BDES1020 'Continuous City' - <Patrick Ormsby>

Abstract

My design for an art gallery containing local Venetian artworks embraces an exciting geometric form to entice tourists to visit. The large bulky cylinders contrast with the twisted vernacular gallery hallways both functionally and aesthetically: concrete versus terracotta & white stone; enclosed space versus light & open; clear & understandable spaces versus non-linear, lattice-based circulation; permanence versus temporariness. Additionally, the assortment of rooms within the art gallery, including the atrium spaces located inside the cylinders, each showcase different ways of appreciating the artworks within by modulating the sensory qualities. The meandering-style pathways (as opposed to the standard linear circulation style) that visitors embark upon within this gallery enhance their experience by providing them with choice of direction. The model was constructed to contrast the two types of spaces within. The cylinders were constructed using planar surfaces [Concrete] and the gallery space in-between was constructed using light framework & load-bearing walls, allowing greater exposure to the outside world. The cladding featured juxtaposing material palettes: the cylinders were encased in a glossy grey sheet to represent concrete, and the gallery in-between was given a facade that alternated [not randomly] between large glass walls & white-painted stone as a twisted imitation of the surrounding vernacular environment.