Dis by Bibi Noibi

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Family Name Forename(s) Student ID Personal Tutor

Noibi Abiola 4159588 Dr Laura Hanks

K13ASD Department Module Title Module Convenor Assignment Title Date of Laboratory Submission Deadline

Architecture and Built Environment (ABE) Course K902 Architectural Studies Dissertation Mr Guillermo Guzman Dumont Final Dissertation & CD & A PRINTED COPY OF THE TURNITIN REPORT Lab/WS/Design Group No 21 May 2014

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The$Rise$of$Experiential$Architecture:$A$Review$of$the$ Shifting$Importance$of$Design$Intention$and$User$ Experience$within$the$Stirling$Prize$Winners$

$ $

Abiola$Noibi$ 4159588$ Word!Count:!17,034! $

$ A!dissertation!submitted!in!partial!fulfilment!of!the!regulations!for!the! Degree!of!Bachelor!of!Arts!in!Architectural!Studies!in!the!University!of! Nottingham! $ $

Ba$(Hons)$Architectural$Studies$ May$2014

Acknowledgements$ !

Foremost,! I! would! like! to! express! my! sincere! appreciation! to! my! supervisor,! Professor!Laura!Hanks;!you!have!been!an!amazing!supervisor!and!mentor!to!me!and! I! could! not! have! completed! this! paper! without! your! continual! encouragement,! guidance!and!vast!knowledge.!Your!advice!and!support!on!both!my!research!and!my! future!career!have!been!invaluable.! ! Besides! my! supervisor,! I! would! like! to! thank! my! course! leader! Guillermo! Guzman! Dumont;!to!all!of!us!you!have!been!more!than!an!advisor,!thank!you!for!believing!in! us!and!for!your!interesting!and!positive!outlook!in!all!situations.!I!would!also!like!to! appreciate!Head!of!Awards!at!RIBA,!Tony!Chapman!for!assisting!my!dissertation!and! showing!interest!overall.! ! Lastly,! a! special! thanks! to! my! family,! I! could! never! have! done! this! without! you.! Words!cannot!express!my!gratitude!for!your!continued!prayers,!love!and!support!as! well!as!the!sacrifices!you!made!on!my!behalf.$

Abstract$ !

Understanding! how! the! built! environment! interacts! with! society! is! largely! speculative! because! of! the! broadness! and! subjective! nature! of! the! topic.! Culture,! economic!circumstance!and!personal!beliefs!must!be!accounted!for!in!this!process.! Studies! in! behavioural! science! and! communication! design,! however,! prove! that! there!is!a!definitive!link!between!the!two.!Refining!the!category!of!the!entire!built! environment! to! the! RIBA! Stirling! PrizeUWinners,! this! paper! challenges! how! experiential! and! emotive! design! qualities! are! being! used! within! the! PrizeUwinning! buildings.!Through!the!lend!of!a!user,!each!building!is!critically!reviewed!in!order!to! understand! and! explore! the! design! elements! used! and! their! effect! on! user! experience.! Although! perception! of! a! space! is! largely! dependent! on! a! range! of! criteria! that! is! not! always! made! clear! in! the! brief,! the! investigation! highlights! the! differences!between!matter!and!meaning.!!! !

List$of$Figures$ Figure$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $$$$$$$$$$$Page$ 1! Exterior!and!interior!images!of!Stuttgart!Music!School!!................................!!14! 2! Stuttgart!Tower!building!!...............................................................................!!15! 3! Laban!dancer’s!shapes!reflected!in!the!exterior!contours!!...........................!!17! 4! Interior!forms!of!the!Laban!!...........................................................................!!19! 5! Laban!Interior!!...............................................................................................!!20! 6! (Top)!Laban!exterior!during!the!day,!(bottom)!Laban!exterior!at!night!!.......!!21! 7! Evelyn!Grace!Academy!exterior!interactions!!................................................!!22! 8! Evelyn!Grace!Academy!hall!and!classroom!!...................................................!!23! 9! Maggie’s!Centre!exterior!!..............................................................................!!27! 10! Maggie’s!Centre!windows!!.............................................................................!!27! 11! Maggie’s!Centre!courtyard!and!interior!!.......................................................!!28! 12! Maggie’s!Centre!interior!!...............................................................................!!29! 13! Maggie’s!Centre!interior!!...............................................................................!!30! 14! Accordia!Living!‘merger’!................................................................................!!31! 15! Accordia!Living!exterior!!................................................................................!!32! 16! Accordia!Living!single!dwelling!!.....................................................................!!34! 17! Accordia!Living!exterior!!................................................................................!!35! 18! Centenary!Exterior!!........................................................................................!!38! 19! Centenary!interior!!........................................................................................!!39! 20! Centenary!atrium!!..........................................................................................!!40!! 21! Sainsbury!elevation!!.......................................................................................!!41! 22! Sainsbury!‘set!in!its!environment’!.................................................................!!42! 23! Sainsbury!interior!!.........................................................................................!!43! 24! Sainsbury!levels!!............................................................................................!!44! 25! American!Air!Museum!exterior!at!sunset!!.....................................................!!48! 26! Exterior!and!Interior!!.....................................................................................!!49! 27! Scottish!Parliament!exterior!!.........................................................................!!50! 28! Scottish!Parliament!exterior!windows!and!interior!!......................................!!51! 29! Scottish!Parliament!Interior!!..........................................................................!!52! 30! Marbach!Museum!Exterior!!...........................................................................!!53! 31! Marbach!exterior!colonnade!!........................................................................!!54! 32! Marbach!interior!!...........................................................................................!!55! 33! MAXXI!interior!staircase!!...............................................................................!!56! 34! MAXXI!exterior!!..............................................................................................!!57! 35! MAXXI!interior!activity!!..................................................................................!!58! 36! MAXXI!interior!!..............................................................................................!!59! 37! Magna!Exterior!and!Interior!!.........................................................................!!62! 38! Magna!exterior!elements!!.............................................................................!!63! 39! Astley!Castle!exterior!!....................................................................................!!64! !

! 40! 41! 42! 43! 44! 45! 46! 47! 48! 49! 50! 51! 52! 53! 54! 55! ! $

Astley!Castle!interior!!.....................................................................................!!65! Astley!Castle!interiors!!...................................................................................!!66! Lord’s!Media!Centre!exterior!!........................................................................!!69! Lord’s!Media!Centre!exterior!!........................................................................!!70! Lord’s!Media!Centre!interior!!........................................................................!!71! Madrid!Barajas!Interior!!.................................................................................!!72! Madrid!Barajas!Roof!lights!!............................................................................!!73! Peckham!Library!exterior!!..............................................................................!!74! Peckham!Library!‘pods’!..................................................................................!!77! ‘LIBRARY’!sign!and!Peckham!library!at!night!!................................................!!78! Gateshead!Bridge!!.........................................................................................!!79! Gateshead!Bridge!!.........................................................................................!!81! Gateshead!Bridge!at!night!!............................................................................!!82! Gherkin!building!within!the!skyline!!..............................................................!!83! Gherkin!exterior!and!Gherkin!interior!!..........................................................!!83! Gherkin!up!close!!...........................................................................................!!84!

Table$of$Contents$ $

$$$$$$$$$Page$

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!!................................................................................................!!i! ABSTRACT!!....................................................................................................................!!ii! LIST!OF!FIGURES!!.........................................................................................................!!iii! INTRODUCTION!!..........................................................................................................!!7! i!AIMS!AND!OBJECTIVES!!..................................................................................!!8! ii!METHODOLOGY!!...........................................................................................!!8! iii!THE!STIRLING!PRIZE!!.....................................................................................!!8! ! Chapter$ $ ! EDUCATIONAL!EXPERIENCE!!.................................................................!!13! 1! Stuttgart!Music!School!!......................................................................!!13! ! Laban!Dance!School!...........................................................................!!16! ! Evelyn!Grace!Academy!!.....................................................................!!20! ! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!25! ! ! ! LIVING!EXPERIENCE!!.............................................................................!!26! 2! Maggie’s!Centre!!................................................................................!!26! ! Accordia!Living!!..................................................................................!!30! ! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!34! ! ! ! WORKING!EXPERIENCE!!........................................................................!!37! 3! Centenary!Building!!............................................................................!!37! ! Sainsbury!Centre!!...............................................................................!!41! ! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!45! ! ! ! CULTURAL!EXPERIENCE!!.......................................................................!!46! 4! American!Air!Museum!!......................................................................!!46! ! Scottish!Parliament!Building!!.............................................................!!49! ! Marbach!Museum!!............................................................................!!53! ! MAXXI!Museum!.................................................................................!!56! ! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!60! ! ! ! DERIVATIVE!EXPERIENCE!!.....................................................................!!61! 5! Magna!Centre!!...................................................................................!!61! ! Astley!Castle!!......................................................................................!!64! ! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!67! ! ! ! THEORETICAL!EXPERIENCE!!..................................................................!!68! 6! Lord’s!Media!Centre!!.........................................................................!!69! ! Madrid!Barajas!!..................................................................................!!71! ! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!74! ! ! ! AESTHETIC!EXPERIENCE!!.......................................................................!!76! 7! Peckham!Library!!...............................................................................!!76! $ Gateshead!Millennium!Bridge!!..........................................................!!80! ! 5!

! !

