Midcrit No. 1

After finishing the drawdels the next task is to create an addition to Pinos and Miralles' project. We are to double the amount of burial niches that exist.

Initially, my thinking was that the cemetery was a place for the dead in the sense that one can never be dead because if that were true then well you would be dead. You can't physically enter where the dead rest (the coffin...well its frowned upon in any case). And so to me there is always that threshold that exists making in this way the cemetery a place for the dead. The walls in Igualada, which became the point of focus for the drawdels, was of particular interest because this separation between living and dead is apparent. How then can there be a place where that threshold is pushed to a limit...can that relationship between living and dead be broken down?  The idea of catacombs came up. However, since the addition spaces will be used by living they shouldn't be entirely what catacombs are dark compressed cold...relatively unpleasant to be in. What if these conditions of the catacomb existed but was relieved by moments....moments of light and views up...relieved by nature. The idea of catacombs seemed to be manifested earlier on in the form that was created in the book project with this  porous field of holes that lead down into a 7 cavernous strips.

For the midcrit I decided to present the second scheme where there are these fingers (galleries may be a better word since the project has referenced catacombs)  can be entered through the existing chapel wall (the original placement was over by the culdesac before visiting the site) and terminate at a contemplative space that is below the grade of the top of the chapel. The galleries are underground in both scheme 1 and 2 and tunnel into the slope the chapel is situated in.   

To me this midcrit was particularly frustrating because many of the comments being made I had thought about/questioned or have not been able to explore yet. This is not to say that the crit was particularly good or bad...it was just that I felt nothing was completely out of left field. I suppose it is better to know that the thinking is headed in the right direction than to not be. From what I can remember the comments focused on the narrative of the catacomb...where the light wells are placed is important, how is the space experienced, perhaps there are these moments where there is relief/what are the qualities of the places a relief, maybe there are moments carved into earth that break off of the figures and create places where people can gather/rest, it is important to study light. The manipulation of the landscape/roof scape was also mentioned...the language of the field developed in the book project maybe then translates into how the ground is treated.

I think it was a matter of just not communicating what I wanted to and maybe presenting the first sketched scheme would have addressed a lot of the comments better. In the first scheme I had the galleries I do not terminate in one large contemplative space. Instead they extend into the landscape with the places of rest cross griding the galleries.

Yes the sections and the project as it stands right now do not reflect the richness of what is achieved in the book project. There needs to be more depth and the roof scape, I think, needs to reflect more of that field that is created in the book project. Perhaps there is more layering/these galleries are not limited to just one level. If this is the case how many levels are there?

either this happens or maybe larger contemplative space becomes smaller

Also, at this point, the skylights are arbitrarily connected to the gallery below....I would want to bring in this sort of skylight language that is already existing within the chapel but how does it become part of the story below... this narrative of experiences...the problem is I haven't figured out what that story it. Why is there light here and not there? What does that provoke?

Then there is a question of how to make this idea of catacombs have a dialogue with Pinios and Miralles and the site...whether that dialogue is peaceful or argumentative I feel that at this point what is placed on the site now isn't speaking to enough of what already exists...maybe it doesn't need to though or maybe it is and I think it doesn't.

so where to go from here...

Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Site plan scheme 1 above ground

Site plan 2 below ground

site section

section through catacomb