VISITING CRITIC CIANCHETTA
PARIS-OTTAWA FALL STUDIO FOK LAMOTHE UY
GRAD STUDIO ARCH5200
DEC 14 2011
THE SUBTLE SUBSTANCE OF ARCHITECTURE
The Subtle Substance of Architecture was a studio from the Winter 2011 Azrieli Visiting Critic studio at Carleton University, Ottawa. Under the supervision of Paris-based Architect/Landscape Architect, Alessandra Cianchetta, the thirteen week long studio examined urban design strategies that concentrated on the night context.
The investigations began with specific conditions in Ottawa (Exercise One, Exercise Two) and then later with Paris (Exercise Three). Simultaneous to the exercises was an exploration into the massive iconic central site of La DĂŠfense, Paris. These explorations eventually led to a final design proposal that is presented here by students, Stephanie Uy, Sophie Lamothe, and Vance Fok titled Inverted Night Myopia.
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
OTTAWA
REVEALING A SITE EXERCISE ONE
REVEALING A SITE
OTTAWA
EXERCISE ONE
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
THE DEFEAT OF PAR(KING)
PLAYGROUND CONSTRUCT
INTERSECT FROM VOIDNESS TO FULLNESS
THE DEFEAT OF PAR(KING)
PLAYGROUND CONSTRUCT
INTERSECT FROM VOIDNESS TO FULLNESS
Maloney West Boulevard
THE DEFEAT OF PAR(KING)
A critical zone in this region where parkings are in majority is
activities, moreover during all seasons. A crucial aspect for
the Maloney West Boulevard in Gatineau where a large mall
enhancing this site is vegetation ~ diverse, indigenous or
and many superstores are located. This commercial zone is
exotic, permanent or movable, and that could be real or
juxtaposed to a residential neighborhood. During day this
artificial. At the same time, safety should be improve by
area is very occupied with the goings and comings of teenag-
bringing more people to this location. This should be realized
ers from their home, the mall, the school and from many
by the possibility to this site to accommodate a range of
people in the neighborhood. On the other hand, at night after
activities ~ such as small scale shows and exhibitions,
the closure of shops, this place is absolutely unsafe and
artistic installations and gardens, without forgetting people
unfrequented.
loitering. The answers to these problems should be resolve
The aim of this project is to bring back vegetation in this
with a prototype that could be integrated along all the Malo-
neighborhood where asphalt and cut grass dominate. This
ney West Boulevard or other similar parkings across the
could be made by modifying the site so it will become an
National Capital Region.
attractive location that would be suitable for day and night
RĂŠflexions colorĂŠes. Hal Ingberg. Reforf Gardens - International Garden Festival in 2007.
Lebreton Flats
PLAYGROUND CONSTRUCT
As density develops and contemporary merges with histori-
offer the potential to facilitate an audience for potential activi-
cal on settled infrastructures, unoccupied areas emerge as
ties that can attract visitors. All three sites provide opportuni-
ambiguous space with undefined program. These interstitial
ties of transformative interventions that can produce a
spaces lack inhabitable qualities but prove to provide open
playground atmosphere in order to contrast the seriousness
opportunities for interactions. Construction sites, in particu-
and chaotic nature of construction. Participants are asked to
lar, exist as connecting temporary unoccupied spaces during
temporarily
the night. The characteristics of these sites produce unwel-
playground with temporary and permanent conditions. To
coming chaos and unpleasant soundtracks during specific
transform the space is to consider the evening quality that is
times of the day.
currently dormant in the areas. A strategy of light installations
Lebreton Flats, an emerging new development, an unoccu-
that play within the context of the theme should be situated to
pied lawn at the end of Sparks Street and Pooley’s Bridge
create an interactive playground of light, sound, nature.
transform
Lebreton
Flats
into
an
urban
Lebreton at night. Photo by Author. An evening view overlooking Lebreton Flats from Bronson Avenue and Sparks Street. Dotted circles indicate proposed locations for art interventions.
Bronson & Somerset
INTERSECT FROM VOIDNESS TO FULLNESS
The intersections of large streets have become a landmark
Increasingly our neighbours have become as familiar as
point of navigation for urban experiences. They are often
strangers. This urban alienation can be attributed to the lack
(intangibly) larger than the establishments that exist on them.
of situations that overlap in the lives of the respective
This null-place is indicative of how North American society
individuals. The evolution of societies finds much progress in
has placed emphasis on the asphalt streets over the human
environments that facilitate an openness between people,
experiences that could evolve from the same context.
where fear of 'the others' is extinguished. Given that our
The opportunity lies not in committing a 'war against the car'
current state does not connect the dots, this brief looks to
but in the prominent name that these intersections have
draw the lines.
naturally evolved. The physical void in the name of the
Intersect from voidness to fullness asks to create more
intersection gives fertile grounds to a place that everyone is
situations to connect individuals with their neighbours and
and is not familiar with. The ubiquity and strategic locations
other inhabitants of the city. And in doing so, will redefine the
of these entities gives way for optimal access for all inhabit-
asphalt dominated urban experience with one that is about
ants of the city.
openness and connectivity.
