Contextual Study Point 2.1: Phenomenology

Observing an occurrence or phenomenon that has become manifest in space through our senses.

Phenomenology is the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view. The central structure of an experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something, as it is an experience of or about some object.

Phenomenology, as a modern movement in philosophy, has focused discussion upon human subjectivity in new and critically important ways. Because human participants can relate intentionally to objects of the world consciousness manifests relationships to things and others that are other than cause-effect relationships. Consequently, the concepts and practices of the natural sciences are not the best model for the human sciences to follow. Husserl in his philosophy introduced a method for a more adequate approach to the achievements of consciousness and when properly modified the phenomenological method can serve as the basis for the human sciences. The use of such a method can make the qualitative analysis of phenomena rigorous and scientific.

Analysing my chosen space (No. 3 The Slip) using my senses: The size of the space is uncomfortably large. The room height is one of the defining components within the description of this space. The space appears monumental as opposed to smaller spaces which could offer a sense of protection and intimacy even oppression. The vast open entrance emphasises tension. The open plan space is so large it is hard to make out the entire contents of the building from one location, which again could trigger apprehension. The space is usually cold and dull due to the vast opening and small windows and therefore has no sense of homeliness or liveable meaning. The floors are bare, cold and made from concrete. Original walls and timber frame still stand with cracks and holes throughout, with no excuses, no apologise, bare, dirty and dusty which again portrays an unwelcoming, uncertain sensation. Yet upon entering you are greeted with arrows and roped pathways which is a clear indication we are wanted within this space, we are welcome. This in turn gives a sense of acceptance and fortune – I am fortunate enough to be entering this building which appears to be uninviting to me from the outside.

The building seems to be fighting its ever maturing structure, this is made evident by the repairs throughout the space but perhaps this is due to the dank smell or is this because I feel its old in human terms having been built over 182 years ago? This gives the building a personality for me and even a sex – an old masculine building unapologetic yet content with its being, a building made for building which once held thousands of working men during the industrial age, this whole building highlights that in its appearance, smell and noise. The space welcomes visitors to follow a roped path around the space but doesn’t want them to stay for long. There are no inviting areas, no chairs or coffee shops and no warm inviting textiles or furniture.

The properties and visual appearances of materials and surfaces trigger subjective responses. All contributed by the lighting, temperature and noise. Each visit can provoke a slightly different reaction and relationship between the space dependant on our senses perceived. Such senses may differ from day to day due to the ever changing surroundings we have no control over for example temperature, noise, weather. The weather affects the lighting within this space; when this building is full of sunshine it seems to be at its happiest, beaming lights shining throughout the space filling it with a warm magical atmosphere. However, when the weather is raining windy and cold, the space is dark, frigid and full of the howl of the wind outside. Subsequently resulting in a different connection to the space.

At the centre of all space is the human being. That space is directly and individually perceived via our senses. I adore the fact that another human can be stood next to me in the same space at the same time yet we could each have a very different connection to the space.

Exercise 2.1: Soundscape

The main noise within my chosen space is footsteps and gentle chatter. The loudest noise’s being that of children playing including perhaps laughter and sometimes crying. The very loudest being the steam train which runs just outside the building on the weekends. I decided to record the sounds of my chosen space, on the day when the steam train is present, with a watery based paint, I flicked my brush at the page whenever I heard noise and the louder or more prominent the noise was the more vigorously I flicked the paint at the page. I would of liked to have used different colours for different sounds but the sounds all roll into one, there is no time to change colour. The results are below:

I also used a basic pen and paper to record a different day within my space. There seemed to always be some sort of sound, never silence. Whether this was the wind outside or the gentle whisper of a visitor:

I tried to think of a different way to record the sound and I came up with an idea of channelling this via my phone by closing my eyes and randomly taping my keyboard on my phone, the results are below:

On completion of this exercise I was astonished by how much sound can effected the atmosphere within the space. My chosen space is a shell, with no sound absorbing materials. The acoustics are determined by the materials and surfaces used within the space. Therefore the bare, hard timber frame of the building must enhance sounds perhaps make them echo or seem louder then they are all adding to the atmosphere. The famous curved roof of my space must also have an effect on the sounds.

