In Between Columns

In a city like New York, characterized by its high-rise buildings and densely packed city blocks, it's quite plausible to describe New York City as a forest of columns. These columns are integrated into the architecture throughout the city, spanning various building types and functions. They serve as structural components, elements of facade design, and integral parts of building interiors.

The size of columns varies, yet they invariably form part of a broader system intricately linked to the design of each space. While columns might be among the most stationary elements in a structure, their presence is dynamically influenced by the activities occurring around them over time.

The term "in between" here encompasses everything beyond the buildings themselves. It refers to external factors that can impact various aspects of architecture, such as light, air, people, perspectives, and function. Although these factors influence much more than just columns, the column serves as a point of departure for our exploration of how intangible elements affect architecture in different contexts.

We examine the relationship between architectural space and external factors from multiple perspectives. From a first-person viewpoint, we empathize with the space as if I embody the space. Just as my body changes and ages, an architectural element's physical qualities evolve over time due to surrounding movements.

For instance, on a dance stage, the sets can be rearranged and transformed into different configurations throughout a performance. Similarly, they can deteriorate and corrode over time, much like the columns of ancient Greek temples.

From a second-person perspective, we imagine an intimate interaction with space. One's experience of space is shaped by factors such as the time of day, the quality of light and air, and the number of people present. Since space is never solely architectural, one's experience of a place is always influenced by elements like people, sound, and light.

On stage, the way dancers navigate the space affects the movements of others. New Yorkers, akin to dancers, sometimes lean on the steel columns of subway platforms to rest, while at other times, they may overlook the presence of column grids in their offices. Our interactions with architectural elements largely depend on the context of their surroundings.

Lastly, from a third-person viewpoint, we observe space as if reading what it presents. A space's image is significantly influenced by one's perspective and distance from it. Light can alter a building's shadows and colors, and the density of people can affect its sense of openness.

In the context of a stage, the movement of dancers influences the audience's perception of the performance. Often, we perceive buildings in New York from afar, much like an audience watching a performance, making the ornate columns on SOHO buildings appear predominantly visual from the street level.

With these three perspectives established, we initiate an experiment to isolate a collection of columns from their contexts and place them inside an exhibition space. By detaching the columns from their broader system, the exhibition on New York City columns concentrates on each column's relationship with its respective "in between" factors. However, through isolation, a column may also form new connections with the "in between" elements of its original context.

By combining different types of columns in the same space, we aim to foster understanding and highlight contradictions concerning the intangible factors within the spaces between columns.