gsapp msaad 2012

portfolio

T H E O B -JECTS

Tanita Choudhury

This book is a collection of ideas and investigations I gath-ered during my three semesters in GSAPP. The book is mainly structured around the three studio projects sup-ported by discussions generated in other seminar and vi-

sual studies courses.

While the three studios are no way similar, they do share a resemblance of acting as self-contained, isolated objects

inserted within the context of the city.

In the case of the studios Camouflage and The Diction-ary of Received Ideas,, these objects become isolated enti-ties that work independently within them while simulta-neusly generating a form of public space by drawing in and internalizing the street and extracting new ways of

organizing the program within.

In the case of Memory, Memorial and Memorial-ization studio, an isolated, continuous wall be-comes an object radiating its influence outwards as it memorializes and

retraces a town destroyedin tsunami.

contents

I

II

III

IV

camouflage in architecture

memory, memorial & memorialization

the dictionary of received ideas

metropolis

DEGRADATION

THE TSUNAMI WALL

OUTERWEAR

MATRYOSHKA

IRONY IN METAMORPHOSIS

DEGRADATIONCamouflage in architecture

The studio involved a research and an investigation on cam-ouflage phenomena and strategies. The studio applied camou-flage strategies extensively for the opportunities that it pres-ents as both conceptual and architectural strategies. Concepts of camouflage such as concealment, deception, mimicry and stealth was appropriated by the studio for the architectural project. This architecture of camouflage adapted strategies that make the familiar appear strange or conversely, the unfamiliar will appear familiar. Forms of camouflage that range from ze-bra stripes to the B2 stealth bomber offer unique research in architectural topics that similarly range from boundary defini-tion to invisible geometries. Other forms of camouflage have appeared for years in the cultural practices of art, fashion, and even street graffiti. With each cultural adaptation, an irreverent appropriation has occurred to the camouflage source material. The studio expanded upon these cultural practices misuseand not simply the use of -- camouflage. Is it possible to ex-pand the role of camouflage beyond the practical requirement of concealment? If so, how can an architecture of camouflage critique contemporary design issues ranging from urban con-textual mimicry to the myth of the original design?

- Phu Hoang, Architecture of Camouflage studio, 2011

Degradation is an inherent phenomenon of camouflage. It is the incessant change that occurs from one state to another. Degradation is a transformative system of merging and over-lapping of spaces evoking spontaneous complexities of het-erogeneity. It is the transitional space between the systems of order and disorder. While typically degradation is considered as a negative phenomenon it is in fact a productive and posi-tive entity generating events that form in the margins in be-tween. Taking degradation as a key occurrence of camouflage, the design proposal follows a series of guidelines and strategies

extracted from the diverse forms of camouflage.

DEGRADATIONCamouflage in architecture

Camouflage of habitatDEGRADATION in urban character

DEGRADATION OF URBAN CHARACTERCAMOUFLAGE OF HABITAT

JODHPURFACADE

HONG KONGVERTICALITY

VENICEPITCHED

+ =OVERLAY 1 OVERLAY 2 COMPOSITE

CO

MP

OSI

TE

P I X E L AT I O N O F C I T I E S

OVERLAY 2attraction concealment

OVERLAY 1

PIXE

LATI

ON

ORDE

R

Habitat is one of the most common spaces where the phenomenon of camouage exists. ree cities of three radically varied situations were chosen. e cities were Jodhpur, Hong Kong and Venice. e 3 distinct features about these cities are facades, verticality and rooine respectively. Extracting and tracing these features, and through a process of overlaying, addition and subtraction, the situations obtained were both of concealment and of attraction of camouage.

REVOLUTIONARY TO CULT FIGURE

DEGRADATION in identityDEGRADATION OF IDENTITY

HAIR

CAMOUFLAGE OF PERSONALITY

CULT FIGUREDEGRADATION OF IDENTITY

eye b

row

dire

ctio

n of

gaze

The phenomenon of camouage is evident in the way personalities are exhibited. The identity of an iconic gure like Che Guevera has transformed from a revolutionary to a cult gure. Subtle mutations like the direction of gaze, eye brow etc camouages Gueveras true personality.

