Thursday, January 31, 2008
Program Statement Draft #1
How can we, as designers, succeed to integrate something of ours with the users’ lifestyles? How can we increase their level of satisfaction with our designs and provide them better spaces to live in qualitatively and quantitatively?
As designer Jon Bannenberg has noted, “The human form does not reduce in volume when it steps aboard a boat. There is no logic in reducing the size of door handles, fittings, chairs, closets, or cupboards. The trick then is to know what to leave standard size and what to reduce.” Taking this into consideration, what has to be looked at is to find solutions to cope with specific design problems that limited spaces may offer. This rule applies to all spaces that are challenging in different ways.
Public or private, filled with people or deserted, noisy or quiet, dark or bright, small or large, we all look for a feeling of intimacy in a space at some level. Whether we’re at a fancy restaurant or at McDonald’s, we would like to be seated in a place where we can enjoy our meal and conversation without being disturbed by people, by sounds, even by the smell. No one would want to be seated near the entrance, where you will be interrupted by the busy circulation or the cold air that sweeps in every time the doors are opened or closed. You wouldn’t prefer to be seated near the bathroom or the kitchen/service entrance or right under the speakers-all would violate your intimacy and distract you. Even at home, one could feel like his or her privacy is interrupted. Intimacy is a very important aspect of design which affects how we perceive a space. Three times in a row you’re seated next to the kitchen entrance and you will not choose to go to that restaurant a fourth time even though the food is really good. It’s not about the great service or the good music they play, or even the design of the space that draws you there, but about how that space makes you feel. But is it possible to achieve a sense of intimacy in spaces that experience constant changes within their surroundings?
Stable vs. Unstable
Yachts are spaces in their own. Their relationships with the surrounding constantly changes. By stepping onto the bridge connecting the yacht to the dock, you’re being transported into a totally new space-physically and psychologically. You’re no longer on the ground, no longer stable, and even though you have an idea of what to expect once you leave the dock, you still don’t know, because you’re in an environment that will constantly be changing with the change of the surroundings, causing you to experience different feelings each time. How can these distinct experiences be enriched with the design of the space? Should they become a part of the design or should they be neglected totally?
Outside vs. Inside
Sound, light, smell, air, water, wind, sense of freedom, relaxation, fear, relief, claustrophobia, safety, etc. These are some of the aspects that affect how we percieve a space. The perception of the space outside constantly changes due to the surrounding. The sound of the waves and the wind, distant city noise, foggy, sunny or rainy weather all affect the outside space differently. Sunrise, sunset, the sky at night time and daytime all brings in a new experience to the space.
On the inside, however, the perception of these aspects is different. Light is experienced differently. Even though the sounds of the outside are still there, new sounds are also discovered. Some are heard more clearly inside, like the sound of the waves splashing the boat, running engine, etc. and some are more distance. Perception of daylight and nighttime is different than the perception you have outside. The same interior may look depressed or spacious when experienced on a sunny day or during a storm. Day or night, sailing or decked, hot or cold, sunny or rainy, out in the ocean or passing through the Hudson River, the space inside remains the same. It’s the perception of the space that changes according to the physical factors outside.
It’s a different experience when you’re in motion and anchored. The movement gives a different angle to how we perceive the space. It becomes more unstable, however, in motion, you’re surrounded by a feeling of accomplishment. Moving means you’re transporting form one place to another-it’s about time and space relevance.
The surrounding becomes a part of the space-the lights you see from a distance, the waves, the sky, the wind-you start perceiving the space within its surroundings, and they constantly change. Therefore how we feel in the space changes constantly.
Admiration vs. Satisfaction
Wealthy people live in expansive houses, drive expensive cars, dine in the finest restaurants, and live luxuriously. 50% of what they do are done to be appreciated by other people and to make a statement, and to survive in their own society. Some do this because they feel like they have to do it in order to earn a place or remain in their places in the society; some do it because they’re used to it and don’t know how else to live.
Owning a summer house in Cabo, driving an Aston Martin, wearing custom designed clothes are a part of their lives-and they are admired for living luxuriously, therefore, they are satisfied. Yachts are a luxury. Owning a yacht is counted as another investment, a higher position in the society. They pay serious amounts of money to yachts that will reflect a wealthy taste of design. They have superficial interpretations for the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of a space. Owning a yacht is another reason to be admired. Admiration will bring satisfaction. Satisfaction can be achieved by a clever, well thought design.
However, there’s another type of users who own yachts. People who own yachts for their own satisfaction and happiness. Whose lives are very much integrated with sailing, people who made a lifestyle out of them. They don’t just buy a yacht to be admired or to show off their new investment, they invest their lives and are 100% committed. They understand the challenges and the conditions and can reason with the restrictions of design. They feel at home yet are aware of the fact that their environment and space perception change constantly. They’re modest. They put their feelings and experiences of a yacht above materiality and social status. The only satisfaction they get is by spending some quality time on their yachts with friends and family or on their own. Their interpretations of quantity and quality are very much related to how those spaces make them feel.
So how do we design a space that will satisfy the clients’ needs as well as reflecting their lifestyles in harmony with our own interpretations and analysis of design?
How can we make people feel spacious and cozy and not compressed and claustrophobic? How do we make them enjoy the space and make them want to experience it more than going in to just fix breakfast? How do we make them WANT to go inside because they feel good in there? With the limited square footage and requirements, how can a designer create a space that is desired by the user? How do we want the user to feel when they go in and when they come back out? Do we want the overall yacht experience to be continued in the space or do you want to user to feel as if they’re some place else? What kind of an atmosphere do we, as designers, want them to experience? How do we connect the interior to the exterior? How do we deal with human factors, design restrictions and physical factors?
These are some of the design problems that I would like to address to in my program and further develop and explore within the design aspects I find to be stimulating. The challenge is to understand the users’ necessities quantitatively and qualitatively; to appreciate their passion and to be appreciated at the same time; to collaborate my interpretation of design with their interpretations of the quality and quantity of the space.
Marc, I hope I’m on the right track with this. I’m still working on my storyboard but I think I know where I’m going with it. Please feel free, everyone, to respond to what I just claimed above. I will take any suggestions or comments into consideration. If there is anyone who could suggest me any source of publicity or designer who is working on yacht design, please let me know, I’d really appreciate the help.
P.S. I talked to Mark Karlen about my program on yacht design. He told me that he had a friend who has experience in yacht interiors and might be willing to discuss it with me. I will hear from Mark by tuesday and I’ll let you now. I will keep on consulting my other professors. I have also been doing some research on the topic and unfortunately it’s not a widely covered branch of design. I could only find two books so far referring to my program however I’m optimistic about it.
