Portfolio 160404 2.

cademic use only]
Decoding the Journey
Elyssa Byrne 14004730
Applied Design in Architecture (MArchD)
DS7: Museum of the Present, New York City
Manijeh Verghese & Danielle Hewitt
2015/2016
Oxford Brookes University/ Oxford School of Architecture
Table of contents (map) charting and
explaining the different journeys in the
portfolio
Exploring the Logbook
On a voyage, the explorer often records the journey undertaken. This can be a combination of drawings, charts, journals and logs. These formats are continuously used throughout the voyage and provide information about everyday
life and events that happened on board. If these are recorded and safely stored, future generations can be educated and explore the journey as if they were living that journey as it happened. These records illustrate and set the scene for
what life was like on board the vessel, even down to details such as the co-ordinate location of the vessel, its projected route, and current climatic surroundings.
The logbook format of the portfolio is intended to take us through a journey of the Museum of the Present- A Continuous Odyssey. It lays out the date, location and observations of the journey, which places us at a moment in time and
tells of the stories related to that moment.
Location
1884
Observations
40 ° 40’39.70” N
73 ° 59’48.89” W
51m
MSL
Chelsea has an elite industrial and historical past.
Passengers heading towards Chelsea Piers would
have passed by well-known buildings such as the
Chelsea Hotel (built in 1884) through to factories,
including the Cornell Iron Works (1891), John Williams Ornamental Bronze & Iron Works (19001901) and Otis Elevator Company (1911-1912).
Chelsea was also known as a hub for Printing and
Publishing, as the New York Times proclaimed:
-
“The area between West 23rd and West 42nd
Streets is the center of the city’s printing industry”
(New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, 2008, P.9)
1930’s 40 ° 44’33.83” N
74 ° 00’24.04” W
Date
Location in
co-ordinates
The Nabisco Factory, famous for making Oreo’s,
was also within Chelsea’s Neighbourhood.
3m
MSL
Mean Sea
Level for
location
Graphic/
Drawing
Observations on
information found or
illustrated
The Journey Commences...
Date
Observations
29
September
2015
You look at the world everyday and see it for what it is. Yet every object, place, smell and person has a hidden story and journey waiting to be discovered. This sense of mystery heightens our
curiosity and improves our understanding and ability to read deeper into everyday life, and expose it in a new light. Henry Ford once said- “Every object tells a story, if you know how to read it”...
30
September
2015
Think about what surrounds around you. What do you really know about it? Who used to live there? What happened there? In order to really understand more about a place, we have to peel back
the layers of history to find the story and discover the journey.
1
October
2015
With the discovery of the journey, how can it be represented at this present moment in time? What is always present and shows these journeys of this current digital age?
Exploring these questions and expressing the findings of the journey can open a world of the unknown and discover the hidden story. The nature of discovery creates an analyst within us and allows
us to unveil the mystery and examine the hidden events that have brought us here... to this present moment in time....
The Unseen Journey
Location
2015
40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
0m
MSL
New York is a city of journey’s. Everyday, millions of
journeys are taken across both the city and the globe.
Many are physical, but more and more are becoming
intangible movements of data. The city is not just created
by what we can see, but also what is invisible. Is it these
invisible journey’s that really control the city and in turn
control us?
Hidden within buildings and in isolated warehouses across
the world, every technological data transfer is being processed by machines and computers. The physical aspect of
transferring information is disappearing before our very
eyes and into a world unknown, and virtually unseen.
How can the NYSE be re-imaged to display the workings of this secret market, and provide an physical interaction for those intrigued by its process? How can a new
location link it to the rest of the world and present it as
the always present?
The advancements in technology, in many major sectors
of the world, have made the speed of which data and
information is transferred almost instantaneous. Data can
travel as fast as the speed of light- hundreds of times
quicker than the human eye can blink. In particular, these
advances have allowed the Global Financial Market to
run in real-time, with transfers of shares and stocks traded
by the thousand within milliseconds, providing an always
present price index. Most notable in this sector is how
data journeys have replaced both the need for a physical
journey and a physical traded object.
One of the most powerful stock exchanges in the world,
the New York Stock Exchange, is located on Wall Street,
in lower Manhattan. With an imposing classical facade
the building is a monument dedicated to the power, grandeur and wealth associated with the big market players
of the Exchange. But behind this theatrical facade is the
stock market floor, getting smaller as time goes on as automatic computerized trades replace the human interactions of trading, which was the backbone of the Stock
Exchange in centuries past.
As the trading floor gets smaller, large warehouses full of
servers which are storing the data are getting larger, with
proximity to the rest of the globe becoming a key priority.
Distance is time. And time is money.
The East London Journey
Many of the wealthiest members of society who travelled onboard the Berengaria from New York, would head to London once they had arrived in Southampton. Like many other countries, the Capital City is the destination for many
travellers, making no exception for America’s elite to rub shoulders with the most wealthy and important people in London. Businessmen, Politicians, socialites and even royalty were available to become acquainted with those of similar
social status onboard the Berengaria.
Many meetings and social events of this status would happen within the City of London. But just on the eastern cusp of the City of London lies the area of Whitechapel, where many stories have combined through history to create the
interesting culture that is prominent today. Stories of travel, movement and national events have shaped the area, affecting not just those who lived there, but also those visiting, like those onboard the Berengaria and other similar vessels.
Introduction as to why we are in east London- how relates to story?
- maybe ship journey relation?
