Spring 2019
Arch 4102 Design VIII
Collaborative Project with Sarah Bujnowski
Professors:
Pezo von Ellrichshausen
Grand Canyon National Park: a unique geologic formation eroded over millions of years that extends for almost 450 km through the Arizona state, with a dramatic depth of about 1.5 km that exposes the many strata of ancient mineral matter. The three museum-houses were conceived as a single argument about the problem of "living in nature", in other words, of what does it mean for someone to retreat far away from the urban context while being actively engaged on a cultural or social level. Each building negotiates a programmatic overlap between the natural context and the occupation of a permanent resident and a temporary visitor. The residents must live in unity with the geology museum, as well as with the natural world beyond.
PLATE
Providing a seamless transition from interior to exterior the plate is grounded within the upper north rim of the Grand Canyon. The south facing entrance acts as a procession from landscape to building constantly negotiating the two. Upon entering, the courtyard becomes a framed continuation of the landscape connecting building to ground. A staircase is placed along this axis, lifting the landscape up through the project exposing another framed view, this time the sky. The stair provides egress to the main exhibition space located on the second level. Within the exhibition, windows are used to highlight both the display and landscape, nesting the two conditions to become one. The domestic programs for keeper and guest divide themselves within the lower level of the project. Separated by the central courtyard the domestic level splits and is joined again by the communal areas encouraging individual and joint occupation. The axis then reverses, the entrance now becoming exit, a final transition of interior, exterior, building and landscape.
BLOCK
Mirroring the topography of the Grand Canyon’s south rim, the building is perched with its semi enclosed courtyard facing away from the dramatic drop in the landscape. The monolithic structure contains a geological museum in the double height ground floor and within the inhabitable façade of the semi enclosed courtyard. The building initially appears symmetrical, but upon closer examination of the interior it then becomes apparent that there are subtle asymmetries. The fenestrations on the long curvilinear façade which faces north towards the canyon change in scale based on the interior programs. There are two modes of circulation that correlate to public and private programs of the building. The private program is designated to housing the keeper of the museum and a guest who comes to research and study. These two occupants reside on the third and fourth floors, each with their own untraditional apartment within one of the asymmetrical wings of the building. The public and private programs join at the fifth floor with a communal library and research space that looks over the Grand Canyon.
TOWER
Standing tall above the trees, the tower sits on a ridge that slopes north towards the Grand Canyon. Approaching from the south, it’s apparent that the building is composed of two separate towers; the entrance is located at the point where the two come together. The museum is located within the circular tower on the right and is open to the elements, the circulation spirals from the ground floor lobby to the top floor terrace which are located on the first and sixth floors of the irregularly shaped tower on the left. The private programs in the irregular tower are designated to the keeper on the third floor, the guest on the fifth floor, and a communal dining and living area on the fourth floor. The two towers are hinged together by a secret spiral staircase that runs from the first to the sixth floor. The hinge provides a physical relationship from one tower to the other while spatially dividing each program, curating two experiences from a singular building.