30!St!Mary!Axe!!..................................................................................!!82! Concluding!Statements!!.....................................................................!!85! ! ! 8! CONCLUSION!!.......................................................................................!!86! Summary!!...........................................................................................!!86! Evaluation!!.........................................................................................!!87! Future!Work!!......................................................................................!!89! ! BIBLIOGRAPHY!!..........................................................................................................!!91! APPENDIX!1!–!RIBA!INTERVIEW!TRANSCRIPT!!...........................................................!!92! ! ! ! ! ! $ $

! $

$ $ $ $

Introduction$

$ In!its!entirety,!as!a!multifaceted!craft,!architecture!embraces!many!paradoxes,!such! as!form!and!function,!symbolism!and!social!purpose!and!art!and!science.!It!is!rooted! in!social!processes!and!inconsistencies!of!society.!Essentially!buildings!are!enclosures! that! shield! occupants! from! the! impact! of! weather! and! enable! specific! activities! to! take! place.! Ecologically! buildings! are! high! concentrations! of! natural! and! manufactured! materials! assembled! into! a! built! form.! However,! the! built! environment!has!the!power!to!be!more!than!this,!more!than!shelter!and!materials.! Le! Corbusier,! pioneer! of! modern! architecture,! differentiated,! “The! purpose! of! construction! is! to! make! things! hold! together;! of! architecture! to! move! us.” 1! Architecture! represents! a! physical! manifestation! of! the! values! and! practices! of! society!and!should!thusly!be!regarded!as!being!rooted!in!social!science,!having!the! power! to! psychologically! affect! its! user.! “Architecture! is…! a! phenomenon! of! the! emotions,! lying! outside! questions! of! construction! and! beyond! them.! Architectural! emotion! exists! when…! harmonies! have! been! attained! (and)! the! work! captures! us.! Architecture!is!a!matter!of!‘harmonies,’!it!is!a!‘pure!creation!of!the!spirit.’”2!! ! Architectural! culture! expressed! through! awards,! reviews,! and! publications! praises! buildings! that! find! the! right! balance! between! internal! logic! of! the! discipline! and! influence! of! cultural! forces,! between! social! and! personal! dimensions,! however! reviews!of!the!built!world!cannot!be!seen!as!a!substitute!the!physical!experience!of!a! space.! In! the! UK,! the! RIBA! Stirling! Prize! began! in! 1996! and! is! now! regarded! as! the! most!prestigious!architectural!award,!awarding!buildings!that!have!made!the!biggest! contribution! to! architecture! throughout! the! year.! However! to! what! extent! are! the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 2

!Le!Corbusier,!Towards(a(New(Architecture((Frances!Lincoln,!1927)! !Le!Corbusier,!Towards(a(New(Architecture((Frances!Lincoln,!1927)!

! award! winners! a! true! reflection! of! the! societal! trend! at! the! moment! or! are! they! simply!chosen!because!of!the!‘starchitecture’!–!buildings!chosen!for!the!famous!or! highUprofile!of!the!architect. This!paper!looks!at!how!the!harmonious!architecture!Le! Corbusier!wrote!on!and!experiential!elements!many!studies!believe!link!architecture! to!wellbeing,!are!being!reflected,!if!at!all,!within!the!Stirling!PrizeUwinners.! !

Aims$and$Objectives!

Within! the! discipline! of! architecture,! the! design! of! spatial! configuration! and! forms! are!regarded!as!the!most!prominent!concern!because!of!the!fundamental!impact!on! humans.!The!spatial!form!and!experience!have!been!called!the!‘primary!dimension! of! architecture.’3!However,! there! is! little! empirical! evidence! of! the! phenomenon! because!of!the!subjective!nature!of!an!architectural!experience.!This!paper!aims!to! determine! if! the! Stirling! Prize! reflects! these! studies! and! to! what! extent! the! PrizeU winner! are! designing! with! user! experience! in! mind.! In! addition! to! this! how! the! internal! and! external! aspects! of! the! building! can! be! attributed! to! positive! and! negative!user!prioritisation.! !

ii$

Methodology$

Although! the! user! most! accurately! experiences! a! building! physically;! where! all! senses! can! be! awakened! by! the! experience,! written! sources,! observations! and! narratives! can! be! used! to! appreciate! the! general! understanding! of! the! built! form.! From!reviews!and!writings!by!accredited!architects,!designers!and!users,!the!paper! critically!reviews!the!Stirling!PrizeUWinners!by!evaluating!the!buildings!on!the!basis!of! the!findings!as!well!as!the!overall!conclusions!of!the!author.!! !!!

iii$

The$Stirling$Prize$

Formerly! known! as! the! ‘Building! of! the! Year! Award’,! the! Royal! Institute! of! British! Architects,! or! RIBA,! Stirling! Prize! is! arguably! the! UK’s! most! esteemed! annual! architectural!award.!The!Stirling!Prize!is!for!architecture!what!the!Booker!Prize!is!for! literature! and! is! regarded! by! many! as! the! ‘Architectural! Oscars’.! Previously,! the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3

!Sigfried!Giedion,!Space,(Time(and(Architecture!(Harvard!University!Press,!1941)!!

! !

! Building!of!The!Year!Award!winners!(1987U1995)!were!chosen!by!the!RIBA!president! from!a!number!of!National!Award!Winners!however!the!differing,!more!democratic! Stirling! Prize! involves! a! more! comprehensive! process.! “British! architects,! (or! architects!with!their!head!office!in!the!UK),!who!have!designed!buildings!which!have! made! the! biggest! contribution! to! the! evolution! of! architecture! during! the! past! year,”4!are!eligible!to!win!the!award.!Learning!from!its!predecessor,!the!aim!of!the! Stirling!Prize!is!that!the!winner!should!be!decided!in!a!fair!and!allUinclusive!way,!for! this!reason!each!member!of!the!jury!visits!the!‘midlist’!and!shortlist!at!each!judging! process.! A! winner! is! then! chosen! to! receive! the! award,! along! with! a! £20,000! cash! prize.! ! Throughout! the! course! of! the! year! RIBA! award! many! national! and! international! projects! under! their! various! award! categories,! subsequently! each! of! these! RIBA! Award!winners!are!considered!for!the!RIBA!Stirling!Prize.!“RIBA!Awards!juries!assess! design!excellence!irrespective!of!style,!size!or!complexity!of!project.!They!also!take! into!account!constraints!of!budget,!brief!and!timetable,!and!the!economic!and!social! contexts!of!each!project.”5!As!well!as!judging!the!quality!of!the!design!and!scheme,! judges! are! expected! to! take! into! account! elements! such! as! “sustainability,! budget,! architectural! ambition! and! ideas,! design! vision,! materials! used,! accessibility! and! its! fitness!for!purpose.”!6!With!this!in!account,!judges!must!access!as!a!whole:! ! •

The!design!excellence!–!Is(the(design(of(the(building(excellent(in(all(areas?(

•

The!extent!of!innovation,!invention!and!originality!–!Has(or(could(this(building( be(replicated(in(another(area(with(no(sense(of(place?!!

•

The!complexity!of!the!brief!and!degree!of!difficulty!–!How(difficult(or(simple( was(the(design(brief(in(comparison(to(the(building?(How(much(or(little(have( the(architects(utilised(their(creative(license?!

•

A!building!that!is!fit!for!purpose!–(Has(the(building(successfully(responded(to( the(design(brief?!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4

!RIBA,!About(the(RIBA(Stirling(Prize!(Available:!http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAStirlingPrize,!2014)! !RIBA,!Judging(Process(and(Jury!(Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/judgingUprocessUandUjury!,!2014)! 6 !RIBA,!Judging(Process(and(Jury!(Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/judgingUprocessUandUjury!,!2014)! 5

! •

The!selection!of!materials!–!Are(the(materials(used(in(a(way(in(which(they(are( detailed(and(interesting?(

•

The! engagement! –! Are( users( delighted( and( are( occupants,( visitors( and( passersEby(stimulated(and(engaged(with(the(design?!

•

The! sustainability,! economic! viability! and! environmental! practicality! –! Will( the(building’s(use(of(resources(have(negative(impacts(on(future(generations?(

! During!the!1980sU90s,!the!Stirling!Prize!was!largely!influential!in!“turning!the!tide!of! negative!public!opinion!against”7!the!reign!of!Modern!Architecture.!As!such!by!late! 1990s,! the! trend,! ‘Cool! Britannia’! had! replaced! the! forced! conservationism! of! the! past,!reviving!public!opinion!on!architecture!thus!making!design!popular!again.!The! award!is!highly!esteemed!in!its!field!as!well!as!politically,!economically!and!socially,! reflecting!

the!

trends!

within!

the!

remit!

of!

European!

architecture.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7

!RIBA,!Stirling(Prize:(a(Short(History((Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/stirlingUprizeUaUshortUhistory/,!2014)!

10!

001 CENTENARY BUILDING

010 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

ARCHITECT - Hodder and Partners COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £3.2m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 1994-1995

ARCHITECT - EMBT/RMJM COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £414.4m TYPOLOGY - Parliament TIME - 1999-2004

002 STUTTGART SCHOOL

011 MADRID BARAJAS

ARCHITECT - James Stirling, Michael Wilford COUNTRY - Germany BUDGET - £unknown TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 1992-1997

ARCHITECT - Richard Rogers COUNTRY - Spain BUDGET - $7.2m TYPOLOGY - Airport TIME - 1997-2006

1996 2013

003 AMERICAN AIR MUSEUM

2010

012 MARBACH MUSEUM

2011

ARCHITECT - Foster and Partners COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £7.5m TYPOLOGY - Museum TIME - 1995-1997

2012 2001

2008

2009

004 LORDS MEDIA CENTRE

2004

ARCHITECT - Future Systems COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £5M TYPOLOGY - Media Centre TIME - 1994-1999

2005 1998

2002

2000

ARCHITECT -David Chipperfield COUNTRY - Germany BUDGET - £10m TYPOLOGY - Museum TIME - 2002-2006

2003

013 ACCORDIA LIVING

1999 1997

ARCHITECT - FCBM, Allison Brooks, Maccreannor Living COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £80M TYPOLOGY - Housing TIME - 2003-2006

2007

005 PECKHAM LIBRARY

014 MAGGIE’S CENTRE

ARCHITECT - Alsop and Stormer COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £5m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 1999-2000

ARCHITECT - Rogers Stirk and Harbour COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £2.1m TYPOLOGY - Hospital Retreat TIME - 2001-2008

006 MAGNA CENTRE

015 MAXXI MUSEUM

ARCHITECT - Wilkinson Eyre COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £46m TYPOLOGY - Science Centre TIME - 2001

