Part II portfolio (y6)

S09485828 FABLE TUTOR - PATRICK LEWIS + ALEXIS GERMANOS

ALASDAIR J FERGUSON M.ARCH Y6 PORTFOLIO

CONTENTS VIENNESE DREAMS - 07 DIE KURATOREN - 027 TOWER OF REFLECTION - 047

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VIENNESE DREAMS

AN EXPLORATION INTO THE DREAMSTATE OF VIENNA AND HER DREAMERS

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STUDIO MONTH The first month of M.Arch Y6 allowed us to explore the brief and take inspiration from the brief research of Vienna, we’d excavated at that point in time , and start to apply it to many creative pursuits including poetry , drawing and finally, Architecture. Although the month was relatively challenging cramming a large amount of work into such a short space of time it allowed us to craft bonds with our studio colleagues as well as allowing us the opportunity to see each others’ strengths and weaknesses useful for the impending collaborative work to follow.

We started with a short story related to the city of Vienna, and then applied these thematic responses to the site of Digbeth combined with the challenges of a site with such a uncertain future, was both exciting and interesting.

To get a feel for the site we each set on a task to draw a scene or part of one in the following timeframes:- 5mins, 2.5mins, 1min, 30secs.

SERIES OF TIMED DRAWINGS AROUND DIGBETH

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VIENNA [I] Leaning forward, he gently inhaled the steam rising from the thick black coffee as he stirred it.

The swirling liquid entranced him. His eyes heavy, the persistent dreams of the young stag would not leave his mind.

The dappled autumnal light poured through the canopy above, his legs, stiff, carrying him forward, across a bed of needles. He glimpsed it ahead, antlers entwined with the branches of a larch. It was hard for the man to tell where the deer ended and the tree began. He slowly approached, the deer, frightened, tried to detangle himself from the branches. The closer he got, the more feverishly the deer tried to escape. A crack deafened the forest as the deer tore free, two crimson holes where its ivory crown once stood. Charging toward him.

The man awoke. The cup lay shattered, a drop of blood traced his cheek and fell to the table‌

EXPERIENTIAL DRAWING OF DIGBETH WITH VIENNESE DREAMS

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THEORY OF CRAFT From the outset, we took an attitude of making and testing, which we carried through the entire year. This experimentation started with the use of wax, a material I was unfamiliar with, and initially found problems with, it was essential to heat in bulk and then do quick pours as this allowed the surface to form a more even surface, also waiting until it was dry and then pouring a finishing layer which addressed any imperfections also helped get a smooth finish.

Looking through this portfolio, this attention to detail in the crafting of objects and the use of materials and testing through model-making is apparent. it was an approach I was unfamiliar with form previous years however I found it thoroughly enjoyable and a way that helps address and solve problems only experienced in 3D.

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SITE MODEL OF DIGBETH The group had preconceived perceptions of Digbeth which we challenged through an in depth analysis of the site. Throughout our visits to Digbeth we have not only observed but felt a feeling of unrest within the area, Digbeth balances on a precarious precipice with the cloud of HS2 hanging above it, seeking to divide the rich heritage of the site and plunging the fate of many of the residents into ambiguity. The feeling of security and surveillance throughout the site is often overbearing, and we feel is due to this liminal phase the site sits within, this deep uncertainty throughout the site has allowed fragments of our dream-landscapes to penetrate into the folds of our vulnerable reality creating a rich phantasmagorical journey.

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PHANTASMAGORICAL SECTION OF DIGBETH AS A DECONSTRUCTED EYE

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VIENNA TRIP 10 of us left for Vienna, we left as a group of people, however, we emerged a team, a unified chapter of shared experience and experiences.

We had all learned much about each other and about ourselves.

Vienna is a truly magnificent city, not like Paris, a brutal unification of style under the tyrant Haussmann. Vienna is an eclectic mix of Art Nouveau, with stylish and elegant baroque’s however if that isn’t your fancy then the modern age work of Loos, Wittgenstein and occasionally Wagner impart their opposing feelings on ornamentation wherever relevant.

KARLSKIRCHE INTERIOR

POSTAL SAVINGS BANK INTERIOR

Fischer von Erlach,; Johann Bernard, Joseph Emanuel

Otto Wagner

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JUDENPLATZ HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

LOOS HAUS

Rachel Whiteread

Adolf Loos

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ST. STEPHANS CATHEDRAL

CENTRAL BANK Gunther Domenig

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VIENNA [II] It felt like a lifetime, like a dream, when time doesn’t follow its normal rhythm, it was atonal and dissonant like the work of Schoenberg. A feeling of déjà vu plagued me around the Ringstrasse however I knew these were places I hadn’t seen before.

liminal juncture, you feel the grip of the people pulling you in both directions. The threads of your being unraveling, covered in the dust of bygone Kings.

Echoes of the past rose like steam and were inhaled by a quiet old Viennese man sipping an espresso in the corner. Nostalgia etched in the lines of his face, apprehension hides in the shadows. He sets his cup down into a saucer, but his fingers stay glued to it, unable to let go.

I stand still and the world turns around me.

Mercurial spheres adorn the pale face of a strong man. His face is unusually efficient, his eyes sparkle crystalline, white bones striped with inky blackness. Secrets locked behind heavy doors and light ceilings. Silvery gods coronal on his head.

Elsewhere an eternal spring brings joy.

The darkness spreads and the browless eyes stare vacantly, yet there is warmth there. Rich warm mahogany comforts me as I recline into a green leather daze, cigar smoke fills my lungs and stings my eyes. The fog clears, the unblinking eyes close and he is quickly forgotten.

