A self-directed, self-defined case study which sought to explore notions of empty space on a massive architectural scale, utilizing a real world design example. My proposal focused upon the Old Chicago Main Post Office, a roughly two million square foot building which has sat unutilized for a decade. Recognizing the structure’s massive scale and unique location, I proposed transforming it into a gutted and emptied public space, stripped of program as a blank canvas. This was not meant as a practical design, but a thought experiment to explore the pure ramifications of a giant, empty space itself. This exploration was conveyed through visual investigations – essentially treating the experiment like a traditional design project – backed up with historical research into aesthetic notions of emptiness and the void, in both architecture and related fields.
Status: School Project
Location: Chicago, IL, US