The imitation of the traditional form and layout of Lenape huts is designed to make an anouncement of Lenape culture, reminding people of this oblivious part of history. On top of this political motive, another goal is to dispense with the monolithic mass, to make a departure from the trend, as evinced by many well known public building, of creating large, empty architectural space. The aggregation of discrete units makes possible of a series of intimate space counterbalancing the grand, soaringly ceiled space in the adjacent PMA. To represent the miserable history of idigenous inhabitants, a morphorlogical gesture is applied. The condensation of units implies the shrinking homeland, the toppled, intersecting huts, the opening on the shells, all these elements are suggestive of their history of being looted, dislocated, eventually decomposed over the course of social transition.
Status: School Project
Location: Philadelphia, PA, US
My Role: Designing, Modeling, Rendering, Drawing