Countless centuries has sailed by since humanity first discovered
the method of travelling across the far stretched oceans that
divided undiscovered continents. As noted by Le Corbusier, these
liners were deemed being an engineering feat of the twentieth
century, as their design resembled an epitome of indulgence
and hospitality. As the average lifespan of a commercial liner is
25 years, the shipping industry is reaching a pinnacle point in time
where countless ships will be decommissioned. As these vessels
were originally built to be both functional and appealing in nature,
why have them reduced to hazardous scrap metal, when they can
be repurposed on land?
In order to physically implement such an interior endeavor, both
a decommissioned ship ideal in typology and status, along with a
suited location for docking was to be advocated. The selection of
Robinson Dry Dock as host and the SS Nomadic as habitant allowed
for the spatial intervention of a retail-orientated and recreational
facility to be envisioned. As opposed to the mere institution of a
heritage approach, the appendage of a new layer is proposed
that will allow for past recollection and future addition thereon - thus a palimpsest of design in terms of programmatic response and
actual materiality.
As the spatial and structural formation of vessels primarily rely on
steel and the construction of a dock on concrete, these materials
will be probed comprehensively in standings of their vulnerability to
degradation. Proposed avenues of material investigation permits
corrosion protection, historic decay preservation and intentional
oxidation techniques that can conceivably ground potential
design implementations. The decisive spatial outcome aims to
endorse the idea that corrosion can act as a tool of architectural
beautification, rather than a mere entity of intimidation. This idea
is heightened by the insertion of a microbrewery that factually
exemplifies the splendor of aging.
Rather than promoting slavish alternative shipbreaking approaches
and mere demolition practices, layered architectural alteration,
as outlined by Fred Scott in his book, On Altering Architecture, will
allow for the creation of a spatial intervention that is honest, nonintrusive
and profound.
Ontelbare eeue het verby geseil sedert die mensdom 'n reismetode
ontwikkel het wat hul in staat sou stel om uitgestrekte oseane, wat
onontdekte kontinente verdeel, te verken. Soos opgeteken deur
Le Corbusier, was hierdie lynbote beskou as 'n kordaatstuk vir
ingenieurswese in die 20ste eeu, aangesien die ontwerp daarvan
getuig van toegeeflikheid en gasvryheid. Omdat die gemiddelde
leeftyd van 'n kommersi?le boot 25 jaar is, het die skeepindustrie
'n punt bereik waar heelwat skepe onaktief verklaar is. As
hierdie werktuie oorspronklik bedoel was om funksioneel sowel as
aantreklik van aard te wees, waarom dit dan reduseer tot 'n hoop
skrootmetaal as dit vir 'n ander doel op land aangewend kan word?
Ten einde so 'n poging te implementeer, moes 'n onaktiewe boot,
tesame met 'n gepaste ligging vir die dok daarvan, voorgestel
word. Die keuse van Robinson Droogdok as gasheer en die SS
Nomadic as inwoner, laat ruimte vir 'n omgewings-vriendelike
produk waarin die moontlikheid van kleinhandel en fasiliteite vir
vermaak, voorkeur geniet. Teenoor die blote ingesteldheid van
'n erfenis-aanslag, is die byvoeging van 'n nuwe laag voorgestel,
wat ruimte laat vir dit wat in die verlede gevestig is, sowel as toekomstige byvoeging ? dus 'n palimpses van ontwerp in terme
van 'n programmatiese oplossing en materialiteit.
Soos wat die ruimtelike en struktuele formasie van werktuie
hoofsaaklik afhanklik is van staal en die konstruksie van 'n dok
uit beton, sal hierdie materiale deeglik en omvattend ondersoek
word in terme van hul kwesbaarheid wat degradering betref.
Voorgestelde maniere om hierdie materiale te ondersoek en
te toets, sal beskerming teen roes, asook historiese verval en
doelbewuste oksidasie-tegnieke insluit, wat moontlik die grondslag
kan l? vir potensi?le ontwerp implementering. Die uitkoms kan die
idee bevorder dat verval en agteruitgang kan bydra tot argitektuele
verfraaiing, eerder as om 'n blote entiteit vir intimidasie te wees.
Hierdie idee word verder bevorder deur die 'n mikro-brouery by te
voeg, wat die glorie van oudword beklemtoon.
Eerder as om skeepsloping en blote vernietiging voor te staan, sal
argitektuele verandering, soos uiteen gesit deur Fred Scott in sy
boek, On Altering Architecture, die skep van 'n ruimtelike ingryping
toelaat wat eerlik, nie-opdringerig en grondig sal wees.
