Rhythms and aRRhythmia

“aRRhythmia Reigns, except foR RaRe moments and ciRcumstances”

LefebvRe, h. (2004) RhythmanaLysis

susanna boReham

Rhythms and aRRhythmia

Rhythms of daiLy Life: it often goes unnoticed that ouR daiLy Lives aRe goveRned by both natuRaL Rhythms such as sLeeping and

eating, and ones which we peRhaps impose on ouRseLves, going to woRk / sociaL events, washing, exeRcising, meaL patteRns etc... etc..

Rhythms of the city: because the city is a coLLection of Rhythmic peopLe, the city itseLf has Rhythms. fLows of peopLe due

to tRanspoRt systems, woRk houRs, sociaL events in the city, chiLdRen Leaving schooL, peopLe attending weekLy events such as

chuRch seRvices etc. etc.

Rhythms of the dance centRe: my buiLding wiLL aLso have a Rhythm of its own, due to its pLace within the Rhythmic city and its

use by Rhythmic peopLe. peopLe visiting the café wiLL come and go at a diffeRent Rate to those who aRe attending dance cLasses.

dance cLasses wiLL be stRictLy timetabLed. peRfoRmances wiLL happen onLy once in a whiLe, as a one off, oR peRhaps foR a few days.

ciRcuLation within the buiLding may be heightened at the beginning oR end of scheduLed dance cLasses, but wiLL be used con-

stantLy by the pubLic. but fLows of the pubLic wiLL aLso go by a Rhythm, peRhaps goveRned LooseLy by conventionaL meaL times oR

evening time peRfoRmances, staff’s Rhythms wiLL be diffeRent again…

no matteR how many Rhythms we tRy to Live by, inevitabLy theRe wiLL neveR be compLete Repetition oR cycLes – things wiLL be diffeR-

ent each time, inteRRuptions and changes wiLL occuR.

peRhaps it is possibLe to distinguish Routine fRom within chaos, Rhythms within aRRhythmia? danceRs stRive to achieve Rhythms,

not onLy Rhythms within choReogRaphed pieces of dance but aLso the Rhythm and Regime of pRactice.

this is what i wanted to set apaRt in my dance centRe: making the dance studios’ chaRacteR veRy much diffeRent to that of the

space wheRe the danceRs can ReLax. i am awaRe that the two types of spaces shouLd no doubt be connected and integRated, but

stiLL Remain sepaRate, just as the Rhythmic paRts of ouR Lives aRe paRt of a geneRaL aRRhythmia. theRe is a staRk contRast between

the open ciRcuLation, cLanging footsteps on steeL waLkways, and the sanctuaRy-Like studios, boxes of contRoLLed Light and

sound; yet stiLL the buiLding is a whoLe, one paRt does not woRk without the otheR.

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“the cycLicaL is sociaL oRganisation manifesting itseLf. the LineaR is the daiLy gRind, the Routine, theRe-foRe the peRpetuaL, made up of chance and encounteRs.”

“aRRhythmia Reigns, except foR RaRe moments and ciRcumstances”

RhythmanaLysis study this Reading inspiRed the way i studied the site and designed my dance centRethe foLLowing quotes weRe impoRtant in my thinking

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Reading seminaR swiss paviLion / peteR zumthoR

the swiss paviLion, aLso caLLed ‘the sound box’, was a tempoRaRy buiLding foR the 2000 woRLd expo in hannoveR, geRmany, designed by swiss aRchitect peteR zumthoR.

the buiLding pLays heaviLy on the senses, and is intended moRe of an expeRience than a functionaL buiLding: he named the buiLding “sound box” and caLLs it a “gesamtkunstweRk” which RefeRs to the

buiLding as a whoLe piece of aRt.

“the sound box is based on the notion of a cuLtuRed host who… offeRs a pLace foR Repose and contempLation.” (zumthoR, 2000). this was an idea that inspiRed me within my pRoject, the desiRe to make my

buiLding not just a functionaL dance centRe but aLso to give the diffeRent spaces diffeRent chaRacteRs by pLaying on senses such as sound and site.

zumthoR does this in the swiss paviLion in a numbeR of diffeRent ways: musicians come to the buiLding to peRfoRm in gRoups, constantLy moving aRound the timbeR LabyRinth whiLst pLaying. the smeLL and

the textuRe of the untReated timbeR is natuRaLLy pRominent, and zumthoR addResses taste by seRving food and dRink within the paviLion. as one moves though the buiLding gLimpses of otheR visitoRs

become visibLe thRough the sLatted waLLs: this expeRience being onLy heightened by pRojections of woRds onto the peRmeabLe waLLs.

this idea of Listening to and feeLing the buiLding was something i wanted to think about in my own design: sound RecoRdings and Rhythm studies of the stReet and site was one way in which i addRessed

this, and fuRtheR on in my pRoject the idea of expRessing two sepaRate pRogRams of the buiLding, one mostLy sociaL and ungoveRned [café/sociaL space/ciRcuLation and meeting space] and one heaviLy

timetabLed and stRict [dance studios], was heightened by the idea of making the two spaces diffeRent sensuaLLy. in the studio space sound is insuLated and Light is contRoLLed, and by contRast the

ciRcuLation space sound is intended to Resonate as peopLe waLk on the steeL pathways, and the space is much moRe open, Light Less contRoLLed.

