Reading Classicism by Maria Amare

Mullen Addition

Reading Classicsim

Maria Amare

National Portrait Gallery

Mullen Library Site Information

Photo essay

Spatial circulation strategy

Order, 1/16” and 1/4” models Bay study Perspective Sketch

Design Process

Final Project

04-09 10-21 22-25 26-33 34-37 38-39 40-41 42-47 48-61

“Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole.”

- Leon Battista Alberti

Brief 1 - The National Portrait Gallery

Research Findings.

- Walt Whitman

The National Historic Landmark building that houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is one of the oldest public buildings constructed in early Washington, DC., and is considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Several important early American architects were involved in the original design of the building, including Robert Mills (1781-1855). Alexander Jackson Davis (1803-1892), Thomas U. Walter (1804-1887) and William Parker Elliot (1807-1854).

The building is one of the nation’s finest examples of Greek Revival architecture. A recent renovation restored its most dramatic architectural features, including skylights, a curving double staircase, porticos, and vaulted galleries illuminated by natural light.

“that noblest of Washington buildings.”

Logitudinal section of the centre building completed. E. Sachse & Co., lithographer. Washington. Patent Office. Between 1865 and 1869. Retrieved from National Portrait Gallery upon personal visit.

Acquired from “Temple of Invention” by Charles Robertson.

1836-1842

The south wing is constructed under the direction of Robert Mills, then the architect of public buildings. The Patent Office moves into the building in 1840. The government’s historical, scientific and art collections, including the Declaration of Independence and George Washington’s Revolutionary War camp tent, are housed on the third floor, then called the National Gallery.

1849

Construction begins on the east and west wings, initially built under the supervision of Robert Mills, who is replaced in 1851 by Thomas U. Walter, architect of the Capitol.

1855

The east wing is completed. It is the only portion of the building that remains today as originally constructed. Its lower floors are occupied by the Interior Department, while the soaring space on the top floor is used to display patent models.

1856

The north wing is begun under the supervision of Thomas U. Walter.

1857

The west wing is completed under the supervision of Thomas U. Walter and Edward Clark, his assistant. Its top floor also is used to display patent models. The building becomes a major tourist destination with more than 100,000 visitors annually.

1877-1881

The upper floors of the west and north wings are ravaged by fire in 1877. Nearly 87,000 patent models are destroyed. Adolf Cluss is appointed architect to reconstruct the damaged wings in the popular Victorian “modern Renaissance” style.

1883-1885

Cluss rebuilds the south wing of the third floor, known today as the Great Hall, in a similar Victorian style.

The original 1791 plan for Washington called for a national church where a grateful nation could honor its heroes. Instead, a “Temple of Invention” arose in its place. Designed to house the U.S. Patent Office, this masterpiece of Greek Revival architecture became a showcase for national ingenuity and achievement.

- Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery

9 Final Plan Drawing

Mullen Library Site Information

Site description and overview.

The John K. Mullen of Denver Library was built in the 1920s, but the University needed a library long before its construction. In 1901 CUA’s second Rector, Thomas Conaty, was well aware that the University needed a separate library building. The University had been receiving collections of manuscripts and books since it had opened in 1889. These collections had moved from Caldwell Hall to McMahon Hall, but clearly there was a space problem. The library’s namesake John Kernan Mullen of Denver, Colorado, a Milling and Elevator Company magnate, donated $400,000 to CUA for the construction of a library. In fact, there were complications attached to this gift, and the library actually had to be completed in phases: the full basement and front and central portions of the library were completed and opened in 1928, while the side portions were completed in 1958.

