Context is generally used to describe the circumstances under which an object, notion or text was created[1]. It can also be described as the background information as it can explain the reasoning behind certain things. There are several types of context which we tend to use when we analyse context:
- Social – trends and the like.
- Political – Who was in power and where? What values did they promote?
- Historical – What was happening around the world?
- Personal – General upbringing and experiences.
- Geographical, especially when dealing with buildings.
While most texts, buildings and the like can be taken for their face value, we obtain a far clearer understanding from looking at the contexts under which it was created. A great example of context is the Lord of The Rings trilogy which seems like any other fantasy story. However when you look at what was going on in the world when it was written, new concepts emerge! These books were written during a time of global upheaval, around the same period as the Second World War. After seeing this it is possible to draw parallels between Hitler’s advances across Europe and Sauron and the orc hordes ravaging middle earth. Also when looking at Tolkien’s personal context we see further links as he fought in the First World War and knew the horror of the trenches.[2]
Our group is modelling an unbuilt design which has a very real site and a real architect. In order to accurately follow the architect’s intentions and give a realistic feel to the map, we need to study the site to give the right sort of feel. The Dam Theatre itself relies heavily on its context as it connects to the dam wall itself and not to the ground in any way. However the drawings and images we are working off do not resolve how the building and supporting trusses are actually attached to the wall. In order to fabricate a footing system which at least appears to work as well as similar in style to the theatre, I will be looking at the architect’s previous works to see if he has a particular method or material he uses in all or some of his designs.
Since the site is in a different continent, we will be primarily looking to the internet for images of the dam and surrounds on sites such as flickr.com as well as Google Maps to see the overall forms of the terrain.
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