ESALA YEAR 2. SEMESTER 2. 2011.05.03. MODULE CODE ARCH08007. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN. ANY PLACE. DANCE CENTRE. PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMATIVITY. OLLE BLOMQUIST. S0954531.
RHYTHMS A PROJECT BY OLLE BLOMQUIST
Rhythms Victoria Station is a major hub for transportation in down town Manchester. It is connected nationally by the rail line and on a smaller scale by tram and major roads running next to it. The site is small and surrounded by movement. The main entrance to Victoria station is just a few meters north of the site and so the movement of pedestrians mainly occupies that side. On the other two sides vehicles dominate the traffic. The east side is more calm and predictable with the tram line running every ten minute or so. The busy Todd Street borders the west side where traffic IS IRREGULAR AND dominated by cars and buses. The distinction between the different types of movement from one side to another is definitely something very SPECIAL about this place and something that cannot be ignored. What I liked so much about this was the very specific rhythm that each side haS, IT IS A SMALL AREA BUT JUST WALKING AROUND IT, THE ATMOSPHERE CHANGES A LOT. In the readings of ‘Henri Lefebvre’ I found inspiring ways of thinking about rhythms in daily life. This informed the strong parti which was based on rhythms responding to one another and could be seen differently from one point of view to another. The visual representation of these contrasting rhythms is obvious in how the different facades are expressed but looking closer at the plans you realise that the layout of the programmatic brief has also been considered ACCORINDG TO THE SAME IDEAS. LOOKING TOWARDS THE actual site, the old brick buildings are very apparent. Manchester is a city full of brick buildings and when designing a Dance Centre for the people of Manchester the old and rundown, but beautiful brick walls ARE the perfect elements to combine the past with the future but KEEPING THEM WERE ALSO a way of creating a local identity to my dance centre within the larger theme of movement. Further more they CREATE a perfect contrast to the light and crisp feel of the major concrete elements of my parti design. Glazing has been used severely to make the building transparent in one direction and allow an interchange between the different facades but also to fill the dance spaces with NEUTRAL BUT up-lifting light. To make specific spaces private, walls have been set up in an orthogonal angle to the concrete planes, the materiality of these and all details in the dance centre is dark timber.
PAGE 3. READINGS.
PAGE 5. SITE. including story i.
PAGE 10. parti. including story ii.
PAGE 14. dance centre. including story iii.
PAGE 29. studio. including story iV.
READINGS. SITE. PARTI. DANCE CENTRE. PRINCIPAL STUDIO. Henri Lefebvre. Rhythmanalysis. Space time and everyday life. READING UP ON THE SWISS PAVILLION, WHICH WAS MY ACTUAL READING SEMINAR, GAVE ME ALL SORTS OF NEW KNOWLEDGE AND INSPIRING IDEAS THAT WILL COME HANDY IN FUTURE PROJECTS. BUT AS I WAS DOING A SITE SURVEY ON RHYTHMS, sounds and movement around the site I was recommended to have a closer look at Henri Lefbvre’s ‘Rhythmanalysis’ WHICH ENDED UP BEING MORE RELEVANT TO MY PROJECT. Lefebvre was one of the most important Marxist thinkers of the twentieth century and in this analysis of both biological and social rhythms he shows the interrelation of space and time in the understanding of everyday life. I focused specifically on the third chapter – ‘Seen from the Window’. FROM Page 27-28:
The CONCEPT that rhythms can be understood more easily overlooking the spectacle FROM A DISTANCE than when you are right in the middle of it REALLY GOT ME and I knew this was going to be one of my key THEMES. Two of the sides of the site can be seen from a distance and there is theoretically nothing blocking the view. Some art can be very hard to read while standing next to it, taking a few steps back you can sometimes get new A perspective. Architecture can be the same. My building was going to be hard to read from a close up position but clear from a distance. ‘BY CONTRAST FROM THE WINDOW, THE NOISES DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES, THE FLOWS SEPARATE OUT, RHYTHMS RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER.’ MAKING THE BUILDING TRANSPARENT, THE EASTERN AND WESTERN FAÇADE COULD ‘RESPOND TO ONE ANTOHER’. ‘NOISE, CHAOTIC, HAS NO RHYTHM’ On the third side, the north, there is not enough space to take a few steps back before another building is in your way. Pedestrians mainly OCCUPIES this area. ‘He who walks down there is immersed in the multiplicity of noises, murmurs, rhythms’. In contrast to the other two sides where the ‘sound clouds’ of cars and trams are very clear visually, the rhythms of people passing and chatting are not. This side was going to be chaotic, blocked and hard to understand.
