UWM Architecture
Title: Community Pavilion
Size: 25.4cm x 25.4cm x 27.94cm Medium: Cardboard, Cardstock, and Printer Paper Completion: April 2024 Exhibition TextFor this architecture project we partnered with the UWM architecture department, and I was prompted to pick a subcategory of my overall IB theme of relationships. I tested out building architecture models to different words, my final word being community. I picked the word community because in communities there are relationships. The goal of my Community Pavilion, to bring people in the same community of downtown Milwaukee together in a pavilion that would be placed in Cathedral Square Park.
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Inspiration
One of my artists of inspiration was Frank Gehry, he is a Canadian American Architect whose sculpture-like buildings have gave him his popularity. He was known for undermining the viewers expectations of the traditional materials and forms that are used for architecture. His style of work has had people question what architecture movement he is part of, deconstructionism movement or postmodernism. As his career started to take off his trademark style to become more of a sculpture form of architecture, this is what gained him commission for projects. The building I most like from all of his work is thee Walt Disney Concert Hall that was built in 2003. What makes this building so unique and interesting to me is that I don't see many buildings constructed in this free shape and form style. When I look at this building of his it makes me think that it is a 3D version of an abstract painting. It's abstractness, use of shape, and form is what really grabbed my attention. As I personally am not a huge fan of normal architecture, I like seeing unique style like Frank Gehry's work.
Additionally, my other point of inspiration wasn't an artist but a type of structure. I was also inspired by the structure of pavilions. Pavilions are structures that are open for people to come inside of. Pavilions have many different uses they can be permanent or removable, used for seating, meetings, playing etc. I feel like the overall idea of pavilions and what they are used for fit is perfect for my IB theme of relationships, as pavilions are open for people to come together to use. Relationships are between people are things, that is how I made the connection.
Additionally, my other point of inspiration wasn't an artist but a type of structure. I was also inspired by the structure of pavilions. Pavilions are structures that are open for people to come inside of. Pavilions have many different uses they can be permanent or removable, used for seating, meetings, playing etc. I feel like the overall idea of pavilions and what they are used for fit is perfect for my IB theme of relationships, as pavilions are open for people to come together to use. Relationships are between people are things, that is how I made the connection.
Planning
My initial steps of planning came from picking three words that were a subcategory or had an association with my overall IB theme of relationships. The three words I picked to start off with were opposite, love, and stability.
The first word I picked was opposite, I picked this word because I have always heard the sayings of opposites attract, and that is what makes certain relationships interesting and have a lasting sense of interaction. When I thought of opposites in architecture I thought of geometric versus organic shapes, because those are opposite categories of shapes.
First I knew I wanted this to be open, so I built a base cuboid base out of paper with a stair leading up top. Then I started constructing random shapes out of paper and taped them to the base. I didn't have a plan of what type of shapes I wanted to create, my method was to switch off making one geometric shape, then one organic shape. I placed the shapes on the base sort of at random, I was more interested to imagine how a person would go about walking around this structure, and interacting with the structure. |
The second word I picked was love, I picked this word because when I was thinking of other words associated with relationships. I thought of romantic and familiar relationships, how often in those types of relationships love is a strong emotion felt. For this model I wanted to test out more of a pavilion look, mostly, because I wanted to experiment with adding a roof. Next I wanted this to fit two people, in a more intimate way. So using cardboard I had two seats connected to the floor. Then from the front and back view of the building I created a geometric looking heart shape when looking at it straight on. I decided to design the heart shape, because the heart is a symbol of love. And I thought it was a good symbolism for shipping a heart around two chairs covered in this pavilion.
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The last word I picked to experiment with was stability, I picked stability because for relationships to last and be healthy there needs to be a sense of stability to keep things balanced. When I thought of the word stability I thought of a structure that if placed the wrong way the stability would fail, but when placed right the stability would be strong and uphold the structure. This structure has two parts in the part with two seats, and the second part is a rectangle frame that when placed at the right angle will stand with one seat in the air.
