integrated design studio
cornell university | spring 2022 | 4 months
instructors: greg keeffe + curt gambetta
cornell university | spring 2022 | 4 months
instructors: greg keeffe + curt gambetta
The biggest question humanity is facing now is how much time do we have left? We now find ourselves in the geological time period of the Anthropocene, defined as a new period where human activity is the largest influence on the planet’s climate and atmosphere. But we forget that climate, and time, are not exclusive to humanity. Our understanding and perception of time is tied to our bodies and how we relate to the natural world, which has been continuously altered throughout human history through technological inventions.
The museum seeks to make the visitors aware of their perception of time through the museum exhibits and the museum’s architecture. The 3 concepts of time natural, social and instantaneous) are exhibited, urging the visitor to think about where technology, societal structures and nature insert themselves into these time scales.
The building highlights differentiations between the “natural” and the “human”. The original site boundary, previously a hard rectangular pier edge, is altered and the landscape rehabilitated into a coastal wetland that allows the visitor to perceive tidal changes throughout the day.
The building form is a reflection of A series and B series classifications of time. The galleries on the second floor progress through instantaneous conceptions of time, to social, mechanical, and instantaneous. The circular cores house spaces that undergo change, such as the tidal pool, sun room, tree courtyard, cafe and gift shop.
