MA: THE SPACE BETWEEN

SPACE BETWEENJAPANESE MA: THE

T y l e r L a Fo n t a i n e

Thesis Documentation

Virginia TechSchool of Architecture + Design

Bachelor of ArchitectureMay 2015

T h e s i sThe High Line is elevated 30 feet above the street level and resides in its own ecosystem, separate from the rest of the city. The High Line snakes northward from Gansevoort Street until it reaches Hudson Yards where it begins to descend gradually to meet the city grid at West 34th Street. The Yards are completely untouched by vertical structures leaving a vast amount of space between the High Line and the city.

This space is neither mass nor void. Instead, it is a unified combination of the two entities made by the Japanese concept of Ma: the “in-between.” This concept is experienced progressively through intervals of spatial designation. When individuals have great understanding of Ma, they have increased awareness of form and non-form, replacing reality with imagination. This creates a new vision of space and time and their boundaries. It provides the space for all of stories and ideas to exist side by side.

The “in-between” space is not a single boundary made by a line, but a spatial threshold. It is through the juxtaposition of mass and void, and the separate worlds of the High Line and the city, that space becomes a blurry existence. Ma unveils the true complexity of the shared boundaries between the two.

The High Line Center for the Arts is embodied by the concept of Ma. The architecture addresses the connection, or lack thereof, between the High Line and the city, and creates an architectural manifestation to mediate between the two. It is composed of varying relationships that exist between mass and void at the urban scale of the city, the spatial conditions within a building, and the scale for human interaction.

Ta b l e o fC o n t e n t sI. The High Line

II. West Hudson Yards

III. Spatial Concept of Ma

IV. Precedents from Past Projects

V. Beginning Explorations

VI. Concept, Context, Program

VII. The High Line Center for the Arts

VIII. Reflections of Ma

IX. Recognition

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98

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8 | The High Line

The High Line | 9

T h e H i g h L i n eThe High Line is without a doubt one of the most successful urban interventions in our modern world. We must all thank our fellow Friends of the High Line for saving what was an unused freight track and making it the most interesting urban parks. As it snakes through rehabilitated warehouses, it allows visitors to remain approximately 30 feet above the street and view the city from a new vantage point.

The city is usually not seen from this perspective. Most people go about their daily routines traveling by foot or cab through the city streets or even through the metro underground. It is also completely different than seeing the city from the top of a tower or from a helicopter. The High Line presents a new spatial condition for visitors to occupy and see the world in a new perspective.

The High Line starts from Gansevoort Street and moves northward towards Hudson Yards at 34th Street behindPenn Station. This freight infrastructure was originally created to remove train traffic from the street level, and make transportation easy between all the factories and

warehouses. With its new programmatic identity, the High Line successfully serves as a main artery that connects and sustains all of the Chelsea district2. It has brought about many new economic opportunities, urban growth and development for a new, vibrant social life.

Before we overpopulate the perimeters of the Highline with massive luxury condos and clubs, we should spend some time to continue to protect the Chelsea neighborhood. Many acclaimed architects have built or are building a signature piece to fit within the puzzle that the High Line has created. The original architects, Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, claim that as architects of the urban world, we must protect the High Line from the growing density of new construction6. It is their view that this goal may appear impossible, as cities are unpredictable and are constantly changing

Maybe there is a new typology. Instead of trying to prevent the domino effect of urban growth that the High Line has sparked, architects should embrace the connection that exists between the High Line and the city itself. There is something to be discovered in this space that can prevent banal buildings sprouting like weeds. Instead of simply building next the High Line, new construction should focus on the connection between the architecture and the High Line. This dialogue could provide opportunities for interactions between the two.

10 | The High Line

The Meat Packing District

The High Line was originally created to remove train traffic from the street level to prevent collisions. The new tracks connected all of the factories and warehouses so

that the meat could be transported efficiently.

AbandonmentAfter the last turkeys were shipped in 1980, the High Line quickly fell into the hands of nature6. The tracks

were taken over by plant overgrowth and the structure began to rust away. Within the decade, many residents

began to lobby to have the High Line demolished.

The High Line | 11

12 | The High Line

The High Line | 13

Friends of the High LineBefore the turn of the century, the organization, Friends of the High Line, was founded by Joshua David and Robert Hammond6. Both were residents of the High Line neighborhood and were advocates for saving the High Line and giving it a new future.

