Historical Graphic Novel

BREAKING AWAY FROM THE CLOSED VITRA FIRE STATION BY ZAHA HADID

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germany

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vitra complex (TODAY)

The fire 5

Location

weil am rhein is located in the south of germany.

“The building was commissioned after a disastrous fire at the Vitra plant in 1981; the local fire department has since extended its jurisdiction to cover the campus, and the building is now a gallery” written by tom wilkinson6.

weil am rhein 2

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Vitra campus

7 FIRE!!!

we need a fire station!

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The town is bordered by the ryn river. which seperates france, switzerland and germany.

At present the vitra campus is a collection of designed buildings, a gallery space of buildings designed by famous architects. obviously repurposed from its industrial age.

the vitra fire station by zaha hadid

Where is the fire brigade!?

Apointment of zaha hadid as the architect

4 The vitra fire station was designed by zaha hadid in 1990, built in 1993. The building was intended to protect the industrial complex. the fire station was placed centrally within the industrial complex. The story of the fire station talks about how it came to be and its significance, not only for the complex bUt for architecture in general.

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At the time zaha hadid was admired for her decoNstructivist architecture, seemingly imagining buildings on paper, being too complicated to actually build them, This gave her the reputation of the PAPER ARCHITECT. her designs where mere paiNtings displayed at high ranking museums.....until, she was commissioned to design the vitra fire station. This was her first designed and built building, that was completed in 1993. although one of many projects. in fact, this was a joint project with mayer barhle freie Architekten. Zaha’s designs at that time was considered unbuildable and radical. the odds where truly stacked against her, especially being a woman9.

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the concept

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The concept of the building is drawn from the surrounding context. the flowing planar lines are compared to the surrounding vinEyards and plantations. the building is the connection between the campus and the external natural context.

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external Vineyards and plantations In 3d the conceptual diagram explodes into a range of different lines, a comparison to the function of the fire station, that explodes into action.

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The building draws plans and moving lines from the external context. this is experienced on the inside of the buIlding.

15 The building concept also

Flowing and moving forms, expressed as fluidity and motion with sharp angles and planes.

THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL SHOWS THE EXPRESSION OF ANGULAR stretched GEOMETRY.

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creates a strong connection with the main pathway spanning across the entire vitra campus, this could give the fire trucks easy access onto this main road to get to a fire quickly, which I think was the intended purpose of placing the fire station centrally on a main route.

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The conceptual intent becomes clearer when looking at these plans below.

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22 The building is a true expression of concept and built form. THIS IS EVIDENT ON THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR.

The second floor is thin and narrow, these spaces serve as staff quarters.

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MATERIALITY

“THE SIMPLICITY AND CLARITY OF THE BUILT VOLUME IS REFLECTED THROUGH THE CLEAN, EXPOSED, REINFORCED CONCRETE IN-SITU FINISH AND ABSENCE OF ANY EDGING OR CLADDING MATERIALS. THE ARCHITECT TRIED TO ACHIEVE TRANSPARENCY OF SPACES EVEN THOUGH THE OPAQUE CONCRETE.” WRITTEN BY SHREYA BANSAL24.

“The project, conceived as a formation of lines into volumes, defines space rather than occupy them” written by SHreya Bansal18.

the walls/planes define the space that is sandwiched in between.

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Abstract lines explode over the plans, derived from the outside of the complex.

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the aesthetic quality of off shutter concrete creates this raw appearance. as this was the intentions of the architect to keep the finishing of the building minimalist, however the building shape and building mass is more expressive in that sense. this use of concrete is not only expressed on the outside of the building but also on the interior, this gives a sense of uniformity that contrasts with the building’s explosive and abstract exterior form.

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the exploded illustration above clearly indicates the solid vs the voids, the walls of the building was intended to shape space, and not simply to house programming. every sharp angle seen in the conceptual diagramming is evident within the design of the building. the simplicity of materiality is expressed in a solid manner.

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IMPACT on architecture and the view of women

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Since the design of the vitra fire station, zaha hadid’s career exploded into life, her “unbuildable” buildings came soon to be realized.