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READINGS. SITE. PARTI. DANCE CENTRE. PRINCIPAL STUDIO.
Swiss Pavilion. Hannover 2000. Peter Zumthor. The Swiss Pavilion, also called ‘the sound box’, was a temporary building for the 2000 World Expo in Hannover, Germany. It was designed by Swiss Architect Peter Zumthor. USE OF TIMBER In the Swiss Pavilion as well as in many of his buildings he uses unSEASONED wood to allow the nature of the wood to be apparent. The intuition of his design originates from the everyday image of stacked timber in a carpenter’s stockpile or warehouse. A total amount of 45.000 boards of Swiss larch and Scottish pine were used and held together by steel cables that were connected to spring tie rods. No use of glue, nails or screws was necessary. The wood wOULD expand and contract over the course of the exposition, and he embraceD this as part of the design. It was expected that during exposition the building would shrink by 120 mm as the wood dried out and was compressed under the weight of the steel and springs. In some areas whole walls will deform and warp, which Zumthor THOUGHT WOULD ADD character TO the building Zumthor’s Church San Benedetg in Sumvitg (Switzerland) is also made from untreated wood, open to sun and weathering, and over time the south facing side has blackened and the north facing side now appears silvery. By introducing natural elements aNd phenomena to his buildings they “reflect the passage of time”. The pavilion was allowed to be penetrated by light, wind and rain so that it would change over time. GESAMKUNSTWERK The Sound Box is not only an excellent example of how the use of exposed timber can make the building almost as a living thing. It is also a ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’, a total work of art. The main idea is that the Sound box is based on the notion of a cultured host who offers a place for repose and contemplation. This is done through the collaboration of architecture, music, literature, epicure and fashion design, to CREATE the ultimate event. Sound Another name for the pavilion is the “Swiss Sound Box” but Zumthor like to refer to it as ‘Klangkorper’, which is German for ‘sounding body’. The meaning of this I two; to start with, the whole building is a musical instrument. When the rain hits the galvanized gutters it is like God and nature play ‘the instrument’. Real musicians were also performing in the space. Usually in a small group they were playing precisely timed to a three hour plan. The musicians had to be constantly open to what was going on around them, they had to react to the audience, the atmosphere and other musicians. Although following the plan the sound would be different every time according to who were present and the overall mood of the pavilion. Other sounds made by the visitors or staff of the pavilion ie. The clinking of glasses, hissing of coffee machines or chatting people affectED the musician’s work and formED the complete sound. Smell & taste The sticky resin that the timber produceD would add a rather strong odour that would always BE present in the building. This in combination with the smell and tasting of Swiss food and drinks is also a very important part of the ‘Gesamkunstwerk’ IDEA. Three bars sOLD examples of Swiss food. The selection WAS modest and minimal, but allowED visitors to try delicacies from the hosting country. Sight Plinio Bachmann was the “lightscript” coordinator. The idea was to project words on to the walls THAT WOULD run through the whole structure. The words projected WERE words associated with Switzerland, traditional songs, sayings, important historical events etc. words cOULD be meaningful or humorous, they WERE diverse, the mood WAS constantly changing and WAS effected by these words. The effect WAS abstract as no references WERE given. The walls appearED both solid and permeable: as seen from walking through the pavilion they haD a solid nature, yet viewed face on one cOULD see other people in the building through the slatted walls. Touch The musicians, bar staff and guides all wore specially designed outfits called “sound box clothing” by Ida Gut. They WERE designed to be comfortable and HAD derived from an intense study of how the body feels when wearing them.