- how does london incorporate into the
overall portfolio and thesis
- Edgar Wallace- Passenger on Berengaria
was brought up in Billingsgate
- Abraham Cahan- Passenger on Berengaria, escaped Tsarist rule and headed for NY,
lots of Jews came to England and worked
in fabric shops/tailors in east end
51° 30’57.13” N
-0° 04’12.78” W
Time
Location
Distrance
Travelled
MSL
Temp.
Relative
Humidity
00.00
51° 30’57.13” N
0° 04’12.78” W
-
18
17°C
53%
06.04
51° 30’56.90” N
0° 04’14.80” W
42.5m
18
13.3°C
88%
08.09
51° 31’01.37” N
0° 04’18.30” W
160.9m
18
“
“
09.37
51° 31’02.28” N
0° 04’14.10” W
80.5m
17
“
“
11.32
51° 31’06.67” N
0° 04’17.38” W
144.8m
17
“
“
13.48
51° 31’06.07” N
0° 04’27.03” W
160.9m
20
“
“
15.58
51° 31’08.98” N
0° 04’31.13” W
96.6m
21
“
“
19.06
51° 31’08.17” N
0° 04’35.38” W
321.9m
38
“
“
23.15
51° 31’07.60” N
0° 04’46.16” W
319.6m
39
“
“
27.15
51° 31’00.22” N
0° 04’53.91” W
64.4m
29
“
“
31.59
51° 31’01.60” N
0° 04’59.71” W
127.1m
31
“
“
32.14
51° 31’04.03” N
0° 04’56.09” W
101.4m
33
“
“
(min)
51° 30’04.05” N
-0° 04’56.42” W
The Stories Timeline
The series of stories, discovered on the journey through the East End of London, are so complex that the
timeline has become a pictorial map of the journey. It makes suggestions of where those people, whose
paths were crossed, have come from or are heading towards. The timeline is a combination of present
day, the past and the imaginary. It tells stories through a narrative of a personal journey and compares
it to the current present, which is represented in a visual map.
The Past & The Imaginary
Location
The Current Present
Observations
Location
Observations
Whitechapel Gallery
51° 30’57.13” N
0° 04’12.78” W
There’s a man standing beside me... He’s looking
in the Crime Section now...
Whitechapel Gallery
51° 30’57.13” N
0° 04’12.78” W
Groups of tourists, secondary school children, a
few older people...
Gunthorpe Street
51° 31’01.37” N
0° 04’18.30” W
The man just went in the side door of the pub...
Whitechapel High St
51° 31’57.08” N
0° 04’13.87” W
The streets are crowded with people... lots of
traffic drives by..
Brick Lane
51° 31’02.28” N
0° 04’14.10” W
They have a duffel coat... running shoes... red
shopping bag...
Gunthorpe Street
51° 31’01.37” N
0° 04’18.30” W
A van goes past, a single woman in walking...
A woman in a long black gown is towering over
the crowd...
Brick Lane
51° 31’06.67” N
0° 04’17.38” W
Men with guns, in black uniforms and face masks
... fire all around me...
51° 31’02.28” N
0° 04’14.10” W
A walking bus of school children in fluorescent
jackets... groups and individuals of Bengali people...
Fashion Street
51° 31’06.07” N
0° 04’27.03” W
“This area, at that time, was populated with many
Jewish People...”
51° 31’06.67” N
0° 04’17.38” W
There’s a man unloading a van into a university
building...
Commercial Street
51° 31’08.17” N
0° 04’35.38” W
*Sound of street band & singers*
51° 31’06.07” N
0° 04’27.03” W
Small groups of people... cars driving down the
street, fairly busy...
Brushfield Street
51° 31’08.17” N
0° 04’35.38” W
There’s a man walking behind me...... as we get
closer to Spitalfields market, more and more
people descend onto the street....
Bishopsgate
51° 31’07.60” N
0° 04’46.16” W
Lots of suits... everybody glued to their mobile
phone... red London buses everywhere...tourists
trying to navigate their way through the city after
arrival...
St Botolph Church
51° 31’00.22” N
0° 04’53.91” W
Workmen restoring... the quiet place is disrupted
St Botolph Churchyard
51° 30’59.83” N
0° 04’55.89” W
The place is deserted... a few people walk close by...
a choir is rehearsing in the church side room...
Old Broadstreet
51° 31’00.40” N
0° 05’00.07” W
A few individuals walking alone... it becomes busier
as we walk towards the junction...
Liverpool St. Station
51° 31’04.03” N
0° 04’56.09” W
People everywhere... their journeys overlapping at
a moment in time... where will their journey lead
them to? Where have they come from?
Fashion Street
Commercial Street
Brushfield Street
Bishopsgate
51° 31’07.60” N
0° 04’46.16” W
There are rows of men, marching towards me...
they have uniforms on... strange ones, like they’re
part of a weird cult or organisation... pointy hats,
striped jackets, thin little beards...
*Sound of street conversation*
There’s a man in a suit coming towards me... he
looks uncomfortable like his shirt collar is too tight...
St Botolph Church
51° 31’00.22” N
0° 04’53.91” W
*Sound of church choir singing*
St Botolph Churchyard
51° 30’59.83” N
0° 04’55.89” W
There’s an older man in a blue jacket, sitting here
on the bench, tuning his radio...
A woman beside me is reading the newspaper...
Past a bench with four guys sitting on it..
Liverpool St. Station
51° 31’04.03” N
0° 04’56.09” W
“There’s a man in a black suit walking behind you...”
