SALINAN CULTURAL CENTER Yin Studio Fall 2009
Concept Collage
Final Site Plan Proposal
42
Behind a story there are many different paths; truths and lies, good and bad, but people’s perception of each story is tied to who tells the story and how. The most known history commonly comes from the victorious, but history can’t be judged unless is heard from both sides. The idea of this design is to show through architecture the history of the Salinan Indians only from their perspective, through their eyes. Take the visitors into a journey of not only art, but emotions. The architecture is design to recreate the situations and feelings of the Salinan throughout the years. For the Salinans, nature is the most important part of their life, rocks and water, represent everything in their past present and future. Shadows and paths are very representational. This is why I used their seven most significant rocks to create my grid. At some point, this grid rotates to represent the change they suffer after the colonization when the catholic church took over their culture. I decided to design a series of rooms that recreate each of the stages Salinans experienced. The visitors are guided through in order while the architecture of the place is supposed to motivate a reaction in them. The first emotion is the discovery of the place, hidden behind an allusive rock. The second is the freedom represented with and open underground path fill with mirrors that reflect nature images coming from outside. Next is insecurity from their cultural uncertainty, then oppression from the church with arches that come from the sky and push down on them. Continuing there is a black empty room that recreates their close extinction. After this comes the security that the church now gave them, and then inhibition also because of the church. Finally, the last room is a room of mirrors that represents their awaking and self rediscovery.