The Most Original Urban ParkNearly a decade later, the first section of the High Line, stretching from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, opened on June 9, 20096. Since then the last two sections have been completed and the High Line has become an urban wonder snaking through New York’s famous skyline.

14 | The High Line

Thirty Feet AboveThe High Line is now apart of New York City’s famous

cityscape. It has completely revived the Chelsea neighborhood, making it one of the most popular

destinations in the city2.

The High Line | 15The High Line | 15

A Typical SectionThe High Line usually runs in the middle of the large city blocks. There are only a few spots where the High Line crosses main avenues or intersects buildings re-purposed warehouses.

16 | The High Line

Gansevoort St. Entrance

The Theater

20th St. Entrance

Sections of the High LineThe models represent the different ways in which the

High Line currently interacts with the city 30 feet below.

The High Line | 17

The Adaptive Warehouses

The Spur

West Hudson Yards The Flyover

18 | West Hudson Yards

West Hudson Yards | 19

We s tH u d s o nYa r d sMost of the High Line resides approximately 30 feet above street level, but there is one exception. The High Line’s linear state transitions into a large U-shaped form to accommodate MTA’s West Hudson Yards, eventually descending to meet the city.

The West Hudson Yards sprawls across three full Manhattan city blocks and stores the trains that are not in use. It is a peculiar sight to have a vast amount of empty space - most city blocks consist of high density buildings and sky scrapers.

The High Line, which runs parallel to the Hudson River, begins to head straight towards the river. Right before a collision with the Hudson, the High Line turns again to run parallel to the river. After passing the Yards, the High Line turns back towards the city, and begins to gradually descend towards West 34th Street. It eventually comes down and allows visitors to easily enter and leave the High Line right from the sidewalk.

All of the other entrances except for the ramp at West 34th Street, require visitors to climb stairs or to take an elevator to reach the High Line. All serve as threshold conditions transporting people from the chaotic city to the serenity of the High Line. Because the threshold condition at Hudson Yards is different from the rest, it should be celebrated due to its unique urban condition.

A new architectural proposal could serve as a physical connection between the High Line and the city. It will also provide a new destination and become a community center for Chelsea, bringing the neighborhood closer together and linking it directly to the High Line.


The SiteThe models and images show how the site is the

equivalent of Grand Central. It is where people can arrive and depart. It is also a destination and a place

that brings people and ideas together..


Ganesvoort St

West 14th St

West 16th St

West 18th St

West 20th St

West 23th St

West 26th St

West 28th St

West 30th St

11th Ave

West 34th St

24 | Spatial Concept of Ma

Spatial Concept of Ma | 25

S p a t i a l C o n c e p t o f M aIn the western world, man has created a world of endless boundaries that continuously contain space to maintain separation in many forms: invisible lines, planes, and physical walls. These boundaries often do not recognize one another and often create space that is underutilized and abandoned.

Ma is the Japanese term for boundary. It isn’t a line, but a void1. The literal translation is the “space between.” Rather than a static gap, it is the distance that exists between objects as well as between time4. It is the silent pause between musical notes or even the interactions between one another through conversations conveying emotions.

In Japanese culture, Ma allows for a clear delineation of separate spatial entities to exist in harmony. When edges touch they have to reconcile their common border with the presence of a void1. Space is left to mediate between the two.

In nothingness, Ma enables. The empty boundary provides a place for everyone’s version of reality or imagination to exist1. It is the boundaries of space that allow us, and all of our ideas, to exist side by side.

Ma is endless. It has the potential to occur anywhere beyond the four dimensions of space and time. Ma can best be experienced through a series of thresholds or transition spaces4. True understanding of Ma can aid in the design of the unique spatial conditions at West Hudson Yards.

This spatial idea recognizes that all the parts of our built world come together to make a whole. There is always an “in-between” to be discovered. Instead of building one entity without acknowledging the other, Ma can be used to design a joining element that can bring everything together cohesively.

Although Ma has the physical appearance of negative space, one must search for the positivity that exists within the nothingness of voids3. The space that can not be physically occupied is always the most interesting space, because we will have to use our imagination.

