by Dennis Hill n7128339
My decision to work with the theme "With & Around ICON" came about through a lengthy deliberation that hinged on a balance between selecting a highly regarded tutor and being able to produce a quality addition to my folio.
With & Around ICON presented some interesting challenges. Firstly, what does it actualy mean? what is asked of us? Does it simply mean that we must design our architecture around the ICON (Story Bridge) i.e. in the general context? Or perhaps it could suggest that we must quite literally design our architecture "with and around" the ICON. i.e. to interact with.
I wanted to approach this theme by presenting an architecture that was able to stand on its own as "iconic" without competing with the already iconic Story Bridge. The biggest challenge for me was a delicate balance between drawing attention towards my new structure whilst still being respectful to the iconography of the Bridge.
For this I had to coin my own concept:
borrowing from an already “iconic” structure in order to secure an iconic status of it’s own.
parasitic iconography:
The following images and captions document my process and help to explain decisions that I have made and the product that I have presented.
Initial ideas and sketches:
With a fairly open brief and no solid idea I began to sketch my initial ideas - it is during this fase of what I call "mental diarrhoea" that my design is born. As you will see in the three illustrations below (all very different ideas): I begin to explore in plan, section and elevation until I find something that I like.
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| An exploration in plan view incorporating large viewing decks and an iconic element centred around the bridge (round object). |
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| Section view incorporating sculptural elements designed to interact with users up on the bridge to suggest the architectural intervension below. |
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| Elevation sketch of a sculptural element. |
For me, the real design process begins when I have found "what I consider", to be an interesting form.
The form that I chose to persue for this project is a direct response to the aforementioned concept of parasitic iconography, coupled with a way to produce an iconic structure with a limited floorspace (1000m2).
My response was a sculptural element that would not be included as floorspace.
The below images chronicle my process in fine-tuning the sculptural element and it's relationship with it's direct context.
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| This is the initial sketch that inspired my form. |
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| I usually attempt a sketch of reasonable detail in order to help me with spacial understanding. This is a sketch that I used for many iterations. |
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| Exploring various aspects again, in particular: the use of the area below structure: performance space including amphitheatre and lighting. |
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| Section view exploring how the structure might interact with the bridge ad users. |
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| This sketch is exploring the possibility of having the structure loop over the existing bridge however the form becomes unattractive in its verticality. |
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| This sketch is attempting to address the possibility of hanging a building structure within the sculptural element. It also explores a possible access-ramp to the structure from the cliff-top. |
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| Exploring the possibility of further interaction with the bridge, however I believe this idea would be disrespectful to the existing icon. |
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| Playing with ideas for a cladding type of covering for the structure. |
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| Exploring further ideas to make the sculptural element more elaborate by using multiple shells. |
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| Streamling and layering: sides become too high to allow views out from structure. |
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| Trying to loop over bridge again. |
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| Some further adjustments in the attempt to loop over bridge yet keep the sides low to allow for views out. |
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| Trying some more layering ideas to allow views out of structure. |
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| A scribbly plan view (right) of an idea for the top of the loop. |
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| A quick look at section profiles of the sculptural element that would allow a flat surface to place building structures. |
A major design element for the sculptural piece was in it's ability to draw attention from the users of the bridge above, both pedestrian and vehicular, to the fact that there is something interesting happening below the bridge.
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| Note the curved wings of the sculpture reaching up from below. |
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| Elevation of curved wings reaching upward. |
Landscaping
Landscaping is to provide an important link to my original folie idea (bunker). By entombing the original bunkers (running along the bottom edge of cliff) in a purpose build museum and covering the entire museum with natural landscaping I have created an open-air amphitheatre that enhances and makes use of the structures strange profile to provide an interesting place to either perform or simply sit and watch.
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| Cross-section of fill idea for bottom of cliff (left). |
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| Cut-away of fill idea with some of the surrounding context. |
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| Exploring the idea of creating a permanent "stage-box" beneath the structure. |
Spacial Requirements
I wanted to fullfill the spacial requirements in the form of a building, or buildings that would be "cradled" within the sculptural element allowing users to experience the feeling of being partially enclosed as if in a bunker.
The important point here is to allow access to the potentially fantastic views up each side of Kangaroo Point.
This is where the 1000m2 limit will be applied.
A problem to be overcome is gaining access to and from these buildings. To solve this problem I have designed a long ramp access from the cliff-top on either side of the bridge. Access from below is via a glass lift located on the inside leg of the existing bridge.
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| Rudimentary placement of offset-blocks within sculpture. |
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| "Blocking-in" buildings and how they interact with sculpture and existing bridge legs. |
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| Exploring another configuration of building within sculptural form and beginning to explore entry to site via ramp. |
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| Considering block construction as a contrast to the organic shell surround. |
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| Exploring the possibility of curving the blocks and orienting them towards the views. |
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| Perspective view to help me decide if I should persue the idea further. |
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| I had a look at designing a spherical building for the structure but opted against it: too cliche. |
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| Here I explore angular building shapes and circulation in plan view. |
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| I have decided on these modular oblong shapes, they are both interesting a maluable. Alowing we the freedom to rotate them and direct views. |
Circulation
To move amongst the buildings I have designed a series of pathways that weave in different ways from floor to floor to offer the user unique experiences as they circulate around and provide access to the buildings.
The pathways assist in cropping views from within the structure.
Entry into the structure also has to be unique and provide the user with the feeling of arrival. I have designed two elevated entry pathways that snake along the cliff-top and entre through cavities in the sides of the sculpture. Another point of entry/exit is provided between the ground and the structure via a glass elevator located on the inside of the leg of the existing bridge - this completes the traverse from cliff-top to gound level at Howard Smith Wharves.
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| An early idea to provide a central ramp/stair. |
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| Sketch of initial idea to allow access from cliff-top. |
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| Entry from cliff-top via a cavity on the side of structure. |
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| Initial ideas for curved pathways throughout structure (left). |
Ferry Terminal
The ferry terminal will be an extension of the sculptural element and is not yet fully conceived. I forsee the implementation of the existing heritage listed dock buildings for use as a ticketing office, along with the existing dock. An extended ramp will have to be designed to access the pontoon for the ferry to dock against. I have included a rudimentary pontoon system in my presentation and will further this design as I prepare project 3. I have included some very vague sketches below.
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| Simple articulated ramp and pontoon. |
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| Elevation view. |
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| A quick look at extending the sculptural element to the roof of the ferry terminal. |
Moving to digital
The above sketchwork was enough for me to move the project to digital format. I began by constructing the existing structural elements (Howard Smith Wharves buildings, dock and Story Bridge) in Sketchup as they will not need manipulation. The Sculptural Cradle shape was always going to be a problem for me. I chose to tackle it in a program called Project Vasari, which is only a "technology preview" released by Revit, and such was a complete learning experience from start to finish. The rest was constructed in Revit (topography, buildings within sculpture, buildings along clifftop, pathways).
The below images are a selection of outputs from Revit.
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| Site Plan. |
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| Western approach. |
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| Eastern approach via access ramp. |
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| Approaching the bridge. |
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| A closer look at the interior elements. |
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| Inside the structure looking out. |
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| Framing views. |
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| View from river. Ferry Terminal in foreground. |
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| View of site with entry to "underground" bunker museum (bottom left). |
Looking Forward
Although I still have much of the design to finalise I am satisfied with my progress to this stage. Finalising the layout of the "Bunker" museum is a high priority project for me, along with documentation of space allocation within structures to produce floorplans, sections and elevations.
I look forward to project 3 as an opportunity to push the project further.
