DAISY AMES

Last week we had to build 1/2” scale models of an interior “room” (dare I call it such a conventional thing!) in our studio design proposal - a contemporary art museum on a pier. These were light study models showing how daylight entered the space, reflected off of walls, penetrated through the space and/or dissipated from above. We calculated the angles of reflection and the type of reflections based off of the color and surface material. We provided photographs of the daylighting effects during winter and summer solstice, and the spring/fall equinox. These images were achieved by using a cut-out “nomen” triangle on sun dial of 40 degrees positioned on the model itself.

Studio critic, Joel Sanders made an interesting point that none of the models that he was seeing re-defined contemporary art or made a statement about an artist’s curatorial motives. While we all focused on the prompt of the assignment, Joel was passionate about depicting a space that could house a variety of media. He was annoyed that the students chose Lichtenstein’s and random yarn as examples of contemporary art -things he’s already seen. He proceeded to say that artists today fight being defined by one medium, and that they are constantly mixing media either in one piece of work, or they already have a body of work that reaches across a range of media. He concluded that our spaces should reflect this shift - to make spaces that are not harmonious, but eclectic, like that of the new artist. He said these spaces should challenge the conventional way of viewing different mediums ie. video art does not always have to be in a black box, or sculpture does not have to be in an atrium… and, perhaps make a new space for some sort of medium that we aren’t even aware of yet. Oh la la.

For Studio, we are designing a contemporary arts center on a pier on the Brooklyn Navy Yard. As Amrita says, “it’s the most hipster project in the world,” and totally true. Prior to visiting the site last week I looked at Peter Zumthor’s Kunsthaus in Bregenz, Austria as a precedent. In studying the building, I made a section model showing the way light enters through the glass structural shell that encases the concrete gallery spaces. It then illuminates the plenum space, and dissipates into each of the floors below. The beauty of this building is in the details - as seen in the image where the exterior joint detail carries/frames the glazing and allows each panel to overlap. So nice!

Zumthor’s design approach - a glowing cube - allows it to be easily recognized within the city and from afar as it sits on Lake Constance. While other art museums try to integrate with the rest of the city fabric, his approach stands out like a diamond. It’s unclear my approach just yet, but the luminous effect of this building and the challenge of designing such important and intricate details excites me. 

I just had my last session with my studio critic. Best advice yet! Now it’s time to crank out final production material. Lots of work to do, but really excited to implement all the new suggestions. Nothing makes me happier than when my design starts to make sense.