Submission 3 - The Ascent

The Site of the Ascent

Reasons why I chose this site:

• The absolute statement that the building is wedged between the two overtowering structures which reside a finalist restaurant, and a fancy hairdressers.

• The fact that the site is un-noticed.

• I felt that the site needed to be established and iconic, and recognized amongst people passing by, much like the Remembrance park.

Important Notes to establish:

For the Art gallery I am proposing to model a building that would ultimately tower of these two buildings, and set it back, taking the idea of the usage of the site of the church, a creation of a frontal void space could be effective in making the site noticable. Hence "The Ascent".

The site, I realized the nearby buildings had ornate and decorative features, but this is only hiding the fact that behind it is a deteriorating and crumbling view of the buildings. I felt it was lacking in drama and grandeur, it was unpleasing to the high paying residents. I felt that they should deserve better.

This building should be iconic and central to Newtown.

This radical and outstanding structure will therefore stand out from the neighboring shops, striking and bold. Through enhancing the area, it will be able to attract customers.




The Rear view of the building

Housing units behind the building.

Insight into the culture of the place
Observation of the adjacent buildings.

The Hairdresser and the Restaurant next door

Second Submission House of Theft

This house was modelled according to the picture by Vermeer, A lady holding a balance. The painting was interpretated, with the lady stealing the jewellery from her master, and the balance symbolizes the righteous justification of her theft. Since the lady's perspective of her theft is only through her perspective, I played with the whole "Is there a right or wrong reason to stealing? A person would only steal if they were in dire straits, is it wrong to play to the rules of survival of the fittest? Even if it is right in their minds?" I linked that idea to the whole, open plan of the first story of the house, with right and wrong related to the inside and outside. I played around with the psychological side of a thief, giving the house no windows or doors, just openings to welcome the thief, but at the same time, confronted with the dark overwhelming effect of the "basment door", hovering over the thief. Once inside, the thief would be welcomed with warmth and comfort, this enforces the idea of the whole "A comfortable theft". Thus the interior was modelled with balsa wood.

The second room was modelled underground, as an escape for the thief to hide his/her treasures. This cavernous room was decorated with ornate structure, and decorations, to create the whole sense of stability and order, as opposed to the above. The sense of sensability in the lower room, was estabilished as a greater truth or room of greater justification, and the assumed righteous rules and laws that are abided by. And the above room was a deviation of what was assumed right.

Overall I think the model was a success, and that it presented, although not exactly what I pictured, I could have added more detail to the lower room, to further strengthen my argument, and taken more care to the whole articulation of the building, I think in all, the success of the model was achieved only by the balance of the arguement and the strength of the defined elements in the model.