04/09/2015
COSTA CONCORDIA LIGHTHOUSE COMPETITION
1. Keeping and highlighting the lighthouse metaphorical values"lighthouses are literally columns of light and temples of clarity and evidence".
Our design focus on the transformation of the lighthouse from an architectural volume holding a light - to a light holding a volume. a tower that is lighting inside-out and filtrating the exterior light inside. we focus our research on the transformation of light passing trough different mediums. when light crosses from a less dense to a more dense substance, for example from air into water, the light is refracted towards the normal. these interaction is called refraction. as light travels through a medium, it naturally hits that. in the case of water, light and water interact in a variety of ways. when refraction is combined with waves, light is concentrated into pattern lines along the bottom. this lines could be represented with a Voronoi pattern. in our design we create a 3D Voronoi parametric design, to brake the volume into pieces, making a digital interpretation of an object broken by the refraction of light.
2. Making a tribute to the Costa Concordia disaster.
We use a volume with the same proportions of the Costa Concordia ship, scaled to 70 meters high. we broke the volume into the number of pieces that represents the number of victims that lost their life. the interior surfaces design of the cells were inspired by the sea rock that hit the ship, emphasizing the contrast between them and the smooth exterior surfaces. each cell transforms into a lighting system cell, keeping alive the memory of the victims. Our lighting system is using natural resource in order to be a self maintaining tower. we collect the natural gas that can be found in the deep parts of the sea, and with a system following the geometry of the interior faces between the cells, we transform the gas into an eternal flame burning through the gaps of the tower. We find the system as a reference to the first lighthouse typology, the Alexandria Pharaohs, that used fire and smoke as a signal for guidance and warning. eternal flames are also used to commemorate a person or an event with national significance. the combination of this two significant values, highlights not only our lighthouse as a tribute to the Costa Concordia disaster, but also make a strong connection to the history of the lighthouse typology. the materialization of the tower emphasizes the idea, using recycled ship metal in order to commemorate the disaster. the circulation of the tower emphasizes the visitors experience, changing all the time inside-out and showing different views as you get closer to the top.
3. Redefining a contemporary lighthouse typology.
"Fire indicates purifying intentions, rituals of transformation from matter to light or spiritual essence, essential parts of sacred practices and important symbolical strategies". With our new typology, we decide to make a strong connection between the new lighthouse typology to its metaphorical values and the Costa Concordia disaster. the broken tower brings us the possibility to use each one of the cells as spiritual room where visitors, lighthouses watcher and residents of the island, could find a strong connection with their own essence, pray to their own believes or just have disconnection time from reality. the exterior broken surfaces of the tower filtrate the lights in order to create a magical interior atmosphere. we designed these cells as pure and neutral spaces where everyone can find his own way to make his connection between earth and sky, light and darkness, infinite and finite.
