The Typology of Holes begins with the premise that site-specificity can extend from the particular to the general. The generality (for us, the inheritors and inhabitants of modern space) is the arrangement of spatial zones that abut and overlap in a mappable way. Holes alter this arrangement, functioning as a catalyst for the transformation of the perceptual experience of the occupant.

The Diffusion Hole has developed through an inquiry into ancient and Renaissance Roman structures. This hole type explores how openings between discrete architectural zones shape light projection while simultaneously directing the viewer’s line of sight. The hole blurs the architectural distinction between zones, by illuminating a view while hiding its source of illumination.

Two contemporaneous but distinct openings through adjacent spatial zones are required in order to create a Diffusion Hole. One opening allows for the diffusion of light into enclosed space; the other enables the active and changing sightlines of a viewer. The intersection of these trajectories creates complex iterations between viewers, light and sight. 

Hole Typology:


Figure 1: Wormhole;
Figure 2: Cinema Hole; Figure 3: Horizon Hole; Figure 4: Diffusion Hole

Diffusion Diagram 1


Diffusion Diagram 2


Diffusion Diagram 3


BIO
http://sarahoppenheimer.com

Sarah Oppenheimer opens apertures in existing architectures, modifying the modular spaces that make up our standardized urban world. These apertures demarcate new lines of sight within the space of display, and can function as both holes and screens. This effect forces the viewer’s gaze to toggle between object and void. The space of display is transformed from a container for specific objects into a vectored but non-linear series of filmic views.

Oppenheimer’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She is a critic at Yale University School of Art.

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