An idea behind this project was to research the paradigm of a contemporary form finding concepts. As an initial step we have followed the logics of a typical urban block, trying to underline it’s main negative features. We have made an attempt to reconsider this reality by creating a sort of prototype of an Inverted Block: turning the block upside down is a intended movement that is going to lead to a generation of a certain quality of space. By this movement we are going to obtain a contrary stratification of layers, with public space penetrating the lower level of the block and a community space appearing on top.
As a second step we have located this prototype into the context of Genova, with its landscape, specific location characteristic e.g. park, relation to a belonging public spaces and main pedestrian routes.
By this invertion we are going to obtain a stratification of layers, with public space penetrating the lower level of the block and a community space appearing on top.
Relative relational space, negative and positive space. We took as an operands in this boolean algorithm. We live in the environment consistent of various textures, however, humanity have always strived to divide the world in minimum instances, like black and white, death or life, emptiness and existence, good or bad. In this project we have related to the topics of how architects perceived space as co-existence and resistance of various space materials.
A boolean and slice operations that have shaped the block on the last stage were introducing an influence of a local context, delivering certain public functions inside the block. Some of the ideas that have triggered our vision were Gestalts writings about the figure-ground reversal and we have made an attempt to deliver those ideas in a creative way to this project.
Another inspirational research that was partially covered during the course is the topic of figure-ground reversal in works of Rudolf Arnhem, theorist and perceptual psychologist. One of the most powerful pieces of art that have influenced our work was also the painting of Louis Khan that was exhibited in Vitra Museum in spring 2013
physical model
