Final Thesis Document: Architecture deviated by punk rock.

l a c i p y T " o t y t o i m "P r r o f n o C n No all

Ity C n o Bost

city hall plaza

H

An

n P it t

n a i l Jil a i h c r u f n I

ADMIT IT! written

by max bemis, performed by say anything edited for content

Despite your pseudo-bohemian appearance and vaguely leftist doctrine of beliefs, you know nothing about art or sex that you couldn’t read in any trendy new york underground fashion magazine...

Proto-typical non-conformist. You are a vacuous soldier of the thrift store gestapo.

You adhere to a set of standards and tastes that appear to be determined by an unseen panel of hipster judges. Bulls@%t!

giving your thumbs up and thumbs down to incoming and outgoing trends and styles of music and art.

Go analog baby, you’re so post-modern.

You’re diving face forward into an antiquated past,

It’s disgusting! It’s offensive!

Don’t stick your nose up at me!

Yeah, what do you have to say for yourself?

You spend your time sitting in circles with your friends, pontificating to each other, forever competing for that one moment of self aggrandizing glory

in which you hog the intellectual spotlight, holding dominion over the entire SHALLOW....POINTLESS...conversation.

Oh we’re not worthy.

When you walk by a group of quote-unquote normal people you chuckle to yourself, patting yourself on the back as you scoff.

It’s the same superiority complex shared by the high school jocks who made your life a living hell,

makes you a slave to the competitive capitalist dogma

you spend every moment of your waking life b%tching about!

Yeah, what do you have to say for yourself?

Cause I’m proud of my life and the things that I have done, proud of myself and the loner I’ve become.

You’re free to whine. It will not get you far. I do just fine, my car and my guitar.

Well let me tell you this, I am shamelessly self-involved.

I spend hours in front of the mirror making my hair elegantly disheveled.

I self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to help treat my extreme social anxiety problem.

You are a FAKER! ADMIT IT! You are a FRAUD! ADMIT IT! You’re living a LIE! Your life is living a lie!

You don’t impress me! ADMIT IT! You don’t intimidate me! ADMIT

IT!

And I am done with this, I wanna taste the breeze of every great city, My car and my guitar, So you’ll come to be, made of these urges unfulfilled, Oh no, no, no, no, no, When I’m dead I’ll rest, When I’m dead I’ll rest, lay still, When I’m dead I’ll rest, I’ll rest.

ABSTRACT...............................4 SECTION ONE: RESEARCH & EXPLORATION ch. 1 research problem..........7

objectives................8

definitions...............9-15

ch. 2

historical narrative......17-21

ch. 3

research essay............23-30

ch. 4

precedents................32-40

ch. 5

concept development.......42-51

ch. 6

design research...........53-56

ch. 7

collages..................58-63

ch. 8

site......................65-79

ch. 9

program...................81-95

SECTION TWO: DESIGN PROJECT ch. 1 diagrams..................98-10

table of Contents

ch. 2

representation ..........107-121

ch. 3

critical review..............123

BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................124-125

“PROTO-TYPICAL NON-CONFORMITY” Architecture deviated by the rules of

a Mosh Pit.

Through human interaction and situational experiences, individuals develop codes of behavior within a group.

Despite the apparent chaos and violence of a Mosh Pit, there are a set of unwritten rules that have been created to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual. Through this reticent yet concrete concern for others, a foundation for a community is constructed. Supported by the individual’s conscious decision to self enforce these rules, the Pit becomes a secure site for unrestricted self-expression and escape from everyday life. How can the rules and actions of a Punk show inspire the deviation of architecture?

The Mosh Pit is a symbol of authenticity for the Punk culture; it is a site protected from vulnerability where an individual feels safe enough to be him or herself. Unlike Punk clothing styles, Punk albums, and Punk graphics, the Mosh Pit is the only artifact that is unable to be commercialized and mass-produced by corporate America. The creation of a Mosh Pit is reliant on the proximity of bodies and the space provided for interaction, as well as the dynamics of the Punk show. The energy of the performing band becomes a catalyst for physical interaction between space and bodies.

The dances performed in a Mosh Pit appear chaotic and violent as a representation of rebellion against the mainstream culture. However, it is understood and trusted that the violence is never toward another individual; the violence is in relation to his or herself or to society in a larger sense. It is only used as a representational performance to transcend the personal ego, or more serious social problems. Not only is the Mosh Pit a place of emotional release, it also provides the freedom to be yourself. Participating in a show, especially by performing in a Mosh Pit, provides the energy to deal with more serious problems and tasks, or the boredom produced by mundane every day life.

Programmatically, the goal of this thesis is to reconnect the City Hall with the community while reflecting the politics of a Mosh Pit in its design. The site is located at City Hall Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston City Hall Plaza, in conjunction with the City Hall, represents one of the largest power zones directly connected to the community of Boston. It is a place of authority -- the ultimate “Big Brother” -- and is responsible for creating many of the rules an individual must live by. It is supposed to represent a major connection to the community, yet the connection presented today is extremely weak. A City Hall is an ideal program because it is the city’s ultimate “Big Brother”. Government, control, and the enforcement of power are main concepts Punk culture rebels against, and City Hall embodies each of these aspects.

This thesis is not an analysis or critique of the sounds generated from the Punk culture. It is also not a “how-to-design” the perfect rock venue, or about analyzing the success of Punk culture. This project solely focuses on the concepts and rules learned from the participation in a Mosh pit.

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l p x e : e d n n o a n h o i c t r c se resea

n o i t ora

CHAPTER 1

RESEARCH PROBLEM

The Mosh Pit is a symbol of authenticity for the Punk culture; it is a site protected from vulnerability where an individual feels safe enough to be authentic (to be him/herself). Unlike Punk clothing styles, the Mosh Pit is the only artifact that was unable to be commercialized and mass-produced by corporate America. It is dependent on the juxtaposition of bodies, and dynamics of the show. The dances performed in a Mosh Pit appear chaotic and violent as a representation of rebellion towards other societies, or the mainstream. However, it is understood and trusted that the violence is never towards the harming of another individual. Instead this trust reveals a concern for the well-being of others where community is created; a safe and protected environment unfolds. The freedom to be yourself fulfilled by participating in a show, especially by performing in a Mosh Pit, provides the motivation to deal with more serious problems and tasks, or the boredom produced by mundane every day life.

Through human interaction and situational experiences, individuals develop codes of behavior within a group. Despite the apparent chaos and violence of a Mosh Pit, there are a set of unwritten rules that have been created to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual.

Through this reticent yet, concrete concern for others, a foundation for a community is constructed. Supported by the individual’s conscious decision to self enforce these rules, the Mosh Pit becomes a secure site for unrestricted self-expression and an escape from everyday life. How can the aspects of a Punk show and its culture cause the deviation of architecture?


7

OBJECTIVES

.1

To create the feeling of an implied personal connection between the individual and the City Hall through transparency and visual connection, resulting in a successful place for the individual. The City Hall will become entirely accessible, welcoming, and attainable. The City Hall needs to feel less overbearing, and powerful, and its sense of hierarchical needs to be decreased to a level that equal with the individual.

.2

To create a place, where the individual feels safe and protected to share their ideas for bettering their community.

.3

To expose the authenticity of City Hall so the individual becomes more informed of what policies are being created for their benefit. Exposing the City Hall will hopefully make the individual more comfortable with the policies and will work to increase the desire for the individual to take the responsibility to follow these rules.

.4

To design a building that utilizes the Punk aesthetic, generated from research and personal experience. The aesthetic may appear in the overall form of the building, the material choice, in the design methodology as well as in each smaller space or detail.

.5

To design a building respecting the rules of a Punk show, especially the Pit, to form the program, its juxtaposition, spatial organization, and the overall essence or feeling of the space.

.6

To create a building which will be unique in response to its surroundings, and that reflects the idea of individualism. This will work to form a statement about the buildings function as a whole.

8

DEFINITIONS It is often human nature to fear circumstances that they do not understand. The following definitions provide a foundation of understanding of the Punk Culture.

