Suryansh Chandra - Temple of Liberation

[Suryansh Chandra]

Finally I have made up my mind to submit to this contest overcoming huge mountains of laziness... I have been looking at the posts here for sometime now... and I must say I am not very confident if I can produce much substance in comparison to some the other entries here...

Being an architect and having formal training in art, I have studied optical illusions to a good amount of detail and one artist (or maybe illusionist) I have always been inspired by is MC Escher. He has produced some absolutely stunning works tweaking the concepts of Perpectives, Fish Eye Lenses and orthographic projections, and some concepts of geometry and optics that I am not even elgible enough to describe.

One of my all time favourites among his works is 'Liberation' (picture attached), which is what my entry is inspired by. Though it is not as complex and 3 dimensional as some of his other works, but I love it for the transition it depicts from a triangle (geometrically & structurally the most rigid form known to man) to birds flying away (metaphorical symbol of freedom, liberation and limitless imagination). It is the metaphorical meaning of 'breaking free' associated with it along with the graphic representation that I intend to manifest in my entry to this contest.

I like to call my submission 'Competition to Liberation" but I dont think that will be allowed here . The idea is to make a building that manifests same spirit as that of the painting. The following points describe what I have in mind presicely:

1. FUNCTION: In terms of function, the most appropriate thing that comes to my mind is a huge temple which by virtue of its sight itself starts making one feel better (maybe induces the feeling of liberation like none other). The form should be a graphic synonym of freedom.
2. ENVIRONMENT/LOCATION: Locationally, the place should also induce the same spirit... that of FLIGHT, LIMITLESSNESS. I think it would help if it is constantly breezy, so I thought of either putting it on top of a mountain, or placing it on a sea beach, or maybe a country side with unlimited expanse of green fields with tiny yellow flowers... that I will experiment a bit and finalise.
3. SCALE: I dont want to make it extraordinarily large, because I think thats the easiest way to making it iconic (it is definitely subconcious, even if a simple cuboid is blown up to a 100 floors, it appears to be awe-inspiring. I am just making things a little difficult in the beginning. I am trying to get the form to do that rather than the scale). I am thinking on the scale of about 6-10 conventional floors. Ofcourse, if that wont get me the desired effect, I will have no choice but to scale it up extremely.
4. MATERIALS: As laid out in the rules, it has to be contemporary and be absolutely buildable, so it will be that. Although my first milestone image maynot exactly say so, but it should be fine once the detailing comes in.
5. POV: I am thinking of something eye level only, possibly with some smaller, more humble structure seen at the corner of the eye in the foreground to enhance the feel of scale. The typology of that structure will be finalised once I have decided what environment to use.
   
   
   
   I hope I have poured out all that I have had in my head, and I can do justice to MC Escher's work. I had made an immature attempt once about 6 years back to do the same, but was using a very rudimentary software back then. This was when I was in college and studying Escher, so I was almost compelled to do it looking at his works. I have attached a few images of those as well.
   
   Attached is my First Milestone Sketch (with a very basic model), MC Escher's "Liberation", and my college time attempt at the same thing.
   
   Hoping to be firing on all cylinders...

[TheAllusionist]

Welcome to the contest, your entry sounds interesting and a visual 'allusion' is good subject matter. To make your entry meet the rules, I need to edit your thread title to include your name, is your screen name 'Suryansh Chandra' your actual name? If not could you provide it so that we can edit your thread title to meet the rules

Welcome aboard and good luck!

[Suryansh Chandra]

Yes, that is my actual name.

[neha]

Hey Suryansh...looks very promising...welcome to the contest

[anonyma]

Welcome to AW2 Suryansh!

let me tell you i was astonished in every paragraph of your conceptS description...trully strong and full of dynamic ideas...

here's just one suggestion...i think you may try to get this interpretation of Escher reference...in a more subtle way...there's 2 elements...the perspective, and the geometric de-construction or morphing that takes your "material elements" to a new appreciation of it...

im thinking about the environment that could be the perfect match to your proposal...and the beach and the sea is one of the places i find (personally) more inspiring...so maybe your (let's call it provisionally) building uses this three elements to consolidate what the contest is trying to promote as end...

good luck and read ya soon!

[pyang]

you have some very interesting thoughts. The trick is to visualize them into 3d form. good luck.

[Suryansh Chandra]

Thanks for the encouraging comments everybody! Will try to post an update soon.

Thanks Anonyma, even I prefer the beach over the other two and that is what was the first picture that came into my mind as was reading about this contest the very first time.

I agree it is becoming a very direct representation of his painting, I have to work a bit to make it subtle. also, the scale is not readable right now because there is no detail, its just like a slightly distorted box, but all that will come. I am also wondering if the form is making it look shattered or bombed more than what I intend to make it look like...

[neha]

Suryansh, I like the way your project is going. Your structure will elolve once you start working on it. However, I would like to see you break away from the box-form of the structure and give it more of a dimention in space....like for eg. the second image above....going more vertical maybe...just my 2 cents!

[cybeo]

Could be interesting if it isn't too unrealistic, for example image 3 is a fantasy structure rather than a real one, although slim members and innovative bracing could result in a stunning effect.

[Suryansh Chandra]

Thanks for the invaluable suggestions & comments everybody.. please keep them coming, they are a great help to me (especially when I am not sure if my structure is looking the way it should at all)...

Working a bit on the form, trying to make it more realistic, as well as trying to not make it look 'destroyed'. I am hoping this turns out fine when I model this.... specially the upper half (hope it conveys what it should).

Still a lot of detailing to go on the glass (maybe polycarbonate to flex with that shape), aluminium, base, junctions, interior, etc. plus also need to think how is the thickness of members going to reduce as they go up.

Comments & Critiques welcomed... they are a very great help