ARCHIPELAGO I DESIGN STUDIO MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF DESIGN UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THESIS
STEPHANIE KITINGAN
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CRITICS, GUESTS AND SUPPORTERS
PROF. PHILLIP GOAD DR. KAREN BURNS
CHAIR. DONALD BATES PROF. ALAN PERT
DENNIS PRIOR BYRON KINNAIRD KIM JANG YUN JOHAN HERMIJANTO MICHAEL ONG THOMAS STANISTREET
KATIE CHECKEN CLARA FRIEDHOFF PATRICK HEGARTY ADILAH IKRAM SHAH JAYDEN KENNY STEPHANIE KITINGAN JANNETTE LE MARC MICUTA JACK PU
STUDIO LEADER: TOMMY JOO
HENOSIS
01 INTRODUCTION
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02 STATEMENT
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03 INCEPTION
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04 PROJECT B
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05 DISCOVERY
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06 SATELLITE
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07 PHRONTISTERY
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08 SPECULATIONS
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09 INSTIGATION
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010 PROGRESS
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INTRODUCTION
‘an exploration of the cosmos’ This thesis attempts to explore the connection that man has with the cosmos, through the use of alchemy as a poetic point of departure; which leads to the discussion of sacred geometry and its applications in ancient times in The unfolding of this highly subjective and elusive theme presents architecture as the common basis for man’s outlet and expression of a universal connection to the universe. Thanks is owed to Tommy Joo, for his ongoing support, encouragement and guidance throughout this semester without which this thesis would not have been possible.
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STATEMENT
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Henosis represents the state of wholeness - the art of liberating the cosmos from a temporal existence in an attempt to resonate our universal roots that bond us to this galaxy, this earth. Throughout the ages of civilisation, mankind’s quest to translate the unseen forces of the universe for human understanding has been apparent through the medium of architecture. This is a speculative thesis attempting to explore the current disconnection that man has with the cosmos, through the use of alchemy as a poetic point of departure. An interrogation is then made of a ‘new alchemy’ – through the emblematic use of knowledge - and its role as a prerequisite to the reinvigoration of this innate connection within a contemporary context. The dialogue then shifts to the discussion of geometry and the The impetus of this thesis is accessed by exploring the qualities of The architectural intervention is a twofold Phrontistery and Satellite, both ‘sites’ working together to explore the depths of space and its patterns. It is a place of knowledge and learning. We seek to reconnect what has drifted apart.
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INCEPTION
The concept of alchemy concerns the art of liberating parts of the cosmos from a temporal existence, thus achieving henosis [unity] with the divine – and has been the forerunner in the search of understanding the underlying patterns of our universe since time immemorial. Ancient civilisations all over the world have intertwined their search for the understanding of the cosmos under the blanket term, alchemist. There is a humanistic connection with the unseen forces of the universe that man has tried to uncover, whether it be though the manipulation of different metals or the practice of sacred rituals.
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As we depart from the poetic metaphor of alchemy as a point of discussion, it is evident that an aspect of this alchemical exploration of oneness with the cosmos was the use of emblems in their core symbolism. These diagrams have an underlying geometric structure that could potentially be as important as the symbols themselves. What are the connotations of these sacred proportions? “There is another level to many of the emblematic engravings of this period that has yet been fully considered - the key of their inner geometry. There may be a whole layer of meaning that we are at present unaware of woven into these ancient emblems.� - Adam McLean
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Sacred geometry charts the unfolding of number in space. It differs from mundane geometry purely in the sense that the moves and concepts involved are regarded as having symbolic value, and thus, like good music, facilitates the evolution of the soul. Critchow argues that pattern activity, but that order as ‘pattern’ seems to have universal meaning. The primary idea of order and geometry is one basis for understanding our universe. It has been observed that in as much as alchemy was seen as a protoscience - a precursor to science - much of their teaching is intertwined with symbolism – which can be interpreted as a precursor to imagination and therefore the key to a theoretically sublime view of life.
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PROJECT B
The initial driving force for Project B and express the theme of underlying patterns. What can be uncovered in the mundane and seemingly ordinary? A piece of blank manuscript like the altered to reveal the hidden patterns within the original layer. Project B seeks to reveal patterns within the unseen, much like the underlying geometries and symbollic patterns that was adapted in all civilisations throughout the millenia. These following images show the intricate details of the unseen, and when viewed in context to the topic at hand provides a apt position of how easily these details that make up our existence is overlooked. 26
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DISCOVERY
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Whether this creed of geometric proportions is taken as a religious or aesthetic sense, this symbolic geometry has unfolded itself - Our universe is structured in a highly complex yet sublimely ordered manner. Complex geometries structure our universe, our cosmic make up from macro to micro. Botta believes that spaces can represent metaphoric and symbolic values that mankind needs in order to feel a deeper sense of connection to the world around us, and the further extension beyond.
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This idea that there should be beauty and elegance evidenced by skilful composition of well understood elements underlies mathematics and science in general and in a sense all the architectural modules of design as well. This spiritual connection with the geometries of the universe was cause for sacred buildings with architecture based in sacred geometry.