PUNK

The development of Punk began in the 1970s and continued on through the early 1980s. Punk is a rock music genre characterized by fast, short songs, which focus on rebellion against establishments and mainstream culture. Most of the Punk band members did not know how to play their instruments and never learned as a reaction to the professional music industry. Punk wanted to decon­struct the notion that music was an untouchable masterpiece to prove that any individual could be a musician.

Punk wanted to blur the boundary between the celebrity and the audience.

Out of Punk came the generation of the “Do It Yourself (DIY)” ethic, where individuals produced, marketed, and created their own music, records, fashion and advertisement. The DIY ethic was a response to mass production and consumerism. The DIY ethic has been adapted by architecture as well. There is a popular television network called the “Do It Yourself Network” which provides information on how to complete simple home improvement tasks.

PERFORMANCE

The act or role an individual plays to render themselves as something they are not when they are feel too vulnerable to expose their true identity, thoughts, opinions and emotions. A performance is not authentic.

REBELLION

Rebellion is considered resistance to authority, control or convention.

Punk concentrated its resistance against the Mainstream. In architecture to rebel is the idea of contrasting what is most common in the surrounding area, such as materials, construction methods, or form to make a statement.

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SHOW

Show is a term used in the Punk Scene to describe a musical performance, otherwise known as a concert. The term show encompasses the venue, the audience, the band or performers, the music, the security guards/ bouncers, the venue staff, the merchandise booth vendors, and any other individual involved in putting on a Punk show.

Figure 1.1 Plan of a Show. Infurchia Š 2009.

Figure 1.2 Section of a Show. Infurchia Š 2009.

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PIT-GUARDS

Pit-Guards are individuals who stand on the edge of the Pit creating a safety barrier or separation between the Pit participants and the nonparticipants. These individuals mark the entrance and exit of a Pit. Architecturally threshold is a widely used term to represent entrances and exits of a building. Thresholds also may signal future changes to occur in an experience, through space and program. Pit-Guards can begin to mark the boundaries between program, and how to define areas of program, or zoning.

VULNERABILITY

Vulnerability occurs when an individual feels susceptible to emotional attack or harm. Vulnerability is at its highest when an individual reveals their authentic self. More over, a show is the individual’s protection from vulnerability due to the trust and respect received from the Punk community.

SAFETY

The dissipation of vulnerability, and preservation of emotion to create a sanctuary where an individual is comfortable to be authentic. In a Pit, safety and protection act to shield an individual from emotional and physical harm.

AUTHENTICITY

The real, original, and genuine self. Authenticity is the true being, how an individual personally identifies with their self. Authenticity is not revealed unless an individual feels they are emotionally protected, or unless the individual trusts their company. Authenticity is also apparent in architecture, for example, Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, Louis Kahn, and Alvar Alto are all architects of authenticity. They portray authenticity through timeless architecture that represents “an embodiment of a social vision, an intuitive interpretation of a human institution.� They design moments in architecture that can be inherently understood and appreciated by the individual.

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POGO DANCE

The Pogo Dance is a movement performed at a Punk show where an individual jumps up and down (similar to being on a Pogo stick) at an intense rate for an extended period of time. Depending on the energy of the show, there may be occasional collisions with other individuals in close proximity. It was one of the first dances to emerge from Punk. Pogo Dancing is popular within the first three or four rows of the audience. In architecture there are numerous moments of vertical movement. Vertical forms are called upon to create light wells, ventilation stacks, staircases, elevator shafts and visual connections. On a larger scale, there is the vertical connection of a building’s foundation in comparison to its connection with the sky.

Figure 1.3. Diagram of the Pogo Dance. Infurchia Š 2009.

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SLAM DANCE

The Slam Dance is a modification to the Pogo Dance. There is an increase in physical interaction between individuals. Individuals slam into each other in response to the speed and energy of the music. The Slam Dance my also include the swinging of one arm mimicking the movement of a fan blade, or other random patterns. This dance may appear aggressive or violent, but it is trusted that the violence is not focused from individual to individual; instead it is a representation of violence towards other societies, or an internal personal conflict. In architecture there are many instances of collisions. Collisions may be apparent in the organization of the City Hall to create new types of program and experiences, or to emphasize the generation of the in between space or overlapping spaces.

PIT

The Pit is the site where Slam Dancing and Moshing takes place. It is the site where individuals have the freedom and emotional protection to reveal their authentic selves. It is the site where rules are created and self-enforced to protect the well-being of participating individuals.

In Architecture there are many spaces in which individuals perform roles specific to the type of program they are interacting with. For example an individual performs differently at the office than s/he performs at home or at a Punk show. There are also spaces where individuals adopt inherent rules of behavior including religious spaces, movie theaters, and libraries. Within each of these buildings are spatial clues, which trigger certain behavior. In a religious space, something informs the individual to speak softly, is this because the form of the building is to allow for intense echoing? In a movie theater there is a different tactic used to inform the individual to speak softly or not to speak. Is it this action induced by the proximity of the seats?

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CIRCLE PIT

A Circle Pit enfolds at energetic moments in a song usually known as the breakdown. Individuals run in a counter clockwise circle, which results in the clearing of a circular site. The tempo and volume of the music influence the intensity of the Circle Pit. It is usually associated with Slam Dancing. The Circle Pit is similar to a Mosh Pit, except a Circle Pit is considered ordered because it has a specific direction while a Mosh Pit is considered completely random and chaotic. Architecturally there are numerous places where order is required. For example, the structure of a building requires a certain order; the column grid or the joist plans. Order is required during the construction of a building to be most efficient and safe. Order is needed when designing details of a wall section deciding how materials are layered. It is also used to assist in the organization of program, maybe creating a sequence of events, or a specific connection of spaces for a particular experience.

DYNAMIC

Dynamic is used to describe constant change or activity, high energy, and excitement. The dynamics of a crowd, or a song influence the type of interaction and performance occurring at any given time. Dynamics appear in architecture constantly. They are apparent in light and shadow, acoustics, ceiling heights of spaces, scale change in program, textures of materials, and even in forms of buildings.

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MOSH PIT

A Mosh Pit also begins during the breakdown, or some other high-energy instance during a show. The Mosh Pit appears chaotic because it never results in the same shape. Instead the shape of the Mosh Pit is directly related to the physical activity occurring in the Pit. The physical activity can include anything from Slam Dancing to the pushing, shoving and bouncing off of individual. There is the addition of swinging arms, as well as kicking of the legs. Because of the intense display of aggressive motion and contact, the Mosh Pit appears dangerous and violent. Once again, there is an inherent sense of trust between participants that there are no intentions of hurting another individual. The violence is only a display, or a representation of aggression or rebellion towards another society, or towards the personal ego. It is also trusted that the individual understands once they enter a Pit, they will get hit, and it is a conscious choice to subject yourself to this. There is absolutely no tolerance of physical fights. The Mosh Pit is also a symbol of authenticity for Punk, as well as the site for an individual to be authentic to themselves. Architecturally there are many instances where a building becomes a metaphor, similar to the way the representation of violence in a Mosh Pit becomes a metaphor of aggression towards another society. The metaphor is a tool of protest for post modernists against modern architecture. Architecture has a visual language to convey the mind. It critiques the failure of the modern era. Architecture also creates interaction between other pieces of architecture. This is to converse similarities, or differences in building material, or even used to signify certain contextual forces of the surrounding site.

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CHAPTER 2

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

Just as Punk culture revolved around the idea

of protest, Patricia Henry, an Assistant Professor of

They wanted to catch people’s attention, and cause a reaction.

Dance History at Florida State University Henry, insists

Savage, a Cambridge-educated music journalist,

that the entire Punk aesthetic was also generated out

author of England’s Dreaming agrees with Henry about

of the spirit of rebellion. “[Punk rock] is a reaction

the Punk aesthetic: A sharp shock was needed to get a reaction from dulled reflexes ’In grammar school you get a loose leaf book and the first thing you draw in it is a swastika and a skull and cross bones you carve a swastika in a desk. You don’t know what fascism is, it’s not anti-Jewish at all. Kids don’t care anything about that shit. When you want to make a statement about how BAD you are, that’s how you do it.4

against established theories and techniques of art, as well as the society which produces them”.1 Henry says, “In order to protest their situation, the Punks presented themselves as society’s garbage, as if to say, ‘We are your children, what do you think of your creation?’”.2 Punks adopted a fashion and style to create shock, turn heads to make a statement. Their fashion displays things such as, “Bondage wear, chains, heavy leathers, and other S & M paraphernalia razor-blade jewelry and safety pins worn through flesh. The idea was too look as horrifyingly repugnant as possible”.3 Everything for the scene was about making it apparent they were different, and in control of their community.

