ABSTRACT
Operating within an initial conceptual framework of subliminal economic activity—the Euro's sanctioned and black market distribution patterns—an analysis of video surveillance revealed a power structure predicated on transparency and visibility, and a condition of economic stasis with tremendous potential for exploitation. The intervention targets the AOL-Time Warner Center as a case study for the redefinition of transparent relationships. Installation of a universally adaptive, helicoidal wrapping system creates a new occupiable space between the building's glazed surface and the wrapper. A membrane that serves both as structural interface with the existing building and interstitial enclosure, the wrapper delineates a new set of visual relationships between interior and exterior. This space creates a spectacle of performance that obscures the building's Central Park vistas while providing new programmatic and economic opportunities. For example, the wrapper contains a flexible cable-driven tram system which provides access to potential accessory modules that accommodate larger spaces for performance, exhibition, and other customizable uses.
