PROJECT NAME
| UWMA420| A High School for Film | J. Cordell Steinmetz | Duration: Spring, 2008 | Calibrations3 Publication |
In film, a series of still images are linked together in a systematic scene revealing a desired mood. Experiencing both film and architecture through time manifests the latent spirit in both media. Adopting this perspective brings new insight regarding ideas of atmosphere, aspects of experience, light, sound, views, rhythm and plot: Architecture viewed through a cinematic lens. A High School for Film is composed of a series of sectional studies inducing memory and injecting spirit at precise moments. The experience through the school parallels that of plot in film. A subjective idea of ‘forward’ movement [plot development/movement through space] is met with breaks [choice] and reunion [culmination].
A path cuts through the school like a river through a valley. It meanders; winding around studios, labs, a library, classrooms, auditoriums, and informal spaces creating the procession. Rhythms seduce an individual through the space, offering, in exchange, a memory of the path. In both plan and section thresholds are experienced; compressed areas foreshadow large, open space provoking an intrinsic, emotional response. This path is not prescriptive; numerous interstitial spaces offer students chances for ownership over their environment [like the branching delta of a river]. Catalytic courtyards of bioremediation address decades of industrial neglect, providing restorative environments for backdrops, contemplation, engagement, and inspiration to the spirited student.