Thesis Work

THE
ENGINE
HOUSE
thesis research
leslie gilliat

Table of Contents
introduction
thesis statement
inspiration
precedent analyses
case studies
people + end user description
building analysis
adjacency bubble diagrams
criteria matrix
concept diagrams
final floor plans
sections
materials
final renderings
2
3
4
5-6
7-9
10
11-12
13
15
16-17
18
19-20
21
22-23
1

Introduction to Franklinton
Franklinton is a neighborhood of Columbus often referred to as the “Bottoms”.
Franklinton was developed in the early 1700s, by Appalachian settlers. Several years after
developing, extreme flooding forced settlers out of the area in to less flood-prone areas in
Columbus. Franklinton soon became a neighborhood of neglect, forcing it to go through many
issues including high crime rates, high numbers of heroin addicts and drug overdoses, high
percentages of teen pregnancy and mental health disorders, and extremely low overall income
rates resulting in abandonment of properties and businesses. Recently, Franklinton has been
receiving a lot of public attention from Columbus residents and officials who are pushing to
make it a better neighborhood for both the locals and non-locals.
According to the US census, Franklinton is one of the most poverty stricken areas
in Columbus, and has the lowest median household income. For being so poverty stricken,
Franklinton has a lot of abandoned houses from residents that are no longer able to pay rent.
With so much neglect and abandonment, this neighborhood became a popular area for crime
and drug use. One of the biggest issues Franklinton residents are struggling with is the lack
food available in the area. Recently, food banks, churches, and other community organizations
have been making a lot of effort to get free meals out to those locals who are not able to afford
their own.
While there are still many existing issues in the neighborhood, Columbus has taken
interest in reviving Franklinton. Several years back, an arts community started migrating into
Franklinton, because of the low rent for studios and art spaces in the older buildings. One of
the popular spaces for local artists’ studios is the old factory at 400 W. Rich. Several other
attractions in Franklinton that have been established over the years include Cosi, Strongwater,
The Idea Foundry, Bottoms Up Coffee, and Land Grant Brewery. Franklinton has developed
events like Urban Scrawl, gallery viewing nights, and farmers’ markets, attracting the nonlocals
to come in and experience what is going on in the neighborhood. As we continue to see
new things popping up in Franklinton, we are able to see the potential it holds and the unique
character that this place has to offer the Columbus community.
2

Thesis Statement
The act of going out and seeing movies is a popular social experience for people of all ages and
demographics, and can be both a fun and educational experience. Programs for social entertainment in
Franklinton are lacking, which is why the addition of an independent movie theatre would be beneficial and
add some vibrancy to the neighborhood. An independent movie theatre would be great for Franklinton,
because it gives the residents a fun, unique, safe, and affordable activity where they can come together to
enjoy the art of film, along with the company of one another. The placement of this movie theatre in East
Franklinton will attract local residents in the neighborhood, as well as the incoming arts community and
people coming in from downtown and surrounding areas. My goal for this project is to create a community
space for Franklinton residents that allows them to have a fun, social experience, giving them a place to
escape the stress of their daily lives and enjoy light hearted entertainment.
The main purpose for The Engine House is to have a strong focus on the users and the community.
The Engine House consists of three main spaces- a community gathering lounge, the screening rooms,
and the main entrance. One of the unique features this movie theatre has to offer is the option for users
to be able to rent out a small screening room and choose their own movies. This gives users the ability
to be in control with what movies they want to watch if they aren’t interested in the main screening room
showing. The lounge serves as a space where guests can interact with one another before and after their
movies to express their thoughts about film or just relax and grab a drink from the bar. Going to see a movie
is something a lot of people enjoy doing to get a break from their lives, and having a place for them to
relax is important in making it an enjoyable experience. In this theatre there will also be a concession area
downstairs, on top of the option to bring your own food, to make for a more personable experience.
The movies that are shown at The Engine House are predominately independent films, giving people
the opportunity to experience non-mainstream films, making it a more unique trip than just an average
movie theatre. Having these special films will bring people in from other parts of the city, giving them the
opportunity to experience and see Franklinton in addition to just visiting the cinema. In choosing to show less
mainstream movies, this also gives locals the chance to experience and appreciate movies that are hard to
find anywhere else.
Film itself is a work of art, which is something that is important for everyone to be able to experience.
With the galleries and restaurants close by, this movie theatre will also be an attraction for Columbus
residents coming into Franklinton for special events put on by the arts community. This theatre will host as a
connection link for social gathering amongst current Franklinton residents along with those form surrounding
Columbus communities coming in for a visit.
3

