Victims
a work by John Hejduk
TEXT . I
Architectural Association
London
1986
| |
to
David Dolgenos:
Jay Fellows:
&
David Shapiro
| |
Introduction
A place to be created over two 30-year periods. A growing, incremental place - incremental time.
The site is enclosed and bordered by two hedges. Running between the hedges is a trolley track for the round-the-clock trolley. The main entry to the site is near the bus stop. At the bus stop is a dual clock. At the top of the clock is a moving set of blades mounted on a shaft activated by a turntable. Suspended from the turntable is a shaft with a pendulum attached. The pendulum is fixed - no movement--fixed time. On the side of the clock tower there is a cantilevered hourglass. The hour-glass spins perpetually--moving time. The particles of sand are in constant motion. From the bus stop to the entry of the site's drawbridge there is a walking surface covered by trees. The site visitors can go over the drawbridge into the hedge-enclosed site, entering through the gate-house, or the visitors can take the trolley which circulates around the site's periphery.
Within the enclosing hedges the site is marked off in a grid locating the positions of the evergreen saplings. The saplings are all planted at once in the gridded site. The trees reach full maturity during a 30-year cycle.
This catalogue of 67 structures is presented to the City and to the Citizens of Berlin. One possibility is that all 67 structures can be built over two 30-year periods, the other possibility is that none of the structures is built. A third possibility being that some structures are built. The decision lies with the City and Citizens of Berlin.
Each structure has been named.
The site plan herein presented is one possibility for the total completion. The arrangement of the structures is only a suggestion. The concept of another structural ordering is open. A parameter to be considered is that each named structure can be contacted at three points (points of tangent); a sort of pointal connective tissue floating within a nature-grid.
The Citizens of Berlin would decide the time sequence for the construction of the elements and their three-point connective relationship.
The project is conceived as a total growing vision. The trees at first are lower than the structures, then throughout the years, in some cases, the trees transcend the heights of the structures.
The problem and decision of removing the trees to make way for the construction-creation of a structure is of particular importance. A dialogue on this matter will be necessity have to take place.
The child of Berlin might be five years of age when construction on the site is commenced and could concievably be 65 years of age when construction is completed.
The concept is that the structures can be in a time sequence similar to the trees and to the citizens.
The first phase would be to mark the site indicating the location of the enclosing double hedge, the trolly track between the hedges, the telephone poles at the side of the tracks, the position of the bus stop, drawbridge, gate-house, and the potential markings of the grid locating the future placement of the evergreens.
| |
Proceed as follows:
1 Lay trolley track
2 Install telephone poles
3 Construct drawbridge
4 Build gate-house
5 Plant evergreen saplings
6 Fabricate clock tower
7 Determine manufacturers of bus and trolley vehicles
8 Select steel fabricating process
9 Select granite
10 Select wood
|