Architectural Portfolio by victoria

victoria hatsenko

undergraduate portfolio

victoria hatsenko a person with some interests. observing the everyday being, looking through the prism of a film camera, doing some writing, and exploring architecture beyond the traditional understanding. victoria.hatsenko(at)gmail.com

Selected Works 01

Casino: Fluid & Obstructed

House for Negotiation

Carthusian Monastery

Small Multiples

Selected Writings

35 mm Film

Casino: Fluid & Obstructed spring 2020 curated by barbara materia the casino is composed from three organic floor plates, that are interrupted by different volumes where the program is distributed, creating a continuous fluid space. the program is defined by shapes that are embedded into organic floor plates. the casino circulation is controlled by obstructions and topographic floor and ceiling, that are meant to encourage nondefined pathways, lead to diverse interactions, and promote individual and dynamic experiences. the

different conditions in the casino create individual experiences. the sunken pits create enclosed spaces and the feeling of intimacy; the elevated rings result exposure; and the confined but transparent volumes balance out the character of privacy and display; and the topographic floor that wraps everything together, suggests active free movement; all these conditions are also supported by the furniture designed that responds to each one of them.

building exterior

casino gaming floor (slots) casino gaming floor (table) gaming rooms (high roller) chip cage wedding chappel food & drink (restaurant, lounge, bar, buﬀet, etc.) boh (service, storage, toilet) parking hotel everything else hotel lobby pool deck, accessory and landscape spaces circulation

group gaming/circulation

sunken private gaming

gaming floor tables

slot machines

private activity volumes

elevated bar/restaurant

high roller gaming tables

bar/restaurant tables

exploded axon

plans order top to bottom: ground floor, first floor, second floor.

the absence of solid physical boundaries puts together a completely open space, where every action is on display. the casino is elevated from the ground, which creates a floating effect while entering. the construction of the exterior is promoting the experience of a seamless transition from the outside to the inside of the casino. the hotel and parking garage are merged with the casino becoming interconnected. the hotel is a tower that carries each room type on every floor with the interior garden on every level. on the first two floors of the hotel, the program is partially occupied by the lobby, 8

and the overall shape of the hotel is defined by the different room types. the hotel is inserted into the casino and connected with escalators with each level of the casino. the combination of the flat and organic floor plates within the casino and the hotel allows enough space for both programs to exist within one another without interruptions. the parking garage is a spiral that is adjacent to the existing road and inserted in the first level of the casino, leaving the other two floors uninterrupted. the roof of the casino is used for a pool area, which is created by the fluid topographic floor plate.

cross section pespective

interior view inside the casino

interior view at the pool and hotel

02.1

Reconstructing Environment spring 2021 curated by ania jaworska by translating a memory of the amusing dinner party into a series of drawings; the image itself is not a true representation of that memory and most likely will offer parts that are up for interpretation. the image of memory and the loose parts are utilized in such way as to not only reproduce but rather appropriate and design a domestic environment with its individual qualities. objects are keepers of memories and tellers of the story. the event happening in early 2000s, in the post soviet ukraine, where the boring brown cabinets serve as walls making the space mundane. a special event like a birthday with beautiful attributes like a gorgeous cake and a tiny blue dress, produce the new atmosphere which transforms the space and splits it into two sides. the left side of the room -- is the true version of

the story where the bland and ordinary 70s soviet aesthetic exists. the slow transition is happening into the other side of the room, distorting the memory into something fun and lighthearted. the objects mimic each other and are viewed from a perspective of a child. where patterns of the key elements start reflecting on the objects. the change happens in the formal language of representation and forms, matching the real and imaginative worlds. the scrapbook aesthetic reembraced the importance of the childish version of events, causing the shift. the small elements: the birthday cake, dress, cartoon; emphasize the origin of why the transition is happening, — resulting in the shifting the whole room from passive to dynamic and playful.

crisp march weather ﬁlled the room with hazy sunlight, blurring out the spatial boundaries. the uncomfortable table probably had many delicious meals, but those left to be minor compared to the center of attention — a large cake decorated

with creamy ﬂowers & strawberries. the brown ugly furniture stopped being so unattractive after the cake became a part of the scene, as if a lively atmosphere entered the room.