ARCHITECT - Zaha Hadid COUNTRY - Germany BUDGET - £100m TYPOLOGY - Museum TIME - 1998-2009

007 GATESHEAD BRIDGE

016 EVELYN GRACE ACADEMY

ARCHITECT - Wilkinson Eyre COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £22m TYPOLOGY - Bridge TIME - 2000-2001

ARCHITECT - Zaha Hadid COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £38m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 2006-2010

008 THE LABAN CENTRE

017 ASTLEY CASTLE

ARCHITECT - Hezrog and de Meuron COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £23.8m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 2000-2003

ARCHITECT - Witherford, Watson and Man COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £1.35m TYPOLOGY - Castle TIME - 2007-2012

2006

009 30 ST MARY AXE

018 SAINSBURY LABORATORY

ARCHITECT - Richard Rogers COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £138m TYPOLOGY - Office TIME - 2001-2003

1996

ARCHITECT - Stanton Williams COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £65m TYPOLOGY - Laboratory TIME - 2008-2011

2000

2005

2009

2013

! Since!the!inception!of!the!Stirling!Prize,!the!winners!have!ranged!from!Government! buildings,! to! Educational! buildings! to! Museums,! an! Airport! and! a! Bridge! and! although!projects!from!around!the!world!can!be!entered,!most!PrizeUWinners!have! originated! from! the! United! Kingdom! and! a! couple! from! within! the! EU.! This! brings! into! question! the! validity! in! the! public! generalisation! of! the! Stirling! prize! aim! to! choose! a! winner! who! ‘made! the! biggest! contribution! to! the! evolution! of! architecture’.! This! is! because,! as! shown,! the! architecture! chosen! to! receive! the! Stirling! Prize! either! represents! the! best! contributor! to! the! evolution! of! world! architecture,!which!is!small!minded!if!the!jury!are!repetitively!selecting!most!of!the! PrizeUWinners!from!one!country,!or!the!Stirling!Prize!represents!the!best!contributor! to!the!evolution!of!‘Western’!architecture.!However!the!latter!alternative!still!is!not! fulfilled! when! the! main! criteria! is! that! the! architect! be! a! member! of! RIBA,! which! exists!only!in!the!United!Kingdom.!In!terms!of!PrizeUwinning!architects,!there!are!a! few! repetitions! in! each! year,! for! example! Zaha! Hadid,! Wilkinson! Eyre! and! Richard! Rogers.! This! could! be! a! reflection! of! the! esteemed! ‘starchitect’! status! of! the! architects! but! also! poses! a! question! if! they! are! truly! the! main! or! repeated! contributors!to!the!evolution!of!Western!architecture?! $

002 STUTTGART SCHOOL ARCHITECT - James Stirling, Michael Wilford COUNTRY - Germany BUDGET - £unknown TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 1992-1997

2003 2011

008 THE LABAN CENTRE 1997

ARCHITECT - Hezrog and de Meuron COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £23.8m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 2000-2003

016 EVELYN GRACE ACADEMY ARCHITECT - Zaha Hadid COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £38m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 2006-2010

CHAPTER 1

Educational Experience

! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$1$

Educational$Experience$ ! In! 21st! century! architecture,! with! the! growth! of! modern! technology! and! the! ‘computer!age’,!instead!of!using!the!built!environment!as!a!tool!of!way!finding!and! engagement,!building!designers!are!often!leaving!basic!principles!of!navigation!and! building! legibility! to! graphic! designers! and! signage.! The! school,! a! historically! functionUorientated!building!can!be!underestimated!in!the!impact!of!its!built!design! on! the! students.! A! study! by! the! University! of! Salford! showed! student’s! progress! could! be! attributed! by! 25%,! positively! or! negatively,! to! the! design! of! the! learning! environment!over!the!course!of!the!academic!year.!The!study!is!encouragement!that! designers! should! utilise! senses! of! smell,! touch,! and! vision! in! terms! of! colours! and! shapes! so! occupants! can! have! the! full! multiUsensory! experience! of! the! space.! This! demonstrates! environments! that! support! successful! way! finding! principles! can! be! spatially! exciting! as! well! as! complex.! Within! the! Stirling! PrizeUWinners,! are! a! selection! of! educational! spaces! such! as! university! buildings,! a! library! and! three! schools.!However!the!three!schools!reviewed!in!this!chapter!are!not!all!conventional:! the! first! of! the! three;! a! music! school,! the! second;! a! dance! school! and! the! third;! a! comprehensive!school.!! ! !

Stuttgart$Music$School$

Sir!James!Frazer!Stirling,!the!man!whose!legacy!is!the!Stirling!Prize,!which!was!named! after!him!shortly!after!his!death!in!1992,!was!awarded!the!second!ever!prize.!Along! with! Michael! Wilford! and! Associates,! Stuttgart! Music! School! in! Germany! was! awarded!the!new!prize!in!1997,!a!year!after!its!inception.!Stuttgart!Music!School!was! founded! in! 1857! in! Stuttgart!(BadenUWürttemberg),! Germany,! and! is! one! of! the! !

13!

! oldest! schools! of! its! kind.! As! a! professional! school! for! musicians! and! performing! artists,! the! sensory! elements! of! design! would! be! helpful! to! the! creative! processes! necessary! for! musicians! and! artists.! The! interior! environmental! considerations! for! this!kind!of!school!will!be!far!different!to!that!of!a!conventional!school!brief.!For!a! renowned! school! such! as! Stuttgart,! the! requirements! would’ve! been! even! more! refined,!however!in!the!refinement!would’ve!been!many!opportunities!for!creative! expression.!! ! Figure$1:!Exterior!and!interior!images!of!Stuttgart!Music!School!

©(Richard(Bryant(and(Loz(Flowers(

! Although! the! PrizeUwinning! building! is! an! addition! to! the! existing! structure,! it! is! regarded! as! the! ‘eye! catcher’! of! the! school! as! the! central! tower,! which! houses! a! library! with! over! 18,000! books! and! 9,000! recordings! and! the! main! concert! hall.! As! well! as! the! large! music! and! rehearsal! halls,! the! school! offers! multiUpurpose! spaces! such! as! foyers! and! galleries! for! both! internal! and! external! concerts! and! events.! Functionally,!the!schools!design!is!successful!in!providing!a!range!of!flexible!spaces.! However!looking!more!into!the!internal!designs!may!provide!further!insight!on!the! experiential!qualities!that!may!enhance!learning!inside!the!spaces.! ! From!the!street!level,!the!main!focus!of!the!building!is!the!bulging!cylindrical!tower! that!is!set!into!the!building!and!also!landscape.!Inside,!“nine!floors!of!teaching!and! practice!rooms!are!strung!out!in!the!long!building!with!a!main!road!on!one!side!and!

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! a!new!plaza!on!the!other.â&#x20AC;?8!The!nine!floors!provide!accommodation!for!the!students! and!the!public.!Upon!entrance!of!Stuttgart,!the!fourUstorey!foyer!provides!a!number! of! connections,! which! is! an! immediate! stimulant! for! the! visitors! and! occupants! of! Stuttgart.!At!a!lower!level!is!the!contrast!of!a!public!atrium!and!at!the!highest!level!of! the! roof! terrace,! a! more! private! contrast! of! a! senate! room! for! receptions! and! intimate!concerts.!With!spectacular!views!of!the!city,!this!could!provide!inspiration! for! the! students! in! need! of! creative! stimulation.! Although! the! yellow! and! blue! exterior! window! frames! give! hint! to! the! playfulness! of! the! colours! used! in! the! building,!most!striking!in!the!interior!building,!are!the!bright!colours!utilised,!these! may!represent!the!rhythm!and!vividness!of!music.!! $ Figure$2:!Stuttgart!tower!building!

! ÂŠ(Richard(Bryant(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8

!RIBA,!RIBA(Stirling(PrizeEWinner(1997(E(Stuttgart(Music(School!(Available:! http://www.architecture.com/whatson/exhibitions/atthevictoriaandalbertmuseum/room128a/2005/ribastirlingprize/1997.asp x!U!.U1ZtGUZdV2A,!2014)!

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! ! Regarded! highly! as! one! of! the! more! cultural! places! in! the! area! of! Stuttgart,! the! building! adjacent! to! Stuttgart! School,! Neue! Staatsgalerie,! an! art! museum,! was! completed!in!1984!by!the!same!architects.!Thus!some!of!the!materials!and!shapes!of! Stuttgart!are!complimentary!to!the!Neue!Staatsgalerie.!“The!music!school!was!one! of! a! number! of! new! cultural! buildings! in! Stuttgart! and! completed! the! sequence! of! buildings!in!the!urban!master!plan!conceived!for!Stuttgart’s!‘Cultural!Mile’”9.!Before! the!time!of!completion,!architect!James!Stirling!was!regarded!to!be!one!of!the!most! important! and! influential! architects! and! it! could! be! said,! Stirling’s! work! was! a! rebellion!against!the!conformity!of!modern!architecture.!The!prior!attack!of!his!work! from!opponents,!lead!him!to!seek!opportunities!to!design!outside!of!the!UK.!During! the! time! of! Stuttgarts! design,! Stirling’s! partnership! with! Wilford! had! produced! a! more!neoclassical,!revised!modernist!approach!to!architecture.!After!the!completion! of! Neue! Staatsgalerie,! he! was! considered! as! postmodernist,! although! he! rejected! labels.! Colours! in! both! Neue! Staatsgalerie! and! Stuttgart! Music! School! are! used! to! stimulate!the!visual!senses!and!circular!shapes!diversify!the!building!to!those!of!the! same!purpose,!which!have!experiential!differences.!However!the!circumstances!and! history! of! the! Stirling! and! Wilford! suggests! the! style! of! the! Stuttgart! building! may! have! been! more! of! the! architectUorientated! rebellion! against! a! label! rather! than! a! userUorientated!design!intervention.!!! !