As designer Jon Bannenberg has noted, “The human form does not reduce in volume when it steps aboard a boat. There is no logic in reducing the size of door handles, fittings, chairs, closets, or cupboards. The trick then is to know what to leave standard size and what to reduce.” Taking this into consideration, what has to be looked at is to find solutions to cope with specific design problems that limited spaces may offer. This rule applies to all spaces that are challenging in different ways.
Public or private, filled with people or deserted, noisy or quiet, dark or bright, small or large, we all look for a feeling of intimacy in a space at some level. Whether we’re at a fancy restaurant or at McDonald’s, we would like to be seated in a place where we can enjoy our meal and conversation without being disturbed by people, by sounds, even by the smell. No one would want to be seated near the entrance, where you will be interrupted by the busy circulation or the cold air that sweeps in every time the doors are opened or closed. You wouldn’t prefer to be seated near the bathroom or the kitchen/service entrance or right under the speakers-all would violate your intimacy and distract you. Even at home, one could feel like his or her privacy is interrupted. Intimacy is a very important aspect of design which affects how we perceive a space. Three times in a row you’re seated next to the kitchen entrance and you will not choose to go to that restaurant a fourth time even though the food is really good. It’s not about the great service or the good music they play, or even the design of the space that draws you there, but about how that space makes you feel. But is it possible to achieve a sense of intimacy in spaces that experience constant changes within their surroundings?
Stable vs. Unstable
Yachts are spaces in their own. Their relationships with the surrounding constantly changes. By stepping onto the bridge connecting the yacht to the dock, you’re being transported into a totally new space-physically and psychologically. You’re no longer on the ground, no longer stable, and even though you have an idea of what to expect once you leave the dock, you still don’t know, because you’re in an environment that will constantly be changing with the change of the surroundings, causing you to experience different feelings each time. How can these distinct experiences be enriched with the design of the space? Should they become a part of the design or should they be neglected totally?
Outside vs. Inside
Sound, light, smell, air, water, wind, sense of freedom, relaxation, fear, relief, claustrophobia, safety, etc. These are some of the aspects that affect how we percieve a space. The perception of the space outside constantly changes due to the surrounding. The sound of the waves and the wind, distant city noise, foggy, sunny or rainy weather all affect the outside space differently. Sunrise, sunset, the sky at night time and daytime all brings in a new experience to the space.
On the inside, however, the perception of these aspects is different. Light is experienced differently. Even though the sounds of the outside are still there, new sounds are also discovered. Some are heard more clearly inside, like the sound of the waves splashing the boat, running engine, etc. and some are more distance. Perception of daylight and nighttime is different than the perception you have outside. The same interior may look depressed or spacious when experienced on a sunny day or during a storm. Day or night, sailing or decked, hot or cold, sunny or rainy, out in the ocean or passing through the Hudson River, the space inside remains the same. It’s the perception of the space that changes according to the physical factors outside.
It’s a different experience when you’re in motion and anchored. The movement gives a different angle to how we perceive the space. It becomes more unstable, however, in motion, you’re surrounded by a feeling of accomplishment. Moving means you’re transporting form one place to another-it’s about time and space relevance.
The surrounding becomes a part of the space-the lights you see from a distance, the waves, the sky, the wind-you start perceiving the space within its surroundings, and they constantly change. Therefore how we feel in the space changes constantly.
Admiration vs. Satisfaction
Wealthy people live in expansive houses, drive expensive cars, dine in the finest restaurants, and live luxuriously. 50% of what they do are done to be appreciated by other people and to make a statement, and to survive in their own society. Some do this because they feel like they have to do it in order to earn a place or remain in their places in the society; some do it because they’re used to it and don’t know how else to live.
Owning a summer house in Cabo, driving an Aston Martin, wearing custom designed clothes are a part of their lives-and they are admired for living luxuriously, therefore, they are satisfied. Yachts are a luxury. Owning a yacht is counted as another investment, a higher position in the society. They pay serious amounts of money to yachts that will reflect a wealthy taste of design. They have superficial interpretations for the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of a space. Owning a yacht is another reason to be admired. Admiration will bring satisfaction. Satisfaction can be achieved by a clever, well thought design.
However, there’s another type of users who own yachts. People who own yachts for their own satisfaction and happiness. Whose lives are very much integrated with sailing, people who made a lifestyle out of them. They don’t just buy a yacht to be admired or to show off their new investment, they invest their lives and are 100% committed. They understand the challenges and the conditions and can reason with the restrictions of design. They feel at home yet are aware of the fact that their environment and space perception change constantly. They’re modest. They put their feelings and experiences of a yacht above materiality and social status. The only satisfaction they get is by spending some quality time on their yachts with friends and family or on their own. Their interpretations of quantity and quality are very much related to how those spaces make them feel.
So how do we design a space that will satisfy the clients’ needs as well as reflecting their lifestyles in harmony with our own interpretations and analysis of design?
How can we make people feel spacious and cozy and not compressed and claustrophobic? How do we make them enjoy the space and make them want to experience it more than going in to just fix breakfast? How do we make them WANT to go inside because they feel good in there? With the limited square footage and requirements, how can a designer create a space that is desired by the user? How do we want the user to feel when they go in and when they come back out? Do we want the overall yacht experience to be continued in the space or do you want to user to feel as if they’re some place else? What kind of an atmosphere do we, as designers, want them to experience? How do we connect the interior to the exterior? How do we deal with human factors, design restrictions and physical factors?
These are some of the design problems that I would like to address to in my program and further develop and explore within the design aspects I find to be stimulating. The challenge is to understand the users’ necessities quantitatively and qualitatively; to appreciate their passion and to be appreciated at the same time; to collaborate my interpretation of design with their interpretations of the quality and quantity of the space.
Marc, I hope I’m on the right track with this. I’m still working on my storyboard but I think I know where I’m going with it. Please feel free, everyone, to respond to what I just claimed above. I will take any suggestions or comments into consideration. If there is anyone who could suggest me any source of publicity or designer who is working on yacht design, please let me know, I’d really appreciate the help.
P.S. I talked to Mark Karlen about my program on yacht design. He told me that he had a friend who has experience in yacht interiors and might be willing to discuss it with me. I will hear from Mark by tuesday and I’ll let you now. I will keep on consulting my other professors. I have also been doing some research on the topic and unfortunately it’s not a widely covered branch of design. I could only find two books so far referring to my program however I’m optimistic about it.
Don't hate, educate.
I believe our immediate surroundings have a direct influence on who we are as people. The homes that shelter us create the environment we are raised in, which impacts how healthy and happy we are, as well as how we treat others. How does a person who lives in poverty create a beautiful space for themselves? These are the people who most need an appealing place to live, in turn giving them a sense of value. As designers, we have the opportunity to create desierable environments for families, yet poor families cannot afford our services, let alone a nice meal out, or new school clothes for their children each year. We need to utilize our expertise for the common good of people and the earth.
How do we make a difference in the poor through design? How do we give these people a sense of control over their surroundings when they are at their lowest points?
There are currently 35,000 homeless individuals utilizing the New York City Shelter system. 72% of these people are women and children. Most are displaced from the ramifications of domestic violence, low education, lack of affordable housing, high health care costs, and limited job skills. There are so many other obstacles that stand in their way. Imagine the surroundings in a current shelter that houses thousands of transients a night. What these people need is an opportunity, resources, and a comfortable place where they feel dignified, and hopefull of a better tomorrow.
In my thesis I hope to explore the creation of a "designed" space for the underpriveliged. I think this may be some sort of a homeless/battered womens shelter. It will be an "intersection of enviromental and social issues." There are concerns for the health and well-being of the clientele as well as an understanding that what we do today directly affects what happens tomorrow. Thus making a statement that we care about the world these homeless children will be living in, giving them a sense of a greater community, and that they too can make a difference. The building should be dignified, a place where people in crisis can feel a sense of structure, control, as well as comfort and hope. Our goal is to make the children living in this shelter the last generation living in poverty and the first generation graduating with a high school or even college education. This space should serve as a role model for other buildings in the community as well as new York city as a whole.
The Program:
A Not for Profit shelter for homeless women and children to serve as housing for families in transition. Many of the families are victims of domestic and/or substance abuse, and have few educational resources.. The space will provide: family shelter (this may include pets), support for future permanent housing, an education and counseling facility for the parents, health care, and day care.
They need a place to sleep, eat, and is accessible to their childrens schools. The space should also help develop job skills, help to find jobs, manage money, find affordable housing; as well as parenting, and family counseling. This should be a space that provides a better alternative to staying on the street.
Entry into the building is of utmost importance. We must provide a safe space, that is welcoming for the clients, providing a sense of trust, a comfortable place to go, and allows them to feel a sense of dignity while they are making an effort to be self sufficient. Visible staff and a "reassuring" lobby area. Light and air (perhaps the "void" is important here) are two things which may provide a sense of freedom, and hope.
In the living areas: Lots of room for interaction with the knowledgable and helpful staff, private and public. (formal or informal.) There must be a delicate balance between privacy and security. A space of privacy, apartment like rooms for each family. Eating and living quarters are perhaps shared spaces. --Places that would usually be provided by a family and a home.
How do we make a difference in the poor through design? How do we give these people a sense of control over their surroundings when they are at their lowest points?
There are currently 35,000 homeless individuals utilizing the New York City Shelter system. 72% of these people are women and children. Most are displaced from the ramifications of domestic violence, low education, lack of affordable housing, high health care costs, and limited job skills. There are so many other obstacles that stand in their way. Imagine the surroundings in a current shelter that houses thousands of transients a night. What these people need is an opportunity, resources, and a comfortable place where they feel dignified, and hopefull of a better tomorrow.
In my thesis I hope to explore the creation of a "designed" space for the underpriveliged. I think this may be some sort of a homeless/battered womens shelter. It will be an "intersection of enviromental and social issues." There are concerns for the health and well-being of the clientele as well as an understanding that what we do today directly affects what happens tomorrow. Thus making a statement that we care about the world these homeless children will be living in, giving them a sense of a greater community, and that they too can make a difference. The building should be dignified, a place where people in crisis can feel a sense of structure, control, as well as comfort and hope. Our goal is to make the children living in this shelter the last generation living in poverty and the first generation graduating with a high school or even college education. This space should serve as a role model for other buildings in the community as well as new York city as a whole.
The Program:
A Not for Profit shelter for homeless women and children to serve as housing for families in transition. Many of the families are victims of domestic and/or substance abuse, and have few educational resources.. The space will provide: family shelter (this may include pets), support for future permanent housing, an education and counseling facility for the parents, health care, and day care.
They need a place to sleep, eat, and is accessible to their childrens schools. The space should also help develop job skills, help to find jobs, manage money, find affordable housing; as well as parenting, and family counseling. This should be a space that provides a better alternative to staying on the street.
Entry into the building is of utmost importance. We must provide a safe space, that is welcoming for the clients, providing a sense of trust, a comfortable place to go, and allows them to feel a sense of dignity while they are making an effort to be self sufficient. Visible staff and a "reassuring" lobby area. Light and air (perhaps the "void" is important here) are two things which may provide a sense of freedom, and hope.
In the living areas: Lots of room for interaction with the knowledgable and helpful staff, private and public. (formal or informal.) There must be a delicate balance between privacy and security. A space of privacy, apartment like rooms for each family. Eating and living quarters are perhaps shared spaces. --Places that would usually be provided by a family and a home.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
statement
How is modern life transforming the way we experience, design, and perceive the spaces we inhabit? We live in an age in which the boundaries are disappearing.
For awhile now, new spaces /building are being erected in which private spaces are becoming public. Looking at Perry West by Richard Meier- This transparency opens its inhabitant’s lives to passerby’s and residents of nearby apartments but also helps bring the outside in for its residents. As we spend more and more time indoors our spaces are transforming and boundaries are blurring. There is specific intention to this seemingly open spaces- they are properly framed, controlled and cropping our views both inside and out. The views are constantly in flux as the cities moves beyond the glass faced. The space between inside and outside and public and private are blurred. These buildings both serve the masses by being architecturally open and serve the individual.
The Prada store in Soho is another example of public and private areas blurring in an environment, yet these two spaces are overlapped within the envelope of the building- both occurring of equal importance in the design as the store aims to sell their brand more then the clothes inside. In an age when retail stores must become an experience instead of “just a store to sell a product” retail environments are becoming Hybrid spaces which blur between retail, museum and pubic spaces. Defining a sense of place is no longer a stable experience- there is multiplicity and choice- how does this overlap, blur? Is it well orchestrated?
By combining and blurring the lines between public, private, display, retail, etc,. I ask if we are becoming more vague about defining our experiences in space, instead of taking a clear position about function, program, definition. Do we loose the experience by blurring the lines or are our senses, tastes, perceptions becoming more sophisticated? As consumers do we expect more from our clothing brand, our residence, our hotels and restaurants? Is a good product or service no longer enough to satisfy our sophisticated tastes and is this a result of the ever growing consumerism that exists around the world? Are our spaces becoming so dogmatic and evasive that it excludes, limits, separates and consumes us?