There’s a woman with a suitcase standing beneath
us, looking up at the notice board, she just turned
her head and glanced up at me...
(Folds out)
The Artefact of Stories
A purple coloured fragment... seems
to also include fragments of other
colours, other cultures maybe?
This piece also contains specks of
other colours, spice grains and shiny
materials. A culture of colour and
jewellery?
This fragment looks old, like its been
torn from an old map, or worn with
use over time...
A fingerprint and music... hand-written notes and writings, what story
does this piece tell?
A hidden story, a conveyance of
what’s inside the artefact... we only
see part of what’s there....
A map or a route through the city...
the location of the journey.
The Artefact Contents
Location
Observations
Whitechapel Gallery
51° 30’57.13” N
0° 04’12.78” W
Whitechapel Gallery was originally opened in 1901 to bring Art to
the East End of London. Art exhibited included works by Picasso,
Jackson Pollock and Donald Judd, and the Gallery played an important role in the cultural landscape of London and it’s involvement
in the progression of the London Art Scene. The majority of the
present Gallery was originally Whitechapel Library, or Passmore Edwards Library, which opened in 1892. The library was named after
John Passmore who helped establish the library, in partnership with
Canon Samuel Barnett, to provide a free library service to those living in the East End. He himself donated 1,000 books to the library.
The current Gallery expanded into the space of the Whitechapel
Library, increasing space by 78% and opened in 2009.
Brick Lane
51° 31’02.28” N
0° 04’14.10” W
Named ‘Brick Lane’ in the 15th Century, due to its residents of brick
and tile manufacturing industries, the road was well known within
the heart of the poor East End. It was also located in the area of Jack
the Ripper, a well known serial killer.
The area became popular with immigrants moving to London. In
the 19th and early 20th century, the immigrants were generally
Irish or Jewish. By the end of the 20th Century, immigrants started
arriving from Bangladesh, many escaping the Liberation War. The
community have continued to live in Brick Lane over the years and
is now home to the famous Brick Lane Sunday Market.
Fashion Street
51° 31’06.67” N
0° 04’17.38” W
Fashion street was part of the Rag Trade in London. It also saw
unrest in the early 20th Century with the rise of the ‘Blackshirts’
and their leader, Sir Oswald Mosley. He was the head of the British
Union of Fascists, who fought and held demonstrations against the
Jewish communities of East London.
“Men with guns, in black uniforms and face masks ... fire all
around me...”
The area was also heavily bombed in the Blitz, as the docklands
were in the vicinity, and attacking this area was a way of cutting
supplies to the country.
Commercial Street
51° 31’06.07” N
0° 04’27.03” W
Commercial Street was also in the Rag Trade area of London. This
is where many members of the Jewish community settled due to
cheap living and jobs within the rag trade, such as tailors and dressmakers. Many arrived in London, escaping from persecution after
the assassination of Tsar Alexander II.
Brushfield Street
51° 31’08.17” N
0° 04’35.38” W
The 1960s and 70s saw the rise of the juvenile Kazoo Bands. Many
originated in the council estates of coal mining villages and towns in
the North of England. The bands, made up of performers with tin
kazoos and drums, would compete in competitions and carnivals
across the country.
There are rows of men, marching towards me... they have uniforms
on... pointy hats, striped jackets...
The music played is marked with coal-stained fingerprints and handwritten musical notes and comments....
Bishopsgate
51° 31’07.60” N
0° 04’46.16” W
Bishopsgate is the connection with ‘The City’ of London. The historical East End is suddenly transported into the high-tech, bankers
city. Our attachment, as a society, to technology and our need to be
in constant communication with each other creates this up to date
digital story of our movement and journey through the City, and
life in general.
“Lots of suits... everybody glued to their mobile phone...”
Liverpool St. Station
51° 31’04.03” N
0° 04’56.09” W
Liverpool St. Station- the part of the journey where everyone’s individual stories connect, even if just for a moment in time. The stories
look flat on the surface, but once you start looking closer, the stories
are interconnected- the station becomes the catalyst.
New York: Return Voyage
Southampton
Cherbourg
New York
City
Location of Arrival: Chelsea Piers
Location
2015
40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
Observations
0m
MSL
Once the voyage has reached the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, it arrives at Chelsea Piers on the West
side of Manhattan island. The journey comes through
The Narrows (tidal straight between Brooklyn and
Staten Island) and into the Upper Bay- a view of
Lower Manhattan greets the traveller. The Statue of
Liberty passes by on the left and the journey continues
up the Hudson River, before docking at Chelsea Piers ,
between 14th and 22nd Streets.
62
61
60
59
58
57
View of Manhattan, including the Empire State Building, from the Hudson River
R.M.S. Berengaria
Location
1912
53 ° 31’49.67” N
09 ° 54’54.47” E
1m
MSL
R.M.S. Berengaria started life as The Imperator, built in Hamburg by
Vulcan Yards, but designed by Harland and Wolf, Belfast- who also
designed and built Titanic. At the time, the Imperator was the largest,
newest and most luxurious ship around. Its highly-decorated, expensively furnished interior, mainly in First Class at the top of the boat, was
stunning, but also caused problems in the early testing stages. The ship
nearly capsized in the North Sea during a routine builders trial, due
to the top-heaviness of the ship because of the weight of the materials used in the First Class suites. In order to correct this, a substantial
amount of the marble interior, including statues, fountains, Roman baths
and columns were removed, which solved the issue and made the ship
stable in heavy weather.
