Architectural Thesis Book

Ar

ch

92

6.. .

city hall plaza

. . .

6 3 9 h arc

Hall y t I on C t s o B

n a i l l i J a i h c Infur

l a c i p y T " o t y t o i m "P r r o f n o C n o N patrick haugheykendall a i c i r t a p

table of Contents OVERVIEW STATEMENT................3-6 SECTION ONE: ARCH 926 ch. 1

title.....................3

research problem..........9

objectives................10

definitions...............11-18

ch. 2

historical narrative......20-26

ch. 3

research essay............28-37

ch. 4

results...................39

criteria for evaluation...40

future research...........41

SECTION TWO: ARCH 936 ch. 5

program...................44-50

ch. 6

site......................52-65

ch. 7

precedents................67-71

ch. 8

design methodology........73-94

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“PROTO-TYPICAL NON-CONFORMITY” Architecture deviated by the rules of

a Mosh Pit.

Through human interaction and situational experiences, individuals develop codes of behavior within a group. Despite the apparent chaos and violence of a Mosh Pit, there are a set of unwritten rules that have been created to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual. Through this reticent yet, concrete concern for others, a foundation for a community is constructed. Supported by the individual’s conscious decision to self enforce these rules, the Pit becomes a secure site for unrestricted self-expression and escape from everyday life. How can the rules and actions of a Punk show cause the deviation of architecture?

The Mosh Pit is a symbol of authenticity for the Punk culture; it is a

site protected from vulnerability where an individual feels safe enough to be authentic (to be him/herself). Unlike Punk clothing styles, the Mosh Pit is the only artifact that was unable to be commercialized and mass-produced by corporate America. It is dependent on the juxtaposition of bodies, and dynamics of the show.

The dances performed in a Mosh Pit appear chaotic and violent as a representation of rebellion towards other societies, or the mainstream. However, it is understood and trusted that the violence is never towards the harming of another individual.

Instead this trust reveals a concern for the well-being of others where community is created; a safe and protected environment unfolds. The freedom to be yourself fulfilled by participating in a show, especially by performing in a Mosh Pit, provides the motivation to deal with more serious problems and tasks, or the boredom produced by mundane every day life.

The word “Punk” is usually used in conjunction with misbehavior or negativity.

It is listed in The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English to describe, “A worthless person, a criminal or hoodlum”.[1] Punk is not entirely negative. It 3

is a culture that can provide a sense of community to those who feel they are disconnected and separated from the larger society. Not only does Punk provide a sense of community, it also provides opportunities to deal with or confront personal problems, and outlets for grasping or channeling emotion. Violence is used as a representational performance to transcend the personal ego, or more serious problems. It is important to understand that the violence is not against other individuals, it in relation to his or herself or to society in a larger sense. Violence is only portrayed, it is not acted on towards other people, it used as a symbol.

A Pit depends on the proximity of bodies and the space provided for

interaction. The energy of the band becomes a catalyst of physical interaction.

Personal egos begin emerging, and individuals begin to expose the true Self, becoming transparent and vulnerable but protected and safe.

Punk can be considered a performance. Out of Punk culture came a widely

recognizable fashion, as well as a specific sound. Both the fashion and sounds were and still performed (performance in the sense of wearing or listening).

Punk also can be considered an activity. During a show there are many different dances (Pogo, Mosh, Slam), and instances to engage in. The band is not the only group performing, instead every single audience member is also a part of a Punk performance.

Punks formed under rebellion to create unity and community. The Show is a

means of motivation and release. The Mosh pit is the ultimate performance of these aspects. It is important to understand the rules and traditions that occur in this situation, and how they become understood inherently. In the Punk culture these rules and traditions are understood almost immediately. How can architecture begin to reflect these rules naturally and signify behavior? How can authenticity be 4

designed in to architecture, and how can a space be designed to make an individual feel comfortable to be authentic (to be themselves).

This thesis is not an analysis or critique of the sound generated from the

Punk culture. It is also not a “how-to-design” the perfect rock venue, and it is not about analyzing the success of Punk culture. This project solely focuses on the concepts gained from the participation in a Mosh pit.

Using the Punk culture as a basis for research, this thesis will generate

a new City Hall for Boston, Massachusetts. Boston’s City Hall is an ideal program because it is the city’s ultimate “Big Brother”. Government, control and enforcement of power are main concepts Punk culture rebelled against, and City Hall embodies each of these aspects.

Programmatically the goal of this thesis is to reconnect the City Hall with

the community while reflecting the politics of a Mosh Pit in its design.

This

new City Hall will allow the public to feel as if they have a hand on creating rules for their city so they are more likely to voluntarily follow rules with no need for outside enforcement. The City Hall will need to be open to the community.

It has to protect and provide for the well-being and give them the motivation to follow the rules implemented by government.

The site is locate at City Hall Plaza; Government Center; Boston, Massachusetts.

The site is easily accessed by public transportation, and is centrally located in the city. The site is also used for various community performances and events, from sports rallies to musical performances. It has great potential to focus and connect the project on the community.

City Hall Plaza of Boston is most effective site, because of its connection

to Boston City Hall. Boston City Hall Plaza, in conjunction with the City Hall represents one of the largest power zones directly connected to the community of 5

Boston. It is a place of authority over everything from trash collection to the civil rights. It is the ultimate “Big Brother”, and is responsible for many of the rules created for the individual to live by today. It is supposed to represent a major connection to the community, yet currently fails miserably.

Oxford University Press, “Punk,” The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, High Beam Research, Inc. , 2009, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-punk.html (accessed October 28, 2009).

6

: e n o n o i t c e s 6 2 9 h c ar

CHAPTER 1

RESEARCH PROBLEM The Mosh Pit is a symbol of authenticity for the Punk culture; it is a site protected from vulnerability where an individual feels safe enough to be authentic (to be him/herself). Unlike Punk clothing styles, the Mosh Pit is the only artifact that was unable to be commercialized and mass-produced by corporate America. It is dependent on the juxtaposition of bodies, and dynamics of the show.

The dances performed in a Mosh Pit appear chaotic and violent as a representation of rebellion towards other societies, or the mainstream. However, it is understood and trusted that the violence is never towards the harming of another individual.

Instead this trust reveals a concern for the well-being of others where community is created; a safe and protected environment unfolds. The freedom to be yourself fulfilled by participating in a show, especially by performing in a Mosh Pit, provides the motivation to deal with more serious problems and tasks, or the boredom produced by mundane every day life.

Through human interaction and situational experiences, individuals develop codes of behavior within a group. Despite the apparent chaos and violence of a Mosh Pit, there are a set of unwritten rules that have been created to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual. Through this reticent yet, concrete concern for others, a foundation for a community is constructed. Supported by the individual’s conscious decision to self enforce these rules, the Pit becomes a secure site for unrestricted self-expression and escape from everyday life. How can the rules and actions of a Punk show cause the deviation of architecture?

9

OBJECTIVES • To create the feeling of an implied personal connection between the individual and the City Hall through transparency and visual connection, resulting in a successful place for the individual. The City Hall will become entirely accessible, welcoming, and attainable. The City Hall needs to feel less overbearing, and powerful, and its sense of hierarchical needs to be decreased to a level that equal with the individual.

• To create a place, where the individual feels safe and protected to share their ideas for bettering their community.

• To expose the authenticity of City Hall so the individual becomes more informed of what policies are being created for their benefit.

Exposing

the City Hall will hopefully make the individual more comfortable with the policies and will work to increase the desire for the individual to take the responsibility to follow these rules.

• To design a building that utilizes the Punk aesthetic, generated from research and personal experience. The aesthetic may appear in the overall form of the building, the material choice, in the design methodology as well as in each smaller space or detail.

• To design a building respecting the rules of a Punk show, especially the Pit, to form the program, its juxtaposition, spatial organization, and the overall essence or feeling of the space.

• To create a building which will be unique in response to its surroundings, and that rebels the common typology. This will work to form a statement about the buildings function as a whole.

10

DEFINITIONS It is often human nature to fear circumstances that they do not understand. The following definitions provide a foundation of understanding of the Punk Culture.

PUNK

The development of Punk began in the 1970s and continued on through the early 1980s. Punk is a rock music genre characterized by fast, short songs, which focus on rebellion against establishments and mainstream culture. Most of the Punk band members did not know how to play their instruments and never learned as a reaction to the professional music industry. Punk wanted to decon­struct the notion that music was an untouchable masterpiece to prove that any individual could be a musician. Punk wanted to blur the boundary between the celebrity and the audience. Out of Punk came the generation of the “Do It Yourself (DIY)” ethic, where individuals produced, marketed, and created their own music, records, fashion and advertisement. The DIY ethic was a response to mass production and consumerism. The DIY ethic has been adapted by architecture as well. There is a popular television network called the “Do It Yourself Network” which provides information on how to complete simple home improvement tasks.

PERFORMANCE

The act or role an individual plays to render themselves as something they are not when they are feel too vulnerable to expose their true identity, thoughts, opinions and emotions. A performance is not authentic.

