PRESENTATION

My design for a King Street Art Gallery, drawns on a desire that art should be a intimate experience with individuals, so that they can reflect upon the artists' intentions, and really absorb the qualities of art. The gallery aims to expose the works of various artists, allowing the option for them to stay and leave, and give spaces for various forms of work. Majority of the work would be smaller paintings and drawings and photographs, and smaller sculptures. However areas for larger works available. The back courtyard, would host larger installation work.

At the back we have 3 very intimate square cubes to hold singular works, or those of particular artists. THese rooms are directly exposed to the sunlight and would hold works that could stand the conditions. The works would be experienced in a spiritual manner, in their small detached spaces. They are all connected to an outdoor risen courtyardm for a few man-size sculptures, that would be suitable with the context of the building. You could also look down from here into one of the transitions. The front area on the second level, again houses a a small intimate room, and the workshop, that when open would complete a circular movement. above the workshop lies the apartment.




The building on the shorter axis is split into 3 parts, so that the movement in building is not only on a north to south direction, but in east to west direction aswell.

The front facade has various sized windows. This reflects the nature of the building, and the idea of various rooms of different sizes, and works of different sizes (frames of different shapes). In the windows/openings you would be able to see people inside, creating a loggia like theatrical nature to the facade, as visitors can walk up to facade, and in the middle left window, a sculpture would be seen to notify visitors of the buildings purpose. The buildings height relates to the building on the left, and doesnt stand in contrast to the street: it is apart of the street, but adds with it's civic purpose, and public engagement.

The back view, exposing the three intimate cube rooms, adds a scuptural nature to the buildings facade. So that when in the outdoor courtyards, the sculptures relate in a sense to the building and the context.
I have organised my building on a a cross axis. The building is symmetrical via the major axis, made this way to create a fluidity and to collect spaces together, making transitions and continuity more comprehendable . The central major axis takes one from entry to exit at the back courtyard, and the other axis connects to lifts. They intersect at a central focal point: a point of reference, where most of the various gallery spaces can be accessed. Not only this central focal point, but two other transitional points exit on the major axis: which ready the visitor from the central space to other galleries: giving them the option of which room to visit.

Not only this but it gives a rhythm through the movement of the building; where like the Kimbell Art Museum, you move from small spaces to large spaces to small, creating interesting fluid movement but also giving them a short rest before each space. This is experienced in the major axis movement on both ground level and first level.

Not only is there the linear movement through the axis, but the option of a circular path around the central focal point, and through the transitional points; to visit each gallery. This circular movement is reflected upstairs to create a continuity.

The minor axis splits the smaller intimate spaces with the larger more open areas at the back.



The first transitional point, opens up ,and the room above has two windows looking down into the area. This form reflects that of a human face, withan open mouth drawing individuals in, in a way Venturi interpreted classical traditions of depicitng human forms. Through the door, stairs can be seen, and with the various open spaces, these forms are inspired from Garnier's Paris Opera, and the vestibules that help lead one to the central staircase as the main point of interest, where interaction would be centred at.

Site 3 sits close to intersection of 4 major roads, and open up to a very large opening. Thus Site 3, can be viewed easily from various points. The road that the back entrance road leads into, leads toa park, therfore much access to the building could be from the back entrance. These three ideas were quite important to my considerations. I had to consider the view of my building from afar, and how it would be entererd. I decided to make it apart of the street, and that this large picturesque nature of the area, and the viewing of the building and its area, would not be obstruted by a monolithic/stand out - contemporary building. The back entrance possibility also influenced my desire to have a sculptural nature to that entrance with the cubic rooms.

MODEL

FINAL DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

PRECEDENTS

RHYTHM/ FORM

Paris Opera

Kahn

MINIMALISM

I wanted a simply space, of simple alls and forms, to acts as a framework for the art...forms that may ahve interesting movememnt, but not distract from the art within the forms.

Ando

Shinto Hut

Small shrine/temple..intimate connection with a symbollic work. OFtne in Buddhism.Hindusim, small huts/rooms disconnected from the main temple, in a short outdoor walk, to have intimate connections with spiritual practice. I to transfer this idea into the forced outdoor walks into the various intimate rooms.

INTIAL IDEAS

FINAL DRAWINGS

Explanation of my Rooms

"Upon a watchtower, sits a housewife: who with letters from abroad hopes and waits to welcome the author; her husband, home"

Following the narrative of the housewife awaiting her husband, I chose to build a watchtower, as a place where she can look out for him. At the top, you could imagine the scene of Vermeer's painting existing, where this top room is her provate sanctuary, for her to read the letters she recieves, store her belongings, and hold the relics that remind her of her husband. With a downwards curving arch, her view out the window is forced down rather than up, which refelcts her desire to view onto the road for her husband. Below is a open roof top courtyard, where she could sit and wait for him, exposed to the elements she could hear and see him or possibly the postman to arrive. On the otherside is the entry point to the glass tube below, which acts partly as a light tunnel, but on the courtyard it acts as a 'wishing well', symbolising her desire/wishing he'd return. Then below inside the main room, a small space exists for her to sit in more privacy, away from any suggestions of the lonely road where her husband would return.

The bottom half acts much more as a welcoming point for her husband. The cathedral liek triangular would first welcome him there, in a grand gesture. THey would move through this enclosed point to a smaller point which would then open up to the main room, where they would be met wiht a burst of light, and a welcoming glass mounument. Then they'd proceed up the stairs, in a ritual that would begin witha space to dine. This then could proceed to that private small space, where the couple could sit together and converse, and catch-up. However this space could be bi-passed and they could return to the open courtyard, and therefore return to their own lives together, in the openness of the public. Thus here more activites could occur; including reading/writing/eating/create workings/relaxing. THe top room would remain as the lady's personal space, where husband would not enter.

FINAL MODEL

Section

The Tower at Night, shining as a "beacon" to guide the traveller home. The light source is within the glass monument inside. Showing the effect of the light to internal spaces

Tower Development

Building on the Site: on the end of a one street country town, so that the wife has one focus to look down, to wait for her husband.

Section of Sketchup Model, showing stairs/levels and central glass figure.


Precedents

Louis Kahn

I looked at Louis Kahn was a precedent for my building. This is due to initial Gothic inspiration, and then further with trying to exlore use of light and space in building. Yale Centre of British Art
After an initial low roofed area you are lead to a large 3 story square opening; light flowing from above and large concrete sculptural cylinder; where stairs are kept. This was somewhat inspiration for way the main room in my building was entered and experienced.
National Assembly Dacca
The plain flat surface with large standard shaped openings, was an inspiration for my building and creating a sense of monumnetality and grandness; an upwards focusing feeling.

Toyo Ito

Tod's Omotesando Tokyo, Japan

The shape of my building was somewhat derived from my knowing of this photo of the building. The light shining through various sized gaps was also another idea that made me look at this Toyo Ito structure. It shines out and is clearly distinguished from the other ones, inspiring idea of a shining tower acting as a beacon.