June
1913
53 ° 31’49.67” N
09 ° 54’54.47” E
1m
MSL
On the 11th June 1913, The Imperator left Hamburg to start her maiden
Voyage to New York City. The figurehead, leading the way for the
ship, was a 25ft wide Golden Eagle, clutching a globe in its talons. The
globe was inscribed with the words, ‘My Field is the World’ in Gothic
German, and was what the townsfolk of Hamburg looked for in the
distance when waiting for the ships return from its maiden voyage to
New York. Sadly, during The Imperator’s second crossing to New York,
the ship was hit by a huge wave which dislodged the figurehead and
sent it smashing into the forecastle at the front of the ship. It was never
put back.
May
1919
48 ° 23’00.01” N
04 ° 27’53.20” W
3m
MSL
During WWI, The Imperator was left unused and sat in a drydock on
the Elbe River in northern Germany. In 1919, after the war, the ship
was claimed by the Allies as reparation for their lost ships (including
R.M.S Lusitania). It was refitted to repatriate American troops from Europe after being taken control of by U.S. Army Transport, and brought
thousands of soldiers and nurses back to the U.S. in 8 crossings. It was
renamed U.S.S. Imperator.
Sept
1919
50 ° 53’32.68” N
01 ° 23’58.37” W
2m
MSL
After it’s use by U.S. Army Transport, neither the U.S. Army or Navy
wanted to pay to restore the ship to it’s original passenger-carrying
condition. Franklin D. Roosevelt decommissioned US.S. Imperator and
she was awarded to England’s Cunard Line, where she was sent to be
transformed into The Berengaria, named after Richard I’s Queen, the
daughter of King Sancho of Navarre, the Princess Berengaria.
The Imperator
(Lostliners, 2015)
Lostliners (2015) Imperator/Berengaria. Available at: http://lostliners.
com/content/?p=761 (Accessed: 18/01/16)
(Knapp, 1972)
Knapp, P. (1972) The Berengaria Exchange. New York: The Dial Press
The Imperator figurehead
(Encyclopedia Titanica, 2000)
Encyclopedia Titanica (2000) Imperator and Berengaria. Available at: http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/forums/attachments/other-ships-shipwrecks/889d1370893350-imperator-berengaria-1217408015.jpg (Accessed: 18.01.16)
The Berengaria Voyage of 1929
Location
Oct
19th
1929
50 ° 53’32.68” N
01 ° 23’58.37” W
2m
MSL
Oct
25th
1929
40 ° 44’48.80” N
74 ° 00’31.08” W
0m
MSL
R.M.S. Berengaria- A ship of 529 First Class Passengers, 317 Second
Class Passengers and 569 Steerage Class Passengers who embarked on
the ship at Southampton on Oct 19th 1929 or Cherbourg, France, later
the same day.
Many of those on board were First Class Passengers. Those of high
society, Bankers, Authors, Entrepreneurs and even Royalty, took to the
Berengaria to travel across the Atlantic. On board they were treated
to lavishly decorated state rooms, the Palm Court, Ballroom, Lounge,
Smoking Rooms, Promenade decks, Gymnasium, Pompeiian Swimming
Pool, Hospital, and even kennels. In addition, these passengers had exclusive access to M.J. Meehan’s Floating Stock Exchange, where they could
buy, sell, and monitor their shares in the stock market whilst at sea. In
the afternoon, guests were waited upon at Afternoon Tea, seen by
many as an unbreakable English tradition. Silver trays appeared with
teapots and scones, served by Deck Stewards, while the guests relaxed
after lunch. The orchestra played at set times around the upper decks,
especially in the Ballroom, where they were available for song requests.
First Class Dining Saloon
Pompeiian Swimming Pool
First Class Smoking Room
First Class Lounge
Each day before breakfast, the Berengaria Morning Newspaper, was
slipped under each door of the hundreds of staterooms on board. The
paper was written overnight by John Durham and Bill Judd, who received news via the Marconi Wireless system on board and would type
and print it on A Deck, at Ruskent & Drury Printers.
Every night in the First Class Lounge, the Ship’s Auction Pool took place.
Passengers gambled on how many nautical miles the Berengaria had
travelled from noon the previous day, to noon that day. The passenger
closest to the actual distance would win pool, sometimes as much as
$1500 (equivalent of around $20,000 today). It was seen as a highlight of the day amongst the First Class passengers.
With some of the suites on board, such as the best and most impressive Imperial Suite costing $6,060 for the one way voyage (around
$83,000 today equivalent), many of these passengers saw gambling
and other on board luxuries as a way to enjoy themselves and fritter
away large sums of their large wealth. Exquisite food was also on the
menu for those who could afford it, with lavish parties, luncheons and
private dinners thrown for guests invited by the most wealthy on board.
(Knapp, 1972)
First Class Verandah
First Class Grand Staircase
All images: (Tyrer, no date)
Berengaria Passengers: The Storytellers
Berengaria Passengers: The Start of the Journey
Edzell
Southampton
Cherbourg
Czechoslovakia
Paris
Hungary
Lake Como
Cap d’Antibes
Armenia
1st Class Passenger Route
3rd Class Passenger Route
Berengaria Route
The Time Charter
The Time Charter is a timeline of Chelsea, New York, and how particular major events have affected it’s character and place in history. The map focuses on the Chelsea Piers and what part they have played in the Industrial Chelsea
neighbourhood.