02.2

House for Negotiation spring 2021 curated by ania jaworska the point of origin is in the dining area where the memory of a pleasant birthday dinner had split the house into two sides, the true, where program and objects exist within a boundary of a cabinet wall, versus the imaginary, where the

space is open and unattached. the two halves propose the two different yet shared ways of living. the common expression between the two is the blurred boundaries between spaces and the multi-functionality of each object.

floor plan

program top to bottom: bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms.

the program on the left side is embedded into cabinets, which also serve as walls. originating from the 70s soviet ‘stenka’ where the walls were fully covered with the cabinets. since the program is fully immersed into the cabinets, there’s no strict division between the function. the elongated bed placed in the center of the room. having a double purpose of the bed and one of the chairs for the dining table. the living room couch is submerged into the cabinet, creating an enclosed space overlooking the bed to watch the tv on the opposite side of the cabinets. the back of the bed is joined with the kitchen island, joining all programs as one. the hidden bathroom is in the corner of the cabinets conceals itself behind the cabinet walls. the right side consist from

the free-standing objects sprinkled around the space. the multifunctional connections are create through the absence of boundaries, which brings a lack of clarity of the beginning and ending of each program. the soft connected various sized cushions form a bed, which encourages certain postures to be hugged by the gentle and cozy environment. similarly, the living room set up, prompts comfortable postures to occupy the open space, the backrests suggests resting positions, which place the user within the furniture. taking the same approach, the kitchen becomes an interactive space, where its shape, creates an inviting area, provoking close interconnections. contrary to the cabinet bathroom, the bathroom consist from the free standing objects, that are completely open to the rest of the environment.

the open flow of the house allow for various activities happening simultaneously, since the two sides reimagine idea of the wall, establishing two types of walls, the cabinets, which have a permanent placement and the curtains, which could regulate privacy needs and are interchangeable and ephemeral. curtains

are acting as gentle separators of the space, where the variations for the spacial boundaries become limitless. therefore, enabling the users to alter the spaces in response with needs relatively quickly. the opening in the cabinets act as windows, allowing to look inside the rooms from the outside, likewise, the partially open curtains.

the tones and textures of the spaces correspond to the mood and narrative. materials react with one another and have their radiance, so that the material composition gives rise to something unique feel. the muted colors correspond with the compact live-style, as a neutral feel, creating a singular density and mood. contrary, the open and playful side corresponds to more vibrant and soft tones. each side has its own character, that proposes

a new way of living and inhabiting the objects. the formal language of the two consists from utilizing the objects versus unifying with them; how does a state of mind and body change when being within the walls versus in the open interchangeable space. the lack of limit leaves the project openended suggesting a potential expansion which would create spaces with new rules interacting with the already designed areas.

Carthusian Monastery fall 2019 curated by jimmy carter, abby chang, francesco marullo, agata siemonow in collaboration with lindsey warren the project explores how people can experience nature inside versus outside of buildings. within the fathers’ church and cells, elements including the roof and floor, establish consistent access to nature for the fathers in spaces which host the monks’ sacred activities. these interiors accommodate elements of nature such as rain and snow, allowing nature to designate ephemeral boundaries within interior space. the water channels, as well as the shadows and light cast down from the roof hole, separate functions in the cell such as praying, eating, sleeping, and excretion. the organization of people in spaces that are controlled by nature, is centralized, and the involvement of nature in the space is omitted. This encourages relationships between fathers more so than with nature.

the brothers’ spaces establish a visual connection with nature, but never an immersive experience from within a space. because the brothers’ duties are often carried out in nature, the involvement of it within the cell is not as desirable. the collective brothers’ spaces and the cells are constructed with physical needs and utility in mind rather than spiritual needs. crop fields are organised along a rectilinear grid as well as the terraced orchards along the father’s corridor, while the pasture fields for animals are segmented radially, allowing the boundaries to fade naturally into the untouched terrain. within the context of a wide array of monastery precedents, this design challenges the necessity of physical boundaries when placed in a site that is already secluded from the outside world.