Existing East Facade Existing Site: Bird’s Eye View John K. Mullen of Denver Memorial Library Postcard Retrieved from Construction of the John K. Mullen of Denver Library

11 1/16”=1’0” Initial Topography 1/16”=1’0” My contribution

1/16” Site Model by Site Model Group 1/16” Updated Site Model by Colin Quinn 1/16” Mullen Library

1/4” Existing Model by Mullen Model Group 1/4” Existing Model - Baby Jonah for Scale Reference Interior 1/4” Existing Model

14 1/32” = 1’0” Existing Site Plan

15 N

Site Drawings by Drawing Group

East West Section

East West Section 1/32” = 1’0”

1/16" = 1'-0"

East West Section

1/16" = 1'-0"

1/32” = 1’0”

North-South Section

1/32” = 1’0”

1/16" = 1'-0" Garden Level 1/16" = 1'-0" First Floor

Basement Level

1/16" = 1'-0" Second Floor 1/16" = 1'-0" Basement

1/16" = 1'-0" First Floor

1/16" = 1'-0" Basement

First Floor Second Floor

Roof Plan 1/16" = 1'-0" Fourth Floor 1/16" = 1'-0" Roof Plan 1/16" = 1'-0" Fourth Floor 1/16" = 1'-0" Roof Plan 1/16" = 1'-0" Roof Plan

Third Floor Fourth Floor

20 DANTE HOMER CICERO AUGUSTIN VIRGIL AQUINAS BOSSUET SHAKESPEARE

THE JOHN

MULLEN

LIBRARY

1/16” West Elevation

1/16” East Elevation

21 SHAKESPEARE PASTUER AVOISIER AMPERE ROENTCEN SKARGA

MEMORIAL

Photo Essay

Spatial Circulation Strategy

Existing West Entrance

“despite the grandeur of the halls, the towering white columns, the vast spaces, the high ceilings, and the rows and rows of bookcases, the Signet Library is somehow not an intimidating place. ”

- Robert Pirrie WS

The Signet Library is a legal library in Edinburgh, Scotland designed by Robert Reid and William Stark in 1822. It was recently opened to the public for afternoon tea and the occasional wedding. The impact of the Colonnades at Signet serves as the inspiration for the spatial sequence of this proposal. This proposal maintains a stair followed by a landing sequence in which each landing provides a unique but cohesive experience.

The brief aims for us to consider the new east entrance and duality of two building fronts. This is achieved by representing circulation spaces and proposals through sketches, planimetric drawing convention and negative spatial models.

The Signet Library

Initial Sketches in Section

Rethinking the relatioship from East to West Spatial Characteristics of the First Floor

Designing in context through Plan, Section and Site

30 1/16” Planimetric Drawing

Initial Scheme Adjacent Circles Scheme Colonnade Scheme

1/8” Negative Spatial Model

Caption of image

Order, 1/16” and 1/4” Models

Taxis Schemata. Plans with subdivisions of Plans (Durand) Tripartite Schema Principle Axes and Expressed Orders

1/16” model in site

The model-making process allowed this proposal to consider the connection between the colonnade and existing mullen facade. This introduced the precedent of the ‘The Conservative’ Wall along with some of the Chatsworth House Conservatories. Joseph Paxton’s design here exemplifies this typology serving as a transition while also a standalone experience. I explored this by incorporating the conservative wall between my intervention and the host building. This approach was later reduced into a more fitting translation. Albeit, these steps were vital to discovering the eventual solution.

The Conservative Wall Joseph Paxton

Upper Library at The Signet Library 1/4” model against Mullen model

Bay Study

Brief 4: Entrance Bay Study

Typical Bay Study

Entrance Bay: Process 1

Entrance Bay: Process 2

Perspective Sketch

This brief requested that we reflect on the work proposed thus far using new representation techniques. We considered the setting of our projects in the public realm and how it would integrate into the surrounding land and streetscape.

Design Process

An earlier scheme to explore possible stair arrangements.

Developing the site through massing models

Proposed Site Sketches First Digital Model Entrance and Site Light Study Model Resolving the stair Passageway Image Model

44 Process Drawings

To hide the ‘conservatory/greenhouse also not really a ‘conservatory/ greenhouse’ room or not to hide ‘it’? This was the question throughout the proposal and the answer was found here in Paris. Gallerie Vivienne and many other of walkways between buildings in Paris are covered with beautiful skylights and mosaic floors. This resolved the awkward portrusion of the greenhouse, which we saw in earlier schemes. Instead the rhythm of the Signet Colonnade is now gracefully continued to meet Mullen and hidden within is a top-lit passageway filled with plants.