Degree Show 2023
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Interior Design School of Design

Rachael Mackay

As an interior designer I am drawn to spaces which are immersive and inspire connection. Through my passion for film and its interiors, I have discovered how design can create immersive environments, which draw audiences into new worlds and allow us to see our own world differently. I am interested in how form, materials and lighting can combine to create dramatic spaces and settings for story and change. I have long been interested in how spatial design, much like film, can create community and encourage people to come together and connect over a shared passion. Central to this is creating inclusive spaces which are welcoming to all, encouraging creativity and limitless expression.

Within my projects, I enjoy creating spaces which transport people, like audiences, into new worlds. This year I have created Obscura – a concept design for a film space and hidden cinema in the centre of Glasgow. This is a partially secret entertainment, learning and social venue, inspired by film and split across two round buildings and the tunnel which connects them.

Contact
rachaeljmackay@hotmail.co.uk
R.Mackay1@student.gsa.ac.uk
@instagram
@linkedin
Chapters
Introduction
The North Rotunda
The Tunnel
The South Rotunda
Full Portfolio, Essay & 3D Models

Introduction

Welcome to Obscura, the new multifunctional film space and hidden cinema in the centre of Glasgow.

Obscura is comprised of three sections – the North Rotunda, the South Rotunda, and the Tunnel which connects both Rotundas under the River Clyde. The North Rotunda, inspired by the representation of home in film, is a welcoming social space, with a cafe-bar and film museum spanning across four levels. This building hosts the hidden entrance to the Tunnel, an ever-changing immersive experience and connection to the South Rotunda. Inspired by futuristic worlds featured in films of the past, the South Rotunda is split across three levels, and features the hidden cinema, snack bar and film booths.

The user journey through the North Rotunda, Tunnel and South Rotunda is designed to reflect the classic story structure – beginning in the known world, where a discovery sets the character off on an adventure into a new, unknown world.

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Full Section

The two Rotundas are connected by tunnel under the River Clyde.
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The Two Rotundas

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The North Rotunda

The North Rotunda is primarily a social space, facilitating connection and encouraging engagement with film and film-making.

The space takes inspiration from the concept of home and belonging as represented in film. Designed in a mid-century modern style, the building provides a comfortable, inclusive and welcoming space for all, allowing for people to come together, learn more about film, and connect over shared interests.

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Exploded View of the North Rotunda

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Entrance Lobby

The entrance lobby, situated at the North Rotunda, is a small, welcoming space, where visitors enter and exit the building. The space provides a threshhold between the outside world and the cafe-bar, and allows visitors to buy and collect tickets for the film museum.
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Cafe-Bar

The Cafe-Bar is a large, open space, encouraging connection and togetherness. A range of cafe seating is split across three levels, where visitors can eat, drink and socialise. The cafe-bar is a central space, connecting all of the areas in the North Rotunda.
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Cafe Seating and Entrance Passageway

Retaining the original building shell creates a bright, open cafe-bar space. The barstool seating allows for a more private space, whereas the table seating encourages conversation and connection.
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Cafe Seating on the First Floor

The first floor of the North Rotunda is designed to be open and welcoming, a space where visitors feel comfortable spending lots of time. Loose furniture allows the space to be reconfigured for events and film showings.
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Seating Booths

The seating booths are located on the first floor of the cafe bar, and provide private, comfortable space for larger groups.
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Film Museum Doors

The basement of the film museum is split into six rooms, each with a focus on a different element of filmmaking.
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The Tunnel

The tunnel connects the two Rotundas, providing an interesting and unique journey for visitors.

Using sound and lighting, it is a dynamic, immersive experience, building anticipation for the film. The experience is tailored to the film currently being shown in the South Rotunda’s cinema, and therefore provides a different journey for every visit.

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The Photobooth and Tunnel Entrance

The photobooth marks the beginning of the tunnel experience. Curious visitors of the film museum enter the photobooth only to find a whole new experience hidden beyond. Those who are already aware of the tunnel and hidden cinema are able to access the tunnel directly by pressing the hidden button in the lift, or continuing down the stairs from the cafe-bar, through the museum basement.
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The Tunnel Experience

The tunnel is a multi-sensory experience, changing depending on the film showing in the South Rotunda. This image describes an example of the tunnel experience if a horror film was being shown.
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1 - The Tunnel Entrance

Visitors reach the tunnel entrance after descending the stairs or taking the lift 24 metres down through the centre of the North Rotunda. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, visitors are welcomed to the tunnel with a short film projected onto the wall, leading them around the corridor to the box office. Seating at the base of the tunnel allows space to rest before and after ascending or descending the stairs.
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2 - View Upon Entering the Tunnel

