The main thematic ideas for my gallery space is to amplify the need to get out of your comfort zone and connect with unfamiliarity.

My design is created with the intention of forcing the strangers to communicate, interact and through their interactions to become familiar with each other allowing them to leave the space not as strangers but as Friends or acquaintances.

When thinking more about the nature of my strangers and their relationship to the space I developed my design to include a bathroom. I want my space to be a place where my strangers come when they are in between a destination and their origin. They are travellers of sorts and I know from my personal experience how ideal it is to have a nice place to bathe and get refreshed before heading onto the next place when travelling.

I decided not to include a kitchen in my design as I think it isn’t necessary considering that my strangers are travellers just passing through. From my own experience when travelling through a place, it is easier to eat out or to buy take away food. This is why there is still a table and bench to dine at allowing them the space to still enjoy a meal.

I made the bathroom very large and simple continuing the theme of symmetry through the space. I haven’t included any doors, just walls and panels to again force my strangers to communicate when in the bathroom to see where the other person is and if they are able to use the utilities if they are free.

I took inspiration for my bathroom from works from Anastasia Bushkova with her open plan bathroom designs (https://www.behance.net/gallery/50192283/Bathroom-for-Salini-Slr) and Stanislav Kaminskyi’s open plan bathroom designs (https://kaminskyi.com/en/all-projects/bedroom-with-a-view/)

In this first iteration of my model I noticed that the tracks in the ceiling create interesting light projections when lit from above. This was a happy accident that I will incorporate into my final model creating another level of light to dance around the space and be reflected and refracted off of the mirrors. This will need to be done my building in a false ceiling to fill with light above the tracks.