11

SHOW

Show is a term used in the Punk Scene to describe a musical performance, otherwise known as a concert. The term show encompasses the venue, the audience, the band or performers, the music, the security guards/bouncers, the venue staff, the merchandise booth vendors, and any other individual involved in putting on a Punk show.

Figure 1.1 Plan of a Show. Infurchia Š 2009.

Figure 1.2 Section of a Show. Infurchia Š 2009.

12

PIT-GUARDS

Pit-Guards are individuals who stand on the edge of the Pit creating a safety barrier or separation between the Pit participants and the non-participants. These individuals mark the entrance and exit of a Pit. Architecturally threshold is a widely used term to represent entrances and exits of a building. Thresholds also may signal future changes to occur in an experience, through space and program.

Pit-Guards can

begin to mark the boundaries between program, and how to define areas of program, or zoning.

VULNERABILITY

Vulnerability occurs when an individual feels susceptible to emotional attack or harm. Vulnerability is at its highest when an individual reveals their authentic self. More over, a show is the individual’s protection from vulnerability due to the trust and respect received from the Punk community.

SAFETY

The dissipation of vulnerability, and preservation of emotion to create a sanctuary where an individual is comfortable to be authentic. In a Pit, safety and protection act to shield an individual from emotional and physical harm.

AUTHENTICITY

The real, original, and genuine self. Authenticity is the true being, how an individual personally identifies with their self.

Authenticity is not revealed unless an individual feels they are emotionally protected, or unless the individual trusts their company. Authenticity is also apparent in architecture, 13

for example, Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, Louis Kahn, and Alvar Alto are all architects of authenticity. They portray authenticity through timeless architecture that represents “an embodiment of a social vision, an intuitive interpretation of a human institution.â€?ďż˝ They design moments in architecture that can be inherently understood and appreciated by the individual.

REBELLION

Rebellion is considered resistance to authority, control or convention. Punk concentrated its resistance against the Mainstream. In architecture to rebel is the idea of contrasting what is most common in the surrounding area, such as materials, construction methods, or form to make a statement.

DYNAMIC

Dynamic is used to describe constant change or activity, high energy, and excitement. The dynamics of a crowd, or a song influence the type of interaction and performance occurring at any given time. Dynamics appear in architecture constantly. They are apparent in light and shadow, acoustics, ceiling heights of spaces, scale change in program, textures of materials, and even in forms of buildings.

14

POGO DANCE

The Pogo Dance is a movement performed at a Punk show where an individual jumps up and down (similar to being on a Pogo stick) at an intense rate for an extended period of time. Depending on the energy of the show, there may be occasional collisions with other individuals in close proximity. It was one of the first dances to emerge from Punk. Pogo Dancing is popular within the first three or four rows of the audience. In architecture there are numerous moments of vertical movement. Vertical forms are called upon to create light wells, ventilation stacks, staircases, elevator shafts and visual connections. On a larger scale, there is the vertical connection of a building’s foundation in comparison to its connection with the sky.

Figure 1.3. Diagram of the Pogo Dance. Infurchia Š 2009.

15

SLAM DANCE

The Slam Dance is a modification to the Pogo Dance. There is an increase in physical interaction between individuals.

Individuals slam into each other in response to the speed and energy of the music. The Slam Dance my also include the swinging of one arm mimicking the movement of a fan blade, or other random patterns. This dance may appear aggressive or violent, but it is trusted that the violence is not focused from individual to individual; instead it is a representation of violence towards other societies, or an internal personal conflict. In architecture there are many instances of collisions.

Collisions may be apparent in the organization of the City Hall to create new types of program and experiences, or to emphasize the generation of the in between space or overlapping spaces.

PIT

The Pit is the site where Slam Dancing and Moshing takes place.

It is the site where individuals have the freedom and emotional protection to reveal their authentic selves. It is the site where rules are created and self-enforced to protect the well-being of participating individuals. In Architecture there are many spaces in which individuals perform roles specific to the type of program they are interacting with. For example an individual performs differently at the office than s/he performs at home or at a Punk show. There are also spaces where individuals adopt inherent rules of behavior including religious spaces, movie theaters, and libraries. Within each of these buildings are spatial clues, which trigger certain behavior. In a religious 16

space, something informs the individual to speak softly, is this because the form of the building is to allow for intense echoing? In a movie theater there is a different tactic used to inform the individual to speak softly or not to speak. Is it this action induced by the proximity of the seats?

CIRCLE PIT

A Circle Pit enfolds at energetic moments in a song usually known as the breakdown. Individuals run in a counter clockwise circle, which results in the clearing of a circular site.

The tempo and volume of the music influence the intensity of the Circle Pit.

It is usually associated with Slam Dancing.

The Circle Pit is similar to a Mosh Pit, except a Circle Pit is considered ordered because it has a specific direction while a Mosh Pit is considered completely random and chaotic.

Architecturally there are numerous places where order is required. For example, the structure of a building requires a certain order; the column grid or the joist plans. Order is required during the construction of a building to be most efficient and safe. Order is needed when designing details of a wall section deciding how materials are layered. It is also used to assist in the organization of program, maybe creating a sequence of events, or a specific connection of spaces for a particular experience.

MOSH PIT

A Mosh Pit also begins during the breakdown, or some other high-energy instance during a show. The Mosh Pit appears chaotic because it never results in the same shape. Instead

17

the shape of the Mosh Pit is directly related to the physical activity occurring in the Pit. The physical activity can include anything from Slam Dancing to the pushing, shoving and bouncing off of individual. There is the addition of swinging arms, as well as kicking of the legs. Because of the intense display of aggressive motion and contact, the Mosh Pit appears dangerous and violent. Once again, there is an inherent sense of trust between participants that there are no intentions of hurting another individual. The violence is only a display, or a representation of aggression or rebellion towards another society, or towards the personal ego. It is also trusted that the individual understands once they enter a Pit, they will get hit, and it is a conscious choice to subject yourself to this. There is absolutely no tolerance of physical fights. The Mosh Pit is also a symbol of authenticity for Punk, as well as the site for an individual to be authentic to themselves.

Architecturally there are many instances where a building becomes a metaphor, similar to the way the representation of violence in a Mosh Pit becomes a metaphor of aggression towards another society. The metaphor is a tool of protest for post modernists against modern architecture. Architecture has a visual language to convey the mind. It critiques the failure of the modern era. Architecture also creates interaction between other pieces of architecture. This is to converse similarities, or differences in building material, or even used to signify certain contextual forces of the surrounding site.

18

CHAPTER 2

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Chapter II: Just as Punk culture revolved around the idea of protest, Patricia Henry, an Assistant Professor of Dance History at Florida State University Henry, insists that the entire Punk aesthetic was also generated out of the spirit of rebellion. “[Punk rock] is a reaction against established theories and techniques of art, as well as the society which produces them”.1 Henry says, “In order to protest their situation, the Punks presented themselves as society’s garbage, as if to say, ‘We are your children, what do you think of your creation?’”.2 Punks adopted a fashion and style to create shock, turn heads to make a statement. Their fashion displays things such as, “Bondage wear, chains, heavy leathers, and other S & M paraphernalia razor-blade jewelry and safety pins worn through flesh. The idea was too look as horrifyingly repugnant as possible”.3 Everything for the scene was about making it apparent they were different, and in control of their community. They wanted to catch people’s attention, and cause a reaction.

Savage, a Cambridge-educated music journalist, author of England’s Dreaming agrees with Henry about the Punk aesthetic: A sharp shock was needed to get a reaction from dulled reflexes ’In grammar school you get a loose leaf book and the first thing you draw in it is a swastika and a skull and cross bones you carve a swastika in a desk. You don’t know what fascism is, it’s not anti-Jewish at all. Kids don’t care anything about that shit. When you want to make a statement about how BAD you are, that’s how you do it.4

1 Patricia Henry, Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989), 1.

2 Ibid., 2.

3 Ibid.

4 Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond (New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991), 64.

20

Figure 2.1 Nazi Paraphernalia. Boot and Salewicz © 1997.

They adopted past imagery and gave it a different meaning by placing it in a different context. They created relationships out of juxtapositions of unlike things.

“It was offensive and meant to be offensive. They meant to distract

people, but I don’t think they were exceptionally racist: they were being obnoxious and outrageous.”5 They were not interested in the history of the symbol, only the reactions it could produce.

Dick Hebdige, a British sociologist specializing in subcultures, provides an example of the commercialization of the Punk aesthetic from September of 1977.

It was a review in Cosmopolitan magazine of Zandra Rhodes’ latest fashion that was inspired by punk. It advertised models in safety pins and plastic outfits and was accompanied by an axiom stating ‘To shock is chic’. This became the one of the first tips that punk would never completely survive the inevitable consumerism and mass production of corporate America.6 The idea that Punk would never survive consumerism was apparent because it was already being advertised and copied in popular magazines, so corporate America was making money off the Punk style.

5 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 135.

