Daniela Vargas: Architectural Design II
PROJECT 01: MEMORIAL & FOUNDATION
|
Cleopatra was a complex and multifaceted individual, known for her intelligence, charm, and political astuteness. As a person, she possessed a sharp intellect and was fluent in multiple languages, including Greek, Egyptian, and Latin, which allowed her to communicate effectively with a diverse range of people.
|
CONCEPT DRAWING
Cleopatra's legacy as a ruler is complex and multifaceted. While she is often remembered for her romantic liaisons with powerful men, her reign also left a lasting impact on Egyptian history and culture. She is celebrated as a symbol of female power and resilience, whose intelligence and political savvy allowed her to navigate the turbulent waters of ancient politics with grace and determination.
Overall, Cleopatra was a remarkable historical figure who defied societal expectations and wielded power in a male-dominated world. She continues to fascinate and inspire people today with her intelligence, charm, and indomitable spirit.
Overall, Cleopatra was a remarkable historical figure who defied societal expectations and wielded power in a male-dominated world. She continues to fascinate and inspire people today with her intelligence, charm, and indomitable spirit.
I. MEMORIALFor this memorial, I wanted symbolism to be the main component of it.
Its main shape is a right triangle since I wanted to include something related to the pyramids of Giza. The snake is an important symbol in ancient Egyptian mythology due to its meaning behind the snake God: Uraeus. The snake symbolizes royalty, divine authority, and sovereignty. That's also the reason why the head of the snake lays at the highest point of the building. This reflects the authority ancient rulers had. Inside the snake´s body, there would be water running down symbolizing the Nile River, and because where the water ends, there will be lotus flowers floating on top of it, symbolizing the live water created. The lotus flowers are a symbol of Cleopatra. The flowers are a symbol of feminity and rebirth. Cleopatra was a woman ruling a big empire in a men's world. However, she never denied nor left her feminity a side. 
Brain storm before final idea.
|
Memorial elevation, floor plan, and section.
|
II. FOUNDATION
THE SITE.
Cleopatra had romantic and political relationships with the Roman Empire. She was deeply ambitious and determined to maintain the sovereignty of Egypt in the face of external threats from the expanding Roman Empire. She was a shrewd diplomat who navigated the treacherous waters of Roman politics, forging alliances with influential Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony to protect Egypt's interests.
That´s a reason why the memorial and its program would be located in the city of Rome, Italy. Under Ceasar's villa near important sites and monuments just as The Colosseo, The Pantheon, The Fontana di Trevi, The Foro Romano, and The Basílica de San Pedro.
That´s a reason why the memorial and its program would be located in the city of Rome, Italy. Under Ceasar's villa near important sites and monuments just as The Colosseo, The Pantheon, The Fontana di Trevi, The Foro Romano, and The Basílica de San Pedro.
III. MASTER PLANS & CONCEPT DESIGNS
Master plans served me as roadmaps for guiding decision-making and helping to ensure that actions are aligned with overarching goals and objectives.
EDUCATIONAL SPACE:
- An “education space” for understanding Cleopatra´s importance
- Public “action space” to continue your Cleopatra´s legacy in a global culture
- A “service space” for foundation staff to manage and publicly communicate the work of the foundation
- Protected “memory space” for documents and other artifacts produced by your client or others that are part of her legacy.
|
|
starting idea
|
IV. STUDY MODELS
|
Design #1 is inspired by the iconic Egyptian symbol called "The Eye of Horus"
I designed it thinking about making a very elementary, but still containing the symbolism I´ve been wanting to keep. |
Design #2 is inspired by the Nile River, specifically on the river waves. I wanted to create a very minimalistic design. However, since design #1 was already minimalistic, for this new design I wanted to add some organic shapes to make it connect more with Cleopatra.
|
For design #3 I wanted to go full-on organic shapes. For this design, I wanted to experiment with my creativity. I decided to close my eyes and think about the woman I was making all this for, then proceeded to doodle what first came to my mind. This is how we ended up with this design.
The front head of the building looks like a flower, which could bring us back to the lotus flower and its meaning behind it. |
V. SCHEMATIC DESIGN
FOUNDATION
For this final design, I used elements from design #2 and #3.I wanted to keep the lotus flower symbolism and shape as one of the main components of this building. I used the heart of design #3 which was the flower shape to keep some of its original essence. Another big change made for this design was the elimination of the long side design #3.The long tail was supposed to act as a fellowship residency, but while evaluating the design, I realized and decided that keeping it separated from the foundation would be the best.
FELLOWSHIP RESIDENCY
VI. SITE MODEL
While creating the site model, I wanted to clearly depict the layout of the site, including buildings, structures, roads, parking areas, walkways, and landscaping. Ensure clarity in the arrangement of these elements to facilitate navigation and functionality. Emphasize parks, plazas, gardens, and other open spaces within the site.
Highlight landscaping features such as trees, shrubs, and green buffers to enhance aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Identify entrances, exits, driveways, and pedestrian pathways. Highlight circulation patterns for vehicles and pedestrians to ensure efficient movement throughout the site.
Highlight landscaping features such as trees, shrubs, and green buffers to enhance aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Identify entrances, exits, driveways, and pedestrian pathways. Highlight circulation patterns for vehicles and pedestrians to ensure efficient movement throughout the site.
