July 02, 2006
bird's eye view
at the last jury they said this shot was crap. i have redone it. i think it is a teeny bit better now.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:18 PM
bit more detail
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:08 AM | TrackBack (0)
July 01, 2006
external view 3
looking back up the steps from the mall
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:20 PM
external view 2
looking toward the park from top of steps
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:19 PM
external view 1
from top of steps looking north
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:17 PM
it's behind the parapet!
a first photomontage
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:55 AM
June 23, 2006
walkway
not cracked this montage thing yet. who's that photographer? ... beni!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:11 PM
holey moley
i thought the walkway part of the gallery should be open to the outside world.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 04:10 PM
June 22, 2006
250
to celebrate here is a big one. over a metre long. kanto look out!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:28 PM
and again
new and improved
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:25 PM
June 20, 2006
section w cones
the old section now with cone detail
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:47 PM
June 19, 2006
images
last in series. tried to make these different (but same people and same views). perhaps another round of edits.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:33 PM
vid
Posted by Martin Jameson at 02:28 PM | Comments (1)
spatial quality
hexagonal arrangement of cones creates interesting array of lines and shadows.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:09 PM
installations and things
... i actually produced a page!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:46 AM
June 16, 2006
TS page layout
latest version of B5 page that mike weinstock asked me to prepare. i hope it's up to standard.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:23 AM
June 15, 2006
full set of cnc cones
three rows are with jon in the workshop ... but will they be cut in time.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:39 PM | Comments (1)
June 12, 2006
cone application
shows required lighting by type of space and the cone set up.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:33 PM
cone views
these are the three cone types
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:55 PM
more pools
here is the full set. in some gallery spaces one point can be lit by over 100 separate cones. it varies by the spread of light the cone type produces.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 04:10 PM
cone types
redid and finish this part of the analysis. the three cone types. lenght, angle, aperture, and orientation. shows amount of light coming through and dispersion.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:57 PM
pools of light
the cone walls create multiple pools of overlapping light. calculating the lux at a point in the room requires an analysis of the extent of overlapping. this is what this is about.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:21 AM
June 11, 2006
object space cone dimensions
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:57 PM
what are you up to?
am working on a series of pages and analysis. have set lux levels for each space. have set up a method for converting my cone light spread analysis to lux spread. have used this to determine cone size and angles. am now doing scale drawings of the main sections. drawings taking time. will finish a quick physical model analysis thing tomorrow that will substantiate some of this on a very basic level. am finding this rather difficult and complicated. no, nothing is finished. and yes this is not much fun.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:54 PM
June 09, 2006
one to one
the second blob
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:19 AM
rolling prototype
did this and haven't used it...
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:15 AM
June 07, 2006
the light prototype
... thought i had better document this.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:28 PM
scale and context
clubland and st james are rather boring parts of london. and the duke of york steps are under utlised. the gallery should help spice up this area.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:40 AM
section research
taking an unformed section from the mall side of the gallery, this research considers different cone configurations. difficult to manipulate as there are over 6,000 cones in this piece alone.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:58 AM
June 05, 2006
pigeon's-eye view
one small pigeon step forward.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:03 PM | Comments (1)
gallery spaces
basic room specs.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:34 AM
June 04, 2006
programme
programme concept gone a bit truss-like.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:44 PM
plan detail
still hard to read i'm afraid.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:29 AM
man with plan
first attempt at this. and probably not the last.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:10 AM
June 03, 2006
axonometric
an axo view of the sectional framework showing full gallery.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:15 PM
June 01, 2006
cnc full house
finally finished the cnc set up. these 200 cones took all day: offset, aligned, lofted etc. i fear sticking them together may be even harder.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:01 AM | Comments (1)
deconstruction
PATrick helped me with the deconstruction yesterday. We stripped it down to seven sections which have been stashed in Studio West. We used a sophisticated colour coding system to help with the rebuild... but the colour dots have got mixed up. This is a huge stitched photo, one of about 50 we took in prep for the TS accreditation book.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:46 AM
blue meanie
another way of looking at it.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:45 AM
May 30, 2006
cone version
now showing cones.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:47 AM
sections
these are the sections along the mall side.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:33 AM
May 29, 2006
on roof
now need to bring back the cups and take the gallery right around the building. And then: rework this form until it looks right.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:13 PM
spaces
am working on representing the spaces.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:51 PM
in context
here the formwork in context. the image is massive - would make a good a1.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:18 AM
May 28, 2006
ribs
have spent the weekend working on the form of the gallery on the main mall facade. here are a couple of snapshots. the ribs describe the form best - and could potentially be used as formwork for the cones. the surface wraps around to enclose a series of spaces.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:22 PM | TrackBack (0)
May 25, 2006
short section
needs work but just had to push this one out. shows curly form and integration of old with new. nash would be happy.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:09 PM
break
couple consider architectural possibilities of strange tube. makes for nice ten minute break from section drawing duties.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 02:48 PM
May 24, 2006
wormhole
noodling around with wormhole / elephant foot concept. how do you get up it?
