Architecture project btec

Architecture

By Lola Osunneye

BRIEF Today’s libraries are underutilized by the youth of today, often seen as environments which are lacking in atmosphere and energy, however libraries can be central to community offering services far beyond simple book loaning and computer suites. Libraries are often hosts to a number of facilities such as reading groups, support teams, exhibitions, charity events and much more.

• My task is to breathe life into the conventional library concept with a focus to engage with the local community and be attractive to all.

• Consider that the space will incorporate a social focus however still fulfil its educational needs.

• Include facilities which will be appealing to my varied user groups I.e. interactive exhibition space, landscaped reading environment, music pods etc.

SPECIFICATION

Exterior Design My idea is to design a library in a shape of a book/open book because books are the first thing that come to my mind when I think of libraries.

Interior Design Ideas for Library

Since books are made out of paper to extend my idea, paper can be manipulated in many ways to produce a variety of outcomes. This will just be my starting point, things may change as to when I do more research into Architects.

A Library’s functions are to allow people to come together to read or watch a film in a quiet environment.

I want my library to include a separate room with a big screen which would allow people to watch movies and its also a narrator, so instead of reading, your favourite book can be read to you.

Another advantage of having a big screen can be suitable for those who are dyslexic and those who are more of a visual learner. This room can be booked so there isn't any form of commotion Most libraries don’t allow food being eaten, so I want to include a room where you can study and eat at the same time because some people prefer reading this way , I’m trying to include everyone's best interests because youth these days hardly go libraries so its better to make it more and more appealing for them to come. There would be another room where it will be completely silent for reading.

So there are choices for people of which way they’ll like to concentrate.

Grays Library, Orsett Road, Grays Essex , RM17 5DX LOCATION I will be designing a library that is going to be set in a town called Grays in Essex . Grays has good road links, being close to the A13 road and the M25 motorway. London Road is the main road which links Grays town centre with Lakeside Shopping Centre and Purfleet. Grays already has an existing library which is surrounded by salons, food shops, and its town centre which includes clothes shops, its like a local mall. Grays offers a Thurrock Museum combined with a library with extensive galleries on the archaeology, social and industrial heritage of the area, including items on the River Thames and organizes walking tours of the borough in the summer. There's also a Grays Beach Riverside Park with a large play area.

Grays Library, Orsett Road, Grays Essex , RM17 5DX

Its right in the middle so its not hard to miss and it will be easy access

SURROUNDINGS

Grays is next door from Lakeside Shopping Centre, which Retail Park has stores, restaurants, cinema, a leisure bingo complex and a watersports centre at the lake. So if people who come to the library admire a break, lakeside is one bus away, and with the library being situated next to food stores and has its own little shopping mall , it can also be appealing to readers. Its suitable/reasonable to have my library in the middle of Grays and close to where a large amount of people come to shop, it will be easy access.

SKETCHES It was essential that I purchased a sketchbook to include another form of research to my work. These are drawings from objects and pictures from magazines. The top image was drawn with pencil and it was a piece of metal, the shape forms like an arm and I thought it was quite an interesting shape. The bottom image was drawn with a biro pen taken from an image in a magazine, I picked that image to draw as it resembled what I was basing my exterior on which is book shapes, to me it looks like an open book shape and then curvy forms spread at the top.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

To begin the project, I went on a trip to the Victoria and Albert museum in search of interesting shapes that may or may not influence my work. I was given little wooden silhouettes to use to take pictures with the objects and its purpose is to give the images more perspective. The pictures on the left display the objects in an Architecture section in the Museum which included very detailed floor plans and structures with little aspects in them that made them very interesting to look at.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

This was a wooden structure at the museum that was fascinating . I admire the way it curves in and the shapes it forms. I picked an area to draw and produced it in fineliner pen. The wooden form can also be related to libraries as it can be used to read on or a form of shelf for books.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

More Drawings and pictures from the museum

BOOK RESEARCH I was researching into open book shapes to infuence my work and these are the images I came across.

These pictures display the way books/paper can be manipulated to make a different form.

MODEL MAKING

This model was made by manipulating paper, I didnt have an idea in the beginning it more or less formed on its own and created a futuristic structure and a pleasing outcome.

MODEL MAKING

MODEL MAKING

This was my first attempt in creating an exterior as an open book shape. I got two seperate pieces of paper and cut strips from one side and the folded each one to the middle repeatedly. When they were done I put the two sheets besides eachother to make it look more like a book.

These are more images of my model, I was pleased with the outcome and also the way it was photographed really brought out the colour and form.

REFINEMENT

This was my improvement model which was created by putting together the previous model and attaching a white paper with strips around it.

This time it wasn’t two sepearte pieces but one altogether, looking more and more like a book shape. The photos show more of its inside view.

Miyakonojo Civic Center in Miyakonojo, 1966 This is a structure created by an Japanese architect called Kiyonori Kikutake. Its a fan-shaped building, with radial steel frames. I choose to look at this architects work as i wanted to make an exterior in a shape of an open book, even though this structure is fan-shaped it also looks like an open book. It’s an asymmetrical building and from any perspective it is fascinating to look at.

Law Library of the University This library is positioned in Zurich, Switzerland. Its walls are elliptical shaped which allows it to look more interesting especially with the way its put together and spaced out. I found interest in this structure as it had a little relation to the idea of an open book.