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manchesteR uRban pLan . 1.10 000 site: manchesteR victoRia n

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site pLan, scaLe 1.2000n

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manchesteR uRban pLan, scaLe 1.10 000puLLed apaRt Leaving tRain Routes and impoRtant pubLic centRes

possibLe Rhythms among aRRhythmia dissecting the city accoRding to tRam and tRain Routes

victoRia station

piccadiLLy gaRdens

piccadiLLy station

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people walking. sounds are closer together and pattern is irregular

distinguishing the Rhythmic fRom the aRRythmic Listening to the stReet : sound RecoRding taken aRound site

0.06 - 0.28 mins : tRain Leaving stationRhythms aRe distinguishabLe within the aRRythmic

0.40 - 1.62 mins : peopLe taLking in shop and footsteps on stReet no obvious Rhythms visibLe

Route waLked thRough site whiLst taking RecoRding

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gRaphic dispLaying ‘gaRage band’ editing of sound cLip. sound cLip avaiLabLe to Listen fRom oLLe bLomquist [shaRed usb]

contRasts: the RhythmictRam and tRain movement acRoss site

getting fRom victoRia station to piccadiLLy station via tRams

pin boaRd with engRaved map of manchesteR, [white squaRe indicates dance centRe site] white thRead indicating tRam Route, bLack tRain Route.

cLoseR study of aRea aRound site, pins indicate concentRations of aRRythmic movement [caRs and pedestRians ]

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contRasts : the aRRythmicpedestRian movement acRoss site

getting fRom victoRia station to piccadiLLy station on foot

gps dRawing using gaRmin etRex gps device, vectoR foRmat captuRed using adobe iLLustRatoR

‘dRawing with sateLLites’ gps woRkshop with chRis speed and estheR poLLock inspiRed me to use gps tRacking as a mode of site suRvey above dRawing ‘haRe and hounds’ was the dRawing 7 students and i pRoduced in the woRkshop, taken acRoss edinbuRgh

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contRasts: the Rhythmic and the aRRhythmic dRawings taken on jouRney aRound site, both in tRam [Rhythmic] and caR [aRRythmic]

pen heLd LightLy on papeR, Lines made as tRanspoRt changes speed/diRection

dRawing 1: tRam jouRney, Lines made fRom vaRying speed onLy

dRawing 2: caR jouRney, Lines made fRom vaRying speed and diRection

oveRLaying the two contRasting Rhythms, concept modeL and sketches inspiRation taken fRom dRawings by nikki pugh

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sepaRating Rhythms of pRogRam of dance centRe

studio space

cafe and sociaL space

ciRcuLation

contRasting Rhythms: spaces sepaRate but oveRLapping fLooR pLans of 3 diffeRent pRoposaLs and foRm modeL testing one idea

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inteRsecting Rhythms and theiR tRansLation into a buiLding

concept modeLs and sketches showing foRm of buiLding oRiginating fRom two paRts of the buiLding with veRy diffeRent chaRacteRs: the Rhythmic and the aRRythmic

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inteRsecting Rhythms concept sketches and LayeRed concept modeLs: studios at top with ReguLaR foRm and aRRythmic space beLow with Less oRthogonaL foRm

inteRsecting Rhythms and theiR tRansLation into a buiLding

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beRnaRd tschumi // Le fResnoy aRt centRe

a LaRge Roof coveRs the existing buiLdings, geneRating an inteResting ResiduaL space between the existing buiLdings’ Roofs and the new.

“this is a space of Residues, LeftoveRs, gaps and maRgins” it is “a pLace of the unexpected wheRe unpRogRammed events might occuR” “the in-between is neitheR inside noR outside”

tschumi, b. 1994 event cities

concept sketches, cReating a ResiduaL space beLow studios fiRe escapes in manchesteR

contRast in Rhythms in pRecedents

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Rhythmic - dance studios

aRRythmic - ciRcuLation

Rhythmic - seRvice wing: Recep-tion / office / stoRage / changing faciLities / toiLets

aRRythmic - cafe and infoRmaL peRfomance space

sepaRating the Rhythmic fRom the aRRythmicpaRts of the danceRs Routine invoLve a stRive foR Routine and Rhythms, which i want to sepaRate fRom the Less Repetitive pRogRams such as the cafe and sociaL space

