Thesis Prep 2 - Site/Program Fit

After discussing my site/program fit today, I am going to revisit the programmatic aspect of my thesis. I was originally going to have two programmatic elements, but it seems the second programmatic element is controversial (the birthing center). I am now leaning towards dropping the second programmatic aspect and just focusing on the hostel. This would enable me to focus more of the surrealist experience that I want to create, instead of so much on the program. I think the birthing center was a great fit of program for the ideas I had for the space, but perhaps because the experience of giving birth is already so emotional and different, it would take away from the architecture. The issue brought up was that the families visiting the birthing center might not want to deal with surrealist experiences of architecture while dealing with such an emotion packed time in their life, whereas the guests for the hostel might be more open to new experiences. I am conflicted, because I think the idea of the birthing center would be great.. but I suppose the few issues that were brought up might detract or take away from my thesis intent. Lots of things to think about!

Thesis Prep 2 - Site Analysis Models + Drawings

The Tunnel: 

Steinert’s Music Hall:

Another video of the architects talking about the TUT project. 

Just watched this presentation of Sapir Ng and Andrzej Zarzycki’s proposal for the Tremont Underground Theater - the same space I am proposing for my Thesis project.

Thesis Prep 2 - Site: Wellesley’s Morton Park

Thesis Prep 2 - Site: Steinert’s Music Hall

Thesis Prep 2 - Updates + Site Criteria

Question:

How can the fundamentals of surrealism, as manifested in filmmaking, be translated into a way of thinking about spatial experiences and architectural design? 

Claim/Hypothesis:

By using surrealist filmmaking techniques, architectural spaces will intertwine the real and the surreal, that is the physical and the mental, to the point where the user combines both realities into one.

(Both the real and fantasy are valid ways of viewing the world, and should be equally considered. Unifying the two.) 

Definition of Surrealism by founders:

Andre Breton:

Although interior reality and external reality are in the “process of unification, or finally becoming one,” Breton makes clear that these “forces” don’t act on each other “simultaneously” or even as a “contradiction” to one another, but rather they act “one after another, in a systematic manner, allowing us to observe their reciprocal attraction and interpenetration” so that we can finally perceive that they “become one and the same thing.” 

Matta:

Matta quickly took to automatism, which he defined as the ability to “read at the speed of events … the irrational and rational run parallel and can send sparks into each other and light the common road.”

Surrealist Films Under Investigation

Luis Bunuel

            Un Chien Andalou (with Dali) (1929)

            L’Age D’or (1930)

            The Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

            The Obscure Object of Desire (1977)

David Lynch

            Eraserhead (1977)

Blue Velvet (1986)

            Lost Highway (1997)

            Mulholland Drive (2001)

            Inland Empire (2006)

Peter Greenaway

            The Belly of an Architect (1987)

            The Cook The Thief His Wife & her Lover (1989)

Alfred Hitchock

            Spellbound (1945)

Stanley Kubrick

            Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

            A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Michael Haneke

            Funny Games (1997)

The White Ribbon (2009)

 Site Criteria:

A place with a past, element of time.  

Underground or partially dug into site (topography).

Elements of dark and light.

Distant noises. (train?)

Urban. (Existing structure?)

Path/Sequence