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SCALAR IMPOSITION

PROJECT

Author: Samuel Castaneda
University: Cornell University
Instructor(s): Luben Dimcheff, Dasha Khapalova, Warisara Sudswong
Title: Scalar Imposition

Sigiriya Rock Fortress is an UNESCO site in the center of Sri Lanka. The rock formation rises almost 700 feet above the surrounding land. Leading up to the beginning of the ascension of the rock, there is a grand garden. From this garden, along with some previous precedent studies, a rectilinear “C” modular unit was derived. The aim of the intervention was to create a series of spaces that would serve a scholar looking to study any chosen aspect of the site. With the modular unit and the over arching idea of the intervention in mind, the project looked to play with the scale of the “C” module, from walls and ceilings to steps and benches. By using the module at all scales the intervention began to take on an “interconnectiveness” that created a strong relationship between the trek up and the communal spaces offered within the intervention. Additionally, Sigiriya Rock Fortress offers three key elements, ground, mass, and void. Due to this personal observation, the intervention looked to occupy all three by choosing to intervene in an existing cave located almost half way up the total height of the rock.

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