Seeing in the city

Often we easily accept the sights that surround us as Auckland city, but what individual elements do we see within this all-encompassing title or unity?

The typology and topology of the built environment have a great effect on how the city is perceived, and hence how it affects our individual sense of place, or as Merleau-Ponty has put it, our internal (perceived) worlds that each of us inhabit.
(see Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception)

Seven crossings across the motorway were surveyed along their centre axes, capturing views both into and out of the CBD. To determine which parts of the city were actually perceived (and so contributing to our internal worlds) these views were then exploded into their individual built elements, then these elements were scaled and translated to their geographic positions.

The redrawn views develop a language that communicates the similarity or dichotomy of the built environment either side of a divisive element, as well as locating beacons or icons that are visible from more than one location, elevating their importance in the perceived world, as they are more prevalent.

Conversely, the views also identify areas that are null; without them being perceived, we can only assume what is there, but without any surety, triggering further investigation or development of those areas.

A5 page from exhibition catalogue

Framed drawing

detail of drawing
detail of drawing and frame
complete framed drawing

Install

Installing the exhibition at the Gus Fisher gallery, Wednesday 8th Oct.

Take two - framed drawing

The second attempt at the drawing went much more smoothly, and was framed as planned.

Executing the drawing - take one

Transposing the image onto watercolour paper, then inking in the elevations and their lines of sight. It all went quite wrong very early one morning...

Drawing mock ups and formats

Options for format

The elevations identified in the surveying are now superimposed and scaled onto their geographic locations, then connected to the point they were surveyed from by a line of sight. This develops a representation of the perceived built environment that is defined by typology, topography and the depth of view into or out of Auckland's CBD.

Initial survey drawings

Selection of initial survey drawings, showing visible elevations of the built environment superimposed onto their cartesian locations, as well as the perceived and intended boundaries of the motorway.

Surveying

Having identified the motorway as a divisive corridor through the field of the city, seven crossings were surveyed to identify similarities or dichotomies of development caused (or exaggerated) by the motorway.
The elevations of built forms of city across the motorway are outlined to identify the constituent parts that comprise the whole view of the built environment.

Motorway mapping models IV

Motorway mapping models III

Motorway mapping models II

Motorway mapping models

Mapping the motorway

Considering the motorway as a divisive element, these maps show development on either side of each of the bridges linking the CBD to Auckland (in red - typology and topography derived from view cones) as well as the pervasive or intrusive nature of the motorway corridor on its immediately surrounding field (black dashed lines show the intended boundaries of the motorway's nature or condition, black hatching shows the perceived boundary from my site surveying).

By better understanding the dichotomy between "inside" and "outside" the motorway, as well as the relationship/conflict between the expansiveness nature of the city and the pervasive nature of the motorway, I am hoping to develop a design project that ameliorates the conflict of natures and creates a dialogue between the typologies of "inside" and "outside".

London streetART
(thanks Ant)

Lebbeus Woods
System Wien

Why studio 209?

Studio 209 (messrs Kapoor, Hawkins, Moxey and Bagnall) was established in Gower Street, London. After several years of divergence, the intention is to re-establish an open forum for international collaboration once this blog has served its purpose for ARCHDRC773 (ViRaCoP)