1 2 3

Patricia Henry, Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989), 1.

Ibid., 2.

Ibid.

Figure 2.1 Nazi Paraphernalia. Boot and Salewicz © 1997.

4

Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond (New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991), 64.

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They adopted past imagery and gave it a different

copied in popular magazines, so corporate America was

meaning by placing it in a different context. They

making money off the Punk style.

created relationships out of juxtapositions of unlike

Like Savage, Hebdige compares Punk fashion

things. “It was offensive and meant to be offensive.

to a surrealist collage “[a surrealist] typically

They meant to distract people, but I don’t think they

‘juxtaposes’ two apparently incompatible realities

were exceptionally racist: they were being obnoxious

[i.e. “flag”: “jacket”; “hole”: “tee-shirt”; “comb”:

and outrageous.”5 They were not interested in the

“weapon”] on an apparently unsuitable scale [Punk]

history of the symbol, only the reactions it could

too attempted through ‘perturbation and deformation’

produce.

to disrupt and reorganize meaning.”7 Punk created

Dick Hebdige, a British sociologist specializing in

subcultures,

provides

an

example

of

new meanings from combing outrageous artifacts; the

the

process of taking these artifacts out of their common

commercialization of the Punk aesthetic from September

context and supplying them with new meanings served to

of 1977. It was a review in Cosmopolitan magazine of

represent the Punk aesthetic.

Zandra Rhodes’ latest fashion that was inspired by

Hebdige creates a parallel of Punk fashion to

punk. It advertised models in safety pins and plastic

Duchamp’s ‘ready-mades’. Duchamp’s art pieces were

outfits and was accompanied by an axiom stating ‘To

only art because he personally defined them as art.

shock is chic’. This became the one of the first tips

This is similar to the idea that almost anything could

that punk would never completely survive the inevitable

be considered Punk, as long as the Punk community

consumerism and mass production of corporate America.6

agreed it was punk.

The idea that Punk would never survive consumerism was apparent because it was already being advertised and 5 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 135.

6 Ibid., 132.

7

Ibid., 136.

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Duchamp’s use of artifacts similar to Figure 2.2, Duchamp takes a urinal outside its context, and deems it art. Vivien Westwood was one of the main promoters of this type of fashion, she labeled this ‘confrontation dress’, where “the rule would seem to be: if the cap doesn’t fit, wear it”.9

The Punk aesthetic was created to represent

and unify the Punk scene, it is derived from the desire to induce shock. It also stood as a critique of traditional and mainstream ideas. The following are a list of some of the Punk icons and symbols: BONDAGE WEAR, CHAINS, HEAVY LEATHER, RUBBER, RED AND BLACK PLAID This was worn for the shock factor, to rebel against the mainstream notion that a display of sexuality in public is inappropriate, distasteful and taboo.

RAZOR-BLADES Razor-blades were usually worn by females Figure 2.2 A Marcel Duchamp Ready-Made – Fountain. Wordpress8

as jewelry because they were inexpensive, flashy and

These symbols were sometimes inappropriate or

provocative, disturbing (the razor blade later became

shocking items including: pins, plastic clothing pegs,

connected with the notion of self-mutilation) and

television components, razor blades, and tampons. Like

intimidating. They were later adapted as a graphic

8 http://uniliv.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/marchel-duchampfountain.jpg

9

Ibid., 137.

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because they became a staple in the Punk fashion and

HEAVY MAKE-UP Punk thrived off of exaggeration as a

spoke to the DIY ethic.

tool of rebellion, if Punk disagreed with something,

SAFETY PINS Safety pins were worn in response to the

they exaggerated it to make a statement that it is

consumerism of new clothing, purposely ripped clothing held together by safety pins to represent poverty and

unnecessary. The Punk culture also worked to challenge gender boundaries, thus makeup was worn by both males

empathy for the homeless, also associated with DIY

and females.

for the creation and modification of clothing to call

STUDDED BELTS OR BULLET BELTS These belts were worn

their own.

for the intimidation factor. They signified the DIY,

PIERCING, TATTOOS Piercings and tattoos were used to

flashy, metal, industrial aesthetic.

enhance the shock factor, to be aggressive, dangerous,

PURPOSELY DISHEVELED MESSY HAIR, AND MOHAWKS These

and intimidating.

hairstyles were developed in reaction to the slick smooth hairstyles of the 1960s, which Punk culture found ridiculous.

Figure 2.3 Heavy Make-up. Boot and Salewicz Š 1997.

Figure 2.4 The Punk Aesthetic Displayed on the band Rancid. Boot and Salewicz Š 1997.

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COLLAGE “Montage is a twentieth-century notion, capturing the pace of technology in both method and image.”10 The Punk culture had no funds to create any sort of polished graphic so Punk created its own style of representation, also speaks to the theory of juxtaposition of unlike things to create a reaction, or to develop a new meaning by introducing new context.

“Punk was saturated in coded information poster mentality, grabbing you from a distance, and screen prints – the simplicity”11 FAN-ZINE GRAPHICS DIY, Sketchy, monochromatic images, pen ink, type-writing, hand-written, produced on Xerox paper, with the Xerox machine: Punk was just as much about graphics as it was about print. The layout techniques of the original Sniffin’ Glue – handwritten captions and typewriter headlines went into vanguard art the root of Punk.

Many used the form to comment on the printing processes of Xerox and litho themselves.”12

10 Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond (New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991), 403.

11 Ibid., 402.

12 Ibid.

Figure 2.5 Punk Fanzine displaying Punk graphics – Sniffin’ Glue13 13

Ibid., 402.

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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH ESSAY

contractions, but instead accepted these paradoxes and

In order to begin dissecting the rules and used them to define their culture. This introduced the aesthetics of Punk, it is important to understand where need for a Punk aesthetic. Symbols such as safety pins, the Punk scene began and to attain knowledge of its and razor blades were adapted and given new meanings historic background and existing theories. The following to represent the Punk community. Hedbidge insists that texts explore the history of the Punk scene and the these symbols, “[were] made to form a “unity” with the culture, conventions and aesthetics that resulted.

group’s relations, situations, experience’, this unity

The Punk culture was composed of working-class expressed itself through rupture.”3 The Punk culture youth, who prided their culture on redefining a series of created itself out of estrangement; it was generated commodities, codes of behavior, and perspectives. These from the desire to be separated and different from conventions articulated their criticism of mainstream mainstream. Hedbidge identifies Punk as “dislocated, society.1 Punk culture completely separated itself ironic and self-aware”.4 from the mainstream as well as its own disposition

The word “Punk” is usually used in conjunction

and background. Dick Hedbidge, a British sociologist with violence or negativity. In The Oxford Pocket specializing in subcultures states, “This working- Dictionary of Current English to describe Punk as, classness was abstract, disembodied, de-contextualized “A worthless person, a criminal or hoodlum, a passive bereft of necessary details – a name, a home, a history male homosexual [and] an inexperienced young person”.5 – it refused to make sense, to be grounded”.2 Punk is a complex culture to understand and to analyze because it is based largely on contradiction and irony. Punk did not try to solve or make sense of these 1 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 138.

2 Ibid., 140.

Patricia Henry, an Assistant Professor of Dance History 3 Ibid., 141.

4 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 141.

5 Oxford University Press, “Punk,” The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, High Beam Research, Inc. , 2009, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-punk.html (accessed October 28, 2009).

