Week 4 Wed 20/03/19
A1 site analysis was created based on personal research carried out from the beginning of the week.
Our group spent most of the time discussing about the threshold moment. Thus we lacked time to arrange our analysis layout. I think there is room for possible improvement and the session was also helpful in that I could make some developments of the key idea I had. The site analysis is centered around the map of Albert Park, with drawings and pictures placed around the map according to their actual location with respect to the park.
The threshold moment we explored was openness and obscurity. The two spaces, Albert Park and ST PAUL St Gallery Three, are both somewhat obscure in a way. The obscurity of Albert Park is enhanced by the location of flora. Due to the elevation of the park from ground level and the trees that are planted around the outer edge of the park, one cannot see the inside of the park from the outside.
Viewed from the inside, I thought the park looked like a chamber, as mentioned in the previous post. This makes the park like a private area, despite the park being a public space. However, there is a sense of openness to the park as well, considering the vertical element of the park. Only tall palms are planted in the center of the park, which allows the visitors to look up to the sky.
The obscurity of the gallery building is highlighted by light and its windows. The columns and the ceiling structure at the entrance cast shadow during daytime which to an extent makes the building look rather unapproachable. The windows on the front of the building adds onto the idea of obscurity in that some windows are not see-through, making the passers wonder the interior of the building. Even for myself, I have visited the gallery for the first time after walking past it for so many years, wondering what the inside of the building would be like. The inside of the building was rather dim and subtle. When the entire class walked in, the space felt more like a private, intimate space compared to the outside in that there were no space for people to disperse to. The space felt less opened than the park in that it was a closed space.
The bridge between two spaces is significant in that it connects the spaces together. While walking on the bridge, having those spaces in mind, you end up focusing on the exterior of the spaces. The bridge is simply a transition, from one to another, but is also a space where you can fully view their exterior. Just like the park, there was a tree planted next to the gallery which blocked out some part of the gallery when viewed at a certain angle from the bridge. However, after walking further down toward the park, I could have a clearer view of the gallery without having anything blocking its front. So the bridge in a way provides the viewers different exterior viewpoint for two spaces located close by as well. The walk on the bridge from the park to the gallery provides transition, from a somewhat private space, to a space that is more private and intimate in the interior.
Possible improvements to work on was also discussed, which I will take further when creating my individual analysis: What do boarders and screens in design represent? Do we want to emphasize such elements, or do we want to break them down? How would you effectively represent it? Would you use series of layers? How do your visuals communicate the narrative?
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