Neurosis sets in, nervous waves wash over you like a lapping sea, you are enveloped by the future shore. Modernity once your greatest creation takes pity on you. A fork appears before you, the

VIENNESE MEMORIES [a collective work]

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TRAUMSTADT DES KAMPFES ‘Struggles of a dreaming city’

TRAUMSTADT DES KAMPFES ‘Struggles of a dreaming city’

25,000 BCE Pre-historic evidence of settlement in area

TRAUMSTADT DES KAMPFES ‘Struggles of a dreaming city’

1848 Vienna Uprising - Protests against war on Hungary end up as violent street battle

1278 Rudolf I elected King & took control of Austria - Hapsburg Dynasty established

1146 Emperor Otto I, defeated the Magyar tribes - Babenberg Dynasty make Vienna their official residence

1556 Vienna becomes capital of Austro-Hungarian Empire

1856 Sigmund Freud Born

1858 Ringstrasse constructed

1897 Vienna Secession formed Gustav Klimt 1st President

1891 Kunst Museum erected

1906 Postal Savings

1898 Secession building opened

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TRAUMSTADT DES KAMPFES ‘Struggles of a dreaming city’

6 s Bank built

1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated sparking WWI

1910 Loos Haus erected

1926 Moller House Built

1918 .

After WWI AustroHungarian Empire dissolved into many parts

1938 Austria ceased to exist as a result of WWII

1928 Wittgenstein Haus built

1939 Sigmund Freud Dies

1945 After WWII Austria was divided into occupied territories by Soviet Union, US, UK and France

1979 Central Bank

1955 Austrian State Treaty

TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS IN VIENNA

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SIDE ENTRANCE LIGHT DETAIL

LOOS HAUS INTERIOR

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ADOLF LOOS Adolf Loos was born in Brno, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. Returning to Vienna in 1896, where he became friends with emminant figures in the modernist scene such as Ludwig Wittgenstein and dissonant composer Schoenburg.

past centuries which used decoration to make the peacocks, pheasants and lobsters appear more appetizing produce the opposite effect on me. I look on such culinary display with horror when I think of having to eat these stuffed animal corpses.

His two most famous literary works; Spoken into the Void and Ornament and Crime were written in 1900 and 1910 retrospectively.

I eat roast beef’

Spoken into the void contains an insight into Loos’ thought on decorational cladding and the secession, including a personal attack on Oldbrich himself.

Ornament and Crime is a more tactfully written quasi-manifesto, declaring ornament not only obsolete but a stumbling block in the advancement of mankind, supported and funded by a government attempting to halt the progress of evolution.

For the time, Loos’ buildings were bold and he was unmoved with the often harsh criticism of this work.

‘The supporter of ornament believes that the urge for simplicity is equivalent to self denial.

No, dear professor from the College of Applied Arts, I am not denying myself!

To me, it tastes better this way. The dishes of the

LOOS HAUS EXTERIOR

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LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN The Wittgenstein House was a laboratory for living. For some, though, it was an experiment that didn’t work. Wittgenstein’s sister, Hermine, wrote: “Even though I admired the house very much, I always knew that I neither wanted to, nor could, live in it myself. It seemed indeed to be much more a dwelling for the gods than for a small mortal like me, and at first I even had to overcome a faint inner opposition to this ‘house embodied logic’ as I called it, to this perfection and monumentality.”

Wittgenstein spent much time on these details.

He took a year to design the door handles, and another year to design the radiators. Instead of curtains, each window was shaded by metal screens each weighing about 150kg, but easily moved by a pulley system designed by Wittgenstein. Bernhard Leitner, author of The Architecture of Ludwig Wittgenstein, hailed this “aesthetic of weightlessness”: “There is barely anything comparable in the history of interior design. It is as ingenious as it is expensive. A metal curtain that could be lowered into the floor.”

The house not only creates a convincing unity between meaning and material as an architecture project, but also as an instrument of investigation that enriches the perception of the reality.

“This is not so marginal as it may at first appear, for it is precisely these details that lend what is otherwise a rather plain, even ugly house its distinctive beauty.”

WITTGENSTEIN HAUS EXTERIOR

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WITTGENSTEIN HAUS FRONT GATE

WITTGENSTEIN HAUS INTERIOR

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POSTAL SAVINGS EXTERIOR

POSTAL SAVINGS INTERIOR - WAGNER QUOTE

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OTTO WAGNER Otto Wagner at heart was a modernist maybe one of the first, he was clear on his stance of decoration and abhorred the bastardised styles frequenting the Ringstrasse.

He flirted with the Secessionist movement towards the end of his career and his work becomes clearly more ornamental towards this point however the Postal Office savings Bank is the work I wish to focus on.

centre of the building adjacent to five courtyard atria.

The hall is designed with a large curved glass skylight allowing natural light to enter the heart of the building at all times.

The floor of the main hall is constructed of glass tiles, allowing natural light to further penetrate below, where the Post Office boxes and mail sorting rooms are located.

Arguably a continuation of traditional architecture with the accentuation of practicality. However there is still emphasis on his Jugendstil functional ornament.

The façade’s aluminium-covered metal bolts, for example, are both a technical requirement [to hold on the cladding plates] and a programmatic exhibition of Modernity. He wanted users to know that it was not stone but a cladding system, leading on from Loos’ honest no frills approach to architecture.

However, they convey an important symbolic message:- ‘The iron-clad treasure chest stands as an archetype of safekeeping money.’

The large central hall stands crystalline, in the

MAIN HALL

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DIE KURATOREN

STRUGGLES OF A DREAMING CITY

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PERCEIVED STRUGGLES The lost identity of historical conflict of Ornament and Modernism.

The struggles of Vienna trying to retain its cultural heritage whilst slowly progressing into the future.

The deep ingrained nostalgia for the glory of the Hapsburg Empire.