Horizon. Jorinde Voigt. Possible colors for the horizon; Position; cardinal point; external center I-VII. Berlin 2010. Voigt's approach to conceptual drawing involves a certain precision and spontaneity relegated by a set of parameters an apt example of a technique that could be applied to faceless road intersections. Voigt describes her drawings as accessible as: ‘You can enjoy it without being able to read the score.’
URBAN STORYBOARD EXERCISE TWO
URBAN STORYBOARD
OTTAWA
EXERCISE TWO
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
ALTERED PERCEPTIONS
HAS NO SHADOWS DOES NOT KEEP TIME
JUNGLE KING
ALTERED PERCEPTIONS (2:22)
HAS NO SHADOWS AND DOES NOT KEEP TIME (2:20)
JUNGLE KING (2:52)
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
PARIS
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
PARIS LA DEFENCE
PARIS (MICRO)
EXERCISE THREE
NIGHTTIME GARDEN
PARIS LA DEFENCE
EXERCISE THREE
NIGHTTIME GARDEN
PROJECT
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
(FUN)TIONAL
INFLATE, LIGHT, HAIR
SHIPPING CRATE TREES
Site photos of existing garden
(FUN)CTIONAL
The “Jardins de l’Arche” at La Défense is a protected garden
changes will disturb this iconic garden.
that possesses great importance to the French. This type of
The seating allows greenery to grow through a metal mesh
garden is designed in order to create a promenade. I find sad
mainly on the façade where the spacing is larger than on the
to see that few only benefit this urban oasis. How can we
seat. Some light is intended at the inside perimeter of the
transform this kind of garden in a more attractive and practi-
seating in order to create light beams across the garden. A
cable place?
mix of day and night plants will be inserted in these seatings
(Fun)ctional aims to metamorphose the garden without
so the life of the garden will change and also continue even
changing its essence. Thereby, some seatings are created to
during the night time.
attract the public to stay and rest in the garden. No major
MFO Park. Raderschall Landschaftsarchitekten + Burkhardt & Partner. Zurich.
Courtyard Garden. West 8. Utrecht.
The (Fun)ctional Garden.
INFLATE, LIGHT, HAIR
Hairs grow out of the ground. They inflate. They grow. The
asks that the body be returned into the world and allow it to
oblique, grotesque, yet beautiful balloon like creatures
ruffle in the wind and haptically engage its surroundings.
inflate. The rubber coated fabric holds the encased air. What
The lit hairs ripple with the wind.
is this. They get bigger and grow taller than you are. They
You become the wind, the hairs reciprocate.
cloud your sky. You run, you hit, you crash, you laugh, you
You create the wave
forget, you are reminded that you have a body.
and then you become the wave.
The birth of your waking life only comes from the release of
The landscape becomes alive.
your body. In this current condition our built environments
You become the landscape.
treat the body as a digit in the system, and in the process has
You come into life.
forgotten what satisfies the organic entity. Inflate, light, hair
Release your body.
Tall grass on a windy day. Photos by Author.
The Inflate Light Hair Night Garden.
SHIPPING CRATE TREES
Reappropriated wooden shipping crates are to be added to
visitors to pause and rest during their journey through the
the existing garden in order to function as light lanterns and
garden so that they may enjoy the glow of the light emitting
provide seating area during the night. Premature trees are
crates and surrounding area.
introduced with their roots incased in 900mm deep recycled
The trees and seat crates make it simple to place and
shipping crates. LED lights are enclosed to have light emerg-
remove through the use of forklifts that will be in use for
ing through the cracks of the crates. Smaller sized shipping
ongoing construction activity adjacent to the garden. These
crates encasing more LED lights will be grouped in different
modified spaces and pathways are to create a unique experi-
combinations to provide seating area. This is to encourage
ence in the garden through materiality and use of light.
Wrapped Trees. Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Foundation Beyeler and Berower Park, Riehen, Switzerland, 1997-98.