The map charts the voyage of passengers on board R.M.S. Berengaria, who left New York on their Transatlantic journey to England, before the Wall St Crash of 1929. On their return journey from England, the Stock Market crashed
and many of the wealthy, First Class passengers became bankrupt. The map portrays how their perspective of the City has changed from before this event and how the crash affected the wider area of Chelsea and New York City itself.
The Time Charter Drawing
Insert 1
The Passage of Time
Needs observations or log book format
to explain how to read the chart
Outward Bound
Location
1884
Observations
40 ° 40’39.70” N
73 ° 59’48.89” W
51m
MSL
Chelsea has an elite industrial and historical past.
Passengers heading towards Chelsea Piers would
have passed by well-known buildings such as the
Chelsea Hotel (built in 1884) through to factories,
including the Cornell Iron Works (1891), John Williams Ornamental Bronze & Iron Works (19001901) and Otis Elevator Company (1911-1912).
Chelsea was also known as a hub for Printing and
Publishing, as the New York Times proclaimed:
-
“The area between West 23rd and West 42nd
Streets is the center of the city’s printing industry”
(New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, 2008, P.9)
1930’s 40 ° 44’33.83” N
74 ° 00’24.04” W
The Nabisco Factory, famous for making Oreo’s,
was also within Chelsea’s Neighbourhood.
3m
MSL
Insert 2
New York Manufacturing Map 1919 (published 1922)
(Onion, 2014)
1910
40 ° 44’48.80” N
74 ° 00’31.08” W
0m
MSL
Chelsea Piers opened in 1910 after being under construction since 1902. They were designed by the
architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore (who
also designed Grand Central Terminal), harboured
a pink granite embellished facade and at the time
cost $15 million to construct (La Rocco et al, 2004).
The piers provided not only travel for the upper
class and wealthy of New York, but also immigrants and those travelling in 3rd class. After the
opening ceremony of the piers in 1910, the New
York Times stated that the piers were “the most
remarkable urban design achievement of their day.”
(Chelsea Piers 2015)
The Original Chelsea Piers
(Chelsea Piers 2015)
Pier 59 Layout Drawings
(Currell, 2009)
The Original Chelsea Piers
(Chelsea Piers 2015)
1929 40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
0m
MSL
RMS Berengaria was one of the ships belonging to the Cunard Line that docked at Chelsea Piers no. 53-56.
It was originally named SS. Imperator and was built in Germany in 1913. At this time, it was the largest ship
in the world weighing 52,117 tonnes and at 919 feet long (approx. 280m). After WWI, SS. Imperator was
bought by Cunard and renamed RMS. Berengaria, sailing between Southampton and New York on a weekly
basis.
(Merseyside Maritime Museum, 2015)
Insert 4
Appendix A
Insert 3
R.M.S. Berengaria Deck Plans
Cunard Line Passenger List
Oct 40 ° 44’32.83” N
1929 74 ° 00’35.03” W
0m
MSL
50 ° 53’32.68” N
1 ° 23’58.37” W
2m
MSL
-
3,419
miles
5
Days
RMS Berengaria set sail for Southampton, England in October 1929.
At the time, many people had invested in the New York Stock Market
as prices continued to rise, without any suggestion of slowing down.
People also borrowed the money, or bought on margin, so they could
get onto the market and make more money.
(Eyewitness to History, 2000)
Homeward Bound
REDRAW Boat!
Location
Oct 50 ° 53’32.68” N
1 ° 23’58.37” W
1929
2m
MSL
Oct
1929
0m
MSL
-
40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
3,419
miles
Observations
R.M.S. Berengaria left Cherbourg, France, on the 19th
of October 1929 on its journey from Southampton to
New York City. The events that were to unfold during
this voyage would change the lives of many onboard,
including the rich and famous and those who had invested huge amount of money on the Stock Market. Passengers on this journey included writer Edgar Wallace,
Massachusetts Congressman George Holden Tinkham,
the Jewish Daily Forward editor Abraham Cahan and
millionaire Jay O’Brien & his wife Dolly.
5
Days
(Kirkus, 1971)
For those on board RMS Berengaria, as the events of
the Wall Street Crash unfolded, their view and the return journey to New York City seemed intimidating
and bleak. The passengers who were used to a life of
luxury, status and first class transatlantic travel were
now faced with the prospect of being broke, and lives
similar to those travelling in third or fourth class. This is
represented by the ship being broken in two, with stark
contrast between their old and new lives, and how the
ship would now look to them going forwards.
Oct 40 ° 42’24.73” N
24 74 ° 00’40.56” W
1929
8m
MSL
Oct 40 ° 42’24.73” N
28 74 ° 00’40.56” W
1929
8m
MSL
Oct 40 ° 42’24.73” N
29 74 ° 00’40.56” W
1929
8m
MSL
Dow Jones
March 40 ° 42’24.73” N
74 ° 00’40.56” W
8
1929
8m
MSL
Michael J. Meehan creates his brokerage firm in Wall
Street. It became very successful over the first two weeks
that in today’s money, he would have made investors
the equivalent of $100 million during that time frame.
(Wright, 2015)
August 40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
17
1929
0m
MSL
M.J. Meehan & Co. launch the idea of an office on
board ocean liners, including the Berengaria. This allows passengers on transatlantic voyages to buy & sell
shares during their journey between the United States
and Europe (Wright, 2015). Meehan chose the RMS Berengaria as the location for his floating stock exchange, as he
had recently read that passengers had used the ship’s
wireless transmitter to buy & sell 50,000 shares of stock
on a recent voyage from Southampton to New York
City. He telephoned Cunard Line’s office in Manhattan
to discuss his idea of the floating stock exchange, and
guaranteed the company $100,000 for the exclusive
right to run the brokerage onboard the Berengaria.