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at Florida State University, analyzes Punk’s origin:

Henry agrees the word Punk has often been negative

Origins of the word ‘punk’ are obscure. It first however its meaning is also directly relevant to the appeared in the English language as a synonym for context it is used in. Punks accepted the word for its prostitute...definitions of the word ‘punk’, in negative connotation because it was a way for them to the 20th century [have] taken on new meanings, gain control of their identity while practicing protest. and the sexual connotations are for the most part By controlling the word, its negative connotation became archaic.

6

worthless and ‘punk’ no longer existed as a put-down; its negative meaning was replaced by an identification for their community.

The desire to be Punk came from a feeling of hopelessness and of a non-existent future. Henry says, “Members of the movement were basically lower-class white youths...they felt they had ‘no future’ and that their lives had been predestined by a society run by people with unfair advantages”.7 Many members of the punk scene were homeless and had no money. They felt that they could never make a change in the world, insisting that Corporate America had an unfair sense of control. Hedbidge states that punk’s ability to endure

Figure 3.1 Body modification using a safety pin. Boot and Salewicz © 1997.

6 Patricia Henry, Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989), 7.

“...inequality, powerlessness, alienation – was only possible because punk style had made a decisive break not only with parent [or mainstream] culture but with 7

Ibid.

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its own location and experience.”8

The culture lived was an international outsider aesthetic...outcasts from

to make it known they were in existence, but needed to every class...Suddenly you didn’t have to be alone. You be in control of their own community, which corporate submerged.”9 America could not touch.

Savage also states that, “Punk was tolerant, it took in groups of people who were alienated.”10 If members of the Punk scene are asked why they joined, most will identify with the feelings of alienation, and say they joined the Punk scene to feel united with the same community. It was a comfort factor to have people around who felt the same way, an identity.

Penelope Spheeris, the writer and director of the LA Punk rock Documentary, interviewed a few Punk rock teenagers in her third edition; these are some of the

Figure 3.2 A photograph of homeless Punk teens. Boot © 1997.

Many people became Punk, because they they did not fit in anywhere else. It was a was full of outcasts with the same feeling of

reactions when asked why these teens joined the scene: You don’t fit in, you have no family, and Punks are really good at covering emotion. It’s not about and Salewicz the way you look, it’s about the way you live your life. Punks usually don’t mix with people well, they feel rejected. It’s about what you are not: felt as if you are not selfish or committed to yourself, you rely on and give to each other. Punks are the nice group that people you’ll ever meet.11 rejection.

Savage, the author of England’s Dreaming states, “Punk 8 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 141.

9 Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond (New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991), xiv.

10 Ibid., 331.

11 Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization III, directed by Spheeris Penelope, 1998.

25

When asked why they felt rejected, many teens revealed an essential difference in comparison to other forms of their background history. One teen explained he was very musical entertainment. McNeil and McCain quote Patti angry at life. After careful prodding by Spheeris, she Smith as she shares her experience of being present for discovers his mother passed away, and he had never met one of Mick Jagger’s performances, Jagger was so tired that he need the energy of his father. His stepfather ignored him and pretended like the audience...it was his naked performance...his he did not exist. The teen was homeless and hurting, and presence and his power to hold the audience in his palm...I got so excited I could hardly stand so he decided to seek refuge with the Punk community, being in my skin and that gave me the faith to it was the only thing he had. keep on going.”13 Punk is a culture that provides and creates

Shows evoke emotion and also provide motivation

beneficial aspects. There is an inherent sense of for many people who may feel hopeless. Its excitement is community, which serves to provide a home or a family used generated through a connection with the audience, to those who do not feel they have a family or feel and even more importantly, the band itself. The band disconnected and separated from the larger society. becomes the role model to live your life for, a symbol of During a show, social relationships are performed hope. Wendy Fonarow, an anthropologist specializing in through proximity and levels of participation.12 Not the music scene, states, “The activity [of participating only does the Punk culture provide a sense of community, in a show] produces an emotional feeling of community it also provides opportunities to deal with or confront and connectedness with others in this area.”14 personal problems, and outlets for grasping or channeling emotion.

Henry describes a Punk show as mesmerizing, “The intense decibel level, and close proximity of audience

The forceful power of the audience is an essential and performer...physical and emotional empathy crowding feature of Punk and rock performances, arguably making 12 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 360.

13 Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (New York, New York: Grove Press, 2006), 159.

14 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 364.

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out immediate intellectual response.”15 She defends the Political Punk in DC: I’ll tell you what I think punk isn’t – it Punk behavior to those who believe it to be illogical, isn’t a fashion, a certain style of dress, a “[punk is] not a-logical—it was a very consistent and passing ‘phase’ of knee-jerk rebellion against your parents, the latest ‘cool’ trend or even a systematic method of expressing feelings about specific particular form or style of music, really – it is social and aesthetic issues.’’16 To Henry, Punk is about an idea that guides and motivates your life. The Punk community that exists, exists to support and the expression of emotion, she compares it to a dream realize that idea through music, art, fanzines and uses words like, “contemplative, assertive and and other expressions of personal creativity.

And what is this idea? Think for yourself, be assaultive”. Fonarow agrees with Henry and provides a yourself, don’t just take what society gives you, more specific statement describing audience members of create your own rules, live your own life.19 the front row, “The participants describe the feeling Anderson is speaking about the same type of of being at the front as euphoric and energizing.”17

feeling that Patti Smith gets when she attends a show.

In Slam dancing, Moshing, and the American It is motivation, faith and hope for people who may not Alternative Scene, William Tsistos, a professor of have these foundations in their lives already. Positive Sociology at Towson University provides an example of Force DC is not the only activist group to come out of the communities and organizations created from the Punk the scene, there are even ones that were formed recently scene in DC. Mark Anderson was the creator of the such as To Write Love on Her Arms, Rock for Health, etc. group Positive Force DC18, he shares his thoughts as a 15 Patricia Henry, Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989), 5.

16 Ibid.

17 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 364.

18 Positive Force DC was a group which protested against the Gulf War, they raised thousands of dollars for food banks, the Washington Peace Center, Planned Parenthood, Aids centers, and many other organizations

Tsistos provides an in depth analysis of the Punk culture through an analysis of their dancing, such as Slam dancing and Moshing. He provides a framework for identifying subcultures of the Punk scene such 19 Positive Force DC was a group which protested against the Gulf War, they raised thousands of dollars for food banks, the Washington Peace Center, Planned Parenthood, Aids centers, and many other organizations

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as “Political Punks, [vs.] Apolitical Punks”. The the same time it is about pronouncing ones individuality Political Punk is focused on communal rebellion at and uniqueness. For most punks, their enemy is exterior the macro scale; they implement self-imposed order control, or American Life, which is symbolized by aiming to remove boundaries between social, economical mainstream. and political order. This order is to be maintained,

Tsistos introduces the idea that the dances

voluntarily with no need for oppression. On the other performed at shows directly expose the preference of hand, Apolitical Punks are interested in generating rebellion chosen by the dancers. The Slam dance was their own environment, completely barricaded from a dance, which formed out of the US Punk scene in the the mainstream enemy, and free of all rules, even if late 70s and early 80s as a modification on the Pogo the result is total mayhem. According to Savage, the Dance. Both dances are performed at live shows. The Apolitical Punks desired “To disengage [from the world] Slam dance is considered to be aggressive, and usually to sort out turmoil within their own heads, whether in male dominated. It is performed in a Pit, which usually a more protected musical environment, or inner space represents a circular geometry. The Pit is most commonly itself.” The Punk show provided of individuals with a located in front of the stage, but at a high-energy protected place to escape, and transcend their personal show, multiple pits may emerge in several different egos.

locations.

Tsitsos concludes that all Punks have an agenda

The Slam Dance reflects the importance of punks

for rebellion, but there are various types of rebellion individual expression the power of the unity required for practiced. Tsistos states that there is contradiction, rebellion. Punk is a constant balance of individuality which is constantly battled, in the punk culture: and unity. Tsitsos states, “There are elements to Slam individual rebellion vs. communal rebellion. Most Punk Dancing which create and reinforce unity in the pit, culture is about the idea of being a community, yet at often in concern for the well-being of other dancers.

