Existence Between

Catherine Kim

interval: time or distance between; a pause; a break; a difference of tone between two pitches

To me, the idea of a retreat speaks of the interval between daily activities of work and that of relaxation. To incorporate this idea into architecture, I juxtaposed fundamental elements: the brilliance of prairie light against its blanketing darkness and object against void. I emphasized their points of synthesis - the balance between the different realms.

One enters the building through a long, stark hallway articulated on one side with a wall of translucent glass and on the other, a massive wall of polished concrete discreetly punched with doors opening up to various rooms. A stairwell wraps around the elevator, at the far end of the hallway. As one descends down the stairs, a long transitional void is situated directly beneath the wall of rooms above - the object on the first floor has now become the void. At the same time, the experience of light has been reversed. From being on one’s right as your enter, the public transparency now lies on your left at the lower level. The realm of private darkness becomes a rock-faced wall on one’s right. This open lower space offers potential for division. Users may move intersecting paritions to define spaces according to their needs.

The upper floor is simply defined; the lower floor is left loose in articulation to allow flexibility of spatial definition. As one journeys through the building, they are allowed to control their experience of the space while simultaneously experiencing one’s progression through an interval vis-a-vis duality of materials and juxtaposed elements.

Catherine Kim is an MArch student at the University of Calgary.