Developing an Idea

Of all the sketches I completed in the previous exercise, I was most struck by the one featured here. There was something about the uncompromisingly angular, yet somehow coherent, form that appealed to me. So, I set out to try and develop the idea further and to make it into a workable structure, perhaps one that could be used a high-end showroom for Rolex, the company which inspired its' design.

I started by trying to figure out how to make the basic sketch into a workable building. I was particularly taken with the idea of including windows on the more vertical surfaces, right up near the peak of each "blade" of the building to provide overhead lighting. The slightly odd internal dimensions opened up the possibility of including various mezzanines, bridges, stairs and internal balconies, all of which appealed greatly to me.

This ideas were further explored, with it being determined that the front plane of the building should be largely made of glass, to make it more inviting to visitors.

A clumsy first attempt was made to convert the idea into a three-dimensional form, although this did allow the idea of a raised podium to cement itself into the design.

An equally messy attempt was made to formalise the front elevation of the building, while at the same time experimenting with the patterning of the front glass. It was decided that a plain rectangular design would be too rigid for the building, and an alternative was sought.

Additionally, the idea of conceptualising the building as a mash of individual 3D shapes was floated, perhaps making it easier to design.

At this point, the difficulty of working with the basic shape initially conceived became apparent, and it was obvious that much more work was required.