Thesis Portfolio

A Theatre to Memories

Unit 4B Amber Woods 20153216

Our memories and conciousness, our experiences, events throughout our life construct the threads of our being and our realities on earth

Interplaying

The way we experience our world is governed by our perceptions, we are never truly able to escape this reality, never able to reach the ‘noumenal’ realms of existence. Our world is not constructed of what is real, but what we perceive to be real, our lives are crafted through our experiences and the events that have take place within our lives. The human condition is a consequence of these truths, but also of the inescapable identity of ‘human’ that defines the souls of earth- it is everything that exists between birth and mortality, the experiences that shape who we are.

As humans, we can play with and alter our memories, reshaping our ‘mindscape’ ... manifesting them into real spaces and experiences to almost rewrite the scape of our minds and therefore, inexplicably altering our lives from that point onwards. This changing and altering of perceptions and thus reality will be achieved through a performance, an orchestration through space in which through confronting the fatal flaw of humans, hubris, and ultimately through the catharsis of the soul that is achieved through theatre and external stimulus, creating a core memory.

The Theatre of Memories will allow these memories to manifest in physical space and be navigated, through almost a learning experience of sorts, this orchestration will help change how we navigate our minds consciously.

So every person’s experience of the space will be altered by their own individuality of a sense, every person will remember the experience and ‘performance’ in a different way.

within space, light and shadow create a fundamental and irreversible experience that can stitch back together the disjointed memories of the lost souls of the city...

Remenants

THE SITUATION

Liverpool is draped inexplicably in the tapestry of its memories and the traces left behind by the ghosts of its past, the reality of its present and the promise of its future. Waiting, the lonely creations of its past that dwell along its streets are forgotten, the traces of its stories and previous lives left suspended in the fabric of the city. Yet, these spaces are a part of the everyday of Liverpool, its lost spirits dwell within the folds of time, forgotten.

Situated within the Baltic Triangle, the creative quarter of Liverpool, and the relentless exposition of the Mersey, the Theatre to Memories is situated on a previously dilapidated site, breathing life back into this forgotten corener of the city.

CHALONER ST

TIMELINE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION

The human condition is a consequence of a person’s reality, the consequences of the progression of life. Through these experiences, a person ultimately loses a purity of soul, succumbing to the conflicts and indulgences of life, whilst ultimately becoming a ‘tainted’ soul. Through the Theatre to Memories, these scars and marks will be partially healed, helping to return the soul to an enhanced state, the ghosts of torment being banished.

Whilst designing the Theatre to Memories, these vital stages throughout the human condition, Birth (Innocence), Conflict (Dissonant Emergence), Awareness and Emotion (Cognition), Gaining of Wisdom (Worldliness) and lastly returning to the soul (altering), were used to create a progression through the spaces so this redefining of the mindscape can take place, alongside the subsequent healing of the soul.

Innocence and purity, the only true time that this is possible is at birth, where the soul is still untainetd by the damages of experience and a person isn’t able to perceive their own existence.

This space will be found at the entrance of the Theatre to Memories, it wil be light, airy, with an atmosphere that reflects this sense of unknowing.

This sense of dissonance emerges through ageing and experiences, it marks this loss of innocence of the soul and the gaining of negativity. This space will be marked by a descent, into a darker space, with a change of materiality into something that is more rough and less delicate, however, there will be a stream of light puncturing into this

DISSONANT EMERGENCE

WORLDLINESS COGNITION

Cognition marks the gaining of a sense of self-conciousness that comes with growth of the soul, the experience of emotion and how these perceived and experienced events of life change a person. This space will be marked by a deep sense of catharsis that comes through witnessing performance and Theatre, a more formal space where the boundaries between audience and actor are blurred, altering and changing percpetions

Worldliness is a gaining of a deeper sense of wisdom, but also a deeper tainting of the soul that comes through gathering material possession, tying a person’s soul deeper into the human, ephemeral realm. This space will allow the mind to be expanded, through fiction and the gaining of knowledge

ALTERING

This space represents the possibility of altering and redefining perceptions through the influence of external stimulus on a person. Their view of the world may be altered inexplicably through witnessing artefacts, art, sculpture, through this visual stimulus many memories and thoughts may be resurrected in the person helping to create this redefining of the mindscape of which the Theatre of Memories aims ao adapt.

Explorations into finding forms that allow a sense of healing of the soul to take place. Later into the project this will be utilised as an installation that will hang within the cognition theatre space, allowing the light to enter the space in a more atmospheric and effective way, helping to alter perceptions, and creating this sense of healing and catharsis that can only be created through experiencing this level of performance.

Model Exploration

Model Exploration

A KIT OF PARTS.

The weavings of time, intertwining to form the reality of being.

Ribbons, wrapping and folding around the form of the building to create an intricate facade, glints of light both within and on the outside, slips of time, looking within the form of the space.

