Concept

Creating a gallery for graffiti art should consider the nature of the art that is going to be exhibited. Being a street art, graffiti belong to the urban context and should not be extracted from it. The art gallery should bring the atmosphere of the street inside and blend with it. Semi transparent and thin walls are to be used in order to create the link between inside and outside, letting the light and the noise to penetrate the building. The plan should be simple and intuitive, but in the same time it should control the movement, just as a street does; there should be directionality and certain pattern just as in urban planning. The gallery is providing not only exhibition space, but also a workshop to stimulate local artists.

The area is characterized by numerous graffiti, a clear indication of the young spirit of the place and the vivid community living there.

A more rigorous massing study of the location, clearly shows that in 2 blocks from the site no building is higher than 12-14m, which one more time confirms the top constraint i defined previously.

Site three is 16m in width which will be a major consideration for the design of the building having in mind the 12m restriction of the front façade. The neighbouring buildings are 8m and 12m in height, so this will be the top constraint of the proposed design.

King Street, Newtown, Sydney is a vivid area with a rich history and diverse culture. I chose site three, which can be approached either from the north or from the south by bus (373, 412) by foot (the area is famous for its shops, restaurants and caffees).

Works of the Strand Bridge (taken in the Year 1815).
Drawn by Edw. Blore. Engraved by George Cooke. Jan. 1, 1817

For inspiration I focused on architecture like Diller and Scofidio's 'Church of Solitude'

The structure of the proposed building is comprised of timber frame, supposedly some of which built with random materials collected by the inhabitant. The spherical structure of the main volumes is chosen specifically to resist the earth pressure and to provide maximum space without columns and beams. It also enables easy expansion, which is crucial for the way of life of the Old Drinker.