The historical political burden and stigma of Hitler and the internal conflict on Dr. Karl Lueger.

STRUGGLES OF A DREAMING CITY

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TRAUMSTADT DES KAMPFES For centuries embedded in the city of Vienna lie the lost and fragmented dimensions of the arts, literature and science. Many of the world’s most influential minds lived in Vienna at some point of their lives embracing the pragmatic processes of this disillusion.

Those with dreams of epochs past hoping to absorb some of Vienna’s unique culture, pulsate through the streets, engaging in small mishaps of immortal beauty. An enigma resides; a tarnished skeleton of Vienna depicts countless historical events as scarred traces of its past.

A repression derived from bygone confrontations fundamentally fails to establish a resolution between ornamentation and modernism. Naive fantasies eluding to restore order have failed in their attempts, creating a feeling of unrest, a nervousness with which progress is hindered.

Similarly, courageous movements of Art, such as the Secession, offered to many observers a sorry spectacle of peace that was unparalleled and disjointed in its interpretation.

If they take away we have nothing;

our we

identity then are nothing.

Vienna’s identity and frames of reference still linger on the mind, relics of a distant dream. Divergent historical narratives present difficult challenges facing those who wish to

CULTURAL MAP OF THE CITY

contribute

to

Vienna’s

cultural

progression.

The degenerative disease that slowly extracts a city’s identity is ever present in current times, speculative attempts of expression are plagued with genericism. Our profession harbours this disease in blind faith, rather than striving to provide a cure. We believe this cure starts with a new resistance, Die Kuratoren.

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MANIFESTO We acknowledge the successes which have come through Architectural evolution, we cannot forget the past neither can we erase it. We can however, examine, interpret and develop.

Die Kuratoren are one. A collective body, aiming to provoke a creative chain reaction. A spark to ignite the fire. Thus a powerful cycle is unleashed in Vienna, one which is fuelled by its own unstoppable spirit, drive, and dynamic energy.

Die Kuratoren are the opposition to commercialism, egotism, opportunism and genericism. If that is a crime, then Die Kuratoren are the criminals, we are the rogues and degenerates, and we are at war with a number of enemies. We provoke, whilst teaching, we destroy whilst creating; we are the future and the past.

Die Kuratoren will rise, allowing freedom to wash over us and cleanse the sins of our past. We will not be stopped. Those who reject our principles will not take hold of our unconscious mind. We will become deaf to their whimpering. We will become numb to their disbelief. We will fight.

We will use the tools at hand, the skills we have honed, our experiences and failings to destroy the obstacles that stand in our path. We will create a sense of belonging, bringing forth a new perspective, no matter how great the resistance, we will revolt, we will be heard.

EXPERIMENTAL LITHOGRAPHIC PRINT EXPRESSING DIE KURATOREN THEMES

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FOUNDATIONS {MYTH} Vienna’s lack of identity is most apparent through our observations of WU campus. We must take note of the cultural heritage of the city and use this as our grounding. Re-establishing intrinsic links to Vienna’s past will allow us to design with relevance, reverence and respect.

Our objective is to dismantle the distinct boundary between modernist ideologies and the rich cultural heritage of Vienna. We must ingrain Vienna with this new identity. We believe our architecture must consolidate these opposing factions, by creating layers of meaning and allegories that delve deep into our minds, our dreams and what we perceive as reality, unravelling the true essence of Vienna’s conflicted identity.

{EXPOSURE} ‘Even if all materials are of equal value to the artist, they are not equally suited to all his purposes. The requisite durability, the necessary construction often demands materials that are not in harmony with the true purpose of the building.’ [Adolf Loos]

We must be honest in materiality and structure and our buildings will be felt and absorbed in this way. Every detail will exude our integrity.

We will teach our fellow man to translate the language of our intentions, as it is only then will he fully comprehend its brilliance. We will not be prescriptive with materials; it is immoral to tell an artist he cannot use the colour red.

and enhance these integrated emotions will create a discourse with space creating a unity in our Architecture.

{CLARITY} Light will be used to emphasise the hierarchy of space and power, to highlight transitional zones and to unite the materiality and ornament in a trinity of honesty. We will weave shadow through the intricacies of space providing a layer of mystery, intrigue and poetry.

unfortunately this careful ornamentation wasn’t used throughout; however the work of Wagner stands out as definitive of this style.

Our objective is to create a new language of ornament relevant to our Architecture and we will not replicate the decorative symbology of the past. A clear function is instantly apparent in our ornamentation, however, it is laced with myth and code; meaning will be found by those who dare seek it.

{EVOLUTION} Shadow must be crafted as carefully as light. {ORDER} The work of Wittgenstein, and Loos played a substantial part in our collective experience of Vienna. Wittgenstein used scale to address hierarchy and the strong relationship to the golden section found throughout nature and the human body to create a series of subtleties of scale throughout the Wittgenstein Haus.

However we felt Wittgenstein neglected the human in these decisions giving the building a feeling of disproportionality, alluding to it being more sculptural than occupiable.

Shadow and light will be manipulated to allow the dreamer to enthral himself in intrigue and suspense. Dark, dreamy contemplative spaces inviting light powerful spaces will instil layers of complexity, alluding to the buildings narrative.

{LANGUAGE} Our buildings will consider the hierarchy of space and function, and we will take an inside-out approach to design. We intend to use contrasting scales to highlight design subtleties and create a narrative throughout.

