graduate[DS1120]
2GA studio | DS1120: Architectures Integration - Organizational Systems
Project Credits: Daniel Massaro, Roger Cortes
Instructors: Devyn Weiser, Herwig Baumgartner, Russell Thomsen
This studio builds upon the awareness of the discipline and knowledge of architectural production by focusing on issues of Comprehensive Design. The studio is structured to hone each student’s awareness of the complex and layered issues involved in an architectural problem. Elemental spatial constructs and organizational systems are seen as resulting from and reacting to forces of site, context, and territory. These influences are considered physical and virtual, permanent and ephemeral, situational and circumstantial. Qualities of site, situation, and environment, as well as cultural contexts, are considered potential tools with which to challenge conventional approaches to architectural design.
Exposing the Underbelly: Miami Performance Hall
The performance hall establishes its presence within the urban context by sweeping the ground plane into its underbelly. The externalized proscenium becomes a focal point, articulated by a “canopy” of faceted surfaces suspended above. The circulation follows a concentric pattern that strengthens the importance of the atrium as a mediating buffer between the formal performance space and the surrounding context. Furthermore, the exterior façade strengthens the connection between occupants inside and outside by reimagining the façade as we have come to know it today. The accordion-like folds allow for window placement to be oriented towards the ground while the top half becomes solid to block out the Miami sun and keep the interior spaces cool and comfortable during the hot sunny Miami days.
Located one mile from the central district of Miami Beach, the performance hall addresses its surroundings by raising the plinth off the ground and by allowing pedestrian circulation around the theaters. This 360-degree engagement with the building allows for a dynamic spatial experience and uninterrupted flow. The porous canopy allows daylight to penetrate through the space, creating a pleasant atmosphere during the hot summer seasons of Miami.
The program is distributed according to the scale and variation in the performance venue. The black box theater is a small, intimate venue, while the classic theater is primarily for large-scale productions. Each theater is accessed from a series of staircases that follow the perimeter of the atrium. This enables the patrons to reflexively view the space that they traverse, allowing for more involved engagement with the architecture.