Exercise 2.2: Touch, Smell & Emotions

Smells, touch and sounds via drawings.

I recorded my findings in 3 separate areas of my chosen space – The Entrance, the mid section and the Mezzanine floor. My drawings of the smell, touch and sounds I experienced within the space are below:

Entrance – the entrance is vast, a huge wide opening which allows the elements in. Its cold, the floors are hard similar to a pavement yet you are inside a building. This area is quite. The sheer size of the entrance is surprising perhaps causing a sense of unease. I have tried to reflect that in my drawing above.

The mid section of the space is full of old industrial and war machinery. The smell of musk and oil fill the air. The temperature is warmer here as this is situated further inward away from the vast opening of the entrance. Sounds are reflected off the machinery and therefore seem closer. I feel a sense of busyness, commotion, hard work, labour and I can almost smell the sweat. This is a masculine part of the building, the smell of the timber frame rotting away is noticeable here. This was once a thriving industrial work shop. The connection of war instantly brings a sense of darkness, sadness and loss – perhaps creating a stressful atmosphere here. My feelings seemed to be manipulated by the arrangement of objects and signs.

The Mezzanine floor brings a contrasting atmosphere in comparison to the other areas of the space. The huge cascading ceiling is full of hundreds of windows which are highlighted by the day light creating a magical connection with the outside and the sun. This area is bright, warm and filled with light. The space is huge and open making one feel incomparable to its surroundings yet its inviting and exciting. I feel small here, insignificant yet overwhelmed by the beauty of the space. I feel happy and lucky to be able to experience such space. I feel comfortable and free.

My drawings of the 3 separate areas within the one space placed together show very different atmospheres and feelings. A lot changed between the different areas. Layers of elements contributed to the atmosphere in each space.

Exercise 2.3: Form & Light

The lighting within my chosen space changes continuously depending on the respective artificial and natural lighting situations both within the course of a day and seasonal. The atmosphere changes drastically within this space dependant on how bright the sun is and at what position. On a dull and miserable day the space is plunged into darkness. Such a vast space is hard to illuminate artificially from ceiling lights alone. On a sunny day the space is transformed into a hazy bright twinkle show. I took a video of how the light reacted throughout the space and how it reacted with objects within. My favourite was watching the light move through this war submarine. This submarine was recovered from the bottom of the ocean after being struck by a missile. The decaying of the metal has created thousands of tine little holes which the light passes through creating a delicate light show which can be amplified by my own movement.

A similar scenario happens on a lager scare via the hundreds of windows cascading around the space. The sun fills the room with blinding light bleeding into the structure and architecture of the space.

Being inside the building on a sunny bright day when the sun goes behind a cloud, the space instantly tells you. The room is cascaded into darkness. Light plays a huge role within this space. Functionally, when this space was used for building, workers would have required as much natural light as possible, and the natural materials they would have been working with would have perhaps needed sunlight to expand and settle, hence the deliberate reason for hundreds of windows. The deliberate orientation, size and position of the windows (directly above, 360) are towards the sun in order to achieve the best possible utilisation of daylight and equally to protect the interior against overheating and glare. Light from above is brighter while the light entering through a side opening only includes approximately 33% of light emitted from the sky, a rooflight may admit up to 100%.

I can almost imagine the different paths of light beams and rays piercing through the windows and crowding the space creating a continuous sharp edged pattern continuously passing over each other and bouncing off different surfaces within the room like a laser field which fits in with their surroundings, resembling the structure of the space which also has continuous triangular sharp edges.

Gloomy vs Sunny/Light vs Dark.

The atmosphere is completely transformed within this space as the main source of light is derived from natural sunlight/daylight having an instant effect on my emotions. Sunlight is associated with happiness (Mr Happy is even shaped like the sun and is yellow), making the space comfortable and warm and exciting. Towards the afternoon, on a sunny day, red and orange colours fill the space as the sun is setting making the space relaxing and clam. During a cloudy day the space is suffocated by darkness, elevating the musky damp smells creating a sense of unease and coldness.