This ‘kit of parts’ represents an exploration into the possible interweavings into this possible form, and how this can effect the exterior and interior perception of space, altering experience

ROOF SECTION 1 :20

Aggregate Drainage Layer

Roofing Membrane sloped 1:50 to allow drainage

Reinforced Bond Beam

Horizontal Bridging bolted to clip angles anchored to end wall

Vented Airspace

Thermal Insulation

Vapor retarded on top of Plaster board

FLOOR SECTION 1 :20 FOUNDATION

Steel bearing plate anchored

Steel Lintel

Aluminium Window

Polished Concrete Fill

Cellular Metal Decking to allow electrics to be run

Steel bearing plate anchored

Open Webbed Steel Joists

Plasterboard with Plaster

Double Glazed windows

Aluminium Window Frame

Steel Lintel

Ashlar Stone masonry blocks 350mm

Air Gap 50 mm

Rigid Insulation 50mm, membrane waterproofing

Flashing, Mortar Fill, Weep Holes at 610 o.c 6mm

Ashlar Stone Masonry 100mm with 8mm of Mortar

Concerete Ground Slab Expansion Joint 13mm

Concrete Slab reinforced with welded wire at mid depth 100mm

Sand over Moisture Barrier 50mm

Base Course 100mm

Perimeter Insulation 50mm

Concrete Slab on Grade Foundation system

Site Specific Considerations

GROUND STABILITY AND COMPOSITION

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Daylighting

FACADE AND INTERNAL TEMPERATURE REGULATION

VENTILATION ANALYSIS

Tidal Flat Deposits- clay, silt and sand

Chester Formation- Sandstone

Siltsone Formation- Sandstone

Helby Formation- Sandstone

Till, Devensian- Clay

Tarporly Siltstone FormationSandstone and Siltstone

The site is mainly comprised of Sandstone Formation as well as clay, meaning that the ground is stable enough to support the basement level. There aren’t any considerationin terms of ground stability due to the site being mainly levelled out by previous groundwork, and due to the prevalence of sandstone in the ground.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS

PVC panels are the most plausible solution for renewabl energy on site, due to the distance of the Theatre of Memories from the Mersey River, making it too expensive and invasive to transfer the energy from the river to the site. It will be effectice to install PVC panels onto the roof, rotating them towards the South where they will be able to tramsfer energy from the sun into electricity as effectively as possible, this will help to greatly reduce, if not negate the Theatre to Memories’ non-renewable energy consumption.

Due to the perforated external copper envelope, the internal temperature and comfortlevels are controlled in the afternoon hours when the sun is the hottest, and the light is flooding into ‘Cognition’- the main theatre space of the Theattre to memories, this is also the time of day where the space will be utlised the most, with most performances happening afternoon and into the night time.

The perforated copper envelope will also contribute creatly to the internal quality and atmosphere of the space, the soflty difused light, by both the facade and the internal fabric installation will help to softly diffuse the light throughout the space and add to this ethereal, opulent quality that I wish to achieve.

The perforated copper envelope will also contribute creatly to the internal quality and atmosphere of the space, the soflty difused light, by both the facade and the internal fabric installation will help to softly diffuse the light throughout the space and add to this ethereal, opulent quality that I wish to achieve.

MATERIALITY AND EMBODIED CARBON

The prevalance of sandstone in the local Geoelogy of Merseyside, means that sandstone can be used in the construction of the Theatre of Memories in a more sustainable way, as it is readily available at local builder’s merchants. therefore, The overall embodied carbon of the Theatre Memories is able to be kept low in this respect.

Stack Ventilation flows

Cross Ventilation flows

The first space that visitors will enter is ‘Innocence’ representing a soul unaffected by the human condition and consequences of experience, a light and airy space, with hazy lighting and subtle atmosphere. The glimpses down into the ‘Dissonant Emergence’ space create a sense of foreboading. Here the visiotr either has the choice to go up to observe the performance within, buy tickets to watch from the seating area, or emerge down into the projection space.

Dissonant Emergence

The next space in the Theatre to Memories is ‘Dissonant Emergence’ this space is notably darker, with a change in materiality from a natural sandstone to rougher brick to help create a deep sense of contrast within the space. This space represents how the gaining of negative experiences and through simply experiencing life, a person’s soul becomes painetd with marks and ghosts of their past. Here, the projectors cast images upon the installation of lost and found footage of Liverpool’s past, connecting the vistor to the ity in ways of which may not have been previously known.

Worldliness

This space represents the gaining of knowledge that comes through life. The bookcases lining the facade of the building house niches in which palimpsest’s reside, weathering and ageing with the sun, along with the inscriptions and marks of memories and knowledge that cover their surfaces. These scrolls can only be accessed by visitors that are authorised to do so, and they must first go through the reception area to reach this space, ensuring that these documents are kept safe.

Cognition

Innocence Dissonant Emergence Worldliness Altering

Cognition

This area of the Theatre to Memories represents the state in the human condition where a person gains knowledge and wisdom through their experience, their thoughts and their emotions. Through witnessing a performance, a sense of catharsis is reached for the audience, emotion and thought are released, allowing the mind to be enriched and perceptions to be adapted and changed beyond what was previously possible.

Cognition Innocence Dissonant Emergence Worldliness Altering

Altering

This space represents the possibility of altering and redefining perceptions through the influence of external stimulus on a person. Their view of the world may be altered inexplicably through witnessing artefacts, art, sculpture, through this visual stimulus many memories and thoughts may be resurrected in the person helping to create this redefining of the mindscape of which the Theatre of Memories aims ao adapt.

Cognition Innocence Dissonant Emergence Worldliness Altering

ISOMETRIC SECTION

Transfiguration

The cascading niches become integrated into the facade of the Theatre of Memories itself, revealing and hinting at the untold truths within, the palimpsesrs residing and altering through the reality of the space’s conditions.

Exposition

The ribbons intertwining with the theatre of memories lead the eye to the entrance, glimpses into the space are created through the rifts in its fabric, rcesses and dips create seating for interaction.