path.

path.

Timothy Ghyssaert Jiří Vala Marek Vilášek

Studio Anatomy: Moratorium Space Jo Van Den Berghe, Mira Sanders, Laurens Luyten

Path.

the afterlife

We discovered a sequence of spaces in the the immediate surroundings of Church of Our Lady in Bruges. Outer spaces defined by walls filled with details and hidden potentials which intrigued us to their further investigation. All of those spaces appealed to us as separate rooms with strong connection through the enfilade of doors, gates and viewing axes.

They are connected with it‘s common path we discovered and decided to follow and listen to all the whispering pointing towards us. Each room have it‘s unique atmosphere created by the specific key elements and details.

After deeper examination the background narrative of the path of life came to surface.

With our design we work with the emotion of each room in the straight connection to the path and enhacing the atmosphere through the language of architecture and architectural detail.

pre-life

the moment of birth

growing up

the life

Afterlife

Death

Life

Moment of Birth

Preexistence

Preexistence

Moment of Birth

Life

Death

Afterlife

Preexistence Initial idea of this intervention is based on the biblical story of Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Paradise. Space we create here symbolizes the state of preexistence. Place so flawless and perfect, it feels even inhuman. Alienated. It‘s space out of this world, too perfect for us to actually be able to spend a longer period of time so we need to leave and continue forward.

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enfilade noun noun: enfilade; plural noun: enfilades 1. a volley of gunfire directed along a line from end to end. „they were mown down by an enfilade of artillery“ 2. a suite of rooms with doorways in line with each other.

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White Square

Danni Karavan / Richard Jochum

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Non-Compositional Architecture

Pier Vittorio Aureli

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Works of Gordon Matta-Clark

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The sphere as the most perfect geometric shape in the universe. All the space bodies are formed like this. We as human beings are not suited for such a perfection. Precisely shaped spherical interior space carved out of white marble enhaces this perfection to such level, that it even causes discomfort.

Empowered by the daylight coming through the circular opening on top causes loss of sense of direction. No edges or corners to hold on to. No fixed point letting you create the precise idea of space or it‘s dimensions.

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Moment of Birth The promise of space behind that wall that makes you wonder and raises questions. You want to enter that space, but you‘re not allowed yet. Dismantling couple of bricks could reveal something not yet known. This intrigueing desire does not leave a passenger calm.

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Right after passing through the door you‘re drawn by that wall. The gable, the only trace left behind . Mass of bricks and mortar with a promise of pace behind it. Mysterious retreat defending you from the outter world.

You need to dare that first step and climb through. You climb through the tunnel and reach the safe shelter. After a while you find a trapdoor beneath your feet leading to the cellar. After descending on a narrow ladder you discover resources allowing you to stay a bit longer. Wood, water and wine.

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Life What seems to be the goal from the distance might turn out as a dead end after reaching it. While chasing you‘re dreams you might even forget, why you started running in the first place. When you come to an end without a closure, you should turn around and retihnik your next steps. Where are you heading?

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Approaching Shadow, 1954 / Fan Ho

GA Houses

/Tadao Ando

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The walls are raised and two gates are built.

One gate leads you nowhere, the other one gets you to the other side. At the first glance one of the gates lures you in and than offers you no option to pass through. It‘s just a window, revealing you the absence of the bridge. You follow a wall on your way. A wall with the gaps big just enough to see and scrape through but small enough to walk pass them unnoticed. You might not even find a way out if you don‘t allow yourself to see.

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Death You‘re facing the river. Preparing for that long step into the unknown. Reach out with your your foot to land onto something you have a clue about, yet you‘re not sure.

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Crossing the river Styx - Hell - canto VIII Dante alighieri - Divina Comedia

/Gustave DorĂŠ

And look yonder, a graybeard came towards us across the water by boat. Old and with snowwhite hair he screamed: “Woe, O sinfull souls!

Give up hope to ever see the heavens again. I com here to ferry you to the other riverbank, where eternal darkness rules in heat and in blistering cold!�

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Crossing the river Styx - Hell - canto VIII Dante alighieri - Divina Comedia

/Gustave DorĂŠ

At the stern stood the celestial steersman, so that blessednes seemed written in his features,and more than a hundred souls sat inside.

They all sang together with one voice: “In Exitu Israel de Aegypto� and the rest of the psalm that comes after.

Then he made sign of the sacred cross towards them, at which they all flung themselves on shore, and as quickly he came, he departed.

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A Bridge for Real Travelers

/Alexander Brodsky

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There is a bridge in the water. Just below the water level, to give you a hint of it‘s existence.

You need to reach out with your feet and seek for the solid ground below. It is possible to pass that bridge, but you need to be aware of every single step you make. This bridge does not give you comfort, but it gets you to the other side. You just need to make an effort and start walking and see where it leads.

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Afterlife The final destination. Tunnel leading into the darkness down below. You walked a long way up to this point and you‘re about reach the end of your path. You‘ve been through struggle, but you can‘t just stop walking now. There‘s a certain mystery waiting in the darkness, too tempting to just let go.

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Water Temple

Tadao Ando

De Wijers Fietsburg

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Camera Obscura principle

Monument to Fear in Mexico City

Israel Lรณpez Balan

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The marble dome, burried beneath the ground, peeking out just with it‘s fragile fontanela facing the church. After crossing the bridge, you are facing a dark and narrow corridor. Just a dim light running down the dome and washing against the walls gives you the direction to follow. The large steps, descending in the ground guide you further on. It is necessary to sneak through the tight gap around the foundations to finally reach the space beneath the dome. It‘s too dark to actually see but the feel of foundations subtitute your eyesight. Do not let your touch mislead you, otherwise you‘ll never find closure. Revelation comes when you approach the space beneath the dome and behold the hint of the church projecting on the floor through the lense of the camera obscura and the Madonna exposed in this secret sanctuary.

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The Patent Title: Scheme for a structural support for a levitating marble dome About: A welded steel element that, when assembled, creates a circular structure which supports a heavy weight marblestone dome. It also creates a space between the surrounding earth and the dome, which permits natural daylight to enter the underlying corridor.

Constructive principle: The support of the dome is achieved by passing a cable through the bottom marble blocks which forms the dome and hang them up on the steel elements. The cables take up the tensile strength of the outward pushing forces, while the marble blocks and brick walls and foundations take up the downward forces through pressure strength. A second cable runs through an extending arm of each steel element. This cable supports the bottom row of marble blocks, in the same way the rest of the dome is supported. These bottom row of blocks reach out from the downward force axis of the dome, so that it seems like the entire dome is levitating.

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© 2017 Timothy Ghyssaert, Jiří Vala, Marek Vilášek