The wall is a line on the plan. It is a primordial, inevitable and necessary architectural element in our environment. Its omnipresence makes it easy to be ignored and taken for granted.
The wall can be brutal too. History of mankind has demonstrated its ultimate role. Meaning of the wall could be: enclosure, division, separation, isolation, framing, protection, seclusion, display, provocation, support, connection, mystification (of the other side), boundary, mediation, etc. It separates this and that, here and there, us and them. It excludes the ‘misfits’, the ‘unsuitable’, the ‘lunatics’, and the ‘others’.
The studio tries to comment on contemporary social divisions and invisible walls between different races, tribes, religions, economic brackets, and ideologies. The studio also tries to sharpen our consciousness for position, ideology, and architect’s social responsibility. In a larger sense it tries to address humanity through architecture.
While trying to induce meanings of the wall, we shall seek inversion of its power and give the meanings a twist. Ultimately we shall be able to arrive on ‘the other side’ and to be able to understand different sides.
Architecture is, as Elia Zenghelis suggests, a medium through which to be critical. To understand the problem, horror as well as beauty of wall is to begin to understand the power of architecture. Next time you draw a line, or design a wall, be conscious of your power.
Studio Brief
1st quarter_’Walls’ in Rotterdam
We will start with documenting ‘walls’ in Rotterdam. The ‘walls’ could be physical, immaterial or metaphoric. All examples are documented in the same format, and eventually compiled into one matrix.
We will start with documenting ‘walls’ in Rotterdam. The ‘walls’ could be physical, immaterial or metaphoric. All examples are documented in the same format, and eventually compiled into one matrix.
2nd quarter_Robben Island as Museum
Robben Island has been a prison for many important freedom fighters during Apartheid era in South Africa, most famously, the former president Mr. Nelson Mandela. Visiting Robben Island is an act of willingness to reconcile individual’s own struggle towards Apartheid and the like. We seek to create conceptual dialogue space for differences to deal with one another. The dialogue could be visual, physical, spatial or economical. It is a space for respect, contemplation, learning, leisure and freedom. People come here to learn about past, to meet and learn the tolerance of ‘the others’.
The whole island is regarded as a museum. Design assignment includes the journey and structures which manifest the message of the museum as well as necessary buildings which support the visit. What is the museum’s message? How does the museum convey the message? What is the meaning of the museum’s architectural structures, and materials and their effects? What other additional programmes be added to the island in order to enrich the Robben Island Museum’s meaning and extend the island’s future life?
Utilize or invert the meaning of ‘walls’ to set up new rules for dialogue and communication (include reconciliation and new conflicts). The museum shall invert the horror of the ‘wall’ into a calming, relieving, sympathetic and connective architecture.
Robben Island has been a prison for many important freedom fighters during Apartheid era in South Africa, most famously, the former president Mr. Nelson Mandela. Visiting Robben Island is an act of willingness to reconcile individual’s own struggle towards Apartheid and the like. We seek to create conceptual dialogue space for differences to deal with one another. The dialogue could be visual, physical, spatial or economical. It is a space for respect, contemplation, learning, leisure and freedom. People come here to learn about past, to meet and learn the tolerance of ‘the others’.
The whole island is regarded as a museum. Design assignment includes the journey and structures which manifest the message of the museum as well as necessary buildings which support the visit. What is the museum’s message? How does the museum convey the message? What is the meaning of the museum’s architectural structures, and materials and their effects? What other additional programmes be added to the island in order to enrich the Robben Island Museum’s meaning and extend the island’s future life?
Utilize or invert the meaning of ‘walls’ to set up new rules for dialogue and communication (include reconciliation and new conflicts). The museum shall invert the horror of the ‘wall’ into a calming, relieving, sympathetic and connective architecture.
Students
Eun Zung Baik, Korea
Shu Yan Chan, Hong Kong
Young Joon Choi, Korea
Una Finnsdottir, Iceland
Hui Ping Foo, Malaysia
Ljubomir Georgiev, Bulgaria
Ayumi Isomura, Japan
Hiroko Kawakami, Japan
Geun Poong Lim, Korea
Peng Li, China
Maria Fernanda Pastor Peracchio, Italy and Peru
Hee Chan Park, Korea
Simone Pizzagalli, Italy
Luhayu Fauzia Triratnamuti, Indonesia
Dong Won Yoon, Korea
Weiping Zhang, China
Shu Yan Chan, Hong Kong
Young Joon Choi, Korea
Una Finnsdottir, Iceland
Hui Ping Foo, Malaysia
Ljubomir Georgiev, Bulgaria
Ayumi Isomura, Japan
Hiroko Kawakami, Japan
Geun Poong Lim, Korea
Peng Li, China
Maria Fernanda Pastor Peracchio, Italy and Peru
Hee Chan Park, Korea
Simone Pizzagalli, Italy
Luhayu Fauzia Triratnamuti, Indonesia
Dong Won Yoon, Korea
Weiping Zhang, China
