My project is about mental illness and the role of architecture in relationship to the psychological state of our society at different scales: body scale with wearable technology, building scale with implementation of temporary structure and urban scale with the creation of a network of well-being across the city.
The project aims to create unexpected public spaces that bring people together and fill the void of what each community is lacking. A series of temporary follies are implemented across the city of Cape Town. Each of them addresses specific mental characteristics. A more sensitive and accepting approach is adopted, which provides us the opportunity to celebrate our inner darkness and come to term with it. As an architect, not a psychologist, one can only create space akin to communal activities in order to increase the general level of positive attitude.
The church of silence is a place to quiet down and compose oneself in one of Khayelitsha's most lively urban environment. Light touching down on the curved bamboo surface and the feeling of warm materials define the space with the breathtaking view of the sky.
A series of temporary follies are implemented across the city of Cape town as part of a larger network. Each of them addresses specific mental characteristics and fill the void of what the communities are lacking. Altogether, they create a network of well-being that monitor the general happiness of the city.
Inspired by the national flower of South Africa, the Protea flower, which symbolizes hope and transformation, a series of follies are designed for different communities.
Two scenarios are looked more in depth, one in Khayelitsha for Bipolar disorder and one in Langa for Seasonal affective disorder.
Because of its distorted shape, depeding on the perspective of the viewer, the structure is either perceived as a massive tensile structure, or dissolves into the breathtaking landscape of the city. The users that look from the inside of the structure to the outside, on the other hand, witness an abstract play of diagonal members that reshape the city.
In the laboratory of sunset, the scenographical experience of watching the sunset on the beach of Cape Town is repeated over and over again. The sunset, as a fiery red orb of light slowly sinks beneath the horizon, and threads of light linger in the sky, mingling with the rolling clouds, dyeing the heavens first orange then red, then dark blue, until all that is left of the sunset is just a chalky mauve, and then that melts away in turn as stygian darkness takes over the sky. Gradually, the warmth of sunlight appears again. It touches our skin and soul. The sky becomes brighter and brighter, warmer and warmer. The comforting circle of light.
For everyday life, people start to monitor their physical health. I believe we should do the same for our mental health. This piece of jewelry is designed to celebrate our inner darkness. The collar is 3D printed, the form imitating the shape of our brainwaves, which are linked to emotions. This piece acts as a personal psychologist which could monitor one's mental health at all time through the skin conductance sensor on the back. Same idea as the prototypes, which are parasite to the local fabric, this jewelry piece is paratie to human body.
A mixture of resin and iron powder is used to create this dark and rought tecture.
