SIGNing off!

Well, It’s been a great semester and an insightful blogging journey! But, all Archiblogs must come to an end and so I must say goodbye. I have learnt to appreciate a lot of different aspects to architecture along the way and perhaps even gained some insight into what the meaning of culture really is and what this means to architecture today. Definitely won’t attempt that in one sentence now, but hopefully some of the answers to the political, environmental, social and often personal questions throughout the blog will explore this deep endless chasm! Enjoy…

ARCHIcafe 9: Deep Africa

The politics of civic space / civic architecture

The Museum of Apartheid by Noero Wolff Architects is better known as ‘the museum of the peoples struggle’ (Osborne and Sanders, 2008). It is a place that offers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the country, the darkest days, the struggles and the heroes. It depicts the rise and fall of the apartheid government: the racially prejudice “white” government that had turned 20 million people into second-class citizens. It is the story of decades of murder, violence, torture and terrorism that ended with the rising of the human spirit over adversity.

It is located in what is called ‘The Red Location’ in New Brighton, South Africa, which contains its own stories and history of defiance campaigns and armed struggle (Osborne and Sanders, 2008). The name of the location originates from the corrugated iron barracks that line the town, brought from a nearby concentration camp, now rusted and turned a deep red.

In this building the architects have attempted to investigate a way of making civic architecture in an emotionally charged post-apartheid situation. (Apartheid Museum, 2008). It is an approach to memorialising the past to offer a cultural experience to visitors. There is an immense importance in such a project, as it is an offering of some kind to the community of pride and dignity in the wake of such a past. It brings the white government into exposure, the past into the light and offers hope and a new beginning to the people. It offers this hope through displaying the culture of the black people as something relevant and to be treasured in the present.

The architects have used an industrial aesthetic to communicate to the people. It is not a typical imposing modern structure that a museum typically seems to be; often towering over visitors with importance, pillars and embellished concrete grandness. It is a typology that the people can engage with and understand; like the workplaces in the town the spaces and materials reflect this modesty. I like the honesty and intention of this gesture. The architect is not only thinking about building ‘context’ but also of the people that own, use and work in the town and the heroes of the apartheid struggle.

Although the museum is well received and offers opportunity for employment, a precinct for social and cultural interaction I feel there is a negative to the many positives the building offers. There is such a bold, raw energy that the memory boxes, the rooms, the exhibits and the performances display. People come from around the world to see brutality, murder and political controversies on display in this town. Is this what the people that live in the town asked for? Did they want their town (despite its troubled past) to be suspended in this memory of how not to play out history, of how not to treat each other as people? Despite the obvious revenue from tourism, trinkets and ’poverty style’ nick-knacks, were they asked to be on display in that town, was their choice? Or perhaps just the 3 million budget and an architect with honest aspirations…

References:

Apartheid Museum. (2008). A short history. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from http://www.apartheidmuseum.org/HTML_APM/shortstory.html

Osborne, L., Sanders, C. (2008). The Constitutional Court of South Africa. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Queensland University of Tecnology, Blackboard Academic Site: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

ARCHIcafe 8: Art + Architecture

1. “The Grand Arbour” by Denton Corker Marshall::

2. “Witnessing to silence” by Fiona Foley::
3. “Undulant” by Sebastian Di Mauro and Alice Hampson::
WEEK 9 QUESTIONS:

1. In calling the new program art + place how does this frame its promise / potential – discuss briefly today in class and evolve an agreed list of criteria for evaluating the quality/ outcomes of the integration of the work of artists and architects:

In naming the government funded program ‘art + place’ it suggests a public realm that incorporates art as part of place making in the city. The policy name focuses on the important contribution of art in public space. Incorporating the art into the building sector in Queensland has the potential to change the way we view, experience and associate ourselves with a building and I believe with the city.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE QUALITY/OUTCOMES OF THE INTEGRATED WORKS OF ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS:

· There is an aesthetic value to the project
· The work is relevant to place and resonates with the community
· The community can openly engage and support the public work
· The work is successful in creating an awareness of public art in the community
· Architects and artists are able to engage in a multidisciplinary approach in the project that produces a dynamic and contextual outcome.
· There is evidence of jobs created and therefore economic benefits to Queensland
· There is an increased the professionalism of artists and the art practice
· There is an involvement of various cultures, indigenous culture and international artists in some projects that reflects the cultural diversity in Queensland
· Projects are sensitive to and can incorporate environmental and heritage issues

