Overhead Museum . Design Realization
London
2014-15
This section is a continuation of the preceding project 'Overhead Museum'. The proposal takes over the unused platform of Barbican Station and connects Aldergate street to CharterHouse square, creating a public corridor through the station extending its existing boundaries to allow for its public integration; which naturally reinforces the public use of the project.
The proposal has been tailored to fit into the challenges building in a complex site, particularly that of the Barbican Station. Considering the tight nature of the plot, excavating underneath the south platform of the station could serve as additional space where the proposal can be erected and would therefore be cradled by the station and become more integrated into the existing structures.
In this section, I outline the development of the museum in its many phases and approaches in response to the critical conditions of the site, keeping in mind its urban gesture and impact. The project also deals with design strategies and covers a large scope of work from concept to physical and structural notions down to detailing, while responding to the existing conditions of the station. These issues are addressed in a series of arrangement drawings and diagrams that highlight certain elements within the building.
The key structural and material strategies are investigated in the following. The balloon performance, materiality and impact are also researched in detail. The heights, weights and visual impact over the museum are also investigated. Additionally, there is some focus on the excavation of the south platform of the station that forms the timber 'cradle' part of the project.