Careful designing of details which celebrate

DRAWING GRAPHICALLY DEPICTING FOUNDATIONS

The secessionists with an open and free manifesto managed to create a host of visual styles advancing the stagnated arts scene in Vienna. Inspired by the arts and craft movement with a modernist philosophy they created not only a new ornamentalism but a new way of reading ornament, which referenced the buildings’ function and their stature. The free flowing nature of Secession meant that

We design our Architecture for one use through which, we display its integrity. Our architecture will be adaptable to the user’s ever-changing requirements. We will not however, allow our Architecture to become stripped of its integrity, like the Wittgenstein Haus, our buildings will not change their designed use, be re-appropriated or be sold on. We have one client and they will use the building for the intended purpose until that purpose fades into obsolescence. At that point our buildings will be left to chronicle the progress of Vienna.

Our architecture will honour the past and respond to new technological processes. We respect the craftsmanship of our forefathers, taking heed of their sacrifices. By referencing the past and understanding future technologies we are better placed to facilitate future adaptation. Our architecture seeks to be continually relevant. We

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design for the present, acknowledge the past and prepare for the future.

{RESPONSIBILITY} Our architecture must be for the people, it must respond to their needs. Our architecture will not be the egotistical self expression that is currently plaguing Vienna.

We are socialists operating in an anarchic collective. We cannot design by committee our ideologies will not be diluted by this improper use of time.

We only work with those who allow us to dream with them, we only live for those who dare to dream with us.

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INITIAL TEST MODEL After crafting the foundations each of us took three of foundations and attempted to translate them into Architecture, a task that proved quite difficult in its initial prospect, however it gave us a starting point especially when regarded amongst the other work, as we could each see how each other had interpreted the foundations. From this we sat down and discussed each others initial attempts and how we felt they adhered or contradicted the foundations. My three foundations were evolution, exposure and order.

The evolution is expressed through the adaptable cladding system which has sliding timber panelling, the exposure through the experimental window openings creating a series of converging light openings highlighting the interior space in different ways. Finally order is through the simple frame contrasting with the perceived angling floorplates adding layers of myth and intrigue into how one would traverse the space.

INITIAL TEST MODEL OVERVIEW

DETAIL OF SHIFTING TIMBER PANELS

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DEVELOPED FOUNDATION MODEL EXPRESSING THE HISTORY OF VIENNA THROUGH FORM

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SECOND TEST MODEL The second model took a different approach as we each felt we’d been too literal, in expressing the foundations through our original models, so we tried to ingrain the foundations more abstractly within the architecture and we felt this was a much easier way of incorporating them into our work but also created stronger individual pieces which worked well as a compilation.

We also found designing abstractly without a site harder as there was no context we could derive from the area, so we all agreed a site which would be our HQ. The area was laced with integral buildings to the history of Vienna both Architecturally and culturally, and an epicentre of the struggles aforementioned. I attempted to represent the social progression through Vienna’s History and progress through the Ottoman Siege, to the divided opinions on Karl Lueger, the impact and subsequent guilt during and after WWII, to the modern day and how Vienna is perceived and perceives herself.

DETAIL SHOWING THE DIFFERING PATHS OF VIENNESE PEOPLE DURING WWII

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INTEGRATED TEST MODEL We found these developed test models provided much more inspiring and cohesive architecture partly due to the combined site had which allowed us all to have a point of anchor but also, the previous week had helped us understand different ways of expressing the foundations through each others work and our work this week had become more uniform, yet more exciting.

After we had exhibited our individual components we felt it would be a useful exercise to combine them in an ad-hoc compilation to give us a =n idea of how spaces of the DKHQ might start to appear, or if we found any serendipitous ‘collisions’ of styles. Several ideas from the final HQ building came from this collaborative modelling experience, and are evident between the two models.

COMPILATION MODEL OF OUR DEVELOPMENT MODELS ASSEMBLED AS A HQ PRECURSOR

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FINAL TEST MODEL DETAIL- UNDERCROFT

FINAL TEST MODEL DETAIL- JUNCTIONS

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FINAL TEST MODEL The final test model explored themes taken from the previous test model, however we decide to work at a tangent for our aim and although we kept to the same site, we again went back a step and tried to create architecture based on our physical representations of the foundations. This started to explore form more and how elements from the previous week would work in a more conservative built environment.

The model perhaps wasn’t our most successful however provided key information and failing and successes which we could take forward into our final model.

For example we felt it was much quicker to work in grey board as a material and we felt it allowed the more accurate testing of light and form as the material didn’t interfere with the over perception.

We also had more people working on the final model so we worried a little about the visual cohesion of the final proposal.

FINAL TEST MODEL OVERVIEW

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DKHQ OVERVIEW WITH HIGHLIGHTED KEY ZONES

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FINAL DK HQ The DK HQ model was undertaken by six members of the group:- Numan Hassan, Esquander Zulquarnain, Eleni Zorbas, Thomas Higginson, Aman Matharu, and myself. We took the best of what we’d created the week before and looked carefully at the site and its wider cultural context, and responded to those very fragile themes.

Taking an inside out approach we created the core first and then crafted the required rooms around it. The grand staircase on either side was to empower the occupant as the rise up the stair takes the viewer past the meeting room, allowing them into the heart of our operation.

SIGMUND FREUD’S OFFICE VOTIVE CHURCH KARLLUEGER PLATZ

We then took a room each and designed it based on the foundations, and as one can see each separate area shows the individuality of that designers architectural style however the foundations add the cohesion which allows them to work together.

DONAUKANAL [DANUBE] DK HQ WU CAMPUS ST. STEPHENS CATHEDRAL RINGSTRASSE

STUDIO EXTERNAL WINDOW DETAIL

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STUDIO The Studio area was largely designed and modelled

by Numan Hassan, however as with all the building there was a consultation process after the initial design period where we all addressed our feelings towards the design. He opted for a sunken table as the act of stepping down into the area created this intimate relationship with the work and also the fellow designers sat around. it also was an extra step involved in the sitting and leaving of the area promoting a more focussed work environment. it also has the benefit of literally setting one in the context of the building. The large openings allow a great deal of natural light especially north light to penetrate the space reducing the need for artificial light but also poetically having the same light falling on the designing area as the area to be designed [the wider city] was important to us all.

