling of compressed space in certain areas
A library is a building with many different zones and functions and as such, the materials play a large role in helping to create and define these spaces. Thus, following the notion of curating the textural experience for a space, I was interested in considering the materials and textures used within the design for the library. The materials and colours depicted in the sample board shown in the image to the left comprise key swatches I intend for the library. They are; • The use of various creme and beige speckled stone in the artifacts as well as the flooring of the main reading room • Dark granite with copper/ bronze speckles to again be used as flooring in the main reading room - being used as a tile to boarder and frame zones within the room • Copper which is utilised for the fins of the new facade, which will form a patina over time, aging and becoming in itself another artifact of the typology of the library • Red brick found on the main facade facing Little Bourke St, solidifying the building on the site yet taking a modern approach to the monolithic construction style which originally was with larger stone blocks Fig. 10 Image of curated materials board for the library
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11. The Girl Before ‘The Girl Before’ by JP Delaney is a psychological thriller that spins one woman’s seemingly good fortune, and another woman’s mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death and deception. Behind the main narrative of the novel sits One Folgate Street, a seemingly stunning architecturally designed house, in which all characters live in. The house however has very strict rules enforced on any occupants that chose to live there, and to be considered to potentially lease the property one must first fill out a lengthy questionnaire.
As a result, for the journal task I chose to re-create a section of the house as I had created it in my mind. The elements are unresolved and some appear to be floating, emphasising the imaginative nature of the space. I have also chosen to add in elements from both previous journal tasks, helping to tie everything together to aid in completing the final representation for the library project.
This book has been something that has sat in the back of my mind when I design spaces, as I find it fascinating how each individual pictures the house and its layout in a different way in their own mind. As you cannot see any images, arrangement, layout, materiality etc of the house, the reader is left to be create the space with only subtle hints as to what some of it may look like. This interested me as it made me consider how everyone experiences and sees spaces differently. As such I wanted to think in different scales for the library project and create spaces which could be appropriated in different ways dependent on how the user saw fit. I intended to create multiple key elements within the architecture of the library, in which one would associate the library with. In the context of the novel, it was the main staircase leading up to the upper level which is always clear in my mind when I think or talk about the book. I wanted to replicate this clear vision of the building in a persons mind when they thought about the library, however I also wanted this to differ with each individual.
Fig. 11 Digital drawing of my impression of the house depicted in the novel
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Reflection The journal has been of great benefit to the development and progression of my skills and thought process throughout the semester. As a body of work my journal represents the discovery and formation of how the spaces and graphic depiction of my works over the semester came to be. My efforts in the journal task have led me to consider works as a whole which add to my skill set, not as one off tasks. This came about through having to reintroduce elements of previous journal tasks within the newer tasks. I have learned that going out and discovering references from all forms of mediums, and not solely architecture, is very beneficial and stimulating. It has helped me be more imaginative and critical when it comes to designing. I have learned to analyse art in all of its forms, and in many different ways - considering what it would be like re-appropriated. I thoroughly enjoyed being forced out of my usual field of view when it comes to obtaining inspiration and references. I have also enjoyed the process of having to think about each journal task as a part of a larger body of work. The challenge I faced in some weeks was having enough time to devote to going out and looking at, or watching, or reading the given task and fully appreciating it. I have a tenancy to rush to the final output and skip the important consideration and absorption of the material in between. I am not sure if I fully overcame this, however for the purpose of selecting my final 3 references I forced myself to take a few days to just think over a few possible references, considering possibilities of how they would relate to my final project and how I could best represent them before jumping in and selecting them. The process of selecting my final 3 references was a process of looking back at my inspiration for the semester and what things/ works had taken me to where I was or influenced my final design. I now see the tasks as a asset to building upon my own skill set as well as forcing me to consider things in a different context, rather than as separate unrelated tasks.
Bibliography AD Editorial Team. (2017). Explore Peter Zumthor’s 1986 Shelter for Roman Ruins in Quiet Solitude. Available: https://www.archdaily.com/884003/explore-peter-zumthors-1986-shelterfor-roman-ruins-in-quiet-solitude. Last accessed 12/04/2019. Cilento, Karen. (2010). Kolumba Museum / Peter Zumthor. Available: https://www.archdaily. com/72192/kolumba-musuem-peter-zumthor. Last accessed 16/04/2019. Darras, Ignacio. (2017). PFC Architectural Final Thesis. Available: https://ignaciodarras. wordpress.com/. Last accessed 19/05/2019. Etherington, Rose. (2009). Key projects by Peter Zumthor. Available: https://www.dezeen. com/2009/04/18/key-projects-by-peter-zumthor/. Last accessed 12/04/2019. Hall, Heinrich. (2013). Spolia – Recycling the Past. Available: https://www.petersommer.com/ blog/archaeology-history/spolia. Last accessed 03/05/2019. Leggio, Gail. (2010). The Paradoxes of Piranesi. Available: http://www.nccsc.net/essays/ paradoxes-piranesi. Last accessed 17/05/2019. RIBA. (2016). Lewes Art Foundry. Available: http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-40181. Last accessed 29/04/2019. Sadler, Simon. (Unknown). The Situationist City. Available: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/ situationist-city. Last accessed 03/04/2019. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. (2013). ARCHITECTURE. Available: https://www.kanazawa21.jp/en/. Last accessed 24/04/2019.
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