Portfolio May 2024

Portfolio contents:

I. Recent univeristy projects: pin_21 (W23/24)

Auftritt (S23) [re]fresh Amberg (W22/23)

II. Extracurricular projects:

Recent university projects

Master of Arts - TUM Faculty of Architecture (2022 - 2024)

This project was carried out in a team of two. Together with my colleague, we tried to open up the rigid structure of the existing 1960s building and create diverse spaces for art in all its forms, as well as opening up the entire ground floor to the public, inviting people in and encouraging them to enjoy art.

My personal focus in this process, apart from the core concept, was to visualise our ideas in a playful, artistic way. All the visualisations were done using white models exported from ArchiCAD, adding textures and shadows in Adobe Photoshop, then creating interesting situations and telling stories with the help of amazing illustrations by Sukanto Debnath.

Chair of Urban Architecture, Prof. Dietrich Fink Winter semester 2023/2024

pin_21

Museum of the 21st century

During the winter term 23/24 I took part in the studio of Prof. Dietrich Fink at the Chair of Urban Architecture. The title of the project was “Pinakothek des 21. Jahrhunderts”. and the scope was the redesign of the old LMU “Mathebau” at Theresienstraße 39. The aim of the studio was to transform the old university building into a museum “of the 21st century”, which would be the last addition to the Munich art district (Kunstareal).

The studio’s main challenge was to understand what a museum building should look like in order to be ready for the future. What should such an institution stand for, consist of and offer to the public? Who is our target audience when designing such a space? How can it change over time in order to remain relevant?

View from Barerstraße

Groound floor in context // Reconstruction plans for ground floor, 1st and 2nd floor

At the bottom of this page are the reconstruction plans in red and yellow - here you can clearly see our intervention, which mainly consisted of demolishing the central parts of the existing building, as they were too low and not usable in a museum context, and rebuilding these halls in a lightweight metal structure to increase the ceiling height and thus the quality of the space. Similarly, we increased the height of certain parts of the old structure by removing parts of the concrete slabs and reinforcing the pillars, mainly across the facades, to create raised exhibition spaces.

At the top of the page is a floor plan of the ground floor in context, showing the use of these newly constructed halls as an atrium (left) and event space (right), as well as the restaurant function on the east side facing the Brandhorst Gallery, a large exhibition space on the west side facing Barer Straße, and the ticket office with cloakroom and lockers in the centre. On the north side, facing Theresienstrasse, we planned two separate spaces for a pop-up gallery and the museum shop, accessible from the two new halls.

On the following pages you will find sections and elevations of the building, as well as a visualisation of the façade and a façade section.

West elevation (Barer street)

Cross sections through the atrium (left) and the middle part of the building

Longitudianl section

Dachaufbau

Betonsteinplatte

Splittbettung

Filtervlies Schutzlage

Bitum Dachabdichtung

200mm Hartschaumdämmung

Voranstrich

300mm Stahlbetondecke

Fassade

Textilvorhang

Glasfassade

Sichtschutzpanele als flexible

Austellungsfläche

Fußbodenaufbau

Estrich

Trennschicht

Trittschalldämmung

300mm Stahbetondecke

Façade section (left) // View from the “Pinakothekenwiese” (right) // North elevation (Theresien street)

Chair of Architectural Design and Conception, Prof. Uta Graff

Auftritt

Realmontagen - Bauteiele im Freien

This project came to life in the summer semester of 2023 at the Chair of Architectural Design and Conception as a 1:1 intervention in a well-known public space in Munich.

The aim of the “Realmontagen” project was to investigate and enhance architectural elements in the context of the old cemetery at Sendlinger Tor and enhance them through the technique of architectural montage. Working in groups of two or three, we studied the site thoroughly and found elements that seemed interesting to us, and then tried to activate the public space around them, highlight these elements and show them to passers-by in an exciting way.