Exercise 2.4: Material

My chosen space is full of hard cold materials. The building is made of Timber, the windows are glass and lead and the floor is concrete. I believe the roof is made of Zinc but I cant find clarity of this online and the space is now shut due to Covid 19. The structure also bares steel supports and a roped pathway. This space really is quite minimalistic as there are no inner rooms, insulation or interior structures apart from the mezzanine floor.

The space is made of heavy weight construction materials. The shell remains exposed to view. It is clear the materials enhance the atmosphere and effect of this space. They play a clear role in the acoustics, climate and energy factors. As this is such an old building the design would have depended on availability and processing options of materials. Todays perception of the materials used here are viewed differently. Polished and unpolished concrete floors within residential spaces such as kitchens are now a common occurrence as a statement piece and perhaps viewed as luxurious, where as bare concrete floors within a residential space 15 years ago would of been viewed as barbaric, unfinished, harsh or in a state of repair or renovation.

Bare Concrete flooring.

Time is apparent on the materials used throughout, the oxidisation of steel (which I am obsessed with) the rotting of the timber wood and changes in colour of materials due to sunlight and temperature. However they all seem to connect in harmony, all heavy duty industrial materials which suit their huge surroundings. The colour palette is small, consisting of dark, masculine colours with lots of browns, greys and rusty oranges all having an effect on the atmosphere of the space.

Exercise 2.5: Visualising Atmosphere through Sketch Models

Experimenting with geometric shapes, similar to the timber frame of the space.

Exercise 1.5: Visualising Experience through Sketches

The visual map at the top of the page shows the plan of the space and includes all the layers which make up the atmosphere of the space. Including different feelings, emotions and body language. One thing I have noticed is an atmosphere in one space can be experienced differently for all. Space is made up of structure, material and a function combined with individual experiences and memories. Event though it should seem easy to work out the function of a space, the meaning of space is not determined solely by its function. The sense and perception of a space is largely affected by subject attitudes. When observing the behaviour of others within my chosen space, I found myself assuming other visitors would have a similar, if not the same, train of thought as mine in the sense of appreciation for particular objects and architecture. However, after close observation of the behaviour of visitors they all seemed to follow their own unique path, all influenced by their own memories which creates relationships with their surroundings. Every space arouses a sense of comfort or discomfort which is directly and individually perceived through our senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and the sense of balance. The properties and visual experiences of materials and surfaces trigger subjective responses. At the centre of all design considerations is the human being. Although I cant help but feel like throughout this gigantic space a lot of consideration was given to the ships it intended to help build and create. A building for building!

Mezzanine Floor

One area of the building which amazes me is the Mezzanine floor of this building. Each time I visit, I cant wait to get to this section of the building. When I first experienced this space, I felt an overwhelming urge to photograph it. A twirling wonder of windows, materials, textures and colours. The way the Mezzanine floor floats in the centre of the building, suspended by huge timber supports, makes the roof seem like a continuous round arch wrapping around the floor, just like walking through a kaleidoscope. I experimented with the Mezzanine photos I took by placing them into a photo editor and the results are outstanding. I think I have a strong connection with geometric patterns. I am obsessed with the interlinking triangles and also the organic colours of rust. This for me sums up how I feel when I walk through this space…….

Exercise 1.3: Occupying Space

No. 3 Slip

There is one entrance point to the Mezzanine floor (via a lift and stairs situated next to each other) and two exits, one via the lift and one via another set of stairs directly at the other end of the full stretch of mezzanine floor. There is a clear path to walk from one end of the Mezzanine floor to the other, this reminds me of some sort of vortex tunnel. The Mezzanine floor is situated high up in the roof of the building and therefore right in the curvature of the structure, which feels like a infinite cascading wall of windows, sunlight and timber triangular frames. Sometime I experience mild vertigo when visiting, the room constantly feels like its is moving as when you move other rafters, bits of wood and sunlight are revealed. There is so much to take in here. I feel in awe of my surroundings which takes me to a reflective and questionable state of mind…how, why is this space here. I am always confused as to why this space is empty yet I have no idea what could fill this space without taking away the appreciation and concentration on the building itself this emptiness brings. Personally I love that this space is empty it makes me look harder at my surroundings and appreciate the beautiful architecture.