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READINGS. SITE. PARTI. DANCE CENTRE. PRINCIPAL STUDIO.
MANCHESTER. VICTORIA STATION.
SITE MODEL
n Location plan SCALE 1:2500
6
site elevations
North elevation 1:500
east elevation 1:500
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west elevation 1:500
SITE SURVEY. RHYTHMS AND MOVEMENT. TRAIN. TRAM. CAR. PEOPLE.
1:10.000 URBAN PLAN OF MANCHESTER HIGHLIGHTING TRAIN SYSTEMS.
ABOVE: STUDY OF THE DENSITY AND SPREAD OF PEOPLE AND CARS AROUND VICTORIA STATION.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: STUDY OF THE TRAIN (BLACK THREAD) AND TRAM (WHITE THREAD) LINES AROUND VICTORIA AND NEARBY PICADILLY STATION.
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STORY I. ‘THE SOUND OF TRAINS’. SOUND PATH: SLIDE ACCOMPANIES SOUND TRACK, MAPPING WALK FROM INSIDE STATION PAST SITE. ALL SITE WORK MADE TOGETHER WITH SUSANNA BOREHAM.
0.06 TRAIN LEAVES STATION 0.12 TANNOY SYSTEM IN STATION
0.20 FOOT STEPS IN STATION 0.40 MUSIC FROM SHOP
sound recordings were edited using ‘garage band’ to create the audio file ‘the sound of trains’. file can be found on the usb-stick. 1.12 BUYING BATTERIES FROM SHOP
1.50 WIND AND TRAFFIC FROM STREET
2.10 TRAM PASSES
2.45 VEHICLE WITH SIREN PASSES
4.10 ENTER PUB 4.30 EXIT PUB 5.10 catherdral bells 9
READINGS. SITE. PARTI. DANCE CENTRE. PRINCIPAL STUDIO.
STORY II. ‘SEEN FROM THE WINDOW’.
‘NOISE, CHAOTIC, HAS NO RHYTHM’
north side. people. chaos.
‘HE WHO WALKS DOWN THE STREET, OVER THERE, IS IMMERSED IN THE MULTIPLICITY OF NOISES, MURMURS, RHYTHMS’
east side. tram. regular.
‘BY CONTRAST FROM THE WINDOW, THE NOISES DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES, THE FLOWS SEPARATE OUT, RHYTHMS RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER’
west side. car. irregular.
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Development of parti plan
EXTRACT FROM SKETCH BOOK. RHYTHMS ARE CONSIDRED IN PLAN AS WELL AS in ELEVATION.
CONCEPTUAL SKETCH. AT FIRST RHYTHMS WERE EXPRESSED SOLELY IN PLAN AND VERY OBVIOUS.
‘BY CONTRAST FROM THE WINDOW, THE NOISES DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES, THE FLOWS SEPARATE OUT, RHYTHMS RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER’ THE IDEA THAT ARCHITECTURE CAN BE READ MORE CLEARLY FROM A DISTANCE, INFORMED THE PLAN. SOME WALLS CAN BE SEEN FROM BOTH SIDES AND MATCHES BOTH RHYTHMS. WALLS IN THE ORTHOGONAL DIRECTION WERE INTRODUCED TO REDUCE SIGHT AT A FEW SPECIFIC SPLACES.
THE FINAL PARTI PLAN (1:500) DOES NOT INCLUDE THESE ADDITIONAL WALLS BUT TAKES USE OF THE ALREADY EXCISTING BUILDINGS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE. THE RHYTMS ARE NOT VERY CLEAR IN PLAN OR FROM STANDING CLOSE, BUT SEEN IN ELEVATION FROM A DISTANCE THEY WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY AND MAKES SENSE.
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ABOVE: CONCEPTUAL MODEL INTRODUCING IDEA OF SCREENING WALLS AND SUGGESTING FORM OF ELEMENTS. BELOW: PARTI MODEL TO SCALE AND ON SITE INTERACTING WITH EXISTING BRICK BUILDINGS.
