This is what I have so far in terms of documentation. It is still a DRAFT. Many editing/re-writing are still needed as well as citations. But this is the best I could manage to have before studio final is over. Feedback will be greatly appreciated.
A few things I mention in the document but never posted or presented…
– No Vacancy! project by LocusLab here (Thanks Alana!)
– AudioCinema here
I still need to
1. create timeline
2. add more description, diagrams, and model to site information
3. add more description about No Vacancy project
4. create a precedent page for AudioCinema
5. add description to current precedent pages.
I understand your intentions a lot better now. However, this thing about time, is not a fuel for furthering design, it needs a stronger vehicle. What about time? “time” happens, mathematically its a ray, or continuous linear line with a direction, with infinite amount of measurements. what do you want people to know about the direction of time, the measurement of time, frame of time? Time is an ambiguous concept with individual interpretation, and Architecture is a way of communicating, what do you want to communicate about time.
It sounds to me that you want to do a pioneer square “Portland’s living room”, but you can’t because it already exist and it’s not a node of transit or a intersection of activity yet. So it has to have an attraction type quality, a lure to draw people in. It’s the counterpoint to the living room, I don’t know, “the garage” the “attic studio”, where things happen but its not refined, its loud, its experimental.
In addition to the outdoor theater, its important to think about the spectacle and spectator. In my opinion, that site has the opportunity to have this crazy experience next to the freeway, like its a public NASCAR event, the smells the noise. a freeway is this thing that nobody wants to have by there house or office, but a cafe/ bar? like maybe the booths are shells of old cars, or its a “drive-in” movie and the sound come from the car so you don’t have huge speakers blaring all the time, or this spot to get a city view and suck face with your lover overlooking the calmness of the river and drowned out by the roar of the cars.
Anyways, good luck, also, what was there before could be interesting? but probably not and probably toxic or else they wouldn’t have wiped it off the face of the earth, so I would avoid doing some archeological history thing.
Looks good so far! When you include your precedent descriptions, I think it’s important to include what about them inspires you and informs your project.
I know this is not what you want to hear right now, but keep these thoughts in mind over winter break and into next term. I think Kent is right, you should look into the idea of “time” a bit more. As time goes on, things come, grow, leave, deteriorate, etc. An art gallery is typically a place for “showcasing work” (as you said), which only a single stage in the creation of a work of art– kind of how “finishing” a building is only a single stage in the building’s life.
How does your project pay homage to– or facilitate?– the creative process resulting in the finished piece? How does it celebrate art that has already come and gone?
Given that, I love the idea of theater and other intermittent or inherently time-based art. The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art has an annual time-based art festival– http://www.pica.org/tba/
Additionally, several years ago the HOPES conference had as its topic “Permanence/Impermanence.” You can check out the program online; the panels and workshop descriptions may be of inspiration to you in your program as well as building type and materials– http://pages.uoregon.edu/hopes/oldhopes/conf06/program.html