DESA1002 'Nine Quarter City' - <Christina Lucic>

Abstract

New York City, better know as the "Big Apple", is a city that never sleeps. The city prides itself as a shopping mecca, an economic centre and boasts and array of stunning skyscrapers. When first assigned the city of New York, my initial thoughts were directed to traditional skyscrapers such as the Twin Towers, the Woolworth Building and the Flat Iron Building. Designing in this city would be very different to others as height played a very important role. Research into the aforementioned buildings uncovered a town planning issue of light and shadow, which was resolved by the 'Zoning Law'. It was this 'Zoning Law', which essentially led to my final design. It was my intention from the beginning to design a building that differed greatly from traditional form and hence break free from the "grid" that is New York, and in my personal opinion, it is the abstract form of extruded triangular shapes, which has successfully achieved the initial design intent. The building itself is an Entertainment Complex named C², consisting of four levels, two of which are gaming floors and the remaining two being retail and restaurant space. The entry floor showcases a large opening in the floor enclosed with glass, which enables patrons to peer into the Basement Gaming Level. Gaming is continued on the floor above (Level One), where VIP guests are treated with a secluded gaming area and private bar. The top level (Level Two) is a restaurant which seats forty guests, and is almost completely enclosed with a glass ceiling, enabling patrons to look out onto the canal and the city itself. The exterior circular cladding is brought indoors with a series of semi-circular walls which section off the different gaming areas. Whilst the cladding is for visual purposes, softening the harsh lines of the triangular shapes, the interior feature walls are purely strategic and take into account the values of traditional casino design.