Diagrammatic Space


In the Timeline project, an architectural form was created in the shape of the corresponding data. While the final design was more artistic than data driven, the underlying theme was a path to and from that turbulent decade the 1960's. Walk the Timeline path and be exposed to the cultural elements of the day. The space, enterable only on the ends, provides two unique contexts for understanding the 1960's. This stems from which end you enter 1970s or 1950s – the data you initially see colors all that follows it.

This type of model, surprisingly foreign to data visualization studies is commonplace, even old in terms of real-world architectural studies. The primary difference lies in the ability of virtual space to be molded into a such an abstract diagrammatic construction.

One small feature (not yet found in real world spaces) is the heads-up map on the far left. Note the tiny purple triangle on the white timeline. It corresponds to the users place in the timeline / diagram.

Originally, I'd hoped that turning left would show left wing politics - and on the right, well, right wing. If real world, present day time constraints had not factored in, the overall architecture might have reflected this and politics of the era – both locally in America and Globally.

 

The Prototype
The diagrammatic model that follows could best be described as an extruded equation. The standard Marxist social diagram of cultural, economic and political spheres is the body of the form.

The y-axis represents time. It shows the evolution of the social diagram and the changing (widening) domain of cultural, economic and political spheres. Driving the overall stretching of society, is technology. Technology creates new paths for human existence. New abilities - flight, computer use as well as, new jobs, and new pleasures. The world is getting broader.

Yet technology also narrows the society. Mass communication creates mass cultures, the McDonaldizing of the world. Habermasian lifeworlds grow increasingly similar. Corporations merge into a few huge sprawling entities. Politically, Giddens construct of surveillance comes into play.

The slice on the left is the current state of society, note the broad scope of the cultural, political and economic domains. The slice on the right is the early stages of human development. Cultural, political and economic domains were heavily integrated into everyday life of individuals.


The model to the left is capped by the slices above. Interacting with the model forms a unique interpretable structure upon which one can envision the changes in society.

Upon entering the prototype, note the buttons on the lower left. These will allow you move closer to the model and see finer levels of detail. It will also allow you to enter the model and then hidden inside that level is a button for entry into an individual life world. Overall the space is an explorable space that does utilize many of the unique abilities of three dimensional space to present data. It does not deliver on the concept of hyper euclid diagrams – or does it?

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