After building a structure based on the previous three words, I branched off the word opposite and came up with an interactive. I thought of this word because when I was creating shapes in my opposite structure I was constantly considering how the viewer would interact with the structure, whether that be to physically touch or to observe. So I wanted to build something with many seats so multiple people could come and sit, to talk with each other or to observe the structure. The top inside of the structure is built of different shapes to give the viewer something to observe, even when sitting down they can look up at these interesting shapes.
After constructing this model, I ultimately decided I didn't like how the big shapes looked with the rest of the pavilion. I felt it was to busy, and the spacing wasn't as accurate as I wanted it to be. After decided what I wanted to get rid of I was left with the overall pavilion and the seating in the middle. Since this piece was based on interactive, I thought about how people interact. This led me to the word community. I decided to pick community for my final word, as in communities there are many relationships whether people know them or not. I also was thinking about different locations I would want to place this structure, this led me to pick Cathedral Square Park for my Architecture location as it is downtown, so people in the downtown community can come together and interact with each other. |
Process
The first step to construct this architecture model was building the base. After building my planning models I realized making my model entirely out of card stock and paper would be very unstable, and easier to mess up. So i decided to construct a base for the model out of cardboard, but cover it in white card stock and paper to give it a clean look.
I build the bottom base of the model in a cuboid shape, the size being 10in W x 10in L x 1in H (Figure 1). Then using hot glue, I glued all the sides together to form the cuboid (Figure 1.1). Next I worked on making the pillars. In Figure 1.2 I cut four 3in W x 10in H strips (Figure 1.2) and four 1.5in W x 10in H strips (Figure 1.3) of thing cardboard to form into the pillars, I did this by scoring three center of the bigger strips, folding them at 90 degrees, and hot gluing the other strips to the open end to form the pillars (Figure 1.4). Lastly for the base I cut cardboard into a 10in W x 10in L square for the roof (Figure 1.5). |
After constructing the main bases to my model I needed to cover them in paper to make them look more visually appealing. First I laid down four pieces of card stock in a rectangle of 2x2 (Figure 2). I then carefully used clear tape to adhere the papers together, to form one bigger sheet. When I finished I measured out a 10inch square centered in the middle of the sheet. Then I cut off the extra paper that wasn't needed for covering the cardboard (Figure 2.1). Next I placed double sided tape on the paper flaps and folded it over onto the cardboard and placed a normal tap on top to secure it in place, I repeated these steps for all sides (Figure 2.2). I repeated these steps for the roof as well. For the pillars I cut four strips of paper and wrapped each pillar in paper (Figure 2.3) |
Next I built the seating for the center of the pavilion. I knew this was going to be tricky because of its curved organic shape. First I cut a sheet of card stock 9in L x 6in W, then I marked 5inches on the other side of the paper and cut diagonally from the top of the 6 inches down to the 5 inches for a slanted look (Figure 3). Next I measured strips of paper to create the seating that would be hanging from that piece of paper(Figure 3.1), then I folded the button at 90 degree angle to create the seat and curved the top for a stylistic choice. To adhere the seats to the card stock I used double sided tape (Figure 3.2). Next I needed to make the seating stand up in a curved shape, to do this I cut a 1inch W x 9inch L strip of cardboard. Then I cut slits against the corrugation of the cardboard, doing this gives me the ability to bend and shape it in a curved way. After I made all the slits I hot glued the cardboard to a piece of card stock(Figure 3.3). Then I hot glued the seating and paper to the cardboard (Figure 3.4). Lastly to finish the look, I cut another strip of paper to cover the showing cardboard inside the seating arrangement.
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The last steps involved attaching all the pieces of the structure together to form the final model. In figure 4 I used hot glue to adhere the pillars to all four corners of the base, and hot glued the seating arrangement to the center of the pavilion. Then I carefully hot glued the roof to the pillars one by one (Figure 4.1). When I finished hot gluing I wanted to cover up some of the visible hot glue, to do that I cut four strips of 3.5inch W x 11inch H paper to cover up the rough edges of the pillars connecting to the roof. Finally hot glued steps made of folded card stock to all four sides of the pavilion. The final model in figure 4.3.
