Shadowgraphy
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BACKGROUND Shadow comes with the creation of every object, it is the very evidence of existence. However the form and material changes, shadow is the common ground element that connects all architectural designs. Yet, shadow isn’t that ‘common’ a phenomenon after all, its connotation can be very different in different climatic regimes. In Mexico, where sunlight is prominent and strong, it offers Luis Barragan the perfect testing field for his crave for color, light and shadow. In Hong Kong, where climate is more humid, sunlight can be unbearable at times, this gives rise to the opportunity to explore and design with shading devices extensively. In the rise of modernism, architecture boasts height and straight façade. Transparent curtain walls are omnipresent. This kind of clean and direct reading of architecture has ripped off the role of shadows in giving form to architecture.
WHY Instead of being a phenomenon, shadow does carry social values, different people from different regions value shadow differently. In Hong Kong, people move with shadow, and shadow in turn manipulates movement of people. Instead of being a product of architecture, shadow does play an active role in affecting its immediate context. In the case of Luis Barragan’s architecture, shadow is crucial to his color scheme. The hue changes with different amount of cast, this gives the minimalistic form volume and accentuates its presence.
SHADOW AS FORM GIVER Leonardo da Vinci elucidated that there are majorly three types of shadows, the attached shadow, shading and cast shadow. Attached shadow falls on the body itself; shading is about falloff created by bright and dark contrasts; cast shadow is caused by tall building generating shadow on the street due to projection. These shadows affect the architecture in different scales.
METHOD This thesis starts by observing and documenting different types of shadows, and how human activity changes accordingly. The exploration would start from small scale of attached shadows that affect the micro-context of the architecture, e.g. the façade. This would affect the visual dynamics of the architecture but not necessarily the broader social aspects. By progressing onto the study of shading, this starts to alter the spatial quality in terms of both planar and three dimensional spaces. Then, by studying cast shadow, the dimension of human activities would be deeply affected. A combination of the three would give birth to an architecture that encapsulates all the essential functionality of ordinary architecture; despite it is totally constructed and operated by shadows.
When shadows overlap, the gap in-between is filled and two separate spaces are being bridged virtually. Shadows in this case act as a spatial glue that attach to objects and connect with one another. These analysis would help in shaping an architecture that is highly temporal and highly climatic. It would be designed only for a certain place. Following the study of the spatial quality of shadows, the thesis will then proceed to exploration of materiality. Unlike Luis Barragan’s architecture where shadow is a complementary element to bring out the sanctity of colors, in this thesis, materials and light will be used for the sole purpose of casting a shadow.
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