Week Seven : Thoughts on Project Two

Moving on to project two this week has presented a whole new set of challenges as I try to take from the somewhat abstract ideas that emerged in project one and really explore and refine the implications and outcomes for a physical context - that being Paddington Central. Attempting to give root to future imaginings in a real world and current location is I suppose one of the most daunting aspects of this task; working within a constructed future presents very unique issues and opportunities and although it is removed from time as exists today, it is still a product of current ideas, theory and trends. It's almost as if designing in an abstract realm where the future and present both coexist. I think and hope that this is the essence of our task; to imagine the existence and experience of both the tangible and intangible future

The video from Henning Larsen Architects illustrating their Greenland proposal while presenting what I believe is a very real future scenario, grounded in research and understanding; lacks this intangibility. It lacks the spirit and atmosphere that the outcome would provide. It lacks experiential communication and I think that is the point most strongly emphasised by Yasu; we need to take our audience on a journey; we need to put on a show. This approach is reflected in the criteria. Script - Stage - Scenes. I would theorise though that underpinning these three components is Storytelling.

According to Andrew, Dees; Hull and Donahue (2009); 

"Storytelling is a means for sharing and interpreting experiences. Stories are universal in that     they can bridge cultural, linguistic and age-related divides. Storytelling can be used as a method to teach ethics, values, and cultural norms and differences.  Learning is most effective when it takes place in social environments that provide authentic social cues about how knowledge is to be applied. Stories provide a tool to transfer knowledge in a social context".

Thus in employing an undercurrent of storytelling, the communication of this project becomes more about transferring knowledge and inspiring ideas within a wider audience rather than merely presenting a pretty picture.