Master of Architecture Thesis, Astonishment in Architecture: Interrogating via Immersive Technology.

Astonishment in Architecture:

Interrogating the Ineffable, Sublime, and the Cosmos Through Immersive Technology.

Master of Architecture Dissertation Curtin University

Christopher Mewburn 14283002

This dissertation contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief this dissertation contains no material previously published by any other person except where due acknowledgement has been made.

Signed.

Date.

17 November 2014

© Copyright Christopher Mewburn, 2014.

C.Mewburn@hotmail.com All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Astonishment in Architecture:

Interrogating the Ineffable, Sublime, and the Cosmos Through Immersive Technology.

Master of Architecture Dissertation Supervised by Dr Annette Condello Curtin University

Christopher Mewburn 14283002

Acknowledgements Sincere thanks go to the following people for their continued support throughout my education, without you this dissertation would not be possible. My Supervisor, Dr Annette Condello, thank you for your mentorship and your guidance week in and week out, and your wonderful patience with me, even in the most difficult times. Dr Robyn Creagh, thank you for your advice, and provocative questions throughout the dissertation. Jay and Rachel, thank you for your support with technology, ideas, editing and so much more, and for your love and friendship over the years. Josh, Andrew, Nick, and Jesse, thank you for allowing this body of work to take residence in the HIVE, and also for your invaluable support. Simon, Stephen, Justin and Steve, the great architects of Northwood Street, thank you for your mentorship and friendship over this long time. George Sheldon, your wisdom continues to guide me more than you know. My fellow budding architects in studio, thank you for the laughs, the critiques, and the endless comradery. Brett Mitchell, your selfless dedication to elevating your peers is inspiring.

The lecturers, tutors, and staff in Building 201, who are now great friends, thank you. Deb and Linden in the Resource Centre, thank you for you bottomless patience. Andi and Venny, thank you for your support and the generous loan of your iPads. Yuki thank you for always helping me to relax and for the immense joy you bring to my life. To Mum and Dad, I love and thank you for everything you have done for me, I will always strive to make you proud. Finally, to my best friend and eternal partner, Miss Euterpe Platritis, you are my hero; you continue to inspire me and lift me up, thank you for being the light in my day.

Abstract The height of human emotion, according to Edmund Burke’s “Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful,” is astonishment, and is felt most often in the presence of natural phenomena (Boulton 2008, 57).

The Pantheon in Rome, and James Turrell’s Aten Reign (2013) at the Guggenheim New York, are works of architecture whose deeply moving presence have marked my memory forever as places of absolute astonishment. This dissertation explores astonishment in architecture, seeking to better understand the field, and through the process of design research, create an approximation to it. The theoretical research undertaken proposes that astonishment in architecture is felt through the invoked sensation of great power beyond us and an air of the sacred. Through rigorous historical and philosophical research, the profanely sacred presence of extraordinary architecture, thought to underpin astonishment, is found to arise at the point of intersection between the philosophies of the ‘Ineffable’ and the ‘Sublime.’ Tangible parameters, such as ‘Light’ and ‘Obscurity’ are elicited from these philosophies and interrogated through the slow composition of a mixed use New York tower using immersive technology, including spherical projections, at Curtin University’s HIVE laboratory. Expanding on knowledge gained through an iterative process of building, experiencing and reflecting, the final design, namely three rooms of grand sacred presence, is crafted through a film that further investigates the elicited tangible parameters, and also approximates an extraordinary experience. The findings of this dissertation highlight the power of the elicited tangible parameters to create an architecture that is beyond the ordinary with a strong spiritual presence, and affirm the influence of a connection to the sacred in the path to grand experience. Astonishment in architecture was originally felt in real inhabitable spaces; therefore, immersive technologies and film are used for a more genuine experience than traditional drawing or modelling techniques. The outcomes of the dissertation are; new immersive methods of design including, spherical projection, a digital Manuscript App, and film interrogation; a deepened understanding of the power of sacred presence in architecture; and three wondrous rooms in a New York tower that approximate close to architectural astonishment.

Contents Abstract 7 Introduction and Spatial Grounding 10 Philosophical Grounding 15 Interrogating the Elicited Tangibles 24 Astonishment in Architecture - Key findings

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Reflection and Conclusion 49 Appendix 51

Introduction and Spatial Grounding.

The grounding of this dissertation begins with my experience of the Pantheon in Rome. Words cannot describe the sensation. The space was extraordinary, unlike anything I had ever felt before, it was breathtaking. The light, the enormity, the oculus, the sound... left me stunned, silent, astonished. Seven years later it happened again; I entered James Turrell’s Aten Reign at the Guggenheim in New York.

The immensity, the light, the colour, the strangeness, the energy... moved me to bewildered awe and amazement. Though different from the Pantheon, the power of the room conjured the same absolute astonishment.

This dissertation uses new methods of immersive technology, film, and design that are rigorously grounded in historical and theoretical discourse to explore the field of astonishment in architecture.

Researching great architectural experience through the theoretical realm of astonishment may expand into understanding, and potentially creating, great architectural spaces in future practice. The first chapter of the exegesis investigates a group of spatial practitioners whose work, influences, and writings resonate with extraordinary presence in architecture. The common threads across their work form the basis of the theoretical position of the ‘Ineffable,’ which is then contrasted to Edmund Burke, and Immanuel Kant’s philosophy of the ‘Sublime’ (Goldthwait 1960) and (Boulton 2008). In combining the notions of Burke and Kant with the observations of Juhani Pallasmaa, it is found that astonishment is the emotional reaction to the sensation of God, and it is at the intersection between the Ineffable and Sublime that astonishment might occur in architecture (Pallasmaa 2007). The tangible parameters of Light, Order and Material, and Infinity and Obscurity, are elicited from the Ineffable and Sublime respectively.

The next chapter of the exegesis will see these parameters investigated, while deeply grounded in historical precedent, through iteratively testing their outcomes when combined together in the design process to compose a mixed use tower in New York. ‘Looking Up,’ ‘Looking In,’ and ‘Looking Out’ are elicited from the initial precedent research as the three common modes of experience in extraordinary architectural spaces. Looking Up was further explored in the formative weeks (August 2014) in a research expedition to Canberra to film and experience James Turrell’s “Within Without” a dynamic oculus room, which was imperative to the later “Oculus Interrogations” in this dissertation. Foyer at ground, Pool at centre, and Meeting Place at peak, correlating respectively to the modes of experience, are the three spaces designed as the core of the tower. The investigations, taking place at Curtin University’s HIVE immersive research laboratory, begin simply, then refined to more intimate explorations, all experienced at one to one scale inside a spherical projection. The experience of each test is then observed, reflected upon and recorded in a digital Manuscript App, which allows all tests and reflections made throughout the research, including navigable spherical projections, to be experienced simultaneously at any time.

