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THE LIBRARY OF MEMORIES

Part 2 Project 2005
Tim Wolfe-Murray
 University of Greenwich | UK
THE LIBRARY OF MEMORIES

"It is yours to make sense of, and the value of it is nothing else but the sense that you choose" Jean Paul Sartre

The Library embraces the notion that it has the capacity to accommodate every memory of every person, whilst appearing to physically contain nothing. Intentionally the Library seeks to mystify and surprise its visitors. It is a puzzle to be solved by those who visit the Library, and much like Perec's novel, 'Life; A User's Manual,' countless puzzles are unsolvable. The true satisfaction is to be acquired by enjoying the process of solving the puzzle and discovering how the building works. Visitors follow the route of five characters from the novel each carrying 5 objects over the building's 5 stories. The project was undertaken whilst writing a thesis entitled "Psychoanalysis: The Architecture of Alfred J Hitchcock," and the final renderings depict spaces from Hitchcock's route through the library, exploiting the architectural qualities of his films.



UPSIDE W - thinkers and makers - ATELIER 11,
EDMUND FRITH & ALEX GRAEF

Our Atelier has been researching Thames Gateway stories for the last three years, Tim had previously undertaken an obsessive investigation of the work of Ian Sinclair & the Isle of Grain. This year the Gateway site was the new and emerging city of Medway and the programme was the library. We started with the dissection of the Perec text; Tim's reading of the lives within the text was exquisitely crossed with the ideas of Robert Fludds and Guilio Romano's Memory Theatre (see The Art of Memory by Francis Yates). Tim has been playing with technology and construction via the incorporation of the five characters. The post-structural and programmatic games on the River Medway's derelict Sun Pier, have created a remarkable proposal for the cultural life of the city.

2005
The Library of Memories strives to re-awaken a deteriorating pier upon The River Medway.
The five luminaries of memory congregate in their individual rooms [Isometric]
Each character's route is meticulously calculated. [Design Process]
Prototype model based upon preliminary routes. [Sketch Model]
The Central Core and The Vessel. Interaction between site and The Library. [Site Plan]
The Birds 1963. The Library embraces both those who understand and those who do not.
Memories of Wittgenstein. Those that were missing would be remembered most. [Sectional Perspective of Service Routes]
Waltzes From Vienna 1933. Wittgenstein's memories encounter Monsieur Trombe. [Technology Experiment]
Individuals who filter out the numerous red herrings and solve the puzzles will discover a library based upon 5 iconic characters.
Permanent retention in the subconscious occurs after the five stages of memory .[Floor Plans]
Maybe you'll get what you wanted. Maybe you'll stumble upon it. Everything you ever wanted in a permanent state. [Contextual Perspective]
Fragments of past memories. [External Perspective of Hitchcock's Route]
The Thirty Nine Steps 1935. Every step that you take could be your biggest mistake. [Internal Perspective of Einstein's Route]
Rear Window 1954. [External Perspective]
".....it is yours to make sense of, and the value of it is nothing else but the sense that you choose." Jean Paul Sartre
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