GDC 2001: Current Architecture and Potential Approaches to Level Design


New York Presbyterian Church - Garofalo, Lynn and McInturf

Description
The New York Presbyterian Church in Queens, New York was completed in 1999 and was designed by Greg Lynn in collaboration with Michael McInturf and Doug Garofalo. The building sits amidst used car lots and shopping malls off Northern Boulevard in Queens, and is a renovation of a 1930's industrial laundry. The new complex is integrated with the original construction, and is combination of stucco and sheet metal cladding. The building houses a school, meeting rooms and a large sanctuary for members of the local Korean community.

 

The New York Presbyterian Church in Queens, New York, is a renovation of a 1930's industrial laundry.

 

Background
Greg Lynn is preeminent in a new generation of architects who are using the computer as a design tool. He worked for Peter Eisenman for a number of years, and the clearly documented process of logical transformation is also a part of his work. He has lectured and published extensively and has seen a number of his projects completed.

Lynn has developed a process using Alias software to set up simulations of site and program forces. Site forces like solar path, or pedestrian movement are used to deform a skeletal framework. The same forces are also used to develop a skin or cladding for the structure.

In his exhibit at Artists Space in New York, he gave a series of five nodes different weights and intensities of attraction relative to each other. These were then merged into a single volume to create the installation.

In his project for a canopy to the Port Authority bus terminal in New York, he mapped the flow of pedestrian, car and bus traffic across the site. Particles were used to represent the influence of these forces. A secondary structure of tubular frames was superimposed on these, and then a tensile surface stretched across the frames to create the canopy.

Process
The church design comprises a number of elements; the original building, new sanctuary and circulation tubes. The main sanctuary space is formed from a series of simple nodes or rooms fused together into a single volume. Another volume is offset within this envelope to create the sanctuary interior. Structural ribs are created between the folds of the two skins. Tubes for entry and circulation then grow around the sanctuary and structure of the existing building.

 

The main sanctuary space is formed from a series of simple nodes or rooms fused together into a single volume.



Potential Application
Of the three projects described, Lynn's approach has the most potential application. While the original forms have a fairly high polygon count, through the construction process, they almost have to go through the same reduction that they would do for a game.

What are the forces within our games that would shape form? Their effect is largely invented but in the game world that is the case too. You can imagine a virtual sun and winds, or AI routes acting on digital buildings to shape the level design.

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Application and Examples