Another Dimention
Project information
Introduction of the “red ribbon” indoor hill and wrapping staircase to the interior of St Mary Northgate
Combining historical research of the Northgate site, Canterbury, where the church of St Mary went through shape shifting over centuries of its existence from long bridge across the road reaching closer to Jolly Sailor Pub back to its current shape and closer analysis of the interior of two buildings after site visit with research of the cinemas and outdoor pursuits in the area, I have discovered many similarities with the narrative of “The Third Policeman” by Flann O’Brien.
Seven hundred years of rich history of the church left its heavy print on the walls of the building. They are easily seen in uneven and blocked windows of the wall that was thick enough to protect the medieval Canterbury from invaders as well as in bright yellow brick insert of the roof adjusting its shape from the 1800th M shape to a partially flat top that it is now. In the book the folds in between the walls are big enough to accommodate whole police station that is mainly preoccupied by solving mysteries of the disappeared bicycles.
These observations allowed me to link smilingly opposite themes of activity of bicycle riders with passive escapism of watching a film in a programme for my design and introduce an indoor hill as a way of managing circulation inside the building, the soft fold in between the rigid downward moving cycling rump and solid upward moving staircase, that is just like a ribbon wrapped around the double storey cinema box.
