Bridging time with design interventions

PLAZA DE LA
PESCADERÍA
SEVILLE, SPAIN

YASHI TRIPATHI
 WHAT AND WHY TO PRESERVE?

Preservation by definition means maintaining original and existing state; and its scope of subjectivity is
in the lack of subject in the above definition. In the general sense we use it synonymously with revival,
renewal, refurbishment, recreation and the list may go on till we don’t critically look at the context,
which is true for all matters of comprehension. In the most primitive discussion, preservation means
saving something, it could be an object, a place, a memory, a feeling or even an idea which holds a very
important position in our reality, our way of understanding perspective to all these things.

We save what is important to us, be it anything- collectively or individually; and it’s this because that
decides What and Why, for us when we begin the process of preservation. Why is something
important to us? We’re part of a reality that we don’t understand and tend to feel lonely and lost if we
don’t share our perspective with others, at least parts that we call ‘obvious’, and easily overlook the fact
that not only we try to save what we are familiar with, for personal security and validation- two very
important aspects of a human mind to function in perspective; we save those objects, places, memories,
feelings and ideas that people relate to, as well. It’s very important to us that what is precious to us, it
should be precious to someone, somewhere- like a memento of shared our perspective which becomes
our combined reality.

We cling closely to being a part of something, we look for mental and physical spaces that don’t threaten
us- in either way. This does answer delicately What and Why we ‘preserve’, but the challenge in thinking
we are ‘saving’, ‘preserving’ something is, are we? When we make museums, when we make safes, when
we make committees that protect our monuments and manuscripts, what are we preserving is our
idea of preservation, of the security associated with it.
This way of looking at it brings a lot of questions with it, but the topic has a lot scope for the general
discussion about what preservation as a concept mean for us. The most common way of preservation
that is knotted closely to our lives is the preservation related to heritage and history and for the reasons
made obvious to us all, to retain our identity as a community and what has been done for, fought for a
present we have today. Then there is the example of museums, archives and galleries- the places that
we associate with our intellectual nostalgia, how much knowledge we’ve accumulated in the name of
this identity we keep in our monuments. There has been a lot of effort put in to save ourselves the
definition we’ve been given to us in time, and even if or if not have we ‘retained’ the originality of all
these objects, all these examples exhibit exemplary endeavours to protect the idea of them, the essence
and that I consider, as preservation.

Newer artists, historians, architects, designer show similar passion for ‘preserving’ our artworks,
artefacts, manuscripts, buildings and concepts by the means of retaining the old essence and
reconstructing them with something newer, so as to rescue the energy that is lost in a world so
temporary and transient; where people have started to put the nostalgia behind them slowly. This
newer idea of conservation is more intriguing as they’re happening for reasons such as personal
attempts at protecting lineage to the extent of preserving space, both physical and intellectual in a
world so dense with them and not necessarily occupying their deserving volume.

Unlike the older times, we have more scope with regards to ‘what’ and ‘why’ we’re preserving as ‘what’
we’re preserving can range from identity to wholesome ideas of conservation of our planet and
‘why’ can be easily put between necessity and innovation but bound by reason that we need to look for.
 TIME The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the
past, present, and future as a whole
SPACE A continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied
ACTIVITY The condition in which things are happening

If we may look at Time and Space as the volume where

Activity takes place, existence could be defined in two ways:

STATIC The condition of ‘being’ an entity, intangible or tangible in the sphere of observation
DYNAMIC The condition of movement and chaos, the driving forces within
the sphere of observation
 This takes us to:

STATIC ACTIVITY The one that ‘stays’ and this act of mere presence
DYNAMIC ACTIVITY The kind that is a series of microevents, a consequence of contrast

All this, continuously gets ordered, reordered, disordered, rearranged with

History and Anticipation (Time)

and
Volume and ambience (Space) to produce activity.
 The relationship between time, space and activity

Time, Space and Activity are the most fundamental examples of existential synthesis. Existence
itself can be a very dynamic and static entity at the same time. Since the nature of these three
phenomena are closely knit with existence, it’s very essential to understand which way we are
looking at existence, in this analytical context.