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:58 PM
section detail
detail of image below.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:50 PM
mall section
a long section showing new idea of multiple skylight entry points.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:46 PM
May 22, 2006
cnc row one
have cut row one. kanto suggested a good way to make the cones hollow. will use that approach for the full set of 200.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:28 PM | Comments (1)
rigidity
three ways to make the structure more rigid
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:52 PM | TrackBack (0)
bob the builder
fea analysis by illustrator.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:16 AM
May 21, 2006
why things fall down
this page sets up the structural solutions in my gallery.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:48 PM
May 20, 2006
concrete formwork etc
if frustums made from concrete then could be made using this kind of formwork and reinforcement.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:57 PM | Comments (1)
material
potential of making cones from glass reinforced polyester. problem is the laying up. a two skin version could be made from three modules each of which would have an inner and outer skin. inner skin could be polished white; outer skin in black.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:23 PM | TrackBack (0)
May 19, 2006
light on cone reveals
this analysis shows how cones with the open end pointed inward have more light falling on the cone reveals. this disperses light within the space
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:39 AM
light quality
have redone some computer based light simulations. still have yet to capture the 'reveal' effect.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:02 AM
May 18, 2006
joint scale
this analysis scales the joint with reference to required curvature.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:38 PM
joint design
a bit more detail on the cone joint.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:32 PM
200 posts!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 03:51 PM | TrackBack (0)
May 17, 2006
dextro.org
last night patrick and I went to a fascinating lecture — arranged by the new media cluster — given by a chap called dextro. In fact, it was an auto-progression media presentation with a voice-over. Sounds a bit cheesy but it was beautifully done. dextro makes patterns using director (lingo) and very simple scripts (20 lines or so). The patterns are normally generated using pixels that move around and either attract or repel. the resulting patterns are infinite in their variety and often look like features from nature. dextro argued that anyone with curiosity and a willingness to experiment can make these patterns. the web-site is worth checking out — but unlike the clear presentation, it is a bit fiddly and confusing to use.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:28 AM | TrackBack (0)
May 16, 2006
first part of latest model
this would be the entrance from waterloo place. you can climb onto roof or enter. model has got far too heavy, so am going to start something new from the other side. but this week is ts week.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:05 PM | TrackBack (0)
duke of york steps section
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:04 PM
duke of york steps section contd
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:03 PM
May 13, 2006
slip of hand
didn't intend this, but looks funny!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:07 PM
conjunctivitis
in the tradition of pAtrick's classic 'bad back' post, allow me to update you on my aches and pains. hayfever blended into a fierce cold which has now kicked off a bout of conjunctivitis. Doctor Cash has advised six weeks in bed. that's that then.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:09 PM | TrackBack (0)
croc
completely reworked the model on thursday and friday. here are three of the eleven sections ... goes from one space, to two, to three. now can control each room at a cup level, and each wall, floor, ceiling at a position level. Means there are several thousand cups and about thirty lattices. Monia says it is crazy to try to model the whole thing, so will try to some bits well. this will involve having bits break out and into the ica. i hope this might make the thing look less reptilian.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:04 PM | TrackBack (0)
swallowed by the croc
some first shots of inside. this is where i need to do the work!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:03 PM
May 11, 2006
one tube of kitchen roll