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READINGS. SITE. PARTI. DANCE CENTRE. PRINCIPAL STUDIO.
STORY III. ‘DESIGNING RHYTHMS’.
WEKK 5: THE FINAL PARTI MODEL EXPRESSED A SIMILAR ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE AS THE FINISH MASTER JUHA LEIVISKÄ. ABOVE IS THE PLAN OF HIS MYRRMAKI CHURCH.
WEEK 6: WHEN MOVING ON FROM PARTI TO DANCE CENTRE THE SIZING OF ELEMENTS AND WHERE TO LOCATE MAJOR SPACES WERE IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER. THE MORE I LOOKED INTO LEIVISKÄ’S WORK THE MORE SIMILARITIES I FOUND, HERE IS AN IMAGE TAKEN AT THE GERMAN EMBASSY IN HELSINKI. THE EXTERIOR SPACE IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO MINE.
WEEK 7: THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE WERE CONSIDERED AND ONCE AGAIN MYRRMAKI CHURCH WAS USED AS A PRECEDENT. I LOOKED DEEPLY INTO HOW HE EXPRESSES THE STRUCTURE IN HIS BUILDINGS. THE LIGHT IN THIS BUILDING IS ALSO TRULY AMAZING AND VERY INSPIRING.
WEEK 8: THE ROOF Was DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE GRAIN/GRID THAT HAD BEEN SET UP. PLANNING CONTINUED WITH IMAGES AND PLANS OF HOUSE VI BY PETER EISEMAN AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.
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WEEK 16: FINAL MODEL IS RELATING TO THE SITE AND INDIVIDUAL SURVEY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOVEMENT AND RHYTHMS. CIRCULATION HAS BEEN CHANGED AND SIMPLIFIED.
PLANS 1:500
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N
MODIFIED PARTI PLAN 1:200
1A.
1B.
1. EXISTING BUILDINGS A. WHOLE BUILDING IS PART OF DANCE CENTRE B. LARGE NORTH FACING BRICK WALL IS PART OF DANCE CENTRE
N
GROUND PLANS FLOOR PLAN 1:200
5B.
1A. 6.
1C.
1B. 2. 4.
3A.
7.
9.
1D.
5A. 8A.
3B.
8B.
3C. 1E.
1. ENTRANCES A. MAIN B. STAFF C. GARDEN D. CAFÉ E. SERVICE AREA 2. OFFICE 3. WC A. STAFF B. MALE C. FEMALE 4. COMBINED RECEPTION AND CAFÉ DESK 5. CAFÉ A. PUBLIC B. PRIVATE 6. OUTDOOR SPACE 7. INFORMAL PERFORMANCE SPACE 8. CHANGING ROOM A. MALE B. FEMALE 9. STAFF PARKING SPACE
N
FIRST FLOOR PLAN 1:200
2. 3.
4B.
1.
4A. 6.
1. PRINCIPAL STUDIO 2. BALCONY (ONLY ACCESSABLE FROM STUDIO) 3. SECONDARY STUDIO 4. WARM UP SPACE A. PRINCIPAL STUDIO B. SECONDARY STUDIO 5. INTERNAL BALCONY OVERLOOKING PERFORMANCE SPACE 6. STORAGE
N
ROOF PLAN 1:200 THE ROOF PLAN AIMS TO COMMUNICATE THE GRAIN OF THE PRINCIPAL CONRETE PLANES WITH THE THIN LONG ROOFLIGHTS ENHANCING THIS IDEA EVEN MORE. THE ROOFLIGHTS ARE FULFILLING THEIR OBVIOUS PURPOSE OF GIVING LIGHT BUT MORE IMPORTANT IS THEIR SYMBOLIC VALUE. TO CONVEY THE PARTI AND TO HIGHLIGHT AREAS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE.
1E. 1.D
1.C
1B.
1A.
