Week Eight

Updated Statement:

Auckland City Business district, the domain of a montage of busy perspectives influenced by culture and experience, simultaneous chaos disguised as routine. We live together, oblivious of how others are experiencing time and space, trapped in our own heads, framed. My intervention facilitates the importance of community, and represents the history of Britomart, historically known as Commercial Bay before the land was reclaimed. The grid-like form is an insult to the natural forms of the original shoreline, a geometric contrast. Generosity of sustenance, the Pipis(Paphies australis shellfish), abundantly, lined the bank between the mouth of Te Waihorotiu and Point Britomart of the Waitematā Harbour, the heart of the Fort lane. A gift to the people of Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. My architectural design proposal ‘Whakakotahi,’(All-Embracing,) carries forward the narrative of generosity, a spatial quality which gives much needed relational sustenance. Ignorance is a limiting frame, a forced perspective through our own eyes, as film snatches our freedom of the narrative, manipulating our perspective to a line with the producers. The form of ‘Whakakotahi’ peers subtlety over the building line, in the character of a Pipi rearing its head interrupting the sand’s surface. A protest against modern traditional architecture, representing the hidden narratives of the land. The farming of Pipis themselves is an action of unity, a place to gather while conversing.

Tea Pavilion

Research on Tea Pavilions as Tea is an internationally inclusive beverage.

Tea Pavilion by Architectural Studio XYZ, Moscow, Russia

XYZ’s tea arbor, made from 12,000 wooden blocks, floats lightly on a pontoon on a lake.This project is for a tea arbour that floats on a pontoon on a lake in a sports complex. Measuring 7.6m long, 4.4m wide and 4.6m high, the structural matrix comprises almost 12,000 wooden blocks, threaded onto a 184 x 184mm grid of steel reinforcement bars to form a rigid structure. In cross section, a profile has been eroded from the matrix, which helps establish what the architects call ‘a Chinese character’, described as being ‘not so much a matter of shape as of sophisticated construction’. Threaded together on the metal frame, the wooden blocks are reminiscent of traditional oriental toy – little balls immured in one another.

FloornatureTea Pavilion architecture of tranquillity by o9 architecture | Livegreenblog

First of all, it was necessary to encourage introspection, which meant removing any visual connection with the lake, which can be heard but not seen from inside the construction. Something very rare in our image-dominated and views-oriented world! The pavilion is covered with thin larch wood slats, giving the interior that sense of protection you need for the tea ceremony and at the same time enabling engagement with the natural environment.
Here, nature is not only spectacular, it is also part of the project as a temporal component, expressed through the larch wood, which will change colour over time and that can be easily removed and replaced.

The Armadillo Tea Pavilion

As a modular structure, the Armadillo Tea Pavilion can be expanded as needed and reconfigured to suit a variety of needs. The base model measures 18 square meters and comprises five molded shells connected together with fixings crafted from hand-patinated brass and bronze. Made from timber, the shells can be completed using the buyer’s choice in a set range of finishes depending on the pavilion’s intended use. Durable PVDF-coated timber composite is offered for outdoor applications, while oiled hardwood-veneered plywood is suggested for internal use.

A creation of Israeli industrial designer and architect Ron Arad, the pavilion was made for Revolution Precrafted, a company that offers limited edition, prefabricated homes and pavilions designed by some of the world’s most famous architects and designers.

Tea drinking is traditionally done by being seated on the floor of the pavilion. Lack of furniture is common. This inspired my design by making the furniture subtle and non intrusive. Tea drinking is a mindfulness exercise that encourages health and self development. The muted furniture doesn’t interrupt peace in the space.

Shell Photography

Manukau Harbourside shell photography – Beauty of the sand and ripples within. The uniqueness of the shells surface through the photography, different indents and colour gradients.