how to not finish a space

the project marks the opening of the new timelab building and a new phase for timelab as an organization. in documenting the new building, common room started with the understanding of documentation not simply as a record of the process of design and construction, but also as an active and ongoing engagement with the ideas and intentions of the project and the building itself. this was what led to the creation of a physical installation in the space as part of the project. by using building elements as an organizing framework, the spatial installation builds on the research done in the context of this project ‘how to not finish a space’, and acts as both a documentation of the building process and on-going speculation about what the building is and can be for timelab in the future.

the installation consists of five elements (a column, a wall, a door, a stair, and a floor) installed in the main public space on the ground floor of the building. each of the five elements create specific spatial conditions that allow for different activities to occur. while each element creates a specific condition, this condition is not linked to a defined function thus increasing the flexibility in what is currently a large empty space.

the design uses standard construction materials and techniques, the same or similar to those used in the construction of the building itself. specific details emphasize the construction methods but also differentiate the elements as part of a specific spatial intervention rather than actual unfinished construction elements.