Ben's proposals 1 - 2.

Hi all!

thought I’d just cut to the chase and put my thoughts out there, or I’d be pushing my pen around on the butterpaper forever. 

 

Memory Bank

Memory creation: 1. Encode. 2. Store 3. Retrieve.

If ‘Melbourne’ had a Facebook that you could inhabit, what would it look like?

Why put a Memory Bank at the Cathedral?

Memorial plaques line the aisle walls – what if this ability to commemorate people/events in a respectful place was extended to Melbourne and her populace?

Even though the cathedral is a singular entity, St. Paul’s has a continually evolving identity. Architecturally/culturally/socially it is a ‘work in progress’. This applies to Melbourne as a whole. The cathedral can and should reassert its prominence by seeking to establish a repository for Melbourne’s collective experiences at the entrance to the CBD.

What exactly are you proposing to design? What are your de factos?

Close is transformed into the Memory Bank – a centre where people submit images and video recordings of their doings in and around Melbourne

. The collective audio-visual data will create a constantly evolving digital projection.  While the on-display installation will be continually replenished with new footage to document the ‘now’, the ‘past’ will be digitally stored. When people wish to visit the Memory Bank to revisit old footage, the data can be retrieved and projected in the theatrettes that flank the main chamber. I envision people developing a relationship with this special place, like starting an ‘account’ with the Bank, wherein their footage can be stored and viewed for many years to come.

Small de facto could be the memory ‘booths’ - the recording apparatus/studio that would be sent out to any of the major events/festivals around the city. People record their feelings/reactions/attitudes at these festivals within/around these booths and then that data is sent back to the Mem Bank. The small de facto could even be a Smartphone app!

How are you architecturally realising this vision?

Partially submerging the Memory Bank underground so that it links with the Melbourne information centre across the road at Fed Square and to the future Metro underground = reinforce its position at the heart of the city for tourists and Melbournians alike.

Memory Bank = tapestry of our experiences. So maybe its materiality could take cue from the many textures around the cathedral and Fed Square?

 

Urban_est

Why?

Cathedral = place of refuge/sanctuary

Architecturally = fortified stone base and discrete openings close the Cathedral off from the public. How to make the place/institution more inviting/open to the public?

Nest = place that supports/protects/sustains.

So:

Reinvent the close as an urban ‘nest’ = a hub that welcomes, protects and cultivates people and their ideas. I've divided the purpose of a nest into two functions: cradle/cultivate and support/sustain.

What?

The advantage that 

the close has over Fed Square is that it’s public space on a more intimate scale.

I propose to transform the close’s ground level into an outdoor amphitheatre that could ‘cradle’ public forums/performances. I see this as being the first level of the ‘nest’ in that it provides a great place for people’s ideas / talents to be nurtured, seen and heard.

Underground, the second layer of the nest will contain functions that support and sustain Melbournians. I’m quite vague at the moment about what will actually be housed there – whether it’s a soup kitchen or a café… any suggestions?

The satellite de factos are 2 or 3 nest ‘pods’ placed along Birrarung Marr. I envisage them being like large scale public furniture – like cubby houses that have various openings, providing different outlooks/vantage points. Ideally I'd position them so they view the cathedral spires. The small de facto therefore relates to the close by virtue of its function - a smaller scale object that provides shelter.

How?

Steven Holl’s Cite de la Surf and Thomas Heatherwick’s Blue Carpet piece providing interesting precedents for literally pulling the ground up so that it could ‘cradle’ an event.

CITÉ DE L'OCÉAN ET DU SURF - Steven Holl

Blue Carpet - Thomas Heatherwick

Also, I found a great little structure called the gucklhupf, designed by Hans Peter Worndl - an experimental pavilion that has a number of openings, allowing a variety of a spatial configurations. I'm using this as the guide for the satellite nests.

 

 

Organ Recital

Hello!

I just wanted to let you guys know that I am headed to the organ recital at the cathedral this evening with a friend. If any of you guys are interested in meeting up, It starts at five! my number is 813.966.2310.

