Aikari Paing's projects examine various instances and definitions of tension. The first project explores a personal interpretation of seismology and geoscience and the second two site buildings in both the discrete and overt seismic landscapes of London and Los Angeles respectively.
Aikari Paing
University College London
Bartlett School of Architecture
Jury
Nick Jacobs (Chair)
Roger Kallman (Advisor)
Ian Ritchie
"Tension: The Buildup of Tension between Tectonic Plates" is my theme for the year's work. This was expressed as an installation in the first project, which made use of soap film physics as a metaphorical representation. In the installation, quick bursts of energy as the colors cancelled were a visual expression of tension. This helped me decide upon a leisure activity, Quasar, for my second project. In the second project, a leisure space in the city, tension was again expressed metaphorically. This was through viewing and the element of surprise from the site and the game spaces. The third project is a geoscience museum sited in Santa Monica, LA. The site is a vast flat plane, which drops to the Santa Monica highway. It also borders Main Street with the controlled civic blocks as well as First Court and activity on Ocean Avenue.
3D Model—Geoscience museum sited in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. © Aikari Paing.
3D Model—Geoscience explores many topics that deal with the earth. © Aikari Paing.
3D Model—The edges of the plates could be viewed as engravings in a skin. © Aikari Paing.
Geoscience explores many topics dealing with the Earth. Plate tectonics are a basic although large factor of the ground being alive. The edges of these plates could be viewed as engravings in a skin and where the edges meet, there is always a state of tension.
My first gesture was to cut into the site to illustrate fragments of the Earth's geography and to emphasize the flatness of LA and of the site. The cuts created a landscape of copper planes and gravel canyons. Tire marks in the gravel indicate movement into the canyon where the museum and parking area are located. The museum has been separated into two main program routes. One is on general information, while the other is a research route. The copper planes, an extension of the curbs and an expression of horizontal weight, are large tanks of water. The canyons, which inhabit the museum, are an expression of vertical pressure. The Californian sun makes the cuts dynamic. It creates patterns of shadow in the landscape and the contrast of light and shadow emphasizes the edge quality of the planes.
1:50 Cross Section / Detail #2—Sunlight is directed to hide the supports, hence indicating the weight of the planes. © Aikari Paing.
1:50 Cross Section / Detail #3—Main museum route: concrete, Research route: glass, Entry routes: stone, Cafe route: wood. © Aikari Paing.
1:50 Cross Section / Detail #5—The two routes are separated by horizontal artificial light. © Aikari Paing.
Aikari Paing
University College London
Bartlett School of Architecture
is associate director at the London-based architecture and design practice Squire & Partners.