Existence could be looked at as the ever-fervent quality of matter to produce chaos, energy and
thus change or it could be also looked at from the viewpoint of being- and just being in itself as
matter and as an understood reality. Time and space here, are the two mutually present arena where
we observe these two sides of existence- Time being the indefinite continuous progress of existence
and events while Space is a continuous area or expanse which is free, available and unoccupied.

The use of these two parent planes is what decides what way we look and understand existence
and hence become capable of altering it. Activity, the condition in which things are happening or are
being done; is the ultimate decisive factor. It may look like activity clearly resonates with the
dynamic nature of existence but that is just how we perceive movement and movement alone isn’t
activity- thus the two sides of existence still remain untouched for our contrast.
TIME
Time x Space = Activity
= ( Static +Dynamic)
.
SPACE
How do these three relate? Well, universally speaking, this is the only relation that has mattered to
humanity immediately and its understanding of the world and everything we do with it. Space is
distributed and assumed in its small forms by us, the notion of Time binds us into law and
coordination ultimately producing or passing through Activity, the common resonance of
intangible ideas and tangible, transient matter. However, this is a very basic understanding,
almost philosophical but it’s necessary to not lose perspective as we zoom into more practical,
immediate possibilities.

The process of invention is what I consider the most example for this relation. It has all the
prerequisites of our premise, Time, Space, Activity and the looming background of Existence.
Invention is the putting together of a process or a device, typically to manipulate one of these four
things. The invention of the computer altered the sense of time and its existing limitations and
possibilities while the invention of the engine entirely changed the way we look at expanse, due to
the manipulation of time. The invention aircrafts, telescopes and microscopes and the knowledge of
manipulating metals put the human perception in a situation of altered understanding of space-
that it isn’t limited and can’t entirely be owned- leading to very under-realised but vital changes in
even how sociology works. The smallest discovery of fire and the realisation of a ‘thought’ lead to
changes in the entirety of how we think of Activity- dynamic and static.

Due to the unspoken, vast and magnificent natures of these phenomena, we talk right over them
without understanding how closely, critically we’re linked to them. Processes such as Invention,
Discovery, Formulation, Thesis et cetra are clear subsets of Design. Design is the deliberation of
ideas and matter so as to alter Time, Space, Activity and Existence separately and
simultaneously. It is thus, crucial to understand that even the laying of a brick in a certain manner,
a certain metal detail, a subtle gesture and an overlooked point of a hypothesis are so closely
interlocked in this relationship’s matrix that we can manipulate reality for people and society without
the conscious ideas of doing so.
This brings us to synthesis and disorganisation. After we understand how essential this relation is
accumulate in practice, we can finally contrast and reflect on how this mechanism really works. To an
extent, this relation can be truly looked at as entirely natural; but for a designer or a thinker- nothing
simply stops at that. Something makes this nature distinctive and the objective is to understand that.
What happens if we try to manipulate time without disturbing the subject space? We get ideas,
concepts and the immediate products of them. What happens if space is the ordinate and time is the
abscissa? We get dynamic activity, we get speed, process, growth. When we manipulate both in order to
generate dynamics in existence, we get versions of reality, perhaps even virtual. Regulating all of these
to different ranges we get products; art, architecture, objects, machinery. So, it’s safe to say that even
though a small part of this process isn’t practical but that is where this relation really gets prominent-
it gives the dimension of ‘possibility’ to process.

This can be better illustrated by an elementary case study on Plaza de la Pescaderia, a pedestrian
gallery in the city of Seville, Spain.
 This design intervention in Seville,
Spain is a winner of a design contest
and consists of the ordinary
urbanization works of a group of
squares in Seville, in between La
Pescadería.
On the outside it looks like at the
ground level it looks like a textured
Metallic booth, the first view of the
sensitive skin concept;

HISTORY

This plaza is an intervention of the on

an ancient roman aqueduct at one of
Seville’s city corner. The aqueduct,
‘Aqua Hispalenses’, roughly transla-
ting to ‘water for the people of
Seville’, runs in three bays under the
city ‘s common residential buildings.
The intervention was made in attempt to ‘pedestrianize’ and open the roman heritage and ruins to
the city-dwellers. It was done in a delicate balance between elements that connect the history and
re-utilise the area; not so the space entirely changes, but amends the appearance and function in
order to prevent suspicious activities on the account of it’s dinginess.
 Plans

Location in Seville
Elevations
Section A Section B
The aim was to “generate a progressive
pedestrianization and improvement of the
public transport in the city centre and to
enhance connection between the city and the
aqueduct now conserved as a monument 4.5
meters under the level of the street” by it’s
intervention team- architects from Mariñas
Arquitectos Asociados.

