Fixations on the Field
An investigation into programlessness and the conception of field landscapes.
Situated at the site of the University of Auckland's Maidment Theatre and Student Quad, facing Albert Park, the project establishes a Student Commons for the University; a generic space which acts as an agent to merge all faculties as well as the University and the City.
This thesis is an investigation into programless architecture as arisen out of the increasing need for generic and multi-purpose spaces. It is an interrogation to the theme of architectural programming in the practice of design, asking the question of whether the design of spaces can hinge on things other than programs and functionality which are obsessed over.
The project explores Stan Allan's field conditions theory which asserts that architectural spaces of constant flux can be achieved if one observes the gradients of change rather than the constant. In establishing fields of various conditions such as light, sound and speed, the architecture therefore reinforces the underlying mechanisms which can give rise to a gradient of experiences rather than a set-in-stone solution.
Monoliths pierce the undulating landscape containing 'functional' atmospheres within shrouds of darkness. These, lifted on the first floor become sanctuaries which enable the building to operate and anchors itself within the context of the University.
