A brief cover: Architecture and Culture 302
Me and my classmates have been exposed to the study of history and culture for 4 years, from the beginning of Foundation, to the end of the course. After years of study from ancient to modern architecture and culture, the final semester deals with structuralism and deconstructivism through philosophies. This semester appears to be quite difficult for this module, as it is very hard for us to absorb and understand the philosophies related to the theory of structuralism and deconstructivism.
The lecturers already tried their best to explain in the simplest words for us, and to be honest, I only managed to understand the basic or general meanings of those philosophies, not even all. From Michel Foucault in Discipline and Punish, to Pierre Bordieu in habitus, and Beetles, Pipe and Mirror in sign and finally Derrida in deconstruction, all these lectures taught us to perceive things deeper and differently with severe thoughts and might differ based on own different background. We also learnt there is never just one meaning to a single expression. I find it is quite interesting of learning all this, and would help us to see the built environment in another perspective.
The assignment is broken into three parts. The first part is the workshop stages, further broken down into four; shadows of the past, surfaces of the present, interpretation and transformation. This is a group work of five students, which we need to analyse a site, which we selected Alcatraz from San Francisco. It is famous for its former prison, American Indian occupation and protest, and the isolation strength of the island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It is now turned into a National Park, which had been a popular label to the site. On first stage, we conducted research on history of Alcatraz before the prison is closed. On second stage, we conducted research on events happening on Alcatraz after prison is closed which is more than just a tourist attraction. On third stage, we further analysed and interpret the findings we have earlier in first two stages. And finally, in fourth stage, we proposed transformation to the site through suggestion and possibilities of architectural elements which does not involve design of our intervention for the next assignment yet. On tutorials for the workshop stages, our group even recorded our lecturer’s voice so that we remember every single feedbacks commented.
The second part of assignment is also a group work, where we need to have a design of our intervention to be placed on the site after research and analysis of the four stages. The design should be based on the stages and is about what the site is about, not on what the site needs. Our intervention is basically deconstructing the existing wall of the cellhouse in the middle of the island and align it back to the existing gridline of the city in the mainland as a representation of attaching the island back to the general society. The visual over the cellhouse is then altered from when the journey of the ferry ride to the island starts, going from open and see-through visual to more enclosed view that indicates that the island appears open and transparent from mainland, but eventually get enclosed and concealed with mystery as people reached the island. This shows that eventhough there are no more control over the island in the present, but its traces and even indirect control are still visible even until these days.
The main objective of the intervention is to reveal the control over Alcatraz from its past to its present and also to provoke question on the effects of control and the government’s decision over the island among the public. It is actually like creating awareness from the general society over the control of the island that contributes to what it is now, from political, economical, social and cultural influences to the site. Our intervention responds to that by providing a sign of freedom and openness to the site but once things get closer, sign of control and limitation started to reveal.
Our installation is focusing on journey, from a brighter side of Alcatraz which is being perceived as what it is today by the public to a darker side which is actually the underlying and true face of the site that started to diminish in memories of the people today. Between the transition of both paths, there is a wall where presentation is located; drawings and abstract models to convey the idea. The hanging louvres that separate both paths shows brighter visual of Alcatraz on one side, and darker visual on the other side. The installation is quite rough as we did it only in one night in the time when we are all rushing for design assignment too.
The third part of the assignment is individual research essay, which each of us have to write our own paper, by using our own words, by refering more from the lectures on philosophies learnt, and refering to facts found from the stages earlier. This individual work costs 40%, the group presentation on intervention costs 40%, and the four workshop stages carries 20%. After all this is over, the installation is removed, the design statement of the intervention is completed, written works been submitted to Turnitin for plagiarism detection which I’m safe in all works, and the module is completed.