The Shipping Crate Trees Night Garden
PARIS (MACRO) PROJECT
PHASE ONE
OPTIONS
PHASE ONE
PARIS LA DEFENCE
OPTIONS
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
OPTION 3
1
2 3
OPTION 1
La Seine River is a landmark that travels through Paris and
pulls will be designed in the form of follies strategically
the main axis, naturally dividing and coming together but
placed along the path to persuade visitors to pause and
generally swayed by flow and gravity. This option intends to
interact. The distorted path will maintain a linear view
explore the concept of union/division, and distorting the
towards La Grande Arche with the Jetty as it projects above
linear path from the ‘pulls’ of social activity and conditions
and across the main axis of the site.
that draw visitors to change their orientation. These magnetic
OPTION 2
This proposition presents a continuation of the historical axis
Olafur Eliasson ‘Your making things explicit’. Thereby they
of Paris, going from classical buildings and landscape at the
will play the role of a Ariadne’s thread to lead the public to the
Louvre Museum to contemporary buildings and landscape at
Arena 92 and the main plaza. Largest folies will be placed at
La Défense. Along the historical axis, the landscape is
the ends of the site in order to attract people across La
mostly flat, without stairs. In La Défense, a large ramp will be
Défense and also to entertain the Arena visitors before and
used to make the transition between the levels. As the
after the event. This way, the flow of the crowd will be
Louvre’s pyramids, a repetition of folies will be created on the
reduced. These large folies will be expressing the opposition
site. They will be placed along the main circulation in order to
of La Grande Arche as the two pyramids of the Louvre are
indicate the path. These folies will be lighted, as the work of
opposing each other.
OPTION 3
Drawing light inspiration from the spatial experience of the
to that of the breath. The organic cloud gives similar patterns
Eiffel, Option 3 looks to interpret the tower as a transport of
to that of humans escaping the crowded space. Option 3
the body and mind from the everyday into a reactionary
looks to draw that cloud into it's inners and give something of
practice. The project comes about when the stadium
a special experience for it's users.
releases it's users and injects them back into the city, similar
PHASE TWO
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PARIS LA DEFENCE
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
PHASE TWO
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
PARIS
(MACRO)
PROJECT
Possible interactive urban furniture
Circulation studies
Early paving layout options
PHASE THREE
FINAL PARIS LA DEFENCE
FINAL
PHASE THREE
PARISOTTAWA STUDIO
PARIS
(MACRO)
PROJECT
INVERT verb put upside down or in the opposite position, order, or arrangement NIGHT noun the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours MYOPIA noun the quality of being short-sighted
INVERTED NIGHT MYOPIA -
GROUND LEVEL PLAN +54.0
ARENA
HOTEL & SHOPS
+60.0
+55.0
+59.0 +54.0
+54.0 +52.0
+58.0
+55.0 +60.0
FOLLY #1
+59.0 STUDENT RESIDENCE
+52.0
+59.0
HOTEL +57.5
+60.5
FOLLY #3
UPPER LEVEL PLAN
ARENA
+64.5
HOTEL & SHOPS +65.0
LA DEFENCE +64.5
+64.5 FOLLY #2
METRO ►
+64.5
SECTION (LONGITUDINAL)
SECTIONS
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
PEDESTRIAN FLOW
GROUND LEVEL ELEVATED LEVEL
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
WHEELED PEDESTRIAN FLOW
GROUND LEVEL ELEVATED LEVEL
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
POINTS OF CONCENTRATION
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
VEHICULAR MOVEMENT
REGULAR TRAFFIC FIRE TRUCK ACCESS
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
SOFTSCAPE
GRASS MOUNDS EXISTING GARDEN
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
LIGHTSCAPE
BUILDING LIGHTING STREET LAMPS
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
FOLLIES & URBAN FURNITURE
0
1
2
3
FOLLIES URBAN FURNITURE
GROUND LEVEL PLAN
ELEVATION CHANGES
STAIRS & RAMPS ELEVATORS
PAVING OPTIONS
PINE MULCH GRASS WHITE SMOOTH FINISH CONCRETE GREY, RED AND WHITE GRANITE PAVERS
PAVING MATERIALS
WHITE SQUARE STONE PAVERS CONCRETE PAVING SLAB WITH EXPOSED AGGREGATE FINISH
RESIN COVERED PAVING LIGHT
LIGHT POLE BENCH
GRANITE PAVING PERMEABLE JOINT FILLED WITH 6MM WASHED AGGREGATE
PAVING DETAILS
300MM DEPTH OF WASHED 20MM GRADED AGGREGATE 600MM CAPPING LAYER EARTH
PAVING STONE OR BLOCK 3M LEAD
100MM
RESIN COVERED WHITE SURFACE LED DIODE LAYER INTERGRAL ASPHALT PAD
100MM
600MM
PAVING LIGHTS ARE TO BE PLACED ALONG THE SITE THAT FOLLOW A NON LINEAR PATH AND DISTORTS THE STRONG REPETITION OF DIAGANAL LINES THAT LEAD TO LA GRANDE ARCHE.