DEGRADATION OF IDENTITY

HAIR

CAMOUFLAGE OF PERSONALITY

CULT FIGUREDEGRADATION OF IDENTITY

eye b

row

dire

ctio

n of

gaze

The phenomenon of camouage is evident in the way personalities are exhibited. The identity of an iconic gure like Che Guevera has transformed from a revolutionary to a cult gure. Subtle mutations like the direction of gaze, eye brow etc camouages Gueveras true personality.

The phenomenon of camouflage is evident in the way per-sonalities are exhibited. The identity of an iconic figure like Che Guevera has transformed from a revolutionary to a cult figure. Subtle mutations like the direction of gaze, eye brow etc camouflages Gueveras true personality.

DEGRADATION as strategy

aerial view of the site

Degradation betwteen neighborhoods over timeDEGRADATION in ethnic identity

The Lower Manhattan which was comprised of Bow-ery, Little Italy and Chinatown fragmented further into Nolita, Soho and Tribeca. The boundaries of these neighborhoods begin to overlap. Thus a transformative change of degradation of boundary led to the emer-

gence of pockets.

Degradation betwteen neighborhoods over timeDEGRADATION in ethnic identity

1969 Present

Degradation of BoundaryTransformative

Degradation of Boundarywith emerging Pockets

DEGRADATION RISE OF HETEROGENEITY

Dynamic System of Disorder Continuous

Degradation betwteen neighborhoods over time

POCKETS HOMOGENEITY

Static System of Order Frozen in Time

Degradation betwteen neighborhoods over time

HEART OF LITTLE ITALY

Dynamic Continuous Static System of order Frozen in TimeSystem of DisorderITALIAN RESTAURANTCHINISE RESTAURANT

PAPER MODEL ANALYSISDEGRADATION

Through the paper model analysis, the models revealed a number of conditions within them which later defined a number of systems for further approaching of the

design.

These conditions gave the opportunity to rethink the ogranization of the public cir-culation, the mechanical systems and the

isolated zones.

GRADATION FLEXION SERIES STRIATION POCKETS FLOW

GRADATION FLEXION SERIES STRIATION POCKETS FLOW

library + meeting space

auditorium

cafe

admin

data[pocket]

[pocket]

[pocket]

[pocket]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[pocket]

[pocket]data

isolated lab

isolated lab

integrated labs

1 2 3 4

library + meeting space

auditorium

cafe

admin

data[pocket]

[pocket]

[pocket]

[pocket]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[pocket]

[pocket]data

isolated lab

isolated lab

integrated labs

1 2 3 4

library + meeting space

auditorium

cafe

admin

data[pocket]

[pocket]

[pocket]

[pocket]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[degradation]

[pocket]

[pocket]data

isolated lab

isolated lab

integrated labs

1 2 3 4

PROGRAMMATIC ANALYSISDEGRADATION

structure

degradation system

air flow

circulation

modular infrastructure

composite system

View from Broadway

ENTRANCE

LOBBY

SERVICE PODS

DATASERVICE

CAFE

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

2

3

4

5

6

BRO

ADW

AY

LISPENARD STREET

RESEARCH LAB A

RESEARCH LAB B

ISOLATED LAB

1

2

3

1

2

3POCKET

View from Lispenard

AUDITORIUM

LAB

TRANSVERSE SECTIONDATA

SectionDEGRADATION

AUDITORIUM

LAB

TRANSVERSE SECTIONDATA

AUDITORIUM

LAB

TRANSVERSE SECTIONDATA

DATA

DATA

MEMORY, MEMORIAL & MEMORIALIZATIONA response to the triple disasters in NorthEastern Japan on 3/11

A 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake off the coast of northern Japan, followed by a 40-meter-high Tsunami, resulted in the malfunction of the Fukushima Daiichi seaside nuclear power plants.

Haunting memories of silent bodies, disrupted communities, andshattered homes remain. We will examine these memories, as they exist in the places, debris and fragments that were left behind, and design a repository for these memories and artifacts on a site nowsacred to a small community. Memory, Memorial and Memorializa-tion will be re-imagined by questioning a basic, fundamental moti-vation of architecture - to accommodate the ephemeral, eternal and spiritual. This studio urges to respond.