The limitless capacity of the Manuscript also allows for continual expansion of the research beyond this dissertation.

The third chapter discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the interrogated tangible parameters, individually and combined, and the outcomes of the tower design, as depicted through film experience.

Finally, the exegesis reflects on the knowledge gained and limitations of exploring astonishment in architecture, the opportunities for future research, and the power of sacred presence found in the near approximation of the final design spaces to architectural astonishment.

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Astonishment felt in the Pantheon, Rome. http://faculty.etsu.edu/kortumr/09rome/htmdescriptionpages/14pantheon2.htm. (accessed 17.08.14)

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Astonishment in James Turrell’s Aten Reign at the Guggenheim. (by the author)

Chapter One

Philosophical Grounding.

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The Ineffable, Sublime, and the Cosmos.

Experiencing the extraordinary can be separated into two philosophical realms; architecture: the ‘Ineffable,’ and nature: the ‘Sublime.’ Five photo books on architecture were created through the study of spatial practitioners whose work and philosophy resonated highly with the extraordinary presence felt in architecture, (see Extraordinary Practitioners, p18). Each spatial practitioner coined their own term for this presence; for Louis Kahn, it is the ‘Unmeasurable’ (Kahn 1969), for Peter Zumthor, the ‘Atmosphere’ (Zumthor 2006), for Le Corbusier, the ‘Ineffable’ (Wogensky 2006), for James Turrell, the ‘Material Immaterial’ (Govan 2013), and for Juhani Pallasmaa, the ‘Sacred’ (Pallasmaa 2007). Though the vocabulary varies, there are consistent threads across the work and philosophy of these practitioners that can be considered tangible parameters to this great presence; Light, Order, and Material (see Elicited Tangibles, p20). These parameters are used and discussed across the realm of deep presence in architecture, a sensation that cannot be put into words. As this most resonates with Le Corbusier’s musings, the realm of architecture in this dissertation shall be referred to as ‘the Ineffable.’

Four further photo books were created based on my personal influences and experiences which revealed that A similar sensation of breathtaking awe is felt in the presence of natural phenomena (see Personal Experience Books). Edmund Burke proclaims in 1757 that “the passion caused by the great and sublime in nature, when those causes operate most powerfully, is astonishment; and astonishment is that state of the soul, in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of terror” (Boulton 2008, 57). The exceptional natural phenomena that I have felt were truly astonishing; therefore, belong to the philosophy of the Sublime. Burke, describes the tangible parameters that he determines to cause the feeling of the sublime; terror, infinity, vastness, obscurity, magnificence, light, and colour (Boulton 2008). Davies (2005) notes that examples of the sublime include; the boundless ocean, powerful storms, tall mountain peaks, deep chasms with raging torrents, and the starry night sky, which are attributed to; terror, obscurity, power, vastness, and infinity. While the experience is found in nature, there are continuing tangible qualities to the Sublime and, therefore, to astonishment, that can be interrogated through architecture.

Immanuel Kant describes the sublime as “that which is absolutely great […] great beyond all comparison,” and suggests that “we find pleasure in the inadequacy of our faculties, both physical and intellectual, against the might of nature” (Goldthwait 1960, 57). This would suggest that astonishment, as the emotional reaction to the sublime (according to Bourke), is caused by an encounter with great power beyond our measure or comprehension. Juhani Pallasmaa suggests that “Natural beauty, particular scenery, or even specific conditions of weather, often awaken feelings of serenity and sacredness. Such conditions of nature appear perfect and meaningful, and they evoke the readings of intentionality and, consequently, the existence of the Creator, with his divine purposes” (2007, 110).

Nature is evocative because it is inexplicable and incomprehensible, and the sensation of that connects us to the idea of God, or a higher power. It can then be argued through the claims of Bourke, Kant, and Pallasmaa that astonishment in nature is the emotional reaction to the sensation of God or connection to the cosmos, and is found in the presence of those things whose creation cannot be explained, or have physical parameters beyond human measure.

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At what point then, does an unnatural space, like the Pantheon, move beyond the ineffable realm and become astonishing? This dissertation proposes that astonishment occurs in exactly the same way in unnatural circumstances; through the presence or sensation of god-like intervention. The Pantheon and Aten Reign both exude an inexplicable presence, and were of proportions beyond my measure. In the mode of experience ‘Looking Up’ (see page 23), which both of these spaces categorise within, the oculus is looking up to infinity, up to the heavens, and up to the cosmos. The astonishment that I felt in these spaces can, therefore, be considered to be caused by the sensation they radiate of a god-like or spiritual presence.

Pallasmaa (2007) suggests that spirituality in architecture can be achieved profanely, without religious symbol or connotation, through the inherent nature of human experience when in the presence of extraordinary architecture. He moves that “such an experience may arise from an exceptional sense of place or space, purity of form, intense materiality or colour, or a transcendent illumination” (Pallasmaa 2007, 108). The tangible parameters of the Ineffable; Order, Material, and Light correlate respectively to Purity of Form, Intense Materiality or Colour, and Transcendent Illumination. Furthermore, Bourke’s tangibles of the Sublime, Infinity and Obscurity, correlate to the final parameter; exceptional sense of place or space.

Light, Order, and Material are the tangibles of great architectural presence, the Ineffable. Infinity and Obscurity are the tangibles of the great feeling of the Sublime. Together, they have the potential to suffuse an air of spirituality, and, therefore, the subsequent emotional reaction of astonishment. Dissecting these parameters, their individual characteristics, and their effect when in combination, shall bring me closer to understanding astonishment in architecture.

As ton ish me nt in

Ineffable Architecture Deep reverence Exceptional Spatial Presence

Ar ch ite ctu re

:P rof an es

Light Order Material

Infinity Obscurity

acr e

dp res en ce, con ne ct

Natural Phenomena Astonishment Great Power Beyond Measure

Sublime

ion to co sm os.

Diagram by the Author.

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Extraordinary Practitioners.

At the beginning of this research, a collective of spatial practitioners were chosen whose work and philosophical musings resonated most with the field of extraordinary presence. A ‘Photo Book’ was made for Louis Kahn, Peter Zumthor, Le Corbusier, Santiago Calatrava, and James Turrell (see Appendix iii).