2. PERSONAL INVENTORY OF ART BUILT-IN OR ART + PLACE PROJECTS IN THE CITY/SUBURBS (3):

1. “The Grand Arbour”, by Denton Corker Marshall Architects::

The grand arbour in Brisbane is an architectural and horticultural attraction that incorporates shelter with pleasing aesthetics. 443 curled pylons of steel weave a one-kilometre path from one end of Southbank Parklands to the other. The pylons are interconnected with steel wires that house trains of bougainvillea plants. The juxtaposing steel posts curl in different configurations creating a diversity of spaces from tight to enclosed, wide to expansive.

The shelter is a physical and visual link that can be entered or exited from differing facilities through Southbank; the markets, the grasslands, the pool. It is an extravagant display of bright purple colour and curly form that matches the kitsch culture that we love to embrace in Brisbane. Its design offers a distinctive and memorable landmark to the city and comments on the free spirited diversity of Brisbane culture.

2. “Witnessing to silence”, Brisbane Magistrates Court, by Fiona Foley. (2005)::

The Brisbane Magistrates court currently contains the largest public collection of art in Queensland (Thomson and Moulis, 2005). Fiona Foley’s work is situated on the Roma Street forecourt portion of the building and is a series of cast bronze lotus lilies that seem to emerge from an ethereal mist. The lilies are placed in a white circle facing each other. In another circle, stainless steel columns rise that are laminated glass panels embedded with ash. Place names are etched into the granite pavers around the installation. The court itself is a building of authority and Fiona’s work represents a contemporary monument against this setting. It is a monument to the aboriginal people and a unique recording of past history.

It has been described as the “most important and potent contemporary art works situated in a public domain” (Urban Art Projects, 2008). The installation is striking and almost defiant, as the thin stalks stand tall against such an important building. At first the artwork seems insignificant and small, standing alone and in the shadow of the court. But it draws your attention and exudes its own independence and importance that is separate to the building. This reflects the importance of hearing the aboriginal voice and the importance of remembering the past. It represents the defiance against a generation of struggle and a rebirth of independence.

3. “Undulant”, Logan community health centre – by Sebastian Di Mauro and Alice Hampson::

Undulant is a public art installation for the entry foyer of the child and maternal health and welfare centre in Logan (Nobile, 2005). It was commissioned under the Queensland Government’s Art Built-in program, and aims to transform the “non place” (Nobile, 2005) of the waiting room to allow both children and adults to engage in an aesthetic experience. The folds of this oversized section of artificial grass curves to form a lush landscape. It is a representation of nature in the setting of a hospital interior and almost like an oversized animal being tamed and brought indoors. Its presence is unruly, disruptive and unexpected in such a non-place. It changes the social interactions that occur in a waiting room of solitude and silence and brings theatrics, play and a sense of fun as children bound over it and enjoy the tactility. Undulant compels the viewer to observe the present, live in the moment and be conscious of the immediate physical environment.

References::

Keniger, M. (2006). Art Built-in Policy Evaluation. Queensland Government Report. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://arts.qld.gov.au/funding/pub-art-funds.html

Nobile, L. (2005, March/April). Discomforting Delight. Architecture Australia. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www.archmedia.com.au/resources/aa/2005

Thomson, S., Moulis, A. (2005, May/June). Brisbane Magistrates Court. Architecture Australia. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www.archmedia.com.au/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=200505&article=8&typeon=2

Urban Art Projects. (2008). Witnessing to silence. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www.uap.com.au/page/artprojects/civic/witnessingtosilence

ARCHIcafe 7

NOTES FROM WEEK 8 TUTORIAL
Development of topic:::

WAITING BEHAVIOUR & ETIQUETTE::
~ waiting by something ~ wait in a queue
~ have to be doing something ~ data of waiting time
~ worth waiting for ~ like to wait with others
~ individual preferences - time

NEGLECTED SPACE::

- our cultural attitude
~ so obvious we miss it?
~ % of time but don’t give it attention
~ valuing

DON’T NEGLECT WAITING SPACE::