How do these spaces we inhabit differ from the outside environment. As I walked into the Prada store you are transferred into a completely different environment- what, if any, is its relationship to the exterior environment? Has site specifity disappeared? Can anything be built anywhere? Does the Prada relate and could this store be placed anywhere in the city, the country, or the world? There a shift- a preference to larger groupings of interrelated programs.
“ Achieve critical mass and define a self-contained comprehensive internal order and experience that can exist independently of its surrounding” ( The Synthetic City”).
How does this disjunction between dissociated/blurred programs and boundaries effect each other in architecture- does it create a clear edge? rub against each other, or is there tension between them? How does it enlighten our experiences? How does this refusal to crystallize program and purpose define form, architecture and design? These new spaces are about “expanding notions and denying boundaries… as opposed to separating and identifying entities”.
How do we experience these new unnamable hybrid spaces? We walk on the busy streets and become transformed as we walk through the thresholds of buildings. No matter if is a Starbucks, Prada store, Hotel, restaurant, etc. as soon as we walk through the threshold we are transported into a world defining brand and image desired by the company. What if this process or more gradual? Could we eliminate the harsh transformation through a well thought out threshold? When we enter a retail experience such as Prada what information are we looking for? Are we looking for clothes? Shoes? Or are we just passing through the space to experience an extension of the city streets? As we move through these spaces we are bombarded with the brand image – how can we better experience this through space? Although with high end design the desire is not for a ‘real’ public space – can we achieve a ‘more’ public space to help strengthen the brand? In such a world of consumerism what is the new retail experience? Can we place a public space within it? How about a hotel? Bar ? etc. .. all supported by the brand experience? Instead of bombarding the customer with the excess of images what if this push was more subtle ? what if the experience also informed the customer about the brand? Its history? Its story? As we become more sophisticated consumers, we want to know more about what we support? Buy? Etc.
I am looking to create a space that looks at all the above in an intelligent way- possibly choosing an already established company and rebranding their image into a new experience which combines not only their product (probably fashion), but also their image, history, philosophy and creating a space that can be enjoyed on many levels. Does this store become a boutique hotel? A bar? A public area?
For my storyboards I will explore the blurring and the edge between these hybrid environments through formal studies of special conditions.
Any comments and thoughts from Marc or the rest of the class would be appreciated and I am still a bit unsure how my storyboards will develop.
For awhile now, new spaces /building are being erected in which private spaces are becoming public. Looking at Perry West by Richard Meier- This transparency opens its inhabitant’s lives to passerby’s and residents of nearby apartments but also helps bring the outside in for its residents. As we spend more and more time indoors our spaces are transforming and boundaries are blurring. There is specific intention to this seemingly open spaces- they are properly framed, controlled and cropping our views both inside and out. The views are constantly in flux as the cities moves beyond the glass faced. The space between inside and outside and public and private are blurred. These buildings both serve the masses by being architecturally open and serve the individual.
The Prada store in Soho is another example of public and private areas blurring in an environment, yet these two spaces are overlapped within the envelope of the building- both occurring of equal importance in the design as the store aims to sell their brand more then the clothes inside. In an age when retail stores must become an experience instead of “just a store to sell a product” retail environments are becoming Hybrid spaces which blur between retail, museum and pubic spaces. Defining a sense of place is no longer a stable experience- there is multiplicity and choice- how does this overlap, blur? Is it well orchestrated?
By combining and blurring the lines between public, private, display, retail, etc,. I ask if we are becoming more vague about defining our experiences in space, instead of taking a clear position about function, program, definition. Do we loose the experience by blurring the lines or are our senses, tastes, perceptions becoming more sophisticated? As consumers do we expect more from our clothing brand, our residence, our hotels and restaurants? Is a good product or service no longer enough to satisfy our sophisticated tastes and is this a result of the ever growing consumerism that exists around the world? Are our spaces becoming so dogmatic and evasive that it excludes, limits, separates and consumes us?
How do these spaces we inhabit differ from the outside environment. As I walked into the Prada store you are transferred into a completely different environment- what, if any, is its relationship to the exterior environment? Has site specifity disappeared? Can anything be built anywhere? Does the Prada relate and could this store be placed anywhere in the city, the country, or the world? There a shift- a preference to larger groupings of interrelated programs.
“ Achieve critical mass and define a self-contained comprehensive internal order and experience that can exist independently of its surrounding” ( The Synthetic City”).
How does this disjunction between dissociated/blurred programs and boundaries effect each other in architecture- does it create a clear edge? rub against each other, or is there tension between them? How does it enlighten our experiences? How does this refusal to crystallize program and purpose define form, architecture and design? These new spaces are about “expanding notions and denying boundaries… as opposed to separating and identifying entities”.
How do we experience these new unnamable hybrid spaces? We walk on the busy streets and become transformed as we walk through the thresholds of buildings. No matter if is a Starbucks, Prada store, Hotel, restaurant, etc. as soon as we walk through the threshold we are transported into a world defining brand and image desired by the company. What if this process or more gradual? Could we eliminate the harsh transformation through a well thought out threshold? When we enter a retail experience such as Prada what information are we looking for? Are we looking for clothes? Shoes? Or are we just passing through the space to experience an extension of the city streets? As we move through these spaces we are bombarded with the brand image – how can we better experience this through space? Although with high end design the desire is not for a ‘real’ public space – can we achieve a ‘more’ public space to help strengthen the brand? In such a world of consumerism what is the new retail experience? Can we place a public space within it? How about a hotel? Bar ? etc. .. all supported by the brand experience? Instead of bombarding the customer with the excess of images what if this push was more subtle ? what if the experience also informed the customer about the brand? Its history? Its story? As we become more sophisticated consumers, we want to know more about what we support? Buy? Etc.
I am looking to create a space that looks at all the above in an intelligent way- possibly choosing an already established company and rebranding their image into a new experience which combines not only their product (probably fashion), but also their image, history, philosophy and creating a space that can be enjoyed on many levels. Does this store become a boutique hotel? A bar? A public area?
For my storyboards I will explore the blurring and the edge between these hybrid environments through formal studies of special conditions.
Any comments and thoughts from Marc or the rest of the class would be appreciated and I am still a bit unsure how my storyboards will develop.
Community Design Center, First Draft
Interior spaces affect people’s lives. Why don’t they notice?