28

These elements include counter-clockwise group motion introduces the idea that it is human nature to want to of dancers and the tradition of picking up fallen know information about a situation before participating. dancers.”20 With unity comes with responsibility.

He mentions that most of the time the information

There is an unwritten set of codes to follow is unavailable, and these rules of behavior must be

when participating in a Punk show, which were created discovered through situational experiences: in response to the protection of the well-being of

...when we enter a social setting, we want and

participants. Fonarow states, “In general, participants

need to know something about the situation and

are very careful to make sure that no-one gets seriously

the other participants. We need to know whether

hurt. The moment when a stranger or someone from your

the situation is formal or informal, happy or

cohort aids you by catching you or picking you up is

sad. We need to know the various roles of the

reported to be an exhilarating and bonding experience.”21

other people whom we should speak to and whom we

These codes include but are not limited to: picking up

should avoid, and whether or not we are welcome.

a fallen participant, supporting a crowd surfer who is

Conversely, People in the situation need to know

following the rules (keeping the body stiff, and no

something about us. What is our reason for being

flailing), being respectful to all participants, and no

there? What role will we play in this situation?

violence towards other participants.

Goffman notes that much of this information is

It is important that these codes and traditions

not “naturally” available. It may take years

are understood by the culture. In his book, No Sense

to know a person fully, to understand the true

of Place, Joshua Meyrowitz, an Associate Professor

complexities of a particular social situation, or

of Communication at the University of New Hampshire,

to learn how a given group of people function in

20 William Tsitsos, “Rules of Rebellion: Slamdancing, Moshing, and the American Alternative Scene,” Popular Music (Cambridge University Press) 18, no. 3 (October 1999): 409.

21 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 363-4.

a specific social institution or establishment.

22 Joshua Meyrowitz, No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985), 28-29.

22

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With the Punk scene, these rules and traditions are possible because the style itself was so thoroughly understood after participation almost immediately.

ordered. The chaos cohered as a meaningful whole.”25

When the owner of the Venue Showcase in LA Although Punk appears chaotic, it has a major sense was interviewed about Mosh pits in Spheeris’ film he of order because there was a ton of thought that went responded, ”I don’t intervene when they begin dancing, into creating the chaos. It is Punk’s thorough sense of they know the rules of the Mosh pit and they do their order, which allows for Punk’s dynamism. own thing.”23

Punk was formed in the spirit of rebellion to

Penelope Spheeris, also interviews Mrs. MacNeely, create unity and community. The show became a symbol for a former venue owner about the first time she ever motivation and release and performed as a tool to define witnessed Pogo Dancing, “It scared me, I didn’t know the codes and traditions that drove this generation. It if the kids were starting something [a riot]”, while provides the Punk individual with a safe and protected her husband Mr. MacNeely states, “I saw it as an energy place to be him/herself, and is also the site for outlet, they were nice kids, they just have to be doing the Pit to develop. It would be interesting to see something different, it was a release from their daily how architecture can begin to reflect these codes and tensions, whatever those might be.”24 Many people did traditions of Punk. Is it possible that architecture not understand the culture’s dance, and usually avoided can act as a signal to inform the individual of accepted it due to its ability to appear extremely violent. The behavior? Can architecture begin to deviate according idea of showing violence was just to show people that it to these rules and traditions and what type of spaces was capable of creating chaos if it wanted to.

could it produce?

Chaos is embedded in Punk, “The punk subculture signified chaos at every level, but this was only 23 directed 24 directed

Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization III,

by Spheeris Penelope, 1998.

Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization I,

by Penelope Spheeris, 1981.

25 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 137.

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CHAPTER 4

PRECEDENTS: SHOWS

The following images are all shots from different shows. Each image displays a different activity during a show. The show was chosen as a precedent because that is where this entire thesis has developed out of. This is the site for the Mosh Pit, the site for performances, Circle Pits, Pogo dancing, etc.

From the show it will be important to pay attention to the spatial arrangement and proximity of bodies, the space in which a Mosh Pit develops, the different forms created, the movement, and the dynamics.

PIT

On the following page there is a song

by Say Anything called, “Admit it@�.

This is a precedent because the lyrics embody what this thesis is trying to transform into architecture. It talks about authenticity, and judgement from other people. It is also a song where there is a lot of dynamism, and energy.

FRONT ROW CROWD

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PRECEDENTS: ABSTRACT FORM

Each of these buildings are examples of the type of form and material this thesis should take into consideration.

UNSTUDIO

Tea House on Bunker Vreeland, the Netherlands

UNStudio’s Tea House on Bunker is a large facility intended as a meeting space or business retreat. The abstract form and choice of steel panelling and concrete speak to the achievement of the Punk aesthetic. The choice of these particular materials provide this building with an industrial feeling.

The form of the building is sharp, and provocative. The exterior of the building is making a statement of aggression.

Libeskind’s Art Museum in Denver also share similar qualities to the above building. The pointy, sharp forms make a statement, and the material choice also provides an industrial aesthetic.

DANIEL LIBESKIND

Extension to the Denver Art Museum Denver, Colorado

It will be important for this thesis to make an statement with its form and material choice, and these buildings will be great references during design.

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PRECEDENTS: JDS + BIG

SOUTH FACADE: sharp, dynamic,

chaotic, intense

VM Houses Copenhagen, Denmark The VM Houses are apartment complexes.

Each of the apartments are different and take into account each owner’s unique style. The sharp balconies on the South side of this building create a dangerous aesthetic, resembling shark teeth.

The integration of media art also creates a very unique exterior.

MEDIA ART: niche, informal meeting space

The building is supposed to be inviting, and is supposed to evoke life around it with park space and informal meeting spaces created with niches and angles along the first floor.

It is also interesting that the facades are two different types. On one side there is a chaotic, and energetic facade, while on the other there is a calm, organized facade.

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PRECEDENTS: ANTONIE PREDOCK ARCHITECT Austin City Hall Austin, Texas

The Austin City Hall embodies abstract form. It also creates a visual where two spaces appear to have been slammed into each other. There is also an area of in between space where a protrusion peeks out of. This building also uses materials to create an industrial feel, copper, limestone and glass. The form and materials are to reflect Austin’s warm and inviting character. This reflective quality is also used on the interior to get light into the space.

The plan also reflects the abstract space.

Both exterior and interior reflect the same quality, in material and abstract form. On the exterior there are views from top level to the bottom, connected by catwalks diminishing spatial boundaries. There is also a public stage for performance embedded with in the landscape of this building. They use creative ways to sunshade the exterior creating very dynamic light patterns.

ON

NNECTI VIEW CO

PATTERNED LIGHT

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PRECEDENTS: NEW NORWEGIAN NATIONAL OPERA AND BALLET

Snøhetta Oslo, Norway This opera and ballet venue for Norway

by Snøhetta uses a mix of materials to create a delicate building, that fits completely into its surroundings. This thesis will use a roof system in a similar way, and will be occupied just as densely as Snøhetta’s architectural solution.

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PRECEDENTS: RODIN MUSEUM Kevin Kennon Architects Seoul, South Korea

This thesis will reflect a similar material and lighting quality. It will also be similar in its constant movement between above ground and b e l o w ground.

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PRECEDENTS: MoMA QNS Michael Maltzan Queens, New York

This thesis attacks a similar problem to Michael Maltzan’s design problem, how to correctly address the existing site and a new intervention? City Hall is already an important landmark for Boston, so careful consideration needs to be taken in how the building is modified. This thesis will also reflect the aspects highlighted.

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PRECEDENTS: AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects LLP New York, NY

“Layers of urban archeology that could be uncovered and incorporated into the facade of the building...show a connection with the handmade quality of folk art. We wanted the building to reflect the direct connection between heart and hand.”

TOMBASIL: commercially produced white bronze alloy used for boat propellers, fire hose nozzles, and grave markers. warm, silvery quality fabrication process - sand molds taken from concrete and steel, alloy pumped over to reveal how made RESIN FIBERGLASS: translucency, “low tech” quality.

