Weishun Thesis Prep Draft

Thesis Preperation Proposal [Staging International Exhibitions in Urban China] Weishun Xu September 2014

[Background]

[Concerns]

The world has witnessed massive scale urbaniza on in China a er it applied socialist market economy, par cularly in its east and middle regions. Demographics show that upon 2013, more than 50% of its popula on is living in urban regions. The na on has done it through massive land use transi on and construc on supported by governmental shadow banks, providing a huge bubbling real estate market. By 2013, the governmental revenue from land leasing has made up to 65% or higher in some of the new secondary ci es, whereas this number in a mature capitalist market usually fluctuates around 13%. Ghost towns with low occupancy yet high ownership ra o are universally present in outskirts of those ci es.

Staged interna onal events are effec ve in genera ng rapid local development along with the exis ng real estate market. However, the life-span of those events are hardly predictable, par cularly in a society where the state power overwhelms its checking mechanisms. On the other hand, the impact of those events on the urban form and dynamics does last long. In China, those events are usually boasted for their scale and hos ng ability. They tend to draw a peak number of visitors and investors for a short me, and the digits gradually dwindle over a las ng period.

Chinese governors have realized this issue of real estate bubbling and the poten al hazzard of its monotonous prac ce, ordering governmental shadow bank pla orms to be seperated from local governmental finance early 2014, and well as a strong push in ter ary industry to diversify new developments. Recently, eight of its na onal administra ve departments has filed two seperate documents, promo ng “smart ci es“ as well as “cultural industry“.

Such is the nature of almost all interna on exhibi ons and events, yet with the par cularly large scale of infrastructure construc on in China associated with those events, it can be problema c. Public land ownership and the “representa ve“ governance are other factors that contribute to the problem: it means that the three ba ling forces in a capitalist urban prac ce under David Harvey’s theory - the consumer, the capital and the landlord - are compiled in one, and thus the poten al conflicts in public interest associated with those exhibi ons are less present in the concep on process. What this has caused, along with the soarding development of a certain urban image, is the disconnec on between the image and the rest of the urban fabric, characterized usually by stark scale difference between the event site and the city, as well as land use isola on of the exhibi on site.

A possible combina on of those two in staging new urban development would be “interna onal exhibi ons“, which the Chinese people are familiar with. With the state power suppor ng concentrated capital investment, China is used to intense and rapid development in par cular industry; and those exhibi ons, such as world expo in Shanghai and world hor culture exposi on in Kunming, require massive [de]construc on of the city along with infrustructural shi s. It is not rare that such cultural projects alter the fabric of the urban area. To much extent, they also point out the direc on of a new round of urbaniza on, especially through the power of image making.

HorƟ-Expo in Kunming

World Expo Program AllocaƟon Map

[Proposal] The ambi on of the thesis considers alterna ve ways to plan the life-span of interna onal exhibi ons in China. One should recognize the necessity of those exhibi ons in the urbaniza on process in that context, par cularly during the period of transi on into smart ci es. The image is necessary to boost the confidence of local ter ary industry, and the scale is also important due to the scale of popula on displacement required. One should also admit that the projects will con nue to be executed by intensive and single-sided resources investment.

However, it does not mean that there is no other stakeholders in the struggle for urbaniza on. Especially in the a erlife of those events, mul ple other par es can be introduced in re-organizing the urban programs. In addi on, although designated land use has its own virtue in formally organizing the urban fabric as well as new infrastructure construc on, the monotonous func on may not be ideal in terms of developing local commerce, especially in the era of C to C commerce. That how to mi gate between the scale of the objects exhibited and the scale of construc on needed for the image consump on is a serious issue to be considered.

The thesis should start with iden fying the concepts, procedures and stakeholders involved in an exhibi on planning in China, in order to establish a fair understanding of what is to be done and what can be done. This will be followed by precedent studies to examine exis ng best prac ces in terms of life-span consump on of such events. Finally, according to prac ce standards set up through the research, an life-cycle design of such an event will be executed to test the viability of the proposal.

Infrastructure engagement in Grand Central StaĆ&#x;on, imagined by ScienĆ&#x;fic American in 1912

Related Works [Post-Occupancy]

Opportunistic Urbanism The Future of Fermilab beyond an Archaeological Site This project views the future of Fermilab beyond the scope of its immediate programma c needs as a suburban laboratory.

