unveiling the industrial

unveiling the industrial daniel xuereb

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contents part 1 - project context

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the water silos a tempted demolition unrecognised resources a public laboratory unveiling the industrial

6 9 10 14 18

part 2 - site transformation

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subtraction algorithm transformation process architectural layout project walkthrough part 3 - assembly process (dis)assembly technical drawings (re)assembly

24 26 30 38 49 50 56 62

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PA R T 1

PROJECT CONTEXT 5

I

. T H E WAT ER S I LO S

The project is set within the controversial ditch of For t Ricasoli, which has long shut the public outside of its industrial gates.

S et up as an oil tank c leaning farm by the British, 6 towering silos contrast and contest the authorit y of the bastion walls they now sit between. W ith the facilit y set to be relocated off shore, the thesis questions what is to be done with these lef tover metallic carcasses, now void of the four-thousand tonnes of seawater they were intended to hold.

6

In his ‘ Preser vation is O ver taking Us’ (2014), Rem Koolhaas speaks of the shif ting age-gap between the present and what is deemed wor thy of being preser ved: “In 1818, it was 2000 years. In 1900, it was onl y 200 years.

And near the 1960s, it became 20 years.

We are living in an incredibl y exciting and slightl y absurd moment, namel y that preser vation is over taking us”

7

Aerial photograph of the ditch taken in the 1960s - with the last two silos still under construction, cour tesy of Anton Q uintano.

J u x t a p o s i n g a s t a t e m e n t m a d e b y t h e C h a i r m a n o f Fo n d a z z j o n i W i r t A r t n a , the project begins to question whether this industrial narrative, which has for 60 years become embedded into the space, is not itself a legitimate layer of histor y whose traces ought to be preser ved.

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II.

A

TEMPTED

DEMOLITION

The temptation to demolish prompts repercussions beyond those associated with heritage. The demolition of the silos infers the production of 6036m2 of metallic waste (1006m2 per silo excluding their internal structure), an alarming figure, that does not ser ve a local condition struggling to catch up with an industr y so obsessed with pulling things down.

In an attempt to cope with such pressures, the stretch of sea adjacent to the fort has recently been proposed as a landfill

dump-site; a decision which reflects the behaviour of this ver y facility that has long polluted its surrounding waters. W ith the scope of addressing these attitudes, the project shall attempt to question the use of the sea as a source to be extracted from, r a t h e r t h a n o n e t o b e s i m p l y d u m p e d i n t o.

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I I I . UNRECOGNISED RESOURCES “Malta is a small, densely populated island country that is located in the central Mediterranean Sea‌ the three inhabited i s l a n d s o f M a l t a , G o z o, a n d C o m i n o h o s t f e w m i n e r a l r e s o u r c e s e x c e p t f o r c l a y, l i m e s t o n e , a n d s a l t . â€?

(Hastorun, 2014) The US geological report on Malta identifies sea-salt as one of the three mineral resources at our disposal. As our limestone reser ves are set to be depleted by the year 2036 (Cromie, Cole 2 0 0 2 ) , salt may be be recognised as an alter native building mater ial that can so easily be har vested from the sea.

Fe e d i n g o f f o f t h e r e s e a r c h c u r r e n t l y b e i n g c o n d u c t e d b y v a r i o u s foreign academics (refer to case studies cited on pgs.11,12), perhaps it is within our local context star ved of natural resources that its findings may ser ve.

In realising the potentials of this unrecognised resource, the site (along with the large industrial spaces it now provides) shall be reprogrammed into a prototyping laborator y that ser ves to research, innovate and expose the potentials of salt as a building material.

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Salt-brick prototypes cast during the initial phases of the thesis project, obser ving material properties of the elements that shall be utilised within the design project. (refer to Appendix)

11

‘Building with Salt ’ –material research on the casting of salt bricks currently being conducted by the AEE.

