Gallery Crit #1

Street View of Gallery

Gallery Interior

Our final project for my space studio class is a redesign of the Mina Dresden Gallery on Valencia in the Mission District.

Formal Crit. #1

Above is a picture from our first formal crit. It took me 15 minutes to pin everything up. Included (moving left to right) are site photographs, site analysis studies (looking at light, materiality, traffic patterns and the buildings connection to the outside), existing site model on the floor, source images for our concept models, collage (not pictured, below), concept models (floor right), concept model photographs, and finally concept diagrams. We developed these items in the order I just listed them.

Volume Collage

Materiality Collage

Light Collage

Now we are in the process of using our conceptual ideas and applying them to the specific space. Many interior designers use this process before each project! It's a lot of work, but I developed a lot of ideas I would not have thought of if I had started working just with the site. So far I've been working with the divider idea to create private spaces in the public area (the gallery). I'm working on applying this idea to the private area as well.

Early Divider Model
Using rigid divides

Later Division Model
Tension model look

Human View Inside with Tension Dividers

The images above are based on the divider idea using triangular pieces of fabric similar to tension structures. Mina can change the lighting intensity and color or project images onto them. This would allow for video installation work to be shown as well. The fabric will also help during loud gallery openings. The fabric would be adjustable via snaps inset into the floor and along the wooden beams on the wall to allow an unlimited number of set ups. The two vertical ones at the end of the hall divide the public (gallery) from the private (her apartment).

Tension Structure
copyright Pink Inc.

My three goals for the space are:
1. Make light more ample
2. Define public and private spaces more clearly
3. Allow adjustability to accommadate a variety of artists

Repurposed for Good Purposes

I ran across this article about old shipping containers repurposed into medical clinics y Anshen + Allen. There are about 20 million container castoffs worldwide that can be saved from rusting in a junk yard and instead turned into clinics. I've also seen homes, classrooms, and even temporary surfing practice areas built with these containers. What's different with this design is that they have added a second roof/awning so that the containers don't define the space making them feel less large and foreign.

Christo Installation

The Running Fence
by Christo (1960s)

We just complete our midterm project for my Space Studio class. The assignment was to research a contemporary artist and create an installation in our school's entry way based on their work. My artist was Christo, who did The Gates in NYC Central park along with many other fabric covering works. (Note, it's a husband and wife team. Sadly the wife, Jean-Caulde died last Nov.)

The Gates (NYC Central Park)
by Christo (2005)

After looking at a lot of his works, I decided upon a design that used organza fabric (like his current work Over the River) as large panels (as The Running Fence) to create a new space within the entry way. One of the main problems with this entry way is the high foot traffic deters people from eating or even linging there and enjoying its architecture, including an open skylight.

Over the River
by Christo (under construction)

Below are a few of my sketch models using two colors of fabric.



Concept boards showing the feeling I'd hope visitors come away with. The changing color overlays and new space created.



Final Model + Drawings

My final design incorporated the three primary colors of an artist's pallet and used 4 pannels to create a space within a space. The haven in the middle of the courtyard provides a semi-private area for those using the tables to eat or chat while leaving the main walkways unobstructed.

Scaled Drawings

Eye-Level View from Street

View from A2 Cafe

Bird's eye view