I would like to apply the material techniques demonstrated in the American Folk Art Musuem. having a hand present in the construction of materials in the building interests me. These particular panels expose the process of their creation. It also creates the feeling of exposing deconstruction, my emphasizing the impurities of concrete. I also like the way the architect details this building. The discontinuing of the stairs, as well as the transparent panels adds an industrial feel to the building. Finally, I like the way the architect chose to expose the structure, as well as the connections of materials by using a reveal.

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PRECEDENTS: DAN KILEY Adding Scale through Landscape Various Works

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CHAPTER 5

CONCEPT SKETCHES POGO-ING

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The following are a series of images displaying the first iteration of a model diagramming the movement of the Pogo Dance.

After completing this model, it did not seem to portray the movement accurately, and was not as dynamic as the Pogo Dance.

From this the next step was to figure out a way to accurately catch the energy, dynamics, and movement of the Pogo Dance.

Figure 8.4 Pogo Model Iteration One, Infurchia Š 2009.

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After still not fully representing the dynamism to its fullest, a photo montage was composed of the models disintegration to begin representing the conundrum of dynamic vs. static.

Figure 8.5 Pogo Model Iteration Two, Infurchia © 2009.

These images represent the second iteration of the Pogo Dance diagram model. Looking at Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase” for inspiration I began to dissect forms to represent movement.

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Figure 8.6 Pogo Model Photo Montage, Infurchia Š 2009.

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CONCEPT SKETCHES COMMUNITY SUPPORT

46

MONTAGE OF SKETCHES BUILDING PLACEMENT

47

MONTAGE OF SKETCHES

MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT & COUNCIL CHAMBER

48

FORM EXPLORATION MODELS

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IDEALIZED PERSPECTIVE FROM QUINCY MARKET

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CHAPTER 6

The following two pages are a series of images depicting a 3D diagram of a Mosh Pit. Using Rhino and Grasshopper, a rule set was developed to produce an outcome to resemble a Mosh Pit. The rule set is depicted at the bottom of the page as a rhino definition. Each individual pyramid shape stands to represent a participant of a Mosh Pit. Together they form a whole to represent a tightly woven community. There are places where these shapes overlap to represent the in between spaces of which may occur in the program for City Hall.

The Pyramid shape is also to represent the Punk aesthetic. It is meant to feel jagged, sharp, and intimidating. The colors of the rendering were also chosen to represent the Punk Aesthetic.

53

This is an image of the final 3D printed model.

Its dimensions are about 6� in diameter, and 1.5� high. There are 130 units, and the material is plaster.

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RESEARCH SURVEY

As a part of the design methodology, a survey was 5. Where can you be found at show? conducted about participating at a show or concert. The Standing within the first three rows. survey appeared as:

Standing where the Mosh Pit is likely to form.

Standing on the outer edges of the crowd.

Standing in the back of the venue.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT A SHOW/CONCERT?

You can find me at the bar.

For those of you who participate in Punk or Rock I hate standing, get me a seat! shows, please fill out this survey to help me collect information what people experience at a show. Thanks 6. What is your opinion of Mosh or Circle Pits? for your help, it is really appreciated!

Do you believe there are a set of unwritten rules that must be followed for safety? How do you learn these rules? Do you find it unsafe? Scary? Violent? Is the Violence towards other audience members or is it a representation towards something else?

1. Are you Male of Female?

Male

Female 2. What age range do you fall in?

13-17

18-21

22-25

25-30

30 or older

7. Do you participate in Mosh/Circle Pits?

Yes

No 8. If you answered yes to the question above, why do you participate in these Pits?

Do you have a preference as to what type of Pit? Is there a certain move you perform? Is there a certain feeling you get? Is it to show your dedication to the band? Please be as descriptive as you can.

3. Please list a few shows you have attended.

4. What are your reasons for attending a show?

Is there motivation it gives you? Do you like the sense of Community? Do you just go to have a good time?

9. Do you have any experiences that stand out in your mind that you would like to share?

A favorite concert? A meeting with a band member?

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SURVEY RESULTS As of December 8, 2009, the survey was taken by 80 people. The results are displayed in the following charts:

WHERE CAN YOU BE FOUND AT SHOW?

ARE YOU MALE OF FEMALE? MALE 52 65% FEMALE 28 35%

WHAT AGE RANGE DO YOU FALL IN? 13-17 7 18-21 15 22-25 53 25-30 3 30 OR OLDER 2

9% 19% 66% 4% 3%

STANDING WITHIN THE FIRST THREE ROWS. STANDING WHERE THE MOSH PIT IS LIKELY TO FORM. STANDING ON THE OUTER EDGES OF THE CROWD. STANDING IN THE BACK OF THE VENUE. YOU CAN FIND ME AT THE BAR. I HATE STANDING, GET ME A SEAT!

22 7 16 1 7 3

28% 9% 20% 1% 9% 4%

DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN MOSH/CIRCLE PITS?

YES NO

22 58

28% 73%

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CHAPTER 7

COLLAGES The following pages are a series of collages I created through out the semester for inspiration and concept design.

58

These images were taken from a series of photographers, and from numerous locations all over the world. Hopefully they will act as inspiration at the beginning of the design phase.

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60

61

This collage was created to begin thinking about the aspect of pogoing within my design. This collage is done from the view point as if you were standing in the tunnels below ground or within the t-stations. the white forms are to act as the building forms, and the airspace around the model would be actually be the solid ground. This is the conceptualized view a pedestrian would have looking up towards the sky while walking through the tunnels below ground.

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I decided to use my site model as a collage as well. I used historic maps, current photographs of the site, as well as punk images for materials to collage onto the existing building fabric. Here you can see the immediate site of City Hall Plaza, and its surroundings.

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CHAPTER 8

SITE

The site is City Hall Plaza, Boston, Government Center. It is urban, it is the people, it is barren. There is no evidence of community, or interaction between civilian and government. The city of Boston is aware community exists; yet its essence is invisible. It is empty, vacant of people, populated only by thousands of bricks and passers by. It is a connection from the public transportation to Faneuil Hall, it is a site for festivals, and it is a performance ground. It is Boston’s Biggest Brother.

City Hall Plaza of Boston is most effective site, because of its connection to Boston City Hall.

Boston City Hall Plaza, in conjunction with the City Hall represents one of the largest power zones directly connected to the community of Boston. It is a place of authority over everything from trash collection to the civil rights. It is the ultimate “Big Brother�, and is responsible for many of the rules created for the individual to live by today. It is supposed to represent a major connection to the community, yet currently fails miserably.

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SITE

DIAGRAM Existing Park Space Existing “Performance” Space

G N I IU LD

Connections Proposed “Performance” Space

B L ED RA

E F JFK COURT HOUSE O L D COURT HOUSE

L I U E N FA L L A H 66

BIG BROTHER LOCATIONS

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PUBLIC ATTRACTIONS TRANSPORTATION

Site Freedom Trail Public Attractions T Stations Proposed T entrance

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SITE ANALYSIS

URBAN FABRIC

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CRIME INCIDENTS NOVEMBER 2009

Crime Incidents

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SITE COLLAGES

CRIME & URBAN FABRIC

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MONTAGE OF CITY MAPS HISTORIC VS MODERN

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HISTORICAL ANALYSIS STREETS AND ALLEYS

ADAMS SQUARE 1908

SCOLLAY SQUARE

1830-1940

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HISTORICAL REMNANTS

OPPORTUNITIES FOR REACTION I chose to add another layer to this thesis by looking at the historical site information. City Hall Plaza used to be a site full of housing, covered by smaller streets and alley ways. It used to resemble the way Boston is organized now. Open spaces were created by the people, and how they moved in and out of the alley ways, around cars and over sidewalks. I wanted to begin referencing these aspects within my master plan. Also it is my hope that pieces of the deconstructed City hall will remain as artifacts to be displayed around the site. These artifacts are depicted symbolically on the next page, and also in the ground plan as the dark empty squares.

This gesture not only offers the opportunity for the artifact to act as a monumental statue, but it also give the city the opportunity to react. After completion of the building, it will be out of the designers hand as to what happens to the site. People can chose to contemplate the left over remnant, celebrate, deface, remove etc.