Cunard Line quickly accepted his proposal.
(Thomas et al, 2014)
The Stock Exchange Floor
(Getty Images, 2015)
Oct
24
1929
42 ° 11’35.98” N
53 ° 49’31.01” W
0m
MSL
Insert 6
Meehan’s brokerage was set up on the Promenade/
Sun Deck of RMS Berengaria and radio was used to
transmit stock quotes between Meehan’s office on Wall
Street and the passengers on the Ship. (Wright, 2015) There
were mixed reviews over Meehan’s on board stock exchange. While some saw this as a technological advancement, and many first-class passengers welcomed
the idea, others though that the idea of the relaxing
voyage would be tainted by the atmosphere of the
office. (Blumenthal, 2002)
On the day of the crash, passengers and stock-market players were in the customer’s room onboard the
Berengaria. The words and atmosphere similar to those
across Wall Street;
“Sell Now! Sell Now”
One passenger on board, Helena Rubinstein, a makeup and cosmetics maker, was heading to New York to
promote launch her make up line. As the crash unfolded, she gave the order to sell 50,000 shares (approx.
$8million in stock) As the minutes passed, the price had
fallen to just $168. In today’s money, this equates to
around $10 million.
(Blumenthal, 2002)
Diagram showing movement of people towards the on
board stock exchange, as the crash was happening
R.M.S. Berengaria was able to receive information
about the Stock Market crash because of Wireless
Telegraphy, invented by Guglielmo Marconi.
The process worked similar to how it did on
land,where radio waves were sent between stations and was not much slower than land messages, meaning that the Berengaria was getting
information about the market crash at virtually the
same time it was happening.
All the ships at the time were fitted with wireless
apparatus after the RMS Titanic disaster almost
20 years previously. The Titanic, one of the first to
use the technology, had 2 radio operators and the
most powerful equipment (Marconigram) available from Marconi Company onboard. Without
this equipment, it wouldn’t have been able to send
SOS messages to nearby vessels, and the disaster
may have been even worse. Interestingly, Marconi
himself was offered a free ticket on Titanic’s maiden voyage, but instead he took an earlier voyage
on RMS Lusitania.
The Berengaria was fitted with the wireless technoloy, and Cunard Line used the technology to
send and receive market fluctuations, news and
stock exchange quotes. The signal from the radio
messages printed onto tape, similar to telegraphic messages of the day. Because of the technology involved, and the amount of information that
could be sent from the ship compared with the
amount of passengers who needed to sell shares
during the crash, it’s probable that most lost a lot
of money- even though they were getting virtually
to-the-minute updates and could see the hear the
crash happening right in front of them.
(Fortescue, 2013) (University of Oxford, 2006)
Wireless signals to the Berengaria
1930’s
40 ° 44’45.95” N
74 ° 00’22.42” W
3m
MSL
Once those on board the Berengaria docked back in New
York City at the Chelsea Piers, the city would look different
and change drastically over the next few years, as the New
York they knew, the wealth they had would be a distant
memory. The Great Depression era had started.
By 1932, the rate of unemployment was in excess of 20%,
and even those still in jobs lost wages due to pay cuts. The
industrial and construction industries had come to a halt
and had lost nearly 90% of stock prices on the market.
For those who had borrowed “on margin” from the banks,
many had to sell their homes, cars, and home contents with
the threat of repossession looming- with millions becoming
homeless. All production of goods fell, as consumers could
not afford to buy or invest their money. Farmers were also
hit hard, continuing from the 1920s, as food prices collapsed
and export markets were lost around the time of WWI.
By the end of the 1930’s, the World was at war and the
United States started turning their attention to defence.
Many of the unemployed found themselves in defence
jobs as the industry started to boom. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 brought the United States
into WWII and the industrial areas, such as Chelsea, went
back into full production.
(Taylor, 2008)
1930’s
40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
0m
MSL
1960’s
40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
0m
MSL
1970’s
40 ° 44’32.83” N
74 ° 00’35.03” W
0m
MSL
The Chelsea Piers were greatly affected by both the Stock
market crash and the Great Depression. These had devastating consequences for Transatlantic travel, as it was
seen by many as a luxurious lifestyle they could no longer
afford. In the 6 years from 1929 to 1935, the amount of
passengers traveling across the Atlantic had dropped from
around 1 million to fewer than 500,000. In addition, new
huge ships such as the Queen Mary, started to dock at
the piers, but they were not large enough to house these
1000ft ships, so new piers were built further up Manhattan at “Luxury Liner Row.” The piers were used in the war
effort during WWII to transport troops, but they continued
to decline.
By the end of the 1950s, air travel became the more popular way of travelling across the Atlantic, and the piers were
reduced to being used for cargo handling.
In 1967, the last cargo handling tenants, the Grace & United States lines, relocated to New Jersey and this defined
the end of the piers’ use in the shipping industry.
In the 1970’s, the piers were a mix of warehouses and car
parking lots. Even though the waterfront had been given
a historic status, the decaying piers were scheduled for
demolition.
“There were plenty of broken down fences, crumbling
walls...”