Mathematics of Ma: Arata Isozakitime (duration) = chronos (personification of time) + Maspace = void + Ma


BUILDING << >> BUILDING

INFRASTRUCTURE << >> INFRASTRUCTURE

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

The bridge tunnel crosses the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay for approximately 25 miles. This drawing investigates the condition in which the bridge transitions into the tunnel and exploits the threshold that exists.


BUILDING << >> BUILDING

INFRASTRUCTURE << >> INFRASTRUCTURE

9/11 Museum

The 9/11 Museum designed by Snohetta, mostly exists underground, beneath the giant voids that stand in

the location of the destroyed twin towers. This drawing investigates the transition between the museum pavilion above ground and the deep voids beneath the ground.


infrastructure << >> building

The Danish Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum, designed by BIG Architects, reprograms a ship building infrastructure to become a building. The transition and connection between the old and the new are investigated though this drawing to understand their importance.


West Hudson Yards

The previous precedents are all important to understand the connection between the High Line and the city at

34th Street. The railroad infrastructure is now an elevat-ed public park and must be strategically connected to

the city at Hudson Yards.

30 | Precedents from Past Projects

Precedents from Past Projects | 31

Precedentsfrom PastProjectsThroughout my tenure at the School of Architecture + Design at Virgina Tech, I have continuously studied the relationship of mass and void. I have manipulated the juxtaposed entities in order to continue to push the limits and understand the two.

I have selected four of my past projects which have deeply influenced my thesis proposal. They serve as a library of knowledge and as precedents for modes of thinking abstractly. In reverse chronological order, I will discuss the projects and explain how they have contributed to the greater understanding of Ma within architecture.

Architecture Studio and Residence:This project is entirely surrounded by adjacent buildings, and has very little street front access. This context prompted the investigation of voids through subtractive means. This action resulted in courtyards and provided natural light.

The Bridgeview Community Center:This building a combination of an existing building and a new addition. In attempt to combine the old with the new, a void is introduced. It begins to take on the appearance as a mass and as a void simultaneously. It begins to ask if voids are additive or subtractive in nature.

The Watershed Observatory:This building studies a vertical void that is additive in nature. It questions the relationship and degree of interaction between the individual and the void.

The Petrosino Pavilion:This project examines a void in a horizontal condition. It allows simple systems to manipulate the physical appearance of a mass and void.


Studio + Residence A study of voids through courtyards and confined space.


Bridgeview Community CenterA mixed-use building that studies void as both a positive and negative entity through additive

and subtractive means.


Watershed ObservatoryA study of a central vertical void.


Petrosino PavilionA study of a horizontal void.

36 | Beginning Explorations

Beginning Explorations | 37

BeginningExplorationsWhen critiquing architecture, most people begin to break apart the tectonics in order to understand it. One common way to understand the built environment is to identify the mass and the void: positive and negative space. Upon the recognition of the relationship between the two entities, it can be acknowledged that they share a common boundary. Thus, each architectural entity is dependent upon the other. The relationship between the two is in constant juxtaposition as neither can exist without the other5.

Through an architectural exercise, I created a prompt to better understand the relationship that exists between mass and void.

Make 10 pairs of cubes. Within each pair of cubes, one entity will represent the mass, and one will represent the void. The ten cubes must also demonstrate a spectrum of relationships in which the proportion of mass and void will change through each new pair constructed. This limitation will cause the mind to imagine mass as void, and void as mass.

In conclusion, mass is void, and void is mass. How can this be? Represented through a series of black and white poche drawings, the original pair of cubes was drawn as it was created, and the second drawing is an inverse of the relationship. Either one can impersonate the other, allowing for the discovery of unique spatial conditions.

Secondly, there is more than just mass and void, there is a third space that doesn’t have a clear delineation. The boundary which was once clear and visible is now blurry, unrecognizable, and hard to distinguish. Thus, this accidental discovery has introduced the complexity and strength of Ma. It always resides “in-between,” and is neither one nor the other.


1 2 3

6 7 8


4 5

9 10

Mass and Void10 pairs of cubes were made. Each pair has one entity to represent the mass, and one entity to represent the void. Each pair is constructed to be spatially different to allow mass to become the void, and vice-versa.


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2

3

4

5

Inverted SectionsThe poche drawings demonstrate the inverted

relationships between the 10 pairs of cubes studying mass and void.


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7

8

9

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The Rooftop BarThis building represents previous studies of mass and void to create a rooftop bar that contains three types of spaces: mass, void, and the “between.”


