The craft, choreography and culmination

Vantage PointeQueen Square Place, Bath

‘The Pointe’ Theatre, Studios and Workshops for a resident ballet company in Bath.

The building is one of layers - serving to bring together and highlight practices associated with ballet that are typically ‘behind the scenes’. The building consists of a ‘pas de trois’ of principal elements; pointe shoe workshops (the craft), dance studios (the choreography) and auditorium (the culmination). The architectural choreography of these elements, and relationship between them, establishes and exploits particular vantage points in order to present the multiple building users with opportunities to glimpse each other at work, thus revealing and honouring the forgotten craft. The building plays on the relationship between the public and the dancers, each with their own choreographed built elements whereby complementary rhythms are established across the site, creating a hidden inspiring world.1

Roof Plan 1.500

Building Plans 1.500

Lower Ground Floor Plan 1.500

1 Stage Lift2 Orchestra Changing3 Orchestra Changing4 Sub-Stage Store5 Green Room6 Orchestra Pit7 Sound Lock Lobby8 Instrument Store9 Physiotherapy Room10 Plant Room11 Studio 0112 Workshop Store13 Binding Room (workshop)14 Makers’ Room (workshop)15 Staff Room16 Pointe Shoe Fitting17 Dancewear Shop18 Male Changing19 Female Changing

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Shop Entrance

Workshop

Entrance

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Stage

Door

Scene Dock

Studio

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Ground Floor Plan 1.500

1 Stage Lift2 Backstage3 Stage4 Stalls5 Prop Store6 Quick Change7 Cloakroom8 Lobby9 WCs10 Foyer11 Box Office12 Workshop Reception13 Servery14 Cafe/Bar15 Terrace16 Offices - Ballet Company Directors and Theatre Managers

First Floor Plan 1.500

1 Circle Left2 Royal Box3 Circle Right4 Lighting Control Room5 Balcony - overlooking foyer6 Balcony - overlooking cafe7 Sound Lock Lobby8 Studio 029 Offices - choreographer, ballet master/mistress, artistic director

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Second Floor Plan 1.5001 First Artist and Soloists’ Dressing Rooms2 Fly Galleries3 Upper Circle

Third Floor Plan 1.5001 Soloists’ and First Artists’ Dressing Rooms2 Fly Galleries3 Lighting Galleries

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Fourth Floor Plan 1.5001 Corps de Ballet’s Dressing Rooms2 Fly Galleries

Exploded Isometric of Main Building

Aerial view from the North-East

Aerial view from the South-East

Aerial Views

Aerial view from the South-West

Aerial view from the North-West

Visual of pointe shoe workshop looking onto zen garden and shop

Visual of auditorium from wings on stage left

Visual of lower ground dance studio looking onto zen garden

Visual of first floor dance studio

Physical Model 1.200

Dancer routes bounded by orthogonal rationale of the copper panels

Public routes bounded by the flowing form of the larch cladding

A Rhythmic Choreography

The public route vs dancer route

In effect, the treatment of routes for the two principle users of my building, the dancers and the public, sees a role reversal; with the more functional, direct routes of the dancers contrasting with the highly choreographed, flowing route of the public. Whilst the dancers require direct and quick routes in order to quickly access the stage, for example, the intricacies of the public route are not implemented through necessity but through the desire to choreograph a sequence of events which allow a degree of enlightenment at each point toward the backstage activities of a ballet production.

‘Nothing is more revealing than movement.’

Martha Graham

‘In the practical world the guiding principle seems to be the straight line, the least action, the shortest time. The dance is the exact opposite. It moves in a self-contained realm of

its own.’

Copeland and Cohe

Highlighted section illustrating vantage points

Vantage Points

Dancewear Shop Ballet Studios‘Zen Garden’Courtyard

Level Public Entrance Route

from Chapel Row

Windows at rear of western block of Queen Square

‘Zen Garden’Courtyard

Pointe Shoe Workshop

A Building of Layers

Honouring the forgotten

Integral to my brief was the concept of bringing together and highlighting practices associated ballet that are typically ‘behind the scenes’. Setting up the choreography of my building has allowed me to utilise particular vantage points to offer the multiple building users opportunities to glimpse each other and their craft. The two principle layering mechanisms involve the varying transparency levels between day and night of the integrated copper mesh glazing panels (used in relation with the dancers and their associated spaces/circulation routes) and the larch cladding whereby decreasing its density at desired points will allow for views out (used in relation with the general public and their circulation routes).

COPPER SCREEN - RESIDENTS & OFFICE WORKERS/DANCER RELATIONSHIPDay - Dancers in the first floor studio will look onto the rear facade of the western block of Queen Square, establishing them in the context and traditions of Georgian Bath as they establish a new tradition of ballet in the cityNight - Those working in the adjacent offices during the evening will also enjoy views into the first floor studios as dancers partake in classes and rehearsals.

COPPER SCREEN - PUBLIC/DANCER RELATIONSHIPDay - Dancers warming up at the barre have views out of the studios whilst the reflective nature of the glass will prevent them being significantly overlooked from the outside.Night - As the sun sets and the public arrive to watch a performance they will observe the silhouettes of dancers in the studios. The copper will appear to glow with the illumination of the studio lights and they will stand as beacons from Chapel Row, highlighting the enduring hard work and dedication of the dancers as classes continue into the evening.

