TRANSMUTATION Te Post Military-Industrial Complex Te Chinese University of Hong Kong MArch 1 Design Studio ARCH 5112 2015 -16 Spring Patrick Hwang [email protected] Sixth Japanese Naval Fuel Plant (Left) 43_Olmeda Roman Villa Palencia, Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos (Right) Te past and the future become, for Paul Valery, a “production of absent things.” To remember the past is to reconstruct a former present, now distortedly seen, from the point of a more immediate present. Regardless of imposed transformations, the past remains frmly embedded in objects made. Te record they hold remains precise and accurate, autonomous from any later fabrications of meaning. Ricardo Scofdio DESCRIPTION As a collaborative studio working with, and supported by the Graduate Institute of Architecture in Taiwan, this course investigates the forgotten urban artifact of the Sixth Japanese Naval Fuel Plant, located in the City of Hsinchu in Northern Taiwan. Te studio provides a research and design vehicle for advancing the knowledge, and elevating the public awareness of transformative-reuse in architecture. Te Sixth Japanese Naval Fuel Plant is one of the many physical remnants left behind by the Japanese colonial government. Since its inception in 1944, the idiosyncratic building afforded many purposes far beyond its original functional intentions. Te armature which supported various urbanity and domesticity since the departure of the colonial rulers are layered, complex, and served as a host for the collective memory. Tis studio aims to transform this former present by embellishing and transmuting the mesmerizing artifact into a public archives building. PROJECT Te project consists of three interrelated parts: A research into the literal and phenomenal potentials of the fuel plant through Excavation of its historical and geological layers; Building a concept through the design and construction of a War Chest; and the design of a Public Archives Building responding to the fndings of the excavation and the concept formalised by the war chest. Excavation/ Te site is located within Jhongjhen Village in Hsinchu City, situated among a cluster of buildings built frst by the Japanese, then the Nationalists government between 1940s to 1970s. After World War II, there was an infux of immigrants from China to Taiwan, many of whom are dependent of the military. Originally built to serve as a logistical supply zone, it was later adopted by the Koumintang, and converted a portion of the area into military dorms, or commonly known by some as the Widow’s Quarters (寡婦樓 ). Under the KMT policy, various military quarters were built to care for the military families. Jhongjhen New Village, became one of the important sites for such purpose. Since the 1950s, the complex have nurtured a vibrant community with abundance of phenomenal and physical materials for investigation. Te small district recalls the notion of military- industrial complex1. Te part-ruin, part-historic building complex is currently a contested subject among scholars, policy makers and everyday citizens of Hsinchu City. By excavating into the historic documents of drawings, pictures, stories, news events and the physical conditions of the site, students shall defne the loci of the place through its fndings. War Chest/ In full scale construction, students shall design the enclosure, curate the content and construct a War Chest for the purpose of archive and display. Te choice of materials, the construction logic, and the ways in which the content is displayed will establish the design trajectory and concept for the fnal project. Tis is an architectural act in compressed form. Its reduced nature puts emphasis on clarity of ideas with a focus on the specifcity and detail. Te physical act of making, recognises the infusion between art, architecture and engineering. It encourages the understanding in materiality and promotes an economy of means. Public Archives Building/ Based on the research generated from the frst two studies and experiments, students will design and develop a Public Archives Building by working with the architectural artifacts of the Sixth Japanese Naval Fuel Plant. Student shall develop architectural specifcity by collaborating both form and content. Tis public building contains four primary functions of archive, display, forum and service. Te War Chest, Excavation and program proposal will together form the totality of the architectural project for this studio. LEARNING OUTCOME To explore the depth of seeing. To analyze and explore military-industrial complex of the city as the instigator of a design concept. To develop architectural skills through thinking, materiality and making. To invite reactions and raise awareness to the forgotten artifacts of the city. To design a building of public signifcance that addresses the issues of the forgotten artifacts through adaptation, program, form, tectonics. GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE Tis is a collaborative studio