Observe and record my route through the space

Feelings and behaviors as I observed the space

Opening the large doors leading into Gallery 3 was a little like being Alice in Wonderland. The oversized door made me seem small in comparison. I also felt a sense of wonder as I walked through viewing the numerous large exhibits, wondering what each one is and means – and to the right a view directly into Gallery 4. The first few seconds on entering the room felt like decision time, which way do I go first? I was soon taken to looking up by the ceiling/light instillation, it’s depth, shapes and patterns had an impact on me so I spent some time looking up and analysing the ceiling before really spending time looking else where. I have always been attracted by pattern and symmetry so I felt a real pleasure that this ceiling/light instillation was an integral part of the building, and although it could be modified, would not change with exhibitions.

The angled walls and sharp corner in this gallery intrigued me. Interestingly I felt that I wanted to get right into the corner. Was this the aim, to pull me in, to make me feel I had to go in the direction of its point? I enjoyed this element of the building, I liked that it was out of the ordinary.

I tried to take a methodical route around the galleries but I don’t believe there had to be a method, although on one theme each instillation and series of art works spoke from themselves. With pieces around the walls as well as within the room I believe I could take any route I pleased, I did not feel restrained to one particular route.

On each of my visits I found I spent most time in Gallery 4. I felt like I could really breath here and also relax and spend time. On my second visit I was aware that this was due to increased ceiling height and the natural light which entered the gallery through the huge window and large roof panel. It seemed that when I walked into this gallery I opened my lungs and took a huge intake of breath, then relaxed and enjoyed being in the space. I was comfortable in this room, with it’s natural light, white walls, natural wooden floors and a place to sit and take time. It really felt that my body and mind was given the opportunity to de-stress.

To enter gallery 2 you must exit gallery 3 back into the foyer/reception area. when these spaces are hosting different exhibitions I can see that this works as a clear line of distinction. As all 4 galleries were utilised for the one exhibition it felt like an unwelcome break and I was a little annoyed that this barrier was in the way, rather than a doorway directly into the space.

Gallery 2 felt entirely different from 3 & 4. The white walls had gone, as had any natural light as the roof panels had been covered over. The room was painted in dark green and blue, which felt cosy, snug and almost luxurious but I also felt a sinister, menacing feeling. This was partly due to the music from the film which was being shown and the strange and curious instillation’s encased in the cavernous space. A doorway leads from gallery 2 directly into gallery 1; without thinking about it I walked around the space from wall to centre to wall again, taking in each piece until I naturally came to the doorway having taken everything in.

Through the doorway I was provided with another new experience. The space once again had the white angled walls, corners and bright light, although not natural light. This time there was no added sounds, only the hum of what I imagine was a ventilating systems. The art work in this space consisted mainly of magazine/paper articles and a lot of it. It was a smaller space in which there was a lot of tables displaying written material and banners hanging from the ceiling. I immediately did not feel as comfortable in this space as I had in the others. The hum felt like an acoustic void, which strangely made me feel like there was a lack of intimacy because I could hear what those who came to the gallery in pairs or groups were saying. The space between objects had also changed, now there was less space and so much information to look at. The space became over whelming and I no longer had that relaxed welcoming feeling that I had in the other galleries. Previously I had just thought the space and the layout of art works as somewhat unwelcoming. I have however considered the content of some of the articles on the walls, which were not all easy reading/viewing; an image of a dead women from an illegal abortion, articles about women’s battle for representation – perhaps I was not meant to feel at ease in this room, perhaps I was supposed to feel the tension and the lack of freedom.

Sound within the galleries had quiet and effect on me but it was not until I came into gallery 1 that I realised the positive effect the noise in the other galleries had. I felt like it cocooned me and allowed me my own little space where I could walk around, not having to hear what others were saying or hear noises from outside. The sounds in the other galleries were audio from films and music piped into the space as part of the exhibition. In gallery 2 a corner of the gallery had been set up like a small cinema; darkened, with seating and extremely loud music to a strange film full of close up images of parts of the body, eye balls and many other weird objects and substances. Sitting in this darkened space being blasted with loud music and large images really heightened my senses, suddenly I was aware of a pain which I had not thought about for a while and I also smelt a scent from my scarf which I hadn’t noticed before?