12

‘ S a l t y g l o o’ – m a t e r i a l r e s e a r c h o n t h e 3 d p r i n t i n g o f s a l t u s i n g a p o w d e r p r i n t e r, c u r r e n t l y being conducted by Emerging O bjects, producing lightweight, waterproof structures.

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I V . A P U B LI C L A B O R AT O R Y The site acts as a testing ground for the salt-bricks to be studied, prior to their application within t h e e x p a n d i n g c o n t e x t t h e y h o p e t o p r o v i d e f o r. In recognising the potentials of exposing and exhibiting the mater ial, t h e p r o j e c t a t t e m p t s t o o p e n u p p a r t s o f t h e s e spaces to the public.

The superimposition of these 2 contrasting demographics ser ves to mediate public-industrial interactions, m o t i v a t i n g a n i n t e re s t i n t h e m a t e r i a l b e i n g s t u d i e d .

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Initial concept sketc h depicting the reprogr amming of a silo into a salt workshop, motivating public-industr ial inter actions.

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A p in t use the

The gro bein larg to i mat

Wit spa spe tho glac

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productive salt-farm is to be located he outer-works of the ditch, making of an existing borehole that feeds e v a p o r a t i o n p a n s w i t h s e a w a t e r.

e salt that is har vested from the und plane is to feed the research ng conducted within the silos, whose ge inter nal spaces are re-progr ammed in no vate, protot y pe and exhibit the ter ial to the gener al public.

th the intention of softening up the ces, the ground plane is planted with cies of vegetation, complimenting se currently growing on the upper cis and ravelins.

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5

10

15

20

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V . UNVEILING THE INDUSTRIAL As their program shifts, the silos’ metallic skin no longer ser ves t o w i t h s t a n d t h e 1 5 7 k Pa o f w a t e r p r e s s u r e t h e y w e r e i n t e n d e d t o c o n t a i n . Ye t b e n e a t h t h e s u r f a c e o f t h i s m o n o t o n o u s c l a d d i n g , lies the complexity of its underlying structure.

R e c o g n i s i n g t h e s t r u c t u r a l re d u n d a n c y o f i t s e p i d e r m i s , t h e inter vention attempts to bring light into these industrial spaces by d r a w i n g t h e c u r t a i n s , e x p o s i n g t h e i n d u s t r i a l a e s t h e t i c s t h a t m a k e t h e s e s i l o s s t a n d . T h e c o n c e p t m o d e l , p h o t o g r a p h e d b e l o w, a t t e m p t s t o i l l u s t r a t e t h e a rc h i t e c t u r a l i n t e n t i o n s o f t h e p ro j e c t .

Vo i d o f a d d i n g o r n a m e n t , t h e i n t e r v e n t i o n a t t e m p t s t o s u b t r a c t – t o u n v e i l w h a t a l re a d y e x i s t s .

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roof tr uss

steel c ladding (2cm thickness)

under l ying str ucture

ring foundation

ST RUCT URAL COMPOSI T ION OF AN EXIST ING SI LO

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S E C T I O NA L M O D E L OF AN EXISTING SILO

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PA R T 2

S I T E T R A N S F O R M AT I O N 23

By inserting a public passage that climbs up t h r o u g h t h e s i l o s a n d i n t o t h e f o r t i fi c a t i o n ( l i n k i n g t o t h e p ro j e c t b e i n g d e s i g n e d i n s i d e o f i t s w a l l s ) , t h e i n t e r v e n t i o n s i mu l t a n e o u s l y c u r a t e s a re a d i n g o f t h e s e i n d u s t r i a l s t r u c t u re s .

2 4 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 2 4 2 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

E a c h s i l o i s i n c re m e n t a l l y s l i c e d o p e n , subtracting portions of its metallic skin that a r e r e p l a c e d by t r a n s l u c e n t s a l t p a n e l s ( re f e r t o p. 1 1 ) – a l l o w i n g n a t u r a l l i g h t t o s i f t i n t o t h e l a r g e i n t e r n a l v o i d s . I n d o i n g s o, t h e p a s s a g e p ro v i d e s a w a l k t h ro u g h t h a t a l l o w s t h e p u b l i c t o re a d f r a g m e n t s o f t h e s t r u c t u re a s i t u n f o l d s a l o n g t h e w a y.

