Design Studio 6
Thesis Design
Developing a Thesis
this project was an investigation of the building as a mediator between the urban fabric and the internal forces of its own program.
Section CONNECTion
I designed a music theater for a difficult, steep hillside, in Albany which separates Empire State Plaza from Sheridan Hollow,. this threshold, as provided by the change in grade, has caused a division between these two communities, which over time has lead to a demographic separation as well. using the sites close proximity to the emerging cultural district of downtown Albany as a catalyst a program was chosen which would be able to bridge the gap between these neighboring areas, while also supplying a pedestrian passage way which would serve as a constant connection, further breaking down barriers that might otherwise exist between the communities.
section connection ties together these distinct areas both programmatically, as well as urbanistically, by providing entry into both theaters from either neighborhood. this enables the architecture to blur the boundaries between public and private, and begin to create “charged” spaces in the building. these spaces define thresholds of program, as well as user groups. these thresholds, in conjunction with material changes in the building, further the dialogue between exterior and interior, as well as site and structure.