1. ROOFLIGHTS A. HIGHLIGHTING BRICK WALL OF PRINCIPAL STUDIO B. HIGHLIGHTING CIRCULATION C. HIGHLIGHTING PEFORMANCE SPACE WITH CONCRETE BEAM IN MIDDLE CONFORMING TO GRAIN IDEA D. HIGHLIGHTING BRICK WALL OF ENTRANCE AND GIVING ESSENTIAL LIGHT TO SERVICE AREA E. HIGHLIGHTING MIDDLE OF SECONDATY STUDIO
N
SECTION A-A 1:100 AND 1:500
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NORTH ELEVATION 1:100 AND 1:500 2 FOLDED SECTION + ELEVATION
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SECTION B-B 1:100 AND 1:500
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EAST ELEVATION 1:100 AND 1:500
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SECTION C-C 1:100 AND 1:500
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WEST ELEVATION 1:100+AND 1:500 FOLDED SECTION ELEVATION 3
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EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC COCNRETE SLAB ROOF
SECONDARY STRUCTURE TIMBER BEAMS
GLASS CURTAIN WALLS
TIMBER PRIVACY WALLS
PRINCIPAL STUDIO FIRST LEVEL FLOORS WITH CIRCULATION SERVICE AND CIRCULATION SECONDARY STUDIO
MODIFIED PARTI WALLS
SITE BRICK RELICS
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final model
TOP: PLANS MIDDLE: ELEVATIONS BOTTOM: VIEWS
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READINGS. SITE. PARTI. DANCE CENTRE. PRINCIPAL STUDIO.
SECTION A-A 1:100
30
exploded AXONOMETRIC OF STUDIO. TECHNICAL STUDY. roof lights concrete tiles vapour barrier insulation vapour barrier concrete slab
sound-proofing layered concrete wall timber cladding mdf-board timber construction sound-proofing
timber shutters
timber beams
mirror glass
vinyl dance mat balcony plywood
mdf-board
timber floor joists
timber floor joists (cross)
concrete slab, embedded into steel I-beams 31
concrete balcony walls
STORY IV. ‘SYMBOLIC WINDOWS’.
AT FIRST, THE FIRST LEVEL FLOOR WAS CONSTRUCTED UPON THE LOWEST WALLS. THE SERIES OF MODELS SHOW THAT HEIGHT OF FLOOR WAS CHANGED TO GIVE GREATER HEIGHTS WHERE NEEDED (STUDIOS) AND LOWER THEM WHERE LARGE CEILING HIEGHTS ARE NOT NECESSARY (CHANGING ROOMS ETC.). HEIGHT OF THE WALLS ‘IN/UNDER’ THE STUDIO HAD TO BE MODIFIED TO SUIT THE FUNCTION OF THE SPACE. THIS CHANGED THE VISUAL RHYTHM CONTINUITY OF THE EAST FACADE.
INSPIRATION WAS TAKEN FROM PETER EISENMAN’S HOUSE VI IN DESIGNING SMALL WINDOWS FOR THE STUDIO THAT WOULD STAND AS SYMBOLS FOR THE REMOVED PARTS OF THE PARTI WALLS BUT ALSO ALLOWING MOMENTS OF EVENING LIGHT AND OFFERING VIEWS TOWARDS THE NEARBY LOCATED SERVICE AREA.
THAT SAME IMAGE ALSO INSPIRED THE DESIGN OF THE ROOF AND IT’S OPENINGS. THE HIGHEST WALLS WERE MADE HIGHER THAN ROOF LEVEL AND THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE WAS MORE OR LESS CONCEALED SO THAT THE ROOF DESIGN WOULD REASSEMBLE A GRAIN RATHER THAN A GRID.
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ABOVE: INTERIOR VIEW OF PRINCIPAL STUDIO. RIGHT: EXTERIOR VIEW OF PRINCIPAL STUDIO WITH BALCONY. NOTICE THAT SMALLER WALLS WERE NOT LOWERED. IN THIS CASE THE FUNCTION IS NOT AFFECTED. THE ELEMENTS CUTTING THROUGH THE OUTSIDE FLOOR SLAB ARE INTERESTING FEATURES OF THE BALCONY AND DEVIDES SPACE FOR PRIVACY.
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