Phosphorescence Pop Music Centre Kaohsiung by Biothing

We can find in many blogs and web magazines, design proposals of the Pop Music Center in Kaohsiung. I have already presented some of these proposals.
Biothing, a think lab founded and led by Alisa Andrasek unveiled last year their proposal. Alisa Andrasek and Jose Sanchez proposed a long building-machine that stretches out alongside the site. Based on features of pop culture such as exuberant colors and light, Sonar Phosphorescence, the title of this proposal, explores the possibilities of bringing such polychromatic shimmer qualities to the site. Biothing usually bases their research on interdisciplinary exchanges — engineering, computation, mathematics, biology, sciences, biomimetics and architecture. They study how contemporary scientists mark brain neurones with phosphorescent glow to open new dimensions of knowledge of the brain. Guided by results of this research, Biothing simultaneously samples electrified lightscape of Taiwanese streets and night markets.

Phosphorescence Pop Music Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, © Biothing

Alisa Andrasek and Jose Sanchez's design focuses on two types of organizational systems that distribute other sub-systems within a project.
The relationship of mathematics and studies on ecological systems has long history in environmental studies. Before the age of computation, researchers, among others C. S. Holling, demonstrated how mathematical systems, onto which description of observable systems were mapped to create explanations were dynamical systems which were amenable to solution by analytical means. Biothing's design continues up this tradition by using computational software such as Processing. By combining resilience and adaptive capacity, the agency creates a building-machine that interacts with its surrounding and its users.

Rendering © Biothing

In place of inflexible totalizing master plan, the agency proposes resilient adaptive mathematical logics which are designed for inter-systems crossing at multiple scales. Resilience and adaptive allow the building and its environment to be capable of self-organization and increase the capacity for adaptation. A large number of research states that resilience permits a configuration of a system to maintain its structure in the face of disturbance.

Rendering © Biothing

It also allows the ability of the system to re-organize following disturbance-driven change. Adaptive capacity is a component of the resilience reflecting a learning aspect of system behavior in response to disturbance. Here resilience and adaptive capacity combined with mathematical logics allow for localized differentiation and unique moments while preserving the consistency of a project as a whole in that subsystems resonate through its internal dynamic blueprint. This project articulates four core elements:

• Magnets are based on mathematics of electric-magnetic fields. Magnetic fabrics are stitching the site into the city whilst bringing the city and its inhabitants to the water, as an adaptive masterplan. Additionally, through the extended network of underwater lights visually expanding the park/site into the water.
• Canyons are based on the math of Brownian motion, as a seemingly random movement of particles suspended in a fluid. They erode the pristine magnetic shells into different kind of spatial chasms the introduces specialized programs. This resilience allows the great diversity of tectonics locally, adapting to the character and demands of different programs.
• Above the fabric, complexity is found in natural ecologies unfolds into the fabric of architectural systems. Therefore the ground is a network of nested-systems that can breed with one another. The project introduces a probabilistic program of human activities as well as tectonic behaviors on the surface they inhabit.
• Below the fabric, Biothing envisions to plant a massive field of underwater lights which would have encouraged the growth of particular species of algae to remediate local marine ecology and adopt it for aqua sports. The lighting scheme implants a new ecological layer into the site. Pop meets sustainability; culture fused into nature. Remediation processes are not hidden, but activated as elements of design. The site glows and shimmers resonating experiences found in pop culture. Aquatics and pop are fused into a hybrid entity.

Biothing's design proposal embraces implantation of a new building in an existing site with its specificity, its surroundings, the users as well as ecological systems of this place. Building acting as a machine provides not only culture, music but also, as a ecologically sustainable building, an interaction of users and their environment.

Rendering © Biothing

Human behaviors — human activities — and tectonic behaviors are merged to create a homogeneous unity. Instead of illuminating the building which will become a static building, Biothing plans to plant a massive field of underwater lights which functions will help the growth of particular species of algae to remediate local marine ecology and adopt if for aqua sports. In this context, culture can be sustainable as well as a pleasure for users.

Rendering © Biothing

Building facts
Project: Phosphorescence Pop Music Center
Architects: Biothing
Principal Designers: Alisa Andrasek and Jose Sanchez
Design team; Elizabeth Leidy, Alicia Nahmad, Denis Vlleghe, Rajat Sodhi
Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Status: Competition entry 2010, Phase 1
Surface Area: 80,000 sqm and 20,000 sqm open air public space

Credits
All renderings © Biothing

Source: Biothing