DAB510 WEEK 5: Volatile Bodies - Bodily States

The intent of this new design will be to distort the view of the circumferent city, thus altering the way we perceive the built environment which influences the metaphysical feel of the site as a unique place. This idea has implied psychological influence created by the social and cultural power these surrounding built elements portray. The mind as a volatile entity is transposed into a spectrum of physical form and language through expressions, movements, and actions which are a reflection of our interpretation of the contextual social and cultural strata. Psychiatric Disorders are a prime example of this volatility within the human mind, and are explored extensively in the 'Black Swan' film (2010), which is based on the production of the Ballet 'Swan Lake' and the experience of the central character's torment of mental illness.
I have drawn from elements portrayed in the film and the ballet, in an attempt to capture the most relevant physical references made through physical movements and language, that relate to the volatility of the human mental condition. The person in these images is presented as a form of art, but in fact, she herself suffers from a series of psychiatric conditions. It is living proof of the beauty within all of us and is symbolic of the hidden historical beauty of the Howard Smith Wharves site within the broader modernising city context. The form created by the juxtaposition of the Storey Bridge and the city background will embody the social and cultural effects which create volatility and turmoil in our mind's representations of everyday life. This will also be projected in the building envelope through the triangular metal forms (as seen in the images).

Ever since I began caring for someone with a distinct hidden beauty, I wanted to find a way to express this through architectural language. I feel like this is something which I can execute well due to my life experiences. A romantic, elegant, and misunderstood part of the city is represented in this place. A blatant contrast in form and geometry is also generated through the organic curvature of the bodily form and the rough tectonic nature of the steel triangulated structures which allow natural light, and dark shadows to form over the abstracted body and make reference to the original node design. This is in acknowledgement of the tougher times which shadow the mind, which also, in contrast, generates a reveal of light and promise for the future.