The structure is located strategically on the site of the Tang Museum. It is located close enough to where the paths circulating through campus enter right into the building, but far enough to not interfere with the current program of the Tang Museum. The structure’s obscure shape, especially in relationship to the Tang Museum is still able to blend into the surrounding environment with its wood framing and organic forms. The structure despite being very large, leaves a small footprint in order for it to not interrupt the natural landscape. In addition, the small footprint allows paths to circulate naturally around the building, so that students can use this building as a mode of circulation through campus, an idea borrowed from the Tang Museum.
plan 1
plan 2
schaulager space
Schaulager Concept is an idea of a program in a museum where the exhibition spaces and public spaces are in some way related to the storage and collection/archive space. The museum I designed borrows ideas from this concept. Guests at the museum are able to interact with the collection spaces to the same degree that they are able to interact with exhibition spaces. From the lobby, guests may enter through a wide and inviting doorway into a huge open space filled with museum collection storage. The circulation through the museum is organized in a way that allows guests to choose which path they travel through the building, and consequently choose their order of experience. Guests may follow to the collection storage first, where a spiral staircase is present right upon entry so that if there is work being done in the collection space, it can easily be closed off to the public, while still allowing the public to clearly observe as they circulate up to the exhibition space. Guests can then follow the elevator or staircase up to the exhibition space. Alternatively, guests can rather travel up to the exhibition spaces first through the main circulation, and then travel down to the storage space afterwards.
section 1
section 2
elevation 1
In the Danish palaces Faberge Egg, the starting point for the design of this structure, a lot of unique characteristics were examined. The egg uses a pattern of paneling that is very recognizable when looking at the current design. Twelve main panels are divided by a thick gold border and fastened at the corner. In the new design, the same very organized framework between twelve panels still remains, but within each of the twelve sections is a more complex pattern of panels going in multiple directions that bend to create apertures. Another important concept in the egg that has been carried over is the idea of having a large surface area on the inside of the object, and minimal surface area on the exterior. Even with the complex pattern of panels on the object, the exterior of the building still appears to have a very simple and minimalist form. Meanwhile the interior contains plenty of functional ornament that fills the large spaces giving it a texture and a lot of substance. Another large concept borrowed from the Danish Palaces Egg is the pearlescent color. My design uses the idea of pearlescence not in the context of color, but rather in the context of the exterior program. Pearlescence is when an object is not only seen as one color, but is made up of multiple colors that coexist. In my building, the structure is also not defined by one single program, and an intentional ambivalence is accomplished through the unresolved programs.
elevation 2