Download - Wentworth Institute of Technology Projects
Student Projects at Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston MA
Final Design Thesis Project: John Hejduk’s “Thirteen Towers of Cannaregio” Venice ARCH 168-01: Directed Studies 2-4-4 2001 Summer
Design II: Civic Symbolism: Boston City Hall Roof top Addition Design Boston MAARCH 211- 01: Design II: Basic Architectural Design 1-6-4 1999 Spring
Design Competition:Charles town heritage center design, Arranged by CSI (Consruction Specification institute) MA Chapter.
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Thirteen Towers of Cannaregio Venice
John Hejduk, in his long Journey to the East, captured the mystic essence of time
and life through his architectural trilogies. From this trilogy, one of the most
symbolic as well as mysterious work, that traces back in hejduk's sketch book, is
The Thirteen Towers Of Cannaregio, in Venice, regarded as the most enigmatic of
all. In the Adriatic Venice, where the cluster of buildings ceases and the noise of the
city dies away, before the mountain and the waterway, there is a world created by
John Hejduk. In Mircea Eliade's words,
“what is to become “ our world,”
must be “ created,”
and every creation has a paradigmatic model---
the creation of the universe by the Gods.”
Context: In Cannaregio, Venice John Hejduk creates a sacred world, where the first line of
demarcation is the city itself with its layered urban context. These thirteen towers
are surrounded by man made forest, waterway and vast vacant space, creating a
barrier between what is to be seen and what is to be experiencedThe Towers are the
museum of a silent apprehension and a testimony of time, only to be experienced
by the person who lives within it's walls.
Axis Mundi: The towers act as an axis Mundi, creating a vertical connection between the
mundane and the holy, the defined and the boundless, between man and his
creator.
Light: Each tower is a shaft of light itself, while the elevator traveling vertically through each
floor, is as if, connecting the transcendental layers of the human spirit.
Time: Each tower experiences two kinds of time: Profane, that is evanescent and irreversible
time, leading irremediably to death; and Holy, that is, reversible and cyclic time,
allowing a periodic return to the Cosmogenic origin, in the ritual of life. Each watch-
man is selected by the people of Venice, for a life long residency in the towers. As
they watch over the city, they are performing a sacred act, of protection towards the
city. The closed world of alienation, within the tower walls is a time of reflection of
their life and their deeds
The 13 towers
Forest
Water
Campo
Sacred Bridge
Houses of the People
Water
Water
Site Plan, water color, pastel, pen and pencil on paper, size 24”x 36”Scale: 1/8”=1’-0”
“what is to become “ our world,”
must be “ created,”
and every creation has a paradigmatic model---
the creation of the universe by the Gods.” Mircea Eliade
The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion
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1. Mircea Eliade The sacred and The Profane: Nature of Religion, Pg 31.
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Aerial Perspective of the surrounding context, with the Thirteen Towers of Cannaregio in the center, standing as the Image less Images of the Sphinx
Hand draw with pencil and ink on watercolor paper, size 8”x 12”
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CONTROL PANELCONTROL PANEL AND AND SWITCHBOARDSWITCHBOARD
First Floor -Proposed Entry with Glass elevator
Proposed Ground Floor - Heater Room Second Floor -Ablution Area Third Floor - Cooking Area Fourth Floor - Sleeping Area Fifth Floor - Living Area Sixth Floor - Hypaethral-roof garden
Symbolism of the Spaces: These Towers are the metaphor for the setting of life. Life is
celebrated as a ritual in these spaces. The spaces with in, are defined by the
parameters corresponding to the five elements of life: Water, Fire, Earth, Air and
the fifth in Hejduk's case, Life itself. In each level of the tower, the color defines the
activity of that particular space: for example upon entry to the tower, the second
level is painted in a muted blue referring to the sacred ritual of ablution with water.
The next level symbolizes fire, with its muted orange coloration, celebrating the
activity of cooking. The living area is painted brown as the color of the earth, and the
sleeping area is painted a muted mauve color reflecting the inner reflection of man.
In many archaic cultures the possibility of transcendence, were expressed by
various images of opening. The opening of the towers refers to the distant view,
either of the mountain or of the city.
The sixth level is hypaethral (without roof) like the ancient sanctuaries. This is a
contemplative space with roof gardens creating a connection with the sky, opening
the doors of the heavens. The idea of accessing this sacred space thru a ladder,
and the smoke hole (chimney), acting as a hearth; connecting all these levels
together, to present man in front of the divine, has many references to the symbolic
world of the Sacred.
Also part of this project is The house of the Inhabitant Who Refused to Participate
located on the other side of the city. This particular house is like Sigmund Freud's
subject who doubts, than the rational humanist subject, who finds order in the
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Typical floor plan of one tower
Right:Axonometric View of a Typical TowerHand draw with water color, pencil, and pen,size 24” x 36”
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Water Color Perspective of the Thirteen Towers of Cannaregio, Venice, size 18”x 24”
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West Elevation South Elevation East Elevation North Elevation East West Section North South Section
Water Color, pen and pencil on paper, size 36”x 72”
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Study Model studying the relationship, form, context and passages of convergence.
world .As Frued located the proper place of the subject within the dream, Hejduk
defines the citizen or this subject as a nomadic character without a name or a
place. He lives in this house as a mark of his protest against the society.