6 Ibid., 132.

21

Like Savage, Hebdige compares Punk fashion to a surrealist collage “[a surrealist] typically ‘juxtaposes’ two apparently incompatible realities [i.e. “flag”: “jacket”; “hole”: “tee-shirt”; “comb”: “weapon”] on an apparently unsuitable scale [Punk] too attempted through ‘perturbation and deformation’ to disrupt and reorganize meaning.”7 Punk created new meanings from combing outrageous artifacts; the process of taking these artifacts out of their common context and supplying them with new meanings served to represent the Punk aesthetic.

Hebdige creates a parallel of Punk fashion to Duchamp’s ‘ready-mades’.

Duchamp’s art pieces were only art because he personally defined them as art. This is similar to the idea that almost anything could be considered Punk, as long as the Punk community agreed it was punk.

Figure 2.2 A Marcel Duchamp Ready-Made – Fountain. Wordpress8

7 8

Ibid., 136. http://uniliv.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/marchel-duchamp-fountain.jpg

22

These symbols were sometimes inappropriate or shocking items including: pins, plastic clothing pegs, television components, razor blades, and tampons.

Like Duchamp’s use of artifacts similar to Figure 2.2, Duchamp takes a urinal outside its context, and deems it art. Vivien Westwood was one of the main promoters of this type of fashion, she labeled this ‘confrontation dress’, where “the rule would seem to be: if the cap doesn’t fit, wear it”.9

The Punk aesthetic was created to represent and unify the Punk scene,

it is derived from the desire to induce shock. It also stood as a critique of traditional and mainstream ideas. The following are a list of some of the Punk icons and symbols:

BONDAGE WEAR, CHAINS, HEAVY LEATHER, RUBBER, RED AND BLACK PLAID

This was worn for the shock factor, to rebel against the mainstream

notion that a display of sexuality in public is inappropriate,

distasteful and taboo.

RAZOR-BLADES Razor-blades were usually worn by females as jewelry because they were cheap, flashy and provocative, disturbing (the razor blade later became connected with the notion of self-mutilation) and intimidating.

They were later adapted as a graphic because they became a staple in the Punk fashion and spoke to the DIY ethic.

SAFETY PINS Safety pins were worn in response to the consumerism of new clothing, purposely ripped clothing held together by safety pins to represent poverty and empathy for the homeless, also associated with DIY for

9

Ibid., 137.

23

the creation and modification of clothing to call their own.

PIERCING, TATTOOS Piercings and tattoos were used to enhance the shock factor, to be aggressive, dangerous, and intimidating.

HEAVY MAKE-UP Punk thrived off of exaggeration as a tool of rebellion, if Punk disagreed with something, they exaggerated it to make a statement that it is unnecessary.

Figure 2.3 Heavy Make-up. Boot and Salewicz Š 1997.

STUDDED BELTS OR BULLET BELTS These belts were worn for the intimidation factor. They signified the DIY, flashy, metal, industrial aesthetic.

PURPOSELY DISHEVELED MESSY HAIR, AND MOHAWKS These hairstyles were developed in reaction to the slick smooth hairstyles of the 1960s, which Punk culture found ridiculous.

24

Figure 2.4 The Punk Aesthetic Displayed on the band Rancid. Boot and Salewicz © 1997.

COLLAGE “Montage is a twentieth-century notion, capturing the pace of technology in both method and image.”10 The Punk culture had no funds to create any sort of polished graphic so Punk created its own style of representation, also speaks to the theory of juxtaposition of unlike things to create a reaction, or to develop a new meaning by introducing new context. “Punk was saturated in coded information poster mentality, grabbing you from a distance, and screen prints – the simplicity”11

10 Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond (New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991), 403.

11 Ibid., 402.

25

FAN-ZINE GRAPHICS DIY, Sketchy, monochromatic images, pen ink, type-writing, handwritten, produced on Xerox paper, with the Xerox machine: Punk was just as much about graphics as it was about print. The layout techniques of the original Sniffin’ Glue – handwritten captions and typewriter headlines went into vanguard art the root of Punk. Many used the form to comment on the printing processes of Xerox and litho themselves.”12

Figure 2.5 Punk Fanzine displaying Punk graphics – Sniffin’ Glue13 12 13

Ibid.

Ibid., 402.

26

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH ESSAY Chapter III: In order to begin dissecting the rules and aesthetics of Punk, it is important to understand where the Punk scene began and to attain knowledge of its historic background and existing theories. The following texts explore the history of the Punk scene and the culture, conventions and aesthetics that resulted.

The Punk culture was composed of working-class youth, who prided their culture on redefining a series of commodities, codes of behavior, and perspectives.

These conventions articulated their criticism of mainstream society.14 Punk culture completely separated itself from the mainstream as well as its own disposition and background. Dick Hedbidge, a British sociologist specializing in subcultures states, “This working-classness was abstract, disembodied, de-contextualized bereft of necessary details – a name, a home, a history – it refused to make sense, to be grounded”.15 Punk is a complex culture to understand and to analyze because it is based largely on contradiction and irony. Punk did not try to solve or make sense of these contractions, but instead accepted these paradoxes and used them to define their culture. This introduced the need for a Punk aesthetic. Symbols such as safety pins, and razor blades were adapted and given new meanings to represent the Punk community. Hedbidge insists that these symbols, “[were] made to form a “unity” with the group’s relations, situations, experience’, this unity expressed itself through rupture.”16 The Punk culture created itself out of estrangement; it was generated from the desire to be separated and different from mainstream.

Hedbidge identifies Punk as “dislocated, ironic and self-aware”.17

14 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 138.

15 Ibid., 140.

16 Ibid., 141.

17 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 141.

28

Figure 3.1 Body modification using a safety pin. Boot and Salewicz © 1997.

The word “Punk” is usually used in conjunction with violence or negativity.

In The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English to describe Punk as, “A worthless person, a criminal or hoodlum, a passive male homosexual [and] an inexperienced young person”.18 Patricia Henry, an Assistant Professor of Dance History at Florida State University, analyzes Punk’s origin: Origins of the word ‘punk’ are obscure. It first appeared in the English language as a synonym for prostitute...definitions of the word ‘punk’, in the 20th century [have] taken on new meanings, and the sexual connotations 18 Oxford University Press, “Punk,” The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, High Beam Research, Inc. , 2009, http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-punk.html (accessed October 28, 2009).

29

are for the most part archaic.

19

Henry agrees the word Punk has often been negative however its meaning is also directly relevant to the context it is used in. Punks accepted the word for its negative connotation because it was a way for them to gain control of their identity while practicing protest. By controlling the word, its negative connotation became worthless and ‘punk’ no longer existed as a put-down; its negative meaning was replaced by an identification for their community.

The desire to be Punk came from a feeling of hopelessness and of a nonexistent future. Henry says, “Members of the movement were basically lowerclass white youths...they felt they had ‘no future’ and that their lives had been predestined by a society run by people with unfair advantages”.20 Many members of the punk scene were homeless and had no money. They felt that they could never make a change in the world, insisting that Corporate America had an unfair sense of control. Hedbidge states that punk’s ability to endure “... inequality, powerlessness, alienation – was only possible because punk style had made a decisive break not only with parent [or mainstream] culture but with its own location and experience.”21 The culture lived to make it known they were in existence, but needed to be in control of their own community, which corporate America could not touch.

19 Patricia Henry, Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989), 7.

20 Ibid.

21 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 141.

30

Figure 3.2 A photograph of homeless Punk teens. Boot and Salewicz © 1997.

Many people became Punk, because they felt as if they did not fit in anywhere else. It was a group that was full of outcasts with the same feeling of rejection.

Savage, the author of England’s Dreaming states, “Punk was an international outsider aesthetic...outcasts from every class...Suddenly you didn’t have to be alone. You submerged.”22 Savage also states that, “Punk was tolerant, it took in groups of people who were alienated.”23 If members of the Punk scene are asked why they joined, most will identify with the feelings of alienation, and say they joined the Punk scene to feel united with the same community. It was a comfort factor to have people around who felt the same way, an identity.

Penelope Spheeris, the writer and director of the LA Punk rock Documentary, interviewed a few Punk rock teenagers in her third edition; these are some of the 22 Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond (New York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991), xiv.

23 Ibid., 331.

31

reactions when asked why these teens joined the scene: You don’t fit in, you have no family, and Punks are really good at covering emotion. It’s not about the way you look, it’s about the way you live your life. Punks usually don’t mix with people well, they feel rejected. It’s about what you are not: you are not selfish or committed to yourself, you rely on and give to each other. Punks are the nice people you’ll ever meet.24 When asked why they felt rejected, many teens revealed their background history.

One teen explained he was very angry at life. After careful prodding by Spheeris, she discovers his mother passed away, and he had never met his father. His stepfather ignored him and pretended like he did not exist. The teen was homeless and hurting, and so he decided to seek refuge with the Punk community, it was the only thing he had.

Punk is a culture that provides and creates beneficial aspects. There is an inherent sense of community, which serves to provide a home or a family to those who do not feel they have a family or feel disconnected and separated from the larger society. During a show, social relationships are performed through proximity and levels of participation.25 Not only does the Punk culture provide a sense of community, it also provides opportunities to deal with or confront personal problems, and outlets for grasping or channeling emotion.