Model Making

MODEL MAKING This model was made using card. The drawing of my design which was a c shape was drawn onto 2d design and then finely cut by the laser cutter. The idea came from the open book shape and also the architects I look at.

The structure reminds me of this Chocolate as it spreads out like its been sliced. It also has relations to an open book figure

I was pleased with the outcome as the use of material worked well and the thought of using a laser cutter made the shapes smooth and neat . The shape may be very basic but by it being repeated formed a unusual shape.

This is where the inspiration was taken from, the Library resembles a sliced fruit, and these strips would be different sections of where people can do their reading, its very spaced out , the open curves would be see through so it allows natural lighting and a comfortable temperature and view for the people in the Library.

Law Library

Drawings from model using pencil and biro pen.

ELEVATION DRAWING

RESEARCH – EXISTING LIBRRARIES

Royal Library of Denmark This library is very much attractive, the view is beautiful which would allow people who visit the library to have a comforting environment and the blue water creates a relaxing scene, also there's beauty of the contrast of the dark blue building and the lighter shade water. Its clear The Architect has really thought about what will be appealing for its target audience.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina Library The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major library located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. There was a library on its land before it but this was a re-invented one and more modern. The library has shelf space for eight million books, with the main reading room covering 70,000 m. The complex also houses a conference centre; specialized libraries for the blind, for young people, and for children; three museums; four art galleries; a planetarium; and a manuscript restoration laboratory.

The walls are of grey Aswan granite, carved with characters from 120 different human scripts. The building is like a shooting up button, as if you want to press it down.

Vancouver Public Library This library is one of the largest in Canada, it was created by an Architect called George Grant. The library is centred on the block, street view so there is easy access. Its a nine-story rectangular box containing book stacks and services, surrounded by a free-standing, oval rounded wall including reading and study areas. The library's interior glass front overlooks an enclosed open space formed by another rounded wall that defines the east side of the site.

Spaces surrounding the library form a continuous forum with parking located below grade. The building's exterior resembles the Colosseum but more futuristic. The building also includes a retail, day-care and parking.

Only difference is the colosseum’s patterned shape is more of a stretched protracted shape .

Experimenting

EXPERIMENTING

After my research into the Vancouver library and the Colosseum , their similar forms reminded me of my hair rollers so I decided to photograph them.. The rollers are also square patterned all around so I took pictures of them in different ways to see a diverse numbers of outcomes.

The whole point is to give me more ideas of how I could use one squared shape to create an entirely different model just be playing around with it and this is the inspiration that will be used to create my final model.

FINAL MODEL

Vancouver Library

The model was created using card paper which was placed in a laser cutter and I drew out two squares and then small squares in between on the pc which the laser cutter picked up and produced 6 shapes.

At first I wasn’t sure on how I was going to put together these plain looking squares without it looking too simple. In the end, referring back to the Architects work, the model formed to create an interesting structure by bending the card and then glued it together. The shape of my structure could also be seen as a book if I was to get two books, have them standing up facing it each other and then have the pages spread to make something as similar as this.

The Vancouver Library’s futuristic structure was the inspiration for my model.

I didn’t want an outcome that was exactly the same as the Vancouver Library but attempt to make it my own and adding slight aspects from it.

Inspiration was also taken from the hair rollers I photographed, and its visible how they relate, I think both were a good source to work from and I reached my aim of creating a library that is somewhat different but appealing to look at.

These are similar forms to my model and this is what it reminded me of . They all have the same pattern and the alikeness is so clear.

A close up into the structure from an angle makes it look more realistic.

You can see the idea of space which is suitable as I wouldn’t want my target audience to feel cramped but allow availability to freedom.

FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

Social area ENTRANCE Reading Area

Computer area Book shelves

Stairs / Escalator

Reception

Book/film Store Door

The ground floor will include a cafe serving breakfast and lunch, there will also be a store where people can buy books. The people who come into the library would be ale to get something to eat before, during and after their study and the ground floor will be an eating area only

The second floor will be a computer area in which people can use the internet, there is also section in which people can read also and use the internet at the same time.

Biro pen drawings

The third floor is a quiet area and strictly reading. It includes a room in which will have a screen and narrator for those who prefer to have an audio and viewing study, this will be great for those who have a photographic memory.

ELEVATION DRAWING

EVALUATION

EVALUATION Overall, this project was a success due to a brilliant final piece. I think the outcome was great and I was very pleased with it, mainly because it was interesting that a simple square shape could create such a unique form, I also love the zig-zag walls in-between. I enjoyed working on this project because my career choice is architecture so it was useful for me, I also study Interior design so I had more of an advantage than everyone else, it was fun to include this form of working in my Art and design subject which is usually more fine art based. I believe my model making at first was slightly out of place using odd colours like pink but I can say that my model making progressed as the project went on and it was good to see that improvement. My final model displays all its desired functions which is different floors for different things and I'm certain that this library would change youths ideas of a library being a boring place for reading, but admire the beauty of architecture and the facilities it brings. I was able to include everything I stated which is a room where you can study and eat at the same time, including everyone's best interests, a quiet section for reading and a screening area, available for dyslexic people and those who prefer narrated books. If I had the opportunity to work on it again , I would explore more on book shapes and produce more experimentation work.