Inspired by photography, the mechanics of the camera, and its complex use of mirrors, WITHINCIDENCE plays with light and its angle of incidence. The top of Thompson flats provides a vast canvas of sky, yet the ground and nearby structures limit our perception of this infinite plane. We witness this presence of infinity, but do not truly see it. Using Thompson Hall’s shape and location atop the hill, the observatory is buried underground, and the sky is experienced from below. The long pathway that stems from the base of Thompson Hall’s turret opens upon contact to the topography, and a set of angled mirrors greets users. The infinite plane we spend our lives under is finally fully experienced as the line between sky and ground vanishes. “...Simple awareness gets in the way of doing things, we screen out more than we see. But in photography, the more you see the more you can photograph. So your first goal is to become more aware of your surroundings” (Doeffinger, 21).
As one enters Thompson Hall from the east entrance, they are introduced to an enclosed glass box that slices through the building. This grand space is an introduction to the project’s focus, the sun and sky. As they descend downwards through the space, they are teased by reflections and blurred views of the exterior. Once at the base of the staircase they have the opportunity to go up our spiral staircase, go through our below grade corridor, or turn around to go deeper into the earth for the restrooms, either way at the end of each journey they are all placed in a spot that enhances our interaction with the sky. The corridor situates you within the clouds through the reflections from the floor and ceiling. The spiral staircase isolates you above the skyline for a framed section of sky and the restroom places you deeper into the earth exaggerating the axis of Western light.
