Kelvin Su
Engulf
Immerse into the haze
Mist appears as an all-pervasive medium that fosters psychological conflict. Water contains memory; it moves in an ever-repeating, natural cycle. I propose installing an interactive museum and bar that pays tribute to the once-flooded waterfronts of Downtown Auckland City that were drained due to human land reclamation. I imagine the evacuated waters as a ghostly mass haunting the area it previously called home, now operating as commercial trading centres. In my mind, the mist is a collection of screens, each appearing briefly before fading away. Currently, Fort Lane is home to several pubs and eateries tucked away behind the walls of the historic structures. My idea fits perfectly with the entertainment scene and gives city visitors a clear and blatant glimpse of a novel screening experience. I choose Imperial Lane because it immediately exudes a gloomy and melancholy atmosphere when you enter the location. Revitalizing a void within a pocket between buildings will enhance the user experience by escaping the urban exterior.
Before entering the building, visitors are already participating in the experience. As mist gathers and disperses along Fort Lane, it entices the curious to search for its source, attracting more people to the area. As the primary draw, the bar looms over the lane, luring enthusiastic patrons to navigate the inside to the balcony. Laced with neon illumination ranging from lilac to cobalt blue, the facade stands out by contrasting against the existing warm-toned surfaces.
The blue neon pays homage to the existing neon strip that runs overhead along the lane, signifying a space of leisure and entertainment. Solitude red strips bring the exterior red hue inside as single veins that penetrate through the space. The immersive experience begins when one is positioned beneath the structure. Visitors pass through the collection of pillars that mark the change from the exterior to the inner display of fading light. As guests move through the corridor passage, nozzle pipes that dangle above the ground sprinkle a refreshing mist onto them as a sensory welcome into the new area.
The rods act as the skeleton of the body of mist. They also power the hidden water supply like a stem that transports mist to the entire building. The second story is made visible by lighting from all angles, encouraging the search to move up a level. Arranged in a variety of formations, they range from a structure of clustered pillars to a separator or curtain that blurs the background. Visitors must navigate to reach the elevator or stairs at the back wall.
Bar-goers on the second floor transform into voyeurs as they view the patrons below as their cinematic moving images. Visitors may observe the intervention from every aspect thanks to the expansive view of the entire interior provided by the lengthy tunnel. As frames, the square neon signs fastened to the pipes direct attention to the bar's entrance. This circuitous route of journey accentuates the passage of water through its different states of shifting but a constant presence.
Once inside the main attraction, the bar, visitors are immediately surrounded by a plethora of neon illumination from all angles. The bar's multi-layered seating invites customers to enjoy a drink and engage in conversation on their preferred level. The act of drinking represents the internal washing with liquid that honours the full-body engulfing experience. A completely immersive environment is created when mist enters from below, allowing drinkers to observe each other through the haze while also keeping an eye on the ground-level pedestrians heading into the lane.
The levelled seating and table surfaces are made with mesh wireframes, ensuring a constant penetration of mist molecules through the perforated material. A completely immersive environment allows drinkers to observe each other through the haze while also keeping an eye on the ground-level pedestrians heading into the lane.