It addresses two conflicts on the site: a global one between the programma c shi s dictated by socioeconomic prac ces (including CERN as a replacement of Fermilab) and the physicality shaped solely by the need for scien fic researches; a regional one between the required expansions of facili es constrained by the poli cal boundary and the tendency of physical sprawl and popula on explosion of surrounding urban centers. Thus the simple func on of the lab will collapse internally, if such program monotony is maintained ll the cessa on of the lab’s procedures.

Hence, the project approaches the future development of the site through qualita ve changes of it social role rather than a linear extension of its current func onality. The ques on for the future then becomes a retrospec ve one: how to register the lab’s history without compromising the development of both Fermilab and surrounding ci es? The proposal transforms the site as a new urban center generated by a formal language of folding and ground manipula on based on the site’s infrastructures for its scien fic past. This new center discovers and re-defines Fermilab’s historical layers, and introduces a complexity of urban spaces and programs which triggers further opportunis c urban growth and densifica on. The history of Fermilab then is not a sta c image like the Stonehenge, but a dynamic one that always generates new ac vi es and forms for the future.

Team project with Tamrat Gebremichael

The nature of a scien fic research facility is to obsolete itself. Opportunis c urbanism seeks possible inser on of social events into the normal development (and obsole ng) pa ern of a top-down regulated laboratory. These programs then diverge into urban ac vi es and re-generate social demands for fully u lizing the site’s infrastructures (accelera on tunnels, power sta ons, etc.).

Static History 2011 A.D WĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ Archaeology Origin

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2400 - 2200 B.C Stonehenge

7011 A.D 2011 A.D WĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ

Archaeology

Social Value / Memory ^ĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ sĂůƵĞ ͬ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

7011 A.D

^ŽĐŝĂů ZĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶͬ/ŶƚĞƌĂĐƟŽŶ

Time

^ŽĐŝĂů ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ

Social Value / Memory ^ĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ sĂůƵĞ ͬ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

Dynamic Urbanism

?

2400 - 2200 B.C Stonehenge

2011 A.D WĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ

^ŽĐŝĂů ĞŵĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ

7011 A.D

Archaeology Origin

Social Value / Memory ^ĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ sĂůƵĞ ͬ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

džŚŝďŝƟŽŶ ŽŶĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ...

Time 2011 Tevatron Shut Down

ing ac

Time

2015 DƵŽŶ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ

ŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů Tourism ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ...

2025 Muon Shut Down

ZĞƐŝĚĞŶĐĞ EĞǁ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ...

2050 hƌďĂŶ ĞŶƚĞƌ

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30?? ĞŶƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ Urban Growth

The long-term placement of new programs considers both current and future development of research facili es, and converges existvity centers and spaces as infrastructures for social events to a ach to.

Activity Centers

Direct Connection

2015 Development Plan

Activity Convergence before Muon

Activity Convergence After Muon

The ac vity convergence simulaon provides three prototypical condi ons for formal interven on when ac vity connecons parallel, run across or mesh with the exis ng infrastructures. This generates three stages of opportunis c urban development with dierent programs and a tudes towards the exis ng site and its surroundings.

Site Section Concepts

The axes of ground manipula on and volume inseron are generated by both the physical connec ons between exis ng infrastructures such as accelera on tunnels and buildings, and the possible future convergence of civic and research ac vity centers.

Events

Stage 1: Exposure

TTarget Ta arg rget get ett

Stage 2: Regeneration

Events

Stage 2: Regeneration

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Stage 1: Exposure

Events

Intervention vs. Infrastructure

Excavating

Folding

Stage 3: Fusion

Connecting

Synthesizing

Stage 3: Fusion

Stage 1: Exposure Opportunis c urbanism starts as the Tevatron Accelerator is shut down. While other parts of the lab are s ll func oning, the exposure of exis ng infrastructures and inser on of interac ve programs generate dialogues between the public and the lab. The first stage allows the society to re-posi on science to prepare the site for later developments.

Existing Conditions

^ŽĐŝĂů ZĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶ

džŚŝďŝƟŽŶ Conference 2011 ...

Tevatron Shut Down

New Researches Industry 2025 ...