Inspiration
4

precedent analysis #1
Daniel Libeskind-
Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany, was built
as a memorial to the Jewish living in Germany
during the time of the Holocaust. The main concept
Libeskind intended for the experience while visiting
this building was to express feelings of fright,
emptiness, and invisibility
The Journey:
To get to the newest part of the museum, you must first
enter from the original entrance in the old building and
then walk through what Libeskind conceptualizes as
the journey of the Jew. As you walk through the dark
winding hallways, you approach three different paths
to choose from- one representing the Holocaust, one
representing the history of Germany, and one representing
the emigration to Germany. The cold concrete and
limited amount of lighting gives you feelings of anxiety
and hopelessness to reach the end. Before reaching the
end of the journey at the Garden of Exile, you walk over
hundreds of cut out steel faces, representing the lives of
those lost during the war. As you exit the building, you
enter the garden and the feelings of anxiety of darkness are
relieved.
5

precedent analysis #2
Rem Koolhaas-
Seattle Public Library
The Journey:
The library itself consists of 11 levels,
however only 10 are allowed for public
access. As you enter, you are greeted with
interior graphics of identical garden views
on the floor from the outside of the window,
creating a link between the sidewalk and
the library. On the first floor, you encounter
an enormous room consisting of a check
out desk, couches, tables, art exhibits, and
wayfinding maps. As you travel up the
escalators on your journey to the top floor,
you pass through book stacks, encyclopedias,
computer labs, meeting rooms, a cafe and gift
shop, a read room, and more, finally making
your way to the grand reading room. As
you reach the final floor of this library, you
find yourself in an enourmous light-filled
room called the Betty Jane Narver Reading
room, which is the grand ephiphany of your
journey.
Rem Koolhaas designed the
new Seattle Public Library with
the intention of creating a link
between the past and the present.
This library form takes a
concept dated back to the classical
age and modernizes it to
fit in with the digital age. Koolhaas
uses specific slements
such as neon colors, bright
lights, geometric patterns,
bright neon escalators traveling
to the top floor, conveyer belts,
wireless help hubs, automatic
book sorters, and overall geometric
shapes creating a modern
library.
6

THE CINEROLEUM Assemble Architects. London, UK. 2010.
The Cineroleum is a small “adaptive reuse” movie theatre, built off of the remains
of an old gas station in London. The idea of this little theatre was developed by
Assemble Architects, but the construction was carried out by volunteers in the
community. The shell of this theatre is made up of the steel posts left from the gas
station, and the walls were created by sheets of aluminum that can be rolled up and
down. The theatre itself seats a little over 100 people, and has just 1 screen, which is
generally pretty small. In addition to the theatre, there is an attatched building where
the bathrooms and concessions (popcorn machine, etc.) are located. The Cineroleum
serves as a community gathering space where people of all demographics can come
together and enjoy something they have in common- the art of film.
private
80%
public
20%
7

ZOETROPE CINEMA Csutoras & LiandoLocation Architects. Jakarta, Indonesia. 2013.
“Visible in the style of 1930s and 1950s cinema,
when such venues were a place of life and not of mere
consumerism, its program reflects a public ambition: offer
a welcoming and comfortable space, where people can
spend a good time before and after their movie starts”-
ADH Architects
The Zoetrope Cinema is a small urban cinema located
in downtown Blaye, France. This building was built by
ADH Architects with the intention of bringing people
together in a comfortable and welcoming environment.
The Zoetrope consists of just 2 screening rooms- the
larger one with 280 seats and the smaller with 120- and
a small cafe for movie snacks.The layout and lobby of this
theatre were designed to mimic the shape of a zoetropean
old machine used to play film. The round area is meant
for circulation to the first and second floors, while the
extension is where guests congregate in the theatres. The
majority of color used throughout the space is white, until
you get to the theatre rooms where everything is black
and the seats are bright colors. The interior design of the
building itself is simple, allowing the art of film to speak
for itself.
8