>> a major part of our lives
EXAMPLES of waiting that can maybe: - CHANGE CULTURAL ATTITUDE, slow someone down in a space
- CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK of etiquette; OK to give time/value to space
Could become a PLACE IN ITS OWN RIGHT
RAISING THE PROFILE OF WAITING SPACES IN DESIGN

RAISING THE PROFILE OF WATING SPACES IN DESIGN... (Refined)

1. INTRO TO WAITING - WAITING BEHAVIOUR & WAITING ETIQUETTE
:: waiting next to something
:: needing to do something (scribbling, etc.)
:: has to be worth the wait, e.g. tickets, iPhone
:: individual preferences (time)
:: orderly queueing vs congregating in mass
:: to see & be seen

2. IS IT A REFLECTION OF OUR CULTURAL ATTITUDE/BEHAVIOUR?

:: waiting as a part of ritual (e.g. of other attitude > tea ceremony)
:: culture of instant gratification > ‘fast’ food, ‘fast’ service [drive thru], ‘buy now pay later’
:: instilled in us - injustice to wait > ‘time is money’
:: filling the void - waiting being boring
QUOTES REFLECTING AN ATTITUDE

3. DESIGNING WAITING SPACE

:: so obvious we miss it
:: % of time spent waiting
:: can be transitional spaces
:: lost importance -> doesn’t generate obvious income [e.g., of women & bank]
:: what makes a waiting space popular
:: by waiting makes it a ‘place’ for others to wait (e.g., Hachiko)
(USE EXEMPLARY WAITING SPACES)

OUR SKILLS::
Kylie > PhotoShop, grapics
Oliver > CAD
Michael > PPT, Word
Sharon > graphics

ARCHIcafe 6

The "Waiting Spaces" project progresses::

Presentation outline (above)

The lecture given this week by Kelly Greenop (2008) really spoke to me about my own values and misconceptions about Aboriginal people. It really brought to life an accurate depiction of Aboriginal treatment in the past and the reality of what they endured. During last weeks blog I mentioned that I would like the other side of the story, that viewed Aboriginal culture in a positive light and I felt this lecture gave me that insight. Like Greenop (2008) says we tend to be given an idea about Indigenous life through images of outback Australia, boomerangs (pan identity) and slum villages. She describes that 70 percent of the indigenous population actually live in the city. What interests me is their view on city living, how they have adapted to this environment and what it means to be an aboriginal in contemporary culture.

Another interesting topic Greenop (2008) described was the idea of cultural change versus cultural loss. It is a blurred line between what is veiwed as loosing cultural identity or ritual as opposed to what western culture calls ‘progression’. I believe that certainly parts of culture should be preserved and nurtured. Does this mean having a museum for everything along the path of history? What people fear too much is as Hezel relates “Change itself is not so much the problem as what it may lead to: the death of the culture”. I think change should sometimes be allowed to happen. Change has often been beneficial to culture and made it a rich tapestry that displays the past and the present.

References:

Greenop, K. (2008). Urban indigenous place values. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from Queensland University of Technology blackboard academic http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Hezel, S. J. (2005). Cultural loss: How real is the threat? Retrieved September 4, 2008, from http://www.micsem.org/pubs/counselor/frames/cult_lossfr.htm?http&&&www.micsem.org/pubs/counselor/cult_loss.htm

ARCHIcafe 5

During her lecture this week, Carroll Go-Sam (2008) discussed the idea of indigenous identity in the public realm. She raised questions about what true identity is, what true history is and how could architecture tell an accurate story about a culture..

Aboriginal identities have received a mixed, broad and often ambiguous perception in the public realm. Images splash the media pages of alcoholism, rape, protest and other negative depictions of their culture. We are not educated on the positive nature of this culture, or the true practices and fabric that give identity to the Aboriginal people. There is also what Go-Sam (2008) describes as “Pan Identity”, which can sometimes be an iconic symbol of a culture, like the didgeridoo that is in fact an instrument specific to a certain tribe. This lack of education often leads to stereotyping and looses the integrity and validity to an indigenous culture and history.

