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Act III: what the future holds

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Credits

Credits

M: The idea of using imagination and putting yourself on the stage leads to the creation of the word metatheatre. This is a term coined by Lionel Abel in 1963 which ‘‘is a convenient name

for the quality or force in a play which challenges theatre’s claim to be simply realistic -- to be nothing but a mirror in which we view the actions and sufferings of characters like ourselves, suspending our disbelief in their reality...’’31

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This technique is similar to that of removing the 4th wall, where the story is so relatable the viewers become immersed in the show, imagining themselves in the character’s shoes. Over time the phrase transformed into something else, and much like the ‘metaverse’ is a world within a world [virtual within real], metatheatre can also refer to the play within the play or the story within the story.

Moving on from rigid, structured theatres, we can begin to take down the barriers between audience and performer. Blurring the boundary and allowing each to meet in the middle...This interaction brings the idea of immersology. Metatheatre removes the 4th wall but still has the form of a traditional theatre with a seated audience and staged performers. Immmersology32 breaks the 4th wall completely by removing the physical divisions and putting everyone in the same playing space.

Sandbox is a structure that can be used to create an immersive

theatre, where the audience ‘‘can choose what to see and do within the space, acting as their own camera or protagonist. The primary activity is in the constant choice of where to go, so there is often a strong aspect of more-passive “witnessing” in the actor-audience relationship, although some sandboxes may allow audience choices to alter the story.’’33 Punchdrunk is a theatre company who create environments and systems of spaces where the nature of the journey is chaotic - much like the reality of real life.34 When the audience return to the same show, they can change the story each time, creating incentive for coming back.

31 Lionel Abel, https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/engl3270/327.meta.html 32 https://www.immersology.com/structures/ 33 lbid 34 https://www.punchdrunk.com/

Figure 15: Painting by American artist Roy Lichtenstain [could be considered a ‘meta-painting’]

‘‘we don’t need human intelligence, but ecosystem intelligence’’’ -Keith Skene [2020]

S: Translating from background research to a design proposal within Athens, we can now go back to the collective memory of people and place. The specific elements of Athens being the abandoned buildings and dense city fabric which lacks orientation points [apart from the acropolis] provides an interesting playing field for testing a system of memory where ‘‘one of the most important

aspects of rehabilitation architecture is precisely the shift of emphasis from individual buildings to communities of buildings’’35 [Fernandez-Galiano, 2000]. Athens is layered with memories, but they are shadowed by the grandeur of the Parthenon overlooking it. The aim is to allow the hidden and forgotten but influential moments in history to emerge and show the true genius loci of the environment, rather than what is currently perceived.

A city for the people that live and experience the streets everyday. Where communities can choose what buildings are in their neighbourhood, this system proposal allows for decentralisation of facilities.

The aim of the system is to become an ‘eco-system’, where once the initial stages are set up they will function essentially by themselves, which in turn means that they will adapt by themselves whenever it is required by the people of the city.

First stage is the introduction of a FOAM mapping system.36 Where an app which passersby of abandoned buildings can log the buildings in. Once there are enough ‘logs’ the building is deemed as ‘abandoned’ and the next stage will begin. A 10 minute radius is drawn around the building, forming a temporary community. Interested locals then group together and form a CLT [community land trust]. The building owner is contacted and asked if they want to join the group or sell it to them. Either way, the community gains ownership and control of the building. A vote takes place to decide what temporary ‘memory function’ ----------------is to take place until they can figure out what the neighbourhood is missing and what purpose could be introduced to the site. Whilst the temporary structure is in place it provides a usable space to the community and also an experience for locals and visitors to learn about the history of Athens and create their own memories at the same time. It is imagined the temporary space would be there for 2-5 years, which will allow the commuity time to raise awareness to impact investors. Another vote will take place between the locals where they decide if the temporary function has been useful or if they have realised the area is missing something else instead. Either way, a more permanent structure would form, benefitting the community and bringing control back to the people. If the building becomes abandoned again the whole process will be repeated but this time it would be a more organic transition.

35 Fernandez-Galiano. (2000). Fire and memory : on architecture and energy. MIT Press. p 176 36 explained more in depth in the group booklet ‘modern ruins’ p 41/42

M

M

upload to FOAM system = 100

3% of the city’s buildings are abandoned

CLT building owner

incentive token

community control + ownership help or sell €

vote for temporary site use 10 minute community forms temporarily

3D scan of building is created [memory of the building in its best state of the time as they are only going to deteriorate further. Ensures the buildings are not lost forever and can always be referred back to

site translates from building to temporary experience

impact investor second community vote for permanent solution

incentive

discount new function

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