Revealing place through performance : a seismic research center in Kaiti, New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis proposes the generation of spatial form by a critical understanding of performance and performance theory. Performance is defined as a physical action which manifests a fundamental transformation of conscious understanding of an existing situation or condition. Substantively, performance can generate a substitution of meaning, a mirroring of perceived reality, or a revelation of hidden or submerged forces. Using this agenda, formal architectural elements behave tectonically in their environment to reveal physical and metaphysical forces that inform and shape that environment. In effect, when elements "perform" in their environment, they specifically engage and externalize those forces. To examine this process, this thesis proposes a design for a seismic research center to be sited in a seismically active valley in Kaiti, New Zealand. While the thesis provides background information both on performance and on the physical and metaphysical properties of earthquakes, the main thrust of the research is the actual design of the building and the overall layout of the site.