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aRticuLating the Rhythmic and aRRythmic spacesmaking suRe they aRe diffeRent in both pRogRam and chaRacteR

Rhythmic studio space encLosed and secuRe

aRRhythmic ciRcuLation space unencLosed to encouRage chance meetings and events, and to pRovide viewing of peRfoRmance aRea and cafe

Rhythmic seRvice wing encLosed foR pRivacy and pRogRam

aRRhythmic cafe and peRfoRmance space is compLeteLy open-pLan to cReate extension of stReet / inside-outside space

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eLevation scaLe 1.100

fiRst dRaft modeL showing metaL waLkway and studios above

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integRating the Rhythmic and the aRRythmic / danceR space and pedestRian space / pRactise space and LeisuRe space

ngRound fLooR: cafe/peRfoRmance space/ changing /toiLets /office/ Reception scaLe 1.200

fiRst fLooR: ciRcuLation space and viewing pLatfoRm foR peRfoRmance space scaLe 1.200

second fLooR: pRimaRy studio and secondaRy studioscaLe 1.200

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extending the aRRythmic to the stReet: bRick Landscaping with paths

n ciRcuLation LeveL pLan with Landscaping 1.200 n Roof pLan with Landscaping 1.200

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stReet fRont eLevation 1.200

section 1.200

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tRam side eLevation 1.200

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contRasting spacesaRticuLating the Rhythmic and the aRRythmic

section 1.50 showing steeL hoLding up timbeR fRamed studios

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finaLised fLooR pLans

n ngRound fLooR pLan, 1.200 fiRst fLooR, 1.200 23

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1 - Reception2 - office3 - toiLets maLe/femaLe 4 - changing maLe / femaLe 5 - main entRance: steeL poRtaL6 - cafe7 - infoRmaL peRfoRmance space and sociaL space8 - sunken paths9 - bRick Landscaping fRom Re-cLaimed bRick fRom site

1 - viewing pLatfoRm 1 2 - main staiRway up fRom gRound fLooR3 - main waLkway4 - staiR up to studios

n nsecond fLooR 1.200 Roof pLan, 1.200 24

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1 - pRincipLe studio2 - waLkway access3 - secondaRy studio

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1 - semi tRanspaRent Roof Light2 - wood paneL cLadding3 - gLass Roof between studios 4 - existing waLL of deReLict buiLding5 - existing buiLding on site

appRoach fRom stReet

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inteRioR view: infoRmaL peRfoRmance space inteRioR view : ciRcuLation / viewing pLatfoRms

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steeL waLkway :ciRcuLation and viewing

exteRnaL studio cLadding

gRound fLooR gLass paneLs

existing bRick waLL of deReLict buiLding

stRuctuRaL baffLes in iRReguLaR Rhythm

seRvice wing: timbeR fRame and timbeR cLadding

timbeR cLadding

425 mm deep stRuctuRaL timbeR beams aLso pRovide baffLing fRom diRect sunLight

main studio body, gRey timbeR cLadding on inteRioR

iRReguLaRLy spaced timbeR studs

semi tRansLucent Roof Lights

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aRticuLating the Rhythmicstudio facade design

photogRaph showing modeL peices Ready foR constRuction and woRking dRawing showing facade paneL design taken fRom site suRvey of tRam Rhythm studies

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aRticuLating the aRRythmicgLass paneL system

gLass paneLs undeRneath studios contain inside-outside space of gRound fLooReLevation at 1.200 and peRspective dRawing highLighting ReLationship between gLass and studios/gRound

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studio design : cReating a space foR the stRive foR the Rhythmic waLL skin design

oRiginaL modeL shows windows punctuations ReguLaRLy aRound facade. photogRaphs show sunLight at diffeRent times of the day. danceRs RequiRe indiRect Light in the studios and so foR this Reason i have chosen to Remove these windows foR feaR of too much Light/heat with Roof Lights aLso

instead of muLtipLe windows doubLe skin design aLLows veRy minimum Light in, in between waLL cLadding, but no diRect Light, and bReaks up facade on exteRioR. sketches and diagRams showing Light penetRating veRy sLightLy

waLL detaiL at 1.20 showing steeL fRame sup-poRting timbeR fRamed studios

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visuaL concept behind Roof scaLe 1:50 // pRecedent study: noRdic paviLion by sveRRe fehn // choice between hoRizontaL oR veRticaL baffLes, baLance between visuaL concept and pRacticaLity needed, modeLs beLow show expLoRations

semi tRansLucent gLass Roof-Light

timbeR cLadding

425 mm deep timbeR baffLes

insuLation

inteRioR pLasteRboaRd finish

modeL showing hoRizontaL baffLes chosen foR best stRuctuRaL peRfomance and maximum Light diffusing

studio design : cReating a space foR the stRive foR the Rhythmic Roof design

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