Overview:
The Final Studio project focused on designing a 100,000square feet Dance Center in New York City that is committed to the performing arts. The center would also be a space that advocates the education and history of dance
The structure also required the following set program
- Small theatre with minimum 50 seats
- Main Auditorium with 150 seats
- Small recording studio
- Library with small archive
- Lounge space for dancers
- 4 studios for rehearsal
- 3 class rooms
- Restrooms
- Staircase
Materials:
- Chipboard
- Bristol Paper
- Double side tape
- Glue
- synthetic plastic sheets
Process:
The body is a vessel. It contains our organs (the infrastructure) held up by a skeleton (structure) and wrapped by a skin (envelope). Buildings are vessels for bodies and therefore the human body has always been in the center of interest for architects. Since we are focusing on creating a dance studio, its critical to understand the body movement in relation to space.
Part.1
Hence, we began the project by constructing a catalog of forms and diagrams that describe the body through selecting a particular dance form. The goal is to make yourself familiar with scale and proportion of the human body and in extension space.
Part.2
We then moved on to create possible iterations for the subdivision for the infrastructure.
Part.3
Once we figured out our infrastructure we moved on to work on designing a wrapper. As bachata and salsa was one of the dance forms that I looked into while sketching my figure drawings I tried to adapt building structures that showcased a wave like movement as seen in the close up images below.
Images of the entire structure
However, I was not quite queen with interior. Hence, I started focusing on the basic idea of what is dance. Dance is the process of rhythmic choreographed movement, now when I relate this to architecture one of the core elements that choreographs our movement in a structure our staircases. “Modern society thrives on performance. Our lives are public on social media and on display. Performance is a grand staircase.” Further on, I then decided to understand and investigate staircases, through borrowing from historic references like the Baux Art staircase and analyse interpret more staircases and comprehend how I would translate this element into an occupy-able space.
Through the above investigation, with the use of rhythmic patters, curvilinear structures and repetition. I further was exposed to the idea of topography and tried to adapt and understand how I could use it. With these factors, I began building small sketch models for the circulation.
The above images of the sketch models helped in identifying that that the staircase itself would not only be a means through which one could move, sit or use. But would also play a major factor in being part of the envelope of the structure.
Using my initial iterations I then focused on creating a spacial system which is ideally my sectional drawing for my final model, as seen in the image below.
Once the above steps were completed, the next step was to build the final model.
In terms of material when I started working with foam, however as I completed working with a sketch model using foam, it came to my notice that material was to thick for the scale which we were creating the sketch model.
After looking into several different materials, I decided to use paper and double sided tape (to create the thickness)
This material not only helped in gaining the right scale for my model but also helped in focusing on creating a visual balance throughout my structure.
Final Layout:
