T H E V I R T U A L PROB L EMA T I C

A compilation of experiments and research to inform and suggest direction for the completion of a Masters Thesis at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, Spring 2014.

‘To live is to leave traces’ - Walter Benjamin

E M M A U N C L E STutor: Marianne Hansen, Department Two, EK

P R E F A C E

A B S T R A C T

O B J E C T I V E S

D E F I N I T I O N S

N A R R A T I V E S

C O N T E X T

M E T H O D O L O G Y

S U B M I S S I O N

A P P E N D I X

C V & B I B L I O G R A P H Y

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P R E F A C E

Interpreting architecture as ‘material embodiments of culture’ (Sharr, 2012), this thesis programme acknowledges a major paradigm shift in the perception and creation of architecture in today’s contemporary society.

Rapid advancements in technology are altering both attitudes towards the production of buildings, but more so the essence of what architecture is. This programme presents a context to further challenge these perceptions, and introduces the task of designing a virtual architecture.

This programme is to be considered a manual for the completion of this thesis. It presents and defines the theoretical background in which the project will be operating in, stating precisely its intentions and attitudes towards The Virtual Problematic. Narratives are introduced to provide a contemporary context in which the programmatic functions in, with site analysis highlighting the conditions of the proposals location. Preliminary studies inform and suggest future methodology, highlighting an experimental, exploratory attitude of research by design. It is concluded with an appendix that displays past studies and precedent, which demonstrate a physical manifestation of many of the key topics discussed within this text.

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“The architectural profession has much to contribute to the development of virtual architecture - it has behind it millennia of both theoretical discourse and practical experience in the making of places. However, in order to make its gathered knowledge, experience, and theory relevant to this new field, it will have to readjust its own principles in a fundamental way. Just like the standard practice of architecture is concerned with adapting a design to its particular site, so it is in this case, but to a much higher degree. This time it is the whole profession which needs to be adapted, and to another type of space altogether: a space that has visual characteristics and yet is not physical; as space whose experience may change depending on the nature of the medium through which it is accessed; a space whose difference sites are defined not by geographical continents and land, but by context regions and context zones”

Or Ettlinger ‘The Architecture of Virtual Space’

2008

Great Palace of Constantinople in Istanbul’s Fatih district; and virtual representations of historic structures and newly generated configurations, as produced by users of the building.

In addition to this museum, the Digital Preservation Archive, will be proposed. This consists of a storage and manufacturing facility which will use 3D scanning and printing to capture the city’s built details continuously, digitally recording each stage of the evolution of the urban landscape. By digitising the city, fragments of a specific moment in time can be captured and preserved forever.

The virtual archive will store and document the evolution of a city which is experiencing great economic development and cultural change2, the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul.

1 The definition of ‘virtual’ in the context of this thesis will subsequently introduced.2 Recently established as one of the ‘MINT’ countries, which speculates on future ‘economic giants’.

The intention of this thesis is to investigate the problematic of a virtual architecture.

How can an architecture exist that facilitates both the virtual and physical exploration of past, present, and potentially future spatial conditions?

As technology continues to evolve, the architectural potential of the re-representation of ‘real’ worlds within the constructs of a virtual reality is extending. Tools of (re)construction such as the 3D scanner and 3D printer, are examples of nascent technologies which have an innate capacity to influence architectural design and production.

The collaboration between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’1 dimensions will be explored through the design of an architecture that facilitates these two worlds to exist in unison.

These strategies will manifest themselves in a Museum of Virtual Archaeology. This construct will combine both the physical remains of The

A B S T R A C T

Top image: A virtual (re)construction of Istanbul from the Byzantine Era (324-1453 AD).

Bottom image: The juxtaposition between ancient and modern cultures in Istanbul today, as seen from the Marmara Sea, looking towards Fatih. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque lies to the left, and the Hagia Sophia on the right. Behind them lies the expanding skyline of the extended contemporary city.

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The Digital Preservation Archive will exist within the Museum complex. The architecture must facilitate the digital storage of the city, but also the production of the collected scans in a physical format, for the use of conservationists, visitors to the museum, and for educational purposes.

The surface conditions recorded by 3D scanning will be used to produce a physical archive of the city, the fabricated scans used as building components for part of the museum. These scans can be interacted with by members of the public.

It is the intention that the proposed programmes operate as a hybrid, the collaboration between the two agendas providing a suitable foundation for the investigation of the primary thesis.

The Museum of Virtual Archaeology will operate both individually as a physical architecture, and on a virtual platform along a choreographed route through the historic neighbourhood of Sultanahmet, in the Fatih district of Istanbul.

A defined path, which follows the traces of the city’s Byzantine past, will be instigated. A series of constructions that function as armatures in which to facilitate a virtual and physical spatial experience will be proposed.

The design will operate dually as constructed pieces of architecture; and as a framework for the presentation of two or more ‘worlds’ in unison. The creation of these hybrids of spatial information, and their interaction with each other, is the prime investigation of this thesis.

The perception and display of ‘virtual’ worlds is a subject of study which will take place within a variety of scales, using assorted techniques.

P R O G R A M M E

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Top image: Explanation of the Pepper’s Ghost technique, taken from Molteni’s “Appareils des projections” (19th Century).

Bottom images: These images suggest an example of an architectural armature which provides for an optical illusion, in this case the use of Pepper’s Ghost. This has been applied to the stage design of Coachella Festival 2012, where rapper Tupac was ‘resurrected’ to perform on stage in the form of a photo-realistic hologram.

The objectives of this thesis are divided into ‘research’ and ‘design’ intentions. The speculative essence of the thesis problematic requires an investigative approach. It is not the intention that the stated question is answered and thus concluded, rather, the ambition is to approach the problematic in an exploratory fashion, providing possible solutions to an open-ended question.

O B J E C T I V E S

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To explore the potentials of a collaboration between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ dimensions of a technologically and culturally driven architectural project.

To acknowledge current advancements in the production of virtual spaces, and speculate upon their application within architectural design.

To design an architecture that collaborates between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ representations in the form of a Museum of Virtual Archaeology.

To develop the above with a hybrid programme of digital storage and manufacturing to facilitate the continuous virtual conservation of Istanbul, and the subsequent dissemination of data sets for future generations.

To develop strategies in which to explore the architectural potentials of virtual space within a choreographed route through Sultanahmet.

R E S E A R C H D E S I G N

P H Y S I C A L

adjective

1. Relating to the body as opposed to the mind: a range of physical and mental challenges involving bodily contact or activity: less physical sports such as bowls, a physical relationship.

2. Relating to things perceived through the senses as opposed to the mind; tangible or concrete: the physical world

3. Relating to physics or the operation of natural forces generally: physical laws

V I R T U A L

adjective

1. Almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition.

2. [Computing] not physically existing as such but made by [software] to appear to do so: virtual images.

3. Optics relating to the points at which rays would meet if produced backwards.

4. Mechanics relating to or denoting infinitesimal displacements of a point in a system.

5. Physics denoting particles or interactions with extremely short lifetimes and (owing to the uncertainty principle) indefinitely great energies, postulated as intermediates in some processes.

D E F I N I T I O N S

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R E A L I T Y

noun

1. The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.

2. A thing that is actually experienced or seen.

3. A thing that exists in fact, having previously only existed in one’s mind.

4. The state or quality of having existence or substance.

All definitions from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/

I L L U S I O N

noun

1. An instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience

2. A deceptive appearance or impression 3. A false idea or belief

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T H E I N V E N T I O N O FV I R T U A L S P A C E

“Before the Greeks, a painting of a man in which his arm was not painted, meant that the man had a missing arm. What the Greeks would say, however, is that the man’s arm is simply out of view- the painting represents him in a pose where one arm is hidden behind his torso and is therefore unseen [...] the man is in virtual space, including his unseen arm, and what we see is only a result of our angle of view into virtual space.” 3

Image: Achilles and Ajax playing dice. Exekias, 540 BC.

3 p. 52, The Architecture of Virtual SpaceOr Ettlinger, 2008.

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THE VIRTUAL PROBLEMATIC

is not just digital, it can be based upon perception and metaphysics too. Ettlinger suggests that the primary purpose of the pictorial image is:

“a means of seeing space where in fact there is none.” 5

A clear example of this phenomenon can be found in Trompe-l’œil paintings, which employ techniques to create the optical illusion of extended, three dimensional space.

“Rather, it is the experience that what we see through such an image is not merely a flat pattern of light and colour – but a living, existing, and visually accessible place.” 6

Image: Allegory of the Jesuits’ Missionary Work Andrea Pozzo, 1694

4, 5 & 6 The Virtual Space Theory: http://virtualspacetheory.com/

The particular understanding of the term ‘virtual’ in the context of this thesis must be specified. As discussed by Or Ettlinger in his ‘Virtual Space Theory’ 4, the word virtual can be interpreted in various ways. Ettlinger highlights five definitions.

Virtual as meaning ‘Digital’Virtual as meaning ‘Metaphysical’Virtual as meaning ‘Mental’Virtual as meaning ‘Perceptual’Virtual as meaning ‘Perception of pictorial images’

Ettlinger argues that the first four definitions are better defined by their proceeding meaning. It is the last definition, which challenges the usual perceptions of the term, that his ‘Virtual Space Theory’ concerns, and which this thesis will use as a point of departure.

‘Virtual’ as the perception of pictorial images (both two dimensional and three dimensional), encompasses all the stated definitions: the virtual

S E T T I N G F R A M E

FACTORS OF VIRTUAL SPACE

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B A C K G R O U N D S U B J E C T

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T H E T O W E R O F B A B E L

To further clarify the interpretation of virtual space in the context of this thesis, and the role that architecture serves, we can highlight the four factors defined by Ettlinger that are integral to the experience of virtual space. These factors can be interpreted quite loosely, indeed it is important to highlight that the viewing of virtual space is not just confined to flat, 2D pictorial images. 7

Ettlinger uses The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder as an example. All four factors are evident and effective to ensure an immersive experience of virtual space.

7 Ettlinger defines virtual space as: “The visible world of pictorial images: paintings, films, photographs, TV programmes, video games, or any other pictorial medium, i.e. physical devices that allow us to experience through them something that is not physically there [...] whatever is seen through any such device is considered to be located inside of virtual space, and therefore ‘virtual’” (p. xii, The Architecture of Virtual Space, Or Ettlinger, 2008)

T H E D E V I C E O F I L L U S I O N

The work of ‘art’, its choice of medium and technique of execution.

T H E V I R T U A L P L A C E

The visual contents of the pictorial image.The more personally interesting, the more effective the immersion.

CONDITIONS OF ILLUSION

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T H E P H Y S I C A L S E T T I N G

The physical location and condition can influence the intensity of experience.

T H E M E N T A L S E T

The state of mind and personal ability and willingness of experience virtual space.

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MEDIUM TECHNIQUE

DEVICE OF ILLUSION

PRESENTATIONTOOL

CARRIER DECODER VIEW PORT

C O M P O N E N T S O F AD E V I C E O F I L L U S I O N 8

MEDIUM: The type of window to a virtual space.

PRESENTATION TOOL: The physical format through which a device of illusion is experi-enced.

TECHNIQUE: The aspect of making a device of illusion.

CARRIER: The element that contains the in-formation from which the viewed image can be generated.

DECODER: Device which converts the carri-er information into a viewable format.

VIEW PORT: Device that serves as the win-dow to virtual space, the object we look at.

8 As defined by Ettlinger, (p.187, The Architecture of Virtual Space, Or Ettlinger, 2008)

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This thesis proposes a problematic which is integrally dependent upon the current and speculative developments in technology; it concerns how these advances will influence our perception of architecture.

Adam Sharr in ‘Reading Architecture and Culture’ provides three approaches to the role of architecture in today’s society.

1. “Buildings are evidence of the cultures that made them [...] A building thus records the forces at work in the societies where is was procured and inhabited over time.”

2. “Buildings have multiple authors [...] The role of the inhabitants in configuring and reconfiguring spaces is just as valid as the role of any professional.”

3. “Architecture is anticipated through drawings and contract documents [...] the media in which they are made, frequently influence the built fabric that results.” 9

Interpreting architecture as “material embodiments of culture” 10 provides a stimulus to

challenge the tectonics, and methodology of design. This is already evident in projects such as Digital Grotesque, in which the production of architecture is abstracted from the typical building site, and instead digitally fabricated by a 3D printer.

This thesis will speculate upon future approaches to the production of architecture, and the new sensuous experiences of spatial design that could result from it. The role of the inhabitant in reconfiguring space, be it ‘virtual’ or otherwise, will be a key driver.

The media employed, and its presentation of the project will be purposefully chosen to express these theories.

Image: Digital GrotesqueMichael Hansmeyer & Benjamin Dillenburger20139 p.3, Reading Architecture and Culture, Adam Sharr (ed.), Routeledge, 2012. 10 p.7, Reading Architecture and Culture, Adam Sharr (ed.), Routeledge, 2012.

ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT

N A R R A T I V E S

The following ‘narratives’ introduce the context in which this thesis is presented. They propose the key conditions in which the problematic will be engaging with.

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AR has found new use within the app market for portable devices.

The rise in ‘Neo-Ottomanism’, as encouraged by the current Prime Minister Erdogan, is one of the many factors that have resulted in the recent civil unrest at Gezi Park. The threat to demolish one of the few open, green spaces in the city to rebuild an Ottoman-era military barracks was met with huge public opposition. Instead, a theoretical proposal suggests that the grandeur of the Ottoman Era Erdogan wants to reconstruct, can exist, but on a virtual platform in the format of an AR app. 11 http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/12 “Crowd-sourcing is an online, distributed problem-solving and production model” - Daren C. Brabham, Crowd-sourcing as a Model for Problem Solving: An Introduction and Cases, 2008.13 “A live, copy, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

Highly advanced technology is becoming prevalent in the pockets of approximately 29.6% of the population of Turkey11. The number of people who own a smart phone is nearing 22.4 million.

With the increasing ease at which information can can be gathered and accessed remotely, portable smart phones and tablets are changing our experience of place and space. The continuing development of web mapping services (such as Google maps), allows us to explore countries in an entirely virtual realm. The ability to record sound, image, location and so on, allows us to share virtual experiences, and can contribute to the gathering of specific information under the realm of ‘crowd-sourcing’12.

It is an often occurrence for people to explore a newly experienced space via the screens of their portable devices. Augmented reality (AR)13 is an interactive extension of the developments in experiencing space virtually.

T E C H N O L O G Y

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Turkey’s internet using population: 35 million (fifth largest in Europe), 67 mil-lion phone subscribers, 32 million Face-book users and 9.7 million Twitter users.

Proposal for an app to virtually reinstate the Ottoman-Era Barracks rather than physi-cally building it, thus destroying Gezi Park, Emma Uncles.

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P O L I T I C S

Despite the Turkish Government’s plans to reinstate its Ottoman heritage, the remains of the Great Palace of Constantinople from the Byzantium Era are not receiving the same celebration.

“There are enormous Byzantine ruins there, [at Sultanahmet] but nobody cares. Sultanahmet is being slaughtered” 14

Most recently the development of the Four Seasons Hotel, which lies just south of the Hagia Sophia, revealed extensive remains of The Great Palace. These were insensitively dug up and built upon, the remanding ruins left exposed to the elements. Although archaeologists proclaimed their infuriation at the disregard for these ancient artefacts, very little has since been instigated by the Government to begin the preservation process. This sets a paradigm for this thesis project to operate in.

Image: A view of the prospective ‘Sultanahmet Arkeolojik Parkı’ highlighting the brutal intersection of contemporary and ancient.

14 Translated from: http://yenisafak.com.tr/gudem/?t=28.12.2007&c=1&i=90083

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A R C H E O L O G Y

The Forum Romanum in Rome is a sprawling palimpsest of architectural fragments. Remains from several centuries are presented as a whole, and a continuous cycle of restoration and preservation continues. The Roman practice of constructing on top of ruins has resulted in a patchwork of architectures, the rubble now presenting a landscape of building remains that would have never been seen together in their former glory.

These ruins captured the imagination of Piranesi, and with them he formed a fantastical vision of the landscapes of Ancient Rome by filling in the gaps of information with invention. This marked a transition from a traditionalist, antiquarian standpoint, to that of an archaeological perspective, in speculating upon the unknowns of a lost age. For Piranesi the ruins were a foundation on which to build imaginary worlds.

These approaches to the re-imagining of ancient cities will be interpreted in the development of this project.

Image to Right: Forum Romanum archaeological layout, Platner 1904.

Image to Left: Campo Marzio dell’antica Roma, Piranesi, 1762.

S I T E C O N T E X T

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The chosen site is located in the Fatih district of Istanbul. This is the oldest part of the city, and the nucleus of Constantinople in the Byzantine period. The site still contains many traces of Byzantine ruins, most notably the Great Palace of Constantinople and the Spendone of the Hippodrome.

The areas highlighted in blue are the visible remains of what was once the largest and wealthiest city in Europe.

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H I S T O R I C A L C O N T E X T

Much of the Great Palace was demolished during the rebuilding of the city in the early Ottoman era. Fires and earthquakes have ravaged the city over the centuries, nevertheless they have subsequently revealed many remains of the city’s past. Numerous archaeological digs have haphazardly taken place over the last century, however much of Constantinople, is thought to lie beneath existing Ottoman era buildings. There has been much speculation as to the true extent and layout of the Great Palace.

This project will use the approach of Piranesi to speculate and invent a city of the past that can be displayed to the residents of the present and future.

Top Images (left to right): Perspective of Constantinople (source unknown), Illustration of Constantinople from the Nuremberg Chronicle, Hartmann Schedel, 1453. Oldest surviving map of the city, Cristoforo Buondelmonte, 1422. Bottom Image: Ruins of the Great Palace today.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SPACE

The streets of Old Constantinople are now flowing with tourists eager to experience the wonders of this great historic empire. Sultanahmet, where relics of the past still stand, has developed into a tourist hub. The open squares of the Hippodrome and Sultan Ahmet Park, nestled in-between the picturesque, and photogenic Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia, are full of both tourists and locals enjoying one of the very few public spaces in Istanbul.

The surrounding areas of one of the most iconic settings in Istanbul, partake in great enthusiasm for providing for the tourism market. The compact streets directly south of the Hagia Sophia have been studied to highlight this trend. These streets are dense with hotels and restaurants boasting “the best views in Istanbul” across the Marmara Sea. The warmer colours, in the diagram to the right, signify tourist related programmes, specifically yellow which indicates a hotel. Green highlights sites of historical interest, and the darker, cooler colours referring to amenities for local residents.

The historically orientated tourism within the local area thus provides a good precedent for the development of this thesis programme. Furthermore, there is evidence that the ‘crowd-sourcing’ (or spreading) of data collected around these sites is already prolific. A quick search using the Google Maps function of ‘photos’15 reveals the quantity of images that have been taken and uploaded by members of the public using GPS data on their phone or camera. It highlights the increased density of photos taken in and around the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (top left image).

If this function was extended to 3D scanning, in which members of the public use an app on their phone or portable tablet, the data collected would be very comprehensive. This could work effectively as a mechanism with which the city can be stored digitally.

Bottom Images: Tourist industry in Sultanahmet.

15 https://maps.google.co.uk/

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S C A L E 1 : 1 5 , 0 0 0

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C O N T E S T E D H I S T O R I E S

These drawings highlight the contested territories of the ancient city of Constantinople. The suggested layouts of the buildings have been derived from various archaeological digs, interpretations from text, and the ruins which are still visible today. Each colour represents a different source, which highlights the clashes and voids of information regarding the location and extent of the Palace. These findings will perform as a foundation on which to base the route and locations of the proposal.

S C A L E 1 : 1 0 , 0 0 0

CISTERN OF PHILOXENOS

B A S I L I C A C I S T E R N

H A G I A S O P H I A

PAL ACE OF L AUSUS

PALACE OF ANTIOCHOS

H A G I A E I R E N E

H I P P O D R O M E

PALACE-OF-BUCOLEON

S P E N D O N E

M O S A I C - P E R I S T Y L E

E X I S T I N GB U I L D I N G SA N D R U I N S

Byzantine church

Largest in Istanbul, tourist hot-spot

Church, mosque, now museum

Subterranean reservoir museum

Ruins scattered through public park

Ruins scattered through public park Originally joined to Palace of Lausus

Sporting centre of Constantinople

Ruins of curved end of Hippodrome

Hall of Palace, now mosaic museum

Vast remains of Byzantine Palace

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D I H I P P I O N

M E S E

A U G U S T A I O N

BATHS OF ZEUXIPPUS

HOSPITAL OF SAMSON

C H A L K O P R A T E I A

S T A M A

K A T H I S M A

N E A E K K L E S I A

ARCHAEOLOGICALD I G S A N DL I T E R A T U R E

Ruins found of Byzantine church

Hospital for the poor for 600 years

Main thoroughfare of Constantinople

Ceremonial square, closed courtyard

Ruins found of St. John at Dihippion

Finishing line at Hippodrome

Seats at Hippodrome

Ruins found of popular public baths

Church referred to in literature. No ruins have been discovered

N

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N O U M E R A

C H A L K E G A T E

D E L P H A X

1 9 A C C U B I T A

TRIKLINOS OF THE CANDIDATI

PAL ACE OF DAPHNE

T H E G R E A TP A L A C E O FCONSTANTINOPLE

City prison of Constantinople

Main ceremonial entrance to Palace

Reception hall of Great Palace

Ruins of hall of first palace guards

Where Justinian was crowned

O N O P O D I O N

T Z Y K A N I S T E R I O N

L A U S I A K O S

SIGMA TRICONCHOS

Stadium for playing an ancient polo

Main hall for meetings and banquets

Semi-circular courtyard of Daphne

Palace, entered from anti-chamber

Major wing of Great Palace

TRIKL OF JUSTINIAN II

C H RYS OT R I K L I N O SExtension to Great Palace

‘Golden reception hall’, ceremonial

PALACE OF HORMISDAS

HOUSE OF JUSTINIANPalace built before Bucoleon Palace

Extension to Bucoleon Palace

MAGNAURA PALACEBuilding for scholars and the senate

S C A L E 1 : 5 , 0 0 0

R E M A I N S O F S P E N D O NA T T H E H I P P O D R O M E

S I T E C O N T E X T

R U I N S O F T H E G R E A T P A L A C EO F C O N S T A N T I N O P L E

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R E M A I N S O F T H EB U C O L E O N P A L A C E W A L L

R E M A I N S O F T H E P A L A C E O FA N T I O C H O S , N O W A P U B L I C P A R K

M E T H O D O L O G Y

This methodology is split into three sections, reflecting briefly on past strategies, before presenting future lines of work, within the context of the stated programmes. It highlights the techniques employed thus far towards the development of defining a virtual architecture, and preliminary studies that pertain to spatial design.

It is concluded by examining the working method that will be employed to further investigate this problematic, and thesis proposal. Submission recommendations are presented as resolutions to the working method.

The complete catalogue of work produced thus far can be found in the appendix at the end of this document, providing further detailed explanations.

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The methodology thus far was defined by the following question:

How can 3D scanning technology transcend the reconstruction of a reality, and become a tool of architectural research and speculative design?

3D scanning provides a tool to analyse a ‘real’ object or environment and collect digital data. This is compiled in the form of point clouds, the accumulated data used to construct a precise 3D model.

Site research in Istanbul was primarily instructed by 3D scanning. An excavated site of part of the Great Palace of Constantinople was chosen to be recorded digitally. The resulting data sets were used as samples with which to experiment with, and to explore the spatial and programmatic potentials.

These scans have been approached in a variety of ways. The most productive have resulted in further experiments, which helped indicate an approach to the design strategies that will be employed in the future.

P R E L I M I N A R Y S T U D I E S

Images (from top left): Initial scans which demonstrate how device operates. The Kinect records with its depth sensor, the lighter the colour, the closer a surface is. The image below shows the video footage that is being recorded on the camera, situated above the Kinect. These two data sets are combined to create a 3D movie, a still of which is shown in the top right. This image contains distortions, extended virtual voids that only exist within the virtual dimension. The two images below are the compiled scans in axonometric (left) and plan, with a measured line drawing behind it, (right).

Videos referred to can be found at:

https://vimeo.com/84217386 andhttps://vimeo.com/84217385

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3D scanning provides a tool to analyse a ‘real’ object or environment and collect digital data. This is compiled in the form of point clouds, the accumulated data used to construct a precise 3D model. Preliminary studies have explored the potential of these digital tools in generating new architectures.

3D printing was used to convert the scans of a ‘distorted reality’ to a ‘constructed reality’. Samples of the data sets taken in Istanbul (the original ‘virtual reality’), were extracted, simplified, and then 3D printed. By physically producing the scans, they become a-scalar, and possess a tectonic, structural capacity. This initial investigation of the conversion of data sets to physical objects has helped to inform the suggested programme, and will be applied to the design of the digital archives.

Experiments into the tolerances of the 3D scanner, and the use of it as a ‘tool of production’, can be referred to in the appendix of this document.

3 D S C A N N I N G & 3 DP R I N T I N G S T R A T E G I E S

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distortedvirtuality

v i r t u a lr e a l i t y

constructedr e a l i t y

F U T U R E M E T H O D O L O G Y

There has been a preoccupation with immersing oneself in virtual worlds for thousands of years, indeed the first narrative paintings completed by the Greeks would indicate the beginning of such a fascination. The introduction of physical devices in order to distort our perspectives upon reality, were made public in the 18th century, with the exhibition of Panoramas and Dioramas in London and Paris. Audiences were thrilled by the use of illusion, and visiting them was a theatrical experience. These techniques have now been applied digitally, a case example is found in CAVE Projections, where participants are immersed in a virtual reality environment, surrounded by screens of projected information that can be interacted with.

All of these techniques provide new ways of experiencing virtual worlds. In particular, they all employ various apparatus or armatures, a specific architecture is required to facilitate this experience.

This thesis intends to use these approaches as precedent to inform method. The three aspects of virtual design highlighted by the examples: digital and physical immersion and illusion by design, will all be employed as a methodology to design an architecture that provides for both a ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ experience of the past, present and future.

D I G I T A L I M M E R S I O N

Virtual Reality

CAVE Projections

Immersion in an artificial environment where the awareness of the physical self is transformed by being (digitally) surrounded in an engrossing environment . The user feels just as immersed as they usually feel in consensus reality.

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P H Y S I C A L I M M E R S I O N I L L U S I O N B Y D E S I G N

Diorama Planetarium

Sensorama IMAX

Immersion in an artificial environment where the awareness of reality is transformed by being (physically) surrounded in an engrossing environment.

Immersion created by distorting spatial conditions to give the illusion of being immersed within a virtual world.

W O R K I N G M E T H O D

As examined, this thesis methodology is committed to an exploratory practice. It is intended that many solutions will be provided to the stated (open-ended) question of a virtual problematic within the context of a Virtual Museum. They do not aim to answer the question, but provide options for the interpretation of the problematic architecturally.

The project aims to highlight relationships between the architecture of virtual problematic (providing examples of what a virtual architecture could be), and the experience of it.

It also seeks to speculate upon the rising influence of 3D scanning technology and the reproduction of this data in an architectural context. Therefore, the design process may hypothesise on future developments in technology, or the prolificacy of emerging technology to come.

“To create a sense of full immersion, the 5 senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) must perceive the digital environment to be physically real.” 16

16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immersion_(virtual_reality)

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It is paramount that the subsequent media produced is able to capture a (re)representation of the experience of a virtual space. Therefore, prototypes will be developed that provide a 1:1 immersive experience of virtual space.

The composite nature of an architecture that provides two spatial conditions, results in an approach of super-imposition and collage when displaying the two (or more) dimensions in which the architecture operates in. Drawings will use this technique to suggest urban (1:2500 or similar), building, (1:100 or similar) and human scales (1:50 to 1:1).

A site model will expose the curated route through the chosen area of Sultanahmet at a scale of 1:1500, or similar.

As clarified within this programme, there are a variety of techniques that can be employed when harnessing a virtual space. It is important to distinguish that the virtual problematic does not just exist in a purely digital world, and therefore the submission will express the design intentions in a variety of media.

S U B M I S S I O N

A P P E N D I X

This appendix is presented as a catalogue of past explorations and pertinent precedents. It will begin as a ‘manual of techniques’, introducing past methodologies, experiments and research which has led up to distinguishing the declared programme. These have been approached in a scientific fashion, incorporating research through design. Key precedents will then be introduced and categorised, highlighting specific strategies that will be established into the working methodology.

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[ R E ] P R E S E N T A T I O NO F S C A N N E D D A T A

The drawing to the right expresses the results from the fieldwork in Istanbul. It defines three categories of virtuality. These begin with the bottom image, the ‘virtual ideal’, a drawing derived from a manual survey of some remains of the Great Palace of Constantinople, which is then digitally translated, resulting in an idealised representation. The middle image is composed of the ‘virtual reality’, the ‘pure’ scanned information with no user interference. The top drawing expresses the ‘true virtual’ a re-calibrated data set, that has been adjusted by the user.

The next strategy of the iterative cycle, which has provided the methodology thus far, is to take the ‘true virtual’ data, or in other words the ‘distorted reality’ and complete the cycle by constructing it physically into a new reality.

“Tools of representation are never neutral. They underlie the conceptual elaboration of architectural projects and the whole process of the generation of form.” -Alberto Pérez-Gómez

The first physical model produced, completed the initial cycle of recording, distorting and then re-producing a scan. This was designed to introduce a manual distortion, the model capable of being physically extended (middle left image). This was to be scanned in both iterations, to investigate further the production of ‘virtual’ space produced by the scanner. The scanner has a specific tolerance, if the changes within a surface condition are too slight they will not be registered. The scanner will interpret the data it can collect, therefore leading to the production of a new type of ‘virtual space’.

However, the materiality of the model, a shiny, reflective acrylic resulted in the failure of a precise scan, as the reflections created too much feedback. Despite this, it created fascinating new forms, the distorted scan emerging in a totally virtual space, (top right image).

This culminated in a new model to explore the tolerances of the scanner when recording specific materials and details. The results were subsequently analysed (bottom images).

M A T E R I A L I T YD I G I T A L D I S T O R T I O N

The innate flexibility of a single scan, or a single data set, is highlighted by the top image, which presents variations of an individual scan.

Similar to an analogue form of representation, it is possible to distort or re-calibrate an original image to inform a new method of architectural production.

These scans examine the distortion of data sets as a tool of spatial production, by changing various parameters. Although they look similar they hold many different properties and information sets. The extended structures that are produced are examples of the beginning of a new definition of virtual space. The only ‘true’ information is the surface condition which was scanned, the resulting ‘depth’ apparent in some of the models is entirely virtual.

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The following images examine the data collected by both camera (green line diagrams) and 3D scanner (pink line diagrams) when recording different materials and levels of detail. The flat, 2D reproductions of the model are analysed based upon their visual information. The more the two individual images correspond to each other, the more accurate the scan. Subsequently, the materials were categorised by the extent of their distortions, and the material qualities that resulted in the warping of information (bottom diagram).

It is particularly interesting to highlight the two models that scanned very similarly, yet their photographs are completely different (middle in second row and first in third row). The models each represent the same original scan taken from Istanbul, however they are reconstructed using different tactics. One is a series of layered wood, with fractures between each piece of material. The other is a 3D printed model, a solid ‘realistic’ representation.

A N A L Y S I S

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light

texture

form

foam plastic

none

plastic

mixed

mirror plastic mixed

fabric mirror

rubber

wood

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E X T E N D I N G S P A C EI N V E N T I O N O F S I T E

In this image, taken from Le Corbusier’s grass floored ‘room’ of the Beistegui apartment in Paris, the stark white walls that obscure the well-known landscape of central Paris, are capable of relocating the building into any possible context. The vast expanse of the sky is the main reference point. However, peering over the fireplace is the Arc de Triomphe. This curated viewpoint suggests “that the partially bounded white-walled room is encircled by an imaginary territory marked by the city monument.” 17

It could be considered that although we are now aware of the context in which the room is located in, the ‘imaginary territory’ that surrounds it is a virtual projection, unique to each user. By using this technique of suggesting place, yet not revealing it in its entirety, a virtual world is provided with contextual pertinence.

17 p.63, Suzanne Ewing, Reading the site at Sverre Fehn’s Hamar Museum, Reading Architecture and Culture, 2012.

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E X T E N D I N G S P A C EK O L D I N G H U S - E X N E R

The remodelling of Koldinghus by Exner literally extends the ruins of the castle by providing a physical, protective casing around it. The framing of these ruins emphasises the castle itself as being the most extinguished exhibition within the museum.

The renovation, although confident in its expression, delicately attaches itself to the existing rubble, all new structure has been designed to be reversible.

The distinct layering of past and present in this building is suggestive of the tactics this programme will employ, when designing armatures that facilitate the experience of a rebuilt past, virtually.

E X P E R I E N C I N G S P A C E CASTELVECCHIO MUSEUMC A R L O S C A R P A

The remodeling of the Castelvecchio set a precedent for all future design of building reuse. Scarpa, much in the same way Forum Romanum developed over centuries, used the technique of “selective digs and creative demolitions [...] to untangle the intricate remains of the various historical strata of the complex”.18

Scarpa isolates various phases of the building along a determined route, to slowly reveal with clarity the complex history of the place. Clear distinction is made between the original structure before refurbishment, historic layers which have had later skins removed, and the new constructions which bind together the entire complex.

The architect adds and subtracts parts of the building, curating the building as an exhibition itself. The resulting experience is a re-modeling of the interpretation of the structure.

18 p.38, Re-Readings, Graeme Brooker & Sally Stone, 2004

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E X P E R I E N C I N G S P A C E H A M A R M U S E U MS V E R R E F E H N

Fehn’s highly orchestrated museum suspends itself above the fortress ruins, which are presented as a large spatial sculpture to be explored, and further excavated. The engagement with the past, although detached, has an essence of an almost virtual exploration of the space, the visitor hovering above the artefacts.

The ramps which glide through the space provide a clearly defined circulation route. They give protection for the ruins whilst ensuring visitor interaction with them is not hindered. These solid concrete walkways also confront the perception of old and new with conviction.

C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E

Education:Royal Danish Academy of Fine ArtsSchool of ArchitectureCopenhagen, DenmarkMA Architecture2012 - 2014

Manchester School of ArchitectureUniversity of Manchester United KingdomBA (Hons) Architecture 2008 - 2011

Work:Methodic PracticeArchitectural AssistantLondon2011-2012

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

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Websites:

http://archive.cyark.org/

http://virtualspacetheory.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/

http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet

https://books.google.com/ngrams

http://en.wikipedia.org

https://vimeo.com/84217386

https://vimeo.com/84217385

https://maps.google.co.uk/

Books:

Crowd-Souring as a Model for Problem Solving: An Introduction and Cases. Daren C. Brabham, Sage Publications, 2008.

Persistent Modelling: Extending the Role of Architectural Representation. Phil Ayres (ed.), Routeledge, 2012.

Reading Architecture and Culture, Researching Buildings, Spaces and Documents. Adam Sharr (ed.), Routeledge, 2012.

Re-Readings, Interior Architecture and the Design Principles of Remodelling Existing Buildings. Graeme Brooker and Sally Stone, RIBA Enterpris-es Ltd, 2004.

The Architectural of Virtual Space. Or Ettlinger, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Architecture, 2008.