Muon Shut Down

Site Transformation

Stage 2: Regeneration The second stage seeks to intensively re-claim the rich infrastructures and generate urban programs while preserving the physicality of the site a er the cessa on of par cle collisions caused by social-economic prac ces. It results in contextualized urbanizaon processes that are ini ated by opportunies provided by the history of the site. Such processes in turn allow the history to con nue developing and formally addressing itself.

Existing Conditions

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^ŽĐŝĂů ZĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶ

^ŽĐŝĂů ĞŵĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ ŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů New Researches dŽƵƌŝƐŵ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ 2025 ...

2015 ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ DƵŽŶ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ ...

DƵŽŶ ^ŚƵƚ ŽǁŶ

DƵƐĞƵŵ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ 20?? ... ĞŶƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ

Site Transformation

Stage 3: Fusion Proposed Detector Connec on

The third stage is a response to the /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƟŽŶ ͬ DƵƚĂƟŽŶ

sprawling of surrounding developments. It integrates the fabric of the new urban center with adjacent suburbs. Programs are generated by considering the social demands from both sides. The result is a mixture of both spaces and social ac vi es centered around the core culture of Fermilab.

Data Processing Infrastructure Entertainment Connec on Entertainment Connec on

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30?? ĞŶƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ hƌďĂŶ 'ƌŽǁƚŚ

ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂů ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ ...

Research Center

Research Center Transi on Zone Park Stadium

Existing Conditions

Site Transformation

Internal Street Re-Claiming Abandoned Construction Site The site is a 11 story hotel abandoned a er the construc on of reinforced concrete structure in Historic Downtown, Charlo esville, VA. It stands as the tallest structure in the city, symbolizing a failure of the development mode ini ated by blind funding for grand businesses, while the surrounding small shops maintain a high level of commercial ac vi es in the same area. The proposal seeks to gradually re-integrate the structure into Downtown’s public actvi es with an emphasis on street life and social interac on.

Commercial

Production Office Pathway

Commercial Commercial

Activity Lv.1

Main St.

2nd St.

Main St.

Public Activity Activity Lv.2

Site

Driving Speed Zone

Pathway

Activity Lv.3

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Office Production

Walking Speed Zone

Program Rupture

Circulation Disconnectivity

The lack of program along the site and the dierent typology of programs on parallel streets break the con nuous experience of Downtown as the core of the city.

An abrupt shi of circula on mode from automobile to walking segregates the experience of the street’s unified facades and programs.

Commercial Walking Street Entry from Rivanna Trail Offices/Production/Parking

Program Expansion The proposal extends interac ve programs from Downtown to the site to expand the social identy of the city center.

Mechanical

Open Theatre Entrance/ Street Performance

Mechanical

Cafe Collec vvee o Studio

Motel Cell

Motel Cell

S rage Sto Storage Courtyard Cafe

Internal Street To provide an enclosed mode of communicaon that matches the atmosphere of Downtown, the street access is shi ed into the exis ng structure.

Communica on Pla orm

Motel Cell Collec ve Studio

Collec ve Studio Shops

Shops

Gallery Gallery Pathwayy

Individual Studio Art Shops Shops Sh ops op ps Art Shops

Ind ndivid nd dua ual Individual Per e formin ng Performing

Communica on Pla orm Motel Cell

Art Shops Sho Sh op ops ps ps Art Shops

Performance Prepara on

Collec ve Studio

Collec ve Studio

Organization Progress

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Expansion of City Square

Topographic Adjustment

Longitudinal Access

Resulting Program: theatre

Resulting Program: street shops

Vertical Street

Social Interaction Promotion

Future Reclaimation of Upper Levels

Resulting Program: studio, motel

Resulting Program: gallery, conference

Resulting Program: housing

Resulting Program: cafe, gathering space

Room Pototypes The organiza on of public programs is based on a ver cal re-distribu on of

prototypical interac on spaces in Downtown to maintain a coherent spaal atmosphere.

Related Works [Urban Systems]

Sludge Community Gowanus Canal Remediation, Brooklyn, NY At the level of architecture, energy use improvement is usually supplemented with methods that focus on the subject itself rather than its context due to limited capacity of the designer to change the constructed environment. Re-visi ng one of the most polluted waterbodies on the other hand, allows designers to step back and examine what external condi ons caused the current situa on, and what can be u lized through a profound mapping of energy with Odum’s Energe c System.