reduced one kitchen roll of tissues to a soggy pile yesterday. spent the day modelling but not very successful. gave up on standard deformers (flairs and sines etc) and went back to tried and trusted lattices. But the manipulation of the lattices is very complicated and time consuming. A day lost is not good for the confidence. But I still see potential as the internal space effects look interesting. My next plan is to think less about butting up and much more about flaps and overlaps. I am also having to break it into multiple files as everything is far too heavy.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:23 AM
May 10, 2006
twoBecomeOne
when two become one you get what monia calls the oh sh1t moment. rough alignment is easy with nonlinear deformers but the join ... Suggestions please.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:13 AM
scale
the section blocks on site showing scale. don't take too literally! should look a bit more like the proposal by end of day.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:30 AM
May 09, 2006
eleven section
have got the eleven sections in. now to distort, join, add, take away.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:49 PM
sore throat
it's official ... i have sarah's flu thing ... throat killing me! think i will have to miss tomorrow.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:53 AM
sections
Doing the gallery as a series of sections ... there are about eleven in total and it is taking time. sticking them together will be fun.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:32 AM
May 08, 2006
wild one
this render went wrong but was certainly a bit different. am in the process of setting up the gallery on site but have a bad sore throat.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:13 PM | Comments (1)
May 06, 2006
Continuous
had a tutorial with pAtrick today. Was working on the wrap around section. And using non-linear deformers in maya.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:34 AM
May 03, 2006
ten lights
ten lights makes aaschool front page
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:09 AM
May 02, 2006
short-term workplan
1. cnc: complete simplified 'hex' model - 180 cones, max 10cm, no overhang
2. ts:
- document cone light analysis;
- complete cone darkroom testing;
- make 1:2 scale cone model
- make 1:20 model?
3. project:
- document ICA exhibition (transfer to gallery);
- do 'one room' study (show light, art, people);
- mock-up on-site installation;
Posted by Martin Jameson at 02:06 PM | TrackBack (0)
April 29, 2006
coneWall
thanks to selina, patrick, aseel, francesca and kanto for helping make the coneWall!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:08 PM
April 24, 2006
plan view
here is an attempt to represent the folding surface in plan
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:34 PM
April 23, 2006
a2 page
see below
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:58 PM
combining spaces
manipulating a vector render using a warp envelope distort thingy ... thanks to pAt for telling me about this trick
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:52 PM
April 22, 2006
cuts etc
another view
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:19 PM
cut, extend, stitch
continuous surface cut in two places and peeled back. looks a bit strange
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:56 PM
April 21, 2006
light theory
to develop an excel model on the behaviour of cone-light i worked with a specialist in optics with a doctorate from Imperial College.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:11 PM | TrackBack (0)
new layout
tried to do some new layouts over the break. lots of paper and ink lost trying to get indesign borderless printing working etc ... but it seems ok now.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:12 PM | TrackBack (0)
indesign portfolio pages 1
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:11 PM | TrackBack (0)
indesign portfolio pages 2
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:10 PM
April 10, 2006
inside view
thinking about inside environment. long way to go here.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:10 PM
linked spaces
met with monia today to discuss model. she thought version with different sized cones was more interesting. have redeveloped this with hexagon based cones that can be joined with pins after cnc-ing. now working on form. will make this less animal like. intend to twist round ends of some cones to act as light directing devices.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:25 PM | TrackBack (0)
April 09, 2006
echidna2
version with cone nose on outside.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 07:05 PM | TrackBack (0)
echidna variation
