With current ecological urgencies, a care-based, collective approach for our built environment is an imperative. Undertaking an experimental interventionist design, I look to expose the untold story of the Kings Theatre Fly Tower Dundee, peeling away layers in a creative demolition to uncover its underlying historical and cultural identity. In aim, expanding this brief a rhetoric emerges in finding an equilibrium; a mutual support where the new becomes an armature for the old, encouraging the intermingling of ages through dance and crafts, in an invitation to experiment with the past to form a harmonic ensemble of the building’s dissonant voices, in a fragile relationship that considers weathering and age.
Emma Astley Birtwistle
The Dynamism of Dance
Project description
Tracing a Journey of Movement
In a deliberate juxtaposition of materiality, iterating the artistic bronze used by artist Barbra Hepworth, initial material explorations look to understand the inherent fragility and tactile qualities of metal leaf, as well as the transformative effect of its shape, as influenced by gravity. Vertically, this installation of trace illustrates the metal’s descent under the force of gravity, capturing the oscillation of the copper leaf as it moves back and forth. Each fall engendered a unique movement, with the resultant shape accentuating a sense of lightness and tactility; imbued with a kinetic rhythm. Such tectonic interpretations unveiled the layering of time to embrace the unexpected forms of the fall.
Aerial Dancer on Silks
Gestures & Rhythms
Furthering these tectonic explorations, we partook in dance workshops with movement choreographer Janice Parker, were we were prompted to reflect upon our initial associations with dance. Although often perceived as a hierarchical art form, favouring and perpetuating certain aesthetic norms in movement and physique, we learnt that its essence transcends these confines. Through participating in circuits with our architectural peers, we learnt how dance can serve as a conduit for unity, bridging diverse ages, passions, and physical abilities. Through acts of balance and support, the body emerges as a tangible manifestation of physicality. Yet, the realm of dance is not without its challenges. Despite its inclusive potential, it often operates within structures opaque and systems fragile. Subsequently, the proposed design looks to confront such complexities, navigating these dynamics to strive for a greater transparency within the sphere.
Within initial dance workshops, group tasks evolved in complexity transitioning from individual gestures to collaborative pair work, we were tasked with embodying and translating the themes previously explored in our artwork into defined movements and rhythms. Support and balance emerged as two central themes of the workshop, interwoven with meanings complementary to the earlier explored tectonics. It became apparent that these concepts are interdependent, with each reliant on the other for cohesion and stability, latterly informing the design strategy.
Expressions through Movement
A Failing in Balance
The Container: Explorations of Site & Brief
Situated at the heart of Dundee, the King’s Theatre occupies a central position within a courtyard enclave. Adjacent to the theatre, the Fly Tower resides to the south-east, boasting three external facades. Vestiges of the site’s historical narrative manifested in the form of blocked- up windows, fragmented walls, and weathered materials, serve as tangible remnants of its past scars. Such architectural cues hint at the site’s rich historical trajectory, inviting deeper exploration into its narrative layers.
Working with the Existing: A Protective Shell
One aspect of interrogation was the analysis of the external facades through a 1:50 scale model, facilitating the identification of key design elements to preserve, repair, or remove. As the site itself was inaccessible, all findings for the towers internal configuration have been based on existing plans of the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh, constructed during the same period in 1906. Additionally, to gain insights into the fly tower mechanisms, a site visit to the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh also accentuated firsthand original operational mechanisms; ranging from ropes and pulleys to a systematic steel grid, contributing to the framework within which the design is situated.
Rehearsals & Production
A Dancing Dynamism
The proposed design is a creative studio space meticulously crafted to nurture the arts in all their expressive forms, seamlessly marrying artistic endeavours with dynamic movement. Positioned at the nexus of two paramount spheres in the social-cultural landscape of Dundee, it serves as a beacon of cultural enrichment and community cohesion. Elevating its significance, the design reverently accentuates the historical and cultural legacy of the Fly Tower, seamlessly integrating its weathered patina into the interior aesthetic. This deliberate fusion of past and present eras not only blurs conventional boundaries but also celebrates the intrinsic harmony between age, time, and nature, underscoring their symbiotic relationship within the realm of design.
Exploring Boundaries Between Framework and Transparency
A Drawing of Essence
Structure and Construction
A Welcoming Agora
A Space for the Creatives
Community Dance
A Modern Movement Studio
Aerial Dance
An Observation Deck
A Look-out Point
North-East Elevation
1.100 Section of Use
South-East Elevation
A Supporting Armature
Considering the Meeting of Materials; Timber and Brick, New and Old
Sectional Study of the Armature & New Roof
A Peeling of Layers: Internal and External Shells
The design embraces the blending of spatial boundaries, blurring distinctions between interior and exterior realms in allowing internal weathering, all the while inviting in natural light through the given transparent materiality of the dance pods to cultivate a rhythmic ambiance conducive to dance. By preserving the standing void, a transitional layer emerges, bridging the gap between the new and the old, a meeting in time. Additionally, the station of the vertical orientation of the armature fosters an interactive dynamic between the occupants of the space and the surrounding elements, serving as a focal point for gatherings for people throughout the building to converge.
1.50 Technical Section Exploring Structure & Use
Inhabiting the Pods of Dance
A Resilience To Age
This design looks to promote a reevaluation of societal norms surrounding movement and age, seeking to readjust thresholds in dance and creative spaces, all the while embracing varying facets of weather to acknowledge our transient and delicate existence within the built environment. Yet, amidst our efforts to shelter ourselves from nature’s forces, it becomes evident that the inevitability of time and the relentless march of nature will eventually take its toll on all architectural creations. As architects, we must reckon with this immutable truth and adapt our designs to embrace the ever-changing patterns of weathering and growth.
Emma Astley Birtwistle
The Dynamism of Dance
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