Finish the Tower
Beacon of the Present, 2019
“Presence is like a gap in the flow of history, where all of [a] sudden it is not past and not future.” – Peter Zumthor
The Beacon of the Present is a playful visual sensory experience concept for the redesign of LSJC tower. Inspired by impermanence, the interior is a place for people to come together and simply be present, without any specific purpose or need. Churches are already a place of personal reflection so this was a core theme incorporated through using reflection to amplify light as a material. This can be seen in the angular oversized glass installation inspired by Stephen Knapp consisting of forms taken from the local community, all symbolizing various values from the church and Dundee city.
Infusing the space with playful interactive elements allows adults and children alike to spark feelings of curiosity and excitement. At the base of the tower is an oversized reflective panel that people can interact with to manipulate the paths of light, paired with light passing through the facade at different levels through the changing seasons, highlights impermanence through the constantly changing light projections. Using play within the space is important as it encourages subconscious meaningful interactions between visitors.
Inspired by Peter Zumthor the façade consists of an external layer of translucent glass panels, along with a middle layer of cast-iron columns nodding towards the illusion of the rest of the church, and finally an internal layer of rippled recycled glass that filters light at irregular angles. The main interactive piece in the tower is a giant climbing net inspired by the Brazilian Expo in 2015, that reaches up and into nooks within the façade, and finally up onto the balcony where visitors are given a sense of perspective and a place to reflect against the vast scale of the city.
