Light and Architecture

This paper is a response to what I consider to be a miscommunication of architecture. A practice that has the subject constrained to a predetermined design language or has it misguided by an obscure idea. In short, this thesis is an attempt at a simple, clear cut concept which can deliver its narrative to the user in a manner that is transparent and easy to grasp. As is the case with any design exercise, there has to be a brief to follow and this Thesis paper is no exception. The narrative to tell is borrowed from an architectural competition. It is to convey a story of Red Sands, an Army fort located in the Thames Estuary, which is due to a complete overhaul as an observatory and a tourist attraction. This spells for a complex story that is burdened with a clash of two typologies, two different eras, a highly diverse program and an unusual setting. In order to tackle the challenges of the brief, and keep the design under control, this paper employs light as the only objective measure of the subject. It is going to underpin the analysis of the original and influence every decision while assembling the upcoming concept. After all, things only are what they appear to be and light is the agent that allows us to see. Having established the problem, the brief and the means of expression, this paper picks up with the conceptual exercise. The entire process is set to be split in two parts, the design of the outer envelope and a set out of the inner spaces. It starts with the former and gradually progresses inwards, until the entire narrative is told, all with the help of light. Finally, after the conceptual work is done and all adjustments are in order, the end result is put on display in a separate chapter. This is a graphical presentation, portrayed through a camera lens of an ostensible visitor, the end user