Saksham

Tikekar

Fernweh

In an effort to capitalize on the versatility of its location and the congruency between the individual and the space they occupy, Fernweh will combine the ideas of extreme immediacy, spatial adaptability, and the symbiotic relationship between an ocean liner and the urban fabric. The placeless and site-less nature of the ocean liner lends itself to vast interpretations and explorations of spatial relationships, acting as an agent to develop its own culture and existence. This thesis will also explore interactions as a result of the spatial programming and the affordances they are able to provide. As a result, the individual will be able to experience a place in which inhibitions and past cultural influences are diversified to make room for developing new insights and the ability to potentially learn about new ways of life.

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Fernweh, translating to wanderlust or a “longing for adventure” is an ocean vessel that challenges current architectural theories of programme, circulation, and spatial defintions. The equivocal nature of Fernweh’s programmatic spaces allows them to be continuously interpreted, encouraging speculative decisions that add value and challenge traditional societal definitions of programmatic norms. The constant ability to re-imagine uses of “everyday objects” affords individuals a chance to express personal fantasies and desires that without the present architecture (or the lack thereof) would cease to exist. As a result, users are placed in situations of wavering stability resulting in perceptual alterations that lead to a shared crisis among inhabitants. But to truly affect a larger populous, when docked, and contrary to current oceanic trends, Fernweh allows city dwellers to occupy the vessel, particularly in the form of theater, an experience that is lacking in many parts of the world.