Laban$Dance$Centre$ Six! years! after! this,! Laban! Dance! Centre! by! Hezrog! and! de! Meuron! won! the! 2003! Stirling! Prize.! The! judges! praised! Laban! for! its! engagement! with! both! architectural! forms!and!local!context.!“The!building!made!a!major!contribution!to!the!artistic!life! of! the! community! while! acting! as! a! catalyst! for! the! regeneration! of! the! whole! area.”10!As!with!the!Stuttgart!School,!the!brief!presented!many!opportunities!for!the! engagement!of!the!building!and!students.!The!fluidity!of!music!and!movement!was! something!to!be!exploited!as!well!as!the!rhythm!in!dance!and!its!varied!styles.!Laban! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9

!RIBA,!Stuttgart(Music(School,(Germany((1997)!(Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/stuttgartUmusicUschoolU germanyU1997/,!2013)! 10 RIBA,!The(Laban(Centre,(London((2003)!(Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/trinityUlabanUconservatoireUofU musicUandUdanceUlondonU2002/,!2013)!

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! has! long! been! committed! to! a! widespread! programme! involving! the! nearby! community,! “these! include! regular! dance! classes! for! adults,! young! people! and! children,! workshops! and! projects! with! schools,! projects! with! children! with! disabilities,! programmes! to! encourage! boys! and! young! men! into! dance,! open! days! and! projects! and! an! annual! summer! school.”11!Its! mission! is! to! ‘provide! a! vibrant! centre! of! excellence! for! lifeUlong! learning! in! dance! and! danceUrelated! activities,! serving!the!future!of!dance!at!a!local,!national!and!international!level’.!Laban!aims!to! meet!the!needs!of!the!young!people!in!the!school!and!wider!community!and!develop! them!not!only!performanceUwise!but!socially!also.!The!main!experiential!themes!of! the! building! are! movement! and! communication;! this! is! direct! reflection! on! the! physical!communication!associated!with!dance.! ! Figure$3:!Laban!dancer’s!shapes!reflected!in!the!exterior!contours!

! ©(Merlin(Hendy(and(Martin(Rose(and(Trinity(Laban(Website(

! Located! in! an! area! of! primarily! dense! residential! fabric! in! South! East! London,! architects! Hezrog! and! de! Meuron! teamed! up! with! artist! Michael! CraigUMartin! to! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 11

!Brian!Harris,!Capital(case(study:(Laban(Deptford,(London(Borough(of(Lewisham,!(Arts!Council! England,!2009)!

17!

! create! the! winning! project.! Unlike! James! Stirling,! and! his! preconceived! notions! in! rebellion! of! conformist! architecture,! Herzog! and! de! Meuron! emphatically! did! not! believe! in! signature! architecture.! There! were! no! underlining! political! or! economic! factors! pertaining! to! the! design! of! the! Laban.! Instead,! the! architects! dissected! the! brief!and!created!a!building!that!is!suited!to!its!purpose!and!engages,!not!only!with! the!occupants,!but!also!with!the!surrounding!area!and!community.!The!heritage!of! Deptford!Creek,!formerly!an!industrial!city,!informs!the!materialistic!element!of!the! project.! As! well! as! this,! the! designers! retain! elements! of! the! distinctive! ‘chaotic! beauty’! and! ‘informal! construction’! associated! with! the! dance! school’s! former! grounds! in! South! London.! The! educational! experience! of! the! Laban! begins! with! Hezrog!and!de!Meuron!and!Michael!CraigUMartin!first!educating!themselves!on!the! area!and!the!clients!then!letting!that!inform!the!design!process.!Acknowledging!the! Laban’s! inherent! relationship! with! its! local! community,! the! focal! point! of! communication!is!conceived.!The!physicality!of!dance,!the!vibrant,!inspiring!fluidity! of! movement! brings! about! the! Laban! Dance! Centre;! a! physical! expression! of! the! Laban.! ! Clad! with! revolutionary! coloured,! semiUtranslucent! polycarbonate! and! punctuated! by! sizeable! transparent! windows,! the! 7,800m2! building! is! cloaked! with! semiU transparent! shades! of! turquois,! magenta! and! lime.! The! playfulness! of! the! light! colours! gives! a! dainty! and! graceful! feel! to! the! structure,! which! is! a! contrast! to! the! former! rubbish! dump! the! site! used! to! be.! The! choice! of! a! polycarbonate! cladding! had!many!positive!properties!that!are!appropriate!to!the!interior!activity.!Light!is!not! hindered!in!its!path!so!spaces!are!still!well!lit,!however!the!material!protects!against! glare! and! heat! radiation,! which! contributes! to! energy! conservation.! “From! Laban’s! point!of!view,!because!what!we!do!is!about!the!health!of!the!body!and!the!mind,!it’s! nice!that!this!is!to!be!echoed!in!the!environment!around!the!creekside,!and!that!it! has! had! a! knockUon! effect! with! other! new! buildings! in! the! area.” 12 !These! considerations,! driven! by! architects,! clients! and! the! community,! give! the! project! a! sense!of!value!as!well!as!a!sense!of!place!and!purpose.! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 12

!Giles!Robertson,!Architecture!(Available:!http://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/aboutUus/greatUfacilities/facultyUofU dance/architecture,!2014)!

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! Figure$4:!Interior!forms!of!the!Laban!

! ©(archspace(

! Inside,! a! series! of! corridors,! interior! courtyards! and! reflection! points! focus! on! the! main!300Useater!theatre!space.!“Two!black,!concrete!spiral!staircases,!placed!at!both! ends,!become!places!for!encounters.”13!The!concept!for!these!spaces!were!an!‘urban! streetscape’,! possibly! a! reference! to! the! residential! fabric! of! the! area,! with! the! performance! theatre! acting! as! the! symbolic! heart! of! the! building.! Activities! are! intermixed! and! distributed! within! the! two! levels,! encouraging! communication! and! movement.!“The!spiral!staircase,!located!near!the!entrance,!divides!the!two!ramps! inside!the!building;!the!expansive!black,!sloping!ramp!that!cuts!across!the!building,! and! the! narrow! ramp! descending! to! the! lower! theatre! entrance.! The! staircase! and! balustrade! concrete! was! left! rough! before! painting,! giving! the! appearance! of! black! coal.!Swirling!wood!handrails,!bendy!wood,!are!used!everywhere.”!14!Hezron!and!de! Meuron! describe! the! progression! of! the! building,! a! progression! that! inspires! the! same!drama!and!movement!as!within!the!dance!spaces!even!before!you!reach!them.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 13

!Hezrod!and!De!Meuron,!Architecture!(Available:!http://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/completeUworks/151U 175/160UlabanUdanceUcentre.html,!2014)! 14 !Hezrod!and!De!Meuron,!Architecture!(Available:!http://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/completeUworks/151U 175/160UlabanUdanceUcentre.html,!2014)!

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! The! studio! spaces! are! mostly! located! on! the! upper! floor! to! encourage! natural! lighting!flow!and!cross!ventilation!from!each!side!of!the!building.! ! Colours!are!used!powerfully!both!inside!and!outside!the!building.!In!an!attempt!to! guide!orientation!and!rhythm,!colours!are!also!used!as!an!aid!to!identify!each!sectors! of! the! building.! As! light! and! colour! play! crucial! roles! within! the! interior,! they! also! serve!both!aesthetic!and!practical!purposes!in!their!engagement!with!the!occupants.! The!Laban!develops!Stuttgart’s!bold!use!of!colours!and!reinvents!them!with!a!more! soft!and!subtle!message.!Colour!enhances!the!user!experience!in!the!form!of!“light! wells,!decorated!with!water!or!mosses!(that)!penetrate!deep!into!the!interior!of!the! building!from!the!roof,!providing!light!and!further!distinctive!features!amongst!the! ‘urban!streetscape.’”!15!As!well!as!this,!the!planted!yards!outside!the!building!cut!at! different! lengths! and! provide! daylight! to! the! interior,! which! enables! occupants! to! see!visual!connections!as!well!as!spatially!orients!users!throughout!the!building.!In! addition,!they!mark!the!stairways!the!access!the!core!levels.!On!top!of!the!building,! the! Black! Redstart! bird! is! an! occupant! of! the! Laban’s! brown! roof! and! inhabits! the! area!as!one!of!the!UK’s!rarest!birds.! ! Figure$5:!Laban!Interior!

©(archspace(

! As! a! result! of! the! external! cladding,! in! the! daytime,! the! regular! activities! of! the! Laban,!which!include!workshops,!rehearsals!and!training,!are!partly!visible!from!the! outside.!Those!standing!on!the!outside!of!the!building!on!a!bright!day!are!able!to!see! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15

!Hezrod!and!De!Meuron,!Architecture!(Available:!http://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/completeUworks/151U 175/160UlabanUdanceUcentre.html,!2014)!

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! the!silhouettes!of!the!dancers!through!the!building.!However!by!night!the!Laban!acts! as!a!coloured!lantern,!radiating!light!onto!the!surrounding!community!area.!! ! Figure$6:!(Top)!Laban!exterior!during!the!day,!(bottom)!Laban!exterior!at!night!

! ©!Tim(Crocker(

! On! many! levels! the! Laban! provides! inspiring! spaces! that! influence! and! mirror! the! fluid!movements!of!dance.!The!Stirling!Prize!judges!commented,!“it!hits!you!straight! between! the! eyes! as! soon! as! you! get! there.! It! has! the! same! movement,! youth,! agility,! and! pizzazz,! front! to! it! that! its! students! have! –! it’s! very! seductive.! The! immediate! impact! on! everyone! in! the! bus! as! we! arrived! was! to! go! ‘wow’”16!The! Laban! creates! a! positive! and! original! learning! experience! for! the! occupants! as! it! reflects! the! complex! relationship! between! the! different! fields! of! dance,! while! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 16

!RIBA,!The(Laban(Centre,(London((2003)!(Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/trinityUlabanUconservatoireUofU musicUandUdanceUlondonU2002/,!2013)!

21!