site model in the context of the other monasteries

monastrery site plan

fathers’ cells: the cell has a rigid and simple exterior, contrarily, the interior is complex and organic following the activities inside. the separation happens through the channels, as well as the shadows and light cast down from the roof hole dividing functions in the cell such as praying, eating, sleeping, and excretion. these interiors accommodate elements of nature such as rain and snow, allowing nature to designate ephemeral boundaries within interior space. in the cells for the fathers, the ephemerality of these resources creates temporal and spiritual conditions for religious ritual (ie prayer), as well as serving for utility for human necessity (ie bathing). architecture in the cell channels these elements to provide light and water when needed, in accordance with the specific rule.

brothers’ cells: the brothers’ cells are stacked in three towers, each tower connecting the cells with a continuous staircase. the interior of each cell is different depending on the height of the particular cell because of the slanted glass columns that pierce through, bringing light into the cells without a direct view to the outside. the only view to outside is through the narrow window in the corner of each cell, facing the production fields. these cells are the closest in position to the production area and farmland, which is organised in the flattest part of the site.

from top to bottom: kitchen and brothers’ church interior barn interior brothers’ church overlooking fathers’ church interior

long and cross sections axon

the section drawings reveal the overall organisation of the monastery. which follows and adjusts to the given terrain located on rock island, wisconsin, usa. the weather condition on rock island were taken in consideration while designing the monastery. the area has heavy snow and rain which allows the water flow to be consistent thoughout all seasons. the fathers’ cells and the church are organised linearly, connected by water channels coming out and originating from the church, and continuing throughout each cell, collectively adding to create an exterior garden. crop fields are organised along a rectilinear grid as well as the terraced orchards along the father’s corridor, while the pasture fields for animals

are segmented radially, allowing the boundaries to fade naturally into the untouched terrain. separating the contrasting organization techniques between agriculture and pasture is the barn, which utilizes the natural elements to supply light and water to the animals but otherwise conforms to the rule of simple geometries present in spaces used by the brothers. rain and snow travel into the barn through a roof hole, past the top level which stores the hay, and down into a trough where the animals access the water. below there is a cellar for storage from the greenhouses and orchards. next to the animal stalls is the dairy production and silo.

Small Multiples fall 2020 curated by antonio torres in collaboration with sahar simforoosh when there are various routes to choose from, people generally use those they like best. the choice may be a reflection of taste or of one’s own rationality. always passing along the same route may lend a certain sense of ease. on occasion, one chooses another route introducing a change of pace. at its core, the project accounted for the community needs; situated in an area of the city where the community is used to following standards that the surrounding architecture has to offer, this project emphasizes breaking these rules and regulations to create a unique setting for eccentric experiences. it allows for tangible engagement with architecture to adjust the spaces and surroundings by building personal timelines of agricultural and social work throughout the year. the project explores how

the community can develop and build desired spaces with a given set of instruments, actions of engagement with agriculture and architecture support the unique experiences that happen throughout the project that differentiate within seasons and years.exploring the idea of merging multiple architectural and social disciplines creates a lifestyle that is not yet present in the urban communities such as these. characteristics of the garden aesthetics and principles include asymmetry, simplicity, authenticity, intimacy, and the appreciation of architecture, natural objects, the forces of nature, and communal experiences. the aesthetic recognizes the beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, bringing awareness to natural flow and harmony while exploring each element.

diagramatic sketches

each part of the site: such as frames, inflatable individual bubbles, greenhouse, and the people, become a part of the larger organism, operating like a machine and producing a unique urban canvas. starting from a bare site, it slowly starts to populate itself by the community creating their own desired patches of gardens. on an unpopulated land covered with gravel,

the individuals are given freedom to remove the covering layer and reach the soil underneath and start creating their own micro gardens. the frames enable multiple programs to take place within, such as: food forests, pollinator gardens, farms, animal farms, entertainment spots, and furthermore are ought to adapt accordingly to any program. in between

the created patches, greenhouses are situated to provide the larger agricultural needs of the community and cater larger social and interactive spaces. the transparency and openness has created atmospheric qualities that emphasizes the importance of social interactions in community life.

