ABSTRACT

The premise of the brief is based upon the conception of a reactive structure that challenges structural conventions through the use of a single material. Being sited in Marina East Park and adjacent to the Founder’s Memorial that enshrines the memory of our founding fathers, the chosen material should reflect the values of the Memorial -  the ability to thrive in tough circumstances like our forefathers did. Coupled with what gives Marina East Park it’s identity - the Singapore River - the material should also be able to react in tandem and thrive in the harsh conditions presented by the salt water body.

 

INTERVENTION

Just as what remains of our forefathers are the traces they have left behind, my intervention seeks to extend the journey of picking up traces through the understanding and manipulation of the basic characteristics and properties of a single material - copper.

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MATERIAL ANALYSIS

The analysis of the basic properties & characteristics of copper, towards the discovery of how deemed weaknesses can become strengths.

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Despite being weak as a structural material due to its malleability, this inherent weakness can be exploited to frame new methods of employing copper as structure.

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Through the exploration of how the rolling of copper sheets can withstand compressional loads, a semi-circular column comprising of rolled copper sheets was derived. By investigating the portions of the column that were deemed unnecessary for compressional load transfer, parts were cut away, creating cavities that displayed the internal composition of the column.

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The resultant  form encompasses a centrifugal point upon a planar semi-circular face, narrow at the top, to transfer the compressional load down to a broad base below that allows for stability.