0 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 0 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

31% SUBT

(316m2 /

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5 4 % S U B T R AC T I O N

1 0 0 % S U B T R AC T I O N

(542m / 1006m ) 2

R AC T I O N 1006m ) 2

( 1 0 0 6 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

2

8 2 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 8 2 6 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

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2 4 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 2 4 2 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2) 0 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 0 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

3 1 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 3 1 6 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

5 4 % S U B T R AC T I O ( 5 4 2 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

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1 0 0 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 1 0 0 6 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

8 2 % S U B T R AC T I O N ( 8 2 6 m 2 / 1 0 0 6 m 2)

ON

I n l i n e w i t h t h e p r o j e c t ’s ambitions, the subtracted metal is not discarded as waste that would only further exacerbate the local condition the thesis has called into question.

Rather it forms a metallic palette that is to be sliced into strips and reassembled to form the contemporar y structures. Conscious of the scarcity of available resources, t h e i n t e r v e n t i o n a c t i v a t e s t h e s i t e ’s p o t e n t i a l t o p r o v i d e i t s e l f with its own raw material; allowing it to transform, to adapt to the new program that has now been injected within it.

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EX I S T I N G

A

The inte r ve ntion is not d is s imila r f rom a me d ic a l proc e d ure t hat ope r a te s on the e xis ting s ite. It is from t his me ta phor tha t the na r r a tive s ha l l bo rrow it s te r minolog y, a id ing a d e s c r iption of t he s ta ge s in the s ite ’s tr a ns f or ma tion.

C LEA NS I N G

B 28

Re mo va l of te mpor a r y s tr uc ture s , a nc il la r ie s a nd a ny ha z a rd ous ma te r ia l c ur re ntl y pre s e nt on s ite. Hy rob la s ting of the s ilos to rest o re the s ur f ac e of the ir e xte r na l s kin.

RT0

A M PU TAT I NG Metal lic s k in g r af t s s u b tr acte d off of t h e exis t in g s t r u ctu re s.

S ubtr ac t ion s t o b e fu r th e r su b d i v i d e d in to seg men t s an d s t o re d f o r re - u se w i th i n RTO ( t h e firs t s ilo w h i c h sh a l l s e r ve a s a steel wo rk s h o p d ur in g th e cons tr u cti on ph a s e ) .

C

T RA NSP LA NT I NG Amputat ed met al is to b e treated , c o at ed an d re - a sse m b l e d in to th e c on t empo r ar y str u ctu re s (br idge s , in t er n al pla tf o r m s a nd stair wel ls ) t h at c on t r a s t o f f o f th e e x i sti ng.

D 29

SITE SECTION (part A)

0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

P U B LI C INDUSTRIAL

RTO

M I X I N G L A B O R AT O R Y

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Inside the silos, the ramped walkway opens up into a series of radial platforms – allowing the public to intertwine above and below t h e i n d u s t r i a l p ro g r a m s n o w t a k i n g p l a c e .

Identifying the columns and roof tr uss as the primar y str uctural elements – the contemporar y platforms are hung off of the top, freeing up the spaces below.

E a c h i n c re m e n t a l s u b t r a c t i o n i n t u r n a l t e r s the amount of natural light penetrating into the space, allowing vegetation to subtly d e m a rc a t e t h e p u b l i c f r o m t h e i n d u s t r i a l .

T h e a rc h i t e c t u re i s c o d e d w i t h t h e i n t e n t i o n for these two demographics to interact, exposing the traversing public to the i n d u s t r i a l p e r f o r m a n c e s t h a t a re u n v e i l e d a l o n g t h e p a s s a g e w a y.