an experiment with a simpler cone type and a lattice. gives different cone sizes. looks weird.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
April 07, 2006
curly
i was talking to monia about doing a cnc thing that is more than just a bit of wall. it's just that as it gets big enough to enclose spaces you start needing many hundreds of cones.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:01 PM
April 06, 2006
punctuation
after several hours of frustration gave up on all this stuff. then had nice dinner with bottle of obscure portugese wine. came back to it and using sophisticated press-all-the-buttons approach have solved it. punctuation now in and job almost done. need to give spacing and kerning a bit of a tweak. but hinting will have to wait for another life.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:21 PM
pineapple
some old pineapple stuff that got me thinking about hexagonal cone forms (with apologies to mAciej) ... as the cones got bigger and overlapped eachother they looked like hexagons.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:16 PM
analytic sequence
this old drawing is supposed to show how you go from room selection to final form.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:13 PM
sections
i spent ages doing loads of these sections in the last weeks of the term.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:09 PM
exhaust system
this is the gallery exterior that i did for the jury. looks like an exhaust. on the one hand i don't want it to be too curvy, on the other hand it is supposed to be derived from the kind of shape the cones make.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:03 PM
adjuster
bigger pic of the adjuster thing.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 06:01 PM
adjuster
this was a between-the-cone device that i was working on the weekend before the jury. wolfgang had suggested i do something like this. It has a fixed size but slides up and down in between the cones: it acts to change the curvature and to lock the cones.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:57 PM
last on font
Posted by Martin Jameson at 02:06 PM
April 05, 2006
hexaCone is born
Cool beans! Got fontLAB cranked up and running ... and the hexaCone family of fonts is born. Copyright 04-05-06. Installed. Well, four letters are installed, but one now has the knack. Fame and riches beckon.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:33 PM
Yay! .... Boo!
Yay! after two trips to the apple shop i have finally got the laptop back. same old data and guts but a new body and a new screen! Should be able to do the font stuff and book etc now that i have the software.
Boo! cannot seem to get a lux meter that does not cost a fortune.
Below, the render of the slug-armadillo thing with the better light set-up. Have tried to put a lattice on this but am not getting it to do what I want. Have also thought that if I build up the cones from a revolve then I can reduce the number of surfaces by 75% which is important when there are about 1,000 cones.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 04:53 PM
April 04, 2006
perforations
in this idea the grid is a series of perforations; the font fills the perforations; the perforations themselves reveal something beneath (in this case, more perforations).
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:53 PM
last of the patterns
enough already! highly addictive pattern generation to stop. what are you getting: control? uncertainty? or chaos?
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:41 PM
before tomorrow comes
exciting news. the laptop is fixed. in fact it was fixed so fast that it was fixed tomorrow (april 5) today (april 4). perhaps it will arrive yesterday. hoho!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:23 PM
phase pattern
another pattern. kind of islamic geometry plus moire. not sure what to do with it (reminds me perhaps of marbling inside a book cover). but fun to noodle with. who said sad?
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:18 PM
book pages
was working on grid-based pages for the book and discovered that one hexa-grid superimposed on another at 90 degrees makes a real neat pattern.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:44 PM
take your pick
the upright and the curly. which is better. but can not get fontLab nor indesign to install on my desktop so a bit stuck on this task for the next few days.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:01 PM
for mAciej
i too was thinking about this project. it's in the new book i have just bought. i liked the way that they have used the continuous surface to form volumes with linking holes ... just like My Project! why do they always copy?
