HUGH TORII // architectural portfolio

STUDIO HAMAM // TURKISH BATH HOUSEIn this studio I explored the sensory experience of a traditional Turkish bath house. The rich history and culture of Istanbul heav-ily influenced the design. Narrative and metaphor were important tools in crurating this meticulous sequence - starting from the bustling streets of istanbul and trailing into a place of quiet and reflective atmosphere.

THE UNLIVEABLE CITYThis project seeks to establish a refugee community into the existing Melbourne CBD fabric, challenging the ‘unliveability’ of the city. subtle interventions across the site create small moments and interactions be-tween the refugee residents and the local population. These moments are connected throughout the site and encourage people to move in and around themost forgotten and underutilised spaces. Where therewere once dead-ends or vacant roof spaces are nowcommon ground for both groups of residents, whetherit’s a shared garden, bakery, bike workshop or a community kitchen. It’s a subtle approach to meet theemotional needs of refugees through community atmosphere.

THE UNLIVEABLE CITY

THESIS // NEW TERRAINI drew on the theory of terrain vague developed by architectural theorist Ignasi de Solà-Morales. Terrain Vague is a term used for spaces that have been abandoned and neglected over a passage of time, and exist in the social and physical periphery of the city. Because these spaces are not restricted by a set of rules and functionality, they open up potentiality for alternative use.I applied the notion of terrain vague to the history of Melbourne’s social and physical landscape. Throughout Melbourne’s colonial past I identified certain communities that have been excluded from equal social participation on the grounds of racial and cultural difference. I was interested in exploring how these marginalized voices can find meaningful spaces for self-expression, participation and cultural exchange.My site was the old Carlton United Brewery on the corner of Swanston Street and Victoria Street. I chose this site because of its strong relationship with the Shrine axis and the Hoddle Grid. The Hoddle grid is a strong reminder of Melbourne’s colonial past and a representation of the controlled and restricted urban landscape. By overlaying this grid with the natural contours of the site and then aligning and intersecting the grid according to the topography, the structure and hierarchy of the grid is destabilised. This fragmentation allows for freer movement and new possibilities of space across the site. These represent terrain vague spaces and are a platform for the people who exist in the social periphery of Melbourne’s colonial past. A collection of studios, galleries and workshops create a community where meaningful engagement is possible.

Design iterations and final model

REPRESENTING & REMEMBERING PLACE

In this project I explored the various ways of studying ‘place’, its history, culture, atmoshpere and other intangible qualities that define it both to the individual and to the collective consciousness. My main method of exploration was photography, in order to capture the site from my perspective and also from others. In representing my research I created a book consisting of my photographs, poetry and site history.

On the banks of the Yarra lies Enterprize Park, between Flinders Street Station and the Aquarium. A grassy opening is boarded by busy Flinders Street and two elevated rail bridges looming over. The park primarily commemorates the ship that arrived with Mel-bourne’s first colonizers in 1835, paying homage to the Europeans who declared “This will be the place for a village.”(I) Secondly, it holds SCAR: A Stolen Vision, a collective indigenous artwork that symbolizes the emotional and spiritual hardship suffered by Ab-original people. Thirdly, under the railway overpass is a memorial to Wayne ‘Mousey’ Perry, a homeless man murdered in his sleep.These conflicting forces result in an eerie interstitial space on the periphery of the CBD. It is a place of shelter to some, a tourist attraction to others and occasionally a place to sit and watch on. For me, it is an uncomfortable reminder of the colonial urban land-scape that scars a once harmonious environment.

HAND BOUND BOOK - A CHRONO-LOGICAL ATLAS OF ENTERPRIZE PARK

PHYSICALMODELSAAll models hand made