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“The working geometries of places we have been building may well have developed out of human interaction with nature as the relevant ‘deeper order’. The interactions with our surroundings where we observe celestial of straight-line paths and the stable horizon line and related sensory experiences, one might trace a direct path through our capacity for abstraction and logic.” - Robert Lamb Hart
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“Every individual act of building is a process in which space gets differentiated. It is not a process of addition, but a process of unfolding, like the evolution of an embryo, in which the whole precedes its parts, and actually gives birth to them by splitting.� - Christopher Alexander
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SATELLITE
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As a cultural stimulator architecture provides man with an ‘existential foothold’. It reveals to us our collective ‘inner world’ and, unlike other physical artefacts, literally places us within it.
What seems to be an approriate resolve to express the two is in the construct of two sites - an Earth bound site, and a cosmic site. The impetus of this thesis is accessed by exploring the humanistic qualities of symbolic
The quality of this immersion has the potential to afford humans with a ‘more’ grounded relation to our life world – and is one that becomes available to us through our embodied, emotional and performative relation with architecture. There are many calls to foster this relation between cosmology, architecture and our embodied emotional understandings.
The cosmic site entails the design of a satelite, whilst the Earth based site functions as a place of knowledge and learning. The architectural speculation is a twofold Phrontistery and Satellite, both ‘sites’ working together to explore the depths of space and its patterns, while extending this wisdom to the rest of the world.
This architectural intervention when viewed from the perspective of the sum of research conducted thus far, must be taken from two points. Firstly, there is the notion of the human, place, and soul. Secondly, there is the topic of the cosmos.
The narrative of the Satellite works in such a way that it functions as a living entity, funnelling all the information it gathers back to Earth in order to be translated into different construals of learning.
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“Conditions are not invariable; terms are space, and does not regard the small as too little, nor the great as too much; for he knows that there is no limit to dimension... the growth in understanding of spatial order seems to follow closely man’s own evolution as a conscious being.” - Keith Critchlow
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The two sites fuctioning as a collective whole implies that the one cannot fully complete its function without the other. This relationship is of paramount importance in order to sustain the constant relay of information.
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PHRONTISTERY
The loci of the Phrontistery is situated on the island of Hven, Sweden. This observatories, home of Tycho Brahe. Tycho was the precursor in the realm of astronomy to Copernicus and in turn plays an important role in the development of cosmology, astronomy, and in turn the development of science.
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The site acts as a threshold between Denmark and Sweden, providing a similar metaphor to the role of the satellite as a threshold to the earth. As a place of learning, the Phrontistery will be comprised of several outlets to the interpetation of the data that the satellite receives. These can be divided into four outlets: A planetarium - a visceral representation of the information recieved A library - encompassing the planetarium is the library, which acts as a record keeping hub for the translation of satellite data as well as books on cosmology. A Star Axis - Orientated north, this axis frames the view of the satellite at all times throughout the day (as the satellite is theoretically in geosynchronous orbit). This rising tunnel also frames Polaris, the north star. A museum - Acts as a physical of several astrological artefacts Overall the planetarium and star axis act as a visual representation of the knowledge gathered from the satellite, while the library and museum act as a documentational avenue for the recieved information.
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“The fundamental element of this cosmos is space... its nature is emptiness and because it is empty it can contain and embrace everything... space is the pre-condition of all that exists.� - L. A. Govinda The spatial system that underlies the Prontistery is based on a vertical axis. The connection between the Phrontistery and Satellite is extended downward and upward in both directions, from the visible universe down to the particle level. This vertical axis implies a subterrainial use of the site and poses matter - space as an unbroken continuum.
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“Nature has an order, which manifests itself in the unlimited, homogeneous, vertical orientation of its space.� - Juan Borchers
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Um-welt: The world as it is experienced by a particular organism “Our UMWELT divides into two parts: a perceptual world of sensations [A]; and an effector world of actions, which comprises of objects produced and used by man [B].� - Jakob von Uexkull [A] = Satellite [B] = Phrontistery
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When the abstract narratives of the satellite [A] and the Phrontistery [B] are observed, a pattern emerges of the identities of these two elements. What results is the use of [A] and [B] as an ordering scheme within their The abstract in the diagram below is as follows: Without [B] there is no [A] [B] cannot reach [A], but [A] can reach [B] [A] is not [B] but [B] is derived from [A] therefore [B] = [AB] Albeit somewhat construed, the structure within the logic is apparent and can be used as a further argument for the subterrainan aspect of this design. Much like the function of the satellite as a funneling devide and a threshold between earth and the expanse of the universe, the spatial planning of the phrontistery is tackled by asserting this idea of thresholds, in this case being the earth is the threshold between [B] and the theoretical resting place of [A] (see image on next page).
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“Wholeness is a structure; it is not mere intuition. It is a structure lying at such a deep level that we cannot easily describe it. The key idea is that what grows and unfolds does so as a natural consequence of what is, because it literally grows out of wholeness - a structure in space - a structure of symmetries that exist in the way that a given portion of space is differentiated.� - Christopher Alexander
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SPECULATIONS
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“Architectural creation is the answer the human soul gives in order to regain a relationship - while on earth - with the cosmos. The soul, through its inherent nature, desires to unfold in all directions; and the way it would unfold, disregarding the body, the way it desires to carry its being out into the cosmos, becomes an architectural form.� - Rudolf Steiner
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The underlying metaphysical connection and symbolic aspect of form in the works of Rudolf Steiner at the Second Goetheanum.
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“To build is a sacred act, an action that transforms a condition of nature into a condition of culture.� - Mario Botta
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INSTIGATION
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There is harmony at the heart of the cosmos - an order beyond the senses.
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PROGRESS
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Sourced Images: Page 74-75, http://www.rsarchive.org/Architecture/ 105