The Gates of Dawn

Rilke, an ancient neighbourhood established as a safe-haven where German Traders occupied a far outpost for trading with far eastern Europe. It became a private world and the foundation stone upon the great city of Riga as it is known today. With time, most of the traders left Rilke, however a small sect of dedicated monks maintained a monastery within, enduring years of hardship at the hands of savage tribes. Observors of this hardship collected and documented their day to day struggles within existance and encounters with the outside world. The monks became isolated documentors within Rilke and formed the foundation of its historical identity.

To this day the lone descendant of this sect, an introvert dubbed, 'The Keeper of the Records' lives in anonymity as a collector and protector of Rilke's past. He lives a separate existance to mainstream society and is too afraid to leave his familiar neighbourhood . He fears the unknown and holds onto what he knows and is familiar with as his own self identity. A sense of self worth is maintained within the walls of familiarity and the Keeper finds empowerment through his ability to control what he archives and protects.

Even though the Keeper has never been given a name, nor had other human contact, he has maintained purpose in his life and lived a content existance. Though never challenging his pre-determined lifestyle, the Keeper does feel a sense of longing inside for a significant other to share his life with. How can the story of Rilke be truly appreciated and justified if he remains a storyteller with no audience?

The Keeper of the records of Rilke finds that despite his programmed existance, he has deeper desires just like anyone else on this planet. Desires to share, to give and to explore the unknown.

'First light beams down in broken shards upon the deserted Rilke courtyard. Large oak doors creak and rusted hinges give way for the first time in centuries. When the dust settles, the Keeper stares wearily out towards the unknown. Today he will experience an outside world beyond the constructs of his wildest dreams. A great storyteller on a quest for his audience, the Keeper takes a step forward through the gates of dawn, toward an uncertain fate'

The dwelling of the Keeper will be a domain divided between both public and private. Private will be defined as the Keeper's sense of identity, an area where he will feel familiarity, safety and self worth. Public space will be an extension of the Keeper's self identity and his inner desire to share with others and explore the unknown. Public space will encourage sharing and become a narrative transition between the Keeper's current existance and what he desires to become upon his final destination.