A brave and bold attempt to rethink and reinterpret space within the urban context by orchestrating a captivating mix of both nature and playful built form geometries to constitute a whimsical yet dynamic public space.
Woven into the layers of the city, the project would begin from the presence of the existing Godown. The large ficus trees form an immediate encounter with the site, open concrete terraces nestling in between them and extending from the Godown.1.2mm thick steel sheets assembled hang off porous steel mesh floors extending from the concrete terraces, similar to the makeshift street theatre or stall tents creating a feeling of airiness.
Accreted layers are removed from the Godown, becoming a singular big room of soft brick walls topped by a delicate metal trussed roof.Various enclosed openings are reinstated in the thick walls, glass louvres are fixed to the jack roof sides so fresh air and natural light flow through again.On the roof, acrylic strips replace selected metal sheets, rays of sunlight or dark clouds refresh the old interior, ever-changing.A space to breathe in the densifying city.
Within, a slender timber gallery is placed, sitting on the ground and inserted into the brick walls, reusing the wood dismantled from the accretions.From here, a meandering walking route leads to an abutting concrete terrace open to the sky and surroundings, along pathways traversing through various sceneries before coming to a secluded wild garden on the roof.
The daily environment makes the atmosphere flowing and immersing. How one walks, sits and gathers relate to the different parts and conditions at that time.When it rains heavily, the water moves towards a break in the ground, rising and becoming a stream that flows through the entrance area between the Godown and the extension.Existing staircases on the slopes connecting to the street, schools and nature reserve up the hill are maintained; taking a shortcut will be to encounter the life of the art centre.
