Alone Together: withdrawal as retreat

Abstract

The city centre comprises of a constant battering of stimulation and aloneness which seem at odds with one another. It is possible to traverse the city without outward interaction at all – yet impossible to outmanoeuvre the presence of people. Given these limitations of contemporary urban sites, individuals can become lost in discordance which contributes towards founding the very human desire to be alone, arguably satisfied through withdrawal from society and surroundings. The notion of withdrawal in this thesis embraces escape within oneself as a response; it is necessary at times to retreat to a state of isolation. There has always been importance placed on connections to society and the outside in architectural philosophy. However, the increasing closeness between inhabitants and their abodes in urban cities brings attention to internal conditions. Endeavour to attain solitude tends to be made difficult by the city’s constant assertion of imminence. Through design of elements of separation and the unspoken etiquette of society, individuals can find comfort within the tension of proximity. Sensitivity to interior and atmospheric conditions aiding comfort in public spaces become central to attain balance between degrees of distance and intimacy. As people’s worlds become increasingly closed-off, this fosters experiences within individuals and the world at hand. Despite underlying themes of confinement, the thesis intention is to treat withdrawal as a device for healing and retreat. The solutions found ultimately explored cultivating one’s self growth and day-to-day through manifested experiences of withdrawal. Further retrospection into how urbanites live together and navigate the condensed territory brought examination of architectural design bordering the human experience of encounter from a place of retreat, and the act of looking outwards to see more inwards.