DESIGN STUDIO INTERNAL

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GRAND STAIR

VIEWING TURRET

The grand stair was a group design but modelled

by Esquander and Numa. We decided as a group that we wished to elevate ourselves from the strong cultural themes on this site allowing us to observe and process them but not to be tied down to them. Two large staircases come form the east and west of the site leading up into the gallery. The idea was that as viewers came to see the gallery space they would be able to take in the building as a whole which is why the stairs start larger and then converge to a point, focussing attention from the surroundings to the gallery. It also seeks to empower the user as they pass the private meeting room as well as some of the other key spaces such as the amphitheatre.

Again like before the viewing turret was predominately designed by Thomas Higginson however we all had input into its design. The turret is designed in such a way as to provide a focussed scope for each of the members to look through to see each individual site. The height of the movement space is 2m so it is a relatively condensed space however each individual spoke is designed for the individual with their eye height taken into consideration for each of the tunnels.

It is designed so one can sit and view their site without distraction and only focussing on the site and that alone so they can observe what happens there on a day to day basis maybe taking drawings to further explore the movement through the site, how it is used and who are its users before creating something which will ultimately change that. Enforcing a level of responsibility on the designer; one of our aforementioned tenets.

GRAND STAIRCASE - EAST

VIEWING TURRET + FOCAL SPOKES

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BIRDCAGE - [MEETING ROOM] The affectionately named birdcage was another heavily discussed item of design. We see ourselves as a socialist collective and thus we felt each member was as important as any other so the table is a decagon with individually designed seats so each member is the same height at the table however the backs of the chairs are both related to the height of the individual but also related to their personality and their design philosophy. For the purposes of modelling this wasn’t achieved however the design intention was that each designer would craft their own seat back. the room is supported by a series of ten ribs one for each of the founders of the movement that hold it together, both metaphorically and physically. For many of us this was our favourite room, to both design and with the final result.

DK MAIN MEETING ROOM

DINING HALL The dining hall was primarily my design, with the design intention that there was three different openings which would shine upon the table at set times of the day and year to show when meal times were. the supporting ribs of the room come inside and form the bench and table support structure.

I had to carefully work with orientations and lighting to test the day times to ensure these would work in both summer and winter and the design of the room itself was based around this philosophy.

It was important for me that the table and room did not succumb to decoration and that the use of light through the foundations of exposure and clarity were most poignant in this space with light literally crafting the room and the simplicity of the structure obvious whilst also providing a secondary function.

DINING HALL INTERNAL DETAIL

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AMPHITHEATRE Esquander Aman and Eleni concentrated on the Amphitheatre , one of the last spaces to be designed. It took design precedence form a church as well as a thrust theatre design with a central speaking forum surrounded on three sides, where the speaker addresses the audience surrounding them.

This style of stage provides an intimate yet dominant environment important as this would be the forum of debate and also for educational lectures, not only on our movement but other forms of architecture, design and philosophy.

There is intentionally no link from the stage to the seating as we feel this subtle disconnect between speaker and listener provides a feeling of motivation to be able to advance to the focal position.

Again here the function of the structure is twofold, both providing key support for the structure but also becoming the platform for seating as well.

AMPHITHEATRE INTERNAL THRUST PLATFORM

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TOWER OF REFLECTION REPLICATING THE DREAMSTATE

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CONCEPT IMAGE - [HYPERPARASITIC] TOWER OF REFLECTION

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THESIS STATMENT The flakturm stand as ruin in the Augarten. They are both monument and memorial, a lasting remembrance of the horrors of World War II. The two towers worked symbiotically during the war, the Leitturm [Lead tower] used the relatively new medium of radar to map the sky of enemy planes and sent this information to the Gefechtsturm [Combat tower]. The Gefechtsturm would then in turn use the large artillery on the roof to shoot the planes from the sky.

We propose to adapt these existing towers within the fundamentals of our Die Kuratoren movement, creating a new creative catalyst within the city.

They will become the Tower of Nurture and the Tower of Reflection.

The Tower of Nurture will become a dream induction and recording centre, providing an introduction to lucid dreaming and leading dreamers through a series of sensory experiences provoking vivid dreams which would then be recorded within the confines of the tower. This element of the project will be undertaken by Thomas Higginson.

I will primarily focus on the Tower of Reflection where the dreams once recorded will be taken along a processional route to be stored in the archive.

Dreams like thoughts are some of the most private experiences we experience as humans, and the level of security of these precious moments must be carefully controlled. After the dreams have been sorted and stored they will be available to be viewed [anonymously] by Vienna’s creatives who can cycle through dreams by category until they find one they want to further explore. They will then retreat through the building, until their dream is ready for exploration within the Dream theatre.

Our minds are complex and able to create whole worlds whilst we dream and the recreation of these ephemeral moments are key to the building.

I propose three layers of holography specifically the modern Pepper’s Ghost method to create a layered world, this would be laced with weather, sounds and smells to heighten the realism of the experience. Each of these key elements will be produced within the tower and each space will surround the theatre and inserted into the dream when necessary.

Finally the building will exhibit any media created from the dreams of the city providing a visual feedback of the city’s innermost thoughts in addition to creating a dialogue with which Vienna’s creatives can add their voice.

The Tower of Reflection alongside it’s symbiotic correspondence the Tower of Nurture aim to stimulate the stifled creativity within the city through a free and accessible medium of inspiration, the dream.

