Room for Dr. Caligari

whilst watching The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, i began to sketch, jotting down images and concepts from the film that caught my eye or seemed significant in some way . i noted a large variety of sharp, harsh and sinister shapes, mostly triangular .

therefore in my design, i wanted to include these dramatic shapes, as well as the irregularity and distorted nature of most of the sets, in my design for Dr. Caligari's room . As a starting point, i chose a context in which to base my room around, and that was of Dr. Caligari's office as the Director of the Mental Institution . This notion of Dr. Caligari as both the 'mad scientist' and respected medical doctor was one i wished to express within my design .

i did so by creating two dimensions to my room for Dr. Caligari . on the surface the room seems like a simple office - Dr. Caligari's desk surrounded by medical books and paraphernalia, with an interesting pattern expressed in the background . the only clue suggesting his wicked nature being the jagged and dead trees framing his office .


however, there is a duality to Dr. Caligari's office, one which is only visible when one is not facing Dr. Caligari's desk (and him) directly, a metaphor for how people's personalities can differ when we look at them in different ways . the angular pattern behind Dr. Caligari's desk reveals itself to be a progression of wall panels that lead through a dark and winding labrinth, which eventually leads to the 'coffin' of the Somnambulist .

in creating my floor plan and section, i realised that the sensory nature of my concept is lost in my virtually technical drawings . this is a skill i struggle with and hope to develop through this unit, as i am so used to creating perfectly neat and clear plans and sections .

through out this week i have been trying to advance these drawings to express how a user would feel within these spaces, but so far have not come close to effectively portraying the duality and sinister atmosphere of my design .

.. must keep trying ..