45° 31 31

SITE SECTION (part B)

0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

RT1

10.0

ST RUCT URAL ST EREOTOMY

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RT2

S C U LP T U R E S T U D I O

RT3

F URNI T U RE WORKSHOP

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SITE SECTION (part C)

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2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

RT4

10.0

T R A I N I N G FAC I L I T Y

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RT5

PROTOT YPE EXHIBIT

90°

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INDUSTRIAL P U B LI C

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C l i m b i n g t h ro u g h t h e s i l o s , t h e p a t h w a y bursts out beneath massive walls of metal a n d s t o n e ; 2 c o n t e s t i n g l a ye r s o f t i m e , e a c h with its own stor y to tell.

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A re a d i n g o f t h e u n d e r l y i n g c o m p l e x i t y u n f o l d s a l o n g t h e w a y, e a c h s i l o’s subtraction feeding the ver y pathway that now binds them.

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S E C T I O NA L M O D E L OF A 40S U B T R A C T E D S I L O

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Stepping inside, the new hangs off of the old – painted with shadows that subtly mimic t h e s t r u c t u re t h e y w e re c a s t by.

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B e l o w, a n i n d u s t r i a l p e r f o r m a n c e p l a y s o u t i n f ro n t o f p u b l i c s p e c t a t o r s t r a v e r s i n g above, motivating a dialogue with the p o t e n t i a l s o f a n e m e r g i n g m a t e r i a l i t y. .

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S E C T I O NA L M O D E L OF A SUBTR ACTED SILO

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L I G H T S T U DY O F S HA D O W PAT T E R N S

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S E C T I O NA L M O D E L OF A SUBTR ACTED SILO morning shadows

midday s

shadows

afternoon shadows

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PA R T 3

A S S E M B LY P R O C E S S 49

( D I S ) A S S E M B LY M ARKI NG O U T Pr i o r t o d e m a rc a t i o n , t h e e x t e r n a l s k i n i s h yd r o b l a s t e d t o re m o v e a n y e x c e s s f l a k e s t h a t m a y h a v e f o r m e d s i n c e i t s l a s t re s t o r a t i o n .

A 3d sur vey of the underlying structural frame is then to be carried out, marking a cutline (of the intended subtraction) over the skin. The subtraction is further subdivided, to be sequentially sliced off at the columns o n w h i c h t h e c l a d d i n g i s c u r re n t l y a t t a c h e d .

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( D I S ) A S S E M B LY SU BT RACT I ON Pr i o r t o b e i n g c u t , e a c h s u b t r a c t i o n m o d u l e is to be supported onto a crane with an e l e c t r o m a g n e t i c a c c e s s o r y.

Pr o p p e d o n a c h e r r y p i c k e r, a c e r t i fi e d welder slices off the marked edges using a n ox y a c e t y l e n e t o rc h . A s t h e s u b t r a c t e d m o d u l e i s r e l e a s e d f ro m t h e c o l u m n s , i t i s l i f t e d o f f a n d p l a c e d i n s t o r a g e t o b e re - u s e d as raw material.

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( D I S ) A S S E M B LY SEA LI NG T H E VOI D A framework is installed within b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e e x i s t i n g b r a c i n g.

the

Tr i a n g u l a r s a l t - c l a d d i n g p a n e l s a re t o b e l o w e r e d d o w n a n d fi x e d i n t o t h e f r a m e – a l l o w i n g s o f t n a t u r a l l i g h t t o fi l t e r t h ro u g h t h e i r t r a n s l u c e n t c r y s t a l l i n e s t r u c t u re .

