Map(in) UNAM: Site as Text ~ Assignment 3

First of all, we have to "draw" the maps base on the UNAM university and it can be any kinds of maps related to UNAM. Also, we can use any kinds of "drawing" methods to present the maps and they should be detachable, connectible, reversible and modifiable. Before drawing the maps, I had to pick at least two interesting places in UNAM according to the site or buildings' relationships or other reasons. In general, I decide to analyze the circulation path from one parking lot to an other and show how the buildings sat in angle (especially the center piece) had sharped the interesting walking path instead of being a linear straight through circulation. Then, the second one I want it to be more specific on the flow of circulation and see how the landscape was designed to filter the flow from one place that had many people and become less people.
In my final decision, I design to map the space transition through movement from the library to the terrace. Begin with the concept model and mapping the circulations.

The Final map have 2 versions of it, a paper mapping and axon mapping. Basically, it shows what is surrounding in that particular space and the feeling of that specific area when people walk through. Also, the movement behavior/pattern can be read/told from the circulation path that represented by the paper line or void space (in axon).

In addition, we had to create a third map that link back to the previous assignment 2 and think about the similar characters between my library and the campus site. Since my library is about the movement through the void spaces, there is one thing that I feel surprise about is how the plan of library similar to the section of site (the circulation through the void/open spaces). Therefore, I decide to map all the open spaces of the site in sections, then find the intersections (movement in the open spaces) they have and build the connection between the library and the site. I made it seems like they are reflecting each other, which makes the plans of the library is come out or created from the site. For example, the building section may become the form of the plan or a solid thing like a book shelf in section of the library. I think those interlocking spaces/forms may bring the library design to the next level in future.

Horror Vitreo ~ 9/16 Reading

It is talking about the UNAM university in Mexico city.

Map(in) UNAM: Boîte-en-Valise ~ Assignment 2

In this assignment, we are going to explore what is inside the box, and this box is refer to the UNAM library in Mexico. I start with two slims. The right one is according how many windows the original library had, and think back the architecture in 1950. So, I create 10 floors pancake building with the center core. And the one on the left is about the circulation sequences. Generally, the size and height in each level is different and the movement path create the plans. Later on, I combine those ideas into one and create the one at the bottom.Also, there are some plans study for the movement sequences.

For the final, I find that the opening void spaces didn't not necessary line up in the same way or same sharp and go continuously from the top to the end. The void spaces can be thought as an irregular object that have different forms and put inside the building at any places. The theme is the movement sequence, the feeling of space transitions by moving in void, also about the light.











To sum up, I feel that the final model not quite expressing what I want to shows successfully. It is not abstract/conceptual enough and it is too straight forward (about the plans/the building). It is plain and not fully developed since I should/may think more about the sections also. For now (since I begin to understand what/how we should do/express after the critique.), I wish I can rework it a little bit and make some changes in order to improve and show what I haven't got in this boring, stupid, hateful model which I had made...>.<

The Other Town ~ 9/9 Reading

"The Other Town" is one of the thirteen stories in the book called "Dangerous Laughter" by Steven Millhauser, it is a story about two towns which were separated by the woods. There was one town copy by other. The ordinary town devoted important resources to the construction and maintenance for a second town. I would describe that as a lost of regionalism.

There is civic employees work all day to ensure that each change in the first town is mirrored in the second. Curious townspeople like to relax by crossing through the woods and emerging in their mirror-world. The relationship of the two towns evokes our odd human habit of learning most about ourselves from our fictional creations.

As Millhauser stated, "It's almost as if we can't feel our town, cannot know about it, until we're there, in the other town, imagining our town on the other side of the woods. So perhaps it's true, after all, that when we visit the other town we aren't escaping from our town, as some say, but entering it at last. (164)"

The Limits of Books ~ Assignment 1

The first project we have to do is to make a book, and the book that I choose to do is
An Atlas Belonging to Orpheus
There is a description about this Atlas: "Bound in a battered and burnt, enameled-green tin cover, this atlas is full of maps of Hell. It was used when Orpheus journeyed into the Underworld to find Eurydice, and the maps, as a consequence, are scorched and charred by Hellfire and marked with the teeth bites of Cerberus. When the atlas is opened, the maps bubble with pitch. Avalanches of hot, loose gravel and molten sand fall out of the book to scorch the library floor."