Compilation of zaha hadid’s projects that followed after the vitra fire station.

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zaha went seemingly from being known as the paper architect, to “the queen of the curve”, with her elaborate and expressive architecture. her buildings where structurally complicated and her design thinking did hinder her abilities to realize architecture , however that did not last long28.

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Zaha hadid’s vitra fire station was the start of her legacy. this building defines the word form vs function. the building breaks away into explosive action to protect the factories.

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a comparison of zaha hadids career, where this building was her breaking away from the closed, and breaking away from designs that where unbuildable34. seemingly unable to escape the paper that it was drawn on. THIS OPENED THE WORLD OF ARCHITECTURE FOR WOMEN ON A GRAND SCALE.

HER IMPACT ON THE VIEW OF WOMEN, NOT ONLY IN ARCHITECTURE CAN SEE HER AS A ROLE MODEL. SHE IS NOT ONLY A WOMAN THAT was PRACTICING ARCHITECTURE IN A MALE DOMINATED PROFESSIONS, BUT A PERSON OF COLOUR ASWELL. AS A FEMALE ARCHITECT SHE WAS AN OUTSIDER. SHE WAS SEEN AS AN ICON TO INSPIRE TOWARDS. EVEN THOUGH SHE SAW HERSELF AS An ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER FIRST, SHE UNDOUBTEBLY MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT31. YOU COULD argue that ZAHA LEVELED THE PLAYING FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE. architecture is not dominated by men anymore32.

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IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM NORTH, DANIEL LIBESKIND. EST 2002

VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM,

BY FRANK GEHRY. EST 1989

SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY, REM KOOLHAAS. EST 2004

DANCING HOUSE, FRANK GEHRY. EST 1996

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DENVER ART MUSEUM, DANIEL LIBESKIND. EST 2006

VITRA FIRE STATION, ZAHA HADID. EST 1993

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BREAKING AWAY FROM THE CLOSED This

graphic novel looks at the history of the

Vitra Fire

station.

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The

Zaha Hadid in 1990 and construction finished in 1993. The Vitra Fire station was Zaha Hadid’s first major designed and built project. The graphic novel tells the story of how the building came to be, why it was built, so that it could fulfil a specific purpose. The building is located in Wel Am Rhein, towards the south of Germany. The town borders with France and Switzerland that are separated by the Ryn River. The Vitra Fire station was built for one purpose, and that was to explode into action when a fire broke out in the industrial complex. A disastrous fire broke out onto the industrial campus in 1981 and the local fire fighters is not within the jurisdiction of the industrial Vitra complex. This further emphasized the importance to have a “in house” fire station. With the graphic novel I tried to express certain elements through drawing and with the use of colour, to let those elements stand out whilst reading the novel. The impact that Zaha Hadid had on the architectural world was even bigger than what she intended. Zaha was more focused on being a designer and not as an “activist” for woman’s rights, for woman to stand up within a patriarchal profession that was dominated by men. I think that even though Zaha did focus on being a designer first, her work did impact a lot of other people, even if it was as indirectly or un-intentionally. building was designed by

Tom Wilkinson, Extravagance meets emergency response in perhaps the most famous fire station in the world. 2016, https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/vitra-fire-station-in-germany-by-zaha-hadid-architects.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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“Zaha Hadid Documentary” Youtube Video, 0:48 Posted By “N Sapkota” June 10 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKT-mCO66GY.

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Zaha Hadid Architects, Vitra Fire Station,N/A, https://archello.com/project/vitra-fire-station

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Zaha Hadid Architects, Vitra Fire Station,N/A, https://archello.com/story/1586/attach photos-videos/11.

12 Zaha Hadid Architects, Conceptual Model, N/A, https://divisare.com/projects/288355-zahahadid-architects-patrik-schumacher-christian-richters-helene-binet-vitra-fire-station.

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Zaha Hadid Architects, Paintings Zaha Hadid Foundation, 2021, https://www.zaha-hadid.com/ architecture/vitra-fire-station-2/.

