The Sinister Summit, Laputa

"Fantasy fills the thoughts of the unimaginative mind.."

"Fantasy fills the thoughts of the unimaginative mind.."

The Geographer has reached an absolution.
The model reflects upon the imagination of the 'Geographer' as featured in Vermeer's painting.
Everyday tasks have become a burden and he wishes to regress back to his childhood.
The tower represents the psychological journery as the 'Geographer' loses himself in his thoughts, his imagination, a world of fantasy in which he can immerse.
All the components from the base site up, are all interlocked at 90 degree angles, this ties in with the fact that he has a mathematical and logical mind, always measuring.
He feels the need to escape, and dreams of a space where he can escape.
The forms become more abstract in his mind, a narrow subtle path up the tower illustrates the need to climb his way up the tree in the sky.
The top depicts his ecstasy, a place where he can observe the land freely without consideration for anything else, to dream.
The fantasy scape provides rooms in which he can divulge in his activities.
His mind has formed voids through the interplay of balsa walls with respect to the model, these 'walls' define the boundaries of the rooms, however they are open-ended and thus represent his freedom from his world.
Through these pieces used as such; windows, doors and openings are suggested to thus fulfill the architectonics of the structure.
A curved metal piece is used on the top room as a wall, the idea of this is allegoric, and effectively alludes to the childlike state he wishes for, the simple innocence of a childs mind.
It also symbolises the way light hits the surfaces of the landscape, in particular the ocean and its waves, and so light striations and interplays can be noticed when various angles are used to project light onto the model. The surfaces of the model, the voids, protrusions represent the land, his life as a geographer, therefore he thinks about the land all the time, the natural forms of the earth, creating unique light forms in every facet of the overall structure.
He is absolved.
The sinister summit of 'Laputa'.

二 : Evolution of Concept

The concept of using natural forms of the structure to define the walls and windows will play a big part in this model. There are a series of 'rooms' present, one beneath/on top of the other. I plan to use a simple curved form on the top room, rather than the abstract 3D shapes as depicted above, this is symbolic of the freedom, the absolution of his mind at the summit, simple and pure.

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New Idea! that the 'Geographer' is bored of his work oriented life, and that he wishes to regress back to his childhood, a carefree innocence. Once more the notion of the curved form on the top relates to the geography of the land, that being the sea vs. the earth. Fluidity VS Solidity.

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representing the curves of the contours of the entire landscape in its naturals.

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-also allegoric in that, the mind of an adult is set and solid, there is a meaning and understanding beneath things, however as one progresses to the ecstasy of the top room, to dream, the mind escapes. It becomes fluid and playful like a childs mind, so complex, yet it cares for not how things work, but how to enjoy.

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To Observe.

The Fantasy, that is the tree in the sky

The reflective mirroring of water

The earth below, spaces

The light that flows into a room forcefully

much like the portrait, slits of light through wall

The interplay of light on the contours of the earth & sea

The openings and the views within

To Observe;

The Geographer.


Climbing across the terrain to reach the summit, haven in the rooms.
No defined architecture, just voids like the land, the contours of cliffs and voids

it is natural, such that it is suggestive of walls & windows, through openings and spaces created.
There is a sense of freedom, with no boundaries, you levitate.

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No walls to confine,

No windows to seek,

No doors to open,

Free from thought.
Free to observe.

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The origins of the idea or concept was to dream..

dream ones way into the space

a psychological entrance.

二 : Advanced Concept

How straight edges and thoughts

Of the geographer meet
The dream-like curves and
How they interplay/interact
When imagination runs wild.

Austere straight edges of the
Base site evolve into curvy
Illustrious forms to demonstrate
The geographers jounery. A mind
Of science, lines, mathematical
Measurements has been absolved
And is free to explore the power,
Beauty and manipulation of the creative
Part of the brain. The geographer
Loses himself in his fantasy.
Overwhelmed, free to imagine, to create,

to dream.

Mathematically correct architectural forms
interlocking, greet the geographers
Fantasy, composed of spaces that make no sense
Spaces defined by copper curves, so free
The escape.

二 : Ideas

Some proper ideas/concepts ^

Interplay of straight edges to create various light castings
Inter-connectected pieces
Austere and industrial, RAW, haunting.

"deep in thought.."
Spaces defined by edges, lines, protrusions, Voids.

Random thoughts.

(click to expand images yo)

二 : Room and Narrative

The Geographer - Jan Vermeer

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Within this painting, Vermeer has portrayed a geographer, an individual whos mind dwells on the landscape, measurements, maths, geometry and calculations. A heavy interplay of light is juxtaposed against the shadows and forms/objects within the paintings, such as the cartographic tools that accentuate the 'Geographer's profession - This is a notion that I wish to allude to throughout my concept and thus my project.

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I want to focus alot on the way that light has been forced into the openings of the room, through the small opening that is the window, effectively creating diagonals that stretch across the canvas, draped over the forms within. The figure is also quite active and appears to be deep in thought and contemplation. Through this figure and various components that compose the room, Vermeer has mirrored and represented the growth of science, prominent to his era in this painting - that being the 17th century (Dutch).

I have chosen this painting because it would be interesting to physically visualize a model that presents a polar motif to that of the painting, that being, a contrast between the thoughts of 'The Geographer' and a world that is of fantasy and imagination. Rather than take a literal approach to the painting, I'd rather seek what would bring out more emotive qualities into the space.

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The use of the sea chart, dividers and all those other tools become relevant in my design of these series of 'rooms', I wish to interpret these in my own artistic structure, as well as play around with the angle qualities of the sun. Furthermore I want to delve into relationship of architectonics and parti. The interplay of light qualities on the figure, on the room.