site plan

site plan zoom ins

the change of spaces is dependent on the seasonal cycle and the natural elements, therefore adapting the atmosphere with the environment. the engagement with the site, structures, and vegetation, produces unique plots of land to be occupied and explored as desired. this explores the idea of merging multiple architectural and social disciplines in order to create a lifestyle that is lacking in the existing communities these days. characteristics

cut plan zoom ins

of the garden aesthetics and principles include asymmetry, simplicity, authenticity, intimacy, and the appreciation of the architecture, natural objects, the forces of nature, and communal experiences. the aesthetic can be described as one of appreciating the beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. the garden is supposed to bring awareness of natural flow and harmony while exploring each element.

greenhouse section

05.1

Selected Writings spring 2020 theory course: architecture by design curated by penelope dean

Unknown photographer. Alison and Peter Smithson, architects. Interior view of the House of the Future looking down from the viewing platform, Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition, London, March 1956. DR1995:0042

Establishing the New Norm Innovations during World War II allowed new materials and technologies to develop, which opened up opportunities in the industrial design field in the postwar period. To recover the economy after WWII, the relationship between a consumer and a product had shifted, disregarding the traditional approach. Since mass-production has been a tool since the industrial revolution and advanced more during the modernist period because of figures like Gropius, Le Corbusier, or Mies van der Rohe. Around the 1920s the relationship between a consumer and a product was based on function of objects was to serve the building and not the person inside the building, considering a house as a machine for living. In the post-war period, that relationship changed, and the economy turned towards the consumer, to rebuild the economy. What became crucial, is the shift of the economic status had turned towards the consumers’ side providing the highquality design oriented towards the user.1 Reframing the needs and establishing the new norms of living. The components of traditional housing often included a two-story building with multiple rooms, decorative elements in windows, doors, roofs, etc. After the war, it was a necessity to limit the cost and use of materials, which led to simplifying designs of traditional housing by re-evaluating the need for the second floor, staircases, extra rooms like an additional bathroom or a dining room.2 The concept for the new type of housing became efficiency, high-quality, use of new materials, and well-thought design.3 Everything in a house had to serve a

purpose, and function became the main focus of all designs. The goal was to keep spaces open and functional, to maximize the amount of daylight coming in and create an adaptive, elegant and everlasting space. One of the first ones to start the movement of consumer-oriented architecture were Charles and Ray Eames. The Eames House in Santa Monica builtin 1949 was a foundation of the building that would be adjusted to a person. The house was treated as a product that still embraced a machine production. The Eames’ saw the world with the cinemaeye, creating the Eames House which had carefully selected, personalized objects, giving an impression of a livable house with a concept about the addition of individual elements.4 Every object in the house was architecture because every element in the house was there to serve as a problemsolver belonging to a body inhabiting the house. This allowed to achieve extremely diverse houses by virtue of an openplan that allowed to create individual architecture that would be adjusted to each occupant. Single-story, free plan dwellings opened up possibilities to produce a permanent housing that would be valid throughout years.5 The approach that Allison and Peter Smithson took in House of the Future (1956) was to design a house that would operate like a car, where appliances and utility service would become adjustable and movable.6 The idealistic views were placed in the house designed for the future generation, which would project an upgraded appearance of a conventional suburban home in 25 years.7 It was designed to be positioned in the highdensity urban area, a completely reviewed

urban fabric that would be standard in the near future. The overall shape of the house house is a rigid rectangle with the central interior garden, providing a private outdoor area. The house was split up with curved walls which also allowed a visual connection with the garden from any point in the house.8 The organization of the house is planned to have programs flow into one another and be adjusted by a resident, enabling the room division to become personalized, so the house can change its interior form according to the needs of residents. The fundamental idea was to use factory-built, mass-manufactured, fitted kitchen, bathroom, laundry units which could be easily updated if necessary. That mindset proposed the idea of future potential adjustments and rearrangements in the house with the future development of the machinery. House of the Future challenged an understanding of a typical housing, reframing the needs and restating issues. By placing the house in the urban fabric, they reestablished the relationships between the neighbouring houses. The relationship between nature and the house had also shifted, now the house was in direct contact with the open air garden. That move had also challenged the community relationship within the bigger picture. The project was representing an idealistic lifestyle, maximizing privacy and using land very efficiently. The model of the house was exaggerated version of what could be a norm in the nearest future. Being radical with representation is what helped to attract attention, and formalize the ideas for the future housing type.