Each book consists of three parts; the practitioner’s creative influences, from art, film, architecture, poetry, and so on; their philosophical musings on great space; and finally images of their works that most resonate as extraordinary. The influences and workings of the practitioners also form part of the design research process as they are further investigated in the ‘Interrogations,’ Chapter Three. Analysis of these books shows continuous threads to extraordinary architecture that shall be elicited as tangible parameters to the Ineffable.

According to the studied practitioners, light has the greatest influence in the mood, atmosphere and experience of the space. Louis Kahn repeatedly discussed light as the material of architecture used to derive monumental space, stating that “light is the giver of all presences” and “even a dark room needs at least a crack of light to let you know how dark it is” (McCarter 2009, 472). Peter Zumthor suggests that light may be the most important source of atmosphere, noting, “it gives me the feeling there is something beyond me, something beyond all understanding” (2006, 61). For James Turrell, educated in perceptual psychology and art (Gimenez and Trotman 2013), light is his tool, his paint. He believes “you can make an architecture with light alone,” and “it is out of the blackness of ink, that one gets light” (Bloomberg 2013). Le Corbusier was also possessed by the power of light, claiming that “architecture is the masterful, correct, and magnificent play of volumes brought together in light” (Goodman 2008, 102). Light is important to the construction of great architecture, and deeply impacts the experience of the space.

Books on Architecture Clockwise from top left: Kahn, Corbusier, Turrell, Zumthor, Calatrava.

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References to historical order, harmony and the use of simple geometries are continually made by the studied practitioners. Heavily influenced by his voyage to the east, including Greece, Turkey, and India (Webber 2012), Le Corbusier gained a fascination with harmony and symmetry combined with Euclidean Geometries proposing “cubes, cones, spheres, cylinders, and pyramids are clear and tangible […] these are the most beautiful forms” (Goodman 2008, 102). Kahn also made formative travels to places such as the Acropolis in Greece (McCarter 2008), where he devised his ideas of ‘Monumentality’ in architecture noting that great space, is “impressiveness, clarity of form, and logical scale […] found in the beginnings, in the archaic” (McCarter 2009, 42). He was greatly influenced by an historical architecture class where he studied Baroque, Egyptian, Gothic, Greek, and Roman periods (McCarter 2009), which later manifests in his work as continual references to the rules of order, mass, and proportion. Zumthor also muses over proportion, proposing that it has more to do with “levels of intimacy” (2006, 51), or the relationship between people and things, than sheer scale or dimensions. Ancient order and the use of simple geometries expressed in great mass and proportion is highly influential to the work of these practitioners.

Materials, and the way they can be composed with other materials, are fundamentally important to the composition of great space. Zumthor (2006) advocates for raw materials that wear, keep, and have resonance, and suggests that while material composition is limitless, there is one right composition to impose the desired atmosphere. The composition must be emotionally moving, and the material palette should be subtle and silently seductive. Le Corbusier also believed that “architecture is the use of raw materials to establish stirring relationships” (Goodman 2008, 194), and that the “the bearers of sensation are; wood, marble, tree, lawn, blue horizon, near or distant sea, sky” (Goodman 2008, 224). For Kahn (1969, 44), “there takes a great room for greatness to occur,” and greatness shall arise from light, mass, and archaic material (Kahn 2003). Material composition is intrinsically linked to how we experience a space, and the presence it exudes.

Juhani Pallasmaa’s writing, particularly “The Aura of the Sacred” (2007) and “The Place of Man” (1982), begins to ground the work of the practitioners studied; particularly in his summary of moving architectural experience: “Space, material and time seem to unite into a single dimension that penetrates our awareness. In these experiences, space takes on more gravity, as it were – the character of light becomes more tangible, time seems to stop, and space is dominated by silence.

We identify with this place, the space, this moment, and they all become part of our body and consciousness” (1982, 75).

For Kahn, this grand experience is found in the “Unmeasurable,” where monumentality, through ancient order and material, approach the “realm of the artist, the language of God” (Ngo 1998, 26). Turrell also “wished to touch the light of dreams, and bring it before the eyes of day, to build new worlds of light, as powerful as the lucid dream” (Govan and Kim 2013, 49). Zumthor, heavily influenced by impressionist artists including Casper David Friedrich, JMW Turner, and Mark Rothko (Zumthor 2006), contends that great space depends on its ‘atmosphere.’ Le Corbusier claimed that architecture at its most stirring radiates a truly inexplicable presence; that “when a work reaches a maximum of intensity, and has been made with the best quality of execution [...] a phenomenon takes place that we may call Ineffable Space” (Wogensky 2006, 81). Great presence is at the core of the philosophy of these practitioners, and light, raw materials, and simple geometries are common threads to the realm of extraordinary space.

After completing Santiago Calatrava’s Photo Book, it was decided that his philosophy does not directly resonate with extraordinary felt presence. His architectural work, however, particularly his interior compositions (Tzonis 2004), have an air of heavenly elegance, purity and beauty that resonates deeply with architectural astonishment.

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Elicited Tangibles.

Common threads across the books of architecture make up the tangible parameters of extraordinary architecture. Light, Order, and Material are continually resonant characteristics of the architectural Ineffable.

Edmund Burke describes the impact of Infinity and Obscurity as resulting in the grand sensation of the Sublime (Boulton 2008). Together, these parameters may cause the sacred aura and immense presence believed to underpin astonishment in architecture, and their interrogation may broaden understanding of this field.

Landscape and the Poetics of Human Action were also elicited as tangible parameters to the ineffable, as great space is deeply rooted in its context, and seeks to elevate functional use to poetic and beautiful experience. As these parameters did not align to the Ineffable, Sublime and Sacred logic, they have not been included in further interrogations.

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Light Light is the ultimate tangible quality. We experience depth, proportion, material, colour, and texture, through light. Light is the giver of all presences. The atmosphere, mood, and aura of the space, are all felt through the careful composition of light; and light’s opposite, shadow and darkness.

Order Order is the timeless connection to historical precedent, ways of working, building, and thinking. It is harmony created through simple geometries; arches, domes, vaults, columns, pyramids, squares, rectangles and circles.

Material Material is the composition of raw materials; stone, concrete, wood, metal, glass, to create a mood. Sky and light are materials, and colour, quality, value and texture are all intrinsically linked to experience.

Ineffable Sublime Infinity Infinity is that which is beyond our human measure. More than just vastness, it is the sensation of great power beyond us. In architecture, infinity is found in proportions, grand or small, that relate to the scale of the experience relative to human interaction.

Obscurity Obscurity brings a sense of wonder and intrigue to a place. There is something strange at play, with a powerful allure of something inexplicable and incomprehensible. Darkness, illusions, opposites, and the uncanny or unexpected, are great providers of obscurity.

