OLYMPIA - FALL 2019
[Wood ; Watercolor ; E-Flute ; Illustration Board ; Rhino ; VRay ; Adobe Illustrator ; Adobe Photoshop]
The industrial past of Cleveland is rooted in myth and antiquity; tales of self-discovery and wild fantasies abound in the stories of urban industry, as do tales of peril and loss. What once was important icons of the city, be it temples or factories, suddenly fall to the status of a relic, surviving only as pieces of a by-gone era: forgotten, possibly crumbling, and left exposed to the elements. The Westinghouse Electric building, like many other industrial buildings of Cleveland’s past, now sits empty above the Shoreway, waiting for either resale or demolition.
“There are two great jars that stand on the floor of Zeus’s halls and hold his gifts, our miseries one, the other blessings.” - Homer, The Iliad
The ideas of myth, antiquity, and relics lend themselves to the formal arrangements founded in ancient urban spaces, such as the Forum and the Acropolis. Every function, every deity has their place within the landscape, creating a dynamic network that impacts the citizens in both tangible and intangible ways. Olympia creates a similar landscape in which each programmatic piece takes on its own persona that manifests into a collection of classical-esque objects with distinct functions and spirits. These “personas” are emblematic of various identifiable characters or themes from classical myths and legends, such as the tale of Goliath or Homer’s The Odyssey.
“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns.” - Homer, The Odyssey
The Wonder School program focuses heavily on concepts of life-long learning and mastery-based education, both of which require continuous curiosity, support, and interest in order to be successful in its mission. The name Olympia, taken from the site of the first Olympic games and unifier of Greek worship, is tied to themes of journey, togetherness, and self-improvement. The various studios offer unique spatial experiences while maintaining a flexible programmatic function in order to accommodate people of all ages. The community pieces, such as the library, gallery, gymnasium, park, auditorium, and fabrication hall, all seek to educate and engage anyone who chooses to wander inside. The infiltration and continuity of the landscape (known as Gaia) serves as a means to not only encourage exploration of the various paths and ecological typologies (the woods, the meadow, the diversity of plantings) on the site, but it also acts as a way to unite people together with little to no interruption in its form. By becoming a part of this mythical, yet academic, landscape, all visitors to the site will ultimately be able to craft their own tales of self-discovery and fantasy.
