Cultures and Contrasts Project - Research and Idea Development

Brief:

For our last project before assessments, and the beginning of our Final Major Project of our own choosing on which our grades depend, we were given more freedom to choose themes and more time than usual - three weeks - to complete our work. This was to help prepare us for our final project by showing us how to work in a longer time frame and maximise and focus our work when left to our own devices.



Our starting point was that we had to pick two contrasting ideas, and begin by looking at other countries or cultures for inspiration. I started looking at Venice, which has always interested me. As a floating city with canals for streets, comprised of a total of 118 linked islands, its beauty is famous. However, when looking at Venice I didn't want to do an obvious translation of its ideas by looking at its culture, venetian masks etc. I decided to work more conceptually and started looking at the idea that, despite being founded over a century and a half ago (officially at noon on the 25th March 421 to be exact) reports say that Venice is sinking. Therefore the theme I took from this is the idea of architectural impermanence. This gave me the idea of a contrasting theme, human immortality.

 There is actually no biblical support for the idea of 'soul immortality'- rather all references are to the idea of resurrection of the body.

'and many of those who slept in the dust shall awake, some to everlasting life' - Daniel 12:1-4.

Christianity teaches that belief in Jesus Christ will bring 'special salvation' in their mortal bodies.

'The dead shall be raised incorruptible...and this mortal must put on immortality' - 1 Corinthians 15:51-58.

While contrasting these ideas with architectural impermanence I researched the relationship between the human form and architecture. Looking at Leonardo Da Vinci's ideas of the' Proportions of Man' who along with other classicists believed that the human figure is the principal source of proportion behind order in architecture. The figure follows clear lines and rules, like buildings, and so when looking at form and line these two are closely connected.

Also, while doing further research in the library I came across and architect called Bruno Taut. Working in the Weimar period in Germany, Taut believed in the creation of utopian cities. Mountain top towns with crystal cathedrals and glass palaces he believed would channel human energies, and we would be freed from external realities and limitations, achieving a kind of spiritual immortality. This theory that the interaction between architecture and people can create immortality I found very intriguing, if slightly absurd and found it relevant to the ideas I was researching for my cultures and contrasts project.

With the themes I had developed so far I began experimental work in my sketchbook, looking and the mortal human form, shapes and anatomy and how it follows and can incorporate architectural lines: 

I also did some studies of the human body, taking photographs and doing life drawings with added anatomical detail to gather a deeper understanding of the shapes and the reality of the impermanence of the human body and how this could be related to architectural designs:

                                                                              

I then starting thinking about combining anatomical and architectural shapes to create a contrast. This line of design work is also something I am thinking about for my final outcome. To start the design process I drew and printed out architectural details from images of Venice and started cutting them out into rough anatomical lines to see how they would work on the body and on the stand:

Although working with paper made it difficult, this exercise was useful in determining shapes and design references for the next stage of development. So far I am really enjoying this project; I like the freedom of picking our own themes and how it lends itself to more in-depth research and experimental work. Also the additional time to complete my work enables me to explore the ideas fully. So far my primary and secondary research has been kept relevant and focused and I am looking forward to how it will translate into a finished product as I do more experimentation and start the design work. 

Anatomy and architecture, experimental work in sketchbook