1 Friedman, A., “The Evolution of Design Characteristics during the Post-Second World War Housing Boom: The US Experience.” Journal of Design History 8, no. 2 (1995): 131-46. www.jstor.org/ stable/1315979. 2 Ibid. 3 Goss, J., “Design, 1950–75.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dsgn3/hd_dsgn3.htm (October 2004) 4 Peter Smithson, “Just a few chairs and a house: an essay on the Eames-aesthetic,” Architectural Design (September 1966): 443–446. 5 Reyner Banham, “Space for Decoration*, A Rejoinder,” Design 79 (July 1955): 24–25. 6 Alison and Peter Smithson, “The Smithsons,” Changing the Art of Inhabitation: Mies’ pieces, Eames’ dreams, The Smithsons (London: Artemis 1994): 110–116. 7 Smithson, Peter, Catherine Spellman, and Karl Unglaub. Peter Smithson: Conversations With Students : A Space for Our Generation. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005, 43. 8 Owens, Gwendolyn. “Alison and Peter Smithson’s 1956 “House of the Future”.” Gastronomica 1, no. 1 (2001): 18-21. doi:10.1525/gfc.2001.1.1.18.

05.2

Selected Writings fall 2018 theory course: the difficult whole curated by francesco marullo

Façade drawing, Leon Battista Alberti, Rucellai Palace, Florence, 1446-1451. The schematic drawing of the Rucellai palace façade that shows rhythms, the ‘unfinished’ corner, and anomaly - the off-center brick.

Past Knowledge for the Future A master can use knowledge of history to create an innovative future. Before creating something new, the crucial skill is to discover from the past. The Renaissance era was based on cultural, religious, political, and social transformations, the application of art and classical antiquity, and modernization. Value of history, knowledge, and nature formed the society of the Middle Ages. The city was the main spot where a functional society was created, and the political and cultural center of the Renaissance was located in Florence. The most influential and knowledgeable of all artists, who became a center of social and political empowerment, were architects. The term and profession ‘architect’ became the most definitive in at the beginning of the 14th century.1 Florence was a developing center for the historical and governmental actions, therefore, the number of public buildings had increased, which was a result of the influential political parties of the city, who were demonstrating their power through monumental structures. The main structures of the time shaped the surrounding and made the city of Florence to acquire a unified form by bringing symbolic meanings and values to the Renaissance architecture and respecting the past of the architectural antiquity.2 Architect is the one who rethinks what had been created before, therefore, he must have had knowledge of all the noblest disciplines. The art of the building deserved honor, respect, and recognitions, since it was responsible for every kind of comfort, for business, leisure, religious or private citizens means. Architecture is a device that is beneficial to the public and individuals, the architect had to have a skill of making a structure that not only would be a roof and walls for a man but would also bring the people together. Leon Battista Alberti, appreciated the meaning of history, utilized ruins as models for learning, respected existing buildings, and,

therefore, created modernized, innovative buildings that served as a functioning, logical, complex machines. Alberti believed that the building should be composed by: lineaments, which is the correct way of joining and fitting lines that define and enclose surfaces, and the structure of the building.3 Exact numbers, proper scale, proportions, etc, created the art of dividing and composing the plans in Alberti’s buildings. The importance of the structure and proportional relationship of each element is addressed in Alberti’s Rucellai Palace built in Florence in 14461451. Alberti was deeply involved in creating a well-composed building which was the essence of beauty, where division created a harmonious work that supported unity and delight of the Alberti’s structures.4 The elements were the key part that contributed to the building and composed it together like pieces of the whole body that worked well together as a machine, there was no such piece that was unrelated and irrelevant. The harmony was supported by variety; some parts were small or large, some were straight, curvy or a combination of both. This provided an agreement between separate objects and made them balance out. The use of the three classical orders in Rucellai Palace was to indicate upward progression was inspired by the Colosseum at Rome, the orders like Tuscan, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, at the base, second level, and at the top, respectively, brought variety to the building. At the ground level, Alberti tried to give an impression of strength and solidity of the support system by placing larger block of entablatures. The idea of balance and the chase of connected composition created concinnitas.5 Anomalies were a part of each Alberti’s project and by bringing a difference and variety, the concept of concinnitas was achieved. The principle of concinnitas was inspired by Nature and its variety and