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Personal Experience Books.

My architectural travels in Italy (2007) and across America (2013) hold memories of extraordinary spaces such as, St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Our Lady of Christ Cathedral and the Salk Institute in California, though none compare to the astonishment felt in the Pantheon in Rome, and Aten Reign in New York. In order to further understand my experience with astonishment and where it resided for me, I crafted four photo books investigating my own influences, readings, and work, within the realms architecture, art, nature, film, and literature (see Appendix iv). Dissection of these books shows that it is grand experiences of architecture and nature that have had the most effect. Subjectively then, astonishment arises in two forms: natural phenomena, and extraordinary spatial presence. These two experiences are aligned with the philosophies of the Sublime, and the Ineffable respectively.

Four books on personal experience.

Left to Right: Resonating Philosophy; Practitioners; Nature, Film, Art and My Work; and Architecture Voyages.

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Looking Out, Looking Up, and Looking In. Further study of the books on architecture identify three modes of composing great presence in space, and, therefore, three modes of experience which I have termed; ‘Looking Up,’ ‘Looking Out,’ and ‘Looking In.’ ‘Looking Up’ is a space that seduces an upward gaze with a grand oculus, evocative ceiling, or a lofty colonnade, it is reminiscent of looking up to the heavens or up at the cosmos. Looking Out is an architectural composition that, frames, captures, and delivers an extraordinary view to the observer; the entire space is crafted to best position the occupant to experience the view, and is reminiscent of standing atop a mountain, at the edge of a cliff, or the shore of a vast ocean. Both Looking Up and Looking Out, send the viewer’s gaze to infinity, whereas Looking In differs in that it generates the sensation of being completely closed off from the outside world, an architectural oasis. Looking In, is a sensual experience, heavily focused on the seduction of materials, and the play of light and shadow, and is akin to the mesmerisation of staring into the fire. Looking Up, Out and In were interrogated further in three films of great spaces (see Appendix vii), and shall form the basis of the design in this dissertation.

Looking Up. Turrell, Aten Reign, New York.

(Mewburn, 2014)

Looking Out. Kahn, Salk Institute, California.

(Mewburn, 2014)

Looking In. Zumthor, Therme Vals.

(Zumthor, 2014).

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Chapter Two

Interrogating the Elicited Tangibles.

Image of author observing a test within DOME at the HIVE Immersive Research Laboratory. Taken by the author.

Preface to Interrogations: expanding my position on astonishment.

Many buildings were studied and referenced in my books on architecture, however, only two were truly astonishing; the Pantheon and Aten Reign. I have studied the architects and practitioners of the Ineffable because their work and their philosophy resonate within the realm of astonishment. Great presence, emotionally moving space, and extraordinary experience is what they aim for. They have achieved ineffable presence in some of their work; but what is it then that moves architecture like the Pantheon and Aten Reign beyond the Ineffable and toward astonishment? This dissertation proposes that it is the point where the Ineffable and the Sublime meet, that astonishment in architecture occurs, therefore, interrogating the territory in which these fields cross will bring me closer to understanding astonishment.

Achieving astonishment is not the aim of this dissertation. Though the research argues a philosophical logic behind astonishment in architecture, it is not expected that this will become a ruling formula, nor is it expected that an astonishing design will result from this dissertation. A method will be designed that interrogates the elicited tangibles, while slowly composing an architecture that approaches extraordinary experience, and through that process, shall deepen my understanding of architectural astonishment.

The philosophy of beauty was also studied in depth, however, reflection on my books of experience exposes that beauty lacks the strength of impact that the Pantheon and Aten Reign left in my memory. Beauty, therefore, will not be included in this interrogation of astonishment.

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Design Research Brief.

The design of this dissertation shall interrogate the elicited tangibles Light, Order, Material, Infinity and Obscurity, by iteratively testing spatial compositions that identify the nature of the tangibles both separate, and when mixed together. The testing shall begin broadly with simple designs testing the basic parameters of the tangibles, then gain specificity by interrogating the way tangibles can be combined to create a desired atmosphere. As the tangible parameters arise from the collected philosophical and built work in the discourse, their interrogations shall make continued reference back to the studied practitioners to ground the design research in its theoretical beginnings. For example; when studying Order, which is heavily referred to by Louis Kahn, the architectural tests may make reference to the typologies that he constructs, such as; unbroken circles, deep triangular apertures, and vaulted arches.

The design process, while interrogating the elicited tangibles, shall slowly compose a mixed use tower in New York, chosen for its extraordinary constructed landscape, and its personal connection as the original location of astonishment in Aten Reign at the Guggenheim. The site at East 56 Street and Park Avenue, replacing the existing “432 Park Avenue Tower,” is geographically central to Manhattan, can be seen from all of the boroughs, and positions itself between Central Park to the north, and the Empire State Building and One World Trade Centre to the south. This optimises the Looking Out experience at the peak of the tower, as each vantage offers a different and dynamic view. The tower design will prioritise the three modes of experience, Looking Up; as a foyer at the ground, Looking In; as a pool at the centre, and Looking Out; as a meeting place at the peak.

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Design Constraints.

The tower shall be sited at E 56th Street and Park Avenue, replacing the ‘432 Park Avenue’ tower.

The tower shall be 100 storeys, 421m, to maximise Looking Out Horizon. This is taller than the Empire State, 381m, but not taller than One World Trade Centre, 541m (Emporis 2014).

The tower shall have a slim floor plate of 30 x 30 metres, to minimise over shadowing.

The core of the building will be designed. The composition of the spaces Looking Up, a sacred foyer at ground; Looking In, a meditative pool and ritualistic oasis at the centre; and Looking Out, a Grand Meeting Place in the sky for visitors and tenants atop the tower, shall be prioritised in the design process. Facades and residential/offices shall be mass studies only.

The connection between the tower and Central Park shall form part of the design process

Existing “Luxury Residential 432 Park Avenue Tower” on the selected site, view to Central Park. and beyond. http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/432_Park_Avenue (accessed 14.11.14)

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Methodology.

The method for the design research is broken into five parts: 1. Identify the sensation or atmosphere that is desired within one of the three modes of experience (i.e. Looking In > Pool > Sacred bathing ritual, closed in world, reflective and silent oasis).

2. Interrogate the elicited tangibles of astonishment by constructing a spatial composition that combines a quality, or qualities, that the tangibles represent, and is grounded in the body of research. (i.e. Looking In Pool > Material > Ancient Turkish bathing mosaics).

