Technics Platforms
PROJECT
Author: Alexander Htet Aung Kyaw
University: Cornell University
Instructor(s): Luben Dimcheff, Dasha Khapalova, Warisara Sudswong
Title: Technics Platforms
The site is a constructed landscape following the language of tectonic plates. When tectonic plates shift, a movement of a plate is accommodated by a change in another plate. This phenomenon allows for interesting translations within the cluster of plates that are interconnected through movement. In the constructed site, the translations of these plates are influenced by a central source representing a center of gravity for these movements. When the plates are layered on top of each other, the tectonic relationship between the plates formulates spatial arrangements within the site. The reciprocating nature of the shifting plates allows for different ranges of spatial moments throughout the site transitioning from a threshold to a channel. The site is intervened by an observatory platform following a similar tectonic language of the site. By layering the platforms within the site, the resulting outcome allows for an ambiguous transition between the site and intervention. While the observatory platforms serve as a bridge linking the endpoints of the constructed site, the layering of the slabs allows for moments within the steps that are designed for programs such as sitting, viewing and resting.
The rotational language of the landscape and intervention is reflected from a previous exercise of constructing a mounted drawing machine. The mounted drawing machine uses a rotational force as an input to create ink drawings that attempt to visualize the center of gravity within the movement of the machine. Both the site+intervention and the mounted drawing machine are explorations that focus on the visualization of a center of gravity in relation to the rotational translations associated within each project. The site+intervention is represented using wood from a discarded log. The site’s dimensions are 24" by 24" by 6”. The mounted drawing machine follows the dimension of a 26" by 40" Lenox sheet.