The tension between deep space and flat surface is not often addressed in architecture. It is almost as if architecture’s two-dimensional persona has been deemed unnecessary. This project aims to collapse depth and reconfigure surface through the use of ornamentation. Perspectival depth and relief are used to generate spatial effects within the surfaces of the 1st and Central subway station in Downtown Los Angeles. Depth cues are referenced in order to create these “deep surfaces”.

 

An important cue relevant here is the use of texture. Texture becomes denser further away, while surfaces appear smoother and more homogeneous further away. Qualities of flatness and abstraction in architectural representation highlight the schism between reality and representation. The medium also plays a role in producing these effects; the rose as a motif, whether in the realms of reality or abstraction, is used to produce a new ornament. In turn, this ornament reinforces the presumption that flat surfaces belong to art.

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Graphics: Warner Brothers Design Studio, Riot Creative Imaging, Guru Printing

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