The proposal of transforming Gowanus Canal concerns deeply a conflict between its status as a natural watershed and the fact that water has to be kept out of site due to New York’s integra on of storm relief control and sewage system. The design a empts to solve the conflict by breaking this systema c linkage, allowing water and sewage treatment to form a network in an urban context in order to facilitate power genera on. Thus, a site of massive consump on can be transformed into a site of producon, of which the agricultural component further remediates the site and releasing more land for the expansion of this development model.

Pre-design Constraints

Re-map Energy Use

As a post-industrial site, the shores of Gowanus canal are le with urban brown fields that are troubled by floods. As a water basin, the site now has to work against its topography to pump water out in both direc on of the canal at different mes in order not to trap the contaminants. A pre-design constraint is laid on improving the energy use of the site.

New York’s sewage and overflow control is integrated, and thus overflow flood will carry contaminants to wash along the site.

The site planning strategy u lizes Odum’s Energe cs System to generate a reading of total energy possible with the re-planning of sewage treatment plant. The design proposal a empts to capitalize on the potent energy generated by sludge treatment and solar power harnessed by decomposed ma ers.

sewage

fuel

sun non-recyclable reuse production

water

canal

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recyclable reuse production

12 ft.

3 ft.

Site Transformation Due to the status of the rising flood line, the site’s physical transforma on focuses on the re-mapping of sewage treatment process in rela on to what can be poten ally submerged and what can not a er separa ng overflow control from sewage treatment system. This move allows the sewage treatment plant to become a linear infrastructure that integrates other buildings on the site through energy and water use.

In order to keep Gowanus flowing to clean it, pump staons have to consume a large amount of energy.

The oil le on the site does not easily get washed away, and spreads contamina on with the overflooding and pumping ac vi es.

Energy Use Section Seeing buildings in an integrated network linked by the sewage treatment infrastructure allows maximum energy mobility among dierent forms of energy harnessed through water levels, sludge fuel produc on and solar energy.

Residence

Sludge Tank

Exhibit/Theatre

Community Commercial

Industry

Wetland Greenhouse

Water Use Section With the sewage treatment laid out as a linear element, the site links the water use along with recycling and treatment, forming a dynamic rela onship that mutually benefit both consump on and produc on units.

Office

Aeration

Commercial Greenhouse

Wetland

Greenhouse

Primary Treatment : 12 + Aera on Pool : 12 - 3 Lagoon: < 3

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2. Permeable Roof

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Raised Founda on Primary treatment pool is raised to above 12 feet according to the flooding pa ern.

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Grey Water Redirec on Grey water can be directly conducted into the aera on process from adjacent buildings if primary filtra on is performed in individual buildings.

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Permeable Roof

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Permeable roof filters the large solid par cles so that rainwater can be conducted directly into the primary treatment pool.

Wetland Release 99% of the final product during aera on process is water - it is not potable but contains nutri on, perfect for cul va ng the wetland plants along the canal.

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Rain Garden Primary treatment is sealed by rain garden to prevent direct visibility and odor exposure, while the biomass seperated in the process help the growth of plants.

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Gravity Aera on A er solid harzardous material is removed, the drop of eleva on is created so that gravity plays a role in the aera on treatment process to save energy.

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Lagoon The normal ar ficial lagoon is transformed into remedia on sites through the expansion of wetland. Industrial remnants on site is washed oďŹ&#x20AC; by the large amount of water

3. Rain Garden 5. Grey Water

2. Permeable Roof

Biomass Collection: the tank provides an example of how end product of wastewater treatment process benefit directly an urban context: the tank feels warm because of the biomass in it

Fish Tank: sustained by the pure water out of the membrane treatment process, the fish tank marks the center of the public space while demonstrating the beauty of an often marginalized process

Layered Community

Restaurant Residence Entry

Residence Entry

Residence Entry

Kitchen

Kitchen

Restaurant

level change for flood control, the ground floor of the site is layered as topography in order to host the diversity of programs as well as form dynamic programma c rela onship.

