Hongik School of Architecture

건축학전공 안슬비, 이예승, 임주혜, 황재필 학생이 2023년 8월 YAC(Young architects competition)에서 주최한 국제공모 Performing Oasis에서 Finalist(입선)을 하였습니다.

Team name: H1O3+70

Project name: The Adenium

< Siwa >

Thinking about Siwa, the main objective of the project seems clear. It should be merged with the great landscape of Siwa oasis and desert, and should also fortify the experience in Siwa, the character of Siwa, the impression of people from the inner and outer. To Accomplish these objectives, we propose "the Adenium", which can make Siwa a dramatic place of site-specific art and performing while it preserves pre-existing conditions and respects the context of Siwa and surroundings

< The Fort and >

By its layers of circular wall, it becomes the fort by itself. Layers of Wall creates a space within the maze. Because of the maze and its diverse and every-different experiences inside of it, artists can create a masterpiece only could fit in the specific site of work. The artworks grouped by several sets will be replaced with new ones periodically and individually in the maze, so the visitors are able to walk along the path of the maze and create their own experiences to find their fate and impression by the artwork. And, by the rotation of artwork, the habitants of Siwa can also refresh the memory inside the fort and can have diverse experience by every visit.

< The Pistil and The Leaves >

As the rose and the heart of center of Siwa. Its central space, as it called by name of the pistil, makes the performing area that absorbs tremendous landscape of the desert. The fort-wall, as it called by name of the leaves, covers and protects the pistil by the sandblast from outside, and also it conceptually isolates the Adenium from the political conflicts around Siwa, while it creates diverse spaces inside and attract the visitors with a curiosity for the readied adventure. It seems like the pistil is the sole space for art, but the whole space around the pistil created by the presence of the leaves is a perfect place for the site-specific art of every genre.

< The Oasis, The Oracle, The Vestige >

For creating a new place on the remains of Siwa, delicately designed elements intensify the essence of place, Genius-Loci. The water flows and gathers in the Adenium is the metaphorical reference of the oases. The water circulates through the whole place and does clean up the sand dust and contamination all upon the place. Eventually, it would be filtered and reused, therefore circulates and gives no harm to surroundings.

The sunlight and sunshade of the desert create a memorable situation for every visitor, furthermore, elaborately controlled sunlight and sunshade usage at the Adenium enhances the experience inside. Different kinds of light environment create dif­ ferent kind of feelings the visitors get, so the every experience inside of maze that could have been the same alters by every step they take, and make them able to feel the sacred by following the oracle given by the sun, the omnipresent existence above the sky.

The remains of Shali being vulnerable to the environment of Siwa is partially preserved inside the Adenium and also used for intensifying the characteristics of Siwa. The context and the structure made by the remains are inherited as the pattern of circular fort-wall. And the existence of remains inside of spaces reminds the visitor and the habitants of the character and the historical background of the ShaIi of Siwa.

< The Heart of Siwa, The Adenium >

By those elements of it, the place becomes the heart of Siwa presently and also immortally. the Adenium not only creates exceptional experience for the visitors, but also gives a daily-based art experience for the habitants. The performers and the artists can have a chance to create their own site-specific masterpiece that can be harmonized only with Siwa. As the Adenium respects the pre-existing context, keeps varying between time to time, and evolves with the changing trends of art, it will be permenantly becomes the heart of Siwa, the rose of the desert, and the center of the global art, "The Adenium".

[ More information ]

Competition brief and results: https://www.youngarchitectscompetitions.com/past-competitions/performing-oasis