12/24/2024 12:21
Data Democracy: The Memory Center
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This project probes the accessibility of digital resources in the modern era. It rethinks the meaning and purpose of storage, giving an initial idea for more open access and redistribution of knowledge.
It begins at one of the most prevalent storage mediums in the late 20th century, the hard disk drive (HDD). By deconstructing the HDD, the project researches how they work through deductive reasoning. It is a compact, precise, and extremely well-designed electromechanical device incorporating different movable parts facilitating storage, recording, and retrieval of data.
[Disassemble Video]
The second part of the project uses the disassembled parts and found objects to reconstruct a conceptual sculpture. It is a spatial imagination expanding the compact interior of HDDs. It categorizes the functions of the parts into specific spatial programs for an initial master planning of an open-source data center.
This project researches and further translates HDD into a relative artistic expression. Then it is considered how an institute can better preserve and inherit human heritage in an architectural concept.
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Process
//Rethinking Memories, Information and Data
It is fascinating that our memories (mostly visual and sound) can be translated into binary, 0-1 digits, and put into a small metal box.
With wonder and curiosity, the project starts with brutally cutting the hard disc in half. It is an impulsive and intuitive action, but it triggers further questions and develops as a project about the action “store” and the meaning behind it.
//Record, Storage, Retrieve...
After directly cutting the HDD, this round of deconstruction is a more careful approach to investigating how a HDD is engineered and works.
The operation of HDD relies on multiple parts working together with nm-level precision. It can be broken down serially into 1. Record 2. Storage 3. Retrieve, in a confined and stable metal case. The air filter and stickers ensure no dust or particulates from outside are brought into the interior, as it will damage the rotating platters and slider heads. HDD is prone to external magnetic influences as it records and reads by the magnetic polarization on the platters. The manipulation of magnetic properties overcomes lots of problems faced with a pure mechanical device, such as temperature and life span.
The working procedure and functions of HDD are translated into spatial programs of how a museum and archive work. It is the starting point of spatial imagination in the later stage.
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Award
Architizer Vision Award
Finalist
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