Produce Market

Due to different rela onship with the energy network set up on site and the necessary ar ficial

Field Pavilion

Greenhouse

WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ^ƉĂĐĞ

Restaurant

Courtyard Greenhouse

WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ^ƉĂĐĞ

Greenhouse

ZĞƚĂŝů ^ƚŽƌĞƐ

WƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ^ƉĂĐĞ

/ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ĚŵŝŶŝƐƚƌĂƟŽŶ KĸĐĞ

Restaurant

In order to fit into New York’s grid system, the arficial topography is modularized both in sec on and plan. The volumes of residen al units are thus treated as plug-in units in a regular system despite the dynamic form of thr ground condi on.

Courtyard

Volumetric Control

Makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Story 2: Urban Ruins mechanic sculpture studio This site in Philadelphia is located at the intersecon of urban fabrics, where an elevated railway brutally cuts through a 300 year old worker class community. This railway eliminates the mixed-use buďŹ&#x20AC;ering zone between Fishtown community on the east and the abandoned industrial area on the west, where people from the community used to make their contribu ons to the city. The proposal a empts to re-connect the workers to their industrial past, taking the form from a generator in loosely constructed ruins, to synthesize the two zones via programma c and physical connec on. The project is a deliberate explora on in the phenomenological transla on of architectural metaphors into spaces via physical modeling processes that resemble in working style the community cra speopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical touch.

Site Analysis City Scale

Community Scale

Block Scale

The site is located at the convergence point of urban axes that define the boundary of Fishtown. The view from the site should be extended to the edge of this community and beyond to posi on the community in a larger context both physically and socially.

By nega vely aďŹ&#x20AC;ec ng the street life, an elevated light rail islolates the working class community from the abandoned industries where people used to work.

It builds up a segrega on between a community and its physical memory. The proposal reac vates both material flows and human resources to rediscover the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural iden y with both programs and physical access.

The spa al organiza on seeks for maximum porosity in order to coverge the movement of recycled industrial materials and the movement of cra speople from the community. It also seeks to rejuvenate the dilapidated bike shop by direc ng circulaon around the exis ng building.

Activity Flow

Exhibition / Interaction Zone

Material Flow Material Processing Zone

Disturbed Gound The ground surface is both lifetd and sunken throughout the spa al sequence. It is a metaphor of eleva ng the community membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; earthy cra s to high-figure mechanical art, and also directly responds to the displacement of social iden ty brought by the programma c changes depending on their rela ve height to the elevated raiway.

Evolution of Models The modeling explora on a empts to interpret the form of metaphors by taking on the senses of mechanical ar sts during hand cra processes. It starts with expression via materials and ends with phenomenological experience during manipula ng the same material.

Progression of a Place The design is supposed to generate the sense of a place, a field where no specific constructed object other than the central corridor is defined. It a empts to achieve so by de-emphasizing the thresholds between the interior and exterior.

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1. Outdoor Gathering 2. Sculpture Chamber 3. Material Exhibit 4. Cooking Area 5. Living Room 6. Bathroom 7. Exis ng Bike Shop

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1. Assembly Stage 2. Sculpture Chamber 3. Exhibi on Corridor 4. Design Studio 5. Bedroom 6. Balcony 7. Exis ng Bike Shop

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1. Joining / Welding Sta on 2. Cu ng Sta on 3. Tools / Prepara on

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Perspective Looking into Fishtown

Existing Condition

Other Work Samples

Superficial Campus Google Campus, San Jose, CA With the development of Internet, working on-site seems rather unnecessary in the future. However, face-to-face interac on does generate results and produc vity that are far beyond the reach of technology now. Transforming Google campus means that the designer should fully recognize its poten al of enabling oďŹ&#x20AC;-site working condi ons, and plan accordingly for maximized possibili es for free-flow, face-to-face encounters and interac ons.

Thus, an open-plan mat building is proposed. However, the exisi ng structure with large span spaces and shell structures mostly enable two-dimensional movements across the same floor, and rarely free movement across floors. Hence, the challenge of this design proposal is to explore and present the possibility of a complex aggregate of working spaces made with (conceptually) a single surface, on which the two dimensional movement can topologically cross the floor strucuture and reach every corner of the building.

Team project with Christopher Esper

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Unit Material Test

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It is conceived that the aggregated working condi on will be composed by varia ons of a single unit which involves both ver cal and horizontal movement. Hence, an open column formed by two pseudo parallel surfaces is chosen as the star ng point to be tested and distorted. DiďŹ&#x20AC;erent fabric types are employed for form finding and material performance.

