Walk with Me is a form finding project for a Wildlife Museum Concept in Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy. The design is motivated by the landscape of the site. The park makes a special movement on the surface, becomes a pit, and offers a variety of paths. Circulation is an important part of museum design. The link comes from D’arcy Thompson’s on Growth and Form as the different species of fish are simple topological transformations of one of the other. The circulation of this museum is the alteration of the landscape of the site.
The deformation of topology lines is used as the initial design element. The topography goes into physics simulation with the constraints of the circular boundary of the site, three points on the ground level; for connection and reflection of the elevation features addition as loads.
The movements of the mesh are evaluated in the search of finding a walking path that is not steep than 25 degrees. The moments of the mesh are analyzed to extract a reasonably connected mesh. The aim is to obtain a route that is comprehensive on the site and not linear.
Two different methods are applied for museum and outdoor platforms. The museum platform benefits from the 25-degree rule. The outdoor platform benefits the planarity analysis of the mesh. After obtaining a certain path, the mesh goes into the form-finding process, which aims to smoothen the form by keeping the largest area for a continuous path. Platforms are unified to combine the different directions of inclinations. The form is slightly changing on the plan as well as in the section. The process also alternates the inclination of the ramps.
The museum platform is duplicated to create a roof for the tunnel-like experience. The height of the museum differs from 4 to 10 meters. It offers a journey on the tree level, through and around the lake.
Different structure designs are applied. The first one is looking for an organic wrapping around the flowing form. It is applying a pinching effect on the attracted areas. The Second one is mimicking the forest behavior, elevating the form like a tree trunk. The structure is placed densely to allow thin sections on the column.
The skin on the outdoor platform is permeable and allows trees to go through from time to time. It is a finely distributed skin-like pattern. The claddings are applied to the roof of the museum and the ceiling of the museum platform for visitors passing below the structure. The skin-like cladding is a wrapping of the tunnel from top and bottom.
The platforms are going in all directions around the structure. From park to museum, to the roof, from museum to park towards the lake. It is a play of ground like the site itself.