Throughout the semester, this project encapsulated multiple small tasks meant to prepare us for the final intervention. One of these tasks, namely “die Tarnkappe” is shown in the following pages.

Throughout the semester, the project went through several phases and took many forms, as documented on the right page. While working on it, we learned a lot about the history, the local architecture and the connection between the locals and this public space. The following text is a reflection on the installation and on the process behind it:

A locked gate and a staircase that is never fully accessible. A certain lack of direction is present, the feeling of an inside and an outside is dissolved. The massive staircase surrounds the gate and raises the question of what was there first: the gate or the staircase. This staging creates a theatrical atmosphere that emphasises the site, the portal, the gate, the staircase and the space inside and outside the wall.

The task of realising an installation on a 1:1 scale presented us with a particular challenge. It was exciting to design our artwork not only as a model, but also in full size. This required careful planning and logistical skill, but the result was worth it. The perception changed drastically when our staircase finally existed in real size and entered into a dialogue with the surroundings. It was fascinating to see what was possible and how positively the project was received by the locals.

It was an enriching experience to study existing monuments and memorials and to work practically with them. The task here was to design the world as a space with history and not as a user interface. The examination of the interplay between existing structures and newly created elements as well as the interaction with the public space provide the framework for creative experiments and innovative concepts. It remains exciting to see how “Realmontagen” will establish itself as an independent and unique art form in the future.

veil [‘vāl] noun, from Latin vēlum, also means „sail“ a concealing curtain or cloth intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance.

Veils have the deep roots into the pagan pre-Christian societies of northern Europe where they were thought to ward off the evil. The veil is seen as a thin, ethereal barrier that separates the world of the living from the realm of the dead, spirits, and deities.

Tarnkappe [ˈta ʁ nˌkapə] noun, from Old German tarni, meaning „heimlich“ (secret) a mythical object that is supposed to enable its wearer to make himself temporarily invisible.

A Tarnkappe, or invisibility cloak, is a fictional material, often a robe, that is said to have the ability to render whatever it covers invisible, making it appear as though the covered object or person has disappeared from view, yet the subject remains there.

While wandering through the cemetery, I stumbled upon an unusual situation: close to the old arches on the east side, hidden behind trees and vegetation, lies an invisible column. The capitol and the base, strangely attached to the wall, with no structural function, hint to the (past) existence of a column, yet there is no shaft and no traces that there would have ever been one. A plausible theory would be, that these ornamental elements are remains of pre-war architecture, that have been scattered and put back together, like a collage, after WWII. This non-column, through the absence of the shaft and strong presence of the capitol sparked my interest and made me wonder: could I transform the capitol in such a way, that it almost becomes invisible too? Could I create a veil or an invisibility cloak, that would emphasize this mysterious feeling?

My first step was to document the capitol through pictures, measurements and drawings, so I could create a model to serve as a base. To fabricate the veil, I took large pieces of PVC and softened them with a heat gun. I then placed this soft plastic over the base model and carefully formed the „cloak“ under constant heating, giving the PVC the appearance of a transparent textile material.

Chair of Architectural Informatics, Prof. Frank Petzold Winter semester 2022/2023

[re]fresh Amberg

The collective solution-finding tool

[re]fresh Amberg is a student project created within the “Critical Modeling - Data Collectives” studio at the Chair of Architectural Informatics at TU Munich.

The studio investigates the spatial, political, and sociomaterial aspects of urban data platforms and so-called “City Digital Twins.” It explores digital infrastructure from an architectural and urbanistic point of view. Urban data is intimately related to architectural imaginaries, planning programs, and urban governance. Critical Modeling 3.0 focuses on the Bavarian city of Amberg.

During our visit in the city of Amberg, we observed that the issue of vacancy is prevalent, especially in the historic city center. Many of these abandoned buildings require renovation, while some only need minimal intervention to be usable again. Our initial step was to survey the city, take photographs of these buildings and map their locations.

