The Oculus | Athens, Greece | Unit21 | 2019

Click to see Thesis

Click to see 4th year work

The Oculus is a speculative Stock Exchange design based on the translation of the quantitative phenomenon in Athens, Greece. Additionally, the parameters derive from the unique human digital prints, the sun, and the collective stock movement. They are undergone an negotiation between pure algorithmic design and the realisation of space in conscious with human scale. Unique characteristic of the city can be seen from the final generative form of the architecture.

Athens presents itself as a dynamic city stem- ming from its mediterranean social culture. The perception of such exciting notion is hindered behind the physical fabric of the homogeneous fenestrations, and human’s inability to grasp its buzzing lifestyle from the deluge of data standpoint — yet the project asserts that an underlying perceptual difficulty push the digital translation an inherent implementation.

Situating the investigation within the Athenian context is commodity, locality, and stock performance, as the project explores what would a Stock Exchange look like in the Information Age, how data can influence constant changes of spatial environment, and the revi- sion of a new form public terrain — all stemming from the contributed quantitative of its city inhabitant. The Stock Exchange, as a programme, has always been subject- ed to the brutality of efficient space arrangement and coupled with faux pas displays of stock performance on large screen display. However, the notion drives a thrilling environment for stock workers as it segregates those who simply lack the ability to understand. The speculative design draws parallel this technical aspect coupling with naturalistic sun to translate the anxiety and euphoria of data through the dance of lights.

Coupling in these exciting data deluge is a design of the public space in the Stock Exchange where public is invited to partake in various activities within the undulating terrain underneath the building as well as the unique experience of stock performing emotions. The ethereal aspect of data movement is processed, translated, and expressed in literal display yet leaves behind elements of curiosity.null