Personal Display

Geometric Void Display Shelf

The concept of creation is rooted in logical strategies. Balance, proportion, unity, emphasis and rhythm are those that compose good design. These measures feed the ability to balance out proper units of regularity to organize appropriate patterns. Must these principles always be present in design? Eventually overuse of these regularities occurs within a design movement. An example of this is the language used by Le Corbusier in "5 points of architecture". Freestanding support pillars emphasize the vertical elements. Open floor plan independent from the supports reinforces open horizontal movement. Vertical facade that is free from the supports is still promoting verticality to a greater degree of freedom. Long horizontal sliding windows, again emphasizes horizontality to a greater length. Roof gardens imply terminality of vertical movement with a notion of a higher horizontal ground plane. The common language is the horizontal and vertical line with the emphasis of spatial freedom. Only two strategies are applied by Le Corbusier and dominate the motion of design. This overuse is present to simplify design organization. Why can we not complicate and use the same use of horizontal and vertical emphasis but with abstractions to the concept? This abstraction takes precedent in my design. An abstraction is, “an impractical idea; something visionary or unrealistic.” . Staggering an absent and void rotational geometric abstraction is the concept of the design.

The design of this display case is composed of the shapes in which it is meant to display. The first of these shapes is a photo frame and small case. The frame staggers with small boxes and is meant to be displayed on a vertical wall. Staggering is present within the display case where no horizontal level is at the same height as the other. The display case provides rectangular vertical surfaces in which to display the staggering frame. 

Rectangular surfaces are provided instead of squares for the reason that the rectangular shape approaches the proportion of the golden ratio quicker than that of a square. The absent spaces within the display case also form rectangles and are abstract in size and proportion to each other. These hollow spaces provide niches where smaller items can be housed such as cologne cases. The absent spaces are derived from the CD case. The center of the CD case is hollow and void of material. This provides more horizontal surface area to display other artifacts. There are wide horizontal shelves on the display case capable of displaying irregular objects such as the CD case. The geometry of the CD case is in the shape of a polygon in which the CD’s are housed in flaps on the outer portion of the case. The shape of the display case, when viewed from above, forms a hexagon. The hexagon has been extruded abstractly to form the staggering shelves. The legs of the display shelf derive their shape from the curvature in the cologne bottle. The curves of the legs are tangent to one foot six inches, which is half the size of the display case. The legs are not symmetrical about the hexagonal display case and have different widths. This abstraction of foundational footing gives the illusion that the cabinet is unbalanced.

                My design motivation was to break free of the rules of classical architectural design while emphasizing the foundational concepts of the horizontal and vertical axis. I did this by staggering an absent and void rotational geometric abstraction. The motivational concept is abstract expressionism. This is to artistically express emotion through the spontaneity of design. The display case is unbalanced, irregular, and ill proportioned. It would be correct to say that this shape is confusing and frustrating. The contrast in spatial relationship is cluttered, distorted and anxious. However this display case is meant to sit out in open space and traversed around. It is meant to be the central focal point of the spatial relationships to the surrounding room and artifacts. Therefore implied symmetry and balance is evident with the rotational element of an equal sided polygon.

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An interesting thought from Eisenman

"There are many examples of diagrams in which a variety of shapes can be arrived at through a geometry that is exfoliated into different shapes"

Eisenman, "Written into the Void" p. 89

Almost there

Light

I addressed the issue of light in my last blog. More is occuring in the motion of light and the movement of the eye. Light is reflected off the oval walls and brought down to the ground plane in the museum. This balances the space and unifies the white walls of the museum. The same is occuring in the display cabinet. The curvature of the top (light) is brought down to the ground plane through the reflection of door shelf curvature and reflected by the metallic kick plate and caster wheels. The eyes are led by the implied curve with the rhythm of stacking. Artificial light could be added under light block shelving. This would cause the artifact to glow much as the walls of the museum do.

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Blog Post 4

The linear rythm is evident in the shelves on the interior of the display. This moves horizontally along with the kick plate and drawer. The vertical motion is displayed in the seperation of the doors and large piano hinges. There will be a diagram for this on a presentation board. The liquid fluid motion is occuring on the top edge of the display case. This is done to reflect the essence of the oval transom opening in the lobby. Since oval form can not be displayed upon the cabinetry in any suitable form on a one dimensional plane, the curve is used. The defined aedicule of the museum is now transmitted to the display case. The weatherspoon overhead shape is irregular in an oval conical form and now overhead is fluid irregularity on the defined aedicule of display. The irregularity is balanced out by offsetting the doors.
This is still dealing with the overhead of both units. However more is occuring in the motion of light and the movement of the eye. Light is reflected off the oval walls and brought down to the ground plane in the museum. This balances the space and unifies the white walls of the museum. The same is occuring in the display cabinet. The curvature of the top (light) is brought down to the ground plane through the reflection of door shelf curvature and reflected by the metallic kick plate and caster wheels. The eyes is led by the implied curve with the rhythm of stacking.

These are the affects of light upon the art museums ground plane and yet what must occur upon the ground plane with the influence of light still must be art. Therefore art must occur within the art museum. To define space adequately must be artistic minimalism. Rectangular box with fluid terminal top to occupy open space with fluid terminal top. The balance of positive space is the display case, and negative space is open floor surrounded by positve boundaries of structured walls.