on dancing with architecture

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ON DANCING WITH ARCHITECTURE


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Thesis | O n D ancing w ith Architecture by Tim o Lorenzen-Schm idt

A design thesis subm itted to the G raduate Faculty ofVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State U niversity in partial fulfillm ent of the degree of M aster ofArchitecture

Septem ber 17th, 2004Alexandria, Virginia

Paul Em m ons, C hair

M arco Frascari

Susan P iedm ont-Palladino

Keyw ords: D ance, Architecture, Representation, Light,

Shadow , M agic

Copyright 2004, Tim o Lorenzen-Schm idt


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Acknow ledgm ent | O n D ancing w ith Architecture Thank you, Susan P iedm ont-Palladino , Jaan H olt , PaulE m m ons and M arco Frascari for introducing m e to yourw onderful notion of architecture.

Your education m ade m e experience that w hat liftsarchitecture beyond m ere buildings is its pow er of rep-resentation. Architecture is the appliance of our im agi-nation to conjure up references and com m unication.For a m eaningful edifice em bodies universal cosm olo-gy as w ell as hum ankind's corporeal experiences.W hile m y form er education has m ostly been driven byreason, you taught m e to add the m eaningful to the rea-sonable. Your thoughts have been enorm ously stim ulat-ing and nourishing to m e. Thank you so m uch.

Thank you Soledad Pellegrini , D aniel C lavel , Ellen Sullivan and the w hole year 2003/4 for the constantexchange on our designs and about architecture ingeneral. A very special thank you goes out to Soledad Pellegrini . N ot only that your thoughts inspired thedesign throughout the com plete investigation but also

w ithout your help, the final presentation w ouldn't havebeen possible to its full extents.

Thank you, D ance Place , D C 's m ajor hub in contem po-rary dance, Jessica H irst , Stephen C lapp and the Cat Scratch D ance Com pany . You gave m e the opportunityto experience dance first hand through dancing, per-form ances and your rehearsals.

A very w arm and special thank you goes out to m ym other M arita Schultz and Peter Schultz . O nly yourfaithful and patient support gave m e opportunity tom ake such precious educational experience possible.

Thank you so m uch!


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Abstract | O n D ancing w ith Architecture I w ould like to - som etim e - build a theater w hichhas natural light...

Louis I. Kahn Space and the Inspirations |1967

Titled "O n D ancing w ith Architecture" and in referenceto M erce Cunningham 's choreography, this thesis proj-ect is the notion of overlaying architecture as a thirdautonom ous layer to the existing ones in the perform -ance arts that are dancing and m usic. S ince the proj-ect is equally concerned w ith the perform ers and theaudience as w ell as w ith the general public, it shallcontain a nonstandard perform ance stage for m oderndance as w ell as general public space.

H ow ever, w hat does it m ean to give shape to the notionof "D ancing w ith Architecture" in actual physicality?In order to investigate an appropriate answ er to thisproblem , the project offers a unique opportunity ofapplying architecture's pow er of representation in richanalogies and m etaphors. Therefore m ore than design-ing just a theater that serves for dance, this space shall

be a place that, in its appearance as a w hole and indetail, represents the tale of its initial challenge andinvestigation.

In addition, and as part of being a nonstandard stagefor m odern dance, the project shall critically reviewconventions in stage space and offers the opportunityto investigate it under a different scope, for instance

through the question of how to increase the spectator'sspatial experiences and interactivity w ith the perform -ers, or through exploiting natural phenom ena such asdaylight, w ind, w ater, landscape, tim e and gravity asstim ulating factors to introduce new facilities in m oderndance.


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and real m agicians at once, studying the challenge ofhow to finally conjure up som ething m agical, throughcom m unicating their im agination. This is w hat reallyseparates architecture from a m ere building. M eaning,as w e saw it, reveals in the im m ediate event of sensa-tion. That is the m oving in us.

I w ould like to point out one final exam ple that rem ainsto be m entioned accordingly to the question of w hy theinspirational seem s to be m ore exiting to us than thescientific truth. Apparently this is a m atter of perception,since architecture is indeed not im m obile! Just as ourearth is sm oothly and constantly rotating so are our

houses - in constant m otion.

N otes | O n D ancing w ith Architecture

1| Krauss, Rosalind E. 1981 "Passages in M odern S culpture",page 9.


3| Kostelanetz, Richard (editor), 1992 "M erce C unningham : D ancingin S pace and Tim e; Essays 194 4-19 92 ",page 37


5| Tw om bly, Robert (editor), 2003 "Louis I. Kahn: Essential Texts",Space and the Inspirations, 1967, page 2 20.

6| LeC orbusier, 1931 "Tow ards a N ew Architecture, page 2 9.

7|M arco Frascari, in A Secret Sem iotic S kiagraphy: The C orporalTheater of M eanings in Vincenzo S cam ozzi's Idea of Architecture"

VIA, page 1 ,4

8| Tw om bly, Robert (editor), 2003 "Louis I. Kahn: Essential Texts",D iscussion in Kahns O ffice, 1961, page 108.