3. Experience this composition immersively in the Dome at the HIVE, observe what was tested, and reflect on what outcomes were found in both the combination of tangibles, and in the tangibles individually, in the pursuit of the desired outcome.

4. Record compositions, observations and reflections in the digital Manuscript App. Every space that I build and experience, and my resultant observations, shall be available at all times, however, not every composition is to be recorded; only key moments of change.

4a. Iteratively build the composition, repeating steps 2-4 until the space reaches a level of refinement and begins to carry the desired atmosphere (maximum 40 tests per space).

5. Compose the final design of the New York tower in a film that shows the experience of the space, and also further dissects the elicited tangibles by including images of key tests in the scenes.

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[Top]: Curtin University’s HIVE Immersive Research Laboratory, using DOME to stand in spherical projections. [Bottom]: Using the digital Manuscript App to record all tests, observations and reflections, and also re-experience sphericals at any time.

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Interrogations | ‘Ring of Sky’

[Tests 001-037]

‘Ring of Sky’ dissects the elicited tangibles through the guise of Looking Up, where the observer arrives at an open air foyer at the tower base. The immense weight of the tower above is felt as it strikes the ground through a dense lift core. Looking Up is captured through an unbroken opening between the foyer walls and the ceiling above that draws in the ever changing New York sky, sun and seasons.

Order is the predominant focus of this study, beginning with simple questions; how high should a wall rise above the foyer, and how should the ceiling meet the lift core to conjure a weighty and isolating sky experience? Considering Louis Kahn (Ngo 1998) and Le Corbusier’s (Goodman 2008) references to geometry - arches, pyramids, circles, vaults, and so forth - compositions of wall heights, ceiling geometries, openings, structures, and thicknesses were tested. The least successful tests were the most complicated architecturally, while great presence came from simple moves and pure geometries. Infinity tested the proportion of viewer to walls, ceiling and sky. The most successful compositions brought the sky and the tower’s weight down to the observer through the ceiling. Extreme vastness, however, muted the experience for the viewer, detaching the tower above, rather than causing the sensation of its immense weight. Obscurity and Material were used to exaggerate the ring of sky by forcing other elements out of focus through shadow or blurred boundaries. Where the limits of the space become difficult to grasp (Obscurity), the sky becomes the point of orientation, and we are drawn up to its aura. Limiting the material palette further enhanced this. Light was also tested to find how the viewer’s eye can be seduced upward, including the impact of sunlight at varying times through the changing structures, and artificial lighting to the ceiling.

This interrogation of the elicited tangible parameters has demonstrated the power of simplicity, subtlety and harmony to create a composed experience. Pushing any tangible too far destroys the atmosphere.

Unity across the tangibles, combined with simple yet grand spatial moves, will give the greatest presence.

See “Manuscript” App on the iPad for full interactive sphericals, observations, and reflections (Appendix ix).

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10

21

29

36

[Test numbers correlate to Manuscript App] 10: ceiling too high, detached experience. 21: Simplicity, seducing the eye up, brings the sky down. 29: sunlight gives time to the space. 36: black tiles prioritise the ring. [Bottom] Louis Kahn’s Bangladesh National Capital showing power in simple geometry (McCarter 2009).

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Interrogations | ‘Oculus’

[Tests 038-059]

‘Oculus’ dissects the elicited tangibles of a Looking Up space, centred around a grand oculus. Arriving in this space, the viewer should be immediately caught by the extreme and uninterrupted presence of the oculus. Many of these tests make reference to James Turrell’s Aten Reign, and the experience that was filmed for this dissertation at his Within Without in Canberra; particularly the use of bold colour and obscure boundaries.

Order is explored to find the best ceiling geometry to experience the oculus, including the dome, pyramid, cone, and cylinder. While more complex geometries felt arbitrary and though they would lose sensation over time, the cylinder, a simple 10 metre deep, 20 metre wide extrusion, filled the space with a God-like presence. Order was further tested through the oculus; dividing it into rings, extruding downward and upward, and changing the material to light ratio to create shadow or amplify light. The strongest outcomes were the extruded rings and the black centre; giving the illusion of the oculus falling to the observer below, and of a great eye above. Light and Infinity are combined to create a great white light emanating from beyond. While this has great presence in the space, the ‘slice of sunlight’ (Louis Kahn in McCarter 2009), and the sense of time that arises from this, is missing from the experience. Material and Obscurity are combined to prioritise and amplify the presence of the oculus.

Light and Infinity are the ultimate conjurers of presence in this space as the great looming oculus begins to form a powerful sensation of god-like scale and otherness. Order, Material and Obscurity, are utilised to bring attention to this power, rather than bring their own presence to the space. While the spiritual sensation is beginning to show in the oculus; this is not felt in the surrounding space as it lacks the weighty connection that comes from strong architectural Order, and raw sensual Material. Stronger utilisation of the tangibles, in harmony with one another, shall provide a grander sacred experience.

32

42

39

[Test numbers correlate to Manuscript App] 42: complex 90 degree extrusion. 39: lack of presence in domes. 46: power starting to emerge from the grand oculus. 57: dissecting the oculus. For further analysis of these tests, see the corresponding test numbers in the Manuscript App. [Below] Turrell’s “Within Without” dynamic oculus studied in Canberra. (by the author).

46

57

33

Interrogations | ‘Ring of Sky’ and ‘Oculus’

[Tests 060-093]

Ring of Sky and Oculus attempts to combine the ever changing environment and connection to New York sky, with the God-like presence of the oculus. Looking Up changes depending on the observer’s position in the space. From the edge, Infinity is sky; at the centre, Infinity is the grand oculus.

Order and Infinity begin to define the ratio between sky and oculus through differing ceiling geometries, and the connection between foyer wall and ceiling. Too much sky is overbearing and detracts from the oculus, while too little sky appears meaningless. Balance between the sky and oculus gave the space its greatest presence. The addition of sunlight brings a ritualistic connection to time, however, without the dense mass of Order and Material, the space lacks the depth of shadow and texture required in sacred experience. Furthermore, sunlight enters from above; competing with the zenithal light of the oculus.

Sunlight should enter from the side to build upon the presence of the space, rather than detract from Looking Up. Material and Obscurity were explored in experimentation with colour. The colour of the space reflects the atmosphere, and the fewer colours (or materials) in the scene, the more intense the experience. Stronger colours – deep blues, purples, and reds – are the most extreme to the senses and give greater presence to the space. The colours, however, do not connect the viewer to the cosmos or spirituality, nor do they add to the experience of Looking Up. Colour, without inherent connection to raw material, does not connect me to sacred presence, and, therefore, only detracts from the tangibles of architectural astonishment. Perhaps the power of Aten Reign comes from the colour of the light suffusing the space, not the colour of the walls. This shall be explored further in “Interrogations, Bathing Ritual.”

