1612_biennale_2016

TIME SPACE EXISTENCE

De imagination Loci (applied imagination place) :

Where time defines the existence of space.

The bathroom is usually considered as a ‘’dead space’’, because of its private and non-living character. Therefore, natural light is acknowledged unnecessary and is not the primary issue for its design. While doing our research, we decided to concentrate on the bathroom’s most important aspect and meaning. In this sanctuary, people usually are alone, thus they feel free and express their inner selves easily and without judgement. They are motivated to burst out their feelings, thoughts, true personalities, unconscious activities ; while taking a bath,  one is meditating or relaxing, while taking a shower, one sings, while sitting on the toilet he thinks, relaxes or reads, while washing hands and looking in the mirror he adjust his looks and does the mental review of his day. We consider the bathroom as the most important room of a house. People recharge their batteries for the day, they express themselves freely, they meditate, they brainstorm.

The concept of our design is to transform this ‘’dead SPACE’’ into a ‘’living SPACE’’, providing an EXISTENCE to the bathroom as a unity, without altering its private and meditating character. In order to generate the feelings mentioned and to physically experience the ‘Genius Loci’ of that holy place, natural light that changes along with TIME and weather conditions is the main catalyst. Our design tool will be the natural melody of variations from the sunshine in combination with a constant UV-light. When there is insufficient daylight, special venetian patterns are illuminated on the walls, which are draw by invisible ink, stimulating thus one’s imagination. The natural light is controlled and targeted into the bathroom through voids that follow the venetian patterns, allowing the visitor to experience the transition of the light and space. By controlling natural light and using UV-paint, the room itself is animated and takes itself to a new dimension, in an ongoing relation with the exterior environment.

In addition, it is necessary to point out the different uses of the bathroom elements and their lighting needs. The toilet, which is conceived as a thinking space where ideas are born, should have low lighting on the activity level. The wash zone is more of a physical activity, a final touch before one exits the room, so diffuse lighting will be emitted at the mirror level.

With our design, we aim to approach experientially this particular space and, as Alejandro Aravena states for this Biennale, to ‘’improve the people’s quality of life”.