Thesis Review is a collection of conversations, statements and inquiries into the current state of thesis in academia. Thesis projects give a glimpse into the current state of the academic arena while painting a picture for the future of practice. 

Each feature will present a contemporary thesis project through the voice of those that constructed it. This week, we talk to Luciano Menghini about his thesis which tackled The Museum of the Twentieth Century in the Berlin Kulturforum.

What is the thesis?

This thesis reimagines the roll of the architectural corridor within the contemporary museum settings of today.

What was the inspiration for the thesis? 

My intention was to reinterpret the roll of the corridor and the results of colliding multiple corridor typologies together. In turn the building appears to have multiple architecture elements not limited to the space of one single typology, rather making space ever-changing to the loose fitting aggregations that create intersections, collisions, punctures or joins two or more corridor types together; hybrid corridor. The movement within the museum is not room to room like a typical museum space but rather corridor to corridor, the corridor and the room are now conflated.

How did it change over the course of the process?

At first I wasn't sure how to transform the corridor into an object since the corridor tends to translate as the in-between space of buildings. I began transforming corridors form Le Corbusier, Adolf Loos and Alvar Aalto this helped me understand that the corridor weren't the in-between space but rather a precursor to its surroundings program, this is when I asked myself what is a corridor and are there types of corridors? ;  A conversation with Neil Denari during suggested the creation of a catalog came up. I won't include this you can just jump in to the next paragraph.

Can these corridors be cataloged and broken down to their purest function?

The answer is yes. As a sister project to my thesis I cataloged about 23 corridors with a specific function and example where it was used in a building. From there, the thesis became about what happens when the corridor becomes the sole & primary building element rather than a precursor to space or in-between one. By colliding a set of corridors chosen to stand as platonic, and then by aggregating them into a unified, singular, loose fitting form the resulting space is one that reflects neither programmable space nor circulatory space--neither destination nor passage.

What are other angles that you wish to continue working on?

I would like to continue working on the ideas of parts, I understand there are plenty of architects doing this at the moment, however I would like to pilot the application of my thesis premise with my own ethic agenda.

How does your thesis fit in within the discipline? 

The architectural corridor by definition has been thought as a long passage in a building from which doors lead into rooms; the in between space of a building. However this thesis starts to rework the conventions of the corridor by categorizing all corridor types, the catalogue of corridors. The beginning stages of the catalogue illustrate different types of corridor morphologies, there seems to be twenty which set a firm foundation of corridor types.

Enjoy the moment more, Many of my friends and I are guilty of being too stressed to take a break and just enjoy the process of thesis.
 

What did you discover during the process that you did not forsee?

Trying to create corridor morphologies that didn't look like noodles… or highways. Then taking those "noodles" and attempting to combine them into a building.

How do you see this thesis progressing into your career?

Hard to say, I am sure there are famous architects today that would change their thesis if they could. Architecture is ever changing, I hope that during the progression of my career the core ideas of my thesis change as well.

What are the key moments within your thesis?

The catalog, being able to have a menu I could use for the appetite/program/site I had.

What do you wish you would have known before thesis?

Record every conversation you have with a professor about you thesis, it is invaluable.

How did your institution help or guide you through thesis?

SciArc has an amazing faculty with studio three times a week, including thesis reviews twice a week with great jurys. On top of that the magic box with all the tools we need.

What do you wish could have been different?

More time!!!

If you could do this again what would you change?

Enjoy the moment more, Many of my friends and I are guilty of being too stressed to take a break and just enjoy the process of thesis.

What do you think the current state of thesis is within architecture and how can it improve?

The students need more freedom to explore their own interests, this is not to say that the institution is at fault but rather the students. I am sure if you push hard enough in the interests that you find exciting then the finale outcome will be that much more rewarding.