The sensation of the sacred comes from the harmonious workings of the tangibles to conjure a singular and wholly consuming experience. This interrogation identifies the need to focus less on the purity of Turrelllike space, and more on the deep shadow, weighty mass and architectural order of Kahn, Zumthor and Le Corbusier. There needs to be a return to spiritually driven experience and ritual, and to greater human presence.

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60

73

68

81

90 [Test numbers correlate to Manuscript App] 60: overbearing sky. 73: meaningless sky. 68: unnecessarily complex geometry detracts from presence. 81: space starting to become balanced, then testing colours. 90: absence of colour to preserve the purity of the experience. [Bottom Right] Coloured Light rather than coloured material in Turrell’s Aten Reign (Mewburn 2013).

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Interrogations | ‘Sacred Ritual’

[Tests 094-122]

Learning from the previous interrogations of the tangibles of astonishment, Sacred Ritual is the beginning of the final design for the New York tower; the foyer Looking Up. This space further dissects the elicited tangibles in a deeply spiritual place of mass, shadow, and a halo of light, reminiscent of the Pantheon and Stonehenge. Also following a comment by Assistant Professor Rene Van Meeuwen at a lecture given by Dr. Annette Condello at the University of Western Australia (October 2014), regarding the current explorations in “Visual Spoliation,” the remaining interrogations of this dissertaion attempt to use dirt, cracks, erosion and so forth, to create a deeper sense of reality in the augmented spaces. This further expands on the power of Material to bring the sensation of sacred presence to the space through the sensation of time.

Order is explored to create a layered space with dense thresholds, and a focal centre of the great dome and oculus; while Light is largely limited to the oculus to cast deep shadows throughout. Softly lit bulbs hang from the ceiling, like candles in a spiritual place, and give depth to the scene. Carving long, thin openings over the door threshold also allows warm side-raking light to lace over the walls and columns of the space, bringing the essence of time. This space is most powerful at night, when the surroundings fade to black, and the oculus beams its white light across the dome and everything beneath it. Infinity is explored through the proportions of Order; the depth of the column threshold, the diameter of the dome, and proportion of the area for Looking Up, against the human scale. Dark shadows in the space exaggerate the sense of Infinity as the boundaries become obscure. Elements that were more vast did not necessarily have greater presence; deep shadow lines over smaller columns gave greater effect than no shadows over full depth columns. The shadow brings great depth and weight to the space, like a Caravaggio painting.

Light, Obscurity, and Infinity, therefore, work together to give the sense of a scale beyond us, while heavily textured concrete gives great spiritual aura by exaggerating the effects of shadow and mass.

The simple and strong geometry, combined with dense mass, obscure darkness, beaming oculus, and the sense of time, work together to form a silent and powerful experience. This, combined with implicit connections to ritual and sacred place, is an exploration that begins to move the tangibles into the realm of the sacred.

36

104

113

116

121

122 [Test numbers correlate to Manuscript App] 104: Ritual experience, light only from oculus in dome.

113: long thin openings bring slice of sunlight. 116: vastness; full depth columns with no shadowline, less successful than smaller columns with shadow. 121: soft lit bulbs bring cathedral air. 122: heavily textured concrete adds to ritual and power of oculus (“Visual Spolitation”). [Bottom Right] Immense depth and weight in the black shadow of Caravaggio’s “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas_%28Caravaggio%29 (accessed 16.11.14).

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Interrogations | ‘Bathing Ritual’

[Tests 123-139]

Bathing Ritual is the physical, spiritual, and functional centre point of the New York tower. It is the medium between levels of office and residential, and a closed-off oasis of silent reflection. This space further dissects the elicited tangibles in a bathing experience that resonates with ancient and ritualistic Turkish and Roman Baths. Archway colonnades extending from the outer walls to the central core divide the space into four rooms of experience, each with a pool of different depth and temperature.

Looking In does not focus on a point of infinity, like an oculus or horizon; rather it finds its power in the sensual relationship between architecture and human experience. Order and Infinity are explored simply in the size and composition of the archway colonnades, how they create moments of threshold, passage, and intrigue, and how their physical presence alters the atmosphere. The most successful compositions were those which created a divide between the pool spaces, but maintained enough transparency to other pools to generate intrigue. The more vast archways were not more powerful, rather smaller archways with taller external walls gave a greater sensation of mass and infinity. Materials connected to bathing ritual were explored in their effect on the presence in the space, and each change altered the experience of all other tangibles. While mosaics carried connotations of bathing, the Travertine and stained concrete gave a greater connection to ancient ritual. Light in the pools act to define the differing experiences, and at night they combine at the archway threshold to create a third light and exaggerate the moment of transition. The geometric ceiling allows sunlight to pour over the space and give a sense of time, while obscurity in the high walls disconnects the viewer from New York, and the stone and water transcend them to a foreign place of solitude.

While the architecture here is not directly linked to spiritual form, there is a reflective silence found in the isolation of this space, and an intrinsic ancient connection of stone, water, and archway. These tangibles explore a different realm of sacred experience, found in the silent interaction of human and architecture.

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123

128

[Test numbers correlate to Manuscript App] 123: Archway colonnade, too much obscurity to next space. 128: intrigue between bathing rooms (material further explored in film).

137: exploring arch types, and light combined at threshold (light explored in film). 139: ‘T’ columns have weight and depth, and also visual transition (spolitation further explored in film). [Bottom Right] Turkish Ritual Bathing Experience http://starholidayhotel.com/turkish-bath. html (accessed 16.11.14).

137

139

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Interrogations | ‘Horizon Ritual’

[Tests 140-162]

Horizon Ritual is the capital of the New York tower; 100 storeys up, a cathedral of the sky. It draws in the infinite horizon and is seen from Central Park, and surrounding Boroughs. This Looking Out space is a room to place the individual in the presence of the silent enormity of Manhattan, and the world beyond, in a deeply sacred connection to the cosmos that can be likened to the Sublime view from a summited mountain peak.

Looking Out is architecture that adapts a grand view into a composed experience. Order and Infinity are explored in a brise soleil to mediate the boundary between horizon and observer, investigating combinations of curves and arches to frame the view with a sense of wonder and delight. An arch within an arch; referring to Louis Kahn and his Gothic Architecture influences (McCarter 2009), is expanded through a series of iterations creating frames for view, sky, light, and person. Obscurity is then added, forming a barrier between the view and the viewer, where various penetrations are tested. Creating more frames of view, and adding barriers through obscurity, enhances the intensity of the view when it opens up to the grand arch.

