FOOD COURT IN THE WOODS
Architectural Design Concept Mention Award
in Collaboration with Creative Folks
Central to the philosophy of the project is the pursuit of novel forms, shapes, and spaces in artistic culture, production, and design for redefining the traditional meaning of a concert or festival. This is accomplished through the process of re-arranging and re-creating established conventions in these domains. It is valuable to observe how the site is being used before any interventions, especially if there is a makeshift settlement with the found material. The use of cut logs was a simple and responsible way of using the surroundings, but it was not comfortable or was not allowing a good variety of use. A structure is placed at various lengths heights, and positions, resembling Jenga blocks. As the main module, 20x20cm timber is used, and this allowed many design anticipations such as a similar look to the previous use and uniform elevations for seatings and tables while still keeping it pleasurable to explore and experience. The same module is used as long benches at 40cm heights and becomes high seatings at 60cm or a table when it's elevated to 80cm. In some areas, they form an amphitheater, which can also be used as a bench and table when sat in reverse. The design is integrated with variously shaped modules to enable different ways of use such as double-sided lounges made out of triangular pieces, or hammocks made out of straps which are repurposed material of the hoses from the fire department, and the nets repurposed from the fisherman.
The ultimate objective is to create a food court that could comfortably accommodate 200 people while allowing the circulation to be flawless and while having materiality and aesthetics that are harmonious with the forest. It is centralized not to disrupt the natural habitat such as cutting any trees, as well as we tried to work with the site rather than against it. The site allocation has been thoughtfully distributed across several focal points, creating multiple courtyards consciously avoiding clustered or oversized structures that could disrupt the natural flow of the forest.
Having multiple focal points enables the design to cater to the needs of each individual visitor, providing a diverse range of experiences without prioritizing one over the other. Through the project, it is sought to incorporate the natural soundscapes as auditory experiences and distributed each sound installation in the center of a different courtyard.
At the center of the left side of the structure filled with pebbles, a sound installation is designed and placed. It is composed of curved metal plates that respond to pebbles dropped into the installation, producing a unique and engaging auditory experience as the pebbles collide with the metal tubes placed in the installation.
The site has many cut tree stems. While those are former living beings that are no longer alive, they can still foster other forms of life. According to that objective, gathered in the middle of the space, an installation is placed on the cut trees to become the basis for an architecture for the birds to inhabit. The bird opera installation is one of the central points in the site which creates an audible experience by gathering the birds in one place through the provision of inhabitance.
The dominant material of the project is timber. The versatility of timber as a material has stood the test of time and has been celebrated for centuries. It's resilience and natural beauty are well-known, and it is the perfect fit for any environment. Being a product of the forest, timber has a way of blending seamlessly with nature and harmonizing with the surroundings. Moreover, not only is timber an aesthetically pleasing option, but it is also a sustainable one, making it the ideal choice for the design.