WK6 - Feedbacks

[Shaowen]

Group 1 - Jimmy + Chen + Amahl (Redfern)

As a group, you've done a very impressive first step presenting your
findings. Use this strength to approach your mapping exercise. Redfern
is a highly complex site, and do make sure to reveal the connectivity
issues: urban fabric, several archipelago-like larger scale urban
projects around the site, the layers of infrastructure that co-exist
but mutually are exclusive, how do these two work against each other:
infrastructural landscape + urbanism? what are the consequences? and
so on....

For the urban context of the Bijlmer Station, please take out this
book in the library: Dutchtown : a city centre design by OMA-Rem
Koolhaas.

The diagram, mapping and process of intervention have been documented
comparatively comprehensible in this book and your team can make good
use of it.


Amahl, I think you probably haven't got a good source to study not
just the key ideas of the SI but Constant's project in dwgs and close-
up shots of the models. Saying this is not to ignore your apparent
capacity to decipher text and deliver the key ideas in the ppt
presentation.
The essential book: The Activist Drawing: Retracing Situationist
Architectures from Constant's New Babylon to Beyond; is out of the
library (both copies). One should be back on the 16th. Why don't you
make a recall online now? You need to develop a set of diagrams after
the comparative study of the 2 movements and discuss with your team to
see how can you use them to either critique or explain the 2 bechmark
projects.

Group 2 – Linda + Matthew + Scott (the N-S Line)

As we've discussed in the studio, please make sure you will study the
benchmark projects thoroughly and present your analysis in proper mode
of representation.

Linda, please consult with Frampton's Megaform as Urban Landscape so
you can organize your materials accordingly. Megaform, different than
megastructure, is one way to deal with the infrastructural landscape
of "dross". You can find the text via internet but without the
illustration. I might be wrong, but strangely our library doesn't have
this book! Let me know if you want to borrow my copy. Do it before
tonight! Scott has my cell#. You must first understand this project's
significance in terms its siting strategy in the context of Seville
and the immediate surrounding. Then there is the Spanish tradition in
urbanism that larger building group of public nature is never just a
singular monument. Try to look into that.

Arnhem Station need a lot of conceptual strength to de-mystify UN
Studio's theoretical labyrinth. It is difficult to get one good
critical article to read for deciphering. People who support them are
very esoteric themselves (Stan Allen, Michael Speaks, R. E. Somol and
so on.) All the same, we still need to be able to analyze this station
a s a station: how does it work internally and the connectivity with
the urban fabric. Arnhem as a city and the development of this site as
the transit center, the materiality and how does it impact the
conventional image of a major urban artifact? How effective a practice
using diagram to generate architectural solution that bypasses the
concern for "Form"? Here you can work with Linda on Frampton's
megaform. Use this to critique van Berkel & Bos. I'll see if I can set
aside a copy of "Diagram: Interactive Instruments in Operation," by
them in ANY Magazine, No 23, 1998. It is again adifficult reading
(very short too) but try to comprehend it. I'll email you to see how
does this go later.

Scott, you have a good start and continue to work with your group to
come out with an integrated submission in acrh movement + design
strategies for train station. Consult with A Matter of Things as
you've started it. Your task is to find out what causes the equivalent
of "drosscape" in Sydney's infrastructural landscape? Berger focuses
mainly on freeways and junctions in America's automobile landscape:
the urban sprawl. What about here in Sydney? You can take some of the
discussion in de Solà-Morales: how the issue of water and land
complicated the development of infrastructure? Look for this article
in Bridging Sydney (3 copies in Hign Use Area): "Bradfield's vision:
re-shaping Sydney's infrastructure," by Robert Freestone. It is a
great piece illustrated by beautiful historical maps + dwgs + images.
You'll love it. As a group, you'll need this for your N-S Line mapping
exercise.

Group 3 – Kevin + Sherwin + Zhenyang (Artarmon)

In general, as a group, the research is very weak. You need to work
together as a team and pull the materials together.

Please make sure you've done the benchmark project analysis with
rigorous interrogation of the building itself, the urban connectivity

(Berlin Main - how does the rail lines work in the larger system, how
does the station fit into the context, how does the internal
circulation work, what are the key features of this complex station?
Need to do this with dwgs + diagrams. Look for Meinhard von Gerkan.
Architecture for Transportation. Birkhäuser, 1997.)

(Oslo Central: need to look beyond just the architect's website. More
understanding of the site itself + urban fabric. It is in Norway, so
there is a waterfront issue and the connectivity via rail with the
rest of the Nordic countries. Need to compare this winning project
with at least one or two of the other entry projects. I've attached a
set of dgws and PLEASE DON'T USE THEM OTHER THAN THE ACADEMIC PURPOSE.
THERE ARE COPY RIGHTS INVOLVED AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET SUIT!)

The Megastructure is badly researched and inadequately discussed. You
must take out Benham's book and at least look through them. Corbusier
is the source for this trend but not to be mistaken as the
representative architect of Megastructure. Please show some
intellectual standard as a Graduate student. I am send you a PhD
dissertation by Sarah Deyong via sendthisfile.com. Do use it as a
source. See if you can develop a set of diagrams that could be further
discussed in the 2 benchmark projects.

Can't just scanned images + dwgs for the submission. You must do your
own analytical dwgs + diagrams and so on. Kevin, please take the lead
to carry this group forward.

Group 4 – Josh + Joyce + Simon (Milsons Point + Lavender Bay)

For your group,
1) benchmark projects analysis: M2 Metro needs a lot more analytical
stuffs on the station (2 phases), interchange, how does the conceptual
works with the real site condition. I've attached a press kit from
Tschumi's office including dwgs. Stadthofen Station need same kind of
concern for site and as we've discussed, see if you can generate a set
of diagrams(for Josh too but in a critical way) that Joyce can use for
her bit of the analysis

2) Metabolism- Joyce's analysis is insufficient and suffers from very
limited research (maybe you've done more but the ppt didn't show any
substantial findings + the info on Capsule Tower was incorrect.) while
in Simon's case, lots of stuff however need more site condition
+connectivity and the main problem is on the "pulling together" either
use theory or just the plain old pragmatism.. I've attached 2 doc +
one pdf file for Joyce and will send you more stuffs via
sendthisfile.com (2 dissertations). As a group, please help Joyce and
you all need to get acquainted with Metabolism critically too.

Shaowen