The sun is the giver of light, and as its rays dance across the floor, and the curves combine with the jaded stone tiles, a cathedral-like space of great volume and presence arises.

Astonishment is impacted by the sensation of a connection to the cosmos. This appears true as the space pulls horizon, sky, sun, and earth into the fore; resulting in a strong presence. While this space is no larger in floor plate than any of the other interrogations, there is a grander sense of volume. I cannot explain how this sensation occurs, however, I hypothesise that the harmony that is starting to arise between the tangibles has an impact in this. Infinity and Obscurity give an extraordinary sense of place, bringing the sensation of something beyond our measure, whilst Light and Material generate mood and atmosphere, and Order brings the ancient power of simplicity and geometry to the physical space we inhabit. This interrogation of tangibles is beginning to command an experience beyond the ordinary, and their increasing harmony is continuing to strengthen the connection to the sacred and the cosmos.

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148

151

154

159

162 [Test numbers correlate to Manuscript App] 148: testing composition of Brise Soleil to create obscurity and frame view. 151: framing views to infinity (New York added in film). 154: fragmenting view with references from east and west. 159: experimenting with doors to the Grand Arch, framing infinite horizon. 162: layering of arches to create space for view, experience, and light. [Bottom Right] Louis Kahn, arch within an arch thresholds at Indian Institute of Management (McCarter 2009).

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Interrogations | Final Design + Film The final film conveys the design of the New York tower in a way that gives the viewer a glimpse into the iterative process of composing the foyer, pool, and meeting space for fifty people, while also forming an experience. In watching the film, the tower slowly builds itself by exploring some of the stronger tests of the Manuscript. Still images of key points in the interrogations are added to each scene to convey the tower’s slow composition as we experience the tower in its setting, the three rooms, and also the presence of people - how they might experience each space. The film also further interrogates the field of astonishment as it allows for additional theoretical references to underpin the experience, including the woman standing at the edge of the infinite horizon in Looking Out, aligning with the Casper David Friedrich painting; ‘Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog’ (1818). The significance of the film is both a view into the research process, and an experience of the research outcome; a highly composed architecture within the realm of architectural astonishment. It allows the viewer to immersively observe both the process, and the designed outcome of the research undertaken in a more honest presentation; space, light, material and presence are far more difficult to fake in this medium than opposed to traditional drawing or collage methods.

The experience, therefore, has a greater depth of reality, and through that, allows deeper engagement that ultimately strengthens the sensation of the design. The final design, of the tower and the film, illustrates the learnings and reflections in the realm of astonishment, and achieves an experience in architecture that is beyond the ordinary.

See the final design film on the iPad: “Astonishment in Architecture” (Appendix x).

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[Left]: Casper David Friedrich (1818) “Wander Above the Sea of Fog”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderer_above_the_Sea_of_Fog (accessed 16.11.14). [Right]: Further interrogating astonishment by adding theoretical reference to the architecture in the film composition.

Looking Out space atop the mixed use New York Tower (by the author).

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Chapter Three

Astonishment in Architecture: Key Findings.

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Key Findings.

The theoretical research of this dissertation suggests that astonishment occurs in architecture at the point where the space moves beyond the measure of our human faculties, and provides the sensation of the sacred intervention of, or connection to, a higher power. It is proposed that this spiritual sensation arises in architecture through the combination of the elicited tangible parameters of the Ineffable; Light, Order, and Material, and the Sublime; Infinity and Obscurity. These tangibles have been interrogated through iteratively building and rebuilding spaces that explore their effect, both individually and in combination.

The iterations were deeply rooted in theoretical discourse by continually basing their physical interpretation upon the writings and body of work of the extraordinary spatial practitioners that ground the research.

Further analysis of the interrogations arrives at the following observations for the tangibles individually, and their power as a collective.

Light Light gives presence, mood, atmosphere, depth, and volume. Light is most powerful when teamed with mass to create shadow, as darkness brings deep connection to ritual, and enhances the power of light over the senses. Fragments of sunlight, laced through a space, brings a cosmic connection to time as it connects us to the world beyond. The brightness and direction of Light changes the experience. Each space required different compositions of Light; Looking Up, has dark shadows at the ground of the space, with beaming light from its oculus halo, whilst Looking Out sees sunlight dance across the floor and pull our gaze to the apertures and horizon beyond. Light is the filter of our experience in space, it carves out what we see and do not see, and shows us where to look.

Order Each interrogation began with Order, as it is the physical construction of an idea, and is the mass that divides the space for our experience. Order is connected to ancient ideals of harmony and simple geometry.

The architecture was most powerful when simple geometries were given grand dimensions, and composed, with restraint, with other simple forms. Basic geometries - arches, domes, triangles and circles - when given mass and made from raw material, carry deep connection to ritual and sacred experience, and bring an air of reflective silence to the space.

Material Material greatly impacts the atmosphere of the space and often exaggerates the power of other elicited tangibles. Restraint is crucial, the more limited the material palette, the more intense the experience, but there is often only one right material composition for the desired presence. Coloured material does not bear connection to the sacred; however, raw materials - stone, timber, concrete, and steel - create an earthly grounding. Stone and water, for example, bear a deep ritual presence, and create a sensual experience between human and architecture. Materials that create shadow, such as densely textured stone, or give a sense of time, like the water stained concrete, are the strongest bearers of sensation.

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Infinity Infinity is more than vastness alone. It is the sensation of great mass, deep shadowy thresholds, and weighty presence that sees the architecture move beyond our human measure. Extreme vastness contradicts this, as the architecture becomes so large that it is detached from our experience and its immensity has no bearing for us to measure against. When it is so vast that we cannot sense its vastness, then its immensity has no impact. Infinity has its greatest power when its proportions are immense under the given conditions; which can be as simple a gesture as a double height archway, or as grand as a twenty metre dome, depending on the space and how we interact with its function in the desired atmosphere.

Obscurity Obscurity gives depth, increases the sensation of volume, and amplifies or reduces the sense of the other tangibles. Found in dark shadows, view-blocking mass, and moments of blurred boundaries, Obscurity creates intrigue and a dimension of something unclear or strange in the space that pricks the attention. The intrigue or strangeness adds complexity to the simple space, and fills us with wonder and curiousity. This opens our mind to reflection and silent thought, and may connect us to spiritual experience.