- Memory, Memorial and Memorialization Studio, 2011

The Theory of Loss - An analysis of personal memoryMEMORY

The rattling sound of bracelets herald the arrival of the monsoon wind as small drops of rain start falling. Soon after, the electricity goes away and what is left is a chance for a family to come together , enjoy drinking tea by the warmth of the candlelight. At the same time, a woman rushes home to keep her loved ones safe. While this monsoon becomes a time for rejoice for some, it becomes a haunting experience for others. It becomes the reason for natural disasters and floods. The dichotomy of emotions mon-

soon produces makes it a beautiful, yet sad memory for me.

The sweet smell of grass, the soft touch of the breeze on the skin, the whistling sound of the breeze characterizes a Bangladesh monsoon.

The Theory of Loss - An analysis of personal memoryMEMORY

Retracing back - personal memory

MEMORIAL

MEMORIALIZATION

The first line of defenceTHE TSUNAMI WALL

The seawalls that buffer this once-bucolic fishing village from the ocean were supposed to keep people safe from a tsunami. The 10-metre high walls more than a kilometre long gave tiny Taro the feel of a fortified village, im-

pregnable against all comers.

In Taro, once the water cleared the sea-wall and hit the village, it stayed and raged there, having trapped the entire village inside a kind of bowl formed by the seawall itself and the mountains

behind the village.

In fact, it could be said that it contrib-uted to trapping victims and drowning many inside the perimeters powerful

waters.

- Bill Schiller, thestar.com

THE TSUNAMI WALL

Taro resembled a garbage dump: hectares upon hectares of smashed wood, crushed cars, over-turned boats, boats on roofs, kitchen appliances, stereo speakers, clothing, childrens books.

MEMORY, MEMORIAL & MEMORIALIZATION 3/11 DISASTER

30,000 human casualties100,000 structures destroyed

400,000 people evacuated

8 million people aected

THE WALL was the first line of defence

MEMORY, MEMORIAL & MEMORIALIZATION 3/11 DISASTER

30,000 human casualties100,000 structures destroyed

400,000 people evacuated

8 million people aected

The first line of defence FAILED

The Town of Taro

The 10m wall could not protect

MEMORY

The Taro Wall

The wall should have been higher

MEMORY

The Tsunami Wall

Break it? Leave it? Increase height?

What Should Be Done To The Wall?

MEMORIALIZATION

The Tsunami Wall

On top of the wall? Behind the wall? Inhabit the wall?

What Should The Inhabitants Do?

MEMORIALIZATION

The Town of TaroMEMORY

Weaving around the wallMEMORY

The wall becomes a discontinuous object; tied to-gether by an external thread - a radical opposite of its

original character of continuity

Weaving around the wallMEMORY

Weaving around the wall

I

II

III

MEMORY

The Tsunami WallMEMORIALIZATION

The wall conceived as a memorial wall, becomes a museum f or the 3/11 disaster. A sharp con-trast in the materiality between the old remains and the new - the strong concrete wall and the

delicate glass.

auditorium wall 2 garden wall 1 broken wall green roof

A synthesis is made of the delicate new element interwoven around the greater old remains.

memorialwalk

entrance

trees in memory of the loved ones

walkway

line of trees as natural wind/wave breakers

broken wall

memorial archive

auditorium wall 2 garden wall 1 broken wall green roof

memorialwalk

entrance

trees in memory of the loved ones

walkway

line of trees as natural wind/wave breakers

broken wall

memorial archive

exhibition

memorial archive

library

garden of debrissubmerged ground

SECTION OF THE OPEN EXHIBITION

The visitor is led through the wall gate to the library and the garden of debris. As the visitor enters the wall he is subjected to climb down a metre - the depth the ground level was submerged during the earth quake. It is this point the visitor experiences the affects of the tri disaster physically.

The visitor witnesses the glass window arising from the garden of debris while simultaneously observing the water marks on the wall.

The Tsunami Wall

Underneath the wall

MEMORIALIZATION

Similarly the visitor has the access to climb the roof of the wall where he is able to get a

panoramic view of the entire town.