On an ordinary day, a person will wake up to a horrid sounding alarm clock, feel the bright daylight fall across their face from a crack in the window covering, walk into a stark white kitchen and turn to a foul mood until they smell the coffee start to drip through the coffee maker, walk through the crowded streets with towering buildings overhead and begin to feel clausterphobic, and enter their office building again emotionally alarmed by the angles and slick, reflective materials of the space around them. No wonder so many dread going to work everyday.
What if design was more noticed? We are starting to see an emergence of “Design for All” as the Target slogan announces. Designers are increasingly playing a larger role in society in terms of exposure and influence. Fashion and product designers have started to make their names known by designing affordable lines for stores such as Issac Mizrahi, Thomas O’Brien, Vera Wang, etc. The world is constantly changing and designers have a responsibility to help change the future for the better. We also much change the way we practice in order to keep ourselves marketable. Design should not only be for the rich. The people who cannot afford it are the ones that need it the most. If there is a way to make design accessible to everyone, designers need to take charge and make it happen.
What if designers created spaces for people and not their own ambitions? In the past, designers and architects created a vision, a statement, an expression, a form, based on their desires for what architecture should be. We have started to realize with our changing physical environment that we have to stop being so selfish in our designs and work with our environment and the people that inhabit that environment in order to create good design. It isn’t all about form, function, deconstruction, rationalism, modernism, or money and power. It is about a new way of thinking and designing for the greater good. Taking responsibility for design and the way it affects its inhabitants and the earth.
In my thesis, I hope to create an environment where all people, regardless of age, income level, background, tourist, or local can enjoy themselves and learn. The program would involve multiple elements but essentially be a design community center. This environment would allow for exhibitions by students and professionals, art and design classes for children and adults, retail shops, a restaurant/coffee shop, and an outdoor space for events, gatherings, art displays or installations.
The client for this project would be either an art museum, a not for profit organization in the design industry, or perhaps an individual donor who feels design is important to the public’s wellbeing.
End users of these spaces are endless. Young children would benefit from after-school programs and creative summer design camps that would be free or have scholarships awarded. Adults who have always been interested in design and want to take some evening classes can in this center. Design professionals would hold seminars for continuing education or outreach. Tourists could stop by to view an exhibition or grab some coffee or shop. Socialites would meet for a glamorous charity event to raise money for the design center or for another non-profit organization. Students could meet here to discuss issues, conduct research, or display their work. Artists could display their work in a gallery like setting or in the outdoor space. Cultural or music groups might hold performances in this space, free to the public, or to raise money.
In terms of case studies, does anyone know of a space similar that I can look at? The more I thought about this project, the more I started thinking about a mixed program, multiple functions and activities, but all revolved around a central concept, which many of you are looking at doing yourselves, i.e. Tiffany, Andee. But I do believe this mixing of programs creates the most productive and enjoyable environments. I think museums would be good to look at, as well as schools, auditoriums, and restaurants integrated into other programs like stores or museums. I also want to look at exterior environments. My analysis of Rockefeller is helpful in this way. The difficulty will be to find an activity that will draw in masses of people like the ice skating rink and Christmas tree do.
Marc: Do you have any suggestions on readings I could do related to the issues I want to address? Specifically: designing for a new era, responsibility in design, how society views design and how designers can change those views.
On an ordinary day, a person will wake up to a horrid sounding alarm clock, feel the bright daylight fall across their face from a crack in the window covering, walk into a stark white kitchen and turn to a foul mood until they smell the coffee start to drip through the coffee maker, walk through the crowded streets with towering buildings overhead and begin to feel clausterphobic, and enter their office building again emotionally alarmed by the angles and slick, reflective materials of the space around them. No wonder so many dread going to work everyday.
What if design was more noticed? We are starting to see an emergence of “Design for All” as the Target slogan announces. Designers are increasingly playing a larger role in society in terms of exposure and influence. Fashion and product designers have started to make their names known by designing affordable lines for stores such as Issac Mizrahi, Thomas O’Brien, Vera Wang, etc. The world is constantly changing and designers have a responsibility to help change the future for the better. We also much change the way we practice in order to keep ourselves marketable. Design should not only be for the rich. The people who cannot afford it are the ones that need it the most. If there is a way to make design accessible to everyone, designers need to take charge and make it happen.
What if designers created spaces for people and not their own ambitions? In the past, designers and architects created a vision, a statement, an expression, a form, based on their desires for what architecture should be. We have started to realize with our changing physical environment that we have to stop being so selfish in our designs and work with our environment and the people that inhabit that environment in order to create good design. It isn’t all about form, function, deconstruction, rationalism, modernism, or money and power. It is about a new way of thinking and designing for the greater good. Taking responsibility for design and the way it affects its inhabitants and the earth.
In my thesis, I hope to create an environment where all people, regardless of age, income level, background, tourist, or local can enjoy themselves and learn. The program would involve multiple elements but essentially be a design community center. This environment would allow for exhibitions by students and professionals, art and design classes for children and adults, retail shops, a restaurant/coffee shop, and an outdoor space for events, gatherings, art displays or installations.
The client for this project would be either an art museum, a not for profit organization in the design industry, or perhaps an individual donor who feels design is important to the public’s wellbeing.
End users of these spaces are endless. Young children would benefit from after-school programs and creative summer design camps that would be free or have scholarships awarded. Adults who have always been interested in design and want to take some evening classes can in this center. Design professionals would hold seminars for continuing education or outreach. Tourists could stop by to view an exhibition or grab some coffee or shop. Socialites would meet for a glamorous charity event to raise money for the design center or for another non-profit organization. Students could meet here to discuss issues, conduct research, or display their work. Artists could display their work in a gallery like setting or in the outdoor space. Cultural or music groups might hold performances in this space, free to the public, or to raise money.
In terms of case studies, does anyone know of a space similar that I can look at? The more I thought about this project, the more I started thinking about a mixed program, multiple functions and activities, but all revolved around a central concept, which many of you are looking at doing yourselves, i.e. Tiffany, Andee. But I do believe this mixing of programs creates the most productive and enjoyable environments. I think museums would be good to look at, as well as schools, auditoriums, and restaurants integrated into other programs like stores or museums. I also want to look at exterior environments. My analysis of Rockefeller is helpful in this way. The difficulty will be to find an activity that will draw in masses of people like the ice skating rink and Christmas tree do.
