Arch, Aperture & Folded Form
Spring 2019, The Noguchi Museum Annex, DUMBO Brooklyn, New York
Capturing the quality of playfulness seen in Noguchi’s work, the Museum Annex will join the feeling of enclosure that one experiences nestled between the imposing structures of DUMBO with the angular forms of Noguchi’s steel and aluminum designs and sculptures. Taking cues from Noguchi’s sculpture Pylon, as well as from the arches under the Manhattan Bridge, dynamic angles lead the viewer through the space, punctuated by whimsical apertures through irregular planes, adjoining a versatile community space created by turning the arch 90 degrees on its axis.
Early Sketches
Major Plans and Sections:
Section B
Section A Section C
Connection Details:
The three main materials in the space are steel, concrete and glass. I will be focusing on the contiguous staircase on the east side of the space when exploring how materials will come together. Steel and concrete will come together with a feeling of the steel both wrapping the concrete and peeling away from it. The concrete stands as imposing monoliths through the space that are being cut through with steel sheets. These steel sheets are “peeled” up creating the stairs and railings, which contribute to a tunnel-like continuous movement up into the gallery space.
Isometric Drawing of Stairwell
Material Connection Models
An important component to the space is the way that two materials are dealt with when they meet. Steel and Concrete are the two main materials at play in this space. The way that steel can be bent into softly curves as well as sharply bent forms will counter the way in which concrete is poured and spread filling in spaces. The bending and contorting form of the steel is accentuated by the way that the concrete perfectly meets each bend. This bending movement with the poured concrete also gives opportunities for function. Creating a cove next to the stairwell accentuates the interesting material connection while it also creates unique handrail.
Material Connection Isometric Handrail Drawing
Experiential Interior Photos:
Left to Right: Coat Check Window and Info Desk, Entry Stairway, Divider Between Community Spaces, Coat Check Window, Gallery,
Design Conception and Development
Observational Sketches: The visual language of the annex was derived beginning with observational sketches of Noguchi’s sculpture Pylon.
When Analyzing the Steel structures of Noguchi, and specifically his work Pylon, we can see several ways in which he plays with the plane and folds it to create mass. Through these planer elements, he cuts viewports which illustrate how elegantly slim the structural walls are. Additionally, while his bends are often straight, they are done in a way that makes the pieces contort and move in a playful way. His use of steel and aluminum in many ways closely reflects the way he works with paper in his Akari sculptures, emphasizing paper-thin planes that create hollow lantern like spaces.
Small Model of Noguchi Sculpture Pylon
Final Design Language
Angular Directionality
Looking at the un-orthogonal forms of Noguchi’s work, one appreciates the possibility for shifting angular forms in a space. In the Annex space, angled partitions would be used to guide the viewer in their movement in or out of areas of program.
Folding Curvilinear Apertures:
Noguchi elegantly bisects curvilinear objects, folding them around the corner of his objects. This is one visual aspect which will be incorporated into the design of the annex, working in tandem with the unusual column structure of the space.
Alteration of the Ground Plane:
Both looking at the arches of DUMBO, and the round cutouts of Noguchi’s Pylon we can take the arch and use it to create flexible spaces in the museum. The two forms are drawn together by turning the arch 90 degrees.
Perforate Irregular Planes
Using the varying thicknesses in combination with the windows and cutouts given to us by Noguchi, we can create interesting viewpoints and entryways into the space. This also is reflective of the way that DUMBO has distinctive entrances into the neighborhood.
Transitioning Thicknesses
When placing angled planes of Noguchi next to orthogonal planes, a varying thickness is created. Using this varying thickness in the space, one can differentiate between varying levels of privacy.