KINEFORUM MISBAR Csutoras & LiandoLocation Architects. Jakarta, Indonesia. 2013.
The Kineforum is the a small, sinlge screening
theatre located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The
Kineforum was built for an arts festival going
on in the city in 2013, and has remained
there since. This small theatre plays local
art and independent films, and is the only
cinema in the city dedicated to this genre.
The Kineforum was created to promote film in
Indonesia, and to serve as a gathering space
for people from all different backgroundsparticularly
those who cannot afford to go to
an expensive mainstream movie theatre. The
theatre often plays movies for free, as an act
of bringing the community together without
having to worry about spending money. The
Kineforum is also entirely outdoors, and while
screenings can often be cancelled due to
bad weather, the completely open sky allows
guests to gaze at the stars and appreciate
the natural experience of being outside.
public
semi-public
60%
public
40%
semipublic
9

User Personas
There will people of all ages and demographics coming to The Engine House. One of the most interesting things
about film and art is that it can attract any type of person- regardless of age, demographic, gender, or background. Film
has a way of bringing people together. With the location of Cinema House 6, some of the main types of people coming
to the cinema will be the residents of Franklinton living nearby, people from the surrounding arts community, and other
younger Columbus residents coming in from surrounding neighborhoods.
An OSU student, coming to see
a movie with her friends on their
night off from work and school.
She and her friends come to the
theatre often, renting out a room
for a few hours to watch back to
back movies.
A local group of artists who work at
400 W. Rich. They visit the Engine
House after work every week to
experience new films and then
migrate to the lounge afterwards to
grab a drink and discuss it.
A Franklinton local, going to see
a movie with her boyfriend on a
weekend night. Going to see movies
is important to them, so they can
spend time together and get a break
from their busy work lives.
10

Building Analysis
Homeless
Foundation
Piliilps Original
Coney Island
Project Location
Highway
Street/Ally
Retail Store
Resturant
Education/Gov. Building
Church
Station 67
Spaghetti WareHouse
Jubilee Museum and
Catholic Cultural Center
The circle. Co
UP
NORTH ELEVATION
EAST ELEVATION
UP
UP
DN
DN
UP
SOUTH ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION 1st floor 2nd floor
11

Building Analysis
UP
DN
UP
12

Adjacency Bubble Diagram
entrance
concession
lounge
restrooms
choice
room 1
choice
room 2
main
screen
13

CRITERIA MATRIX
Criteria Matrix
Cinema House No. 6
1. Ticket Area
2. Lounge
3. Main Theatre
4. Choice Theatres
5. Restrooms
600
800
600
380
400
Sq. Footage
4,5
3
2
1
1, 6
Adjacencies
H
H
H
H
H
Privacy
Public Access
L
L
H
M
L
Special
Equipment
Food / Drink
Stations
Projector /
Drink Station
Projector,
seats, screen
Projector,
seats, screen
n/a
6. Janitor Closet
90
5
H
L
n/a
9. Janitor Closet
H = High
M = Medium
L = Low
Y = Yes
N = No
= Immediately
= Reasonably Convenient
= Unimportant
14

Design Concept
The layout of The Engine House is designed around the physical look and movement of film.
The rectangular geometry of the overall building layout with the smaller rectangular rooms within is
representational of stills on a strip of film. The poetic journey users take throughout the space is determined
by the way in which a strip of film flows and twists. Going from room to room, users are guided by a flowing
ceiling structure that resembles the look of an unwinding roll of film. This large wayfinding structure greets
users at the entry of the building behind the ticket counter and leads them upstairs through the lounge and to
the main screening room.
15

Concept Diagrams + Models
16

Concept Diagrams + Models
potential zoning
screening
room
restrooms
entrance
restrooms
UP
screening
room
entrance
concession
+ tickets
UP screening
room
UP
UP
DN
UP
lounge
choice
room
1
concession
+ tickets
choice
room
2
UP
DN
screening
room
lounge
office
DN
UP
choice
room
1
choice
room
2
UP
DN
lounge
1st floor
2nd floor
1st floor
2nd floor
17

Final Floor Plans
18

Sections
19

20

Materials + Color
21

Final Renderings
22

23