Arthur Wibisono

Loose

Looseness, a spatial quality that offers invitations and opportunities for unpredictable and spontaneous interaction, is considered an essential condition that continues to give cities life and vitality. Despite their density, cities often prove to be places where people are not invited enough to participate in city life, a situation that is often deemed a symptom of cities’ death. Loose spaces often exist as open, ventilated, and outdoor spaces – Total House is an outlier where the looseness can happen both internally and externally.

While not intended during its conception, Total House today gives the city an informal space often sought after by patrons in the city. There are traces of how the public is already using the space beyond its function. The contemporary value of Total House addressed in this thesis is in how the fabric has enabled people to appropriate the space for spontaneous and unexpected activities.

The proposal focuses on Total House Car Park on Russell Street in Melbourne. It intends to transform the site in which patrons are encouraged to participate and find a greater sense of connection to the city and its people. It aims to recognise Total House’s value to the city, mainly as space for patrons to explore. Utilising the traces on how the public is already using the space beyond its dedicated program as resources and generators for its architecture. It aims to explore and negotiate the relationship between looseness and programs.