XIA Wei_Campus of the Future_Abstract

The proposal is to build a “wall” across the Michigan Union on the campus of University of Michigan. It starts from the northeast corner of the Michigan Union, diagonally goes through the building, and finally arrive at the biggest courtyard. The “wall” is constituted by two layers of perforated metal plates which are higher than the main building. The new construction generates a long and narrow exterior space to become a liner entrance to link the green space, the building and the courtyard.

The two perforated plates have uniform square apertures, ten feet by ten feet, which allows light and sight go through. The apertures on one plate shift from the ones on another plate, so that the “wall” has a solid elevation. The plates are coated with mirror paint on both sides (or made by aluminum or stainless steel), and the exterior surface is designed with concave panels. This mirror design creates an overlapping façade of projections of views behind the both sides of the “wall”, as well as the views in its interval.

Instead of the original entrance, the northeast origin of the “wall” becomes a new entrance of the Michigan Union. Two pieces of plates constitute a long passage in the open green space, surrounded with lots of trees. Because the trees are fragmented and reflected on the mirror wall, it creates an illusion that the wall disappears in its context, by mixing the green elements both in the mirror and in the real. The square openings give an opportunity that people can walk across between the mirrors, appearing and disappearing in the mirrors and real world.

This visional scene turns into a transformation of the building façade and the green fragments, when the “wall” closely touches the building corner. It cuts the entire building into two parts, precisely and illegibly. It becomes a new façade of the building, and square apertures are filled with glass curtain walls. From both sides, people can see each other in the window or on the exterior mirror wall. The “wall” generates a connected separation, or a detached connection in this gap.

At the point where the “wall” cross the smaller courtyard, it absorbs the architectural elements from the courtyard, which are a beautiful red brick façade and a spatial depth. The wall creates a new façade with another cracked courtyard inside. The flatness of the wall includes a three-dimensional information. The strategy of the overlapping façade is either a compound of architectural elements or even an implication about interdiscipline, mixed culture and containment of the university.

Finally, the “wall” leads people to the biggest courtyard in the middle of the Michigan Union, which makes the public facility truly public. The “wall” is a bond or a blood vessel to get through the building form exterior to interior. Just like Professor Sandra Manninger said, “a wall usually creates separation, but here the “wall” gather everything together.”