! engaging!with!the!community!and!enabling!students!and!staff!spaces!to!enjoy! and! exchange!ideas.!

Evelyn$Grace$Academy$ Years!later!in!2011,!the!Evelyn!Grace!Academy!in!South!London!won!the!RIBA!Stirling! Prize.!Architect!Zaha!Hadid!“focuses!on!how!the!pupils!flow!through!the!building”!in! thinking!about!“how!to!offer!spaces!with!which!they!could!identify”.!The!patterns!of! movement! have! been! laid! out! in! an! attempt! to! “move! away! from! notions! that! a! school!needs!to!be!colourful!and!playful!in!a!childish!manner.!It!relies!upon!students! taking!ownership!of!the!spaces!U!educationally!as!much!as!architecturally”.!This!is!a! change! from! earlier! Stirling! users! that! utilise! colours! in! the! external! appearance! of! the!buildings.!“This!project!was!a!great!opportunity!to!apply!much!of!our!research!U! spatial!configurations,!hierarchy!of!spaces,!flow!patterns!U!on!a!more!pragmatic!level.! Merging!functional!requirements!with!spatial!and!formal!considerations!resulted!in! contextually!interesting!solutions.”!Navigation!and!the!impacts!of!design!on!human! psychology!were!carefully!considered!during!the!design!process!of!the!school.! ! Figure$7:!Evelyn!Grace!Academy!exterior!interactions!

! ©(Luke(Hayes(

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! Four!schools!sit!under!a!single!academy!umbrella!integrating!both!the!independence! of! the! individual! schools! and! the! unity! of! the! academy! authority.! The! linear! front! faĂ§ade! zigzags! round! a! sports! track! with! foliage! inserted! between.! The! immediate! external! reading! of! the! building! gives! an! interesting! new! perception! to! normative! school!design.!Overhangs!and!level!changes!protect!and!interact!with!the!students,! stimulating! their! brains! before! they! have! entered! the! building.! The! interior! design! creates!natural!transitions!and!functional!spaces,!giving!the!four!school!schools!their! own! identity! without! being! obvious! or! forceful! in! the! design.! An! independent! way! finding!experience!is!encouraged!by!the!clear!articulation!and!coherent!grouping!of! exterior! and! interior! spaces! as! defined! by! the! transition! of! double! height! to! single! height!study!spaces.!Classrooms!are!contemporary!with!a!limited!colour!palette,!and! are!presented!with!maximum!levels!of!natural!light!and!ventilation!to!encourage!a! healthy! physical! and! mental! atmosphere! for! learning! and! teaching.! Integration! is! achieved!with!the!natural!social!spaces!and!nodes!such!as!benches!and!lockers!away! from!the!classrooms,!for!the!four!schools!to!interact!naturally.!The!collective!space! created! by! the! corridors! and! nodes! creates! legible! circulation! spaces! within! the! design,!giving!the!students!places!to!sit!and!reflect!during!the!day.!! ! Figure$8:!Evelyn!Grace!Academy!hall!and!classroom!

ÂŠ(Luke(Hayes(

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! ! Hadid!further!comments,!“Schools!are!among!the!first!examples!of!architecture!that! everyone!experiences!and!have!a!profound!impact!on!all!children!as!they!grow!up.”! Educational! facilities! in! architecture! have! a! long! history! of! being! uninspiring,! placeless! buildings! but! with! newfound! research! linking! design! and! performance! there! have! been! improvements! in! the! design! of! these! spaces.! Afore! mentioned,! Nightingale! Associates! concluded! that! "the! (results)! will! support! designers! and! educators!in!targeting!investment!in!school!buildings!to!where!it!will!have!the!most! impact,! whether! new! build! or! refurbishment”,! now! that! a! positive! result! in! the! schools!used!for!the!study,!has!linked!the!overall!impact!of!the!built!environment!to! learning!rates!in!educational!facilities.! ! Michael!Gove,!the!UK’s!Education!Secretary!criticised!the!academy!referencing!the! government's! £55bn! Building! Schools! for! the! Future! programme! as! a! waste! of! finances.!Gove!criticised!the!excessively!designed!academy!stating!Hadid!“creamed! off!cash!which!should!have!been!going!out!to!the!front!line,”!the!front!line!being!the! teaching! staff! and! those! involved! in! the! actual! education! of! the! students.! Gove! expanding! saying,! "the! link! between! buildings! and! academic! performance! is! practically! zero",! that! ‘extravagant! fantasies’! had! been! created! by! selfUserving! architects!with!exaggerated!budgets.!The!Education!Secretary!saw!the!allocation!of! finances! to! the! outer! shell! of! the! UK! educational! system,! rather! than! the! interior! service! providers! as! an! example! of! money! poorly! allocated! and! further! wasted! by! architects.!! ! The!importance,!however,!of!architecture!and!the!built!environment!to!well!being,! has! been! neglected.! Livelihood,! academic! performance! and! general! success! of! the! education!system!cannot!be!left!to!workers!alone.!Elements!such!as!legible!and!clear! surroundings! promote! “emotional! satisfaction,! the! framework! for! communication! and!conceptual!organisation,!(and!bring)!new!depths!to!everyday!experience”17.!This! in! turn! has! positive! effects! on! the! learning! atmosphere! for! the! students.! This! is! created!by!the!built!environment!and!cannot!be!taught.!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 17

!Kevin!Lynch,!The(Image(of(the(City,!(Cambridge,!Massachusetts:!!MIT!Press,!1960)!

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! ! Concluding$Statements! All! Stirling! school! building! winners! highlight! and! emphasise! the! point,! “designers! must!remember!that!spatial!learning!and!thinking!are!not!the!same!as!visual!learning! and! thinking,” 18 !this! demonstrates,! the! physical! learning! environment! should! be! ignored.!“In!addition!to!spatial!perception,!cognitive!mapping!involves!use!of!other! sensory! inputs,! integration! of! inputs! over! time,! movement,! input! from! other! knowledge! and! value! systems,! and! frameworks! for! spatial! learning! gained! early! in! life.”!19!The! educational! building! is! the! first! building,! aside! from! the! house,! that! a! learner! spends! a! great! amount! of! time! inside,! and! for! this! reason! it! should! be! designed! as! a! building! that! has! a! holistic! affect! on! each! user.! Of! all! the! typologies! represented! within! the! Stirling! Prize,! the! educational! buildings! have! the! most! presence! within! the! winners.! This! may! represent! the! stance! that! the! education! or! learning!experience!is!greater!than!that!of!a!museum!or!castle!building.!It!may!also! represent! the! rise! in! the! Western! World’s! educational! priorities;! lastly! this! may! generally! mean! a! rise! in! the! attention! being! given! to! educational! buildings! designU wise! because! of! recent! studies! linking! the! built! environment! to! wellbeing.! Each! reason!would!allude!more!architects!want!to!design!educational!buildings!that!will! impact!the!learning!experience!for!now!and!future!generations.!! ! $

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 18 19

!Roger!Downs!and!Stea,!Maps(in(Minds!(New!York:!Harper!and!Row,!1977)! !Roger!Downs!and!Stea,!Maps(in(Minds!(New!York:!Harper!and!Row,!1977)!

25!

013 ACCORDIA LIVING ARCHITECT - FCBM, Allison Brooks, Maccreannor Living COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £80M TYPOLOGY - Housing TIME - 2003-2006

2008 2009

014 MAGGIE’S CENTRE ARCHITECT - Rogers Stirk and Harbour COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £2.1m TYPOLOGY - Hospital Retreat TIME - 2001-2008

CHAPTER 2

Living Experience

! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$2$

Living$Experience$ ! Functionalism! in! architecture! is! regarded! as! a! basic! and! practical! principle,! which! states!architects!should!design!the!exterior!and!interior!forms!of!a!building!based!on! the! intended! purpose! of! the! building.! This! principle! is! more! loosely! expressed! in! buildings!such!as!museums!and!schools!because!although!the!function!is!important,! there! is! creative! license! because! the! buildings! are! not! permanently! occupied.! However,! concerning! housing! typologies,! aesthetics! and! functionality! must! be! balanced!perfectly!unless!it!can!cause!stress!to!not!only!the!occupants!but!the!whole! community,!as!the!issues!may!cause!social!issues.!The!living!experience!is!one!of!the! most!crucial!as!it!is!where!most!people!spend!a!majority!of!their!lives!therefore!the! userUexperience!of!such!must!be!carefully!considered.!This!chapter!looks!at!Maggie’s! Centre,!a!retreat!for!Cancer!patients!and!at!the!end!of!the!spectrum!Accordia!Living,! highUdensity! housing! of! varied! scales.! Both! buildings! attempting! to! prioritise! wellbeing!and!create!a!harmonic!environment!for!all.! $

Maggie’s$Centre$ The!holistic!view!of!design!incorporates!elements!to!do!with!communication!design! as! well! as! comfort! design! in! order! to! create! a! positive! environment! and! in! turn! reaction!from!users.!For!example!Maggie’s!Centres!are!based!around!three!areas!of! relaxation! and! stress! reduction;! information! and! emotional! support.! Rogers! Stirk! Harbour’s! ‘Maggie’s! Cancer! Caring! Centre’! built! retreat! offers! support! for! those! affected! by! cancer! at! all! stages.! This! can! include! the! cancer! sufferers! themselves,! family! or! friends.! Harbour’s! building! won! the! 2006! Stirling! Prize! and! was! commended! for! its! completely! informal,! homeUlike! appeal! and! achievement! in!

26!

! having! created! a! sanctuary! for! cancer! patients.! Although! the! scheme! has! a! holistic! feel,!it!is!in!complete!support!of!conventional!medical!treatment.! $ Figure$9:!Maggie’s!Centre!exterior!!