In the Thirteen towers of Cannaregio, John Hejduk creates a memory and touches
the deepest darkest corners of human soul and then moves on to his next journey.
The philosophy of this project lies within Eliade's words,
“Life cannot be repaired, it can only be recreated through symbolic repetition of
the cosmogony, for the cosmogony is the paradigmatic model, for all creation.”3
These towers are not just an object to live in, but a world, where a life begins and
ends, repeating the cycle of life.”
Bibliography:
1. Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion. Harcourt Inc.1959.
2. Hejduk, John . Vladivostok .New York Press. 1980
3. Hays Michael K. Hejduk's Chronotope. Princeton Architectural Press.1996
4. Hejduk, John. Mask of Madusa.New York Press.
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Wooden Study Model of the Thirteen Towers, studying the relationship with the context, the landscape, bridge and the campo.
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Bridge leading to the Thirteen Towers of Cannaregio and the Campo
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Class- ARCH 211-01- Design II - Basic Architectural Design 1-6-4
Goal: The purpose of this project was to create a public amenity on the roof
of the exiting Boston City Hall, Boston Massachusetts. A public
space that will add to the presence of the city and will complement
its Corbusian aesthethics.
Program: The new addition would stand on the roof top of the existing city hall.
It will include a restaurant with outdoor summer patio, an
observation deck, planting, outdoor amenities, storage, restrooms,
private room for the mayor and another companion with the view of
Boston. It should also include fire stairs and solar protection without
interfering with the exiting sky-lights.
Design Team: Farah Naz
Concept: The concept of the design was “Promenade or Journey through time
and Space.” The city hall is considered the most civic building in
United States. Respecting the existing structure, form and
material was the key element of this new addition.
The new addition reflects on these issues by creating a journey from
past to the present. This journey starts from the first floor foyer
through the staircase and elevator brining them closer to the sky, at
the top floor. It’s a free plan with Corbusian pilotes and roof garden,
bringing the nature in the concrete building.
The use of modular plays a vital role in proportioning the new
addition, as well as the floor plan. The visible application of the
blue series of Corbusian modular is clearly reflected in the new
addition making it a part of the whole.
Boston City Hall Addition Design Boston MA
Study Sketches, Pencil on paper
Boston City Hall, Picture courtesy of Boston City Halls official website.
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Site PlanBottom: Perspective, Hand drawn with pencil and pen on paper, size 4”x 8”
From Left to Right: New Roof Top Addition - 9th Level and 10th Level Floor PlanHand drawn, pencil and pen on paper
Scale: 1:100
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West ElevationScale: 1:100
East ElevationScale: 1:100
North South Cross SectionScale: 1:100
Interior View of the Restaurant, Hand drawn pencil and pen on paper,size 9” x 10”
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Study model of The Boston City Hall showing the New Roof Top Addition.
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Front Facade with the surrounding contextWater Color and Ink on paper, size 24”x 36”
Charlestown Heritage Center Charlestown MA
Program:The competition project was to design a gateway and heritage
center for the city of Charlestown, Massachusetts.
Design Team: Farah Naz, hasna Salam
Date:
Concept:Time changed, but mankind has not. The fundamental human
traces remained constant from period to period. It is the timeless
quality of monuments that provide a thread of continuity and
familiarity amongst generations and cultures. It is our endeavor
to maintain the rich cultural heritage of Charlestown, through an
amalgamation of the city's iconographic monuments. This new
fform is an extraction of the essence of what Charlestown has to
offer to the city and the world as a symbol of pride.
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From left to right: East Elevation, North Elevation.
Site PlanWater Color, pen and ink, size 11” x17”
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South-East Exterior View
Interior View
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Interior Perspective of the Promenade and Reception Area
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Other Design Explorations Dhaka, Bangladesh
Work Shop: “A Good House in a Good City,” Dhaka, Bangladesh - winter 2004.
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“A Good House in a Good City” Dhaka Bangladesh
Program: A workshop for the schools children to make the kids and
their parents about the impart of a good living environment,
through an interactive architectural drawing workshop.
Participants: Architect Ms. Farah Naz, Rafiq Azam, Rashidul Hassan,
Mushtaq Hossain Kadri. Artist: Syed Hassan Mahmud and
social psychologist Ms.Afroza Akhter.
Date: December 2004
Venure: Novera Auditorum of the National Museum of Bangladesh
My Scope of work: I Worked as a Creative Director in conceptualizing,
organizing and conducting this workshop, for the school
children aged 8 yrs to 14 yrs. Collaborating local architects,
artistes and educators, the purpose of the workshop was to
make children aware about the importance of a healthy living
environment in Dhaka city.
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THE END
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING
REGARDS
FARAH NAZ