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Drawn by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Drawn by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Shawn Victor, Each floor and roof plan for the building, 2018, https://medium.com/@ shawnvictor/vitra-fire-station-the-phoenix-of-architecture-11aead623fa3

References (Full Notes):

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Cover Page was Drawn by myself

Shawn Victor, Each floor and roof plan for the building, 2018, https://medium.com/@ shawnvictor/vitra-fire-station-the-phoenix-of-architecture-11aead623fa3

Referenced drawings where printed and traced by myself.

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[MAP OF GERMANY] Google Maps, N/A, 2021, https://www.google.com/maps/ place/Duitsland/@51.0899048,5.9678787,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x4791ba3d51416b0d:0xd7cb3fef18f5a581!2sVitra+Fire+Station+by+Zaha+Hadid!8m2!3d47 .6003563!4d7.6147893!3m4!1s0x479a721ec2b1be6b:0x75e85d6b8e91e55b!8m2!3d51.0897 229!4d10.3820801 2

[MAP OF WEL AM RHEIN] Google Maps, N/A, 2021, https://www.google.com/ maps/place/Duitsland/@47.5991696,7.5940528,13.52z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x4791ba3d51416b0d:0xd7cb3fef18f5a581!2sVitra+Fire+Station+by+Zaha+Hadid!8m2!3d47 .6003563!4d7.6147893!3m4!1s0x479a721ec2b1be6b:0x75e85d6b8e91e55b!8m2!3d51.0897 229!4d10.3820801 3

[MAP OF VITRA CAMPUS, MODERN DAY] Google Maps, N/A, 2021. https:// www.google.com/maps/place/Duitsland/@47.5997118,7.6147602,1162m/ data=!3m1!1e3!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x4791ba3d51416b0d:0xd7cb3fef18f5a581!2sVitra+Fi re+Station+by+Zaha+Hadid!8m2!3d47.6003563!4d7.6147893!3m4!1s0x479a721ec2b1be6b:0x75e85d6b8e91e55b!8m2!3d51.0897229!4d10.3820801

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Samantha Pires, Vitra Fire Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany, 2021, https://mymodernmet.com/zaha-hadid-buildings-queen-of-the-curve.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021

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ments/

Shreya Bansal, Static Walls Mark the interior, 2020, https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-visitsrevisiting-iconic-architect-and-pritzker-laureate-zaha-hadid-s-first-major-project.

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Shawn Victor, Each floor and roof plan for the building, 2018, https://medium.com/@ shawnvictor/vitra-fire-station-the-phoenix-of-architecture-11aead623fa3

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The Arch Insider, Shaping the Fire Station, 2021, https://thearchinsider.com/vitra-fire-station-byzaha-hadid/.

21 The Arch Insider, Shaping the Fire Station, 2021, https://thearchinsider.com/vitra-fire-station-byzaha-hadid/.

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Shreya Bansal, Static Walls Mark the interior, 2020, https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-visitsrevisiting-iconic-architect-and-pritzker-laureate-zaha-hadid-s-first-major-project.

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The Arch Insider, Interiors of the Vitra Fire Station, 2021, https://thearchinsider.com/vitra-firestation-by-zaha-hadid/.

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Shreya Bansal, “Revisiting iconic architect and Pritzker laureate Zaha Hadid’s first major project”, Stirworld, 31 March 2020, https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-visits-revisiting-iconic-architect-andpritzker-laureate-zaha-hadid-s-first-major-project.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Maya Oppenheim, “Zaha Hadid: How did she change architecture and its view of women?”, Independant, 31 May 2017, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/zaha-hadidarchitect-why-important-iraq-women-buildings-google-doodle-architecture-a7763836.html.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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Independant, Zaha Hadid: How did she change architecture and its view of women?, 2017, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/zaha-hadid-architect-why-important-iraqwomen-buildings-google-doodle-architecture-a7763836.html.

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“Zaha Hadid Documentary” Youtube Video, 4:42 Posted By “N Sapkota” June 10 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKT-mCO66GY.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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“Zaha Hadid Documentary” Youtube Video, 10:32 Posted By “N Sapkota” June 10 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKT-mCO66GY.

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Drawing by Stefan van Heerden, 2021.

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