forum for music, dance and visual culture, ghent, belgium
Posted by Martin Jameson at 04:29 PM
revised 'a'
this is a better 'a' i think. and i realised that i can control the size of the dots with the gradient function saving me hours.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 03:46 PM | Comments (2)
hexacone
... font in action. all looks good apart from the poor old 'a'. going to have to re-work that chap.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 03:34 PM | TrackBack (0)
HexaCone — curly version
this is the curly font .. the bulbous version of the one i made last week. i got the feeling that people thought that this one could be more interesting than the more upright one. will put it into fontLab now.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 03:21 PM
new ideas
have been looking at three books, each of which has given me ideas:
- lightbook: practice of lighting design: the set up of light experiments; the concept of reflectivity (different colours and materials have a reflectivity index) ... am intending to rotate some of the ends of the cones round to form a kind of cowl, cf., tower at ronchamp; these could face the sun
- inside the white cube: art vs context, context as place out of time, no windows etc — will seal off walls of rooms and open roofs
- archilab's urban experiments: bought this super book at the weekend — quite taken by the organic architecture of chaneac and pascal hausermann (and the uber cool drawings of eilfried huth and guenther domenig)
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:40 AM
blog schedule
front loaded as things always take longer than i plan
mon 3rd — cnc model
tues 4th — font and book
wed 5th — light test set-up and build
thurs 6th — light tests and document
fri 6th — folio pages 1 to 10
sat 7th — folio pages 11 to 20
sun 8th — cnc model
mon 9th — cnc model
tues 10th — gallery: new wormhole sequencing
weds 11th — gallery: overall form
thurs 12th — gallery: two a2s
fri 13th — hts write-up
sat 14th —
sun 15th —
mon 16th —
tues 17th —
weds 18th — aa
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:30 AM
double curvature
see below. this version: noses out. Have a better file set-up on my laptop with groovy lighting. Will post images when I get it back from the repair shop.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:51 AM
double curvature
For some reason my previous efforts at doing a simple cone surface with double curvature have been rather bad. The other day (flicking through an old TS hand out on tensile structures!) the right way to do it came to me. The good thing about this version is that it is instantly reconformable. The bad thing: all cones are the same.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:37 AM
from inside
view from inside; as above just half done. bit in the middle that i didn't do right with different size holes is the most interesting ... should try a bit of random!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:07 AM
cnc work in progress
(two week hiatus caused by end of term and jury etc) ...
got half way through making this wall (you can see the 'steps'.. should be smooth) for the cnc workshop. 320 cones, each different. Will be machined separately then joined (metal clip or pin). But yesterday heard from monia that hollowed out cones are not possible. This is a big disappointment! Trying to think if there is a way around this.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:05 AM
March 19, 2006
curvature
Have been looking at curvature as a limitation. However, unless the cones are very unconelike (ie., tubelike not funnel-like) they can cope with very tight curvature. Might need a bit more thinking time on this.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:44 PM
emergence .. engineering
Listened to three of the lectures from the Buero Happold-sponsored series on emergence and things EmTech. The Mannheim Grid (see picture) and the BM roof featured in most of the lectures. Interesting themes included: programming in c++ (worth learning since these languages stay around for decades); erecting things (start off with it flat on the ground, then jack it up); advances in compression/bending structures (less understood than tension structures); floppy surfaces that are then locked into place (like Mannheim). And all the lecturers talked about the importance of making physical models.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:15 PM
March 17, 2006
Starting a library
Have started to catalogue my cone types. Six down, 12 to go.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:51 PM
March 16, 2006
Cone locking system
Developed this hexagonal form with locking points in order to solve problems of tessellation and joints.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:26 PM
March 15, 2006
sketches of continuity
as requested. derivation of spatial configuration system. (and with some joined-cone capolavoro contributions from the professore d'arte now that I look)
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:07 PM
four flavours
cones can be long or short, nose up or nose down. this gives four configurations (and all the configurations in between) each generating a different light quality. This is the rationale for flipping and thickening the surface.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:09 PM | TrackBack (0)
joints
sections get complex where several spaces meet.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:59 PM
sections
spaces with different light qualities made from a single surface.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:55 PM
avant garde sequence
attempting to construct an avant garde, disorienting seqence of spaces. Here is a slice of my 16 sections.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:37 PM
focused or dispersed ...
