Double-Helix
Mission District Arts Center
The concept of this design is to create a double helix as interior and exterior circulation. The exterior circulation is read as a carve-out at the center of the volume, creating an environment independent from the context as a way of making architecture influential. The interior circulation is wrapping up the building at the perimeter, with translucent glazing vaguely revealing the activities inside the building, as a way of making architecture part of the community.
The two juxtaposed indoor and outdoor circulations allow both the indoor exclusive functions and the outdoor public space open to the community while not disturbing each other. The outdoor circulation is a free journey that starts from the ground level's amphitheater to the roof garden. The facade that shaped the outdoor circulation is transparent, allowing visitors to see the indoor activities along the journey. The indoor circulation along the perimeter links the building's main programs. Its translucent facade enabled its interaction with the context while maintaining a certain degree of privacy.
The facade is a two-layer system. The inner layer of the facade is a sliding door system that can be fully open, turning the corridor into balcony. The outer layer of the facade is a system of translucent fins that allows the users to look outside at certain degrees while maintaining privacy from outside.