I thought about recording how many times I looked up during a visit, however as I would be conscious of this it wouldn’t be a fair and reliable experiment, …perhaps I shall practice this on a visitor for the next exercise – Observe behaviour 1.4.

You can see why from the pictures there are so many reasons to constantly look up and around there seems to be items and objects everywhere, messy chaos. But they seem to suit their surroundings. They are all rusted, dusty and unloved yet supposedly on display. This reminds me of the meaning and purpose of this building. This was not a building meant for showing off this was a building built for building. The war machinery, weapons and boats reflect this genre. There is no great care that has been taken in the displays and settings, no carpet, no curtains, no chairs, no pretty paint jobs. Old bits of dusty rope are used as a border for a pathway which guides you around the ground floor of the building. Objects of importance are categorised by giant military sized labels which hang from the ceiling, which again suits the theme and stands out.

The air is heavy and cold with a strong smell of damp, oil, and musk. This makes me feel closer to the time at which this was a thriving working hub, full of hardworking men building and working away, no luxuries, no excuses, long hours and low pay. Perhaps with similar smells such as the unforgiving smell of manual labour, sweat, oil and steam.

The concrete floor on the ground floor is bare and cold. Some odd bits of old industrial machinery lay on this floor, not strategically placed just dumped without any personal label or indication of what they may have been used for. This makes me perplexed as to why they are here but arguable they seem to be in the right home for them, after all they are industrial pieces of old machinery, rusted and dusty? However the name printed on a large tag situated directly above them reveals enough to change this feeling. The tag reads ‘Boring Machines’, this instantly removes the feeling of confusion and annoyance and replaces it with a relaxed atmosphere, fun, accepting, amusing and welcoming. All this from two words.

All objects are beyond the old rope border, which I assume is the ‘out of bounds area’ although there are no signs to state this. Some objects of importance having plaques to explain their stories and meaning, other objects are left nameless without a story. Yet are still given the chance to be displayed here. The ground floor is one big open space, although objects are zoned off and categorised by large tags. The rope although old and dusty offers a straight forward, easy path to follow making me feel confident in my direction and movement within the space perhaps even safe allowing me to focus on the display and surroundings more. I feel welcome throughout the entire space until I get to the Mezzanine floor entrance where there is a sign with an option for you as the visitor to miss out this part of the path, this makes me hesitate and question why. I feel a mixture of fear and confusion here but I am also intrigued. In recent visits the Mezzanine floor has actually been closed with yellow and black tape carelessly draped over the stairway entrance and a hand written sign reading ‘out of order’ hanging on the lift. I felt annoyed by this with no explanation as to why. I felt unwelcome and uncomfortable. I do not like feeling confused and uncomfortable.

All surfaces within the building are hard and cold, there are no soft touches, no soft furnishings. No seating area, no play area, no invitation to board any of the objects on display, no interactive involvement. Just a clear pathway to follow and tagged areas which section the open plan space into different zones. Information provided on plaques throughout the ground floor is straight to the point and no longer than a paragraph. This gives the impression that the function of this space is to be continuously moving and flowing with visitors. The roped pathway makes me want to follow and explore where it leads me to. Whats around the corner, whats next? This is not a space to be enjoyed for hours on end, its inviting yet it wants me to keep going, a space for quick observation and learning. The furnishings let me know what they want me to do in this space, without speaking to me and without the aid of signs. For example I know I am supposed to follow the rope and although there are no signs to say you may not venture beyond the roped path, I assume this is the case.

Exercise 1.4 Observing Behaviour

As the main entrance to the building is a vast open wall, with the entrance also being in the same location as the exit, the entrance has now been clearly sign posted and is situated on the right hand side of the building. Upon entering you are greeted with arrows and a roped path. The arrows and signs are a new installation due to Covid-19. However, observers and visitors now seem to be confident in entering the building, there is no confusion as where they feel they should and should not be, they are confident yet calm in their actions all as a consequence of a clearly marked sign/instruction. The function of the space is therefore clear from the outset …..we are being invited to enter and observe.