INVERTED LIGHT POLES ARE LOCATED ON GREEN MOUNDS AND REGULAR LIGHT POLES ARE LOCATED ON PAVING WITH AGGREGATE FINISH. THE POLES ARE MADE OF PERFORATED STAINLESS STEEL TO EMIT LIGHT ALONG THE FORM.
URBAN FURNITURE
ELEVATION OF LIGHT POLES GREY, RED AND WHITE CONCRETE SLAB GREY, RED AND WHITE GRANITE PAVERS
PLAN OF BENCH
BENCHES ARE FORMED FROM RAISING PAVING TILES
THREE FOLLIES TWO PLATFORMS TO IMAGINE
TWO BOXES TO POP
TWO STAIRWELLS TO PIANO
Vehicular Access
Arena
TWO PLATFORMS TO IMAGINE
The first aim of this folly is to hide the highway ventilation and
the upper platform, a stage. Some storage can be find inside
the two emergency exits to the West of the site in order to
the projection wall between the two exits.
create a refined design. Thereby, ad platform hides the
The stage’s structure will enable projections all over it. As
ventilation and a large volume encloses the two exits. This
well, it will bring colours and light to the folly in contrast to the
volume supports a large projection wall used for displaying
steel mesh and columns of the lower level covered with
art works, advertisements or performing artist’s publicity. The
greenery. Easy access will be provided all around the folly, a
second aim of the folly is to welcome a various amount of
ramp will make the transition between the ground and the
activities, such as markets, exhibitions, spectacles and
platform level. This folly will transform through the uses, the
performances. The lower platform furnishes a canopy, while
time of the day and the seasons.
ELEVATION North
ELEVATION South
Projection/Billboard Wall
Active Fluorescent Light Wall
PLATFORM 2 3” Translucent Polycarbonate Light Steel Structure Fluorescent light w/ Colour filters
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
CANOPY Steel Mesh 10” Steel Columns
STORAGE 3” Translucent Polycarbonate Projection on North Facade
Highway Emergency Exit
Highway Emergency Exit
Arena Cemetery
PLATFORM 1 White smooth finish Concrete Granite Pavers
PLAN Lower Level (+54.0)
SECTION Highway Emergency Exit Storage
Highway Emergency Exit
Storage
Highway Ventilation
TWO BOXES TO POP
A pop-up one room motel with a cafe to experience the day
atmosphere through smell and light.
and night views of La Grande Arche and surrounding areas.
The folly is composed of three components that constructed
The forms merge together and occupy the site by taking over
using three recyclable main materials: a shipping crate,
the existing garden and enclosing on parts of it. It is to draw
translucent covered scaffolding and wooden boards.
people from the jetty and nearby buildings with an inviting
ELEVATION South
ELEVATION North
ONE ROOM MOTEL Shipping Container
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
3” Translucent Polycarbonate Panels
MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM: CAFE, BAR, ETC. Generic Steel Scaffolding Wooden Boards
PLAN Upper Level (+64.5)
One Room Motel
INTERIOR
Multi-Purpose
TWO STAIRWELLS TO PIANO
Growing out of the complex of two stairwells lies the opportu-
effect that Olafur Eliasson produced in his 2005 work Notion
nity to create intersections between individuals. The
Motion.
nightclub/lounge is not just a closed ended one-type of user
In Notion Motion a simple gesture of stepping on a lift off the
structure but something that is playful for anyone that choos-
floor would create ripples on the respective wall. And it is
ing to intersect with this building.
here in Two Stairwells to Piano that an interactive piece will
The stairwells create a place of reverse voyeurism and as
use the energy created from the movement of the stairwell to
well, facilitates an interactive environment, much to the same
illuminate the structure.
ELEVATION West
SECTION
Lounge
Lounge
Dance Mechancial/ Electrical
Storage
3” Translucent Polycarbonate
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC Translucent Polycarbonate Reactive Light Wall Strips
Welded Steel Frame
La Defense & Paris Métro
Paris Métro
e
La Jeté
Jardin
Concrete Plinth/Foundation
PLAN Upper Level (+64.5)
PLAN Lower Level (+59.0) Paris Métro
La Defense & Paris Métro
Main Entrance/Exit Secondary Entrance/Exit Lounge Dance
Secondary Entrance/Exit
Bar
Lounge
Dance Bar Storage Lounge
Mechancial/ Electrical La Jetée
Arena
Storage
Lounge