YEOU UEI CHAI
Individual Work (Thesis Project)
Advisor: Hideki Hirahara
Chapter 1: The Influence of Light
Light directly affects our perception and memory. Whether it is moonlight mistily shining or sunlight sharply streaming in, light shapes how we understand our surroundings even with eyes closed.
Our spatial memories intrinsically connect to lighting conditions. Light's influence is direct and straightforward. For instance, in Olafur Eliasson's weather project, he designed an interior sunny space. Following the lighting, people made matching actions based on limited memories, like lying down or sitting.
In short, memory comprises what we can recall from the past, including words or images that make us remember hazy bygone days. In Norwegian Wood, the narrator says, "I try to recall the last time I saw fireflies and where. I cannot remember the place or time, yet I recall the vague images of light." Here, light sparks an unclear memory's contours.
Overall, light directly informs our spatial memories and perceptions, even with eyes shut. As in weather project, lighting guides remembered actions. Memory works through images, as with the indistinct firefly light from Norwegian Wood. In essence, light shapes memory's very form.
Chapter 2: Tainan as a City of Memories
A city's image reshapes through scenes both noteworthy yet forgettable - aiming to seem visible with eyes shut. Tainan, Taiwan's oldest city, exemplifies this, made of significant but forgettable things.
Why Tainan? Historically, the Dutch erected forts, starting development. In the Qing dynasty, city gates arose, spreading life inside. Later, the Japanese brought quicker growth via circles, shops, and stations. Now lively with signs, canopies, and plants, Tainan overlays memories into diverse dots. Lately, it accumulates tiniest dots - important, but forgettable.
In essence, Tainan's accumulated memories, though significant, comprise everyday details. As the historic city evolved, development etched scenes into its image. Over time, the smallest, most mundane sights layered its memory the most. Though individually forgettable, together they reconstruct Tainan for closed eyes. The city's true memory lives within the everyday trivia.
Chapter 3: Xinmei Street as a Spectrum of Memories
In Xinmei Street, there are objects displayed in the spectrum, from white to red, green, blue, and finally black. It is a chance to let people discover and experience Tainan. Further, it is not the spectrum with direct bright colored elements, but a chance to classify them into pure light and shadow order.
Back in the day, in this community, there are castles made by the Dutch, streets built by the Qing Dynasty, circles designed by the Japanese, and also the modern life of Tainan. The hotel is the program to exhibit the light and shadow of memories of Xinmei Street. Through disassembling programs of the hotel into different places, the route forces the tourists and residents to go through all the spots on Xinmei Street. Thus, from this design, the goal is to make people know they are in Tainan with their eyes closed. In addition, the inn of memory is connected with Airbnb to make a new travel network system in the old-aged street.