The forceful power of the audience is an essential feature of Punk and rock performances, arguably making an essential difference in comparison to other forms of musical entertainment. McNeil and McCain quote Patti Smith as she shares her experience of being present for one of Mick Jagger’s performances, Jagger was so tired that he need the energy of the audience...it was his naked performance...his presence and his power to hold the audience in his palm...I got so excited I could hardly stand being in my skin and that gave me the faith to keep on going.”26 24 Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization III, directed by Spheeris Penelope, 1998.

25 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 360.

26 Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (New York, New York: Grove Press, 2006), 159.

32

Shows evoke emotion and also provide motivation for many people who may feel hopeless. Its excitement is used generated through a connection with the audience, and even more importantly, the band itself. The band becomes the role model to live your life for, a symbol of hope. Wendy Fonarow, an anthropologist specializing in the music scene, states, “The activity [of participating in a show] produces an emotional feeling of community and connectedness with others in this area.”27 Henry describes a Punk show as mesmerizing, “The intense decibel level, and close proximity of audience and performer…physical and emotional empathy crowding out immediate intellectual response.”28 She defends the Punk behavior to those who believe it to be illogical, “[punk is] not a-logical—it was a very consistent and systematic method of expressing feelings about specific social and aesthetic issues.’’29 To Henry, Punk is about the expression of emotion, she compares it to a dream and uses words like, “contemplative, assertive and assaultive”. Fonarow agrees with Henry and provides a more specific statement describing audience members of the front row, “The participants describe the feeling of being at the front as euphoric and energizing.”30 In Slam dancing, Moshing, and the American Alternative Scene, William Tsistos, a professor of Sociology at Towson University provides an example of the communities and organizations created from the Punk scene in DC. Mark Anderson was the creator of the group Positive Force DC31, he shares his thoughts as a Political Punk in DC: I’ll tell you what I think punk isn’t – it isn’t a fashion, a certain style 27 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 364.

28 Patricia Henry, Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989), 5.

29 Ibid.

30 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 364.

31 Positive Force DC was a group which protested against the Gulf War, they raised thousands of dollars for food banks, the Washington Peace Center, Planned Parenthood, Aids centers, and many other organizations

33

of dress, a passing ‘phase’ of knee-jerk rebellion against your parents, the latest ‘cool’ trend or even a particular form or style of music, really – it is an idea that guides and motivates your life. The Punk community that exists, exists to support and realize that idea through music, art, fanzines and other expressions of personal creativity. And what is this idea? Think for yourself, be yourself, don’t just take what society gives you, create your own rules, live your own life.32 Anderson is speaking about the same type of feeling that Patti Smith gets when she attends a show. It is motivation, faith and hope for people who may not have these foundations in their lives already. Positive Force DC is not the only activist group to come out of the scene, there are even ones that were formed recently such as To Write Love on Her Arms�, Rock for Health�, etc.

Tsistos provides an in depth analysis of the Punk culture through an analysis of their dancing, such as Slam dancing and Moshing. He provides a framework for identifying subcultures of the Punk scene such as “Political Punks, [vs.] Apolitical Punks”. The Political Punk is focused on communal rebellion at the macro scale; they implement self-imposed order aiming to remove boundaries between social, economical and political order. This order is to be maintained, voluntarily with no need for oppression. On the other hand, Apolitical Punks are interested in generating their own environment, completely barricaded from the mainstream enemy, and free of all rules, even if the result is total mayhem.� According to Savage, the Apolitical Punks desired “To disengage [from the world] to sort out turmoil within their own heads, whether in a more protected musical environment, or inner space itself.”� The Punk show provided of individuals with a protected place to escape, and transcend their personal egos.

Tsitsos concludes that all Punks have an agenda for rebellion, but there are various types of rebellion practiced. Tsistos states that there is contradiction, 32 Positive Force DC was a group which protested against the Gulf War, they raised thousands of dollars for food banks, the Washington Peace Center, Planned Parenthood, Aids centers, and many other organizations

34

which is constantly battled, in the punk culture: individual rebellion vs. communal rebellion. Most Punk culture is about the idea of being a community, yet at the same time it is about pronouncing ones individuality and uniqueness. For most punks, their enemy is exterior control, or American Life, which is symbolized by mainstream.

Tsistos introduces the idea that the dances performed at shows directly

expose the preference of rebellion chosen by the dancers. The Slam dance was a dance, which formed out of the US Punk scene in the late 70s and early 80s as a modification on the Pogo Dance.� Both dances are performed at live shows.� The Slam dance is considered to be aggressive, and usually male dominated. It is performed in a Pit, which usually represents a circular geometry. The Pit is most commonly located in front of the stage, but at a high-energy show, multiple pits may emerge in several different locations.

The Slam Dance reflects the importance of punks individual expression the power of the unity required for rebellion. Punk is a constant balance of individuality and unity. Tsitsos states, “There are elements to Slam Dancing which create and reinforce unity in the pit, often in concern for the well-being of other dancers. These elements include counter-clockwise group motion of dancers and the tradition of picking up fallen dancers.”33 With unity comes with responsibility.

There is an unwritten set of codes to follow when participating in a

Punk show, which were created in response to the protection of the well-being of participants. Fonarow states, “In general, participants are very careful to make sure that no-one gets seriously hurt. The moment when a stranger or someone from your cohort aids you by catching you or picking you up is reported to be an exhilarating and bonding experience.”34 These codes include but are not limited 33 William Tsitsos, “Rules of Rebellion: Slamdancing, Moshing, and the American Alternative Scene,” Popular Music (Cambridge University PRess) 18, no. 3 (October 1999): 409.

34 Wendy Fonarow, “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig,” in The Subcultures Reader,

35

to: picking up a fallen participant, supporting a crowd surfer who is following the rules (keeping the body stiff, and no flailing), being respectful to all participants, and no violence towards other participants.

It is important that these codes and traditions are understood by the culture. In his book, No Sense of Place, Joshua Meyrowitz, an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of New Hampshire, introduces the idea that it is human nature to want to know information about a situation before participating.

He mentions that most of the time the information is unavailable, and these rules of behavior must be discovered through situational experiences: …...when we enter a social setting, we want and need to know something about the situation and the other participants. We need to know whether the situation is formal or informal, happy or sad. We need to know the various roles of the other people whom we should speak to and whom we should avoid, and whether or not we are welcome. Conversely, People in the situation need to know something about us. What is our reason for being there? What role will we play in this situation? Goffman notes that much of this information is not “naturally” available. It may take years to know a person fully, to understand the true complexities of a particular social situation, or to learn how a given group of people function in a specific social institution or establishment. 35 With the Punk scene, these rules and traditions are understood after participation almost immediately.

When the owner of the Venue Showcase in LA was interviewed about Mosh pits in Spheeris’ film he responded, ”I don’t intervene when they begin dancing, they know the rules of the Mosh pit and they do their own thing.”36 Penelope Spheeris, also interviews Mrs. MacNeely, a former venue owner about the first time she ever witnessed Pogo Dancing, “It scared me, I didn’t know if the kids were starting something [a riot]”, while her husband Mr. MacNeely (London: Routledge, 1997), 363-4.

35 Joshua Meyrowitz, No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985), 28-29.

36 Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization III, directed by Spheeris Penelope, 1998.

36

states, “I saw it as an energy outlet, they were nice kids, they just have to be doing something different, it was a release from their daily tensions, whatever those might be.”37 Many people did not understand the culture’s dance, and usually avoided it due to its ability to appear extremely violent. The idea of showing violence was just to show people that it was capable of creating chaos if it wanted to.

Chaos is embedded in Punk, “The punk subculture…signified chaos at every level, but this was only possible because the style itself was so thoroughly ordered. The chaos cohered as a meaningful whole.”38 Although Punk appears chaotic, it has a major sense of order because there was a ton of thought that went into creating the chaos. It is Punk’s thorough sense of order, which allows for Punk’s dynamism.

Punk was formed in the spirit of rebellion to create unity and community.

The show became a symbol for motivation and release and performed as a tool to define the codes and traditions that drove this generation. It provides the Punk individual with a safe and protected place to be him/herself, and is also the site for the Pit to develop. It would be interesting to see how architecture can begin to reflect these codes and traditions of Punk. Is it possible that architecture can act as a signal to inform the individual of accepted behavior?

Can architecture begin to deviate according to these rules and traditions and what type of spaces could it produce?

37 Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization I, directed by Penelope Spheeris, 1981.

38 Dick Hebdige, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” in The Subcultures Reader, (London: Routledge, 1997), 137.

37

CHAPTER 4

RESULTS For my results I would like to create a space where people feel comfortable and safe to approach and participate in the body of government, which creates rules to improve their well-being and lives. A place where the individual feels safe enough to reveal their worries, concerns, and problems, that they feel should be improved upon by the municipal government to better their daily lives. To create a building that is a foundation of support for the community where everyone can look out for each other. By allowing the individual significant input in the generation of these rules, the individual will hopefully in turn desire to take the responsibility to enforce these rules on themselves.

It will be crucial to provide a building, which works together with the plaza liven up such an important connection point. The building should figure out ways to design in informal outdoor meeting spaces, picnic spots, etc. It should create relationships between government and individual, the individual and its community, and site and the history around it.