The Opaque ModelThis model is constructed out of rockite to determine the affect that the material has on the spatial qualities of the

building.


The Transparent ModelThis model is constructed out of matte board and acrylic

to determine the affect that the material has on the spatial qualities of the building.

48 | Concept, Context, Program48 | Concept, Context, Program

Concept, Context, Program | 49

C o n t e x t ,C o n c e p t ,P r o g r a mIn an interview with architect Elizabeth Diller, she explains why the High Line is the perfect amenity that New Yorkers need. Most of the city’s inhabitants are spending their time being productive and rushing around. However, the High Line is a place for people to do absolutely nothing2. Rules and regulations prevent people from roller blading, biking, and bringing pets leaving only two things to do: walking and sitting.

Liz Diller: “The High Line, if its about anything, it’s about nothing, about doing nothing.”

Doing nothing is a peculiar activity in itself. However, when doing nothing, individuals surpass reality, especially within spaces that are not programmed. Nothing else seems to exist, but our imagination fills in the sequence of events within the space we are occupying.1

The High Line, which is about nothing, has proven that a really strong public amenity really can change the economics of a whole area6. With that in mind, how can

a strong public building, that is about nothing, influence the neighborhood?

It would be quite controversial and confusing if an architect had a client that wanted a building for nothing, to do nothing. A building, for nothing? Then why have a building built at all? However, a Japanese architect would create the perfect place of serenity, defined by the qualities of Ma. The building would allow for reality to disappear and imagination to take control5.

When using this knowledge and understanding of nothing in regards to the High Line, it is important to realize that the architectural connection between the High Line and the city must be about nothing. On the other hand, its very existence means absolutely everything to the interlocking imaginary and physical ideas within the neighborhood.

50 | Concept, Context, Program


The Form“What does brick want to be?”

-Louis Kahn

The building has a curvilinear form to mediate between the form of the High Line and the strict order of the city.


The SectionThe proposal seeks to create spaces that are similar

to the High Line and establish visual and physical connections with the High Line.


Model IterationsThis model is one of many in a series of iterations studying the relationship between the form of the

building and the connection with the High Line.


The First ProposalThis model is the first formal proposal. It demonstrates

the relationship between the urban context and the High Line.

64 | Concept, Context, Program64 | Concept, Context, Program

Concept, Context, Program | 65Concept, Context, Program | 65

68 | The High Line Center for the Arts

The High Line Center for the Arts | 69

High LineCenter forthe ArtsThe High Line Center for the Arts is about three main ideas: creating a building to become the physical joint between the High Line and the city, being a place for people to use in whichever way they please, and most importantly, embodying the spatial qualities of Ma.

From afar, the site for the Center of the Arts appears to be similar to our Milky Way Galaxy. It is a swirling vortex that gradually brings everything to a center point. However, the High Line Center for the Arts is the opposite. It acts as the nucleus in1 which everything revolves and radiates outward in all directions.

The geometries and forms are based on the continuation of the High Line and overarching site hierarchies. Because the building is a continuous curve, it can be seen and occupied on all sides.

The High Line Center for the Arts is a series of stacked, extruded ellipses. An ellipse has two centers, so the building has dual centers that exhibit contrasting conditions. One center is a void that is not programmed

and surrounded by the spiral ramp. It is enclosed, therefore it can be experienced as both an interior and exterior space. The second center contains the building’s additional programs such as the amphitheater, the gallery, the waterfront bar, and the rooftop lounge. The conditions of each center juxtapose the other through spatial and material changes: the concept of Ma

The path from the High Line spirals toward the center void where visitors enter the building. The journey is a seamless experience joining the High Line and the Center for the Arts into a singular entity.

Ma is investigated at three scales to understand the full potential of this spatial concept. It is explored at the urban scale of Hudson Yards, the building scale, and the detail scale of the building’s components.

The surrounding landscape and urban park have been carefully crafted to address Ma between the High Line and the Center for the Arts in all dimensions including time. The building formally contains the large void, and a series of thresholds. Lastly, its visitors can occupy the wall that surrounds the void so that they may occupy the spaces between mass and void.