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A digital simula on process is taken in order to Mesh: Quad performBase precise control over the formal reac on to diďŹ&#x20AC;erent Grid: 50x50 Archor Type: Various (Point, Edge) forces. Unit-spaces for individuals and structural concerns Base Edge: Fixed are the driving factors behind the varia ons.

Simulated Module Conditions A

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Prototype Simulation

Single Surface Field Condition Unite condi ons are expanded to field simula on in order to explore interac on between diďŹ&#x20AC;erent unit/force types, in an a empt to find walkable surfaces.

Physical Model

Multi-story Planar Composition

A physical model is necessary to prove the simula on. On the other hand, because of the computa on capacity restric on, the physical model has a finer grain to explore the rela onship between surface opening and driving forces.

Programs are introduced in rela on to spa al quali es of each unit and planar adjacency to each other. A version of planar composi on is used to generate within a small physical range walkable surfaces, ver cal circula on and working spaces. This experiment determines the propor on (in a numeric manner) of varied units in the final project.

Sectional Units Circula on around diďŹ&#x20AC;erent programs requires topographical sec onal changes which the planar composi on can not solve. Sec onal units were developed for the purpose of ver cal movement, structure and roof opening.

Sectional Relationship Program density is the driving force of local FAR in a campus, and due to the free-flow mat-building agenda, sec onal rela onships should be adjusted based on required storeys for each program. 3 major proto pical seconal units are chosen to mi gate boundary condi ons between areas of diďŹ&#x20AC;erent density.

Structural Implementation

Site Analysis

Moving from abstract surfaces to volumetric construc on, structural thickness and opening are generated through structural analysis of the stretched mesh, tracing major load areas. Surface normal were taken into considera on in order to control the difference between walkable surfaces and â&#x20AC;&#x153;ver calâ&#x20AC;? par ons.

To distribute the units in the site, urban entrances are mapped to simulate path condions based on connec vity, and figure-field reversal method is used to locate working aggregates. Boundary condi on and density grading then determines loca ons for internal public spaces and openings such as gardens and exhibi on halls.

Semiotic Implementation The detailed program alloca on at furniture-scale follows formal poten als generated by unit deforma on and overall alloca on. Using the same module that cons tutes the large-scale mesh, the furniture design seeks formal correspondence with the overall scheme, and is structurally enabled by the deforma on of the global geometry.

Indexical Framework Stadium for Queens Park Rangers, London, UK The overall goal of the design is to create a communityfriendly stadium that conforms itself to the height and scale of the neighborhood, while formally expressing the ambi on of a newly purchased soccer team, the Queens Park Rangers. The duality of community integra on versus geometry autonomy challenges us to create a set of dialogues between the interior bowl (sea ng) of the stadium and the envelope, which was mathema cally controlled to ensure proper scales and feasibility.

Finding the right form is merely the star ng point of the project. The project development was curated under the scheme of Real and Imaginary Variables, where the interpreta on of parametric geometries relies on the direct transla on of indices which compose only surfaces without depth.

What differen ates our par cular process from projects formally alike is that post-ra onaliza on of the architecture has been inten onally repressed. Rather than an “architecturaliza on” of a superficial geometry which would necessarily bear meaning and iconicity diverging from the abstract mathema cal forms, our process focused on a development process of the indices through modeling tectonics. In other words, the advancement of the project was made through studying the tectonic possibili es of each index, rather than a holis c, imagery reading of the geometry.

On contrary to many projects that treat the formal result of digital modeling as a 3D object to be translated, with our methodology, a rigorous digital dra ing process for each radial sec on was developed to break down the generated form in order to call for more rigorous thinking of the constructability, spa al sequence and programma c organiza on of architecture. The end product of the studio – a model and all the poten al imaginary spaces associated with it, is something placed between a drawing and an architectural crea on.

Team project with Christopher Esper

Dialectics in Controlling Form

Geometric Iterations

The form is controlled algorithmically with non-linear formula for a prototypical stadium, which is broken down into interrelated components. It is important to recognize the internal tension in formal expression of components and their interdependence, as well as the overall control of the geometry and detailing with the same sets of formula.

The rough geometries are first generated to test the extremes of formal expression with each component, and then gradually synthesized with isolated parameter control and careful iden fica on of implied design goals behind each form.

