Project Three: Final Design- Drawings

View from Gallery into middle courtyard

view from office window 

residence

view back into gallery from main courtyard

Project Three: Final Design- Model

Concept: Contrasts.

• With the large size and concrete material of the main gallery with the lightness of the smaller gallery towers in the courtyard.
  
• Sound, Echoey effect achieved in the main gallery which reflects King Street and the more calm and tranquil effect in the main courtyard as the sound from King Street is blocked by the tall walls of the main gallery
• Man-made and Nature, the towers and the contoured courtyard.

Three main sections, 

1. Main Gallery which also includes the office and reception area adjacent to King Street
2. Main Courtyard and sculptural garden with smaller gallery rooms in towers 
3. Residency: blank wall facing main courtyard to segregate private from public and not draw attention away from the courtyard.

King Street facing large window, Light is allowed into the office space through the gallery window, sky lights and King Street facing window

There was a linear corridor which reached from King Street to the park behind.  Courtyards broke this "corridor" at intervals so that the sight of the natural area would not be lost due to the length of the site.

Main Gallery

Towers, using frosted material so at night when the lights inside are on it becomes a glowing box, like a lantern which provides lighting for the sculptures in the garden and night time exhibition openings.

Project Three: Precedent, Shibuya-ku House

This house has a similar site to site 1 in Newtown.  Since it has a narrow site which is also between two tall buildings it uses triangular geometry and a open courtyard in the middle to allow light into the adjacent rooms.  These irregular rooms allow natural lighting to enter  and also creates a sense of lightness in its structure and appearance.

Interior courtyard which allows light to enter.  The colour of the walls and floor also help light to be reflected into the area and also makes the space seem more spacious.

Sense of lightness

Project Three: Precedent, Louis and Richard Rosenthal Centre

This gallery designed by Zaha Hadid has a very interesting plan, with many split levels which flow well from one level to another with staircases and ramps.  The exterior facades also express different material types at different times of the day, such as above the top section seems to be translucent in comparison to the heavy middle section.

It has a interesting way of inviting people in with this sweeping wall which runs from the entrance and curves up the back wall.

Project Three: Site study

Site within its Newtown context: The park behind is the only "green" public space within the area.  There is also segregation, with residential area behind the shop and commercial area in front along King Street.

Site within its block: Flanked on one side by a large cinema complex, on the other there is a carpark and also an adjacent building.  The site is very long and linear.

Front Facade: Historical facade made even more noticeable and sculptural-like as it is flanked by two plain facades.

Back road: This road is very quiet which contrasts heavily with the busy King Street.

Park: This area is very calm and peaceful with a cemetery and historical church behind.  It has retained a very nostalgic effect.

Study of King Street

Building Facades stand out more by breaking the horizontal line which continues along the street.

Important buildings were flanked by smaller less ornamented buildings

Project Two: Final Model

Project Two: Floor Plan

Stairs connecting the octangular tower to the octangular room flow from the top of the grid box, continuing under the box and up again.

Contrast of the solidity and enclosure of the tower and the stairs with the open gridded space which suggests a freedom that is fragmented in the "prisoner's" mind and also physically unattainable. 

Project Two: Circulation

Plan of Circulation: The occupant begins at the octangular tower and follows a difficult path down towards what they hope is freedom and society.

Elevation of Staircase.

Clockwise from Top Left:

1. Octangular Tower: I used a octagon shape for the plan of this tower to evoke a subtle but not complete sense of security and freedom.  This is because an octagon is not a complete circle (sense of security) but also obtuse angled (uneasiness). The slits of in the wall allows light to enter but is too narrow for the prisoner to escape or get a clear view of his surroundings. As this tower is meant to be used as a bedroom when the sun rises it will filter through the slits and fall on the prisoners bed waking her. The slits in the wall also guides the prisoner's eyes to the small window which gives a view of the gridded box (freedom).
2. Beginning of the Staircase: From the door of the tower the prisoner is able to see a flat landing and part of the ceiling of the steep staircase. The rays of light seems inviting as it is seen as a way to escape from his isolation. After walking through this small landing a small tall window appears on the left giving another glimmer of the gridded box. Right after this small window the prisoner is faced with a large and extremely steep staircase with the lights falling along the wall on both sides and the sheer length of them it give a sense of falling which never ends.
3. End of Staircase: The steep staircase ends abruptly with a staircase which is a lot more gentle and opens up to a open landing. This give a transition stage between the steep stairs and the landing.
4. Reflecting Landing: This landing is bathed in a yellow glow from hidden yellow glass panels in the corners. This colour gives a hazy reflective tone to the atmosphere of the landing but also symbolises her cowardice as she does not continue on her journey but sits and reflects
5. Unstable Staircase: This staircase is unstable in the way it is held up by small beams and is open to the elements. This not only makes it a frightening staircase to move along but the changes in riser level, step size and ceiling height makes the prisoner climb and duck on her way up towards freedom.
6. Final Ramp: After the unstable staircase the prisoner is faced with a ramp which they believe to be a easy rise up to the top. When they turn the corner however a steep ramp comes into view with small steps for gripping on. At the end of this ramp is a small doorway which allows light into the dark corridor.

After this hard journey to what she thinks is society and freedom she walks through the small doorway but is hit with a room which is larger than her tower but is the same in shape and form. This is a reflection of the idea that once you become a prisoner whether you committed a criminal act or if you were a victim, you will always be seen as and feel like one which is something the rest of society cannot fully understand.

Project Two: Working model: Playing with Light

Testing the use of grids and tracing paper to create shadows and silhouettes

Creating spotlights and atmosphere in a room by using slits in the corners of the wall.  

Overhead skylights right above walls create a rigid line pattern along the wall.  These contrasts of light and dark evokes the idea of bars in a prison cell.

Another attempt of the staircase with the light coming from below the actual steps.  However the light needed to create this effect has to be quite strong; not really applicable when using only natural lighting.

Project Two: Painting

Eleven A.M. by Edward Hopper

• The room seems cluttered and dark behind her giving a depressing mood but makes the room seem contained and small
• She is looking down onto the street: wishing she was joining those in society. 
• Lighting only coming from the open window: suggests that it is her only access to freedom and is a contrast to her environment inside the room
• She is naked: symbolises how she is not ready or not able to leave her space.  Her nakedness also suggests that she doesn't get visitors and no one else lives with her. 

Final Narrative.

"A prisoner alienated in a tower longing for escape"

Project One: Final Model

Section

Front Facade, looking down the main axis