Unfolding the Narratives

Every building has a story to tell. A story of what it has been and what it aspires to be. The narrative of Watson’s Hotel spans over a hundred years from being the earliest example of a multi-story cast iron structure and enjoying grandeur as a premier hotel for the elite, to being slowly written over when the use changed to homes and lawyer offices. By unfolding these narratives, one can ensure that the history of the building is retained. This strategy emerges from the interior approach which focuses on the ‘soft values’ of the building, which include its ‘immaterial aspects, atmosphere and narratives’. Such an approach ‘reverts to and builds further on the ‘meaning’ of the buildings’. This meaning is then derived from the narratives of the building. These narratives are made visible through the act of unfolding by revealing the assembly of the structure, breaking the authoritarian grid to open up spaces and allowing for flexibility by expanding the use of the space. Along with retaining the history, the building has to move forward. It cannot remain static. Adaptations done today will reflect the future conditions and needs. A further exploration of the theme led to physical interventions which allow the building’s envelope to expand (unfold) and contract (fold) as a response to the weather conditions. The act of unfolding the past and future ensures that the narratives of the building’s past do not get lost while also allowing for future narratives to be written, continuing the palimpsest that the building already is.