Madeline

110813_Rivkah's 5 Concepts

Concept 01: THE TIME CAPSULE

At this hub of the CBD – St Paul’s stands as a ‘timeless’ heritage icon. Whilst the urban fabric changes around it – it stands true. Upon restoration of the cathedral, a time capsule was found in one of the spires documenting the construction of St Pauls. Hence, to pay homage to this - on the close – a “living time capsule museum” would be constructed. This built form would act as a place constructed by the people – for the people. It would house an interactive instillation of Melbourne through its people’s eyes.

As discussed in week 2 – I loved seeing Melbourne through ‘mad’s’ eyes. Originally I proposed that people bring an ‘object’ to the time capsule – but I have now changed this to an image – either a photo or an onsite sketch. The museum - the large defacto would house this ever changing – interactive instillation. Whilst the small defacto would be people’s images and stories associated with them. They would be collected onsite and also through an accessible website – which could also project the growing collection. People will post their images and associated stories. This ‘new-age’ museum would become a destination place not only for tourists but residence of Melbourne to share their stories and ‘see Melbourne through new eyes.” It will be an invaluable addition to Melbourne- and a new ‘icon’.

Concept 02: CALM IN THE CHAOS

I began to map sounds onsite – and it quickly became clear that the cathedral is a place of calm in the chaos of the CBD. As soon as you walk through the doors – the threshold – you are calm, and suddenly quiet. I was lucky enough to walk in with the choir singing – and it was beautiful and I was drawn into the space. The acoustics of the church add to the ‘beautiful calm.’ Hence I started to think – how I could project this sound out – so people in the street like me – would be drawn in.

Richard explained that in the acoustic of the church meant that there’s a delay from the front to the back of 2.3s. Hence, by using this relationship I would project my small defacto (tiny speakers) by 2.3s x the speed of sound out. This means there are tiny speakers at the base of fed square, flinders st and the city square. Music would be projected these – and people would stop – be like ‘where’s that coming from?’ and want to follow it into the church.

The large scale defacto would then be a breakout amphitheatre space, for what’s happening in the church to be experienced outside – so there could be large scale performances, of song and dance etc. Hence this relationship explores what is internal – becoming external to bring people back into the space – a reflexive defacto.

Concept 03: (OPEN)ING UP THE CLOSE

From the 4 icons at the corners of Flinders and Swanston st – a clear relationship of transparency/open to opaque/closed can be drawn and the correlating number of people that inhabit these spaces. Federation square is one end of the spectrum – it is open, transparent – and hence lots of people inhabit the space. Whilst St Paul’s is ‘closed, it’s windows are opaque and there a not as many people who inhabit the space within.

Hence, this proposal deals with making St Pauls and the Close site – into one that is more ‘open and transparent’ – hence drawing more people to it. The small scale defacto would take form of an observation tower added to the roof of St Pauls. Opening up the church – and giving a unique look at the CBD. The large scale defacto would involve re-landscaping the close – to something like a sister fed square to make ‘a habital landcape’ where people want to sit, enjoy and come – a new destination place/icon/draw card for the city.

Concept 04: THE MODERN DAY MEETING PLACE

Intersection = strong connection to PLACE (icon) and PEOPLE (meeting)

Young and Jacksons = social meeting place
Fed Square = civic meeting place
Flinders St Station = destination meeting place
St Pauls = spiritual meeting place

The new civic center/meeting place will be a place of congregation and cultural recognition. This new ‘meeting place’ would pay homage to the Kulin Nation and particularly the Wurundjeri people - but also be a ‘modern day meeting place for all.’ CBD is lacking a monument/built form recognition for its indigenous people.

The small defacto would be a displaced statue. The statue is derived from the Kulin Nation’s map - the Wurundjeri people’s portion of the map is extruded into a statue. This statue is painted with the Wurundjeri people’s main dream time story and placed on the banks of the river as a symbol of the people and their displacement. Dreamtime story = Bunjil & Pallian Creation Story: The indigenous people tell the story of Bunjil the creator, the Eagle Man from the heavens, who came down to Earth to create all that we see and then returned to his place in the milky way.