consisted of the three principal components of that whole theory of beauty into which we inquire number, outline, and position. The main façade is divided into three tiers, and has a possibility to be endlessly continued, since the Palace is a repetition of the same elements. By bringing new elements to the building Alberti took it as a necessity to make a complex structure. The division on the façade is created with the horizontal entablatures running across and pilasters completed in different order; thus, the façade acquires an articulated, proportional grid, which created a rational humanist clarity of that time.6 Learning from the Romans, Alberti saw columns as only decorative element of the building and not structural essential. He drew a conclusion that a row of columns would create a wall; therefore, he treated columns as abstract walls and came up with a transformation of columns to pilasters.7 In this project, Alberti put emphasis on the support system of the building. Visually he kept the pilasters smooth and the rest of the wall covered in stone veneer. The Rucellai Palace contains an off-center entrance that might have been adapted from Brunelleschi’s loggia at the Founding Hospital, that also brings certain rhythm (AAB) to the structure, which is contained throughout the whole building.8 The building structure brings an idea of a building being endlessly continued by having an unfinished façade. The rules helped them readdressing their visions and think in a different way compared to the others of the time. Learning from the past and using the mastery and experience to use it in his own way was the main distinction in Alberti’s works. Inventing forced both architects to think outside of the used guidelines and introduce the new standards.

1 Argan, Giulio Carlo. The Renaissance City. New York: G. Braziller, 1969. 2 Ibid. 3 Alberti, Leon Battista, Joseph Rywert, Neil Leach, and Robert Tavernor. On the Art of Building in Ten Books. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1988. 4 Wittkower, Rudolf. Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism: Its Influence on the Development and Interpretation of Modern Architecture. 1972. 5 Alberti, Leon Battista, Joseph Rywert, Neil Leach, and Robert Tavernor. On the Art of Building in Ten Books. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1988. 6 Wittkower, Rudolf. Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism: Its Influence on the Development and Interpretation of Modern Architecture. 1972. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid.

05.3

Selected Writings fall 2020 theory course: contemporary studies curated by barbara materia

Façade drawing, Mundie & Jensen architects, Union League Club, Chicago, IL, 1928- present.

Key to the Club: The Union League Club The Union League Club of Chicago was established in 1879 when occupying a few suits at the Honorè Building. The objective of the club was to promote cultural, social, and political interests, while being looked over by the Federal Government. The active memberships were actively increasing inquiring the expansion of the club. Taking place in the center of Chicago by the Custom House and the Post Office, the Union League Club was housed in its permanent location. The building was six-story high in a house-like appearance, embracing luxury and elegant form and atmosphere, designed by LeBaron Jenney in 1886. At the time, the program included dining spaces, a ladies’ department, a growing art gallery, and a magnificent library. The suave interior and exterior of the building gained exposure during the World’s Columbian Exposition led to be the most lavish club in the city bringing comfort and entertainment to the members and visitors. In 1927 the building was demolished, constructing a new establishment on the same site designed by Mundie & Jensen in 1928, who were selected architects from competition for the club design. The club carried values of being “home away from home” the design approach was taken from the same perspective. Mundie & Jensen designed a residential building (Cyrus Bentley House on Astor Street) in 1911, where the facade uses limestone on the ground floor, and brick above; the Union League Club (1928) was modeled after it, but on a larger scale. The technological advancements of the time were beneficial while construction of the updated club. The typical plan was impelling the design; it took a few months for all two hundred sixty feet to raise. The club was in the ‘loop’ of everything: the prime location where the businesses develop, offered the inclusivity, influence, and the attractiveness that would draw members in, and even the central entry established the centrality physically and intellectually. The building is split into three parts sectionally, serving as a place where the body and the mind can rest, mostly including recreational, intellectual, and athletic facilities. Entering the club from the grander corridor, the first thing that catches an eye is a large marble staircase suggesting to move up and explore the rest of the

