With Intention to Build:
The Unrealized Concepts, Ideas, and Dreams of
Moshe Safdie
Exhibition Design and Curation
in collaboration with Safdie Architects
Based on the publication "With Intention to Build: The Unrealized Concepts, Ideas, and Dreams of Moshe Safdie," the exhibition showcases some of the radical, unbuilt projects of Safdie Architects spanning over their 55 years of practice. Their unrealized ideas and concepts are experienced through the collection of physical models, quotes, and sketches on walls and the more detailed information on the printed materials. Well-constructed models that occupy most of the exhibition space reflect their attitudes toward design conceived with the "intention to build."
Exhibition Design:
Visiting their office and conversing with the Safdie team, it was clear that the models should be an essential part of the exhibition. Their physical models demonstrate the energy Safdie Architects poured into each project, and showcasing them as central figures in the show aligns with their value for model making that is integral to their design process.
With the concept of a "model village," all the models stand on 3' tall pedestals and occupy the gallery. The project descriptions, drawings, and sketches are printed in a square format echoing the format of the publication mentioned above and are placed on the linear counters along the perimeter window walls. All the pedestals and the counters are 3' above the floor, creating a clear datum. This perceivable datum calms and organizes the experience of the rich contents. Otherwise, various visible elements in the existing gallery space could compete with each other, such as views and movements of the surrounding streets, lines of window frames and interior partitions, the volumetric change from one-story- to two-story-high gallery space, and so on.
A series of white dots on windows delineate buildings' sectional profiles, which rise above the datum line. These abstract silhouettes, representing all the projects exhibited in the show and uniting them in one graphic language, are viewed as superimposing the physical models in the gallery. The silhouettes appear and disappear, depending on the lighting, the weather, the time of day, and the angle at which you see the windows, providing a moment of discovery.
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McCormick Gallery | Boston Architectural College:
Location: McCormick Gallery, Boston Architectural College (320 Newbury St. Boston)
Exhibition duration: 10/11/2022 - 1/2/2023
Opening Reception with Moshe Safdie: 10/27/2022, 5:30- 7:00 pm.
Talk Event with exhibition team: 12/14/2022, 5:30- 7:00 pm.