Marc: Do you have any suggestions on readings I could do related to the issues I want to address? Specifically: designing for a new era, responsibility in design, how society views design and how designers can change those views.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Program Notes
Draft notes for assignment 2
I don’t have my statement finalized yet- so I am posting my notes that explore what I am looking to analyze in terms of program temporally, quantitatively and quantitatively. One particular essay has been very helpful in directing my intentions for this assignment. “The Synthetic City: Excursion into the Real-Not Real” by Richard Scherr. Below are my notes from the readings and some ideas that I have added expanded on based on my interests. I will continue to explore this and formulate it into a clear statement. By Friday
Representation vs. actuality;
Today we are observing through lenses that magnify the invisible explore the hidden, deeper the color, freeze the moving, crop the continuous more than in the past- everything is framed for us.
Spaces serving the masses vs. the individual- the ability to control- flux and impermanence.
Between the world of real /authentic and the fictional/artificial
Deforming walls- blurring the lines - Manipulation
Fuzzy zones of a hybrid – or the in-between phenomena
Stenographic – Shorthanded sequencing- programs quickly changing around us as we become more interactive in our spaces- abrupt shifts
Imposition creating fragmentation
Blurring the edges of temporal, programmatic and spatial boundaries
Hybrid phenomenon- real – not real; familiar – not familiar : real/authentic vs fictive/artificial- becoming harder to decipher- blurring –
Synthetic city- a manufactured product that is controlled and artificially manipulated to an extend to an extent far beyond- mixed field of informatics and space
Diverging Patterns ( social, physical)
Traditional spaces based on a clear delineation of polar conditions while the new spaces create fuzzier situations, where the characteristics of urban events and places become mixed- REDEFINED and BLURRED in to new HYBRID combinations and contradictions
There used to be a clear boundary between public and private, work and live- now these boundaries are blurred where our spaces have become live-work spaces, public and private, etc.
Spaces are about the collective needs – for the larger public but they are even more so controlled than the past- orchestrated, manipulated, open, non hierarchical grid- minimizes locational preferences.
Site specifity recurs throughout the history of the city but today this has little importance – anything can be built anywhere. Preference to larger groupings of interrelated development.
ACHIEVE CIRTICAL MASS and DEFINE a self-contained comprehensive internal order and experience that can exist independently of its surrounding.
Disjunction between parts that might as well be completely disassociated or sometimes rub up again each other in odd, unpleasant or enlightening ways.
Permanent vs. impermanent.
Putting place into sharper focus- sense of place emerges as a shifting, dynamic perception.
Defining a sense of place is no longer stable – creating an experience- offering multiplicity and choice without overwhelming us.. choice – although blurred – well orchestrated.
Complex, rich, multivalent messages and settings to evolve and flourish just as our cities are.
I have begun my sketching but am still a little confused on how I will put this all together in a storyboard. Any comments, suggestions would be appreciated – if you have the time.
Also, Marc, on the assignment sheet you ask for "precedents, case studies and conclusions" as well as "Profile of client and user should be elaborated"... any suggestions on where I can look for this? Specifically related to blurring and defining the edge between the worlds of public/private, between programmatic definitions, masses vs. individuality, flux and impermanence
Andee Program
How does space influence our decision making process and impact our opinions?
As human beings we bring endless connotations and varied perspectives to the spaces and environments we inhabit and experience. This includes but is in no way limited to our culture, religion, language, height, weight, nationality, education, and upbringing. Our experience of space is as deeply engrained and uniquely individual as our personalities. Is it possible to create a space that speaks to all peoples? Are there colors, materials, spatial elements, that are accessible and understandable by people of all backgrounds and walks of life? Are the conventionally accepted methods of wayfinding the only way to speak to people from different backgrounds? Is it necessary to articulate a space though a series of paths and nodes in order for it to be understandable and navigable by the user? Are the alternate ways of articulating a space that can be used in place of more conventional “hallways” and “rooms”. By breaking from this mold how can we change peoples perceptions of space? How does one determine the best route from point A to point B, what if they were never given the choice? How can we as designers use the other senses to enhance or strengthen our designs? If I smell food emanating from behind a wall am I more likely to walk around it and enter a restaurant? What does the presence of that wall say about the restaurant? If I see a light in the distance am I more likely to move forward? How does that light make me feel?
How can these spatial concepts and experiences influence the user’s opinion of a space?
As we discussed in Tiffany’s analysis of the Prada store how does space impact brand? What do architectural elements say to the public? How can one balance/exploit certain connotations to make statements with architecture?
In a world where up is up synonymous with better, more, & success, is the apple store making a statement when it places the learning center, genius bar and educational resources ABOVE the conventional retail area? I would hazard to guess that it is a calculated brand statement. Is it a coincidence that the penthouse is usually the top and always the best?
To that end I plan on exploring a program that speaks to people from different cultures, backgrounds, and circumstances and is complex in nature offering many options for routes, paths, and final destinations. Focusing on the exploration of form and its ability to communicate, and influence choice, I plan on exploring a retail environment that speaks of a brand idea and showcases concepts rather than product. In todays world of online shopping, stores must compete by offering an experience rather than choice. I plan to explore this "experience" in terms of architecture and form and its ability to give voice and concept to the retail envronment.
In more specific terms I am exploring the idea of bringing a well known retail destination from another country (most likely europe) to New York.
Allowing me to create a concept store that serves as a retail "experience" as well a shopping destination. As a concept store this space will include multiple programs i.e. store, bar/restaurant, & spa. Affording me the opportunity to explore a reinterpretation of an existing brand that has and will speak to the consumer (from varied backgrounds) using architecture to articulate its niche in New York.
As human beings we bring endless connotations and varied perspectives to the spaces and environments we inhabit and experience. This includes but is in no way limited to our culture, religion, language, height, weight, nationality, education, and upbringing. Our experience of space is as deeply engrained and uniquely individual as our personalities. Is it possible to create a space that speaks to all peoples? Are there colors, materials, spatial elements, that are accessible and understandable by people of all backgrounds and walks of life? Are the conventionally accepted methods of wayfinding the only way to speak to people from different backgrounds? Is it necessary to articulate a space though a series of paths and nodes in order for it to be understandable and navigable by the user? Are the alternate ways of articulating a space that can be used in place of more conventional “hallways” and “rooms”. By breaking from this mold how can we change peoples perceptions of space? How does one determine the best route from point A to point B, what if they were never given the choice? How can we as designers use the other senses to enhance or strengthen our designs? If I smell food emanating from behind a wall am I more likely to walk around it and enter a restaurant? What does the presence of that wall say about the restaurant? If I see a light in the distance am I more likely to move forward? How does that light make me feel?
How can these spatial concepts and experiences influence the user’s opinion of a space?
