“THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE SKY AWAITING DISCOVERY.” -STEVEN MAGEE
STOP! LOOK UP! NOW TRY TO REMEMBER LAST TIME YOU DECIDED TO TEAR AWAY YOUR EYES FROM YOUR MOBILE SECREEN AND TRIES TO OBSERVE THE BEAUTY YOUR SURROUNDING OFFERS.
THOUGH THE MAGINIFICENCE OF SKY IS UNPARALLEL, IT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN THE CURRENT FAST PACED LIFESTYLE OPTED BY THE PEOPLE. ITS BRILLIENT SHADES OF BLUES AND PINKS REDUCED TO MERE REFLECTIONS IN THE GADGETS THEY OWN. IT’S TIME WE DIRECT OUR VISION TOWARDS SOMETHING MUCH MORE MAJESTIC.
ETHER IS MADE UP OF SERIES OF SPACES THAT EACH REFLECT THE STRIKING FEATURES OF THE SKY WITH A UNIQUE APPROACH. THE STRUCTURE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO TAKE A MEANINGFUL BREAK FROM THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE, HENCE PROMOTING WELL-BEING, PERSPECTIVE, CREATIVITY, AND A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH OURSELVES AND THE WORLD AROUND US. IT IS A SIMPLE YET POWERFUL PRACTICE THAT CAN ENRICH OUR LIVES OF YOUNG ADULTS IN CANTERBURY IN NUMEROUS WAYS.
SITE ANALYSIS ACCESS POINTS AND SURROUNDINGS
A SKYSPACE IS AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IN WHICH A ROOM, WHICH IS PAINTED IN A NEUTRAL COLOR HAS A LARGE HOLE IN ITS CEILING WHICH OPENS DIRECTLY TO THE SKY. THE ROOM, WHOSE PERIMETER HAS BENCHES, ALLOWS OBSERVERS TO LOOK AT THE SKY IN SUCH A WAY AS THOUGH IT WERE FRAMED. LED LIGHTS WHICH SURROUND THE HOLE CAN CHANGE COLORS TO AFFECT THE VIEWER’S PERCEPTION OF THE SKY.
THE DESIGN IS THE WORK OF AMERICAN ARTIST JAMES TURRELL.
STONEHENGE, PREHISTORIC STONE CIRCLE MONUMENT, CEMETERY, AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE LOCATED ON SALISBURY PLAIN, ABOUT 8 MILES (13 KM) NORTH OF SALISBURY, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND. IT WAS ALIGNED ON THE SUN AND POSSIBLY USED FOR OBSERVING THE SUN AND MOON AND WORKING OUT THE FARMING CALENDAR. OR PERHAPS THE SITE WAS DEDICATED TO THE WORLD OF THE ANCESTORS, SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD OF THE LIVING, OR WAS A HEALING CENTRE
PRESENT-DAY DRUIDS GATHER THERE EVERY YEAR TO HAIL THE MIDSUMMER SUNRISE. LOOKING TOWARD THE SUNRISE, THE ENTRANCE IN THE NORTHEAST POINTS OVER A BIG PILLAR, NOW LEANING AT AN ANGLE, CALLED THE HEEL STONE. LOOKING THE OTHER WAY, IT POINTS TO THE MIDWINTER SUNSET. THE SUMMER SOLSTICE IS ALSO CELEBRATED THERE BY HUGE CROWDS OF VISITORS.
ARCHITECTURE FIRM X+LIVING HAS COMPLETED ‘YANGZHOU ZHONGSHUGE’, A LIBRARY LOCATED IN ZHEN YUAN, CHINA. THE CONCEPT WAS BASED ON THE IDEA OF WATER AND HOW IT IS THE CRADLE AND BREEDING GROUND OF THE YANGZHOU CULTURE. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENT WAS THE ARCH BRIDGE—AN INDISPENSABLE TRADITIONAL ELEMENT USED AS A GUIDING FACTOR OF COMMERCE, WHICH WILL REPRESENT IN THE BOOKSTORE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HUMAN AND BOOKS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
AS VISITORS WALK IN, THEY ARE WELCOMED BY THE ARCHED WALLS WHICH TURN INTO CEILINGS THAT CONTAIN THE BOOKS. THE USE OF A BLACK MIRRORED GLASS AS FLOORS REFLECTS THE BOOKSHELVES WHILE GIVING A FEELING OF WATER.
SKYLIGHTS
SKYLIGHTS ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON FEATUES USED TO FRAME SKIES, AND LIKE USUAL, IS USED IN A FEW SPACES TO HELP IN NATURAL LIGHT. WHEN CONNECTED TO EXISTING SNOOKER CLUB PRESENT ON SITE, THE ABANDONED SHED BESIDE THE PARKING LOT CAN BE CONVERTED TO AN EXTENDED PLAY AREA, A DELIGHT FOR BOTH STUDENTS LIVING NEARBY AND CLUB GOERS. THOUGH WITH SIMILAR FEATURES AND FACILITIES, THE DISTICT EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING IN THE SHED WOULD BE THE NATURAL LIGHTING THROUGH THE MULTIPLE SKYLIGHTS PRESENT OVERHEAD
THE CUREVED WALKWAY STRUCTURE ACTS AS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHED AND ETHER. AS ONE OF THE ENTERENCES, THE WALKWAY CONNECTS MULTIPLE SPACES WITHIN ETHER WITHOUT LOSING THE DISTICT FEATURE OF THE SKYLIGHTS EXTHEDED FRON THE SHED.
CURVED WALKWAY SHED WITH SKYLIGHTS