The Tower of Nurture concerns itself with the sensory induction and careful extraction of the dream. the Tower of Reflection focuses on the recreation of the dream, displaying its creative potential to the people. The Tower of Reflection reveals many levels of inspiration for the city’s creatives but also coalesces the disjointed identities of the city harmoniously on a subversive layer of reality.

The tower can be considered in three distinct fragments:- The Archive houses the most private glimpses into the subconscious of the city. The Dream Theatre immerses you in the fantastical worlds of the surreal. The Gallery of the [sub] conscious displays the creative talent of the city in a delicate response to the phantasmagorical images previous experienced.

How does one interact with one of the most significant reminders of WWII. By stripping the tower of it stature and ingrained thought can one then adapt and change its purpose?

Taking the dream as a parasitic model, we see how this alternative path could have led to the towers’ possible evolution. No longer standing as a poignant reminder of an unrelatable time, but a place of suspense and intrigue in which one can revel in the impossible, immersing oneself in the world of dreams.

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SITE LOCATION Augraten Park is located to the North - East of Vienna, across the Donaukanal from the main city centre.

The Park was originally part of the King’s hunting grounds and then was converted to public use in the mid 18th Century. There are several public amenities within the park including a sports track and associated, sports facillities in addition to an outdoor pool.

The park is also the home to the world famous Augarten pottery established in 1718. Which is located in the South East of the park seen below.

The two towers located on the site were part of the Nazi fortifications of Vienna and stand 182m apart .

FLAKTURM VII - AUGARTEN

FLAKTURM VIII - ARENBERG PARK

FLAKTURM V - STIFTSKASERNE

MAP DEPICTING FLAKTURM DEFENSIVE OUTPOSTS

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LEITTURM [ L-TOWER] FLAKTURM VII - AUGARTEN

GEFECHTSTURM [ L-TOWER] FLAKTURM VII - AUGARTEN

MAP DETAILING THE AUGARTEN PARK AND THE LOCATION OF THE FLAKTURM

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HISTORY OF THE TOWERS Flakturm VII were part of an overall fortification plan for Vienna, after the system was initially set up in Berlin to defend from the Allied forces, probaly part of the reason Berlin was spared the fate of the firestorm that annihilated many german cities at the time.

The towers were dessigned by Joseph Hamms, along with principal Nazi Architect Albert Speer, and Hitler was reported to have been heavily involved in the sketch phase of the towers. Due to their immediate need many of the railroads in Germany and Vienna were, rerouted or the schedules changed to import the immense amount of concrete and steel required for the towers, work reported went on 24 hours a day and they were completed in 6 months.

The Viennese Flakturm were the third iteration of the towers and in my opinion the best looking of the Flakturm, however with walls over 3.5m thick, and a 5m thick roof their primary motive was not aesthetic.

The Russians reportedly, tried to demolish one of the towers and only succeeded in destroying surrounding buildings and so many were left with thousands of citizens still within as they were so difficult to breach.

LARGE RETRACTABLE RADAR DISH ON L-TOWER

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128MM FLAK GUNS SITUATED ON ROOF OF G-TOWER

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AUGARTEN HISTORY The War took it’s toll on Vienna, and although it only took a relatively light bombing when compared to other Axis power cities, Augarten has a particularly sad narrative in this tragic time.

Much of the park was ploughed by tanks and used as a shallow grave as well a collection of the city’s waste. Bodies and debris were then ingrained in the park as tanks compressed all in the soft mud.

G-TOWER IN THE CONTEXT OF AUGARTEN PARK

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RUIN AS DESIGN Below are a series if internal shots of the G-Tower, I will contest that I did not take these myself as I was unable to gain access to the tower, however they show the towers interior in its presumably current form, displaying the damage done by the ammunition explosion in 1946.

I find the set very provocative, the towers from their exterior look monolithic, solid, untouched however the inside tells a different story. Rebar seemingly reaching out, trying to escape its fate.

Ceilings crumbling giving the appearance of a long abandoned cave, elemental in its feel. The cleanness of the exterior allows one to take it’s simplicity in, however this rich detail makes these spaces feel enclosed despite their enormous scale.

This is an interesting dialogue between the two and one I wish to explore further within the design of the new addition as well as respecting this existing feeling.

INTERNAL VIEWS OF G-TOWER, AUGARTEN SHOWING EXTENT OF DAMAGE FROM AMMUNITION EXPLOSION

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REM SLEEP GRAPH

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DREAM RESEARCH Part of the research I undertook when returning from Vienna was concerning dreams, a subject that had fascinated me for years and this year from studio month it had become on our studios key themes.

The visit to Freud’s office in Vienna was particularly rewarding and part of the reason for this continued research on my return. Firstly I looked at the dream in a general sense, exploring the neurons and the dream patterns. Next I explored the themes of lucid dreaming and how different foods, scents, and sounds could help provoke a more intense and memorable dream, research which would help lead to the conclusions made later.

Whilst researching the dream, I also embarked on reading some of Freud’s work namely the Interpretation of Dreams and The Ego and the ID. I drew parallels between Freud’s concerns with the brain state and the internal perceptions of oneself. As well as self awareness. i drew these into a quick diagram to better understand it. I then tried to find where the dream would fit into this matrix.

However the dream occupies no singular level it passes from the unconscious to the preconscious and the conscious mind with ease , taking advantage of selfish wants and real perceptions from the past whilst exploring memory. There is nothing else which crosses this bridge with such ease.