! ©(Richard(Bryant(and(Arcaid(

! The!vision!of!the!first!Maggie’s!Centre,!which!was!opened!in!1996!in!Edinburgh,!was! that!of!Maggie!Keswick!Jencks;!late!wife!of!landscape!architect!Charles!Jencks.!While! she!had!cancer,!she!recognised!there!were!difficulties!in!accessing!onUgoing!support! and!accurate!information.!The!first!Maggie’s!Centre!in!England,!Harbour!is!located!at! Charing! Cross! Hospital! in! Hammersmith,! West! London! and! sees! over! 6,000! cancer! patients!per!year!with!a!cancer!population!of!over!10,000!people.!! ! Figure$10:!Maggie’s!Centre!windows!

! ©(Richard(Bryant(

27!

! Behind! the! holistic! fundamentals,! the! concept! of! Maggie’s! Centre! London! is! to! create!an!environment!that!is!confortable,!welcoming!and!relaxed.!“Conceived!as!a! twoUstorey!pavilion,!the!centre’s!positive!spirit!is!signalled!with!a!bold!roof!canopy! that!hovers!high!above!the!walls!to!sail!protectively!over!a!series!of!intimate!internal! gardens,! courtyards! and! roof! terraces,”20!the! external! structure! attempts! to! create! thought!protectiveness!and!safety!for!those!inside,!“one!large!opening!in!the!façade! provides! a! glimpse! of! a! courtyard! garden! and! the! table! beyond;! it! immediately! speaks! of! simple! human! pleasures,! it! invites! us! in.”21!On! arrival,! a! deep! orange! rendered!wall!gives!the!facility!an!unforgettable!façade!with!its!bright!and!cheerful! exterior.! This! use! of! colour! refers! back! to! the! type! of! architecture! that! makes! patients!feel!more!human,!more!fulfilled!and!more!alive,!this!is!also!a!contrast!to!the! neutral!colours!used!by!hospitals.!! $ Figure$11:!Maggie’s!Centre!courtyard!and!interior!

! ©(Richard(Bryant(

! Ownership!is!a!key!element!of!the!design,!it!informs!the!flexibility!of!the!space.!Users! are! encouraged! to! feel! at! home! anywhere! within! the! Centre,! rather! than! mere! visitors!by!the!different!design!elements;!the!layout!is!open!and!accessible!however! incorporates!different!degrees!of!public!and!private!space.!The!Centre!is!designed!on! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 20

!Mina!Vadon,!Richard(Rogers'(Maggie's(cancer(care(centre(has(won(the(RIBA(Stirling(Prize(2009( )!(Available:!www.architecture.com!http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U 2012/AwardsNews/News/2009/MaggiesCentreWinsSitrlingPrize2009.aspx#.U3iWNVhdV2A,!2009)! 21 !Mina!Vadon,!Richard(Rogers'(Maggie's(cancer(care(centre(has(won(the(RIBA(Stirling(Prize(2009( )!(Available:!www.architecture.com!http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U 2012/AwardsNews/News/2009/MaggiesCentreWinsSitrlingPrize2009.aspx#.U3iWNVhdV2A,!2009)!

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! a! domestic! scale! integrates! Designed! on! a! domestic! scale,! with! a! protective! wall! around! it! to! mute! the! busy! London! traffic.! The! design! features! a! doubleUheight! kitchen,!which!is!the!heart!of!the!scheme,!three!sitting!rooms,!courtyard!gardens,!a! library! and! different! private! and! more! personal! reflection! spaces.! “Light! fills! the! interior,!coming!through!the!glazed!walls!at!first!floor!level!and!through!openings!in! the!roof.”22!Natural!lighting!is!very!important!in!defining!interior!spaces.!“There!is!no! signage,! everything! is! intuitive;! there! are! no! hinged! doors! except! on! the! entrance! and!the!toilets.”23!The!signage!is!in!the!narrative!of!the!building!and!further!adds!a! homey!feel!to!the!centre!environment.!! ! Figure$12:!Maggie’s!Centre!interior!

! ©(Richard(Bryant(

! There!are!also!many!places!along!the!garden!wall,!to!the!Centres!entrance,!available! for!sitting,!stopping!and!reflecting.!This!simple!design!element!has!the!power!to!slow! down! the! procession! into! the! building,! by! creating! opportunities! like! this! it! gives! users!places!to!relieve!their!stress!in!the!fresh!air.!There!are!quiet!corners!users!can! retreat! to! inside! the! building! however! the! kitchen! area! acts! as! the! heart! of! the! building,!where!people!mainly!congregate.!“Like!any!traditional!home,!life!is!centred! around!the!hearth!–!here!a!woodUburning!stove!–!and!the!kitchen.!A!big!table!and!a! kettle!welcome!users,!inviting!people!disturbed!by!news!of!cancer!in!themselves!or! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 22

!Rogers!Stirk!Harbour!+!Partners!LLP,!Maggie's(Centre:(Facts!(Available:! http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/render.aspx?siteID=1&navIDs=1,4,25,566,!2014)! 23 !Mina!Vadon,!Richard(Rogers'(Maggie's(cancer(care(centre(has(won(the(RIBA(Stirling(Prize(2009( )!(Available:!www.architecture.com!http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U 2012/AwardsNews/News/2009/MaggiesCentreWinsSitrlingPrize2009.aspx#.U3iWNVhdV2A,!2009)!

29!

! loved!ones,!to!come!in,!to!make!themselves!at!home.”24!These!humanistic!elements! provide! visual! encouragement! for! patients! to! live! normally! with! cancer! and! gently! get!their!lives!back.! !! Figure$13:!Maggie’s!Centre!interior!

! ©(Richard(Bryant(

! The!aim!for!Maggie’s!Centre!London!is!something!21st!century!architects!can!all!learn! positively! from.! This! was! to! create! a! nonUinstitutional! building! that! was! more! than! just!a!box,!“more!welcoming,!more!comfortable,!more!thought!provoking!and!more! uplifting.”25! $

Accordia$Living$ Good! high! density! housing! design! takes! into! consideration! the! needs! of! the! occupants,!community!and!general!public!while!not!compromising!the!quality!of!the! interior! and! exterior! spaces.! Societal! views,! economic! and! environmental! attitudes! are! acknowledged! at! all! points! as! architects! consider! short! term! and! long! term! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 24

!Mina!Vadon,!Richard(Rogers'(Maggie's(cancer(care(centre(has(won(the(RIBA(Stirling(Prize(2009( )!(Available:!www.architecture.com!http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U 2012/AwardsNews/News/2009/MaggiesCentreWinsSitrlingPrize2009.aspx#.U3iWNVhdV2A,!2009)! 25 !Rogers!Stirk!Harbour!+!Partners!LLP,!Maggie's(Centre:(Facts!(Available:! http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/render.aspx?siteID=1&navIDs=1,4,25,566,!2014)!

30!

! impacts.!All!these!components!can!have!very!positive!influences!on!all!levels.!A!case! study! for! this! is! 2008! PrizeUWinners! Accordia! Living! in! Cambridge.! Feilden! Clegg! Bradley! Studios,! who! included! Allison! Brooks! Architects! and! Maccreanor! Lavington! for!a!more!architecturally!dynamic,!unique!and!innovative!design!led!the!scheme.! ! Figure$14:!Accordia!Living!‘merger’!

! ©(Tim(Crocker(

31!

! Designed! in! order! to! tackle! the! public! open! space! problem,! Accordia! Living! spans! over!eight!acres!of!land!and!the!design!focuses!on!creating!a!close,!interconnected! community!with!public!spaces!embedded!between!the!scheme!“The!existing!natural! landscape! combined! with! the! 700! established! trees! onsite! has! dictated! the! design! theme! for! Accordia! Living! –! a! layout! themed! around! the! idea! of! ‘living! in! a! garden.’”26!The! scheme! provides! a! new! model! for! the! connection! between! indoor! and! outdoor! spaces,! smallUscale! internal! courtyards! and! large! scale! community! gardens! and! ultimately! public! and! private! spaces.! Relationships! play! an! important! role! in! this! model,! between! the! three! different! firms;! Accordia! Living! has! a! legible! exterior!reading!because!of!the!shared!goals.! ! Although! the! different! architects! shared! the! same! end! goal! and! vision,! Accordia! Living!is!far!from!‘safe’!in!a!simple!set!of!floor!plans.!“Together!they!have!created!a! place! that! is! both! singular! and! cohesive! –! so! much! so! in! fact! that! it! is! hard! to! tell! where! one! architect's! designs! stop! and! those! of! another! start;! where! landscaping! ends! and! architecture! begins.”!27!There! are! a! variety! of! house! plans! with! complex! and! ambiguous! and! interesting! interior! and! exterior! spaces.! Feilden! Clegg! Bradley! Studios!provide!more!minimalist!spaces!while!Maccreanor!Lavington!are!freer!with! their!intricate!plans.!Alison!Brooks!provides!an!inUbetween!compromise!of!the!two! styles.!! ! Figure$15:!Accordia!Living!exterior!

! ©(Tim(Crocker(

! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 26

!Isabelle!Lomhort,!Accordia!Cambridge!:!Residential!Architecture! !(Available:!http://www.eUarchitect.co.uk/cambridge/feildenUcleggUbradleyUhousing,!2014)! 27 !RIBA,!Accordia,(Cambridge((2008)((Available:! http://www.architecture.com/awards/ribastirlingprize/ribastirlingprize2008/accordia/accordia.aspx,!2013)!

32!