This shows how Time was manipulated to

switch the perception without altering the
urban Space.
The moss, the lime walls,
channels and the textures
were preserved as they remind
the visitors about the presence
of water and the impressions
that it’s left in the space, the
volume;

While,

The metallic roof, the

skylights, wooden benches,
wooden walkway and the
staircase were added as the
contrasting elements that
connected the old urban
volume to the present urban
symbols; light from the
fenestration put this blend
into subtle attention.

This displays how

components of time and
space can produce activity
that is Static and thus
invites the Dynamic.
One of the details into the aim
was to convert this place into a
didactic “spot” in the city,
highlighting its magnificent
past, but exempt of myths and
topics, with the intent of
provoking culture;

which,

Shows the transition of

Static activity to Dynamic.

It is notable at this point

how both the activities are
entwined as both
consequence to one another
and also transition of one to
another.
Physical connection between two
parts of the city, one urban and
one historic: the public space
allows to discover the ruin and to
live it.

Which is,

The exploration of the

simultaneous nature of Static
and Dynamic activity in
existence and time.

The ambition of the intervention

is to create a dynamic public space
moving THROUGH the city, not
just standing above it.

Which is more unravelling in

this venture of understanding
just how close yet,
Specific these relationships are.
THE SENSIBLE SKIN AND
PALIMPSESTO

The sensible skin was the way they

called the intervention on a series
of urban spaces closely connected
that we treated as if they were a
palimpsesto (Palimpsest).

( manuscript page, either from a

scroll or a book, from which the
text has been scraped or washed
off so that the page can be reused
for another document)

where each urban process

erased the previous one, but
inevitably left us some lines,
references or remains that
might be interpreted and that
were capable of generating a
pavement.
This example, if not an instance of perfect architecture, is a delicate specimen of how space should be
dealt with when it comes to change and recreation; a specimen of how Time, Space interact to produce
Static and Dynamic Activity. The static activity which is the aesthetic and the feeling of the texture,
colour, surface, volume and the general presence of the space which, here was expressed by the balance
of lime and metal at two opposite surfaces of the place, the wood and the moss, the light from the
windows and dark of the channels meeting in this space. The dynamic activity that is demonstrated by
the motion of water in the ancient roman times and as the times changed to render it abandoned it was
imitated in a similar movement of the pedestrians- the kind that remains wavering at a spot while it’s
still flowing out to various directions.

The play of time in its spatial bit of narrative and similarly there is a vice-versa interlace of space in its
tenses; the analogy of the Palimpsest is a deserving exhibit. The scratched out walls inhabited by
moss and its colour to accommodate the gloss of the varnished wood and metal is an attempt to begin
another entirely different spatial quality, is how with time the space blends into another without erasing
the familiarity that lives there. What makes it apt is the open ended-ness of this spatial experience is the
utility and frayed corners of semi-pedestrianization that happened without intent. There is always
some end of the space that becomes the nascence of another timeline.

This blending of Time and Space happens slowly and with minute units on both the axes to split into
two realities opening too little for change, intervention if at all. To be perfect in amount and
intensity. As restricting as it may sound , there is still scope for ingenious only if with a purpose
that’s just as important. It’s important to assess the significance of the change that will take in the
volume created by these there phenomena.
 FUTURE?

1
If there must be an attempt at Plaza de la Pescadería, the given example in the immediate coming
future and we can visualise ourselves with advanced technology and the current and forthcoming
fashion of looking at utilisation of semi-pedestrianized and pedestrianized spaces in the given
lobby-bay typologies, there is a possibility of getting consumed in:

- internalised subway pathways

- underground parkways
- conversion to transportation systems
- hyper-commercialisation as a gallery, showcase
underground adverts

2
Inclusive with this future is the deterioration of art, architecture, culture and their exhibition,
their approaching depression that has repeated itself after every convention reaches its saturation to
the extent of mindlessness ( as anticipated by the decline of ethics, intellect and acumen in patterns
and trends) leading to a crash-like scenario, that welcomes a paradigm shift in order to regain
balance.
 Dadaism, the most recent example of such a movement in
the 20th century, characterised by artists rejecting reason,
logic and aestheticism of modern capitalist society and as a
reaction to World War I, rebelling against them with the
expression of irrationality, glorification of anti-bourgeois*:
their model of mindlessness.