As we discussed in Tiffany’s analysis of the Prada store how does space impact brand? What do architectural elements say to the public? How can one balance/exploit certain connotations to make statements with architecture?
In a world where up is up synonymous with better, more, & success, is the apple store making a statement when it places the learning center, genius bar and educational resources ABOVE the conventional retail area? I would hazard to guess that it is a calculated brand statement. Is it a coincidence that the penthouse is usually the top and always the best?
To that end I plan on exploring a program that speaks to people from different cultures, backgrounds, and circumstances and is complex in nature offering many options for routes, paths, and final destinations. Focusing on the exploration of form and its ability to communicate, and influence choice, I plan on exploring a retail environment that speaks of a brand idea and showcases concepts rather than product. In todays world of online shopping, stores must compete by offering an experience rather than choice. I plan to explore this "experience" in terms of architecture and form and its ability to give voice and concept to the retail envronment.
In more specific terms I am exploring the idea of bringing a well known retail destination from another country (most likely europe) to New York.
Allowing me to create a concept store that serves as a retail "experience" as well a shopping destination. As a concept store this space will include multiple programs i.e. store, bar/restaurant, & spa. Affording me the opportunity to explore a reinterpretation of an existing brand that has and will speak to the consumer (from varied backgrounds) using architecture to articulate its niche in New York.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
looking thru the window
Students tried to get a peek during the Obama event at Winthrop.
(from ny times)
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Architecture of Happiness
So in my quest for understanding the bigger picture which I would like my thesis to explore... I have been skimming through a book that I've read in the past that I love. It's called The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton. A brief description of the book....
"One of the great but often unmentioned causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of walls, chairs, buildings and streets that surround us.
And yet a concern for architecture and design is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. The Architecture of Happiness starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and it argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.
Whereas many architects are wary of openly discussing the word beauty, this book has at its center the large and naive question: What is a beautiful building? It is a tour through the philosophy and psychology of architecture that aims to change the way we think about our homes, our streets and ourselves."
That is the synopsis from the book's cover.
A quote I have been puzzling over is, "We seem divided between an urge to override our senses and numb ourselves to our settings and a contradictory impulse to acknowledge the extent to which our identities are indelibly connected to, and will shift along with, our locations."
And also...."Belief in the significance of architecture is premised on the notion that we are, for better or for worse, different people in different places - and on the conviction that it is architecture's task to render vivid to us who we might ideally be."
I have the book in my studio if anyone wants to browse through it. See y'all tomorrow in class.
Program and Cross-Programming
Program:
- relates to those aspects of a brief which deal with Human movement and use of a building
- can be a plan of how to do something
-it tells the steps that we think we need to do to make something happen
-something required to make something else work- a computer program
- An act to edit function and human activities as the pretext of architectural design: epitomized in the maxim of "Form Follows Function"(Koolhaas)
Cross-Programming:
Introducing unexpected functions in room programs (Koolhaas)
A use of a space that is not as what was intended
Koolhaas 1994 "What ever happened to Urbanism"
"If there is to be a "new urbanism" .... it will be the staging of uncertainty; it will no longer be concerned with the arrangement of more or less permanent objects ..... it will no longer aim for stable configurations but for the creation of enabling fields that accommodate processes that refuse to be crystallized into definitive form; it will no longer be about meticulous definition, the imposition of limits, but about expanding notions, denying boundaries, not about separating and identifying entities, but about discovering unnamable hybrids.......Since it is out of control, the urban is about to become a major vector of the imagination"
- relates to those aspects of a brief which deal with Human movement and use of a building
- can be a plan of how to do something
-it tells the steps that we think we need to do to make something happen
-something required to make something else work- a computer program
- An act to edit function and human activities as the pretext of architectural design: epitomized in the maxim of "Form Follows Function"(Koolhaas)
Cross-Programming:
Introducing unexpected functions in room programs (Koolhaas)
A use of a space that is not as what was intended
Koolhaas 1994 "What ever happened to Urbanism"
"If there is to be a "new urbanism" .... it will be the staging of uncertainty; it will no longer be concerned with the arrangement of more or less permanent objects ..... it will no longer aim for stable configurations but for the creation of enabling fields that accommodate processes that refuse to be crystallized into definitive form; it will no longer be about meticulous definition, the imposition of limits, but about expanding notions, denying boundaries, not about separating and identifying entities, but about discovering unnamable hybrids.......Since it is out of control, the urban is about to become a major vector of the imagination"
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Chicken or the egg?
Thesis: well in my experience thesis is an intellectual investigation supported by research and case studies, experiments, etc...I have been trying to wrap my head around the idea of choosing a project site at the onset of the investigation, when it seems to me, it would be impossible to embark on a "thesis" without letting your investigation lead you to your site...
I have been reading "Rethinking Thinking" in Sparks of Genius by R&M Root-Berstein, I don't know if I have reconciled calling -what seems is typically a large final project-a thesis, but this is helping me understand my process.
I could make copies if anyone os interested.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Prada Store video
Although I wasn't "allowed" to take photos, videos or even sketch, inside the store - after a few hours in there I made friends and I managed to convince the security personnel and a few employees to let me sketch (as long as I moved around frequently) and take a quick little video (without them seeing). I thought I would post it here instead of bringing it into class on Friday.
I also found it helpful to talk to employees as see if they felt the space was being used as the designer intended.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Playtime movie
This is a great movie that examines and pokes fun at modern architecture. It also shows Tati's fascination with peoples choreographed movements as they negotiate the modernist labyrinth. As we think out the spaces we examine - is there a rhythm to how people navigate through the space? how does modern architecture affect the rhythm of the space? Throughout the film the viewer is invited to explore the space offered to us - Tati presents long shots spanning all angles- it really helps the viewer experience the spaces and helps us understand what Tati was trying to show us.
I own it and would happy to lend it to anyone that is interested- just let me know
Sunday, January 20, 2008
What is wayfinding?
Wayfinding encompasses all of the ways in which people and animals orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place.
Wayfinding is often used to refer to traditional navigation methods used by indigenous peoples.In more modern times, wayfinding is used in the context of architecture to refer to the user experience of orientation and choosing a path within the built environment, and it also refers to the set of architectural and/or design elements that aid orientation.
“a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment”- Kevin Lynch, Image of the City
This concept has since been expanded to include signage and other graphic communication.
I plan on examining:
"clues inherent in the building's spatial grammar, logical space planning, audible communication, tactile elements, and provision for special-needs users." (Romedi Passini)
Basically the way that graphics, architecture and inherent qualities of a space influence the ease with which the user experiences the space.