The biggest similarity between adult visitors was the speed at which they moved through the space. Every single adult moved slowly and calmly and spoke quietly. Enjoying their time within the space and taking in their surroundings. I feel the visitors actions pays tribute to the atmosphere which seems relaxed and calm. Many couples held hands. Families stayed close to one another, interacting with both their surroundings and each other. Children seemed to move at a faster pace throughout the space, with excitement and carelessness, but every now and then they would conform to mimic adult behaviour and at times moving slower and stopping to appreciate certain objects. Children also made their own play areas by hanging onto the pathway ropes pretending to row a boat. There was a lot of pointing to one another to involve each other in the same amazement of what each observer had spotted and not wanting their company to miss out on their findings which emanates excitement and wonder. In some areas children raised their voices in excitement, which filled the vast space with sharp noises, again adding to the atmosphere. Each observer seemed to enjoy their flow throughout the building, each perhaps having a difference experience to the next.

Everyone (all ages) stayed within the boundaries of the rope, not one observer crossed this rope. Why ….how do we know not to cross this rope without clear signs? We could easily squeeze behind this rope.

One section of the building leads to a small T junction like area. A visitor may choose to walk right, up towards the Mezzanine floor, or left, towards the exit. Most of the observers hesitate at this very point as I assume they are debating over which route to continue on, they become uncertain of the path they wish to continue on. Perhaps even anxious at the thought of missing out. We seem to like following clear instructions.

I decided to record the upward head movement of a few visitors throughout the different zones of the building (see below). The arrows are colour coded for each zone and the longer in length the arrows are represents the more upward head movement activity there was in that particular zone. Zone 5 was a clear winner. Zone 5 is the Mezzanine floor as suspected this is the most upward head movement of the whole building. A lot of visitors didn’t even look up during their ground floor interaction within the building which surprised me. Zone 2 and 4 had the least upward looking observation which makes sense as this is situated underneath the Mezzanine floor which blocks the view of the roof and famous ceiling.

Children took a very different path to the adults, they would often flit backwards and forwards between the path, excited by what lies ahead but held back by their parents/guardians taking longer.

The sign pictured above is meant to be ignored isn’t it? But when I asked myself why I found this mind blowing as to how I came to this assumption. The visitors behaviour also concurred with mine, we all walked passed and ignored this sign. How do I know this isn’t meant to be taken note of ….. the positioning and the fact it is stored away and leaning on a wall rather than sitting prompt in the middle of a doorway/walkway. How we analyse the function of a space takes into consideration lots of different components, the majority of which I found I worked out without realising. This was a massive eye opener. Both myself and the behaviour of the other visitors mirrored one another to a certain extent, we all knew to follow the arrows, we all knew to stay on the path and not to go beyond the roped pathway, we all understood we have had a choice to walk on way or another at one point in the building and we all knew pretty much at all times where the exit and entrance was located. I believe the function of a space is made up of its contents. Without contents what is a space?

Exercise 1.2: Mapping the Interior

No. 3 Slip.

For more than four centuries The Historic Dockyard Chatham was one of Britain’s most important centres of warship building and repair. Over 400 warships were built here, allowing the Royal Navy to dominate the seas of Europe and beyond. Today it is the world’s most complete dockyard of the Age of Sail.

No. 3 Covered Slip is situated within The Historic Dockyard. Built in 1838, the immense Slip, when built, was the largest wide span timber structure in Europe. Today it is home to a vast array of epic objects and vehicles from both the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and Royal Engineers Museum. No.3 Slip stands at the cusp of technological change, its amazing cantilever roof was built to the design of shipwright Sir Robert Seppings.

The building is now used as a combined display and storage facility to house large artefacts from the collections of The Historic Dockyard and the Royal Engineers Museum. These include a WW2 midget submarine (See video below), the Victorian railway carriage used by General Kitchener in Sudan and ‘Overlord’, a railway locomotive used in the D Day landings. It is now one of the world’s most dramatic museum open stores.