The new City Hall should provide a space, which makes a statement, in reference to everything around it. It should rebel against what is already built, utilizing different materials, forms, and methods of building construction.

This Punk City Hall should become a dynamic building, which provides for an exciting and motivating work environment. It should take on an abstract form, describing a static yet ever changing aurora, while providing a comfortable place for the individual to be him/herself.

39

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

This thesis is not about the analysis of Punk music and is also not a

critique on whether or not Punk culture has become mainstream. Instead, this thesis is about the generation of architecture from the rules of the Punk culture. This project should be considered successful if the new City Hall makes a statement in reference to its direct surrounds, it should rebel against the common typology of the surround area. The new City Hall should reflect the Punk aesthetic defined in this document as a whole. The aesthetic should appear in the form, the material choice, and should be included throughout every detail.

The project should feel welcoming and approachable to outside individuals, and should provide a pleasant experience to the workers who use it daily. Static yet dynamic The City Hall should have a static moment, which allows the dynamics of the building to occur. It should appear chaotic yet still feel calm, safe and protected.

This project should lessen the importance of hierarchy and should blend the boundaries between government and individual. It should place the individual and the government on equal ground so there is no power struggle and thus the community takes the responsibility on their self to follow rules. They desire to keep their community safe, protected, and in good working condition. They want to be a part of everything.

This project should provide a way to liven up City Hall Plaza. It should be a place to increase the interaction of people to improve their quality of life.

It should be a place for the community, a place to prove to the individual they have the support of their community behind them always.

40

IDEAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH - Can these theories be applied to the municipal governmental system? And could it be a critique on current governmental abilities?

- Could it become a critique on the rules of sub-genres? Could it become a way to classify sub-genres? Looking at which rules are different for each sub genre and what makes it that way?

- Could this be applied to mass housing in dangerous areas to rethink safety and security?

- If these ideas were woven into every department of the entire city hall, how would it affect the building as a whole?

41

6 3 9 h c r a : o w t n o i t sec

CHAPTER 5

PROGRAM

conceptual program

In Punk culture, a Mosh Pit provides the ultimate foundation for the performance of the authentic Self. This is because a Mosh Pit is a symbol of authenticity for Punk Culture, it is the only surviving artifact that could not be mass-produced and commercialized. (See the Definitions section for more information.)

Most individuals desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

At the same time individuals want to be unique and to be able to expose their true selves (authenticity). This desire to fit in gives individuals a goal to motivate themselves towards the fight against boredom that results from the monotony of everyday tasks.

The desire to live a more fulfilling life leads the individual through life changing experiences and forces them to develop rules of behavior. These rules provide guidance and help mold behavior and personality. The individual constantly search for communities and places in which they feel comfortable. They desire protection from vulnerability (see definitions) and freedom from judgment of others. The individual aspires to live freely and solely under the control of themselves. The act of attending a show is evidence that individuals desire to fit in, to be free of judgment and to be motivated.

A Pit provides the ultimate site for the performance of authenticity (see

definitions). The Pit is a symbol for authenticity for Punk, as well as where an individual feels most comfortable to be themselves (authentic).

A Pit depends on the proximity of bodies and the space provided for

interaction. The energy of the band becomes a catalyst of physical interaction.

Personal egos begin emerging, and individuals begin to expose the true Self, 44

becoming transparent and vulnerable but protected and safe.

This program for City Hall will be constructed from the rules of Punk

Culture. These rules serve to protect and to provide for the well-being, as well as provide the motivation to live a more fulfilling life. The architecture is about interaction between individuals, and the development of a way to make the individual feel as if they had a part in defining rules. Giving the individual the responsibility in creating policies will make people feel like they are responsible for their personal well-being. If the individual participates in creating rules, they will be more apt to self-enforce them, and the need for “Big Brother� (ultimate control) will dissipate. Individuals will take the responsibility of following rules into their own control. They will have the motivation to respect their community knowing they played a part in creating their community, and the rules serve to benefit them.

Ironically the Mosh Pit will be an interesting new model for a new City

Hall, although the Punk culture is strongly against most government. It will become the creation of space, which motivates people to think of the individual in ways that respond to the desire to protect the well-being. It will make people aware the individual is most important.

This new program will introduce a critique of current government. It

will come to terms with the common complaint that government does not give the individual enough responsibility; the idea that government is too controlling, and it is associated with fraud and corruption, the antithesis of authenticity. There is little understanding what truly occurs behind the scenes, and the government becomes a secretive performance (false, fake – see definitions).

The program is not to analyze or critique Punk music or lyrics. It does not

provide a recipe to create the perfect Punk venue, and it is not to discuss the 45

PROGRAM

functional program

success of the Punk community. Finally it is not to argue whether or not Punk has become mainstream. It is about creating architecture for the individual through community and out of the rules of support for the individual well-being.

This new City Hall will become a collage of time to document moments of simultaneity through proximity and overlapping space. Space will be generated from the rules of Punk Culture to create relationships between program and the occupant.

City Hall Plaza is a barren space, which can become the graveyard for the new proposed City Hall created from the strategic deconstruction of the old City Hall. By breaking off single departments of the existing building, and spreading the departments over the empty acreage, it will hopefully lead to the essence of instability of the two most powerful offices in City hall, the mayor’s office and City Council Chamber. There is a necessity to design their experiences to feel awkward, and less powerful, making them float over the pit of departments below, stabilized by community. In performing these methods, the City Hall will hopefully become more accessible by creating buildings that are smaller, and more related to the human scale, as well as speak to the representation of the Punk culture.

There are over fifty different departments based in Boston’s City Hall.

They are composed into one large, unwelcoming, overpowering concrete building. The goal is to create a space that is more welcoming and inviting by transforming each department into smaller attainable buildings, spread across the plaza in similar zones based on function. Due to the deconstruction of City Hall through the separation of departments, a set of circulation tunnels informed by the activity of Moshing will be necessary.

46

Figure 5.1 Sketch of pogo wells at tunnels providing view access. Infurchia Š 2009.

The Pogo Dance can begin transformed to describe the vertical moments of a building. It can begin to develop visual access between multi-story floors to enforce transparency between programs. The introduction of transparency between programs will be necessary to expose the government to the community and to aid in blurring the boundaries of power and control. These Pogo wells will also function as view access from individuals in the circulation tunnels to the individuals above ground, interacting in the outdoor informal meeting and park spaces of the new City Hall Plaza. The Pogo dance can also be used in the creation of light wells to begin introducing ideas of a dynamic light and shadow performance within certain program.

The Mosh Pit will be a site for debate; in the City Hall the most confrontational space is the City Council Chamber. The characteristics of the Mosh Pit can generate a place to discuss policies and politics of the Boston community. The Mosh Pit is a site of authenticity and requires implicit trust. It is a place where truth should be exposed, thus it will be important to introduce

transparency between the government and the individuals it provides for. The City Hall needs to disintegrate the importance it currently places on control and 47

power. The complete exposure of major program, such as the City Council Chamber or the Mayor’s Department, will communicate the direct connection between government and individual.

The Circle Pit has the characteristic of apparent order. This order can begin translated into the organization of the structure of City Hall. The order of a Circle Pit can inform the organization of the deconstruction site plan of City Hall’s departments. The order needs to allow for a space where both statics and dynamism can occur simultaneously.

The Pit is a centrifugal site of freedom from the voices in an individual’s mind; the pressure from her boss from the fast approaching deadline for a budget analysis; His stress concerning the release of tax documentation; Her lack of family support; His loss of a green card; Her frustration of attaining a building permit. The Pit becomes a site of constant expulsion of energy to feed the performance of authenticity.

The dynamics of a show will be used to define the quality of the spaces. The dynamics can affect the light, scale, and form etc. of the City Hall. The heights of the spaces may change for each department thus creating dynamics throughout the entire City Hall. It is imperative to represent a moment that is static, but at the same time allows for intense dynamism. This moment will document simultaneity and time. It will portray specific points in time transposed into one single moment.

Places THE PIT

7,500sf – 60 occupants (13 members)

The Pit is a site where a committee debates and decides on policies and rules for the well being of the community. In the City Hall the Pit will be developed into the City Council Chamber. This space will feel chaotically organized, and will 48

be one of the most dynamic spaces. The ceiling height will change in response to activities occurring within close proximity. The Chamber will be ever changing and may begin to literally change or transition for different functions. The Pit will be a confrontational and large form and will deliver a blow to all the senses upon interaction. It is generated from wide-open floor space, populated by a dynamic assembly of people. The site will be safe, and protected. It is a place to be an individual, the act of performing the authentic. It is a connection between strangers through affection for a band, or the individual to the government. It is about letting go. It is about gaining motivation to decide rules and politics for everyday life.

THE SHOW

5,000sf – 20 occupants

The show will become a space that is on display to the public, it should be one of the more powerful departments, such as the Mayor’s Department. The Show will become one of the most transparent programs to blur the sense of hierarchy between individual and government. It will offer complete exposure to the public and will float on a perceived unstable foundation. The form will be abstracted from the building material of the existing Mayor’s department. The Mayor’s Department will be significantly small in comparison to the Council Chamber but equally confrontational.