Creating multiple spaces of two types from one surface requires a framework. The fish bone diagram shows how, as you move up and down the bones, you can add and subtract spaces.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:31 PM
continuous surface
Have begun the process of thinking about the gallery as a continuous surface. The nose of the cone makes for focus, the bum for dispersal. The kind of light you get, then, depends on which side you are on. The image shows enclosed rooms unpeeling (like my light).
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:26 PM
cnc modelling
Am taking the cnc class this term. Shame the machine has broken. Did this section of a video room. N didn't like it so it has been binned.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:14 PM
Roche and Roll! (I'm back and feeling chipper)
The lecture of the term! Francois Roche is a french story teller with a dry sense of humour. I was intrigued by the idea of a lecture that started with a bit of hypnotism even if (despite the fact I was dead tired) it didn't work for me. At least I was comfy. The squirty cement project was, as Shumon noted, rather matrixy but things slowly got better. The electricity-generating building in Thailand that couldn't be powered by an elephant, nor elephant pooh, but only a large ox that itself had to be led by a farmer was a noble failure. The house inside a tent (because while you can't get planning permission for a house, you can for a tent) was very funny. The sloping carpark designed to make cars slide off was very very funny. And the bridge that you either fell off or found yourself trapped in was very very very funny. [he was into 'control'! Perhaps there is life in my manif.] A total of six inter 3 students and tutors walked out of this one early: you lose dudesters!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:43 PM | TrackBack (0)
March 08, 2006
Legendre in his own lifetime
Quite unusual to hear an hour long architectural lecture about surfaces without a mention of spaces. The work seemed interesting (so much so that I could even conceive of taking the unit) and is undoubtedly rigorous, but it seems to me more engineering than arcitecture. It wasn't clear to me that people and their needs were at the centre of his work, rather mathematics and structure. Hence, for example, the lack of interest in rendering: if there is no 'mood' or atmosphere that is being generated, then why strive to represent it? My attention picked up when the practicalities of a real project were discussed — a pedestrian bridge in Singapore — and the design appeared restrained and elegant. But I have never been a fan of lectures that are read from a prepared paper.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:44 PM
March 03, 2006
revised section
.. more detailed section and now showing light penetration into building.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Site analysis
My site is the rooftop of the ICA on the The Mall. The ICA is in Carlton House Terrace. I managed to clamber up an old iron ladder to access the rooftop: it has a great view ... and is directly over the famous ICA bar. Perfect!
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:17 PM | TrackBack (0)
Site analysis
Here is a first-cut section of Carlton House Terrace and the placement of the gallery. The terrace is about 140 metres long and was designed by Nash in the 1830s. My gallery will be a significant improvement to this tired piece of regency excess.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 05:10 PM | TrackBack (0)
March 01, 2006
control ... grrrrr!
The machine that is controlled ... but that has a life of its own. There's nothing new in the world. Here is a student at MIT doing the idea proud, which is more than I have done (via the good agencies of boingboing).
http://web.media.mit.edu/~monster/blendie/
Posted by Martin Jameson at 08:05 PM
February 28, 2006
zaha hadid
To be honest, I almost dropped off in the middle of this, but I recovered my composure and stayed until the end. Which is more than can be said for many in Studio 2 (hang your head, KLC). It was not that the images were not engaging; just that there was a profound failure to edit (the blame for which, quite understandably, lay with others). And two hours is quite a long lecture, especially since the screen was so poor. As for style: well, I'm not one for the ZH joshing and brusque, dare I say, glib summaries. As for content: some of the recent wacky stuff was very interesting! Quite sci-fi — shards are out and organic is in. It would be amazing if the building with the carbon fibre roof was built. And poor old Cincinnatti: only one quick image — all those right angles ... who can we blame for that?