Our project aims to involve citizens in solving this problem by providing a tool and platform for them to express their visions and desires regarding the revitalisation of these empty spaces. The solution we offer includse instruments and concepts such as crowdsourcing, public access to information and democratic processes in community-led initiatives. By combining these elements, our platform works as a collective solution-finding tool.

The four images on the left page are screenshots from the prototype that we developed. This was created in Adobe XD and the visuals were made with the help of AI generation tools such as Dall-E and Midjourney.

[re]fresh Amberg utilizes a co-briefing and co-design approach, empowering residents to create proposals freely, with no substantial constraints other than the key criteria specified in the database (e.g. possible functions of the space). This creation process is intended to be simple and straightforward. One important aspect of this process is the use of AI to develop visualisations of the buildings, so that the proposer can get a sense of what it would truly mean if the requested improvements and changes were made on the chosen property. The process functions as shown in the diagrams on the left side.

Occupying vacant buildings with community spaces can bring numerous benefits to a neighbourhood and its residents. These spaces provide a gathering place for people to connect, collaborate, and engage with each other. This can lead to a stronger sense of community and increased social cohesion. Community spaces can also serve as centres for educational and cultural activities, providing opportunities for personal growth and enrichment. Furthermore, occupying otherwise unused buildings with community spaces can revitalise the city centre and help the local economy, thus improving the life quality of residents

Extracurricular projects

Analog, digital and mixed-media works (2021 - 2024)

The following text is a snippet of the concept presentation, written by the office:

“In Viesturdārzs (then Ķeizardārzs) Park in Riga, one of the first and most important civic activities in Latvia took place in 1873 - the 1st Latvian song and dance festival. Inspired by this event, during this year’s Riga Park Festival, we want to create space for new civic activities. The idea is to reconstruct the stage of the first song festival in a new form. 50 transformable benches, as they were originally designed in 1873, made from the pinewood from Riga’s Meza Park will provide a scenographic and symbolic stage stage for the choirs and other concerts. Between the events visitors to the park can move the benches around as they wish and use them as and use them as individual seating.”

Vasara Viesturdārzā

Festival in Riga, Latvia

During the summer semester of 2022, I completed a voluntary Erasmus+ internship Mailitis Architects, an architectural office in Riga. During my internship, the office had a whole range of ongoing projects of different scales. I was actively involved in three of them. One of these projects was designing the scenography of a folk festival in one of the oldest parks in Riga, Viesturdārzs.

My first task was taking photos and measurements and documenting the atmosphere. I then drew a map of the park and, together with the team, we started to draw up a zoning concept and slowly sketched out the final scenography. The visualisations of the stage, the canopies and the benches that can be seen on these pages were created by me as part of our final concept proposal.

Erasmus+ Internship, Mailitis Architects Riga, Latvia 2022

Visualisation of the roof canopy (left) and detail of the realised structure (right)

Architectural drawing

Sketches in ink and watercolour / digital reinterpretations

This page shows a collection of quick sketches (5-15 min) made during my Erasmus stay in Riga (below) or during walks through Munich (right). Some of them have been digitally manipulated to add another layer of colour or texture to enhance the atmosphere.

For me, drawing is a hobby and a form of expression, but also a valuable tool as an architect. I use drawing for analysis, conceptual sketches and representations and I feel like it is part of my professional identity and a sort of signature in my projects.

Mixed-media works

Paintings, digital and analog collages

The works on this page are collages and mixed media paintings. The first two images are part of a series titled “dive”. They consist of a hand-drawn background andf digitally-added elements. Similarily, the green painting began as a traditional painting, tempera on canvas, and then became a collage through the addition of the hand-cut elements of the people and animals. Above it are two digital collages, on the left an image of the “studio feeling” and on the right a collage of commandments and prohibitions from Hasenbergl, which emerged while doing a site analysis for my BA thesis project.

Ilinca Bucur

TUM Master Architektur Matrikelnummer: 03703835

Portfolio Stand Mai 2024