Hotel Morpheus Macau official website
We are going to approach design through the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet namely, letter Aleph
Aleph (א)i s composed of two Yods (י) the 10h letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and one diagonal line (letter Vav (ו) , the sixth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet connecting them.
This time we will see the upper Yod as the Greek Language and the lower one as the Hebrew Language and vice versa. We are going to discuss this relationship through a focal point of one of Leading Hotels of the World, hotel Morpheus –
Let’s first define what a focal point is. A focal point is a dominant element that immediately draws the eye and serves as the central point in a room. It helps other elements (like colour, layout and texture) orbit around it creating a sense of harmony and flow. A room/building usually has only one focal point so our eyes and interest are not pulled in multiple directions. Of course it can have 2 in which case there is playful dance between the 2 ~~~
Designed by the later Zaha Hadid, an architect that holds a special place in my heart by the way, this hotel is a marvellous example of futuristic architecture. It stands tall as the centrepiece of the City of Dreams in Cotai Strip, Macau, China.
Duality
It exhibits duality[1] (56=2 ) in that :
• It is a unique composition of steel and glass
• It appears light and delicate but in fact contains four times the weight of iron used in Paris’ Eiffel Tower!
Form
Regarding its cultural conception, it was inspired by traditional Chinese jade carving techniques that create fluid forms from hard materials.
In relation to its form, the 160 meter high hotel seems to be composed 2 towers placed symmetrically connected to the ground and roof level in addition to organic asymmetrical bridges that link the towers a various points. The free-form irregularly shaped voids are informed by China’s rich traditions of jade carving ( Post number 3 on cultural echo) These organic cavities add balance and lightness to the otherwise heavy geometric mass instilling a sense of elegance and delicacy.
The extraordinary focal point is the central atrium’s sky bridge I have hinted to above.
The bridge connection suspended in mid air resembles a floating bridge between intellect and emotion order and intuition.
This architectural element serves as a literal and symbolic centerpiece. Zaha Hadid called this figure 8 void ( 8 being a lucky number in Chinese culture) or urban window a connector that doesn’t bridge but reveal.
This focal point is the diagonal Vav , a living metaphor about the relationship between the Greek and Hebrew Languages
Linear interpetation ( Apollonian Greek language lens)
Greek Influence ( The steel element)
The Greek influence becomes audible through:
• First of all via its name Morpheus referencing to the Greek God of dreams.
• Parametric Design
”Parametric design is a technique in which engineers use algorithms to create complex, customized products or structures. This process allows designers to input a set of parameters, or variables, that the algorithm then uses to generate a unique solution”
• The duality mentioned above, reflects the Greek idea of dilaectic.
”Dialectic (Ancient Greek: διαλεκτική, romanized: dialektikḗ; German: Dialektik), also known as the dialectical method, refers originally to dialogue between people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to arrive at the truth through reasoned argument.”
Logos in this sense is the intellect behind the curve
Now let’s move on to Hebrew language ( The glass element)
Aleph as architectural void: The central voids in the building is an architectural echo of Aleph letter which carries no sound only presence.
• Hebrew is about non linear revelation, sacred codes, inner structures. Hotel Morpheus has a lots of curves opening unpredictably, it is asymmetrical, its internal design is multi-dimensional.
To pause and recap at a rational level , structurally this relationship manifests itself as a visual tension -grace floating concrete. Not rigid symmetry –
Intuitive intepretation ( Hebrew language [2] lens)
To understand this diagonal Vav intuitively, we are going to examine it through the lens of poetry. We are going to view in in relation to the poem Body of Summer by the Greek poet, of inter alia Greek Light, Odysseas Elytis. This will be a second level interpretation in line with the Hebrew language on my next post
Poem of the Month: ‘Body of Summer’ By Odysseus Elytis
By layering the Greek lens ( form, logos, clarity) with the Hebrew lens ( silence, hidden resonance, revelation ) we step into a meta language of Light.
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Fragance notes
World: The Visible -tension between gravity and grace
Accord: The Greek Logos-dialectic Light
Undertone: Hebrew Aleph -silence , hidden resonance
Sillage: A trail of grace suspended in the air
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[1] To calculate numbers throughout the blog I use the vowels of the word. Every vowel has a number in the English alphabet for example a is 1 and e is 5. We add the numbers of the vowels of the word, If it is a two digit number we add the 2 digits again and we get a one digit which is the soul number of the word. I connect words which have the same soul number. Sou number, because vowels are linked to the soul.
[2] See post Focal points II
2 Responses
The Fragrance note format at the end summarizes your ideas in a very short, specific yet interesting formation. We can understand the layers of your thoughts though my understanding of Hebrew and Greek is limited I would have preferred a separated explanation. This was a new perspective of the Hotel Morpheus, though I would like to know through Hadid inspiration from Chinese culture and a design that inspired to include duality through dialogue and bridge different cultures, how does Morpheus, the god, follows that message ?
Dear Tina thank you for reading my post and the excellent questions!
Morepheus was one of the Spirit Gods ( Oneiroi- oneiro meaning dream) in Greek Mythology.
His task was to take the divine essence and transform it into a human form so that humans could decipher the hidden message. In Greece , the same applies to Hebrew tradition, perhaps to others as well, truth , divine essence, was too intense to be delivered directly so it was transformed through a veil, refracted light light. I will soon write an article about a hotel in Tunisia where the same applies.
The relationship between essence and form in dreams is diagonal, I explain this in posts about cultural echo – hotel Aman Tokyo, as well as about the letter Aleph. The diagonal is a source of beauty something which will talk about in great detail through out the blog.
In this sense it resembles contrapposto , a technique in ancient Greece sculptures where the hips tilt on one way and the shoulders one the other, similar to arabesque motion in ballet. Such techniques just like the focal point of hotel Morpheus embody a diagonal relationship between weight and freedom, just like Morpheus’s dreams mediate between heaven and earth, sleep and being awake.
The Chinese symbol 8 could be associated with the Chinese cultural essence taking form through the hotel, while 8 horizontally represents eternity which is the alter ego of number zero. Perhaps a mathematician could say more about this diagonal relationship.
Last but not least, I really hope you keep on reading my blog as the essence of Greek and Hebrew will become more and more clear:)