Generally, it is a map of Hell that used when Orpheus journeyed in hell to find his lover Eurydice. In order to start, I first imagine how I feel about the Hell and what it should be look like. The Hell should be multi-leveled, and there is a hole in each floor suggests that people fall from this hopeless hole. (Actually, in the real world, a small town of Darvaz in Uzbekista got an enormous big hole there which is called "The Door to Hell.") Also,

the hole is getting bigger in each level; it is a metaphor of human's sin/crime when it goes bigger and more serious, and sinner fall deeper to the level of Hell. You won't necessary know how big/deep the hole is when you are falling (doing crime) until the day you were in Hell and looked back what you had done. There are overlapping holes going gradually small and there is only a Light of Hope on top. (For the material, I choose foam board since its thickness can create deeper depth for those hopeless holes.)

Basic on this concept, I use the famous Dante's Inferno as a reference for the map of hell and there is a very good web site with detail description about each circle of hell (for those who are not familiar with Dante's Inferno) http://www.wolfram.demon.co.uk/rp_dante_hell.html . Also, I decide to get different materials (colors and textures) according to the description of each circle. There are 10 circles in hell and the book would finally come up an unlucky number 13 pages in total including the rest like the cover.

Finally, the atlas that belonging to Orpheus is done.

It starts with its enameled-green tin cover. The horrible face creates a thrilling feeling that would reveal it is a book about devil or hell. (The green cover will glow in dark too.)

Also, there are some scratches marked by Cerberus at the back. (I would like to make it battered and burnt at the beginning, but seems like it is already looked good so far and I can't bear to ruin my baby.)

Then, inside the book, there would be some textures like sand paper, stone, or metals placed at the back of each pages; therefore, the readers can actually feel each circle of the hell when they flip through the pages. (Sometimes the loose stone or molten sand would fall out when the atlas was opened and it just liked what had described about the Atlas. Also, the maps might create some bubble sound since the whole book is made of foam texture.)

Last but not least, there is a significant design, and that is a mirror will be placed at the last page when Orpheus finally come to the last circus. Since I feel that those circles of hell are all about human's sins (ethic, negative emotions or acts and desire), my idea of this mirror is used to reflect one's behavior and helped people to look at themselves and ask a question that is "have you commit those crime/sin?" (If the answer is no, you may leave the hell; if yes, you must be careful then.) Also, in the fable aspect, the Satan used the mirror to reflect the sunlight and cheated Orpheus that made him believed he had returned to the ground and it led him to turn back and see Eurydice. However, according to the deal that Orpheus had made with the evil, he should never turn back his head and see Eurydice; otherwise, Eurydice will be gone and fall back to hell again. Depends on this logic, I put my surprise at the end of the page. When you close the book and turn it upside down, Eurydice will show up (and a little Light of Hope from the ground). So, unless you have finished the journey in hell, or else, you won't see Eurydice.

Overall, I feel glad that I can follow those great ideas I had though of and apply it on this atlas. Also, I feel happy about I can find a book shelf that is best fit for this evil book.

A Shape of the Book ~ 8/31 Reading

The author had a detail description about the history of book such as how it was created (by clay or paper) and how it affected others (like improvement on the lectern and the desk for readers to read comfortably) After reading, I appreciate the invention of paper. What a lovable lightweight convenient cheap material! We were no longer using scroll or a codex. I also appreciate the production of book, what it carried inside (the authors' messages, the knowledge and wisdom) is lot more than the actual pages it carried. The book really changes the world and we learn from it. But sometimes, since you can find different books with different subjects in everywhere now, I carry more about a books' cover and style than a book's context. Basically, I judge a book by its shape. Like the second reading "The Book of Sand," how incredible the book it is; the book is literally infinite and there is no first or last page. It will only keep the reader to read forever.