74 | The High Line Center for the Arts74 | The High Line Center for the Arts

The High Line Center for the Arts | 75The High Line Center for the Arts | 75


High LineCenter forthe Arts


0 1 2 5


Mechanical + Technical

Lower Gallery

Stage Mechanical + Ramp

Amphitheater +Void


Rooftop

Waterfront Lounge

Upper Gallery


0 1 2 5

98 | Reflections of Ma

Reflections of Ma | 99

Reflectionsabout MaThere are many ways to study and demonstrate Ma. After sorting through the physical form studies and spatial arrangements, I feel there is still a deeper level of Ma to be discovered. A building has been created, and a park has been designed, but how can Ma be explicitly seen? It is an invisible quality that is difficult to document.

The most important feature about Ma is that it mainly exists in the fourth dimension of time. Time creates the sequence of events. Time allows visitors to experience the spaces in a constant and continuous event, not in frozen, isolated moments4.

Through movement, visitors can easily begin to take over any void with their imaginations. It allows them to surpass reality. They have the ability to manipulate the true spatial conditions into abstract experiences1.

This last series of drawings documents Ma as it exists without solely describing the building. They are thresholds and transitions within the Center for the Arts. When placed side by side, they bring the isolated moments into a combined experience and bring Ma to the forefront of our minds.

I have also recalled the many conversations about the performing arts center I have designed. Every individual sees the void of the building in a different lens. It contains opportunities for everyone’s ideas and events to take place simultaneously. Therefore, my investigation provides evidence that Ma allows the unprogrammed space to take on any function that the people bring to the architecture.

Without Ma, the connection between the High Line and the Center for the Arts would be ineffective. What makes the thesis proposal so successful is the void defined by MA - it mediates between the two built structures so that people can move freely between the two and allow for a gradual transition.

The effects of Ma are influenced by the materials that construct the spatial conditions. This proposal uses the wooden screen to strengthen the concept of Ma so that it can allow for the “in-between” space to exist as well as blur boundaries.

In conclusion, Ma can be identified at various scales within architecture - all which influence a collective experience. Its presence can be visible or invisible and become physically present through materials and their properties or reveal overlapping cultural ideas within the greater urban context.

100 | Reflections of Ma

Reflections of Ma | 101

102 | Recognition

Recognition | 103

RecognitionI would like to thank my advisors for all of their help, continued support, and mentorship during my tenure at Virginia Tech.

Aki Ishida:Aki was my second year professor as well as my thesis advisor. She has heavily influenced my work by reminding me about the importance of light and the qualities of materials in our built world. She always challenges the design so that the concept can be pushed to its furthest limits and successfully portray the overarching idea.

Ellen Braaten:Ellen is my secondary thesis advisor as well as my ceramics professor. She has provided the positive encouragement on a regular basis and is always excited about my thesis - ready to dive deeper into the underlying ideas. She reminds me daily to believe in myself, take risks and leaps of faith, and to stay centered no matter what I stumble upon in architecture and in life.

Kathryn Albright:Kathryn was my first year professor as well as a thesis advisor. Kathryn provided me the opportunities to understand the basic principles of design. She has always been a valuable resource as I have continued to explore the world of architecture, reminding me of the simple ideas that are the foundation of a successful design.

104 | Recognition

Aki Ishida

Recognition | 105

Ellen Braaten Kathryn Albright

106 | Recognition

Recognition | 107

Bibliography1. Abrahamson, Lawrence. The Potential of Nothing. Mas Context. 2013. Web. 22 Sep. 2014. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/>

2. Diller, Elizabeth. “A Moment of Supreme Nothingness.” Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube. 2014. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.

3. Gleiser, Marcelo. The Void Is A Busy Place. 13.7 Cosmos And Culture. 22 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/10/22/358004911/the-void-is-a-busy-place>

4. Isozaki, Arata. Japan-ness in Architecture. Boston: MIT press. 2011. Print.

5. When Less is More: Concept of Japanese Ma. WAWAZA. 2015. Web. 3 Oct. 2014 <https://wawaza.com/pages/when-less-is-more-the-concept-of-japanese-ma.html>

6. Winston, Anna. “The High Line is a ‘pulling-back from architecture’ say Diller and Scofidio” Dezeen Magazine. 3. Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

108 | Recognition

Recognition | 109

Thank you...

for the continued support from my family and friendsas well as my advisors.

T h e Ja p a n e s e C o n c e p t o f M a

MA: THE SPACE BETWEEN

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