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0

1.0

2.0

subtracted module sliced into strutural flatbars of varying lengrhs.

flatbars fab individual

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3.0

4.0

5.0

re-assembly into contemporary structures (coated with anti-corrosion paint)

bricated into l elements

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removal of bracing to make way for opening

installation of stiffening frame to replace bracing action

frame

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0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

frame

top boom (handrail)

bottom boom

diagonal bracing

cross boom

additional support

pervious strip

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end plate

threaded end

rod-length adjuster

steel rod hanger

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0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

salt module

pinned connection

base plate

tapered I beam

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0.25

steel hanger

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0.75

1.00

omega purlins

steel handrail

interlocking salt module

anchor existing column

tapered I-beam

access for services

salt module (interlocking into purlins)

omega purlins (bolted onto beam)

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( R E ) A S S E M B LY

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F I X I N G O F B EA M S A l t h o u g h v i s u a l l y d i s t i n c t , t h e n e w b o r ro w s f ro m t h e l o a d bearing capacity of the old, working with the existing s t r u c t u re a s i t h a n g s o f f o f i t s r i g i d s k e l e t o n .

A f t e r s e t t i n g u p a t e m p o r a r y s c a f f o l d , re - a s s e m b l e d I - b e a m s a re b ro u g h t u p t o t h e re q u i re d l e v e l .

E a c h b e a m i s fi x e d o n t o t h e f l a n g e o f t h e existing column (bolted connection); and supported at the other end with a steel ro d h a n g i n g o f f o f t h e e x i s t i n g ro o f truss (pinned connection).

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( R E ) A S S E M B LY

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MO D ULA R F LO O RI NG O m e g a s e c t i o n p u r l i n s a re b o l t e d o n t o t h e t o p f l a n g e o f t h e t a p e re d I b e a m s , s e r v i n g a s s e c o n d a r y b e a m s o n w h i c h t h e s a l t m o d u l e s a re t o b e p l a c e d .

T h e s a l t m o d u l e s p re s e n t a c o n t e m p o r a r y m a t e r i a l w i t h w o r k a b l e p ro p e r t i e s t h a t a re s t r a n g e l y f a m i l i a r. R e m i n i s c e n t o f t h e t r a d i t i o n a l ‘ x o ro k’ , t h e m o d u l e s i n t e r l o c k onto the omega perlin system to form the surface of the platform.

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( R E ) A S S E M B LY

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LOW ER LEV EL S Installation of lower platforms, now hung off of the o v e r l y i n g b e a m s , f o r m i n g a c h a n d e l i e r - l i k e s t r u c t u re t h a t d a n g l e s d o w n f ro m t h e ro o f t r u s s .

A l l l e v e l s a re s u p p l i e d w i t h s e r v i c e s t h a t r u n b e n e a t h t h e f l o o r i n g t h ro u g h a n a l l o c a t e d p u n c t u re w i t h i n t h e I b e a m s – p ro v i d i n g w a t e r, p o w e r a n d ELV t o t h e l e v e l a b o v e a n d l i g h t i n g t o l e v e l b e l o w. A l l s e r v i c e s a re c o n n e c t e d v e r t i c a l l y t h ro u g h a shaft hidden behind the lift cabin.

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The project ser ves to shed light on the waste crisis currently prevalent within the local scene, an additional dimension that o n l y f u r t h e r f u e l s o u r n e e d t o p r e s e r v e . Vo i d o f t u r n i n g t o w a r d s t h e s e a a s o u r f i n a l d u m p s i t e o f i n e x h a u s t i b l e c a p a c i t y, p e r h a p s it is our ver y temptation to demolish that should be brought into question.

The cyclical nature of the thesis’ materiality attempts to ser ve as a model for an architecture that is allowed to transform, sooner than being torn down altogether - how its parts may disassemble... ...and reassemble again.

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APPENDIX

S alt Pro to t y pes c ast in t he init ial ph a s e s of th e p roje ct.

c r u sh ed sea sa l t (ma in ingre d ie nt)

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c actus ge l

(liquid b in der - s u p p l e m e nte d w i th a p owd e r binder)

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c r u sh ed sea sa l t (ma in ingre d ie nt)

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c actus ge l

(liquid b in der - s u p p l e m e nte d w i th a p owd e r binder)

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c r u sh ed sea sa l t (ma in ingre d ie nt)

74

c actus ge l

(liquid b in der - s u p p l e m e nte d w i th a p owd e r binder)

75