(Chelsea Piers, 2015)
1992
40 ° 44’47.86” N
74 ° 00’32.08” W
1m
MSL
In 1992, after rusting for years in the harbour, Chelsea Piers
Management submitted a proposal to transform and develop Piers 59-62. Permission was granted and the rights to
lease the piers and develop an Entertainment and Sports
Complex on the site, and work began in 1994. The start
of construction was celebrated in style. A groundbreaking
ceremony was held at the piers on 12th July 1994 attended
by the New York Governor, New York City Mayor and
the Manhattan Borough President, in addition to various
celebrities, sports personnel and over 1000 guests.
Due to the large complex nature of the project (28 acre
site), the piers were open in stages from August 1995, and
the project cost approximately $120 million to develop,
funded privately.
The piers currently houses a golf club, health club, ice rink
complex, gymnastics centre, rock climbing walls, dance studios, sports courts, bowling alley, events centre/space and
film & tv production studios.
(Chelsea Piers, 2015)
In 2015, the Chelsea Piers celebrated their 20 year anniversary of their opening and is home to a huge community.
The recreational facilities available is the largest in New
York City and its known as the place where ‘New Yorkers
come to play’.
The piers are a popular destination, with over 4 million visitors a year, and currently employs more than 1000 people.
Its heavily involved in the community and is involved with
many community outreach programmes, as well as offering scholarships and funding for sports programmes to underprivileged children. In addition, the piers were a safe
place for public shelter after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At
this time, spaces in the piers were converted into a field
hospital, intelligence agency hub and transported people
across the river to New Jersey. (Chelsea Piers, 2015b)
Some of the original pier structure still exists, and this is
most noticeable to the public in the ice rink complex. The
exposed steel framework of the original roof structure is
visible, and is almost made a spectacle in the ice rink space.
They hint and expose the history of the piers and create
character in the space.
The golf club/driving range is home to one of the most
amazing views, making the most of the pier’s location on
the Hudson River, overlooking New Jersey. The 4 storey
driving range allows those who use it to see what the people boarding the Transatlantic liners would have seen as
they embarked on their journey.
The only water-related activity situated at the piers, is the
marina where yachts are docked.
2008
40 ° 44’45.95” N
74 ° 00’22.42” W
The Financial Crisis of 2008 brought history back to the present, as once
again, the stock markets started to plummet, similar to the events leading
into the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Researched showed that the recession
actually started in 2007, when the high house prices in the United States
started to drop drastically. This impacted the entire USA financial sector,
and then affected other financial markets across the world. Many companies
were badly affected including the investment banking industry, insurance
companies, mortgage lenders and commercial banks. This then affected all
smaller companies, as banks stopped lending to them, which meant they
couldn’t regulate their cash flows, which lead to a downturn in trade. This
contributed to mass unemployment once again, similar to that of the Great
Depression.
3m
MSL
(Havemann, 2015)
Chelsea’s housing market was also affected during the recession, and it recovered much slower than many of the other Manhattan neighbourhoods.
The neighbourhood itself became quite well established in providing luxurious
apartments to the rich and famous, and as the recession affected the housing
market quite drastically, this was felt in Chelsea. Despite this, the average
house price in Chelsea from 2009 to 2012 had increased by nearly $200,00,
making the average price for a home in Chelsea around $1.5 million.
(Kamping-Carder, 2012)
The arts and entertainment industry, of which Chelsea’s Art scene is a part
of, was also affected. Employment in the sector dropped to 64,000 (from
71,000) between summer 2008 and February 2009. Although, museums
such as MoMA and The Guggenheim reported record-breaking attendances.
(Fitzpatrick, 2010)
2008
40 ° 44’45.95” N
74 ° 00’22.42” W
3m
MSL
As much of the industrial production in Chelsea has relocated, the area has
been left with many large industrial buildings. As time has evolved, so has the
technologies that once used to be distinctive in Chelsea. With the technology
age growing, these old industrial buildings are being bought by large technology companies, one of which is Google. The company bought the old Port
Authority Building (111 Eighth Av), at nearly 3million sq feet in floor space,
in 2010 for $1.9 Billion. The Port Authority was so important during the trading heyday, it needed such a big premises, which reflects on the importance
Google is to the technology and culture of today. Interestingly, the position
of the Port Authority, is on top of a fibre-optic cable highway locate underneath the road surface. This is one of the most important Telecom carriers in
probably the entire USA, so its fitting that a company, such as Google, has
its headquarters there.
Future
40 ° 44’44.06” N
74 ° 00’27.87” W
2m
MSL
(Gustin, 2010)
It’s not just the old industrial buildings that are getting regenerated in Chelsea, there are also new developments being built. Architects including Jean
Nouvel and Frank Gehry have completed projects by the waterfront. 110 11th
Avenue by Jean Nouvel is an apartment block, amde of curved glass and
steel. Next to this, is Frank Gehry’s IAC building, the headquarters, with its
curved sail-like forms.
Proposed Pier 57
(Pitcher, 2013)
Back the waterfront, a proposal to regenerate Pier 57 into a mixed-use
scheme was approved by New York City Council in 2013. The disused pier,
two piers down river from the current Chelsea Piers, will be home to a series
of re-purposed shipping containers of shops, film, arts and design facilities,
with a public market and rooftop park. The project is yet to get underway.
(Pitcher, 2013)
A Shore Never Reached
Location
15th
April
1912
Observations
41 ° 72’69.31” N
-49° 94’82.53” W
-3,700m
MSL
R.M.S. Titanic is perhaps the most famous ship disaster of all time. It’s final destination: Chelsea Piers, New York City- a shore never reached. On the 14th April, 1912,
Titanic had left Southampton via Cherbourg & Queenstown on it’s maiden voyage
to New York. At 11.40pm, Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean,
ripped open it’s bow and started to sink.
