Initial Ideas

I decided to focus my design around Edward Hopper's "Rooms by the Sea". I found the the light qualities of the painting quite appealing compared to the alternative darker and almost depressing lighting and scenes. It is almost surreal. The way the door opens out to what seems to be directly to the water below. The space seems to be inhabited by someone as there is furniture placed in the neighbouring room but no figures in sight, which is different to most of Hopper's other work.
Studying the drawing puts you in a contemplative mood where you ask yourself "who lives in this space". A space that seems not so functional.

Some words that come to mind when reflecting on the painting are:

Freedom
Imagination
Solitude
Nature
Studio
Isolation
Creativity
Mysterious
Disjointed
No escape
Prison in paradise

History of Painting:

Hopper first started painting the effects of sunlight as student in Paris and he continued this interest throughout his career. He lived in New York and spent most his summers in Cape Cod, Massachussetts. Rooms by the Sea is based on the view out the back door of his studio in Truro. The image is a metaphor for silence and solitude rather than a direct translation of the actual scene. It was titled in his book "Rooms by the Sea, The Jumping off Place" but was later deleted.
Ideas for my design

The room captures the image of the sea through the door. Have a series of framed views that encourage inspiration and creativity. The usual function of the door is destroyed as it doesnt seem to be your typical entry or exit point of the building. To extend this idea further, i will play with the definition of the basic elements that form a building, ie doors, windows, stairs, and overall functionality.

Stairs that lead to no where, windows that serve to frame a view, internal windows. Making the usual funtion of these elements serve a different purpose. The structure and overall layout will be generally disjointed and unfunctional as i think this reflects the ideas presented in the painting.

NARRATIVE: A man lives in solitude seeking inspiration for his next creation.