Tangibles Combined Subtlety and restraint is most important in composing strong, sacred experience. Adding unnecessary complexity dilutes the power of the architecture as it becomes less tangible and more difficult for the eye and mind to digest. The tangible parameters are weakest alone or in conflict. The greatest strength of presence and the strongest connection to the sacred is found in the harmony of the tangibles to compose one singular and whole experience in the space. Light, Order, Material, Infinity and Obscurity must work in unison to create spaces of transcendent lighting, carving deep shadows over simple yet grand geometries of dense masses of raw material that are deeply ingrained in sacred ritual and spiritual experience. It is then that the presence of the space moves beyond the ordinary, and in that moment we may find connection to God or the cosmos, and feel truly astonished.

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Image of author observing a test within DOME at the HIVE Immersive Research Laboratory. (Photo: Platritis, E 2014).

Reflection and Conclusion.

This dissertation investigated the point of astonishment in architecture by establishing and interrogating the tangible parameters of the philosophies and built work believed to underpin the field. The combination of Light, Order, Material, Infinity, and Obscurity, which arises at the intersection of the Ineffable and Sublime, may create a sacred or spiritual experience; and, therefore, has the potential to cause astonishment. These parameters were explored through the slow and iterative design of a mixed use New York tower by using film and immersive technologies to create three spaces deeply rooted in the theoretical research; a foyer Looking Up, a pool Looking In, and a meeting space Looking Out. The research identified the strengths and shortfalls of the elicited tangible parameters, which fail without restraint or in conflict, and find the greatest strength in achieving grand experience, when working harmoniously to construct a singular, pure and powerful presence grounded in ancient ritual.

This body of work experimented with new methods of design and experience, which established strong grounding in historical discourse, and identifies potential common threads in the path to astonishment.

Immersive technology allowed me to stand within, and judge the spaces I designed as part of the iterative process of composition and construction. The Manuscript App allowed me to see every test, experience, and reflection that was made throughout the interrogations at any given time, and shall be continually expanded upon in my future research as a spatial practitioner. Film composition allowed the final design to be both an insight into the interrogations slowly building upwards, and an experience of the design as it might be seen by others. These techniques, combined with the theoretical and precedent backing of the practitioners studied, and the spatial grounding of the astonishment felt in the Pantheon and James Turrell’s ‘Aten Rein’ (2013) create a new method of design that will add to the discourse of architecture.

The research is an innovative cross-section between the centuries old philosophy of the ‘Sublime,’ and the relatively contemporary philosophy of the ‘Ineffable,’ attempting to understand their roles within astonishment in architecture. This field remains rich for potential investigation. Further research might include; testing isolated historical references through the elicited tangibles, rather than many combined together as done in this dissertation; an international research tour in an attempt to find and analyse more built sources of astonishment in architecture; or expansion on the potential of the new techniques created in augmented reality and immersive design in the realm of extraordinary space. Reflecting on this, and on my research, I question the limitations of two parts of my methodology. Firstly, the technology used: while it was far more immersive than traditional methods of drawing or model making, I cannot help but wonder if astonishment might be felt in the designed spaces if they more closely resembled, or were, inhabitable built constructions. Secondly, my own subjective influence: obscurity, and that which feels immeasurable or beyond us is imperative to astonishment; yet I know how the space works, and I have a preconceived idea of what the space will be before I ‘enter’ it, therefore, can I ever be astonished by my own work? These questions might also be answered through future research.

The final design film supports the power of sacred experience in the realm of astonishment, as the composition generates a presence that is beyond the ordinary by expanding on the elicited tangibles of sacred space. Astonishment in architecture was not found, or intended to be found, in this dissertation, however, the experience of the three rooms aligns somewhere close; a realm that shall be termed the ‘Architectural Wondrous.’ These spaces suffuse intriguing qualities that create an extraordinary cross section between delightful wonder and sacred ritual. While astonishment in architecture was not established, this body of work affirms that there is great presence in architecture where sacred connection is explored through the intersection of the tangible parameters of the Ineffable and the Sublime. This is a rich territory for discovery, and astonishment in architecture may yet be found here.

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Appendix Additional Grounding (pages following). i ii

Brief text on James Turrell’s “Within Without,” as visited in Canberra in August 2014.

Brief text on the first tests of ‘Light Mapping.’

In the Box.

iii Five photo books on Extraordinary Spatial Practitioners: Louis Kahn, Peter Zumthor, Le Corbusier, Santago Calatrava, James Turrell. iv Four photo books on my own Resonating Influences in the field of grand experience.

On the iPads.

*See instruction card for navigation to the following: Nine Grounding Films: v vi vii viii

1 x “Within Without” Research Expedition Film 1 x “Light Map” Film Showing Initial interrogations of Light in precedent works.

3 x “Looking Up,” “Looking in,” and “Looking Out” films investigating each mode of experience 4 x “Interrogation Series” Films Showing ‘Ring of Sky,’ ‘Oculus,’ and ‘Combined’ films

ix The Manuscript App x

Final Composed Design Film: “Astonishment in Architecture.”

On Disk. xi

Spherical Projections to be shown at the final presentation in HIVE

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‘Within Without’ Case Study.

In the formative weeks of this research (August 2014), to gain deeper understanding of the concept of Looking Up, and of James Turrell’s work, I studied and filmed the experience of his extraordinary space, Within Without, in Canberra. (see Appendix v). The oculus, as a perfect circle vertically above the observer, has a great power to silence the mind; many visitors sat in quiet awe of the oculus, staring up at it and the sky beyond, for a long time, as the room changed colour around them. Looking Up removes distraction, and connects the eye to something greater, beyond us.

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Lay down on the floor in the threshold of the space; blue sky within, blue sky without. (By the author)

Light Mapping.

When ‘Light’ was first elicited as a tangible to extraordinary presence in architecture, a series of drawings were made that analyse the quality of light, and dark, in photographs of key spaces of the practitioners studied. The digital drawings classified levels of light, or darkness, in the image and colour-coded them in a spectrum; dark blue is blackness, light yellow is white. With levels on separate layers, the images were then distilled to; darkness only, bright light only, or mid-tones only. This enabled me to see the balance of light as a tool used by the practitioners. While these drawings provided good insight into the use and power of light, due to their photographic origin, they may not be accurate representations of the space, and thus inaccurate drawings. They are still, however, the basis for the studies of Light in this dissertation, and influenced the use of light and shadow in the final interrogations, particularly in the Foyer space. See Appendix vi for further light mappings shown through film.

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First tests of Light, mapping the light in photographs. This image of Louis Kahn’s Philips Exeter Library Atrium. Original image (Rykwert 2001).

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Lumion 3D. 2014. Lumion Tutorials. http://lumion3d.com/tutorials/ (Accessed August, September and

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tember 2014).

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