Experimentation
My biggest point of experimentation for building this model, was constructing a sturdy, yet also a visually clean looking curved seating arrangement. In my planning phase, when I built a similar model to my final model I had the same seating arrangement. Except I didn't care about the clean look of how it was attached to the base. Because this was my final model I did care, I knew it wouldn't look like it had good craftsman ship if I left visible tape showing attempting to connect the curved seating arrangement to the base, it would disrupt the unity of the whole model.
dcBecause I wanted to make sure this model would be stable and sturdy, I thought making the seating arrangement, the wall holding the seating should be made out of cardboard. So I measured out a 9inch x 6inch piece of cardboard (Figure 5), then I cut slits in the corrugation of the cardboard so I could bend the cardboard into a curved shape (Figure 5.1). When I finished making the slits I tested out the curving ability of the cardboard, and I was satisfied with it. However I needed to cover up the cardboard look. So to do this, I again covered it in sheets of paper, at first I thought there wouldn't be a problem because instead of using card stock I used printer paper which is more bendable (Figure 5.2). However, after covering it with the paper, I tried shaping it into the curved shape I had planned, but it was not flexible enough to curve. The paper made it too stiff, and when I tried to curve it the paper would bend, lift, and fold in certain areas, so it disrupted the desired rhythm of the shape of the seating arrangement. (Figures 5.3, and Figure 5.4).
When my first idea didn't work, I knew I couldn't go back to how I constructed the seating arrangement in my planning idea because it had poor craftsmanship, and I knew I still needed cardboard to make the seating arrangement stable. So I decided to cut a 1inch x 9nch strip of cardboard, and again slit the corrugation to be able to bend it (Figure 6). then I shaped it into the curved shape I wanted and on a piece of paper lightly outline the shape. Then I used hot glue to attach the cardboard strip to the paper (Figure 6.1). When it was fully attached I then but my 9inch x 6inch piece of paper with a slant going from the 6inch mark down to 5inch mark on the other side. Then using hot glue again I carefully attached the paper to the cardboard until the outside of the shape was covered in the paper (figure 6.2, and Figure 6.3). Then I cut a 1inch x 9inch strip of paper to cover the piece on cardboard visible on the inside of the seating arrangement. I found this method to be while tedious to do, it had a much better look of craftsmanship then my previous ideas.
Critique
Similarities:
Comparing my architecture model Community Pavilion to Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, a similarity is the abstract shape used to form the physical barrier of the model. As Frank Gehry uses the shapes to form abstract walls to separate the inside and outside, for stylistic choices, I applied the same method of thinking using more of an sculpture approach to creating the design of the seating arrangement. I chose a curved shape similar to the curved shapes used in the Walt Disney concert hall. Additionally a similarity between my Community pavilion and the pavilion Examples is the overall use and look. Both pavilions have an open floor plan, with a roof and pillars to hold up the roof.
Differences:
One main difference between my Community Pavilion and the Walt Disney Concert Hall is the purse use of it, the concert hall while it is meant to bring people together, it is meant to enclose them. Conversely my community pavilion is meant to be open and welcoming to everyone in the community and not to enclose and separate anyone. Additionally the color difference adds to the overall aesthetic and of it, Walt Disney Concert Hall is grey, giving it a more sophisticated look for it's abstract approach. While mine is pure white for keeping the simplicity and innocence and peace of the model. Lastly another difference between my pavilion and the example pavilions is the style of roof, the examples have more gable roofs while my community pavilion has a flat roof, also with a build in floor, while the example pavilions do not have floors.