The box office is located at the mouth of the tunnel, where visitors can purchase tickets for the cinema, hire out film booths and find out more about the current tunnel experience. The tunnel experience is ever-changing, dependant on the film currently being shown in the South Rotunda. The following journey is an example of the experience if a horror film was being shown in the cinema.
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3 - ACT ONE - Searchlights

The first of the three sections begins the tunnel experience by introducing the story. Visitors make their way into the tunnel, where they hear a car’s engine start as spotlights begin moving around the space like car headlights. As the sounds build and headlights shine, a radio sounds informing the audience that a suspected killer is on the loose. As spotlights motion-track the audience, the radio begins to cut out, and eventually the spotlights angle to cast long shadows down the tunnel.
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4 - ACT TWO - Obscured

The second section draws the audience further into the story, building up towards the experience’s climax in the third act. Upon entering this section, visitors are met with plastic sheets, which hang from the ceiling, obscuring their view along the tunnel. Fans and spotlights in the ceiling softly move the sheets, casting shadows through the tunnel. Rain and wind sounds play as visitors make their way through the space, and softly flashing lighting creates a tense atmosphere.
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5 - ACT THREE - The Killer

The last section brings the story to a climax and concludes the tunnel experience. Low lighting occasionally flickers and the sound of chains clinking can be heard as visitors enter the space. Visitors can see the end of the tunnel, until suddenly the lights go out and they are plunged into darkness. The chains softly clink until there is a loud screeching noise - a monster! Lights then turn on one-by-one from the end of the tunnel towards the visitors, as they hear monster footsteps approaching and passing them by.
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6 - Projection on Tunnel Base Wall

Once the tunnel experience is over, visitors enter the base of the South Rotunda. The North tunnel base is closed off and secretive, building anticipation for the tunnel. In contrast, the South tunnel base is open and bright, with stairs rising up around the edges of the building, emphasising the vastness of the space. The space allows visitors to decompress after the tunnel experience and builds up further anticipation for entering the South Rotunda.
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Obscura - The Film

This film showcases the tunnel experience if a horror film was being shown in the cinema.

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The South Rotunda

The South Rotunda is a space focused on the discovery and enjoyment of film, providing both public and private film-viewing experiences.

This space takes inspiration from past visions of the futuristic city, the outdated take on what the future city might look like. Dramatic lighting is used to create immersive spaces for exploration and conversation, whilst the classic cinema experience remains, with popcorn, pick ‘n’ mix, and a comfortable cinema auditorium.

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Exploded View of the South Rotunda

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Cinema Auditorium

The cinema auditorium can seat up to 100 people, across 8 rows of tiered seating. Entrance doors are located on a central row, with wheelchair-accessible seating at either side of this row for increased accessibility and comfort.
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The Snack Bar

The bar is primarily a space to order snacks and drinks before and after watching a film, and also allows visitors to purchase tickets for the cinema and film booths.
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Popcorn Stand and Bar Seating

The popcorn stand is inspired by the glow of city shops and laundromats at night. It allows visitors to interact with the space further whilst retaining the classic cinema experience of consuming popcorn and pick ‘n’ mix. It also provides banquette seating for those waiting to see a film, or socialise afterwards in an energetic environment.
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Seating Booth

These small seating booths provide groups with an immersive and private space to socialise. Tables are inspired by metal grilles drawn over shop fronts at night, and the connection between carriages on New York subway trains.
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Film Booths

Inspired by New York subway carriages, the film booths and corridor are reminiscent of city trains passing by at night. Red and purple lights cast a neon glow and stainless steel cladding and subway-style seating creates a train-like exterior on the viewing platform.
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Film Booth Corridor

The corridor provides further privacy to the film booths and is clad with concrete-effect acoustic plaster to increase sound absorption. Sliding doors provide access to the individual booths, and pull-blinds over windows create a fully immersive space, where visitors can watch films from the database or connect a device to screen their own films.
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Full Portfolio, Essay & 3D Models

Full Portfolio

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Research and Development of the Tunnel

This is the supporting journal to the tunnel portion of my proposal.

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Extended Essay

My extended essay looks at the creation of dreams versus reality in film, focusing on Inception and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

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Research Journal

This documents the site and concept research I carried out throughout the project.

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Brief

This document explains the concept, aims and considerations of the project.

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Users Journal

This focuses on who might visit the proposal.

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Process Journal

This journal explains the development of the design from beginning to end.

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3D Model of the Buildings

My Vectorworks model of the buildings with interior walls.

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