In relation to the punk show, these artifacts begin to correspond to how the band members react with their audience. They blur boundaries by mingling with their fans.

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RELATION TO BAND MEMBERS :

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ILY

SITE ANALYSIS DENSITY

average day

public event

One major reason why city Hall plaza does not work is the density of people who use this area on a daily basis. There are not enough people to actually fill the open space provided in proportion to its whole. The only time it is filled proportionally is during a sport celebration, concert or some sort of event where the whole city is within the plaza.

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SPATIAL ANALYSIS OPEN SPACE: PLAZAS

In an effort to design smaller open spaces I looked at different plazas, specifically European plazas as case studies. These plazas seem to be more protective, and fit the actual density within the city they existed. Within my design I made sure my smaller spaces were in better proportion to the density of the pedestrian users.

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SITE ANALYSIS

CRIME OCCURRENCES IN BOSTON, MA: 11.08.09 - 12.08.09 figure 6.14 Infurchia © 2009

POPULATION OF GOVERNMENT CENTER: FEMALE VS. MALE

female.47 male.398 figure 6.15 Infurchia © 2009

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SITE ANALYSIS

AGES OF POPULATION IN GOVERNMENT CENTER under 5 years 16 years + 65 years +

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL figure 6.11 Infurchia © 2009

AVERAGE FAMILY SIZE

figure 6.12 Infurchia © 2009

government center: 2.2 memebers

city of boston: 3.2 memebers

figure 6.13 Infurchia © 2009

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CHAPTER 9

PROGRAM conceptual program In Punk culture, a Mosh Pit provides the ultimate foundation for the performance of the authentic Self. This is because a Mosh Pit is a symbol of authenticity for Punk Culture, it is the only surviving artifact that could not be mass-produced and commercialized. (See the Definitions section for more information.)

Most individuals desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves. At the same time individuals want to be unique and to be able to expose their true selves (authenticity). This desire to fit in gives individuals a goal to motivate themselves towards the fight against boredom that results from the monotony of everyday tasks.

The desire to live a more fulfilling life leads the individual through life changing experiences and forces them to develop rules of behavior. These rules provide guidance and help mold behavior and personality. The individual constantly search for communities and places in which they feel comfortable. They desire protection from vulnerability (see definitions) and freedom from judgment of others. The individual aspires to live freely and solely under the control of themselves. The act of attending a show is evidence that individuals desire to fit in, to be free of judgment and to be motivated.

A Pit provides the ultimate site for the performance of authenticity (see definitions). The Pit is a symbol for authenticity for Punk, as well as where an individual feels most comfortable to be themselves (authentic).

A Pit depends on the proximity of bodies and the space provided for interaction. The energy of the band becomes a catalyst of physical interaction. Personal egos begin emerging, and individuals begin to expose the true Self, becoming transparent and vulnerable but protected and safe.

This program for City Hall will be constructed from the rules of Punk Culture. These rules serve to protect and to provide for the well-being, as well as provide the motivation to live a more fulfilling life. The architecture is about interaction between individuals, and the development of a way to make the individual feel as if they had a part in defining rules. Giving the individual the responsibility in creating policies will make people feel like they are responsible for their personal well-being. If the individual participates in creating rules, they will be more apt to self-enforce them, and the need for “Big Brother� (ultimate control) will dissipate.

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PROGRAM conceptual program Individuals will take the responsibility of following rules into their own control. They will have the motivation to respect their community knowing they played a part in creating their community, and the rules serve to benefit them.

Ironically the Mosh Pit will be an interesting new model for a new City Hall, although the Punk culture is strongly against most government. It will become the creation of space, which motivates people to think of the individual in ways that respond to the desire to protect the well-being. It will make people aware the individual is most important.

This new program will introduce a critique of current government. It will come to terms with the common complaint that government does not give the individual enough responsibility; the idea that government is too controlling, and it is associated with fraud and corruption, the antithesis of authenticity. There is little understanding what truly occurs behind the scenes, and the government becomes a secretive performance (false, fake – see definitions).

The program is not to analyze or critique Punk music or lyrics. It does not provide a recipe to create the perfect Punk venue, and it is not to discuss the success of the Punk community. Finally it is not to argue whether or not Punk has become mainstream. It is about creating architecture for the individual through community and out of the rules of support for the individual well-being.

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PROGRAM functional program This new City Hall will become a collage of time to document moments of simultaneity through proximity and overlapping space. Space will be generated from the Punk Culture to create relationships between program and the occupant.

City Hall Plaza is a barren space, which can become the graveyard for the new proposed City Hall created from the strategic deconstruction of the old City Hall. By breaking off single departments of the existing building, and spreading the departments over the empty acreage, it will hopefully lead to the essence of instability of the two most powerful offices in City hall, the mayor’s office and City Council Chamber. There is a necessity to design their experiences to feel awkward, and less powerful, making them float over the pit of departments below, stabilized by community. In performing these methods, the City Hall will hopefully become more accessible by creating buildings that are smaller, and more related to the human scale, as well as speak to the representation of the Punk culture.

There are over fifty different departments based in Boston’s City Hall. They are composed into one large, unwelcome, overpowering concrete building. The goal is to create a space that is more welcoming and inviting by transforming each department into smaller attainable buildings, spread across the plaza in similar zones based on function. Due to the deconstruction of City Hall through the separation of departments, a set of circulation tunnels informed by the activity of Moshing will be necessary.

Figure 5.1 Sketch of pogo wells at tunnels providing view access. Infurchia © 2009.

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PROGRAM functional program The Pogo Dance can begin transformed to describe the vertical moments of a building. It can begin to develop visual access between multi-story floors to enforce transparency between programs. The introduction of transparency between programs will be necessary to expose the government to the community and to aid in blurring the boundaries of power and control. These Pogo wells will also

function as view access from individuals in the circulation tunnels to the individuals above ground, interacting in the outdoor informal meeting and park spaces of the new City Hall

Plaza. The Pogo dance can also be used in the creation of light wells to begin introducing ideas of a dynamic light and shadow performance within certain program.

The Mosh Pit will be a site for debate; in the City Hall the most confrontational space is the City Council Chamber. The characteristics of the Mosh Pit can generate a place to discuss policies and politics of the Boston community. The Mosh Pit is a site of authenticity and requires implicit trust. It is a place where truth should be exposed, thus it will be important to introduce transparency between the government and the individuals it provides for. The City Hall needs to disintegrate the importance it currently places on control and power. The complete exposure of major program, such as the City Council Chamber or the Mayor’s Department, will communicate the direct connection between government and individual.

The Circle Pit has the characteristic of apparent order. This order can begin translated into the organization of the structure of City Hall. The order of a Circle Pit can inform the organization of the deconstruction site plan of City Hall’s departments. The order needs to allow for a space where both statics and dynamism can occur simultaneously.

The Pit is a centrifugal site of freedom from the voices in an individual’s mind; the pressure from her boss from the fast approaching deadline for a budget analysis; His stress concerning the release of tax documentation; Her lack of family support; His loss of a green card; Her frustration of attaining a building permit. The Pit becomes a site of constant expulsion of energy to feed the performance of authenticity.

The dynamics of a show will be used to define the quality of the spaces. The dynamics can affect the light, scale, and form etc. of the City Hall. The heights of the spaces may change for each department thus creating dynamics throughout the entire City Hall. It is imperative to represent a moment that is static, but at the same time allows for intense dynamism. This moment will document simultaneity and time. It will portray specific points in time transposed into one single moment.

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PROGRAM relation to function THE PIT

7,500sf – 60 occupants (13 members) The Pit is a site where a committee debates and decides on policies and rules for the well being of the community. In the City Hall the Pit will be developed into the City Council Chamber. This space will feel chaotically organized, and will be one of the most dynamic spaces. The ceiling height will change in response to activities occurring within close proximity. The Chamber will be ever changing and may begin to literally change or transition for different functions. The Pit will be a confrontational and large form and will deliver a blow to all the senses upon interaction. It is generated from wide-open floor space, populated by a dynamic assembly of people. The site will be safe, and protected. It is a place to be an individual, the act of performing the authentic. It is a connection between strangers through affection for a band, or the individual to the government. It is about letting go. It is about gaining motivation to decide rules and politics for everyday life.

