in(VISIBLE) gallery
a social condenser for community members to see, and be seen
ARCH100A
Hans Papke
Final Project
UC Berkeley || Fall '19
The proposed building functions as a community center which explores the literal, formal, and spatial opportunities inherent in the ambiguous concept of "intersection". Situated at the crossroads of College Ave. and Claremont Ave. in Oakland, CA, the building can be thought of as a social condenser, attracting members from all over the city. The (in)VISIBLE gallery provides an opportunity for visitors to see the exhibits around them, to be seen as part of the exhibit by street-side commuters, and to occupy the interstitial space between the public and the private.
the street
massing model in site
Located on a triangular patch of land at a 5-way intersection bordering Berkeley and Oakland, this site is constantly activated by the hundreds of commuters passing through via bus, car, bike, and foot.
From the initial stages of the project, I was determined to center the project around the gallery and exhibition space in order to attract as many visitors to the center as possible.
As a result of site research, I placed the gallery perpendicular to the busiest street (College Ave) to allow a visual and physical corridor between the two edges of the site.
Aligning the NW edge of the building along Claremont Ave allowed for the opportunity of a protected sunken plaza and parklet in the SE corner, providing protection from the busier College Ave and much-needed green space for children and pedestrians in the middle of the city.
analytical site plan
the gallery
The project explores spatial conditions that define interior and exterior spaces, and negotiates opportunities to blur the distinctions between them The double-height gallery space bares itself onto a large and bustling intersection, a gesture to the pedestrians and commuters of the city inviting them inside.
As a formal exploration of solid/void conditions, the gallery blurs the boundary between what is considered "interior" and "exterior", definitions which we often use to delineate "private" and "public" experiences within a building.
The large overhang and solid walls enclose the diagonal gallery, providing a sense of security and privacy for the gallery visitors as they engage in the personal act of enjoying the artwork and exhibits on display.
The gallery's partial enclosure, however, is open on two ends, providing street-side visibility that renders these visitors as primary, active members of the installation themselves, further activating a visual link between those inside and outside the community center.
the threshold
To get from the street to the gallery space, visitors circulate through an entry sequence (developed from ) that weaves through a sequence of interior and exterior spaces before arriving at the central gallery.
From the eastern entrance, visitors walk through the building and up to a threshold (that both reinforces the boundaries of the building's box and carves itself external to the box) before turning away from the street and back into the building, and finally emerging on the visible gallery platform.
the spine
The gallery delineates a key moment of interstitial transition, reinforced on the other floors through a programmatic divide that explores "interior" and "exterior" space through the experience of publicity and privacy.
The building is literally split in two, with public programs at the front and private programs, sinking into the earth 1/2' on each floor, at the back of the building. The two offset halves of the building are connected by an ADA-accessible slope on each floor, allowing the programs to flow freely into each other and create a spectrum of introspective and extroverted spaces.