running in parallel with the Graduate Institute of Architecture at Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University. GIA at NCTU is a preeminent school of architecture, whose past collaborators includes Yale University, Syracuse University, and Yokohama Graduate School of Architecture. Highly respected architects and scholars participating in this studio includes: C. David Tseng (曾成德 ), Shu-Chang Kung (龔書章 ) and Chi-Yi Chang (張基義 ). ASSESSMENT SCHEME Student’s performance will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Willingness to generate & develop ideas Depth of research and analysis Willingness to experiment Degree of participation Willingness to respond to criticism Coherence in transforming concept into architectural proposition Degree of participation Clarity of representation Excavation and War Chest 30% Public Archives Building 65% Participation and Attendance 5% SURVEY & PRESENTATION TRIP Two trips to Taiwan are currently planned. First, an introductory trip to visit city agencies, places of culture, site of investigation and host university for academic exchange. Second trip involves a presentation and exhibition at the art gallery in Xue Xue Institute directed by architect and professor Chi-Yi Chang, the former Deputy Governor of Taitung County. Cost of the frst visit will be subsidized by the School of Architecture, while the second trip’s round-trip airfare will be provided by the Taiwan Collaboration Fund 2015-16 up to HK$3,000 or the actual cost (whichever is lower). Please contact the instructor if unclear about this offer. REFERENCES + LINKS Texts: Calvino, Italo. Invisible Cities, (Random House, 1978) Leatherbarrow, David. Architecture Oriented Otherwise, (Princeton Press, 2009) Rossi, Aldo. Te Architecture of the City, (MIT Press, 1982) Rafael Moneo, “Te Murmur of the Site,” ANYWhere, (ANY, 1992) Buildings: Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, Neutelings Riedijk Architects Sainte-Geneviève Library, Henri Labrouste Bibliothèque Multimédia à Vocation Régionale, OMA 43_Olmeda Roman Villa Palencia, Paredes Pedrosa Arquitectos Links: 學學⽂化創意基⾦會 {http://www.xuexue.tw/} 交通⼤學 建築研究所 {http://facebook.com/交通⼤學 建築研究所 } ⽇本海軍第六燃料廠 {http://www.hcccb.gov.tw/} SCHEDULE (DRAFT) 0 *M 01.05 Taipei: excursions and office visits Taipei Performing Arts Centre; Bio Formosana Architecture & Kris Yao of Artech W 01.06 Taichung: excursions and office visits Luce Memorial Chapel, Taichung Opera House; AMBI-Studio (廖偉⽴ ) TH 01.07 Hsinchu: Site visit guided by officials from City of Hsinchu and faculty member at NCTU F 01.08 Hsinchu: NCTU fnal review 1 M 01.11 First Day TH 01.14 2 M 01.18 TH 01.21 3 M 01.25 Review: Excavation | Site Research TH 01.28 4 M 02.01 TH 02.04 Review: War Chest | Preliminary 5 M 02.08 Holiday: (no studio) Lunar New Year TH 02.11 Holiday: (no studio) Lunar New Year 6 M 02.15 TH 02.18 Review: War Chest | Final 7 M 02.22 TH 02.25 8 M 02.29 TH 03.03 9 M 03.07 TH 03.10 Review: Public Archives Building | Concept 10 M 03.14 TH 03.17 11 M 03.21 TH 03.24 12 M 03.28 Holiday: (no studio) Easter TH 03.31 Review: Public Archives Building | Interim 13 M 04.04 Holiday: (no studio) Ching Ming Festival TH 04.07 14 M 04.11 TH 04.14 15 M 04.18 TH 04.21 16 M 04.25 TH 04.28 Review: Final F 04.29 Honours Review 17 M 05.02 TH 05.05 18 M 05.09 *F 05.13 Presentation and exhibition to activists and officials at the Xue Xue Institute (學學⽂化創意基⾦會 ) - *Proposed dates are subject to revisions - Italic denotes M1 class joint-review STUDIO PUBLICATION Successful results of the design studio will lead to a publication documenting the entire process of the design intervention. Examples from the past works produced by Patrick Hwang Studio may be seen in the following links: http://issuu.com/officehl/docs/hwang_p_f2014_e ATTENDANCE Attendance and participation are mandatory due to the nature of the design studios. Students must notify the instructor before class begins (via email) if absence or tardiness is necessary. Each unexcused absence will drop semester grade one letter grade. Any students with more than three studio absences will be grounds for failure or withdrawal at the discretion of the instructor. Absences will be permitted for medical or family emergencies, and should be made up to the extent possible. IMPORTANT NOTE TO STUDENT Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations. Details may be found at http:// www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/ . With each assignment, students will be required to submit a statement that they are aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures. RETENTION OF WORK Te School of Architecture has the right to retain any student project whether it be for display, accreditation, documentation or any other educational or legal purpose. 1 In his farewell address on January 17, 1961, the American President Dwight Eisenhower warned about the emergence of permanent defense industry of vast proportions through a term he coined “Military-industrial complex”.