Concept 05: THE SECRET GARDEN SANCTUARY

The central cbd is lacking the green space we so desperately love, need, and desire. Hence, this proposal looks at turning the close into a ‘secret’ garden - an inner city green retreat.

The church is a symbol of sanctuary – yet with its impervious walls – it is often not seen as inviting/welcoming to all. Hence, by blurring the lines between the internal/external environs – more people will come and inhabit the space.

The large scale defacto is the transformation of the close into this ‘green sanctuary.’ This combined with the re-ordering of the church, would see the crossing will be transformed into an ‘internal’ hanging garden. A site to be seen by all... It will unify the relationship of the interior and exterior of the church. A symbol that represents all are welcome within the walls of the Cathedral.

The Cathedral and its secret garden will be transformed into a ‘new age’ sanctuary for the city.

5 Proposals as of 11/08

Manusia,

I realised how off-the-mark I got this. I assumed we could use our intervention as the de facto to the church and not particularly to the close per se, and that's not the case anymore. And I had alot of non-architectural interventions which doesn't seem to, I guess, float very well with what was intended.

So, it's back to the drawing board, guys.

Hopefully I'll have some updates in the next couple of days.

Good luck to those who are in the same position.

E

Jade's Progress

Hi All, 

Here are a few snippets of my ideas. Nothing set in stone yet, I need to work more more more. 

First vision is the need for a sanctum (sunken sanctum as proposed in w2). A retreat place, a place of peace admist the busyness of Melbourne and all the hustle and bustle of the city. Hence this intervention would be about slowness, stillness, echoing the atmosphere inside the cathedral. This sanctum would act as a mediator between the church and public, perhaps as a reintroduction of the church. My de facto would therefore be an attempt to s l o w things down. s l o w down pedestrian traffic with obstructing objects. These objects would be placed by order of framing (diagram). These objects would be a 1:1 replica of the cathedrals windows, translucent/ transparent glass that reflects oneself and yet framing the church beyond. The glass planes would also act as 'whiteboards' where the public is free to express prayers and notes etc on them (I have an imagination where these would be cleaned everyday to welcome fresh ones). At night these are lit up to be sculptures along the sidewalk... (need to think of a money earner here, could be underground cafes) 

Second vision is the need for a platform for the church to participate in arts and culture, to be in the forefront of media and to support the arts precinct (and acmi, etc) with the growth of melbourne city. Hence the close could be a flexible place for exhibitions, galleries, charity functions, functions for hire. The church would then be able to propose an indoor-outdoor program (in the church and outside in the close). My de facto would be an advert or a hint of the event that is taking place beyond. I am currently thinking of display platforms sensitive to amount of footfall or movement along the sidewalk, next to the grassy area. Need to re-work this de facto, it is not strong enough. 

Third vision is for the church to embrace melbourne city TOday. The church used to be the tallest building in melbourne, used to be the symbol house of power but now its been flipped around, or rather, the impression has been lost. Hence, to reference laneways as a result of built-up, melbourne being a city of delightful discoveries around the corner... my de facto would draw inspiration from the beautiful stain-glass windows of the church (diagram), hanging them upside down like fabric across sun-filled laneways, (drawing reference to the cathedral skyline),mimicking the rose window at the end of the church where sun shines through it like a beacon of hope. I am still thinking of programs at the cathedral close for this one. Models to come soon, working on them. 

My fourth vision calls for a play element. I really want to do something subtle and yet playful, attracting the youths and the younger generation. A vision to counter the 'church is boring, dull, old and traditional' somehow. Still in progress. Need to squeeze more brain juice. 

Tim did mention yesterday that my ideas are pretty delicate hence I'd decided to keep it under the umbrella of 'delicate but ambitious' hmm... still trying to tie things together. 

Feedback welcome please! 

p/s: how do i post pictures in between text from gmail?