The entrance is a vast open wall, this makes the building very welcoming and as previously mentioned in my last research on this building, I think having such an entrance attracts visitors attention. Visitors seem to turn to this building first when entering the Historical Dockyard which is made of hundreds of historical buildings, I believe its because of the vast openness of the entrance and the sheer size of the building. The flooring is disturbed by two different directed train tracks running through it which seem to disappear into the vast space inside.

The plan of the building is a U-shaped aisled single-depth. Single storey-ed weather boarded walls with wide, low small-pained windows. A very large mansard shaped roof has 2 tiers of continuous roof lights and is curved round at the entrance end with shallow hips and tiers of roof lights to each section.

Timber roofs were introduced over the dry docks in navy yards from 1814, because of the rapid rate of deterioration of timber ships exposed during construction to the weather. The trusses are supported by the cantilever effect of the overhang beyond the posts. At the time they were the widest roof spans in the country, and this is the largest of the three surviving examples, (the others are at Devonport, Plymouth).

There is a pathway which is to be followed on the ground floor, guided by ropes and arrows, this takes you around the various historical boats, weapons and machinery, it then leads you towards the upper mezzanine floor but the upper zone has a sign which clearly states you can miss this out as its not for the faint hearted due to the height at which the upper level is situated and I guess the raw floor (which in some places you can see through). By the 1850s the length of ships had outgrown the slipway and in 1904 the mezzanine floor was inserted to create a store for ships’ boats. The mezzanine floor is now a void space with no objects. Visitors can fully experience the grandeur of the roof here. It is a space visitors seem to use for reflection on the building alone, there is nothing more to concentrate on …I love this and I am not sure if this was the intention for this space since opening to the public (to be left untouched and empty) or rather it has to be empty perhaps due to the floor now being untrustworthy, can it hold weight? On my last few visits to the building the upper mezzanine has been closed to the public. I wonder if it is now unsafe for the public to visit?

From both outside and inside the building you can see the exposed skeleton and the beginning of the structure. Another raw feature which I think is both beautiful and educational. In fact the structural support of the building resembles bones in certain light. Such structural supports are typically hidden by an extra layer of construction such as plaster, brick, concrete, paint etc.

Above are birds eye view sketches of the huge building which resides right along the river Medway. I assume the building is approximately 50 metres wide and at least double this in length (100m).

The objects stored within the building such as historical boats, lifeboats and war machinery look at home in their surroundings. The building and its contents are of similar age and all seem to have a connection with war. The building is full of damp and musky hues, which again suit its purpose. It resembles that of a museum where any historical objects are kept. They all seem to come with a distinct sharp musky odour which for me heightens the atmosphere and causes a reflective state of mind on the history of the people that interacted with such objects and the stories (both happy and sad) they hold if only they had a voice. How have they ended up here? Why have they ended up here? At the end of the pathway one of the very last objects to pass is a midget submarine – See video.

The building is cold and inhabitable due to the huge wall opening entrance, used concrete floors, damaged structure, gaps, cracks, breaks in the glass of the windows, chunks missing from the walls and flooring. There is no heating or air conditioning, no seating for visitors yet the atmosphere feels welcoming perhaps due to the roped pathway which acts as a guide around the building, as if the building has nothing to hide, its stands proud of its scars and imperfections which adds to the experience. There are no private areas, no rooms just a ground floor and a mezzanine. It is one large unforgiving space which has been kept alive by unloved repairs here and there which are visible all throughout. Holding historical war objects within a building which created war ships, and was home to many craftsman and hardworking individuals only adds to the atmosphere, creating a stronger connection for the visitor. Not only the objects held within the building are connected to the war but the building itself had a huge involvement. However, not one of the objects overshadows the building itself, this is by far the star of the show. Leaving this space untouched and what feels unfinished again draws visitors to the attention of the surroundings.

A photogenic space filled with history. A gigantic listed building which is of both special architectural and historical interest. Its considered to be of national importance and subsequently worth protecting. This building must be difficult to keep alive due to its sheer size, age and unusual structure. Restoration can be seen throughout the entire building. I wonder how long this building will stand for and how long the original timber used will last?