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Show The siting of this research center confronts the beauty and power of nature. I. M. Pei's final architectural response parallels the research aspect of my thesis project. He found the site to be completely at the mercy of nature and thereby conceded any scale or aesthetic competition with the mountains. At the same time however, the massing and rugged materiality of the center allows it to remain amidst the harsh elements and majestic beauty of the area. The high slits of glass which connect the towers with their surroundings even hints of vigilance. After all, one of the main uses for the center is to research possible human controls over natural weather phonomenon. This response addresses a philosophical question of man's role with nature. Just as Pei abandoned the decontextural tyrrany of modernism to acknowledge nature's dominating presence, he also acknowledges the human perservering will for survival and comfort. Human interaction within the project is also intriguing and relates to my thesis. Pei felt chaos to be an integral aspect of creativity. He thereby sought architecture which promoted the chance encounter and random interaction of scientists. The human interaction within my project may become more deliberate, encouraging an interchange between conservation and technology as responses to man's relationship with nature. |