“When art transforms into

rebellion and artist into rebel,
a new awareness is born, just
as Albert Camus argues, 'with
rebellion, awareness is born‘”

Renaissance was the period in 14th to 17th

century followed by the Dark ages and
regional separation, a cultural "advance"
from the Middle Ages, instead seeing it as a
period of pessimism and nostalgia for
classical antiquity
3
Being as ambitious to propose these contexts for the Spanish city- Seville and Plaza de la Pescaderia,
a small scaled pedestrianized space and be imagined as a commercialised gallery for or from the
proposal for fortunate, elite residents, the crowd that is expected to be absorbed by capitalist agendas
and commercial vogue. This, intuitively leads to the logic that in the flourishment of technology of
the 21st century there is a possibility of becoming a overwhelming rage. The lack of time due to
relatively faster lifestyles because of technology is also a notable latent influence.

4
The Spanish cultural and artistic situation is
presently advanced to the senses of sight and
sound, their museums and galleries full with
vibrant and distinctive use of the same. The
inquisitiveness of artists and the ongoing research
on Affective Haptic, an emerging area in research
that focuses on the study, designs and systems that
can elicit, enhance and induce/transmit an
emotional state of a human by the means of sense
of touch by the use of information that is given by
the four tactile channels governed by physiological
changes-allows their venture in the conquering of
the sense of touch to produce, ‘enhance’ art
through such haptic ‘inceptors’. **
This could a possibility with the 4
Influences:
Through haptic channels and ‘inceptor embedded
layers’ underneath the artwork, supposedly one could be
transmitted in form of tactile signal the emotive state
that summarises the feeling conveyed through the
artwork. Thus one could ‘feel’ the artwork immediately
instead of spending the time understanding art requires,
a reflection of the ‘rushed’ nature of anticipated lifestyle
and skipping the part in appreciating art truly where one
spends time researching and contemplating its features
and details. This has a probability of being opposed due
to the ethical questions this advancement comes with
and hence a chance that an opposition to this endeavour
lead to seeds of approaching paradigm shift.

In spite the contextual fog related to this visualisation, it

still is a description in the relationship of Time, Space
and Activity where both Time and Space shrink to
physiological moments opening up another scale of
Static and Dynamic activity’s existence. The
entanglement will persist nonetheless and these radical
visuals of future will continue to open up due the same
reasons why humans preserve and save things, places.

Intelligent anticipation and meditation on the contextual

implications may save a great fall of ethical values and
intellectual morality, general functioning of society
especially the one immediate to designers.
Ultimately so, everything brings us to control, maintenance and influence. The after effects of
relational shift, the static aspect of existence. As humans, possibility and growth are important
to us just as much as regulation and contemplation. The relation of Time, Space and Activity
equips us with limitless power and thus the urgency to understand and question it from time to
time so as to not lose perspective on what it can do to our more fragile, vulnerable sense of
security.
The relationship between Time, Space and Activity exists as an intuition, but when it
comes to designers, nothing is just it; it’s a key to big answers to our very fundamental
questions.
 REFERENCES

- Dadaism and it’s definition;

1 Mario de Micheli (2006). Las vanguardias artísticas del siglo XX. Alianza
Forma.
2 Trachtman, Paul. "A Brief History of Dada". Smithsonian Magazine. 14
January 2017.

- Affective Haptics and Affective Theory ;

3 Antonio, Damasio (2000). The Feeling of What Happens: Body, Emotion
and the Making of Consciousness. Vintage.
4 Haans, Antal; Wijnand I. Ijsselsteijn (2006). "Mediated Social Touch: a
Review of Current Research and Future Directions“

- Pictures and Plans;

Mariñas Arquitectos Asociados