SAFETY SPACE

3,000sf – 25 occupants

The Safety Space will provide a protected environment to share individual experiences or issues concerning the community, and personal opinions on how to improve the government. The Safety Space is a representation of the Civil Rights Department, of Boston City Hall. It will become the Static space, which provides a foundation 49

for the rest of the building to become extremely dynamic. It will become a space where individuals of the community are welcomed to share their opinions with the government to help make a positive impact on their community. This space should be similar to a confessional, or to the sanctuary created by a Mosh Pit for the individual to be authentic. This space should contrast the other program, and should feel somewhat constricted yet comfortable to encourage feedback.

POGO SPACE

2,000sf – 5 occupants

The Pogo Space is a major vertical component of the City Hall. It can begin to cultivate light, and to create visual connections between program. It should slice through program to join spaces together creating specific views. This space should be energetic, slender, abstract and tall in height.

SLAM SPACE

3,000sf – 20 occupants

Slam Spaces excitedly collide and overlap or fuse together with other program to encourage fresh ways of thinking. These spaces should not conform to defined boundaries, and should be flexible for growth. These rules may also generate in between space used as transitional spaces. The Slam Space can be translated into the Youth council and Youth Line Departments. This space should also allow for organized chaos, and should display extreme dynamism.

REBELLION SPACE

1,000sf – 10 occupants

The Rebellion Space is a confrontational space. It will be another space that will offer an immediate blow to the senses upon entering, providing an “in your face” reaction, to evoke rebellion. It will be a space that is chaotic yet will have some sense of order and control. The Rebellion space will be a representation of the Police and Fire Departments.

50

CHAPTER 6

SITE The site is City Hall Plaza, Boston, Government Center. It is urban, it is the people, it is barren. There is no evidence of community, or interaction between civilian and government. The city of Boston is aware community exists; yet its essence is invisible. It is empty, vacant of people, populated only by thousands of bricks and passers by. It is a connection from the public transportation to Faneuil Hall, it is a site for festivals, and it is a performance ground. It is Boston’s Biggest Brother.

City Hall Plaza of Boston is most effective site, because of its connection

to Boston City Hall. Boston City Hall Plaza, in conjunction with the City Hall represents one of the largest power zones directly connected to the community of Boston. It is a place of authority over everything from trash collection to the civil rights. It is the ultimate “Big Brother”, and is responsible for many of the rules created for the individual to live by today. It is supposed to represent a major connection to the community, yet currently fails miserably.

Site Terminology CRIME - The documentation and analysis of crime within the eight acres of Boston’s City Hall Plaza will be very important.

From the micro scale of the immediate

surrounding streets; including Congress Street, Court Street, Cambridge Street, and New Sudbury Street; all the way out to the macro scale of the entire city of Boston. It will be interesting to see how effective “Big Brother” is on a small scale of the site itself and then even the larger scale of the greater Boston area.

BIG BROTHER – A map of the surrounding area of City Hall Plaza showing where “Big Brother” is located will help in the generation of the location of the Police 52

and Fire Departments of City Hall. This would include any police stations, fire stations, and jailhouses, etc. The current City Hall Plaza is about a 900 feet (0.2 miles) from the Suffolk County Court House, about 500 feet (0.1 miles) from the Boston District A-1 Police Department, within walking distance of the Fire Station between Joy Street and South Russell Street, and within a half a mile radius of the U.S. Coast Guard Station as well as the Suffolk County Jail.

SURROUNDING BUILDING TYPOLOGY – Documenting the surrounding building typology will be important because this information will be used to decide on the material and form of the City Hall. This Punk City Hall needs to make a statement in relation to the existing fabric. It needs to stand out and create an immediate aurora of confrontation, rebellion and authenticity.

SURROUNDING BUILDING FUNCTIONS – It will be important to explore the building functions around City Hall Plaza to find out which buildings may support the program of City Hall. For example, are there any shelters in the vicinity for women, children, homeless etc? Are there any other municipal buildings in the area? What about adoption centers, of family support offices?

TRANSPORTATION – This represents a physical connection to the community, the more access to the site, the better ability and chance for individuals to participate in government, which will create a larger and stronger community. It will also allow for more feedback to be given by individuals on government if the City Hall is easily accessible.

53

HOMELESS AND IMPOVERISHED – It will be important to represent the homeless and impoverished culture in because a site diagram because many of the people who associate themselves with Punk also associate themselves with being poor and homeless. This information can begin to work its way into the City Hall program; for example, if there is an existing adoption center maybe it can somehow directly connect to the City Hall, specifically the family justice department, or housing department of City Hall.

EMPLOYMENT DATA – This information will also help to support the homeless and impoverished data. It might also be interesting to begin looking into individual self-governed businesses to begin a connection between the City Hall Plaza and the “Do It Yourself” ethic (see historical narrative).

54

Com

U.S. Coast Guard Station

me

Suffolk County Jail

Na sh ua

rcia

l St

St

Amy Ct

Mart ha R d

n rdo Cha New

Br

at

tle

H aw kin ay s W

St

w Ne St

t yS ur db Su

District A-1 Police Station

Cambridge St

Joy St

Irving St

S Russell St

Fire Station City Hall Plaza

St

St ngress New Co

Court

City Hall

N 0

250

500 feet

LOCATIONS OF “BIG BROTHER” big brother city hall building site figure 6.1 Diagram of City Hall Plaza. Infurchia © 2009

55

N

figure 6.2 113 Crime Instances between 11.08.09-12.08.09 City Hall Plaza. Infurchia Š 2009 single crime multiple crimes site

0

25 250

500 feet

56

se t e r ou n th e ur e C Co r a d S. T U. r l d o W

te ta rs te In

Le t re ve on

93

tC ne cto r

Ha

no

ve r

St

Lovejoy Wharf

Atlantic Av

Haymarket Bowdoin Long Wharf

Government Center

Aquarium Cen

State

Pinckney St

Long Wharf

ha tral W

rf

New England Aquarium

High

St

Atlantic Ave

t ess S Congr

N

0

25 250

Rowes Wharf

500

0

feet

arf Rowes Wh Airport

250

500 feet

PUBLIC6.3TRANSPORTATION figure Public Transportation, City Hall Plaza. Infurchia Š 2009 green line - under ground bus routes green line - under ground bus routesrail commuter green line - above ground commuter rail green transit line - above ground blue line water facilities blue line water transit facilities red line water transit routes red lineline water transit routes orange MBTA stations orange line MBTA stations site city hall building site city hall building

Public Transportation

57

figure 6.4 City Hall Plaza. Boston Sunday Globe Š 1996

figure 6.5 City Hall Plaza. Boston Sunday Globe Š 1997

58

figure 6.6 City Hall Plaza. Kallmann, McKinnell & Wood Š 1990

59

figure 6.7 Plan of City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe Š 1995

60

figure 6.8 Sections of existing City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe Š 1995

61

figure 6.9 Plans of existing City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe Š 1995

62

figure 6.10 Plans of existing City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe Š 1995

63

SITE ANALYSIS

AGES OF POPULATION IN GOVERNMENT CENTER under 5 years 16 years + 65 years +

figure 6.11 Infurchia © 2009

PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LEVEL figure 6.12 Infurchia © 2009

64

CRIME OCCURRENCES IN BOSTON, MA: 11.08.09 - 12.08.09 figure 6.13 Infurchia © 2009

POPULATION OF GOVERNMENT CENTER: FEMALE VS. MALE

female.47 male.398 figure 6.14 Infurchia © 2009

AVERAGE FAMILY SIZE

government center: 2.2 memebers

city of boston: 3.2 memebers figure 6.15 Infurchia © 2009

65

CHAPTER 7

PRECEDENTS: ABSTRACT FORM

UNSTUDIO

Tea House on Bunker Vreeland, the Netherlands Each of these buildings are examples of the type of form and material this thesis should take into consideration.

UNStudio’s Tea House on Bunker is a large facility intended as a meeting space or business retreat. The abstract form and choice of steel panelling and concrete speak to the achievement of the Punk aesthetic. The choice of these particular materials provide this building with an industrial feeling. The form of the building is sharp, and provocative. The exterior of the building is making a statement of aggression.

Arquitectonica’s Art Museum also uses abstract form to make statement. The sharp lines, and contrasting material of black stone, and metal panelling provide this building with an industrial feel.

Libeskind’s Art Museum in Denver also share similar qualities to the above buildings. The pointy, sharp forms make a statement, and the material choice also provides an industrial aesthetic.

ARQUITECTONICA Bronx, New York

DANIEL LIBESKIND

Extension to the Denver Art Museum Denver, Colorado

It will be important for this thesis to make an statement with its form and material choice, and these buildings will be great references during design.

67

PRECEDENTS: JDS + BIG VM Houses Copenhagen, Denmark

SOUTH FACADE: sharp, dynamic,

chaotic, intense

The VM Houses are apartment complexes . Each of the apartments are different and take into account each owner’s unique style. The sharp balconies on the South side of this building create a dangerous aesthetic, resembling shark teeth.