Posted by Martin Jameson at 11:56 PM | Comments (1)
gallery concept
this drawing shows my initial gallery concept. a rooftop space made from multiple lights. the concept is control.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:34 PM
gallery concept
the gallery would have a skin made of lights. manipulation of the lights would control the users.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:30 PM
February 24, 2006
moving postcard 4
a small one
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:10 PM | TrackBack (0)
control
I want to create a space that undermines your sense of control.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:52 PM | TrackBack (0)
control (out of and into)
Just why is our current interest in controllable, responsive archictures so wearisome? Could it be that no one really wants to completely control their environment. What could be worse than an ordered world responding to your every desire? Where did surprise, mystery, and the unexpected go? Where would one find poetry, anxiety and confusion? The world of the controlled environment is boring. Let us, instead, design spaces that are situated on the limits of order; spaces that stimulate strange emotions, spaces that you feel unnervingly powerless to control.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 12:32 PM
manifesto metamorphosis
The maestro from Kentucky is encouraging me to raise my game. I feel a metamorphosis coming on. I have been thinking about the meaning of control. What does out of control mean. I was thinking about powerlessness. I'm getting:
- Kafka, and the Trial (the choking bureacracy rooms)
- Dylan, and Ballad of a Thin Man (you know something is happening but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr Jones)
dreamlike worlds of anxiety. Surely more interesting territory. Am I treading on anyone's toes here?
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:02 AM
February 23, 2006
manifesto: one sentence
I believe it's time that buildings were allowed a bit more latitude, were allowed to grow up a bit, were allowed to take control of their lives.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:55 PM
manifesto: one word
control (out of)
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:54 PM
Postcard series: control
Images from my series of 'moving postcards' that dwells upon the idea of control. A wee bit small I'm afraid.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:47 PM
hoop and hook
Javier had suggested I focus my first thoughts on the part of my prototype model that was the most onerous. This was the drilling and linking of the cup modules. Here i moot a hoop and hook linkage that could either be built into a custom-made cup unit, or is an add-on form that slips over the cups.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 01:29 PM | Comments (2)
February 20, 2006
Alisa Andrasek
Kudos to inter 3 student, Kevin Lee Cash, for the most pertinent question of the evening: why was it that while the seminar readings (some of which were very interesting) detailed the usefulness and efficiency of so-called 'emergent' forms, Andrasek's projects appeared to be about aesthetics. Unusually for an AA lecture, there were other interesting questions: at what point does creativity enter into the (unfortunately named) bioThing work process; to what extent does optimisation play a role in Andrasek's design. The lecture itself, while quite long, generously illustrated and undoubtedly engaging, left one unsatisfied. Although her writing suggested otherwise, Andrasek is clearly no fool. Yet I was left with the feeling that the work was superficial. Many of the images were simply (at best) raw data; and several were literally rows and columns of numbers. The only 'materialised' (the new word for physical) work was a wall installation that didn't work and that became, as a result, a ceiling-mounted lamp-shade (looked rather nice). It was an interesting contrast to the work of Nishizawa which, when placed against the Andrasek portfolio, evinces a deep-rooted sincerity. I did, however, leave the hall with a heightened interest in Andrasek's area of research — must dust off that mel textbook.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 10:40 PM | TrackBack (0)
February 19, 2006
Taira Nishizawa: rising star wows AA
Sandra, Patrick and I had front row seats for Friday's excellent lecture by Taira Nishizawa. He started with the famous Tomochi Forestry Hall in Kumamoto; a project that has won a series of awards. Set in hilly countryside the exterior is a simple glass box. The interest is generated by a strange lattice-like internal frame made from local cedar. Nishizawa spent some time explaining how the frame incorporated a series of trusses of varying depths with the top part of each truss provided by the exterior skin. The system looked quite organic and is clearly innovative ... but we were left wondering what happens when (this is a hall for volleyball players) the ball gets stuck up in the rafters. The other projects included a house with the 'most dark brown room in the world' in which everything looked dark brown; and Chofu Housing A and B one of which included deep light wells linked to individual flats with glass reinforced polyester screens. I think he is one to watch.
Posted by Martin Jameson at 09:16 PM | TrackBack (0)