A L E X A N D E R G A L E G O: June 2012

"Power is frequently defined by political scientists as the ability to influence the behavior of others with or without resistance"

Authoritative sculptural forms which become metaphoric symbols of power and

I THINK OF BOTH HEADQUARTERS AS LIVING ORGANISMS WHICH ARE IN AN EXISTENCE OF TRANSIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY, ALLOWING THEM TO GROW AND LEARN TO ACHIEVE THE ULTIMATE SENSE OF POWER. THEY BREATHE, ADAPT, GROW, RESPOND AND CONSUME IN A WAY WHICH MAKES THEM DOMINATE AND MANIPULATE POWER.

T THE CLIENTS

IDEAS OF TRANSPARENCY

My clients were Coca Cola and Facebook:

As a company of authority, Facebook’s power and influence has become so profound because it has become ingrained into almost every social aspect of the modern world. It is has become integral to how we communicate, relate to and socialise with people. It has subverted the conventional physical and visual communication methods we have had all our lives, and replaces it with a faceless and digital form of interaction.

The company’s goals revolve around breaking down these physical barriers of distance to create a faster flow of information. However, as individuals on the website, the power of Facebook allows us to trust them with incredibly personal information.

Therefore, I have chosen my headquarters to embody this tension between privacy and vulnerability. In the media, the facebook is portrayed as a powerful company which manipulates society’s right to privacy through the interruption of constant advertisements and stealing of personal data. However, they continue to become successful because they provide something that is needed by everyone, the chance to feel connected with the wider world.

COCA COLA (the textures are transparency)

PARASITIC

After researching the history of Coca Cola from its beginnings at a small pharmacy, the idea of parasitic architecture came to mind because at the moment Coca Cola is not just the soft drink, they have ‘leeched’ and bought from every major competitor within their own market and even outside.

They have been given authority through their professional ability to adapt with history. Unlike facebook, Coca Cola has stood the test of time and this is due to its ability to respond to changing markets and needs of consumers. By becoming a parasitic organisation, my architecture also embodies this philosophy as its segmented hierarchy of structural arms breathe and enforce life upon the inanimate object that is the headquarters.

2. describe your location

My location is The twelve Apostles. I chose it because I am immediately drawn to the authoritative stance of the sculptural rock forms as they seem to be proudly standing in the face of the ocean. As a landform it almost seems surreal, and so I felt that my ideas of parasitic architecture and breathing buildings would be effectively accepted within that particular environment.

3. where the offices are

The offices of facebook lie directly in the middle of form. This connotes the symbolic heart of the living and breathing building. The workforce of the offices continue to work while the external façade is constantly adapting through its pulsating arms. The simplistic and lack of hierarchy in the levels of facebook is due to its democratic and flat structure which attempts to bridge the gaps between upper and lower management. That is the reasoning behind the flat structure of the office space.

3.5. Influences, inspirations, document them on blog.

A major influence was the lecture on interactive façades given by Hank. It really opened my eyes to a new type of architecture which much like coca cola and facebook, respond to the present needs and concerns.

4. evidence of what materials/textures were used

The textures that were used are evident within the photos and video. With facebook I wanted to create a more abstract texture on the walls and floors. I tried to stay away from curves and instead used stark geometric patterns solely created by lines which interweave with eachother to express the ideas of interconnectedness within the company of Facebook and their achievements through the power they have gained. I feel that the serious textures which I have created are almost like a defence mechanism. Through researching biomimicry within architecture, I noticed that animals such as the frilled neck lizard expand in size when they feel threatened as a form of self defence. I chose to create a similar effect within the building to give the building a life-like response mechanism which symbolically implies a state of domination and power.

I also feel that the textures not overtly used because the moving walls already provide an aesthetic and moving pattern which would not work well with an additional pattern on top.

The textures of Coca Cola are extremely small and can only be viewed when standing close to the wall otherwise it looks white. This design choice was made due to the never changing nature of Coca Cola and the solidity of their power. Along with this idea, both companies are portrayed through the transparency of their structures either through glass or the absence of material. This is done because the tension between privacy and vulnerability through the behaviour of the companies

6. identify the table, elevators

The elevators- as seen in the photos of sketch up below- attempt to mimic the design philosophy of the headquarters in an attempt to reflect similar values and ideas of parasitic architecture. The fluid elevator of coca cola mimics a drop of water as it cocoons the user up towards the office spaces.

Contrastingly, the Facebook elevator although striking, seems to welcome the user as the arms open for the entrance. It rises through the centre of the headquarters symbolically implying the elevator as an integral medium for interacting with the outside world and letting people in and out of the building.

The dining table has moved away from the traditional, but rather, I have created a platform where the companies can communicate ideas on a more physical level. It symbolises how in a modern world like today, Facebook has diminished the need for physical communication, and so the need for a dining table has become obsolete, therefore I have diminished it to a degree which allows it to

THE HEADQUARTERS

Firstly, the headquarters for coca cola was generated with a more organic and sculptural composition. The notion of parasitic architecture is still relevant as the entire headquarters seems to be growing from one of the rock formations from a stalk, as if it is sucking away the nutrients from its surrounding environment. The buildings is essentially a reflectance of its external façade on the inside, and the 2 other sides are created by glass. It is this idea of ultimate transparency as the light floods into the headquarters that creates the

The timeless design logo of the coca cola branding is what makes it such a powerful company, in that it is so globally recognised that it would not be powerful if it weren’t for its brand recognition. The bridge which cantilever drops from the top of the headquarters.

The form of the bridge is reminiscent of the coca cola bottle and the curves of the product. It is primarily a fluid form which attempts to generate the symbolic nature of the branding which provides coca cola with the power it has attained. Textures have been sparingly used to amplify the effect of blending into its environment.

Coca cola has been able to stand the test of time because it continuously responds to consumer change. The fluidity and dynamic nature of the shape exists to embody this idea of adaptive power and manipulation.

THE FACEBOOK HEADQUATERS

The concept behind the Facebook headquarters is this idea of a tension between privacy and vulnerability within a parasitic structure that is adapting and responding to its surrounding environment. As the structure breathes and pulsates between the 2^nd and 3^rd dimension, I wanted to convey the idea of a living breathing structure.

Facebook has become famous due to society’s ability to trust them with important information in order to carry out such an important action of communication. The horizontal structure leaves gaps so that even though the offices are enclosed they are exposed to the outside world. This is following the idea that Facebook’s power is gained through the their ownership of our personal information.

PHOTOS

COCA COLA ELEVATOR

THE DINING TABLE

I have decided that rather than create a conventional dining table, I have created an interactive platform where both companies can interact on a more physical level, rather than sitting down. However, the design can also be applied to a traditional dining table.

(The moving circles enclose the meeting space. The circles are used because they are a neutral and non bias shapes to create the even play field when both powerful companies meet in the middle)