The Spectacle of Impermanence
12/ 2019
Instructor: Jesse Reiser
The aim of the project was to re-envision the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, moving the site for all
Olympic venues to a trash island in Tokyo Bay. Additionally, the studio was tasked with finding
a reference image to use as a generative tool to create rules for how to design the site.
Ryoanji Zen Garden
Zen gardens are artificial landscapes that deal with varied aspects of permanence and abstraction.
Ryoanji in particular consists of three distinct site features. The sand ‘Karenagare’ which is a mutable and reconfigurable abstract landscape.
Interperated Landscape
The Winch Array “Rake”The site will be devided into 24 quadrants, with a tower positioned on each point of every quadrant. The tower is a simple scaffold used to support four tensile cables that link to the two machine heads of each quadrant. By adjusting cable feed through motors at the base of each tower, the position of the machine head in the x, y, z axis can be altered. The towers also store concrete that can be sent over to the machine head for extrusion purposes, via a seperate pipe that connects to the tensile cable feed
.
The Tool BitsThere will be three primary toolbits that can be inserted into the winch array toolhead.
1. A rotary excavator for loosening and excavating trash and rubble to carve out new landscapes.
2. An assembly claw for repositioning loosened trash and rubble.
3. A concrete extrude that can build new structures onto the manipulated site, like the olympic venues.
Venue Abstraction
The olympic venues act as the more permanent site components. They were designed as abstract comic structures. This is due to their geometrics being easier to fabricate using a concrete entrude, and due to the abstract forms aligning with the philosophy of Karesansui rock
Wall Extrusion TypesThe venue will utilize different extrusions patterns along differnt elevations. This will both act to give textural variation to each venue, but also will serve a structural purpose. More heavy but stable deposition patterns will be applied near the foundation of each structure, while more elaborate, lightweight deposition patterns will be applied near the peak of each venue.
Transformative VenuesThe venues will be abstract forms that are not easily discernable as olympic venues. This way, each venue has the capacity to adapt easily into a variety of different programs following the Olympic games. Each venue will be extruded using two different filaments. Over time, one filament will erode away before the other, transforming the venues slowly into more hollowed, perforated public structures.