The visitor thus experiences the wall in 3 spatial levels -

i) Through the wall ii) Underneath the wall iii) On top of the wall

On top of the wall

The remains of the wall that were washed to the sea are brought back inland. However, this time an attempt has been made to recreate the wall with the broekn pieces without the use of any external material to fuse the pieces

together.

What arises is a mutated form of the wall with irregular punctures and junctions. The wall becomes a discontinu-

ous entity - a radical opposite of its original character.

The Tsunami WallMEMORIALIZATION

This forms a memorial walk for the visitor where they experience the hubristic side of what remains.

The wall as a moving memoribilia as movies and still images of the disaster are projectedMEMORIALIZATION

THE WALL AS A HARBOR FRONT GARDEN OF DEBRIS

WALKWAYS GARDEN STEPS

The wall as a harbor front Garden of Debris

MEMORIALIZATION

The points of discontinuity are the points where steps have been added. These steps are little pockets where visitors gain accessibility to view and experience the wall as a harbor front garden of debris.

THE WALL AS A HARBOR FRONT GARDEN OF DEBRIS

WALKWAYS GARDEN STEPS

THE DICTIONARY OF RECEIVED IDEAS

This studio is the tenth installment in a decade-long project whose aim is to examine received ideasthat is, ideas which are uncritically accepted, and repeated to the point of deplet-ing their original intensityin contemporary architecture cul-ture. This ongoing series of design studios and theory seminars proposes to disclose, define, and dateand in the long run ar-chivereceived ideas prevalent over the past decade, both in the professional and academic realms, in order to ultimately open up otherwise precluded possibilities for architectural de-sign and architectural theory. To that end, it focuses on design operations and conceptual strategiesthose which have out-lived the problems they originally addressedparticularly in terms of the means of representation and the lexicon through which they are respectively articulated. This project takes as precedent Gustave Flauberts unfinished book, Le dictionnaire des ides reues. Just as the latter, it sets out to detect and col-lect received ideas and provide definitionsor a users manu-al to render them self-evident. Yet as opposed to the latter, arguably an inventory of potential exclusions, this project also seeks to useor to misusethat collection of received ideas towards the formulation of other design operations and other conceptual strategies.

- Enrique Walker, The Dictionary of Received Ideas Studio, 2012

AS AN INNERWEAR

OUTERWEAR

The outerwear is an exterior envelope that engulfs a building as an envelope. The design of this museum was approached using the manual as a tool to approach design in absence of a premeditated concept. The manuals provided a set of con-straints that affected the architectural brief.

By virtue of the outerwear, a number of conditions emerged that begin to propose new possibilities of addressing a mu-seum typology. In the case of this building, the museum be-gan to have conditions of inbetween spaces, which defined the configuration and organization of the programs inside.

Eventually the museum became an extension of the street as the public space infiltrated inside.

What is found is the public circulation arranging the program into autonomous, frag-mented entities that allows for connection as well as disconnection between them.

What kind of urbanity does the cultural institution promote in the city? What does the notion of public space do to the cultural institution?

AS AN INNERWEAR

site extrusion carving outer surfaces outerwear

RULES

OUTERWEAR

sectionexploded axonometric

horizontal outerwear

horizontal outerwear

hanging beams

hanging beamscablescables

suspended plinth

suspended plinth

outerwear

outerwear

outerwear

outerwear

STRUCTURE DIAGRAM

AS AN INNERWEAR

OUTERWEAR

AS AN INNERWEAR

INNER CONFIGURATION

OUTERWEAR

distributing level - foyer

auditorium

auditorium

administration

artists studios

AS AN INNERWEAR

PUBLIC CIRCULATION

OUTERWEAR

The elevated plinth as a public accessible floor that negotiates between the upper and the lower portion of the building. The outerwear defines a large vertical void that connects the ground to the elevated

plinth.

distributing level - foyer

temporary exhibition

temporary exhibition

permanent collection

temporary exhibition

temporary exhibition

AS AN INNERWEAR

FRAGMENTED MUSEUM

OUTERWEAR

The public circulation arranging the program into autonomous, fragmented entities that allows for con-nection as well as disconnection between them.

