ARCHIVE CENTRE // POINT ADDIS
06 // RATIONALE RATIONALE: Point Addis (PA) consists of three main elements that contrast one another. Heathland, cliff (rock), and reef. Through juxtaposing these environments we began developing a rationale to understand our design process. Contrast between real and simulated; present and future; architecture and the environment; virtual and artifact. Point Addis Archive Centre (PAAC) questions the boundaries and limitations of archives, displaying archived recorded virtual realities of its surrounding environment. The main proposition for this structure is the question of time, and to what will remain of PA in the near or extended future. What will be required of the site and how will the building function in worsening climate conditions. PAAC consists of cast in place concrete masses; the most noticeable a 10 by 10 meter height tower which acts to service the whole centre, and is only accessible to staff. Opposite is the virtual realm; a publicly accessible series of rooms where visitors can experience all of Point Addis virtually. PAAC isn’t merely an ecological centre, but instead positions itself as an archive. An archive that allows the public to experience unique perspectives unseen before at PA, and yet allows for research and experimentation to occur within private zones.
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