GUERNICA ATMOSPHERES
MSA, 2016-2017
My final design thesis project is located in Madrid and explores atmospheres of Pablo Picasso’s painting 'Guernica'. The artist was commited to create the centrepiece for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. Inspired by bombing of Spanish town Gernika, he created a masterpiece which became world’s protest against violence and cruelty. The painting was exhibited in several spaces, but none of them was appropriate for experiencing the masterpiece. The aim of the project was to design a building for the painting.
My final design thesis project is located in Madrid and explores atmospheres of Pablo Picasso’s painting 'Guernica'. The artist was commited to create the centrepiece for the Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. Inspired by bombing of Spanish town Gernika, he created a masterpiece which became world’s protest against violence and cruelty. The painting was exhibited in several spaces, but none of them was appropriate for experiencing the masterpiece. The aim of the project was to design a building for the painting.
History is the main driver of this project, which influenced the site choice. The building is located between the Royal Palace and the Catherdral, which makes the location meaningful. Franco used to address the public from the palace balcony and was actively supported by the church.
I started my investigations with the definitions of the 'Guernica' space. I imagined the painting in various sacret, cultural and leisure spaces in order to understand, how the space should feel like. Afterwards, I identified the main themes of the painting and translated them to architectural language in form of concept models. This experiment helped me to define the main themes of the building: carving; light and dark; solid and void. These motives led me to the final design.
The attack of Spanish town Gernika had 2 sides: military (black) and civil (white), before (dark) and after (light), which interact between each other. I expressed this overlap in interplay of dark and light; solid and void.
Before experiencing «Guernica», the visitors will go all the way down through dark spaces in the solid and learn about the events before bombing. The «Guernica» Chamber in my building is the transitional point between dark and light, solid and void, despair and hope, before and after the bombing. The space is focused on the painting.
Light and dark, solid and void were the main themes not only for the design process, but also for Architectural Technology (AT) development. These themes influenced the choice of materials, environmental strategies, etc. However, light was main theme of AT investigations. I researched and tested various options of natural lighting in art spaces.
Before experiencing «Guernica», the visitors will go all the way down through dark spaces in the solid and learn about the events before bombing. The «Guernica» Chamber in my building is the transitional point between dark and light, solid and void, despair and hope, before and after the bombing. The space is focused on the painting.
Light and dark, solid and void were the main themes not only for the design process, but also for Architectural Technology (AT) development. These themes influenced the choice of materials, environmental strategies, etc. However, light was main theme of AT investigations. I researched and tested various options of natural lighting in art spaces.
The whole project development is described in the booklet "Guernica Atmospheres".