I believe this contemporary art space achieved its aim with its changing atmospheres which made me experience; security, pleasure, ease, edginess tension, being unsettled and awareness.

For the exercise I explored two sites both within Nottingham City centre. Nottingham Wellbeing Hub – a central hub for supporting those facing alcohol, drugs, mental health, housing and employment issues

and

Nottingham Contemporary – a visual arts centre displaying contemporary art works from across the world.

Nottingham Wellbeing Hub

I first sat in the reception/waiting area of the hub and then a secondary waiting area, which contains quiet meeting space and leads to interview rooms. I sketched and took notes about those using the space, how they interacted with the space and how busy the spaces were at the time of my visit – Friday 18^th Jan, 10am – 12pm.

Nottingham Contemporary

There are 4 galleries within The Nottingham Contemporary. I walked around all 4 but spent most of my time sketching and taking notes in the two larger galleries, 3 & 4.

How I will record my findings for exercise 1:2

On my next visit I will record my findings by taking further sketches, photographs and recordings of the sounds within the space. I will gather any available maps or plans of the space and add colour to my sketches to highlight the features which I find important.

Compare, analyse and select

When in the Wellbeing Hub I found I looked at the space on a larger scale, taking in the full picture. Whilst in the Contemporary I zoned in on particular areas and features.

There were many more people in the Wellbeing Hub, but in both sites people were coming and going. Staff were moving around, sometimes seeing them, sometimes not. Staff in the Wellbeing Hub had speed and purpose and service users came with purpose.

Staff in the contemporary, stood, moved slowly, stood and moved again. The public came in, moved around usually slowly, sometimes skirting walls which displayed art, sometimes from wall to centre and around. Most moved with what seemed like caution and care, peering in, reading, looking, walking.

I however found I took more note and notice of people in the Wellbeing Hub than I did the Contemporary. Whilst in the contemporary I was intrigued by the space, the shapes and forms within the galleries, trying to focus on the gallery space’s rather than the current exhibition, as it of course is ever changing. 

I am choosing the Nottingham Contemporary to focus and complete the further exercises on. For the reason that the building intrigued me and that I feel I have more to learn about the way people move around the galleries.

Reflection on experience

I found sitting in a space sketching and taking notes a much easier experience than I expected. I had expected to feel awkward and or uncomfortable. Most people however, left me to it not bothering with me or what I was doing so I felt I could work quite freely.

I still feel disappointed with my quality of sketching – and perspective! I’m hoping the more I do the better it will get?

Next time I will try using different hardness of pencils and add colour but the main thing I will do differently is just spend some time, walking round, watching and taking in the space before I start to sketch or take notes. I will allow myself the space and time to take in the atmosphere.

15th Jan 2019

I continued my research for part 1 of the course by briefly looking at the work of 3 key practitioners recommended in the course work; Daniel Libeskind, Peter Zumthor and Olafur Eliasson.

I created a mind map, plotting the elements which stood out for me and further expressed some of the thoughts and feelings I had, as well as expressing some thoughts and feelings I think their work might induce in others?

In the main I wanted to look at what was different about their work, what stood them apart from one another. I felt however, that light had to be attached to them all. All, I found used light to a great extent and is a large part of what evokes the strongest emotions from their work, even when light was used to a minimum.

In particular I looked at images from; Libeskind’s Holocaust museum, Zumthor’s, Therme Vals Spa and images from the book Atmospheres and Eliasson’s Your Uncertain Shadow exhibition

Drawing Skills

I have begun reading Archisketcher by Simone Ridyard in the hope to build drawing skills. Some of the sketches in this book appear so simple and misleadingly led me to believe that it would be easy to pick up pencil and paper and start drawing with some skill.

