Familiarity
After multiple unsuccessful attempts of trying to understand the situation in his
hometowns and contacting his family, Victor feels lost in the huge airport due to hi
lack of familiarity with language, people and the facilities.
As Victor became familiar to the Airport facility, he started bathing in the toilet using
water from the wash basins as he realised there were no bathing spaces present.
Despite visiting the airport on more occasions than Victor had lived there, Amelia
was not aware of the presence of a dining space at the upper level whereas
Victor had managed to arrange a date at that location.
The concept of familiarity depends on the time of occupation in a space
and the way the user interacts with it during that time. Just spending time
always, does not enable one to become familiar to the space. If Victor or
any of the other employees working there wouldn't have interacted with
Since Enrique and Dolores were familiar with the airport facility they got married
the space and its elements, they would not have been familiar with the
at the airport and rode around the airport right after it as they had no shame of
space. The movie exhibits Victor’s transition from being new in the space
doing that in front of their co-workers.
to being the one who knows more than the managing staff.

Arranging and remodelling the seats to try and make a bed so that he can sleep
comfortably i.e altering a part of the environment knowing that it isn't a short stay..
Out of his passion and sense of belonging, Victor completes the finishing of a wall
overnight, despite not having anything to do with it.
Modifying a part of the
Environment
When Victor arrives at the airport he sees a few urinals/wash basins in an
unfinished/ abandoned toilet which are of no use as of that time.
Victor’s 9 months stay at the Airport was full of compromise and adapting
to the alien environment and people. As he became familiar with the
airport, the language and the people, he developed a sense of belonging
to the place and the possibility of him being in that space for a longer
period of time made him modify the environment to suit his basic needs
The abandoned toilet wall was converted to a beautiful fountain installation using
and to assist people working at and using the airport. Small modifications
taps/ flushes for his personal use as he had lived and worked at the airport for a
like the bed, the mural add significantly to the usability and aesthetic
long time putting everyone else first.
character of the Airport.
 Protocol and Practices

Airport as a space, as one may perceive it, is a space of conditioned

practices and protocols. Communication between the place and people
happens via signboards, employees working there and announcements
which are made at the airport. People commuting and transiting use this
space as a formal space of transition.

Victor can be seen gathering all the trolleys to bring it to the trolley counter to receive
money from the machine such that he could pay for food.
Victor paying for the food with the money that he has collected after doing work at
the airport shows his desperation for food after having not eaten anything since long
having lost his food coupons.
Map
Here we can see Victor’s desperation towards collecting the trolleys and his
urgency towards collecting them.
Victor creates a mind- map, a series of his activities which intent to satisfy his
personal requirements, here that being hunger via his daily experiences.
Victor over the period of time grew familiar with the place of his daily
Enrique bribes Victor with food understanding his desperation and helplessness
commute. The desperation for food to satisfy is undying hunger made him
instead of his personal agendas and needs.
become more observant and helped finding work which would pay for food.

Mauris nulla ex, venenatis non augue id, cursus volutpat sem. Quisque fringilla id dui
ultricies molestie. Maecenas id erat elit.
Mauris nulla ex, venenatis non augue id, cursus volutpat sem. Quisque fringilla id dui
ultricies molestie. Maecenas id erat elit.
Mauris nulla ex, venenatis non augue id, cursus volutpat sem. Quisque fringilla id
dui ultricies molestie. Maecenas id erat elit.
Mauris nulla ex, venenatis non augue id, cursus volutpat sem. Quisque fringilla id
dui ultricies molestie. Maecenas id erat elit.
Diagram- Dumbell
The Airport is a great example of the dumb-bell diagram where the
entrance and the final gate are the two points (marked in red above), the
security check and immigration are a part of the basic route take by the
passengers, to this system. This route is used to create a non necessity
desire in the minds of the passengers by the addition of a shopping area,
lounge, food joints, bookstores, making an entire mini mall thus making
the airport vicinity a complete assemblage.

Victor’s first interaction with the airport of New York, at the immigration kiosk- at that
time a space of transition for him.
Victor getting familiar with the space and making alterations in the space to make
himself comfortable realising he is living in a state of pause.
The surrounding environment which describes the spaces as a fast paced space
of transition for people commuting, where Victor stood in pause.
Victor when he finally leaves the New York Airport which had a become a place of
residence for the past 9 months since his immigration.
Space of Transition to Place of
Pause
An airport facility acts as a clear space of transition for people commuting
across places. For them this space doesn't mean much amidst the hustle
bustle of movement across the space, then a space of temporary usage
until they are boarded on a flight. But for Victor, this was a completely
different an unexpected scenario where this ‘space’ of transition had been
transformed into a ‘place’ of pause over his stay at the airport for a total
time period of 9 months.