MEP structure circulation

AS AN INNERWEAR

FRAGMENTED EXHIBITION TOWERS

OUTERWEAR

exhibition towers

distributing level - foyer

auditorium

auditorium

administration

artists studios

AS AN INNERWEAR

OUTERWEAR

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

MATRYOSHKA

The matryoshka is defined by an object nested inside a simi-lar obeject at a smaller scale. This cultural institute was ap-proached using the manual as a tool to approach design in absence of a premeditated concept. A host cube was defaced by extruding the sides differently. The faces are thickened to become screens or poche. The primitive host was scaled down and rotated. These operations defined 2 systems, a within space of the poche and an in between space between them.

By virtue of the nesting of the matryoshkas, three public pla-zas emerged that gave rise to a number of conditions and possibilities. In the case of this cultural institute, the condi-tion of the within space enales each programs to function autonomusly while the in between space acts both as a verti-cal and horizontal space, that engages as catalyst of activities

between the programs.

Eventually the cultural institute became an extension of the street as the public space infiltrated inside and reached the top of the building as an elevated public ground.

What kind of urbanity does the cultural institution promote in the city? What does the notion of public space do to the cultural institution?

Through fragmentation and by virtue of the inbetween space, the different activities were seperated, and yet unified to generate highest level of interaction both within and

between them.

screen

screen poch

poch

guest 2

guest 1

host

poch

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

RULES

MATRYOSHKA

STRUCTURE DIAGRAM

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

PUBLIC CIRCULATION

MATRYOSHKA

The 3 public plazas activate as well as get activated by the programs surrounding them. The public street extended inside the building and is elevated up.

street level plaza

auditorium

passageto auditorium

performersstage access

experimental theatre

theatre foyer

school foyer

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

STREET LEVEL PLAZA

MATRYOSHKA

The horizontality of the in between space determines a condition of above and below for each plaza. This means that these spaces are activated by what happens above and below.

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

THEATRE PLAZA

MATRYOSHKA

research center

school administration

performing arts school

permanent collection

temporary expositions

garden

rental spaces

plaza - foyer

temporary expositions

cafe

school administrationperforming arts school

permanent collection

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

SCHOOL GARDEN

MATRYOSHKA

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

INBETWEEN

MATRYOSHKA

The verticality of the in between space separates contiguous programs. The in between space is at times used as the expansion of the program in the poche.

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

INBETWEEN

MATRYOSHKA

The in between public space defines fragments. The fragment size is defined by the program and it al-lows it to work autonomously.

museum street

research center

cafe

permanent collection

restaurant

experimental theatre

auditorium

street level plaza

plaza - foyer

garden

observation deck

AS AN INHABITED IN-BETWEEN

SECTION

MATRYOSHKA

METROPOLIS

A large span of work can sometimes reveal obsessions that would otherwise be unnoticed. Arata Isozakis half a century of experience in the architectural realm led him to undergo several phases of beliefs in the field of architecture. Hence, while numerous architects have been trying to identify and pursue a lifelong project of one discipline of thought, Isozakis career evolved through time from the phase when he concentrated on Japanese Metabolism to that of the extreme reductive approach of the dissolution of Modernism. Embed-ded within these shifts of thoughts, is a five decades long obsession for Isozaki with establishing irony in architecture.

Arata Isozakis body of work makes strong references to historicism and culture of Japan while simultane-ously incorporating new technological methodologies and concepts pursued by the West. His projects assume strange dichotomy of humility of tradition and irony of politics and technology through integration of the im-ported culture of the West and the traditional beliefs of the East. Thus Nara Convention Hall becomes an ideal emblem of Isozakis skepticism towards technological advances in architecture. The project modestly refer-ences the citys ancient temples and the urban scape while integrating new technological methodologies to create a hybrid Frankenstein of a metal clad wrapped in a traditional monolith form. Thus the form of the building acts as a metaphor of a product that arises from the hybridization of strikingly different cultures while simultaneously acting as the mediator to exhibit the concept of metamorphosis. In the process of do-ing so, it hints at the transformation of an overall form derived from the existing local typologies as well as the transformation that occurs within the interior of the building. It illustrates Isozakis quest for irony as it

draws and challenges the conventional notion of meta-morphosis as the functionalist dream of the Modern Movement where transformative spaces are derived from functional and programmatic flexibilities. The Nara Conventional Hall unveils this irony which Iso-zaki cleverly inserts into the project. In other words, it reveals Isozakis thorough denunciation for modern-ism through the parody of metamorphosis as a subtle hint of an intense rejection of the movement.