In architecture we can provoke and evoke social change and awareness. Renzo Piano’s Centre Culturel Tjibaou in New Caledonia has been described as “important and progressive” (Message, 2006, p. 7) in creating a symbol for this kind of social change. The architecture, the activities and the workshops that are part of the project create an interest in the culture and traditions of the Kenak people. The center was named after a revolutionary leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who believed two cultures could peacefully exist side by side. To achieve this he perceived that “strength would emerge as a by-product of cultural pride” (Message, 2006, p. 13). It is an important landmark for social change because it educated and produced symbols of national identity to the people at a time where there was political transition.

Similar to this I believe that Australia is undergoing a political change and a heightened awareness of Aboriginal culture and identity. During February 2008 by Prime minister Kevin Rudd delivered a speech that aimed to respectfully acknowledge the past injustices to the Aboriginal people and embrace a “proud people and a proud culture” (Rudd, 2008, p. 1). This speech encouraged a nation to unite, to reconcile and to embrace a partnership of indigenous and non-indigenous. We live now with a new version of tradition, a contemporary culture that encompasses many. In Tijibaous words however we must face tomorrow with “a firm personality” (Message, 2006, p. 13).

REFERENCES:

Go-Sam, C. (2008). Contested Space: Musgrave Park Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Rudd, K. (2008, February 13). Kevin Rudd’s sorry speech. Sydney Morning Herald, p. 1.

Mayo, J. M. (1996). The manifestation of politics in architectural practice. Journal of Architectural Education, 50 (2) 76-88.

Message, K. (2006). Contested sites of identity and the cult of the new: the Centre Culturel and the constitution of culture in New Caledonia. reCollections: journal of the National Museum of Australia, 1 (1), 7-28.

ARCHIcafe 4

The values and functions of the tea ceremony: (above)

What I find clever and intriguing about the tea ceremony is the way it borrowed materials, techniques and traditions, to make something that united all classes in the same room to exist as equals. The tea houses were inspired by the techniques used in farmhouses and merchant cottages that used unfinished timber, thatched roofs and a fireplace as the centre (Engel, 1964). The design made people of high stature bow, bend to their knees and even crawl, and through these gestures they become equals to all at the ceremony.

The tea house was crafted with meticulous care and thought. What I enjoy about it is the meaning behind every beam or every turn in the path towards the house. Unlike a lot of Western architecture the users actions and movements were very carefully planned. It seems a lot of houses today have an awkward corner, an unusable wall or an unplanned movement in the space. This architecture however follows a relentless aesthetic framework that displays the idea of unpretentious beauty and refined simplicity throughout. It is the "humble space solely provided for aestheticism, self-reflection and spritual elevation within a meager dwelling" (Engel, 1964, p. 279).

The values of wabi-sabi that have been a framework for this Japanese tradition really appeal to my own values and desires as an aspiring architect. I think there is a freedom in architecture that allows people to be equal in space. In wabi-sabi there is an appreciation of poverty, unpretentious beauty, simplicity and imperfection (Kumarasuriyar, 2008). There is also a freedom in this type of thinking. It simplifies the process of meeting with people, because the rules are set and you know what is expected. It frees the user of social constraints that may inhibit where a person sits, who should enter first and how the room is designed.

I feel sometimes my own culture has a ‘near enough is good enough’ attitude or a ‘time is money’ point of view. A part of me longs to spend time on a craft that is not a financial pursuit. To sit and to drink tea and forget money or social status is far from the rituals of our society today. The simplicity of the act resonates with me as a busy adult in a world constantly working around a clock. Time to get up, get ready, to leave the house. Time to work, time to study, time to catch the bus. There seems no silence or stop to this constant wheel where we work to live and enjoy simple moments only when its ‘time’ to. It seems a lot of other cultures have this pursuit of silence, reflection and indulgence in simplicity.

I can only aspire in my own designs to achieve this kind of aesthetic harmony and simplicity. I don’t think it is a thing that can be learnt to draw or to design. It is a way of thinking about not only the architecture, but also about people and values and culture. Like the Japanese that closed their doors for 200 years on the world to refine and perfect what they had, I feel I need to immerse myself in my own culture to find out what it is and how I can speak to our needs through design.

References:

Heinrich, E. (1964). The Japanese house: a tradition for contemporary architecture. Retrieved August 22, 2008, from Queensland University of Technology, Course Materials Datatbase: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsptab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_35883_1

Kumarasuriyar, A. (2008). Lecture: The space and ritual of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology.