2015 SOM Prize for Architecture, Design, and Urban Design
The Corner: A Marker of the New, a Memory of the Past

In a basic sense, a corner is the point where converging lines, edges, or sides meet. However, its significance in architecture greatly controls how we see and perceive the world around us. As a place of coalescing, the corner is often the moment where significant change occurs. The phrase “turn the corner” embodies that this element is much more than an intersection. It is both a marker of the new and a memory of the past. The corner is not a neutral element, rather, it is the point in which a transition, whether subtle or direct, is made.

Throughout history, the cornerstone has been the iconic first element laid in a building’s construction, with each subsequent element being placed in relation. When articulated carefully, a corner forms an introduction to a new set of conditions: it expresses the dynamic moment, initiating a shift in perspective. Both from an urban spatial point of view and through the material of the building itself, an architect is always presented with an opportunity to direct or entice a beautiful turn.

Components of The Corner

I define the corner as both a natural and man-made system. This study sought an understanding of the unit itself as a building block within other systems in nature and in architecture. Although narrowed to a single element, the study of corners has allowed me to tie together broader questions of movement, spatial sequencing, curiosity, and memory. I became intrigued with corner conditions and their thresholds during my fourth year while studying abroad in Switzerland. I noticed at Carlo Scarpa’s Brion Cemetery that each corner turned seemed to lead to a new world, carefully crafting an architectural narrative. Tactile material elements at the scale of the hand compliment the large-scale moves with heavy concrete. Scarpa choreographs each moment, small or large, to generate a compelling atmosphere of the space. Upon further reflection, I realized that the material corner was of just as much significance in choreographing these moments.

While the corner is often perceived as a physical turn, the implications of this moment create a spatial entity. In the Säynätsalo Town Hall by Alvar Aalto, the corner turns from one continuous face to form a stepped facade. In doing so, the corner becomes more than the physical turn of the brick, rather, it implies a volume—a place to linger while transitioning from one moment to the next.

As illustrated in Katsura Villa in Kyoto, Japan, operable screens form boundaries between spaces, allowing light and shadow to transmit through a beautifully crafted translucent veil. Through crafting natural materials, a system is created that defines the corner not through a sequence of events, but through a material reality.

In addition to its physical manifestation, I define the corner in more broad terms as a place where imagination starts to define and imply boundaries and thresholds. At the House of Light by James Turrell in Tokamachi, Japan, the spaces are quite straightforward in their definition. With the addition of light, however, layers are added to the equation, with mystery and intrigue guiding the mind to contemplate what lies beyond or through the surface. While difficult to quantify, these same qualities are present throughout projects more clearly defined, tying back to larger questions of curiosity as a guiding force for movement.

Constructing the Study

The study sought to define intersections as areas of significant change and investigated the role the corner plays in tying these areas together. Additionally, the study attempted to understand both physical and implied relationships that are engaged to form a corner.

Through a variety of scales, from the detail to the city, the corner was explored, attempting to understand the role this frequent shift into a new set of conditions has in characterizing a place. As posited by Jane Jacobs in The Death and Life of Great American Cities, she states, “Most blocks must be short; that is, streets and opportunities to turn corners must be frequent.” The corner serves as the mediator between the scale of the person and the city as demonstrated by the use of the street for public space in Japan or through projects such as the Oslo Opera House.

While corners exist everywhere, the set of countries this study was based on all share a common thread. The notion of craft has permeated the cultures I visited, being integral to the day-to-day life of the countries. Craft bears significance through multiple avenues. First, attention to detail and thoughtfulness in process allow for a range of scales to be investigated, while simultaneously studying larger cultural systems at play. Additionally, the connection with nature is presented, whether through the direct use of materials or through the way in which a viewer occupies the surrounding landscape. Finally, beauty is presented in everyday objects and places, a belief that architecture and design aren’t luxuries only enjoyed by a few.

Methods of Investigation

This study catalogued selected critical findings through photography (digital + 35 mm film), drawing, sketching, and writing. Through meetings with architects, designers, artists, and other individuals, the study attempted to delve deeper into each of the countries visited and understand the many complex layers comprising the built form.

This award has given me the opportunity to further explore the architecture of the corner as exemplified by the many projects, places, and people I visited. I am left with more questions than when I arrived, questions that will sustain my endeavors for years to come.

One of the most amazing things about travel is that it exposes one to so many different layers of information and experience at any given moment. While the travels were concentrated to areas I believed to be fairly homogenous, many differences emerged. As Bill Bryson stated, “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”

11 Languages

Icelandic, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Japanese, Italian, Romansch, Swiss German, French, German

2 Continents

Furthest North: 70°N (Vardø, Norway), East: 140°E (Sendai, Japan), South: 34°N (Hiroshima, Japan), West: 21°W (Reykjavík, Iceland)

7 Currencies

1 USD = 122.70 ISK, 8.38 NOK, 0.90 EUR, 8.57 SEK, 6.77 DKK, 101.34 JPY, 1.00 CHF

76 Cities and Towns

Largest Population: 13,617,445 (Tokyo, Japan), Smallest: 266 (Búðardalur, Iceland)

235 Projects

Oldest: 1st Century BC, Newest: 2016 AD

159 Days

2.52 Days Per Location, 40 Airbnb Stays, 17 Hotels, 6 Other Stays

3 Seasons

Spring, Summer, Fall

63,184 Kilometers

70 Trains, 16 Buses, 13 Flights, 10 Ferries, 5 Rental Cars

Documentation

4 Journals, 3 Sketchbooks, 2 Cameras

Artifacts

19,088 Photos, 416 Instagram Posts, 98 Blog Posts

Iceland

Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Japan

Germany, Italy, and Switzerland