LEO (SUPAWUT) TEERAWATANACHAI 2019-20 YEAR 2
Synecdoche Chicago: A Mesocosm for a stained city
In a ‘false-field’ landscape in central Chicago, a research laboratory harbours the experimental study of a heavily polluted river, broadcasting environmental changes through a building fabric that stains and cleanses.
Directly translated as ‘medium world’, a Mesocosm is a scientific method of survey that allows for the observational study of an ecosystem within a semi-controlled environment. The architecture is a passive infrastructure; an experimental landscape for real-time research and education. The building comprises the gatehouse: a public library, cafe and a gallery, and the ‘field’: a landscape of indoor and outdoor laboratories. Constructed in a porous stone, recycled and reconstituted, the architecture absorbs and amplifies the changing landscape of the Mesocosm. Over time, the facades become an undeniable record, holding the city to account for its actions upon its environment.
Tutors: Greg Storrar, Farlie Reynolds