GRAPHIC DETAILING THE RELATIONSHIP OF INTERNAL PERCEPTIONS VS. RELATIVE BRAIN STATE

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TOWERS OF DREAMS From this realisation of the dream as having the ability to explore all realms of consciousness, I together with Thomas Higginson searched for a lo-fi way of harvesting this dream state and using it to help solve some of the struggles we perceived in Vienna. As the dream shows the darkest and most private feelings of the residents , if we could collate all this data then we would have a live understanding of the fears, hopes and dreams of the city and would be able to act on it to help resolve these issues.

The L-Tower a former radar tower would collect the dreams from the residents, through a series of chambers which inducted the user into the ways of lucid dreaming and using the researched scents sounds and tastes to make these dreams more vivid and memorable they would pass through the Tower of Nurture relinquish these dreams at the end of the journey.

These dreams would be collected and transferred to the Tower of Reflection where these dreams would be securely stored, and then acted upon.

TOWERS OF DREAMS IN SITU - AUGARTEN PARK - LATE SUMMER

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DREAM AS PARASITE Together we had solidly put our theory down, but how would the architecture respond, with such an iconic piece of concrete in the centre of a city full of iconic architecture the undertaking would be difficult. Not before one considers the amount of emotional and memorial connections to the tower. But what if this energy embodied in the tower could be used. How would the architecture respond to this. I looked at what we planned to do with the dreams and formed the question:- using the growth model of a parasite, how would the dream utilise the embodied emotional attachment to the tower, as an energy to feast upon and grow.

This lead to a quick series of drawings exploring the growth of a parasite and how the architecture would respond to this growth.

AN EXPLOSION IN THE AMMO STORE CREATES A BREACH IN THE DEFENSIVE WALL OF THE TOWER, ALLOWING THE DREAM AS PARASITE TO ENTER THE TOWER.

[LIBRARY FIRST INFECTION SITE CREATED TO ADVANCE GROWTH]

[EXPANDED LIBRARY AND CONSTRUCTION OF DREAM THEATRES COMMENCE]

PARASITE INVADES HOST AND STARTS EXPANDING AND ERODING EXISTING CONCRETE IN THE INFECTION ZONE

PARASITE GROWS ESTABLISHING ITS ARCHITECTURE AND SEARCHES FOR THE GROUND TO ESTABLISH ROOT SYSTEM. IT ERODES AND REBUILDS THE INTERNAL WALLING AS NECESSARY FOR THIS EXPANSION. GROUND CONDITIONS ARE PREPARED FOR ROOT SYSTEM TO TAKE HOLD

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[INITIAL DREAM THEATRE AND ACCOMPANYING HOLOGRAPHIC RESEARCH LAB INSTALLED. CONSTRUCTION OF DREAM ARCHIVE COMMENCES]

[DREAM THEATRES EXPANDED AND SENSORY EXPERIENCE ADDED THROUGH SCENT LAB AND WEATHER CONTROL. ARCHIVE BECOMES FULLY FUNCTIONAL. REFLECTION GALLERIES INSTALLED CREATING FINAL INFECTION SITE]

DREAM AS PARASITE EXPANDS RAPIDLY USING THE EXISTING TOWER AS SUPPORT , STARTS THE BUDDING OF A LARVAL STORAGE SILO. IT HITS GROUND AND BEGINS EXPANSION INTO THE WIDER AREA FOR INFECTION AND HARVEST.

PARASITE NOW FULLY GROWN SHOWS ITSELF TO THE OUTSITE WORLD BECOMING MESOPARASITIC. LARVAL GROWTH BECOMES ADULT, AND SILOS COLLECTED DATA FROM WIDER CONTEXT.

HYPER-PARASITIC GROWTH MODEL

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PROTEIN CASING REPRESENTED AS GLASS

DREAM AS PARASITE

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DESIGNING THE PARASITE The next stage was designing the parasite, as the architecture takes the form of the parasite as explored through the previous series of drawings, the design of the parasite would lead me to discover the architectural form of the infection.

Looking at parasites through electron microscopy it was apparent that this faceted design was prevalent in virus’, and best lent itself to be converted into a built form. Normally virus’ such as this have a nucleic centre in which the majority of the cells activity occurs in. And the cells is protected by a cell wall and then a outer casing of protein, however my parasite cannot be made of proteing so I have used glass as my casing, hard and brittle like the protein casing of the virus.

Within the casing instead of a nucleus, the dream as parasite makes use of an internal replication engine which replicates the parasite within the tower, however also has the ability to break down concrete and reform it into built form.

As this is a theoretical proposition I don’t envisage an actual parasite performing these tasks and it is a stretch to consider one that has the ability of this one, however when one consider how parasites act within the human body utilising the bodies’ cells and harvesting them taking them to their base components and then using them to replicate themselves. The dream as parasite performs just a fraction of these tasks.

VIRUS NUCLEUS HOUSES INTERNAL REPLICATION ENGINE AND RE-APPROPRIATION CONSTRUCT

EXPLODED PARASITE SHOWING INTERNAL REPLICATION ENGINE

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EARLY DESIGN WORK The early design work consisted of looking at another piece of iconic architecture to match the original, this wing that hung precariously from the tower, elegantly housing all the internal spaces. However once I had fully formed the parasitic research element this idea became relatively redundant however, the parasitic design took hints from this early design attempt.

EARLY SKETCH TESTING THE IDEA OF A WING STRUCTURE

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MONTAGED FURTHER EXPLORATION OF POSSIBLE WING ADDITION

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EARLY SECTION SKETCH PLANNING INTERNAL LAYOUT

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DEVELOPING THE DESIGN i then started to design the spaces in section as i felt this was the directionality of the parasite, it felt that getting the intersection of these fragments sitting right would then help me further design the scheme. Below the progression of design is apparent however the general form is adapted and refined throughout, whilst more of the internal spaces and fitting become more congruous with the parasitic architecture.