With the advent of the intelligent consumer and idea of "emotional branding" "Wayfinding" has become increasingly important in the world of retail design.
I think there are several venues in which I can study this idea, namely
Moma (for its incorporation of retail element, dining, and exhibition space)
The Whitney (for the same reasons)
Henri Bendel
Bergdorfs
Takashimaya
Barneys
to name a few
However I feel these are very large undertakings for a week long analysis and study, so as I mentioned in class I am going to start with Bloomingdales Soho (unless you feel that I would be better off with something else). I feel that it's scale will allow me to most easily study it's quantitative and qualitative success. The multi floor nature of the space makes wayfinding a particularly important element in the design.
Wayfinding is often used to refer to traditional navigation methods used by indigenous peoples.In more modern times, wayfinding is used in the context of architecture to refer to the user experience of orientation and choosing a path within the built environment, and it also refers to the set of architectural and/or design elements that aid orientation.
“a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment”- Kevin Lynch, Image of the City
This concept has since been expanded to include signage and other graphic communication.
I plan on examining:
"clues inherent in the building's spatial grammar, logical space planning, audible communication, tactile elements, and provision for special-needs users." (Romedi Passini)
Basically the way that graphics, architecture and inherent qualities of a space influence the ease with which the user experiences the space.
With the advent of the intelligent consumer and idea of "emotional branding" "Wayfinding" has become increasingly important in the world of retail design.
I think there are several venues in which I can study this idea, namely
Moma (for its incorporation of retail element, dining, and exhibition space)
The Whitney (for the same reasons)
Henri Bendel
Bergdorfs
Takashimaya
Barneys
to name a few
However I feel these are very large undertakings for a week long analysis and study, so as I mentioned in class I am going to start with Bloomingdales Soho (unless you feel that I would be better off with something else). I feel that it's scale will allow me to most easily study it's quantitative and qualitative success. The multi floor nature of the space makes wayfinding a particularly important element in the design.
Delirious New York
Tiffany, I have a copy if you want to read it, it was very helpful in my manifesto last semester. I'll bring it on Tuesday if you don't have it.
Visual Thesaurus
This is the website I mentioned in class. I find it quite helpful
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/
Hotel Tubes located in a public park
The Danube Tubes
Travelers can book their stay by making reservations via the internet. They are then sent a code to unlock their room that is only good for the duration of their reserved time. When guests are ready to move on, they simply leave an amount of money that they believe is fair. Can you imagine such a thing in the USA? Not likely, we're afraid.
Eli- this might interest you
i know this wasn't what you discussed in class yesterday but it still might be of interest to you.
The Walking City was an idea proposed by British architect Ron Herron in 1964. In an article in avant-garde architecture journal Archigram, Ron Herron proposed building massive mobile robotic structures, with their own intelligence, that could freely roam the world, moving to wherever their resources or manufacturing abilities were needed. Various walking cities could interconnect with each other to form larger 'walking metropolises' when needed, and then disperse when their concentrated power was no longer necessary. Individual buildings or structures could also be mobile, moving wherever their owner wanted or needs dictated.
more information at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_City
The Walking City was an idea proposed by British architect Ron Herron in 1964. In an article in avant-garde architecture journal Archigram, Ron Herron proposed building massive mobile robotic structures, with their own intelligence, that could freely roam the world, moving to wherever their resources or manufacturing abilities were needed. Various walking cities could interconnect with each other to form larger 'walking metropolises' when needed, and then disperse when their concentrated power was no longer necessary. Individual buildings or structures could also be mobile, moving wherever their owner wanted or needs dictated.
more information at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_City
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Andee- this might interest you
Andee i thought this book might interest you
http://www.amazon.com/Forms-Modernism-Typography-Architecture-1920s-1970s/dp/0823056244/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product
http://www.amazon.com/Forms-Modernism-Typography-Architecture-1920s-1970s/dp/0823056244/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product
Assignment 1- Ideas and prelim research
As I have been researching my interest in cross-programming / programmatic overlap I am trying to define what is it about these spaces that interests me. In researching I have come across the intentions of Rem Koolhaas which I find are a good start for my exploration
From Wikipedia:
“Another key aspect of architecture Koolhaas interrogates is the “Program”: with the rise of modernism in the 20th century the “Program” became the key theme of architectural design. The notion of the Program involves “an act to edit function and human activities” as the pretext of architectural design: epitomized in the maxim “Form Follows Function”, first popularized by architect Louis Sullivan at the beginning of the 20th century. The notion was first questioned in “Delirious New York”, in his analysis of high-rise architecture of Manhattan. An early design method derived from such thinking was “cross-programming”, introducing unexpected functions in room programmes, such as running tracks in skyscrapers. More recently, Koolhaas (unsuccessfully) proposed the inclusion of hospital units for the homeless into the Seattle public Library project (2003)”
My interests relate to this idea of “cross-programming” by introducing unexpected functions into space.
I am thinking for the first assignment I could visit Koolhaas’ Prada store downtown - the intention of the space, besides “selling a brand rather than marketing the clothes” and “reinventing the retail experience”, is evident in the stores main design component of the half-pipe like wooden curve that connects the two floors. The intention of this design element was to try on shoes, provide a public seating area, and a stage for public performances. Thus the retail environment is reinvented – with “cross-programming” of the retail environment , a public space and performance space.
“By day, the steps are used to display merchandise like handbags and shoes. At night, they become seating for art events. On the slope opposite, a small platform folds down to create a cantilevered stage. A row of cast iron columns, sheathed in white at their bases, forms one side of the jewel-box theater's porous walls. Like the rest of the store, the space is activated by the interplay between the open and the bounded, the seamless and the seamed……….. In contrast to the Wave, a set of metal boxes, in sizes small, medium, and extra-large, hang from tracks mounted on the ceiling. A Surrealist inversion, they define the upended skyline of a city that has moved indoors and flipped its head. The track system enables the density of the cityscape to be variously configured. Partly enclosed by metal screens, the boxes can be used as showcases for clothes or cages for intrepid go-go dancers……..At the Prada store, Antonioni is recast as a shopping experience. Consumption takes the place of production in the post-industrial landscape. Miuccia Prada plays Monica Vitti to Rem Koolhaas's Richard Harris. Anomie, anyone?........” New York Times December 12, 2001
Although I do not necessarily propose on presenting a retail space for my thesis, the intentions in the design of the Prada Store are aligned with my interests in cross programming.
Marc, please let me know if you think I am on the right track with this or if there might be another space better suited for me to analyze for the first assignment. I will continue my research tonight and post any other items that might be of interest to the class.
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