Icon of Knowledge

Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Department of Architecture, Jerusalem

Project idea

We are in the midst of a third revolution - "Knowledge"

The accelerate transition toward a “Digital Society”, had set aside the significance of the physical material - If so, the "Monument", a symbol of materialism, distinguished and with overwhelming appearance - has quickly replaced by a functional infrastructure, consists of a grid system of generic centers (Data Centers) which store in a physical way a “virtual world”, eternal world, without of any identity or sense – The “Big Data”.

Unlike the typical “Data Centers”, including museums and libraries, that their purpose is to gain a direct contact with the “Users” in order to get alive; Nowadays, the distribution of the information that we call “Mass Media”, is available in a “click distance” from any internet connected place on the globe, and it is no matter who you are - from the richest to the poorest. That’s how the Internet is the largest community generator that has ever been created in human history.

Limit to know, right to forget -

Previously, the knowledge and been stored in selective, limited and restricted methods. The transition to digital information and the constantly changing in trends and Innovations - has led to ‘short-live’ of knowledge and variety of ideas. If so, The Data Centers provides an infinite space for storage and a “stage” for updated information.

The “Human and the System” affair -

Out of the inherent qualities of the Internet and the data centers, questions are raised about what is the gap between us, the users, which absorb and emit knowledge on a daily basis with the mighty system? How do we want to come in contact with it? Also, an echoes of criticism about the harm that cause the “Electronic Society" which leads to alienation and seclusion and the phenomena of ”Campfire Retreat".

Furthermore, Data Centers currently design to be differentiate the object from the space and the user community, in exclusion of the internal process.

In addition, the heritage of traditional knowledge configurations like writing, eroded and disappeared into a scattered world of digital information.

Since five decades, many researchers have been investigated in the relationship between the human and machine, but the definition is not clear yet, However, the last trends are indicated that our future relates to ​​technology and boost of information.

Project description

In order to keep the physical monument of knowledge alive - a direct connection needs to be hold between the virtual and the reality:

01. Create a place that meets configurations of production and storage information in various modes - preservation of traditions through contemporary mechanisms, to the flexible infrastructure with future expansion potential, that will be filled in a different program.

02. Physical space to hold an additional dimension - no definite programs into it the knowledge is constantly changing (Pop-Up) then the identity of the subject is undermined and varies depending on the displayed content.

03. A place for investigation and processing an information that retrieved from the real and the virtual worlds.

04. To recognize and bridge the gap between the “User” and the “System”.

05. Providing a new social-media identity between individuals in the Users Community - "Trade affair of knowledge".

06. Constitute a distribution station and transmission of interdisciplinary contents in real-time and different ranges-configurations.

Technical information

The architectural process was merged with theory and history analysis - in order to figure out the next form of the 'monument' - if so, the project designed by new digital methods as like 3d modelling and printing, beside an imaginary illustrations - all those are trying to expend the mind limits and allow us to feel the ‘monumental space’.

Co-authors

Advisors | Arch. Erez Ella +972-5026067878 | erez@hqa.co.il | Arch. Arch. Iddo Ginat | iddoginat@gmail.com