Project 3- Art Gallery-House-Shop

Narrative:

Given the brief of designing an Art Gallery-Shop-House in Newtown, I knew straight away that I wanted to work with the ‘Street Art’ that the community of Newtown is so renown for. Preservation of such street art, including the large-scale murals, is problematic. Many murals and other large designs have been illegally placed, and although councils are beginning to recognise the social significance of these works, many are removed by property owners who understandably regard them as acts of vandalism. I therefore saw this as an opportunity for my Art Gallery to capture both the Art that lies at the heart of Newtown, and thus to eternalise such Art which I find both highly creative and expressive.

To do this, the owner of the Gallery would capture the Art using photography, in particular black and white photography. This allows him to dissolve beyond the physical skin of the Art, and really capture the soul of the community at a specific moment in time which then becomes a kind of memory that is eternalised. The Gallery then can become a place for the community to come together in agreement and share a common interest; it is a gallery for the people of Newtown, integrating itself within the urban fabric to age gracefully through the concrete slabs which stand the test of time.

The linear nature of Site 1 was considered highly appropriate for such a gallery. It reflects the space in which the Art Work would otherwise be commonly found; down narrow streets and alleyways. My Gallery therefore would become part of wider Urban Fabric; a Gallery that disguised within an alleyway that stretches from King Street through to Lennox Street. My Narrative for this Project therefore reads:

Down an Alleyway, A soul of the community captures memory in the raw.

The Gallery works with regard to a specific sequence of spaces that had to be delicately handled in a way which would allow the circulation of the building to continually flow despite its strict linear nature. This was achieve through the ‘overlapping’ of the ground floor to upper floor where the gallery finishes at one end and then begins to fold back upon itself to successfully conclude to the entire experience of the space.

Entrance to the Gallery exists as a disguised alleyway between two governing Sandstone walls which form a transition space- allows for a short but valuable moment to slow down from the constant flow of pedestrians up King Street. The Gallery then begins a specific rhythm of spaces which alternates between double height space (Opening Gallery, Internal Courtyard, and External Courtyard) and the substantial smaller galleries. The Internal courtyard acts as both the lungs and heart of the gallery; it allows the building to breath and gives life through the light it provides- especially given the enclosed nature of the site with the two surrounding buildings. Such a sequence of spaces therefore gives an opportunity for a constant movement and rest throughout the gallery and a sense of ‘denial and reward’ for the onlooker- thus providing a richness to the sequence.

The workshop and storage area are then located at the back of the gallery such that they have direct access to the laneway from Church Street. This is then heightened by the apartment/living space on the 1^st level reflecting the transition from the commercial district of King Street and Residential nature of Lennox Street. The sequence then draws to a close at the Office where the business end of the Gallery exists before it withdraws back to the opening Gallery.

Interior Spatial and Lighting quality

Office looking into Internal Courtyard

Main Gallery

1st Level: Living. Ground Level: Workspace

1st Level: Living- Internal Courtayrd- Office
Ground Level: Workspace-Internal Courtyard-Small Gallery

Project 3 Process

Working Drawings- Final Concept

Light Experiment
With such a narrow site, it is going to be integral to look at how light is going to enter the building, especially with neighboring buildings creating a quite a challenge. From this experiment I wanted to show the unfolding of the building which opens up in the north facing panes. This then works with the slit windows along the fins (sandstone walls running the full length of the building) which act to diffuse the light before passing down the surface of the material and into the art gallery.

Facade- Street View

Window Slits
The central courtyard of the building acts as both the heart and lungs of the gallery.

North Facing building elements. Building unfolds in comparison to the facade of the building.


Initial Sketches




Thinking about Interior Spatial Qualities..


Images of Inspiration

Precedent Study: Interior Spatial and Light Quality.

A House by FKL Architects:

Newtown Street Art

Camperdown Memorial Rest Park: This was one of the key locations for the political and personal Street Art in the Newtown area. I found it on the long sandstone wall surrounding St. Stephans Church. This is the art work work that i wish to display within the gallery.

Site 1- 259 King Street


Facade and Street Analysis

Newtown is derived of a community that is both young at heart and constantly in search of finding ways of self-expression. King Street therefore has become an integral part to the Newtown community. Full with a whole variety of cafes, music stores, fashion outlets- places which allow people to communicate in agreement with one another and share their passions in a way they find appropriate to express their personal identity.

Site 1 therefore becomes a very appropriate site for the gallery with neighboring buildings consisting of a cafe and a music store with a cinema next inline- all buildings of a particular social event.






Facade

Interior Outlook

Back Entrance of Site + Laneway

Project 2: Room and Narrative

Edward Hopper Excursion into philosophy 1959

Painting Analysis

The Atmosphere of the Room embodies a sense of emptiness, stillness and loneliness which together feels very unsettling. The interior space appears as a very minimalist setting with only a bed and painting among the furnishing. In terms of the character, even though he is located in close proximity to the bare lady lying down on the bed, I still feel emotionally that they are very distant. There is a great deal of tension governing the room with what seems as a dilemma for the man that he is unable to resolve.

Therefore, I felt the man was in a deep state of contemplation, with a burden on his shoulders that is weighing him down because he is unable to resolve it. However, I also noticed that the Mans left foot is slightly forward; it seems to be venturing into the light painted on the floor . He thus seems to be vying for the metaphysical over the physical realm where the light coming in from the natural realm outside represents a sense of hope and progression, and perhaps a deeper sense of learning and knowledge as it provides life to the wheat outside.

Architectural Translation.

The main idea I wanted to address in my room was the sense of contemplation that the character was in. Looking towards the metaphysical realm for a revelation of light, the architecture of the space is governed by a single window that wraps the structure from East to West. This traces the moment of Sunrise to Sunset, the period in which the man from within the building can contemplate the greater ‘possibilities of the universe’ from an earthly perspective.

This also allows for a strong degree of passing time to be experienced within the interior of the space, with the variety of casted shadows by the framework of the window just as they move across the plain interior concrete walls as the day passes- providing a strong degree of animation. Note the window frame on the roof is slightly smaller in height than the frame down the walls (refer to the section drawing), meaning that predominant light enters from above. The reason for is mentioned below.

The characters dilemma is represented through the two very different spaces. In the first space, after rising up to the first level of the building, he can ponder about the issues in a circular motion- portraying the thought process. It is here also that he has reference and guidance from a wide perspective governed by the extension of the framed views to the horizon- thus he has access to all such ‘possibilities’. Yet, being double in height, this reminds us of the loneliness and emptiness of the space, where the light coming from predominantly above is reference to the metaphysical realm.

Alternatively, he can choose to stay on the ground level and further indulge within himself. In here he has an opportunity to engage in an activity such as reading to understand further his issues at hand. This space is more introverted and enclosed, yet it also remains to provide a strip of light to the inner space as a reminder that there is a greater hope that remains to exist which ever space he chooses. This light however is perpendicular both physically and psychologically to the light that governs the upper space- his other alternative.

In terms of site, the building is located on a vast plain field in the English countryside where it is selectively placed on the tip of a sudden drop in landscape. This stems to represent the whole tension that appears to govern the space and with no immediate urban context for as far as the eye can see, portrays his emotional distance from the other figure in the painting. This same tension is represented through the materiality and construction of the building where huge pre-cast concrete slabs are contrasted with fragile glass panels on the lower floor. This is allowed by the steel post and beam structure of the building.



Plan
Scale: 1:50

Section
Scale: 1:50

Axonometric
Scale: 1:100

Interior



Model by Day






Model by Night