9| Tw om bly, Robert (editor), 2003 "Louis I. Kahn: Essential Texts",Space and the Inspirations, 1967, page 2 24.

10 | N ancy R eynolds and M alcom M cCorm ick, in "D ance in theTw entieth Century, N o Fixed Points",2003, C hapter Ten "Schism and

Transition", page 3 5611| Isam u N oguchi, 2004, Isam u N oguchi: A Sculptors W orld,S teidl Publishing

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The S ite | W aterfront, W ashinton D C

W hen getting off the W aterfront m etro station onW ashington's G reen Line one experiences a surprising-ly m odern face of D C . Those w ho thought that the tra-

ditional tow nhouses of the nineteenth century are D C 'sonly type of settlem ent m ake an unexpected discovery.

The built environm ent in this area south of the C apitoland betw een the W ashington C hannel and theAnacostia River distinguishes itself from the historicalneighborhoods. O ne sees an assem bly of m id-centurytow nhouses, high-rise m ulti-fam ily apartm ent buildings

and occasional office tow ers of the sam e height. Thisdevelopm ent w as brought into life as an urgent renew -al plan of the Federal governm ent in the 1950s w henthis area had degenerated into perhaps the city's m ostnotorious slum .

The buildings tell a story of postw ar m odernism . Theirfacades are of exposed concrete and glass curtain

w alls, and in the best m odern m anner, often lifted up on

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pillars from the ground. A scattering of balconies sug-gests a view of the C apitol H ill area and the rivers.W andering around this neighborhood leavesW ashington's strangely unreal enchantm ent behind ,and introduces a m ore authentic urban style, w hich is

m ore fam iliar in cities w here high rise apartm ents havelong been a response to housing needs.

W hen selecting a site for m odern dance, the future edi-fice asks for reference and the sober m odern characterof this area responds very adequately. The context oflarge volum es punctuating nature, the w ater and thenum erous green alleys, parks and prom enades, con-

jures a stage setting out of the ordinary and shifts it intosom ething im aginary and precious. A significant expe-rience is the one alley sited betw een the last settlem entand Fort M cN air, and heads the W ashington Channeland ends at the Titanic M em orial. Its straight passagew ith its adjacent trees invites m ovem ent that cannot beexpressed w ith m ere w alking. S im ilar to the alley is thebizarre and som ew hat pathetic posture of the Titanic

M em orial that turns tow ards the passengers invitingthem to stretch out their arm s and hug the nothingnessand the w orld.

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Studies | Research C ollage

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Studies | Research Q uotes

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M erce C unningham , w w w .m erce.org

M erce C unningham , Space, Tim e and D ance195 2

M erce C unningham , Space, Tim e and D ance19 52

M arco Frascari, A Secret Sem iotic S kiagraphy

M erce C unningham , w w w .m erce.org

M erce C unningham , w w w .m erce.org M erce C unningham , w w w .m erce.org

Authors note

Authors note

Authors note

Authors note

N ancy R eynolds & M alcom M cC orm ick, N o Fixed P oints2003

N ancy R eynolds & M alcom M cC orm ick, N o Fixed Points2003


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Studies | Posture

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Studies | S tructure

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Studies | Costum e


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D raw ings | Plans

SITEPLAN

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5 m 25m 50m


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D raw ings | Plans

1 m 5m 1 0m

PLAN -2.50 FOYER LEVEL


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D raw ings | Plans

PLAN +0.50 STAGE LEVEL

1 m 5m 1 0m


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D raw ings | Plans

PLAN +6.50 GALLERY LEVEL

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1 m 5m 1 0m


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D raw ings | Plans

PLAN +13.70 ROOF LEVEL

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1 m 5m 1 0m


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D raw ings | Sections

SECTION A-A

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1 m 5m 1 0m


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D raw ings | Sections

SECTION B-B

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D raw ings | Audience S eating

Dancing Chairs

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| i S


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Perspectives |E xterior Space

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P i |I t i S


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Perspectives |Interior Space

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M odels |U rbanM odel


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M odels | U rban M odel

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C onclusion |D efense


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C onclusion | D efense

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M agic derives from the abstractThat is our im aginationTranslation happens through com m unicationThat is draw ing and buildingApplying m agic is to give the abstract shapeThat is w hat w e learn at schoolFor w e are the real m agicians once having learned thelanguageAnd through practice, practice, practiceU ntil the m eaningful arrives

C urricul u m Vitae | D ipl.-Ing. Archite kt Tim o Lorenzen-Schm idt M em ber of the


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| p gArchitekten und Ingenieurkam m er S chlesw ig-H olstein

since M ay 6th, 2003, list nr. 5616 .

Professional Collaboration

04 Suzane Reatig Architecture FAIA, W ashington D C02-03 APB . Architekten B D A, H am burg01 Jourda Architectes, Paris99 Von G erkan M arg und Partners B D A, H am burg98 Jourda Architectes, Paris

D egrees

03-04 M aster of Architecture,Virginia Polytechnic Institute and S tate

U niversity , Alexandria VA

96-00 D ipl.-Ing. of Architecture,U niversity of Applied S ciences , H am burg

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on dancing with architecture

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