LARCH CLADDING - REVEALING THE CRAFTThose seated in the cafe/bar will be allowed views into the pointe shoe workshops as the density of the cladding decreases, revealing an otherwise uncelebrated and forgotten craft so integral to the practice of ballet.

LARCH CLADDING - REVEALING VIEW SOUTH OVER BATH OTHERWISE UNNOTICEDAs the public circulate the building, those seated in the Upper Circle of the auditorium will come across a relief in the density of cladding, slowly revealing a view across the city centre, referencing the building within the context of the wider city as the fly tower of the Theatre Royal can also be seen from this elevated vantage point.

Screen MachineSpike Island, Bristol

A film institute comprising of three opposing cinematic and architectural experiences.

Film is a form of escapism. The act of going to the cinema can be viewed as a process; one arrives, experiences the film, and the leaves in a different state. Between entering, watching a film and leaving, a change in the human psyche occurs.

The nature of this change, be it emotional or psychological, is not completely quantifiable or understood, the notion of such an effect relates to the unknown qualities of a black box.

Black box: an object that can be viewed in terms of its input, output and transfer. Its internal workings cannot be seen or altered.

White box: a device whose internal workings can be seen but similarly not altered.

Whilst both the black and white box theories state that the inner workings of each cannot be modified, the idea of a third contrasting element was explored in the form of a ‘process box’ whose internal workings can be both seen and altered.

The notion of these extremes of black and white further relates to the conditions of the context; from the ‘dark’ private spaces to the south, to the ‘light’ public spaces to the north. The architecture of each element provides a distinctively different cinematic experience, from the total solitude of the black box, communal experience of the outdoor white box and the interactive process of film making explored in the process box. This concept is further translated into the aesthetic, structural treatment and experiential qualities of each cinema.2

Ground Floor Plan 1:200

Plans and Exploded Structure

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Section Perspective

Physical Model

MUSEUM SQUAREExternal cafe seating

Entrance to train shed

GRANITE SETT PAVINGPunctures through wapping wharf

emphasising main route through the sitePaving stones vary from light to dark grey

BLACK CONCRETECarbon pigment for optimum black colouring

Smooth as castAggregate found on site

Forms covered walkways around reflection garden

GREY CONCRETEExternal stepped performance seating cast in-situ

Portland cement, smooth as castNatural sand and other aggregate found on site

CHERRY TREELight pink blossom contrasts with

materiality of Black BoxSingular tree acts as focal point

in the reflection garden

ILLUMINATED SURFACEEntrance portal of Process Box projects

light onto ground surfaceIllumination pronounces main entrance

WHITE CONCRETEWhite portland cement

Silicon sandFine white marble aggregate

Smooth as cast

EXISTING OAK TREESThe additional trees proposed will be of the same

species; added to create a dense forrest effectNaturally shaded area

Darkest side of dark to light gradientShelters private end of site

SWEET CHESTNUT BENCHESAlternate layers of sweet chestnut and acrylic

Acrylic layers illuminated at nightOrganic form and materiality contrasts with the

geometry of the landscape and surrounding buildings

SILVER BIRCH TREESServe to soften the regular geometry of the public steps and

surrounding buildingsIlluminated at night

Bright green foliage and silver bark contrast with the black steel of the Process Box

COMPOSITION OF SILVER BIRCH AND ILLUMINATED BENCHES

VIEW OF REFLECTION GARDEN FROM WITHIN BLACK CONCRETE WALKWAY

VIEW OF BLACK BOX WALKWAY AMONGST THE TREES

Landscape Tectonics

Contemporary Dance PlatformMuseum Quarter, Amsterdam

An experimental stage for a newly formed professional contemporary dance company ‘Dansgroep Amsterdam’.

The building was designed to stand as an architectural expression of the dances created by Itzik Galili, DGA’s principal choreographer.

“Galili’s art lies in his capacity to balance abstraction and narration with finesse, creating works that impress themselves strongly upon us. He is one of only a few choreographers working in the

Netherlands today who can structure a fragile equilibrium between humour, aggression, lyricism, sex and elegance”

(Michael A. Kroes, Ballettanz International Magazine, March 2007)

The building also echoes themes commonly explored in contemporary dance;

NUDITY• serving to reveal something about human experience, stripping down to a spiritual

essence.• having the power to force the audience into a heightened state of alertness as

feeling of slight discomfort unifies both dancer and observer.• an apparent tough and raw, yet unmistakably vulnerable appearance

RELATIONSHIPS• any dynamic between the masculine and feminine will invariably be interpreted as

a relationship

TENSIONS• balancing on the edge of success and failure• vulnerability that is also a strength• artificial and natural• cerebral and animal• something that is at odds, yet in harmony with itself and all that surrounds it3

Hierarchy

The public are invited a glimpse into the life of a dancer

The most important relationship between the audience and dancer is embraced

The veil renders all that is hidden intriguing

The underground workings of a dance company

Ethereal TranslucenceVeiled form and its relationship with the water

Raised in response to scale of adjacent building

Raised canopy facilitating public gatheringsOpening to

accommodate public

Massing

Conceptual Imagery and Plans

Sectional Perspectives

Visualisations and Elevations

Physical Model

Physical Model