Exhibition

Artefact

(noun)

1. An object made by man, especially with a view to subsequent use.
2. Characteristic of an particuar time or cultural stage.
3. A feature that is not naturally present but is a product of an extrinsic agent.


In a thesis based around the study of what Aldo Rossi called Urban Artefacts it is necessary to provide an exact definition of the term.

House for Sebastian, who values solitude.

The internal geometry is skewed, emphasising separation from the outside world.

A hybrid of a bunker and a traditional Japanese house, this enigmatic structure provides solemn seclusion for one who wishes to distance himself from the world. 
Reading externally as a solid mass, impenetrable and without obvious orientation, this monolith reveals little to the outside world. 
The walls display both a thickness that implies permanence and a deliberate sharpness that deters encroachment. 
What openings there are appear to conform to some illusive internal logic, to which their deep reveals prevent insight. 
The roof hovering fractionally above the external walls fosters unease by refusing to divulge the secret of its support. 

The sharp edges of roof and walls evoke some mechanical trap held apart in tension, waiting to be sprung and to snap shut.

The thick walls provide a protecting envelope, their depth limits views inward.

The structure is a series of armour plates which are pulled apart to allow in light.

Public space in Edinburgh

Three different definitions of public space

Giambattista Nolli's plan of Rome, published in 1748 was revolutionary at the time and remain a cornerstone of urban studies today. Nolli's great insight was to map spaces rather than streets and buildings. The result of this was that internal public spaces such as churches were drawn in the same manner as piazzas. This gave the world a view of Rome that revealed the wealth and variety of the public realm.

In applying these techniques to Edinburgh, various questions have arisen. Shops were seen to be a key part of public space in the city centre but have limited opening hours. This means that the public space in a city changes drastically at different times of the day. Another concern was that many potentially public spaces involve an obligation to spend money (cafes and bars)or require some form of prior arrangement (restaurant reservations or appointments to access office foyers).

Analysis and discussion of these factors provides a complex and ever changing definition of public space and allow an appreciation of the subtle rules and conventions which govern life in the modern city.

Urban Artefacts

Cities are defined and imagined in terms of their key artefacts

The city is defined by key artefacts...

These artefacts have a fixed typology regardless of changing function over time... 

Artefacts arise as a product of the dominant social and political will of the time... 

The accumulation of artefacts defines a city’s character throughout its history... 

Traditionally these artefacts were public in nature but now they are often private...

Increased private development and a more complex relationship between citizen and state mean that new public artefacts are uncommon...

Roman amphitheatres becoming part of the fabric of the city

How to create a modern artefact... why is it important and is it still possible?

Skylines of London and Florence

How does a city’s self image develop and to whom does it present itself?
World context vs Local context...
Response to social and economic factors... Expropriations...
Mixed use, density, sustainability... Tower...
Changing program over time... Reuse of a tower...
Plan a project for 3/4 different iterations of function over time...
What gives an artefact the gravitas to influence its context over time?..