club. The distribution of spaces plays to be as a masquerade that is playacting for the member. The large staircase that catches an eye, has a hidden door for the staff, who make the ‘act’ happen. Aside from the staff, the club is fully self-sustained by the massive basement, which carried colossal machines that supply energy not only to the building itself but also to the city. The orientation of the Union League Club in Chicago has emphasized the joy of living. The desire in implementing art and beauty in daily activities to refine imagination and promote living surrounded within the stirring environment. The presence and value of enriching the mind with pleasurable activities and surroundings could explain the distribution of the program. The split between the social and athletic activities happens by the sleeping rooms breaking the two recreational schemes. The club being a poly-functional space, included every program a man may or may not need, the variety of spaces starts with the barbershop, to the ice cream room, to game rooms, library, kitchens, and other service rooms. Moving thought space vertically allows the body to experience all stages and necessities for a full pleasure and fulfillment of the body and the mind. In building as such, vertical circulation plays a key role. As mentioned before, the eye follows a staircase leading up for the experiences, the staircase continues running through the first nine floors, allowing to explore and acknowledge the spaces. The diversity in the program provokes performative acts on each floor, where the member can choose to join or continue the journey through spaces until finding the right fit. The continuing grand staircase plays with the rest of the rooms by orienting to revolve around the circulation. While exploring other rooms, the body always comes back to the central space going up. Ongoing for nine floors, giving freedom to stop and ease the mind. The primary spaces like the Main Lounge and the Main Dining room have double-height ceilings and face the front of the building. In between squeezing spaces like the library with the private collection and the Crystal Dining room, which was the dining space for women. The presence of a woman in the

club was always welcome, yet the women could not become official members of the club, they had a side entrance from Federal Street, a waiting room, an elevator leading to the designated areas, a lounge, and a dining room. Entering the spaces designed for females to occupy, has clearly defined its occupier first is that the rooms resembled with male spaces but on a smaller scale, and secondly the interior design of the spaces, the color palettes and the ornamentation has an airy and slender outlook. Half of the building is aiming to ease the mind, and the other half to ease the body, the part that interlocks the two — is the sleeping rooms, offices, and the directors’ room, placed on levels ten to seventeen. The sleeping rooms are split and dedicated for transient use by the members or their guests, and some for permanent use, re-embracing the idea of a home inside the club. Circulating the top floors, starting with the sleeping room level and until up, could only be possible through the elevator. With achieving a higher level of privacy and with the only way of circulation being elevator, it becomes easier to lose orientation and get confused in the labyrinth full of intimate spaces. The building in plan is now shaped as an “E”, extending in and out resulting in creating a stepped facade of the east side. Throughout the whole journey the building is split in half where it is consistently highly articulated in the front yet confusing and puzzling in the back. The organization as such is a result of the front of the building designated for the club members, when the back is occupied by the staff requiring more hidden spaced. The top half, five levels of the building are equipped for athletic purposes, accommodating all kinds of physical recreation as such: handball, squash, and golf courts, bathing department, which included Turkish baths, solarium, and the massage room, all borders spaces with essentials like lockers, showers, changing rooms. The top two levels are utilized for the pool and gymnasium areas, providing both of them with double-height ceilings, but dividing in the middle for singlelevelled spaces for instructions and individual training, observing balcony, 53

Illustration demonstrating the unique swimming pool and its effect on the program

and a radio lounge. The League Union Club was the first club to cater to the swimming pool on the top floor, which also provided the members with the natural sunlight from the skylight windows. Placing the swimming pool on the highest floor reflected on the rest of the building, where the structural supporting concrete ‘legs’ are visible on the lower level under the swimming pool. Such a decision manipulated the structure and made the architecture of the swimming pool present in other spaces.

The key to the club is the programming and its strategic placement, which reinforced the meaning of vertical circulation. Division of the spaces into three categories, from which different levels of privacy extracted, created a spatial gradient separating the spaces from public to private. Despite the club being members only, the lower levels granted the spaces for guests, visitors, both: men and women. The transition point is happening in between stories ten and seventeen, where the chambers got used: temporarily and for the visitors,

shifting to the permanently occupied spaces. Inquiring the athletic pursuits to be members-only private recreation areas, where the club members could rest and socialize with the fellow members. All of that covered with a building envelope, which does not speak for its program from the outside. The limestone and brick facade keeps the events happening inside — a secret, the club is being a nonrevealing, timeless building.

Long Section 55

35 mm Film around the world through the prism curated by v

2017 to 2021