! Prefabricated! WWII! buildings! and! government! offices! previously! sat! on! the! site,! which!is!a!few!miles!from!the!Centre!of!Cambridge.!Victorian!housing!and!individual! villas,!which!sit!outside!the!surrounding!site,!also!happens!to!be!a!conservation!area.! There!are!over!700!trees!on!site!including!protected!mature!trees.!As!well!as!this,!a! grade! II! listed! building! neighbours! the! site.! The! dense! Victorian! housing! provided! inspiration! for! the! design! of! Accordia! for! the! designers.! “Accordia,! like! all! the! best! architecture,! creates! its! own! context! and! is! already! a! place! that! appears! always! to! have!been!there.”28! ! Dwellings!each!have!their!own!gardens,!which!are!created!through!different!levelled! terraces!and!courtyards.!Each!dwelling!has!its!entrance!through!an!informal!veranda! through! the! front! garden.! Accordia! living! uses! a! mixture! of! materials,! which! are! intended!to!help!integrate!and!connect!the!site!to!its!surroundings.!Universally!used! CambridgeUstyle! yellow! brick! brings! about! uniformity! across! the! scheme! and! external! green! oak! timberUframed! and! copperUclad! apartment! buildings! creates! a! contrast! in! the! surrounding! nearby! multiUstorey! offices.! A! significantly! greater! amount,!than!that!of!nearby!schemes,!of!green!open!spaces!as!well!as!well!defined! play!spaces!for!children,!are!achieved!by!sharing!communal!areas.!Terraced!housing! in!Accordia!Living!features!two!different!frontages.!The!formal!frontage!features!“a! four!storey!brick!façade!and!the!other!is!a!quieter!varied!mews!street“29,!while!the! mews! frontage! ”alternates! between! two! storey! studios! overlooking! the! street! and! first! floor! timber! decks! with! overhanging! planting.“30!! The! rhythm! of! the! balconies! and!grand!projecting!exterior!windows!that!sit!above!the!verandas,!provide!diversity! along! the! breadth! of! the! modest! Cambridge! brick! terrace.! Like! a! Georgian! terrace,! the! main! living! areas! are! on! the! first! floor! and! feature! a! higher! ceiling! in! order! to! bring!down!more!light.!This!feature!is!reflected!in!the!window!proportions.!! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 28

!RIBA,!Accordia,(Cambridge((2008)((Available:! http://www.architecture.com/awards/ribastirlingprize/ribastirlingprize2008/accordia/accordia.aspx,!2013)! 29 !Maccreanor!Lavington,!Accordia,(Cambridge(England,!(Available! http://www.maccreanorlavington.com/website/en/project_907.html,!2014)! 30 !Maccreanor!Lavington,!Accordia,(Cambridge(England,!(Available! http://www.maccreanorlavington.com/website/en/project_907.html,!2014)!

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! Figure$16:!Accordia!Living!single!dwelling!

! ÂŠ(Tim(Crocker(

! Interior!plans!of!the!terrace!houses!are!designed!in!order!to!maximise!the!size!of!the! living!space!and!staircase!between!the!house!and!garage,!in!the!middle!of!the!plot.! At!the!back!of!some!houses,!above!the!garage,!there!is!a!fullUlength!studio!that!could! be!used!for!different!purposes!such!as!a!spare!bedroom,!a!study.!â&#x20AC;?The!houses!fill!the! plots! and! external! space! is! distributed! throughout! the! height! of! the! building.! The! kitchen!and!dining!room!open!onto!the!courtyard!and!veranda!and!the!principle!first! ! 34!

! floor!living!space!and!studio!relate!to!the!terrace!or!deck.!The!master!bedroom!and! its!bathroom!have!their!own!private!‘sky!patio’!with!a!view!into!the!tree!canopies.“!31! ! Figure$17:!Accordia!Living!exterior!

! ©(Tim(Crocker((

! Accordia! Living! demonstrates! good! quality,! high! density! housing! design! that! takes! into!consideration!the!needs!of!the!occupants,!community!and!general!public!while! not! compromising! the! quality! of! the! interior! and! exterior! spaces.! Societal! views,! economic!and!environmental!attitudes!are!acknowledged!at!all!points!and!architects! consider! short! term! and! longUterm! impacts.! For! example,! the! terraced! housing! design! prevents! excess! heat! loss! due! to! protection! from! other! houses.! Accordia! Living! shows! good! urban! design! and! more! considerately! laid! out! new! housing! can! help!prevent!long!term!social!issues!at!a!smaller!scale.! ! Concluding$Statements$ Living!environments!should!incorporate!the!use!of!technology,!personal!expression! and!foundationally!satisfy!human!needs.!The!impact!that!a!building!has!on!how!the! occupants!feel!can!manifest!as!a!physical!or!mental!emotional!process,!however!only! recently!have!behavioural!studies!showed!this!link.!Maggie’s!Centre!realises!this!and! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 31

!Maccreanor!Lavington,!Accordia,(Cambridge(England,!(Available! http://www.maccreanorlavington.com/website/en/project_907.html,!2014)!

35!

! reflects!positive!impacts!in!the!design!of!the!bright!and!peaceful!centre.!As!well!as! this,!Accordia!attempts!to!bring!environments!together!while!respecting!the!heritage! of!the!existing!site.!The!purpose!of!the!built!environment!is!to!create!places!where! occupants! primarily! can! perform! their! functional! tasks,! however! it! is! the! responsibility!of!architects!to!also!create!places!where!users!feel!more!human,!more! alive!and!more!fulfilled.!! $

36!

001 CENTENARY BUILDING ARCHITECT - Hodder and Partners COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £3.2m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 1994-1995

1996 2013

018 SAINSBURY LABORATORY ARCHITECT - Stanton Williams COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £65m TYPOLOGY - Laboratory TIME - 2008-2011

CHAPTER 3

Working Experience

! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$3$

Working$Experience$ ! Space! planning! is! a! vital! part! of! architecture! and! the! built! environment.! This! comprises! of! the! maximisation! of! the! internal! spatial! area,! the! definition! of! way! finding! patterns! and! circulation! spaces! and! even! ordering! interior! design! elements! such!as!furniture!and!equipment!placement.!Numerous!design!parameters!must!be! considered! in! order! to! effectively! prioritise! space! allocation,! building! code! criteria,! circulation!and!work!flow!and!as!well!as!this!project!constraints!must!be!considered! such! as! security! and! flexibility! in! accommodating! long! term! spatial! requirements.! Working! experiences! for! users! comprise! of! these! elements,! most! especially! in! research! environments.! This! is! typically! because! in! order! for! productivity! to! be! enhanced! in! these! settings,! space! for! reflection! and! interaction! needs! to! be! allocated.! This! chapter! reviews! Stirling! winners,! Cenetary! Building! and! Sainsbury! Laboratory,! of! which! are! both! university! buildings,! with! specific! brief! related! outcomes!and!typological!elements.!! $ $

Cenetary$Building$

Although! the! building! does! not! strike! the! society! as! particularly! drastic! or! intense! today,! the! Centenary! Building! in! the! University! of! Salford! received! the! first! ever! Stirling! Prize! award! in! 1996,! and! set! the! mark! for! all! subsequent! higher! education! buildings.!A!â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fusion!of!design!ad!technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;!is!what!the!client!described!the!function! of!the!building!to!be!and!reflect.!Architects!Hodder!Associates!delivered!a!building! with!a!relatively!small!budget!in!a!short!amount!of!time!that!provided!a!template!for! â&#x20AC;&#x201C;valueUforUmoney! academic! buildings.! It! houses! the! Departments! of! Spatial,! Industrial!and!Graphic!Design.!! ! !

37!

! Figure$18:!Centenary!Exterior!

! ©(Hodder(and(Partners((

! The! buildings! form! is! generated! as! a! response! to! the! ‘fusion! of! design! and! technology’! request,! however! the! building! also! responds! to! its! context! as! it! is! between! the! city! and! academic! campus.! The! result! is! given! by! the! ‘layered’! look! building!in!both!plan!and!section.!Centenary’s!layered!form!is!the!result!of!a!desire! to!communicative!the!clear!aims!of!the!brief,!programme!and!response!to!the!built! context!in!which!the!building!is!placed!in.!Hodder!and!Partners!explain!the!interior! elements;! “flexible! studio! and! seminar! space,! and! three! service! towers,! are! contained! within! a! four! storey! orthogonal! ‘bar’! of! accommodation” 32 ,! which! provides!enough!space!for!the!400!students!that!inhabit!the!space.!Also!“prescribed! tutorial! accommodation! and! technology! suites! are! arranged! in! a! free! form! three! storey!element!address!the!newly!defined!courtyard.”!33! ! ! ! ! ! ! $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 32 33

!Tony!Chapman,!The(Stirling(Prize:(Ten(Years(of(Innovation(and(Architecture((Merrell!Publishers!Limited,!2006)! !Tony!Chapman,!The(Stirling(Prize:(Ten(Years(of(Innovation(and(Architecture((Merrell!Publishers!Limited,!2006)!

38!

! Figure$19:!Centenary!interior!

! ÂŠ(Hodder(and(Partners(

! The!organisational!logical!element!between!the!differing!types!of!accommodation!is! the! linear! atrium! within! which! the! horizontal! circulation! from! the! galleries! is! contained.! In! this! logic,! the! circulation! of! the! atrium! or! â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;! becomes! a! central! aspect!of!the!building!where!studios!and!offices!engage!with!the!atrium!and!give!the! building!vivacity!as!well!as!a!sense!of!purpose.!The!tall!and!narrow!internal!atrium! provides! the! building! with! a! dynamic! spatially! interesting! element,! which! differentiates! the! building! from! most! other! university! buildings.! The! working! experience!is!then!enhanced!by!this!element.!As!students!and!lecturers!are!spending! decreased! amounts! of! time! sitting! at! desks! and! more! time! moving! through! the! workspace,!collaborating!and!sharing!ideas!with!coUworkers.!Students,!particularly!in! the!design!field,!working!on!their!design!projects!can!experience!the!space!more.!For! this!reason!the!need!for!a!more!informal!and!wellUdesigned!educational!spaces!like! Centenary!increases,!as!it!can!encourage!more!focused!work!and!rich!interactions.! ! ! ! !

39!

! Figure$20:!Centenary!atrium!