“SOS Titanic calling. We have struck ice ans require immediate assistance”
Within 3 hours, at 2.20am on the 15th April, the Titanic had sunk completely into
the Atlantic Ocean. Over 1,500 people died because it was only carrying 20 of the
64 lifeboats needed to account for all it’s passengers. Only around 30% of passengers made it to their destination at New York.
(Fowler, 2015)
7th
May
1915
51 ° 24’72.70” N
08° 32’86.60” W
-93m
MSL
R.M.S. Lusitania was originally a general ocean liner, and made it’s maiden voyage
in September 1907. But, the British Admiralty has secretly designed the Lusitania to
become a war ship, should war occur and in 1913, the Lusitania docked in Liverpool
and was fitted out for war duty, on the brink of WWI.
On May 1st 1915, the Lusitania left Chelsea Piers in New York City, bound for Liverpool. Little did the crew and passengers know that this would be it’s last departure.
In addition, the ship had been secretly storing and transporting ammunition and
supplies for the British war effort. On May 7th, at 2.10pm, the ship was hit by a torpedo fired from a German U-Boat, off the coast of Ireland. The torpedo destroyed
the ship and within 18 minutes, the Lusitania had sunk. Of the 1,924 passengers
and crew on board, only 805 survived. The dead included 114 Americans, and it is
suggested this event helped lead the United States into WWI.
(Eyewitness to History, 2000)
The Unexpected Journey
Observations
Location
18th
April
1912
40 ° 44’44.22” N
74 ° 00’35.44” W
0
MSL
R.M.S. Carpathia was on her way to Fiume (now Rijeka) Croatia,
from the Chelsea Piers when she received the distress message from
R.M.S. Titanic. Fortunately for the Titanic, the radio operator on board
the Carpathia had worked 25 minutes past his midnight end of shift,
and got the S.O.S call as he was unlacing his boots to leave. Upon
hearing the message, the Carpathia changed direction, heading for the
sinking ship. The Carpathia was designed to travel at 14 knots, but it’s
Captain, Arthur Rostron, pushed the ship to hit 17 knots, taking it 3 1/2
hours to travel 56 miles and arrive at the Titanic.
The Carpathia took 3 days to arrive back in New York with the Titanic survivors. The ship arrived first at Pier 59, where it returned the
Titanic’s lifeboats to its owner, The White Star Line. It then travelled
back down river to Pier 54 to allow First and Second Class passengers
to disembark. Third Class passengers had to stay on board until they
could be taken to Ellis Island to abide with immigration protocol .
(Fowler, 2015b)
R.M.S. Carpathia
(Fowler, 2015b)
The Present: The River as the Journey
Location
Nov
2015
Location
40 ° 45’35.80” N
74 ° 00’15.49” W
0
MSL
Observations
One of the river journeys that occur in the present are the boat journey sightseeing cruises for tourists and visitors to New York. Though a few companies operate, City Sightseeing leaves from Pier 78, stops at the World
Financial Center, Dumbo then Pier 11, ending back at Pier 78.
Nov
2015
40 ° 45’38.76” N
74 ° 00’13.83” W
0
MSL
Observations
The commuter boat NY waterway connects Pier 79 in New York with New Jersey at multiple locations. This
provides a service for those generally living in NJ and working in NYC. Although each trip is a journey on the
Hudson River- the idea is more a practicality.
From the Physical to the Digital
Stock Market Crash on Berengaria
Importance of time in the B scenario
Time is important factor in SE
Time and delay affect chosen location for SE
The honest Stock Exchange
My position
What the new SE will advocate
Current NYSE location
(A1 fold out map)
Location of Intervention
(A1 fold out map)
The Piers from the Hudson River
Elements of a Stock Exchange
minimum elements needed for a se
Pre-digital age closures
Digital source closures
Trading Floor area across time
Data Centre Floorplan
NYSE Trading floor size vs. Data Centre size trends over time
On a Global Scale
Distance Relationships
The speed of data transfer
Following pages: Design Elements to be
considered or incorporated into design- not
final Portfolio pages
Some pages (precedent, facade etc) intergrated into design portfolio
Chelsea Piers as the Gateway to the World
Physical Location:
- Chelsea Piers were the gateway for transatlantic travel- still viewable today by both tourist
boats and water taxis from the river, with views out on the horizon
- Data journeys have replaced physical ones, so the piers become a representative of the present
- Chelsea has an industrial past which allows new industries to develop in the area
- Close by is Google HQ, which sits above a main fibre highway connection
Chelsea Piers vs. Wall Street?
- Closer to NYSE server data centre in New Jersey
- Wall Street becomes another server room, closer to the Atlantic Ocean
- Wall Street facade remains, so general public will not see changes
Sustainability Advantages:
- The Hudson River can provide a potential source of natural cooling for the server rooms
- Tidal activity can be harvested and used as a source of building energy
Global Power & Influence
[Academic use only]
A Facade of Strength, Wealth & Trust
Integrity protects the ‘Works of Man’
An Interactive Facade
The servers as the City
Journey from server to facade
The Light Chaos
Reusing the server heat
Main Public Space Ideas
Server-heated pool
Server-heated Greenhouse
Time affects interior
Representational Language: A City within the City
Piers within the proposal