The integration of media art also creates a very unique exterior.

MEDIA ART:

The building is supposed to be inviting, and is supposed to evoke life around it with park space and informal meeting spaces created with niches and angles along the first floor.

niche, informal meeting space

NORTH FACADE: flat, organized,

calm, moderate

It is also interesting that the facades are two different types. On one side there is a chaotic, and energetic facade, while on the other there is a calm, organized facade.

68

PRECEDENTS: ANTONIE PREDOCK ARCHITECT Austin City Hall Austin, Texas The Austin City Hall embodies abstract form. It also creates a visual where two spaces appear to have been slammed into each other. There is also an area of in between space where a protrusion peeks out of. This building also uses materials to create an industrial feel, copper, limestone and glass.

The form and materials are to reflect Austin’s warm and inviting character.

This reflective quality is also used on the interior to get light into the space.

CTION VIEW CONNE The plan also reflects the abstract space. Both exterior and interior reflect the same quality, in material and abstract form. On the exterior there are views from top level to the bottom, connected by catwalks diminishing spatial boundaries. There is also a public stage for performance embedded with in the landscape of this building. They use creative ways to sunshade the exterior creating very dynamic light patterns.

PATTERNED LIGHT

69

PRECEDENTS: SHOWS The following images are all shots from different shows. Each image displays a different activity during a show. The show was chosen as a precedent because that is where this entire thesis has developed out of. This is the site for the Mosh Pit, the site for performances, Circle Pits, Pogo dancing, etc.

From the show it will be important to pay attention to the spatial arrangment and proxmity of bodies, the space in which a Mosh Pit develops, the different forms created, the movement, and the dynamics.

BAND PERFORMANCE

On the following page there is a song by Say Anything called, “Admit it@�. This is a precedent because the lyrics embody what this thesis is trying to transform into architecture. It talks about authenticity, and judgement from other people. It is also a song where there is a lot of dynamism, and energy.

PIT

FRONT ROW CROWD

70

PRECEDENTS: ADMIT IT! - SAY ANTYHING ADMIT IT! [screamed] Despite your pseudo-bohemian appearance and vaguely leftist doctrine of beliefs, you know nothing ABOUT art or sex that you couldn’t read in any trendy new york underground fashion magazine...Proto-typical non-conformist. You are a vacuous [screamed] soldier of the thrift store gestapo. You adhere to a set of standards and tastes that appear to be determined by an unseen panel of hipster judges-BULLSHIT-giving your thumbs up and thumbs down to incoming and outgoing trends and styles of music and art. Go analog baby, you’re so post-modern.

You’re diving face forward into an antiquated past, it’s disgusting! It’s offensive! Don’t stick your nose up at me! - yelling Yeah, what do you have to say for yourself? - accusing Woah,Woah,Woah,Woah! - out of control yelling Yeah, what do you have to say for yourself?

Woah,Woah,Woah,Woah!

You spend your time sitting in circles with your friends, pontificating to each other, forever competing for that one moment of self aggrandizing glory in which you hog the intellectual spotlight, holding dominion over the entire SHALLOW....POINTLESS...conversation. Oh we’re not worthy.

When you walk by a group of quote-unquote normal people you chuckle to yourself, patting yourself on the back as you scoff. It’s the same superority complex shared by the high school jocks who made your life a living hell, makes you a slave to the competitive capitalist dogma you spend every moment of your waking life BITCHING about!

Yeah, what do you have to say for yourself?

Woah,Woah,Woah,Woah!(x2) Cause I’m proud of my life and the things that I have done, proud of myself and the loner I’ve become. You’re free to whine. It will not get you far. I do just fine, my car and my guitar, proud of my life and the things that I have done, proud of myself and the loner I’ve become.

You’re free to whine. It will not get you far. I do just fine, my car and my guitar.

Well let me tell you this, I am shamelessly self-involved. I spend hours in front of the mirror making my hair elegantly disheveled. I worry about how this album will sell because I believe it will determine the amount of SEX I will have in the future. I self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to help treat my extreme social anxiety problem. You are a FAKER! ADMIT IT!You are a FRAUD!ADMIT IT! You’re living a LIE! your life is living a lie! You don’t impress me! ADMIT IT! You don’t intimidate me! ADMIT IT! Why don’t you bow down, get on the ground, walk this fucking plank!

Yeah, what do you have to say for yourself?

Woah,Woah,Woah! (x2_ I’m proud of my life and the things that I have done, proud of myself and the loner i’ve become.

You’re free to whine. It will not get you far. I do just fine, my car and my guitar,guitar go!

I drift, drift, drift, drift, drift, yeah I drift, drift, drift, drift, drift, yeah oh And I am done with this, I wanna taste the breeze of every great city , My car and my guitar, My car and my guitar, So you’ll come to be, made of these urges unfulfilled, Oh no, no, no, no, no, When I’m dead I’ll rest, When I’m dead I’ll rest, lay still, When I’m dead I’ll rest, I’ll rest, When I’m dead I’ll rest, I’ll rest,

71

CHAPTER 8

DESIGN METHODOLOGY The rules and guidelines collected from the research conducted and through personal experiences concerning the Punk culture will become tools in the generation of architecture. The terminology provided in this document will inform architectural moments throughout this building.

The program this thesis will be designed for is the Boston City Hall, in the City Hall Plaza, or Government Center of Boston, MA. City Hall Plaza, is a barren site, which is supposed to act as a catalyst for the interaction of community, but currently it is empty and failing in its function. It serves as a connection from public transportation to the historical Faneuil Hall area, and it is also a site for performances and sports gatherings.

City Hall represents one of the largest power zones representing the Boston community. It controls everything from trash collection to Boston’s police departments. It is the ultimate “Big Brother”, and it is responsible for the rules created for the individual to live by today.

It will be important to explore City Hall Plaza in terms of crime; by documenting the supporting “Little Brothers” (i.e. police stations, fire departments, jails); surrounding building typologies to inform material decisions and aesthetics; surrounding building functions to find out which buildings may be able work together with the new proposed City Hall; Transportation – because for a building to have a strong connection to the community, it needs to be easily accessible; homeless and impoverished – since the Punk culture has such a connection to the homeless culture, it will be helpful to take a look at the percentage of homeless in Boston and around the immediate site; it may also be interesting to take a look at the employment data, especially to look into individual business that were possibly started like the businesses of the DIY. 73

City Hall Plaza is a very large open space, which can become the graveyard for the new proposed City Hall created from the strategic deconstruction of the old City Hall. By breaking off single departments of the existing building, and spreading the departments over the empty acreage, it will hopefully lead to the essence of instability of the two most powerful offices in City hall, the mayor’s office and City Council Chamber. There is a necessity to design their experiences to feel awkward, and less powerful, making them float over the pit of departments below, stabilized by community. In performing these methods, the City Hall will hopefully become more accessible by creating buildings that are smaller, and more related to the human scale, as well as speak to the representation of the Punk culture.

It will be very important to begin converting the terminology into architecture. The Pogo Dance can begin to describe the vertical moments of a building. The Pogo Dance can be used to develop light wells, and visual access between multi-story floors to create transparency between programs, which will be important in exposing the government to the community.

In separating each of the departments of City Hall into individual buildings, circulation routes will need to be implemented to connect these buildings; they could be a series of underground tunnels influenced by the movement in a Pit. In creating an exciting and welcoming experience in these tunnels, the introduction of Pogo-ing light wells may be a very interesting device.

The Mosh Pit can become the site for debate. The characteristics of the Mosh Pit resemble a place to discuss policies and issues of the community. The Mosh Pit is a site of authenticity, and requires trust. It is a place where truth should be revealed, thus it will be important to introduce transparency between the government and the individuals it provides for. Architecturally the building 74

may begin to expose details, which reveal the truth of a building. Maybe there is an exposure of structure, or a material is used in a way, which is true to its integrity? Maybe an exposure of certain program exists to represent the direct connection between government and individual.

The Circle Pit has the characteristic of apparent order. Architecturally it can relate to the organization of its structure. It can also become the organization factor in the design the site master plan of departments.

Architecturally, the dynamics of a show can begin to inform the quality of the spaces, the quality of the lighting versus the shadows, the heights of a space, or the form to create a building that is exciting and energetic.

The program for City Hall will be constructed from rules of the well-

being, the motivation to live life. The architecture is about the involvement of individuals, creating a way to make people feel as if they had a part in making the rules. It is about making people feel like they are responsible for their own well-being.

It is a critic of current government. The common complaint that government

does not give the individual enough personal responsibility; the idea that government is too controlling, and its associated with fraud and corruption, the antithesis of authenticity. No one every really understands or knows what is truly occurring behind the scenes, and it becomes a performance.

The program is not to analyze or critique the music and lyrics generated of

the scene. It does not provide the ingredients for creating the perfect Punk venue, and it is not used to discuss whether or not Punk has entered the mainstream. It is about creating architecture about community, and rules to support the individual well-being. It is the creation of space through rules and its relationship between space and occupant. It is the creation of space, which motivates people to think 75

of the individual, in ways, which respond to the desire to protect the well-being, in a way that makes people aware the individual, is most important. It will become a reflection of personal responsibility to themselves, and to their community.

