PALIMPSEST
Yale School of Architecture | Fall 2016 | Joyce Hsiang
First Year Studio: Bushwick Library Proposal
Concept model using examples of early palimpsests, or pages from a manuscript from which the text has been scraped or washed off so that the page can be reused for another document, in order to create flexible partitions
pal·imp·sest /paləm(p)ˌsest/ : something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form
Design and re-conception of a 'library' typology for the NYC neighborhood of Bushwick. As the site of an ongoing battle between the Bushwick Collective mural arts program and various commercial advertisers for wall space, this design proposes the concept of a 'Wall-brary' for the benefit of the Collective to serve as a multi-programatic center cultivating the neighborhood's growing visual arts community
NO FREE WALLS is an in-depth look at Brooklyn's changing landscape, through the eyes of Joseph Ficalora, the founder of The Bushwick Collective
Site Analysis
The following studies aim to map current locations of murals currently curated by the Bushwick Collective on the site between St. Nicholas and Scott Avenues, in an effort to orient the position of walls and programmatic elements with respect to existing site conditions
Analysis of site visibility and location of existing Bushwick Collective murals
Iterative study models testing various onsite wall configurations and topography
Site Strategy
Featuring various programmed exterior walls designated for public use and signage, as well as an inner maze of wall surfaces dedicated to professional mural artists across the world, this complex aims to reflect the complex and multilayered artistic and cultural history of the Bushwick community, serving as both an active palimpsest of visual depictions and narratives, but also a monument to the artistic resilience and colorful cultural vibrance of this neighborhood.
Visitors may enter the murals through a reception lobby near the Southwest corner of the site, wrapping their way through a topographical labyrinth towards the center of the complex. Once at the center, visitors are then invited up a flight of stairs emerging onto an overhead viewing ampitheater, oriented towards stunning views of the Manhattan skyline framed by the rooftops of Bushwick. Approaching the Souteast corner of the site, visitors are welcome to purchase their own spray paint to leave a message on one of a series of designated public use walls, including a mural arts playground and projection amphitheater for various local film screenings.