DEVELOPMENT SECTION EXPLORING IDEAS OF MATERIALITY

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EARLY MAQUETTE EXPLORING DK DESIGN THEMES WITHIN NEW ROOMS

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SKETCH MODELLING Whilst refining the section above i explored the design through sketch modelling the spaces, below is an early model of the projection room, where one previews the dreams before selecting one to experience in the dream theatre. it looked at the architecture of the previous DK HQ model and tried to use some of the themes from that to advance the design.

This process of sketch modelling was one I always wanted to embark on but felt I never fully found the benefit from however the process used through the first half of the year of repeatedly modelling and refining stood me in good stead for this process modelling.

INTERNAL DETAILS OF EARLY MAQUETTE

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CONTROL ROOM The control room sketch model looked at playing with level changes to allow each controller their own platform with the requisite space to perform their task whether it weather or projections. However this is a concept I did not take forward as the space eventually afforded by the dream theatre was significantly less.

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DEVELOPMENT MODEL 1:20 EXPLORING KEY INTERNAL SPACES - CONTROL ROOM

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SCENT LABORATORY The scent lab, explores the use of ruin as design taking forward some of the keys themes from the research done on the interior of the tower and referencing it as a design feature to provide the enclosed grandeur found within the tower which contrasts nicely with the clean sharp lines of the parasitic glass.

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DEVELOPMENT MODEL 1:20 EXPLORING KEY INTERNAL SPACES - SCENT LABORATORY

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DREAM LIBRARY The library took design precedence from a Jorge Luis Borges tale I was reading through my dissertation, which discussed an infinite library, separated into an endless pathways of hexagonal rooms interlocked, with every 11th hexagon a stairway up or down forever.

This stuck with me, and fit the parasite’s early forayed exploration into re-purposing the concrete exploring form making within its early confines.

Using simple reoccurring geometry whilst in its infancy before its large scale replication which allows for more unusual angular forms.

DEVELOPMENT MODEL 1:20 EXPLORING KEY INTERNAL SPACES - DREAM LIBRARY

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LG2

2F

LG1

3F

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N

GF

1F

4F

5F

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ELEVATION - SOUTH EAST

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N

SECTION AA

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HOLOGRAPHY LABORATORY WITH VIEW TO ARCHIVE

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DREAM LIBRARY WITH VIEW TO VIENNA

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DREAM THEATRE [IN USE]

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SCENT LABORATORY

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TECTONCS INTRODUCTION I looked to take a part of my building that was inherent to the architecture off the parasite. The scent pod both functional and of itself seemed like the perfect choice. It serves two functions both to emulsify the oils from the organic material and also to aerosolise the resulting oil into the dream theatre using steam injection, to add a more sensory experience to the reflected dream.

INITIAL SKETCHES OF SCENT DELIVERY POD

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INITIAL SKETCH MODEL OF DESIGN

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CREATING A NET From my initial model, I figured the best way of creating the form was to has a net of it which i could replicate in copper and then fold together and assemble. For this the easiest way I found was to replicate and refine the form, was to use sketch-up and then unfold the plane.

This process worked surprisingly well and the resulting form looked

SKETCH-UP ORTHOGRAPHICS

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UNFOLDED NET OF RESDESIGNED SDP

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TESTING THE NET

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ASSSEMBLED NET

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EXPERIMENTAL COPPERWORK - CUTTING, BENDING, SILVER SOLDERING

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EXPERIMENTAL COPPERWORK BASIN - TESTING HARD SOLDERING

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PRACTISING WELDING SHEET MILD STEEL

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MAKING THE FRAME - CUTTING, LINISHING, WELDING, ANGLE GRINDING

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MAKING THE CRUCIBLE - CUTTING, LINISHING WELDING

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MAKING THE COPPER STILL - CNC, SCORING, BENDING, BRAZING

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DETAILING THE COPPER PATINA

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FINAL MODEL My final tectonics model included both a frame and crucible which would not be found in the finished form, as the heating element would be contained within the structure of the copper pot itself, however it was important to be able to display it correctly and with the hope of having a heating source in the crucible to perform a live demonstration however health and safety limitations didn’t allow for this.

I felt the overall project shows an exceptional level of craft considering these are all techniques which were new to me. It is a piece which taught me a lot about the architecture and I used many methods which are untraditional, for example a still would normally be made from a single piece of copper which would be raised to form a singular piece which would reduce all the brazing component of the pot however doesn’t allow for more geometric form making so this was the best method to use. i found that silver soldering gave a more aesthetic look with very clean edges however the strength of the welds were not sufficient, so i utilised a copper-phospherous alloy which gave a stronger join.

I think it is difficult when comparing my tectonics element to others as it doesn’t have the same overall impact that some of the larger models have however the finesse and attention to detail within the elements really show what my architecture is about.

SIDE ELEVATION - OVERALL

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ISOMETRIC VIEW - OVERALL

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DETAILING THE CRUCIBLE INTERIOR MESH

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REFLECTIONS I always find it difficult to reflect back on a years work and none have been harder than this year.

There’s much i would change, however one of my best decisions was the change of studios at the start of the year. I take a lot away from last year however I felt I wanted to find a different way of working, and seeing the theory of crafting and making apparent in Fables philosophy, I felt it would be an enjoyable challenge. And it has been, from the intensity of studio month, to the unity of Die Kuratoren, after our Vienna travels, to the joint challenge of taking on the Towers of Dreams with Thomas Higginson.

However overall I feel this year may not have been the complete success I maybe naively hoped for but I feel I have developed over the course of this year, more than any other and feel i have strengthened internally what I feel my architecture is, which is what, perhaps I’ve always been looking for...

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SPOKEN INTO THE VOID - VIEW THROUGH ARCHIVE