I drew a lot when I was younger and felt I had a reasonable amount of skill at that time. Today I found much it harder than I imagined, it was neither a simple or easy to pick up again.

I began with using a viewer which I created but soon found that my perspective and dimensions were still out. I dropped the viewer and continued to draw. I then had to drop some of the elements within my view.

In retrospect I think, for a first attempt, I gave myself too many elements within the view to consider – even with omitting at least 2 more fence lines! I also suffer from back pain and I stood for the 50 mins or so it took me to complete this, which was a mistake. I will need to consider positioning for future sketches and when undertaking sketching on site visits.

I shall continue to practice.

Project 1: Spatial Analysis

13th Jan 2019

I began my work for this project by initially laying out the areas I have to consider, as seen below. I felt this would be a useful tool to inform me once I begin to visit sites.

I initially considered 3 sites to visit to analyse the space and the atmosphere created in these spaces, or at least my perception of the atmosphere. The sites are Ikea Nottingham, Nottingham Wellbeing Hub and Portland Gallery at Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire. When aiming to gain permission I found that the Portland Gallery is currently closed until Easter, I await a response to an email I sent to Ikea and The Wellbeing Hub is run by the company I work for so I will request permission next week.

Further to this I have began researching atmosphere in architecture, having now: * Read Atmospheres a by Peter Zumthor and considered images from this book and his work. * Watched a video interview with Daniel Libeskind, The Voices of a Site (https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=_pWov-9PMNQ) and also studied some images of his work. * Read the transcript of Architect, Professor Juhani Pallasmaa’s, lecture on SPACE, PLACE and ATMOSPHERE – peripheral perception in existential experience.

I have very much enjoyed carrying out this task. It has given me much insight into what some architects believe creates architecture; which is that which is perceived in the spaces between the walls, ceilings and floors of structures. As Libeskind suggested ‘you can see the walls, you can see the windows but you can’t see the architecture, architecture is the atmosphere the story that has been created and you are part of it’ The Voices of a Site (Libeskind, 2018)

I, like others I’m sure, would have considered the structures themselves to be the architecture but having now read and listened to these architects I can fully appreciate that; light, or lack of, materials and textures provided, dimensions, colours and temperature, these plus many other elements create a feeling within us, emotions which determine our attitude towards a space. ‘As we enter a space, the space enters us, and the experience is essentially an exchange of the object and the subject.’ (Pallasmaa, 2011)

Reading how architecture can stir such emotion in us reminded me of feelings I had about architecture when I was younger. Travelling the short distance from my provincial town, I wandered around the Victorian and Edwardian buildings in the West End of Glasgow. I adored the far superior buildings that I experienced in my town. I spied in windows to see the wonderful cornicing’s and ceiling roses and beautiful décor within some of these gorgeous homes. I enjoyed what I looked at so much and wished that I could have it too and I felt I wanted to consume it! I wanted it to be part of me and I wanted to be part of it. I never understood why I had this overwhelming feeling and thought it was a little odd. My recent research does not make me feel quite so odd now. ‘Quality architecture to me is when a building manages to move me.’ (Zumthor 2003:38)

I would say that I now better understand and agree with what I have read from these architects but have a little difficulty with Libeskind stating:
‘I am not nostalgic, people with nostalgia are people who do not believe in the future’ (Libeskind, 2018) yet he talks so much of memory and its affect on his architecture. For me, currently, it is hard to separate memory and nostalgia, particularly when memories are to be used for future purposes? Perhaps this is something I will see differently as I continue my studies?

I will continue my research for Part 1 of my course by looking at more images of the suggested architects works. Further to this I aim to practice sketching, before undertaking any site visits.

Bibliography

Libeskind, Daniel 2016. The Voices of a Site [online video] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=_pWov-9PMNQ [Accessed 13 January 2019]

Pallasmaa, Juhani (2011) SPACE, PLACE AND ATMOSHPERE – peripheral perception in existential experience [Helsinki, 9 June 2011] [Accessed 13 January 2019]

Zumthor, Peter (2006) Atmospheres. Basel: Birkhauser