Site Synthesis The geometrical nature of a soccer stadium composi on lies in the revolving and con nuous programs synthesized by the pitch. Thus, a radial system computa on is set up to measure the geometric performance of each angle corresponding to its immediate urban context, in an a empt to embed the stadium in the neighborhood which complex density condi ons and varied programs. The final form is a halfburied geometry with extended podium to mi gate height and visibility with the surroundings.

Formula for Differentiation

Programmatic Engagement

The prototypical geometry, because of its

periodic nature in form genera on, is strictly symmetrical. A series of hacking equa ons are then introduced to apply control of the details in response to the context. An automa c dra ing process is used to monitor the planar performance and muta on of each sec on, so that the overall form is contextually friendly and tectonically feasible.

The changing form in the Z direc on challenges tradi onal stadium layout because of the irregular size change of the floor plates. However, this also opens up opportuni es to engage urban programs in the context because of the shi ing density, Thus, concourses at each level is carefully examined for their programma c capacity, as well as their rela onship to the podium which connects to the surrounding buildings.

+6.00 Entry

+6.00 Entry

+0.00 Concourse

ScaleSin jn

1

if

0

jn k d d endJ

0.25 Â&#x203A; 0.5

jn k d d endJ

0.75

+0.00 Concourse

¡¡ § 1 § jnew in jn k ¨ 1 2 sin ¨ 0.625 Â&#x2DC;2Ď&#x20AC;¸ ¸ otherwise endJ Š Š šš

§ jn k § 2 § jn endJ 25.5 ¡ 3 ¡ ¡ Â&#x2DC;δξ Ď&#x20AC;¸ Â&#x2DC;infE Â&#x2DC;¨ Â&#x2DC;sin ¨ Â&#x2DC;Ď&#x20AC;¸ ¸ Â&#x2DC;ScaleSin jn endJ endJ Š š Š5 Š š 5š

Οin jn sin ¨

+6.00 -6.00

-6.00 Concourse

-6.00 Concourse

A

Vertical Circulation With uneven density changing with height, se ng up ver cal circula on is challenging because of the limited floor plates. A two-story double concourse at the podium level is deviced as a solu on to allow for maximized horizontal flows, re-distribu on the majority of spectators with diverse programs such as retail and exhibi on.

A

A

Making Seats Visible One major design inten on is to break the prototypical stadia where extended surrounding floor plates hide the place for major events - the sea ng area - from anywhere other than the sea ng area itself. With strict calibra on of mutated height and engagement with the ground, the back of sea ng is made visible at a proper scale through the entrace.

+28.00

+16.00

+6.00

-6.00 -12.00

Horizontal Cirulation

Circulation Embedment

The revolving geometry is connected and broken down by external connec ons to urban condi ons. An exterior concourse extens on with landscape and over-sized steps is set up by the podium in order to complete the transi on from nearby boulevards to the immediately visible sea ng area at the entrance.

The half-buried geometry allows for controlled procession to the stadium without visual discon nuity. Extended podium connects two proposed new subway sta ons, while leaving the back side of the stadium approachable through charters and other vehicles only for teams and game staďŹ&#x20AC;.

+0.00m

-3.00m max h =18.0

h=0

+6.00m h=-10.58069 h=-16.0

max h =23.3874

h=13.4209

h=0

h=-16.0

max h =18.0

h=0

h=-9.70388 h=-16.0

max h =29.2405 h=23.1711

h=0

h=-16.0

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architecturalizeâ&#x20AC;&#x153;?

j=0 j=1

The inten onal deferring of architectural components generates the discussion of how and where indexes in digital models are matched symbolically with architectural language.

Possibili es and implica ons of buidling skin paneling and transparent facade treatment is sug-

j = 19 j = 20

gested yet not literally manifested in the physical modeling process.

H59,60,61,62,63 = +18.00m

H63 = +4.35m

H = +0.00m H62 = +2.23m

i = 63 i = 62 i = 61 H61 = +0.00m

i = 60

Translating the Index

i = 59 H60 = -1.44m

The form-genera ng process considers the actual construc on of the geometry, making each component planar and subject for structutral interpreta on and thickening of members. The inner ring of the each sec on is set up on the same XY plane, sugges ng a compression ring construc on with the help anchoring in the flat podium.

H59 = -2.80m