Joseph P. Donaher DESIGN
YEAR:2022
TYPE:
Undergraduate Studio
LOCATION:Capri, Italy
Exchange is a vessel for human interaction and the exchange of ideas, designed to celebrate the boundless potential of steel. Early 20th-century constructivist architecture embraced steel trusses as both a structural necessity and an aesthetic statement, showcasing an industrial rawness through exposed frameworks and bold geometries. This audacious use of material celebrated the possibilities of modern engineering while visually expressing notions of progress, collectivism, and the machine age, aligning architecture with the political ideals of the Soviet avant-garde. The aesthetic was one of honesty and monumentality, seeking to embody a new social order through an architecture of transparency and power. Exchange reinterprets these principles, with the formal clarity of steel construction translated into a civic gesture that balances functionality with a monumental aesthetic presence.
Set against the jagged drama of Capri’s Faraglioni rocks, the project explores the emotive and structural possibilities of steel through diverse construction techniques. Its roof reinterprets Corbu’s work at Notre Dame du Haut, with inspiration from the earliest inclination of a frozen movement formal expression. Meanwhile, the atrium draws inspiration from Firminy, where a square base transitions seamlessly into a rounded peak, embodying a geometric clarity that defined late 20th-century – early 21st century experimentation.