DESA1002 'Continuous City' LiHeng Li

Abstract

Dubrovnik is a city of contrasts where one side encloses the city’s rich historical heritage within its medieval walls while the other side is open to contemporary influences. My allocated site, Block C4, is situated in the old quarter of Dubrovnik, along the piers of a sheltered harbour. Each year, Dubrovnik hosts countless festivals dedicated to the arts, one of which is the Chamber Music Festival. Dozens of musicians from the classical music world would come together to perform. With such a strong tie to music and performance, my chosen program would be a music conservatory for the city of Dubrovnik. The first stage of this project required the organization of all the spaces and functions that will be housed in the conservatory. A wide range of spaces were identified, from small, private practice rooms to a large, public recital hall, and of course secondary spaces in between to support these different functions. Moreover, the relationships between these spaces were tremendously important. Many issues had to be addressed like the amount of space allocated for backstage activity. The next step involved combining these organized spaces into a set of working plans and finally into a physical model. The design of the building was driven by several themes and concepts developed through abstract diagrams which led to the physical form of the building, later articulated through models. The model making process required me to make decisions about the façade. I opted for two layers of facades, one inside the other with different textural qualities. The interior skin is clad with heavy, traditional, stone masonry while the exterior skin is clad with contemporary glazing, combining the old with the new. The entire process of this project was a massive undertaking as many design problems in form and function had to be resolved. This, however, provided an enriched learning experience.