Every model, sketch, and drawing created should begin to represent the Punk

graphic. It should imply the definition of objects, but should never completely define an object unless is in relation to the Circle Pit where order is a specific characteristic. The representation should embrace disintegration and deconstruction similar to Figures 4.1 Nude Descending a Staircase and 4.2 Duchamp Descending a Staircase. These pieces of artwork should be looked at as case studies to begin forming a representational body of work.

Figure 8.1 Nude Descending a Staircase, Marcel Duchamp Š 1912.

76

Figure 8.2 Duchamp descending a staircase. Eliot Elisofon Š 1952. Time, Inc.

Figure 8.3 Punk Aesthetic Collage One. Infurchia Š 2009.

The following images are attempts at Punk collages and montages to begin defining a Punk aesthetic. Figure 4.3 is a collage of Punk images, with no guidelines. Figure 4.4 is a collage of Punk images without the use of people.

77

The following are a series of images displaying the first iteration of a model diagramming the movement of the Pogo Dance. After completing this model, it did not seem to portray the movement accurately, and was not as dynamic as the Pogo Dance. From this the next step was to figure out a way to accurately catch the energy, dynamics, and movement of the Pogo Dance.

Figure 8.4 Pogo Model Iteration One, Infurchia Š 2009.

78

These images represent the second iteration of the Pogo Dance diagram model. Looking at Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase” for inspiration I began to dissect forms to represent movement.

After still not fully representing the dynamism to its fullest, a photo montage was composed of the models disintegration to begin representing the conundrum of dynamic vs. static.

Figure 8.5 Pogo Model Iteration Two, Infurchia © 2009.

79

Figure 8.6 Pogo Model Photo Montage, Infurchia Š 2009.

80

The following two pages are a series of images depicting a 3D diagram of a Mosh Pit. Using Rhino and Grasshopper, a rule set was developed to produce an outcome to resemble a Mosh Pit. The rule set is depicted at the bottom of the page as a rhino definition. Each individual pyramid shape stands to represent a participant of a Mosh Pit. Together they form a whole to represent a tightly woven community. There are places where these shapes overlap to represent the in between spaces of which may occur in the program for City Hall. The Pyramid shape is also to represent the Punk aesthetic.

It is meant to feel jagged, sharp, and intimidating. The colors of the rendering were also chosen to represent the Punk Aesthetic.

Figure 8.7 3D Modeling Process - Diagram of a Mosh Pit, Infurchia Š 2009.

81

This page is a series of images documenting the final 3D printed model. Its dimensions are about 6� in diameter, and 1.5� high. There are 130 units, and the material is plaster.

Figure 8.8 3D Model Documentation, Infurchia Š 2009.

82

RESEARCH: SURVEY As a part of the design methodology, a survey was conducted about participating at a show or concert. The survey appeared as:

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT A SHOW/CONCERT? For those of you who participate in Punk or Rock shows, please fill out this survey to help me collect information what people experience at a show. Thanks for your help, it is really appreciated!

1. Are you Male of Female?

Male

Female 2. What age range do you fall in?

13-17

18-21

22-25

25-30

30 or older 3. Please list a few shows you have attended.

4. What are your reasons for attending a show?

Is there motivation it gives you? Do you like the sense of Community? Do you just go to have a good time?

5. Where can you be found at show?

Standing within the first three rows.

Standing where the Mosh Pit is likely to form.

Standing on the outer edges of the crowd.

Standing in the back of the venue.

You can find me at the bar.

I hate standing, get me a seat!

6. What is your opinion of Mosh or Circle Pits?

Do you believe there are a set of unwritten rules that must be followed for safety? How do you learn these rules? Do you find it unsafe? Scary? Violent? Is the Violence towards other audience members or is it a representation towards something else?

7. Do you participate in Mosh/Circle Pits?

Yes

No 83

8. If you answered yes to the question above, why do you participate in these Pits?

Do you have a preference as to what type of Pit? Is there a certain move you perform?

Is there a certain feeling you get? Is it to show your dedication to the band? Please be as descriptive as you can.

9. Do you have any experiences that stand out in your mind that you would like to share?

A favorite concert? A meeting with a band member?

RESULTS As of December 8, 2009, the survey was taken by 80 people. The results are displayed in the following charts: ARE YOU MALE OF FEMALE?

WHAT AGE RANGE DO YOU FALL IN?

MALE 52 65% FEMALE 28 35%

13-17 7 18-21 15 22-25 53 25-30 3 30 OR OLDER 2

9% 19% 66% 4% 3%

84

WHERE CAN YOU BE FOUND AT SHOW?

STANDING WITHIN THE FIRST THREE ROWS. STANDING WHERE THE MOSH PIT IS LIKELY TO FORM. STANDING ON THE OUTER EDGES OF THE CROWD. STANDING IN THE BACK OF THE VENUE. YOU CAN FIND ME AT THE BAR. I HATE STANDING, GET ME A SEAT!

DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN MOSH/CIRCLE PITS?

22 7 16 1 7 3

YES NO

28% 9% 20% 1% 9% 4%

22 58

28% 73%

85

TIMELINE November

Finalize proposal, and objectives – begin to straighten out the reasons as to why it is so important to complete this research. Make decisions on which terminology to focus on and how to bring into the architectural realm. Create a collage depicting Punk space, using venues, outdoor spaces, apartments, etc.

December

Build a site model of City hall Plaza Research the origins of performance, and become more comfortable with governmental types, architecturally and politically.

Gain a complete understanding of terminology presented and how it relates to architecture.

Collect all site information available for use in analysis, site planning, and diagrams: BRA maps, existing digital files, any photographs, create photo montages of site depicting existing materials, and building typologies in order to generate the idea of contrast and rebellion to make a statement Refine the aesthetic that will be carried throughout the entire presentation, graphics, colors, font type etc.

Finalize the specific departments of City Hall to focus on developing for Program Create the conceptual sketches: ideas for spreading program throughout site, and making the Mayor’s Office less powerful, more of a spectacle, as well as ideas for deconstruction.

January

Concept Development and Program Diagramming - Begin developing schemes through sketching and modeling. Begin analyzing how to organize the program on the site using the site model. Again enforcing the idea of spreading the program through the site. Begin developing ideas for 93

connecting these buildings, keeping in mind the cold climate – maybe use of underground tunnels Be aware of form – make sure it is following the guidelines for the Punk Aesthetic.

Pin up February

Begin defining moments of project to get into major detail, i.e.

Where will the pogo dancing show up? Where will the mosh pit be, how

about slam dancing?

March Focusing on finalizing the plan making sure all terminology is apparent in moments and details. Finalizing the material choice, and elevations. Making sure the building is dynamic in every way, and is also translated into the site plan.

April

Production mode – creation of presentation drawings keeping to

aesthetic established in December.

Renderings, and models.

Begin scripting the final presentation as an event or a performance, rather than just a common pin up.

May

Final presentation with critics of full project successfully

demonstrating every idea presented in this document.

94

BIBLIOGRAPHY Boot, Adrian, and Chris Salewicz. Punk: The Illustrated History of a Music

Revolution. New York: Penguin Studio, 1997.

Fonarow, Wendy. “The Spatial Organization of the Indie Music Gig.” In The Subcultures

Reader, by Ken Gelder and Sarah Thornton, 360-369. London: Routledge, 1997.

Hebdige, Dick. “Subculture: The Meaning of Style.” In The Subcultures Reader, by

Ken Gelder and Sarah Thornton, 130-142. London: Routledge, 1997.

Henry, Patricia. Break All The Rules! Punk Rock and the Making of a Style. Ann

Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research Press, 1989.

Jencks, Charles. Language of Postmodernism. Rizzoli, 1991.

McNeil, Legs, and Gillian McCain. Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of

Punk. New York, New York: Grove Press, 2006.

Meyrowitz, Joshua. No Sense of Place: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social

Behavior. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Oxford University Press. “Punk.” The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English.

High Beam Research, Inc. . 2009. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999 punk.html (accessed October 28, 2009).

Savage, Jon. England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond. New

York, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991.

Serenyi, Peter. “Reviewed Work: Modern Architecture Since 1900 by WIlliam J. R.

Curtis.” The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (Society of

Architectural Historians) 43, no. 3 (October 1984): 274-277.

Spheeris, Penelope. The Decline of Western Civilization I. Directed by Penelope

Spheeris. 1981.

Spheeris, Penelope. The Decline of Western Civilization III. Directed by Penelope

Spheeris. 1998.

Tsitsos, William. “Rules of Rebellion: Slamdancing, Mosihing, and the American

Alternative Scene.” Popular Music (Cambridge University PRess) 18, no. 3

(October 1999): 397-414.

95

Jillian Infurchia is a graduate student in the Master’s of Architecture Program at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. She grew up in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and developed a passion for creativity at a very young age. She believes in order to be successful you must put be positive and confident. She thoroughly enjoys attending shows on her free time and music is an integral part of her life.

96