Nara was once the capital of Japan which gradually fell into decline when Kyoto became the capital city. Much of the citys grid remains intact where the west-ern and the northern edges follow the ancient citys original grid while the southern and the eastern edges are bordered at an angle to make way for railroads. For the Nara Convention Hall, Isozaki introduces an el-lipsoid along the traditional north-south grid that sits between two buildings designed by Kisho Kurokawa. The placement of the architectural elements of the hall derives from the urban character of Nara. The three cities of Kyoto, Tokyo and Nara have distinct variation between them with Kyoto characterized by exterior spaces of narrow paths and gardens and Tokyo by the interior spaces of underground shopping districts and the gaps between tall buildings. The distinctive feature of Nara is its configuration of independent monolith temples. Isozaki uses this feature to develop an inde-pendent monolith that forms a single entity. From the individual monolith temple forms to the articulation of the city skyline of roofs of the temples, much of the convention hall references the ancient temples Nara was widely known for. Hence Isozaki uses the concept of metamorphosis to derive a transformation of an overall monolith form from the existing local typolo-gies.

Irony in MetamorphosisThe Nara Convention Hall

As often seen in his projects, Isozaki explores the pos-sibilities of an object as architecture as he takes his po-sition on the idea of metamorphosis a step further. His fascination for the logic of an object as a self contained, isolated entity in itself is revealed when he introduces a transformative mechanism of audience seating where the space transforms from a virtual stage to an arena to an end stage. This underlines Isozakis attempt to address architecture as an undulation of metamorpho-sis through renderings of an object that transpires to architecture. This transformative mechanism becomes a mechanism for Isozaki to ridicule the Modernist no-tion of metamorphosis. Inspired from a traditional Japanese overturned bucket, Isozaki uses steel as the main structural element of the form where he yet again makes a grim mockery of the technologically driven modern reality as he did in one of his earliest projects, the Electric Labyrinth.

While being monumental in proportion and scale and very expressive about the mechanism of metamorpho-sis, the presence of the enormous form simultaneously becomes less perceptible. The embedded sarcasm of the building only gets revealed when people want it to be revealed. Hence the building camouflages in it-self and assumes the ultimate notion of an object as an isolated, self contained, sarcastically camouflaged entity rendered in the end, through the form of just a giant, overturned bucket that almost remains indis-cernible despite its size. The erection of the structure assumes an ambiguity of reality. Although the building is transformative in function, it sits independently on the site to project modernisms redundancy through its stillness. It is here the project demonstrates an abso-lute functionality with dark humor embedded into it. The insertion of this functional and absolute attribute

of transformative mechanism begins to highlight the paradox of the concept of metamorphosis practiced by Modernism. It reveals that metamorphosis as a process assumes a static entity after it gets built as opposed to its dynamic performance of incessant change. Hence the mutating metamorphosis becomes different from its static resultant product.

Arata Isozaki consistently attempts to challenge the notions of the Modern Movement and the flawed tech-nological advances that crop up in the society through his projects, but what changed over the decades is his ideological approach to address this issue. In doing so, he has shifted from one phase to another. Every decade seems to add new paradigm in his thoughts that ulti-mately render into several decade long projects. Yet, deeply embedded within these shifts is his personal and almost stubborn obsession to evoke irony in his projects. While irony in general is projected through arrogance, Isozakis projects assume irony through humility. In other words, what usually aspires to be a lifelong project through a series of buildings for most architects becomes a lifelong obsession for Isozaki to hunt for irony through different labels of manifestos.

T H E O B -JECTS

gsapp msaad 2012