Comparing my architecture model Community Pavilion to Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, a similarity is the abstract shape used to form the physical barrier of the model. As Frank Gehry uses the shapes to form abstract walls to separate the inside and outside, for stylistic choices, I applied the same method of thinking using more of an sculpture approach to creating the design of the seating arrangement. I chose a curved shape similar to the curved shapes used in the Walt Disney concert hall. Additionally a similarity between my Community pavilion and the pavilion Examples is the overall use and look. Both pavilions have an open floor plan, with a roof and pillars to hold up the roof.
Differences:
One main difference between my Community Pavilion and the Walt Disney Concert Hall is the purse use of it, the concert hall while it is meant to bring people together, it is meant to enclose them. Conversely my community pavilion is meant to be open and welcoming to everyone in the community and not to enclose and separate anyone. Additionally the color difference adds to the overall aesthetic and of it, Walt Disney Concert Hall is grey, giving it a more sophisticated look for it's abstract approach. While mine is pure white for keeping the simplicity and innocence and peace of the model. Lastly another difference between my pavilion and the example pavilions is the style of roof, the examples have more gable roofs while my community pavilion has a flat roof, also with a build in floor, while the example pavilions do not have floors.
Reflection
If I have acquired one skill throughout this project, it would be the skill of understanding the meaning behind the purpose and function for certain architectural structures and buildings. Prior to this project I never really gave buildings are architecture in general much thought to the process, but after doing this project I realized like all art a lot of thought and meaning is put into architecture projects. Aside from my acquired skill, my inspiration in some way does connect to my project, my goal for this project was not to have a bit of abstraction or sculptural elements to the project. However I am not sure on what level my inspiration Frank Gehry connects to my project meant for community.
My biggest challenge from this project was just getting started, as I mentioned before I never really gave architecture much thought. Because of my lack of thought to architecture prior I found getting started and coming up with ideas I thought were good enough was very difficult. My favorite part of this project was the final model, because in the beginning when I was looking at my planning models I wasn't satisfied with most of them for different reasons. But when I narrowed my thoughts down in my final model I was satisfied with what I have came up with. Now my least favorite part was constructing certain parts of the model. The certain part being the structure for have a stable seating arrangement, I found that very difficult while still keeping it looking good.
Ultimately I hope others view my work as an open place where anyone would be welcome, and be open to building relationships just by sitting down on it if it were to be in a park.
My biggest challenge from this project was just getting started, as I mentioned before I never really gave architecture much thought. Because of my lack of thought to architecture prior I found getting started and coming up with ideas I thought were good enough was very difficult. My favorite part of this project was the final model, because in the beginning when I was looking at my planning models I wasn't satisfied with most of them for different reasons. But when I narrowed my thoughts down in my final model I was satisfied with what I have came up with. Now my least favorite part was constructing certain parts of the model. The certain part being the structure for have a stable seating arrangement, I found that very difficult while still keeping it looking good.
Ultimately I hope others view my work as an open place where anyone would be welcome, and be open to building relationships just by sitting down on it if it were to be in a park.
ACT
- Frank Gehry's architecture work had a very sculpture look to them, and pavilions are often open for people to come and use, both fit perfectly with my idea of wanting to add abstract features and a sense of community to my model
- My overall approach to my topic was community, and how community is made, where it is, and what makes community interesting.
- I concluded that people are often drawn to abstract and unique twist to typical styles of architecture
- The central idea around my research was community, and shapes
- I inferred that architecture is not always just plain buildings, but also abstract
Bibliography
“Gazebo vs Pavilion vs Pergola: Which One to Choose?” Hansø, hansohome.com/blogs/all-about-pergolas/gazebo-vs-pavilion-vs-pergola. Accessed 6 May 2024.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Frank Gehry | Biography & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Gehry.
“What Is a Pavilion?” Build Your Own Pavilion, buildyourownpavilion.serpentinegalleries.org/what-is-a-pavilion/.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Frank Gehry | Biography & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Gehry.
“What Is a Pavilion?” Build Your Own Pavilion, buildyourownpavilion.serpentinegalleries.org/what-is-a-pavilion/.