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Dyslexia_Literature_Imagination / Yerevan State University Library and Archive

Part 2 Project 2010
Andrew David Green
 University of Lincoln Lincoln | UK
A collection of 20th century novels form the conceptual basis of the thesis and a series of abstract allegorical artworks attempt to translate visceral ambiguities of the imagination into abstract two and three dimensional space. Each artwork responds directly to individual and collective themes and scenarios within the novels; exploring space, atmosphere, composition, ephemerality, form and colour.

Initial research of language and literature lead to site selection in Yerevan, Armenia, a country with a tumultuous past that has origins at the very beginning of recorded history. A period of Intensive contextual analysis revealed a country is saturated in vibrant colour and aroma with a rich, complex history of language and literature and a diverse cultural grain which is reflected in the physical environment and its native people.

The program is derived from ideas explored within the design studio and as a response to the unique political and cultural context of Armenia and the city of Yerevan. The building is fundamentally a repository of knowledge that distributes and provides access to information, fulfilling its archival purpose of preserving knowledge and its public purpose of accessing knowledge.

The supremacy of the book has been challenged by the digital revolution. Now knowledge is virtually everywhere: it has broken free of the constraint of buildings. Electronic knowledge is nowadays available to everybody, practically everywhere, however, just as the printing press changed access to knowledge, information technology has revolutionized the library. The library is no longer a functional container but a cultural icon, a symbol of intellectual regeneration and metaphor for contemporary zeitgeist society.

Architectural composition draws on the exploitation of spatial and architectonic qualities inherent within the artworks. Certain scenarios within the novels are manifest within the architecture and it is possible to imagine distinct situations in terms of their unique spatial relationships. The building is conceived as a complex network that establishes a series of interconnected relationships between; scenarios within the novels, programmatic, departmental and ancillary functions of the building, intricacies of the libraries collection, predicted events within the building and their fusion with the cultural and physical characteristics of the site.

http://www.behance.net/andrewdavidgreen
Andrew David Green

Andrew’s project is an exploration of doubt and uncertainty in ones own abilities, it uses as its drivers an examination and exploration of the authors own short comings to formulate and articulate an architectonic language. At each stage of the project Andrew seeks to challenge his own preconceptions and his own assumptions about working methodologies and architectonic form. He manifested this through the production of many artefacts, which sort to articulate ideas and emotions, which were new to him.

The result is a project that contains many facets all of which are drawn together into a cohesive whole. The projects success comes from Andrew’s ability to knit together seamlessly these facets. What became apparent was the rigor and intensity of work required to achieve this. To examine ones weakest abilities placing them under intense scrutiny and then to produce a project of such complexity and nuance is a testimony to his abilities and endeavour. As such Andrew should only be congratulated on his achievement.

Tutor(s)
Mr Richard Wright
2010
The thesis was established following a conversation about my personal experience with dyslexia. The notion that my dyslexia has restricted me from reading my entire life. In particular, never reading a novel, subjectively restricting my imagination…
Subsequently, I have been using audiobooks, and through the medium of the spoken word, a collection of novels has opened up my eyes to an unknown pleasure; the delight and satisfaction of understanding a novels plot, theme and context.
A series of abstract allegorical artworks, collages & vignettes attempt to translate visceral ambiguities of the imagination into abstract two and three dimensional space. Each artwork responds directly to collective themes & scenarios within the novels.
Rationale for site selection in Yerevan, lies in the genealogical connection with my Armenian ancestry, the countries complex history of language where to a certain extent literature has been oppressed by communism & manifested prejudice against dyslexia
SITE: 112 -131 Teryan Street, Yerevan. The building site is situated on the edge of the cities circular grid educational sector, North East of the central business district, surrounded by a network of educational and cultural Institutions.
The country is saturated with vibrant colour and aroma. The city of Yerevan was transformed into a modern industrial metropolis during the 20th century when it became one of the fifteen republics in the Soviet Union.
The program is derived from a response to ideas explored within the design studio and specific contextual analysis in the city of Yerevan. The building Is fundamentally a repository of knowledge which distributes and provides access to this information.
The formal and spatial composition of the building is derived from ideas & concepts explored within the design studio, responds to the unique & urban context & perhaps most importantly, reacts to the function & evolving programmatic typology of library.
The formal and spatial composition of the building is derived from ideas & concepts explored within the design studio, responds to the unique & urban context & perhaps most importantly, reacts to the function & evolving programmatic typology of library.
MARKET PLACE The library has evolved into one large reading room, a kind of “trading floor of electronic learning” Level 1F, the central core of the building from which primary functions are accessed, a large open market-place of digital interaction.
The library primarily caters for the Academic institutions within the city of Yerevan however the building is essentially a multifunctional cultural institution within an educational urban context offering a combination of different public services.
The elevated structure accommodates three storeys with two intermediate storeys of interwoven, hermetically sealed library space that is connected to the plaza, carpark and archive below by a series of escalators, elevators and stair cores.
Certain scenarios within the novels are manifest within the architecture and it is possible to imagine certain situations in terms of their unique spatial relationships and specified functions respond to specific context and events within the novels.
The book spiral is a manifestation of research & analysis into library classification & the spatial & pragmatic organization of knowledge. The stacks are organized on a continuous plate & floor planes are manipulated to form a single trajectory.
The building becomes a manifestation of the research & analysis, a translation of Imagination into abstract three-dimensional space. The architectural composition is dependant on the exploitation of spatial & architectonic qualities within the artworks.
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