THE SHOW

5,000sf – 20 occupants The show will become a space that is on display to the public, it should be one of the more powerful departments, such as the Mayor’s Department. The Show will become one of the most transparent programs to blur the sense of hierarchy between individual and government. It will offer complete exposure to the public and will float on a perceived unstable foundation. The form will be abstracted from the building material of the existing Mayor’s department. The Mayor’s Department will be significantly small in comparison to the Council Chamber but equally confrontational.

SAFETY SPACE 3,000sf – 25 occupants The Safety Space will provide a protected environment to share individual experiences or issues concerning the community, and personal opinions on how to improve the government. The Safety Space is a representation of the Civil Rights Department, of Boston City Hall. It will become the Static space, which provides a foundation for the rest of the building to become extremely dynamic. It will become a space where individuals of the community are welcomed to share their opinions with the government to help make a positive impact on their community. This space should be similar to a confessional, or to the sanctuary created by a Mosh Pit for the individual to be authentic. This space should contrast the other program, and should feel somewhat constricted yet comfortable to encourage feedback.

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PROGRAM relation to function POGO SPACE

2,000sf – 5 occupants The Pogo Space is a major vertical component of the City Hall. It can begin to cultivate light, and to create visual connections between program. It should slice through program to join spaces together creating specific views. This space should be energetic, slender, abstract and tall in height.

SLAM SPACE 3,000sf – 20 occupants Slam Spaces excitedly collide and overlap or fuse together with other program to encourage fresh ways of thinking. These spaces should not conform to defined boundaries, and should be flexible for growth. These rules may also generate in between space used as transitional spaces. The Slam Space can be translated into the Environmental Building, because of extreme ground movement. The building reacts with the ground as if it is slamming into it and causing it to be wrinkled. The wrinkling could begin to form programmatic elements like stairs, or seating. It can also be related to the Development building programmatically.

REBELLION SPACE 1,000sf – 10 occupants The Rebellion Space is a confrontational space. It will be another space that will offer an immediate blow to the senses upon entering, providing an “in your face” reaction, to evoke rebellion. It will be a space that is chaotic yet will have some sense of order and control. The Rebellion space will be a representation of the Police and Fire Departments.

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CHAMBER COUNCIL & MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT THE PIT & THE SHOW

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MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT

INVOLUNTARILY CROWD SURF

This diagram is representing the concept of involuntarily crowd surfing the mayor above City Hall Plaza. The idea behind this was to challenge the statement the current City Hall building creates. As is the existing building stands as an iron fist over the plaza, and gives of the energy of a controlling mass. I wanted to flip this idea upside down and create the feeling of imbalance for the mayor. Although still in charge, his office appears as if it is floating off the structure of city hall, and the citizens of Boston have full access underneath the mayors office. Imagine sitting above seeing masses of people flow underneath you, and that is similar to the experience the mayor will have from his office.

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CHAMBER COUNCIL THE PIT

chamber council mayor’s department

crowd surf

sink

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My idea for the Chamber Council was to keep what was intact from the demolition of the existing city hall, and sink it within a new structure below ground level.

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MAYOR’S DEPARTMENT

REMNANTS OF CITY HALL

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CHAMBER COUNCIL THE PIT

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THE LAW BUILDING

THE REBELLION SPACE

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THE ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SLAM SPACE

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THE DEVELOPMENT BUILDING SLAM SPACE

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SAFETY SPACE YOUTH AND FAMILY

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CONCEPT DIAGRAM CITY HALL

council chamber

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connection to subway

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TRADITIONAL CONCERT DIAGRAM

SECURITY GUARD SECURITY GUARD BAND

SECURITY GUARD

THIS TYPE OF ORGANIZATION FORMS AT A MAINSTREAM SHOW. EVERYTHING IS CONTROLLED, AND THEREFORE FREEDOM TO STAND. EVERYONE IS BOUND TO THEIR SEATS AND THERE IS NO BLURRING OF BOUNDARIES. FANS AND BAND MEMBERS ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATED, AND THE SECURITY GUARDS STRONGLY ENFORCE AND CONTROL BEHAVIOR. 99

PUNK ROCK SHOW SMALL SCALE

BAND

PIT GUARD

PIT

THIS TYPE OF ORGANIZATION FORMS AT A SMALLER VENUE SUCH AS A COFFEE HOUSE, OR YOUTH CENTER. THERE IS NO STAGE SO BOTH FAN AND BAND ARE ON THE SAME LEVEL. PITS ARE USUALLY ON A SMALLER SCALE, AND SOMETIMES MULTIPLE SMALLER PITS FORM. FANS SURROUND THE BAND ON ALL SIDES, THEY ARE USUALLY 100 ABOUT 6-12” FROM THE BAND MEMBERS.

PUNK ROCK SHOW LARGE SCALE

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PUNK ROCK SHOW DETAIL DIAGRAMS

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ENTRANCE SEQUENCE & BUILDING FORM BASED ON DENSITY OF A SHOW

larger entrance facing the city entrance, comes from entry to a punk show, which is farthest from the performance, thus less dense

smaller entrance closest to the council chamber, comes from the zone closest to the performance at a punk show. this area is very dense.

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PUNK ROCK SHOW DETAIL DIAGRAMS

DIAGRAM OF COMMUNITY

WE’RE INDIVIDUALS BUT WERE IN THIS TOGETHER

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CHAPTER 2

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SITE MODELS

BUILDING FORM ITERATIONS

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above ground underground

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MOCK MERCHANDISE BOOTH FINAL PRESENTATION

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THESIS VIDEO PRESENTATION

this video provided a sneak peak at the punk scene in relation to this thesis project.

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THESIS BLOG

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THESIS POSTER

CHAPTER 3

CRITICAL REVIEW Upon entering one of the first thesis seminars where asked to reveal your ideas on thesis topics, I was ready to present my ideas on parasite-like sustainable architecture. When my professor noticed the words anarchy and counter-culture poking from my sketchbook, he stopped me mid explanation and next thing I knew I was talking about involuntarily crowd surfing the mayor of Boston across City Hall Plaza.

I am grateful my professor saw that sheet, because that one class was the beginning of the most interesting and complex exploration I have ever been involved in. After all the stress, anxiety, and criticism; after all the eating, sleeping and constantly thinking Punk, the end result was completely worth it.

I designed this thesis so I would solely be concentrated on two of eight buildings. My goal was to focus on the development of the Mayor’s Department, and the Council Chamber building. But reviews throughout the semester constantly advised me to develop the entire site to a coherent point. This lead to a project developed at a more conceptual but extremely thought out end result. With more time I would really enjoy developing this project down to the smallest detail.

I think this project was very successful in its end result. During the final review, this project as a whole was accepted quite well. Comments were directed towards the representation of my project, and how useful the video was for people who were not familiar with the culture. I found it as a wonderful tool to wrap all of my ideas into a three-minute visual and audible representation. I was also commended on my extensive exploration, using many different types of media and experimenting with different approaches. Critics were looking for graphical representations of the smaller outdoor spaces I created. Only developing smaller overall perspectives of the project, made it difficult to grasp the experience of the smaller spaces. The model was extremely helpful in understanding the experience of the project as a whole.

Overall I found my project to be very exciting, inspirational and motivating. It was a difficult task to create architecture out of Punk, but I thoroughly enjoyed working with so many different types of media. This thesis offered such a wonderful opportunity for experimentation.

punk rock anarchy counter culture postmodernism

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Henry, Patricia. Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style. Ann

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Jencks, Charles. Language of Postmodernism. Rizzoli, 1991.

McNeil, Legs, and Gillian McCain. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Serenyi, Peter. “Reviewed Work: Modern Architecture Since 1900 by WIlliam J. R.

Curtis.” The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (Society of

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Spheeris, Penelope. The Decline of Western Civilization I. Directed by Penelope

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Spheeris, Penelope. The Decline of Western Civilization III. Directed by Penelope

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Tsitsos, William. “Rules of Rebellion: Slamdancing, Moshing, and the American

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