Disconnected Atlas is an architectural design project which was completed at 3rd year studio of Istanbul Technical University. These series of structures were located at Lunapark Square which is the center of Princes' Islands, Istanbul. The square has a crucial role as a public space, and creates an intersection point between "the pier" and "The Church of St. George". Moreover the structure proposes a new relationship between the habitants, the non-islanders and the carriages.
Disconnected Atlas is a therapy space which processes through "human memory". The mechanic elements of the structure promise a memory-based experience to the visitors with the contribution of the mystical aura of Lunapark Square. The project was designed through the term transpose as a starting point at the studio, and inspired by Adrian Forty's ideas in Art of Forgetting book, and Rachel Whiteread's large-scale installations.
JUNE, 2015
First diagram; inputs and outputs of the equation / the island
The idea was constructed around mathematical expression of the term transpose; the structure is an equation, and if the inputs are replaced by someone or something (architectural space), the existence of Disconnected Atlas can't be changed. In the diagram, each living thing in the island (habitants, non-islanders/tourists, nature) is depicted as positive and negative signs which are inputs and outputs of the entire system. Atlas refers to the mental mapping of both the patients and the islanders' mind, and also works as a recorder that replicates the behaviors of its visitors. As a treatment method, the consciousness of the patients will be disconnected from their bodies and minds in time.
Section practice 01; spatial transformations in time
In order for the space to grow layer by layer, both a freezable and meltable material is needed.
The "resin" that can be extracted from pine trees around the square looks suitable for this purpose.
Section practice 02; a search for a therapy method
When an object that has been negatively molded in the frozen resin, and has special meaning
to its owner are melted, does the object-oriented memory disappear same as the resin block?
This question reminds the destruction of Rachel Whiteread's "House" (1993) work years later,
and makes it question again.
Section practice 03; freezing and melting
Scene 01: The user starts to the therapy with arranging approximately 30 m2 space which can be moved
in vertical direction. This installation reflects a specific atmosphere from the user's mind.
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Scene 02: First, the arranged space is filled with the resin. Then a negative outline of the space is generated
because of extracted objects from the frozen resin. Rest of the resin layer is melted as a final step,
and expected to erased object-oriented negative memories.
Physical model after section practices
After the practices through section drawings and physical models, first main part of Disconnected Atlas was discovered;
it's CopyCat.
There are two main, and three supportive structures in the project. While CopyCats directly related with the therapy methods and help the user forgetting object-oriented memories, Banks, on the contrary, create a locked space for each user to preserve all of them. As supportive structures, Gates create a relationship between the square and the outside, ResinBags store the base material of the therapy process, and FeedBags create a public area for the horses in the Lunapark Square.
Main plan
C: CopyCats; B: Banks; G; Gates; R: ResinBags; F: FeedBags
A scene from the Banks area and an observatory tower
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