! ©(Hodder(and(Partners(

! Internally,!top!light!layers!one!side!and!is!aided!by!artificial!lighting.!The!material!and! colour!palettes!are!kept!simple!with!greys;!silvers!and!whites!being!the!main!colours! in! order! to! fully! respond! to! the! ‘technology’! element! of! the! brief! and! give! the! building!a!dynamic,!crisp!and!clean!appearance.!Steel,!glass!and!concrete!are!used!to! keep! the! exterior! modern! and! sophisticated.! The! Stirling! Prize! jury! comment,! “Despite!being!built!quickly!and!cheaply!–!the!team!had!to!be!on!site!in!just!twelve! weeks! after! appointment! –! the! building! is! a! dynamic,! modern! and! sophisticated! exercise!in!steel,!glass!and!concrete.!They!have!bowed!out!the!main!facade!to!create! a! wide! studio! and! lecture! theatre! space! with! indirect! daylighting;! breaking! the! ‘internal!street’!with!galleries!and!bridges,!and!exposing!rooms!to!this!central!space! to!give!an!air!of!purpose!and!animation.”34! ! The! Centenary! Building! won! the! RIBA! Architecture! in! Education! Award! highlighting! the!success!in!not!only!providing!a!functional!space!for!students!to!work!but!also!in! giving!the!campus!a!sense!of!place!to!what!was!previously!a!dissimilar!collection!of! indifferent!teaching!blocks.!Centenary!shows!the!difference!internal!space!planning! and! external! functionality! can! make! to! not! only! the! inhabitants! but! to! a! greater! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!Tony!Chapman,!The(Stirling(Prize:(Ten(Years(of(Innovation(and(Architecture((Merrell!Publishers!Limited,!2006)!

40!

! extent! the! society! around! the! building.! This! architecture! shows! how! the! built! environment!can!give!a!sense!of!pride!and!hope!in!the!larger!cultural!environment.! !!!!

Sainsbury$Laboratory! With! the! Centenary! building! showcasing! how! with! space! planning! prioritised,! positive! changes! workplace! ethic! can! increase,! and! a! more! holistic! approach! to! interior! planning! at! the! forefront! of! workplace! design,! when! Charles! Darwin’s! mentor! and! leader! Professor! Henslow! conceived! the! Cambridge! University! Botanic! Garden! in! 1831,! the! Sainsbury! Laboratory! developed! the! agenda! in! its! interior! and! exterior! form.! The! Sainsbury! Laboratory,! which! was! to! be! used! as! an! aid! to! the! research!being!conducted!on!diversity!of!plant!species,!designed!by!Stanton!Williams! Architects,!won!the!Stirling!Prize!in!2012;!it!seeks!to!advance!the!understanding!of! how! plant! diversity! came! about.! Systematic,! ordered! and! legible,! “its! design! is! shaped!by!the!intention!that!the!Laboratory’s!architecture!would!express!its!integral! relationship!with!the!Garden!beyond.”35! ! Figure$21:!Sainsbury!elevation!

! ©(Hufton(and(Crow(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 35

!Dezeen,!Sainsbury(Laboratory(by(Stanton(Williams((Available:!http://www.dezeen.com/2011/08/03/sainsburyUlaboratoryUbyU stantonUwilliams/,!2011)!

41!

! As!a!plant!science!research!Centre,!the!11,000!square!metre!building!is!based!in!the! University! of! Cambridge! and! is! the! central! hub! for! worldUleading! scientists! in! the! highest! quality! of! spatially! planned! working! environments.! The! interior! form! achieves! specific! and! complicated! scientific! necessities! while! responding! to! its! landscape,! botanical! placement! and! surroundings.! Its! nesting! within! its! natural! surroundings!provides!a!healthy!working!environment!as!the!landscape!delivers!an! immediately!motivating!setting!for!innovative!research.!The!centre!features!carefully! thought! out! working! environments! such! as! laboratories,! meeting! rooms,! seminar! rooms! and! the! University’s! Herbarium.! More! informal! spaces! include! a! public! café! and!support!areas.!There!is!a!sequence!in!the!spatial!planning!of!the!building.!Spaces! are! intended! to! be! experienced! and! conceived! by! users! with! emphasis! to! the! relationship!they!have!with!the!garden!outside!the!building.!“The!way!in!which!the! Laboratory’s! different! functions! are! connected! by! a! continuous! route! recalls! the! ‘thinking!path’!described!by!Charles!Darwin,!a!way!to!reconcile!nature!and!thought! through!the!activity!of!walking.”36!The!spatial!planning!and!layout!benefit!the!nature! of!the!work.!! !

Figure$22:!Sainsbury!‘set!in!its!environment’!

! ©(Hufton(and(Crow(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 36

!Stanton!Williams,!Sainsbury(Laboratory((Available:!http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/sainsburyUlaboratory/,!2014)!

42!

! Externally,! building’s! strong! identity! is! established! by! the! way! the! interlinked! but! dissimilar! forms! are! grouped.! “Solidity! is! implied! by! the! use! of! bands! of! limestone! and! exposed! insitu! concrete,! recalling! geological! strata! and! indeed! the! Darwinian! idea! of! evolution! over! time…! at! the! same! time,! however,! permeability! and! connections! between! the! building! and! the! Garden! have! been! central! to! its! conception.”37!As! the! building! is! very! rooted! in! the! garden! setting,! only! two! of! the! three!levels!to!the!building!are!visible!at!ground!level!in!order!to!not!only!reduce!the! building’s! height! but! also! to! reduce! the! environmental! footprint! by! ensuring! resourceful!ecological!control.!The!forms!are!grouped!around!four!sides!of!a!central! courtyard;! one! of! the! sides,! however,! is! made! up! of! 19th! century! trees! planted! by! professor! Henslow! when! the! site! was! first! established.! Generally,! there! is! a! strong! horizontal!identity!made!by!the!exterior.! $ Figure$23:!Sainsbury!interior!

! ©(Hufton(and(Crow(

! The!external!identity!is!carried!through!to!the!internal!building!and!can!be!used!to! explain!some!of!the!spatial!planning!decisions.!The!informal!communal!areas!of!the! inside! focus! on! the! courtyard,! “opening! into! it! at! ground! level! and! onto! a! raised! terrace! above! in! order! to! provide! immediate! physical! connections! between! the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 37

!Dezeen,!Sainsbury(Laboratory(by(Stanton(Williams((Available:!http://www.dezeen.com/2011/08/03/sainsburyUlaboratoryUbyU stantonUwilliams/,!2011)!

43!

! Laboratory!and!its!surroundings.”!38!The!use!of!glazing!all!over!the!building!bring!in! light!to!those!working,!provide!views!and!inspiration!at!first!and!ground!floor!level.! Glazing! connects! outside! to! inside! to! allow! the! spaces! to! be! read! as! integral! elements!of!the!outdoor!landscape.!Communal!areas!and!support!spaces!are!not!just! empty! spaces;! they! are! intended! and! provided! to! promote! intellectual,! stimulating! conversation! between! the! scientists! working! and! even! between! the! scientists! and! the! garden.! Glimpses! of! laboratories! are! provided! with! the! internal! windows,! this! operates! as! a! transitional! zone! between! topUlit! working! areas! at! the! centre! of! the! building!and!the!Botanical!Garden!itself.!“! In!this!respect,!the!‘path’!reinterprets!the!tradition!of!the!Greek!stoa,!the!monastic! cloister,!and!the!collegiate!court,!all!of!which!were!intended!to!some!extent!as!semiU outdoor! spaces! for! contemplation! and! meetings.! As! a! result,! past,! present,! and! future!are!connected.”!39!! ! Figure$24:!Sainsbury!levels!

! ©(Hufton(Crow(

! The! historic! Botanic! Garden’s! arrangement! compliments! the! inherent! aim! of! the! research! centre;! to! understand! plant! diversity.! The! centre! provides! both! pleasant! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 38 39

!Stanton!Williams,!Sainsbury(Laboratory((Available:!http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/sainsburyUlaboratory/,!2014)! !Stanton!Williams,!Sainsbury(Laboratory((Available:!http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/sainsburyUlaboratory/,!2014)!

44!

! and!well!thought!out!working!and!public!environments.!â&#x20AC;&#x153;Professor!John!Parker,!the! recently!retired!Director!of!the!Botanic!Garden!who!has!been!the!sole!representative! of! the! Garden! at! project! meetings,! said:! The! Laboratory! will! be! dedicated! to! the! advancement!of!curiosityUdriven!research.â&#x20AC;?!40!! ! Concluding$Statements$ The! working! experiences! of! these! spaces! are! interesting! and! informative! to! compare,!mainly!because!one!may!be!perceived!through!the!lenses!of!the!research! students!and!the!other!through!the!lens!of!the!research!professors.!The!similarities! of! each! space! include! the! spatial! awareness! for! not! only! internal! spaces! but! also! external.!Centenary!provided!the!foundation!for!interesting!and!interactive!working! environments! and! Sainsbury! Laboratory! developed! this! agenda.! The! experiential! features!are!more!prominent,!however,!in!the!Sainsbury!Laboratory!mainly!because! of!its!outdoor!setting.!!! !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 40

!Dezeen,!Sainsbury(Laboratory(by(Stanton(Williams((Available:!http://www.dezeen.com/2011/08/03/sainsburyUlaboratoryUbyU stantonUwilliams/,!2011)!

45!

003 AMERICAN AIR MUSEUM ARCHITECT - Foster and Partners COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £7.5m TYPOLOGY - Museum TIME - 1995-1997

1998

010 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

2005

2007

ARCHITECT - EMBT/RMJM COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £414.4m TYPOLOGY - Parliament TIME - 1999-2004

2010

012 MARBACH MUSEUM ARCHITECT -David Chipperfield COUNTRY - Germany BUDGET - £10m TYPOLOGY - Museum TIME - 2002-2006

015 MAXXI MUSEUM ARCHITECT - Zaha Hadid COUNTRY - Germany BUDGET - £100m TYPOLOGY - Museum TIME - 1998-2009

CHAPTER 4

Cultural Experience

! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$4$

Cultural$Experience$ ! Architecture! is! continuously! evolving! and! changing,! however! the! built! forms! are! reflections! of! the! culture! they! serve! at! the! time! of! construction.! Explaining! the! meanings! bridge! the! visual! and! verbal! gap! between! individuals,! people,! cities,! and! nations,! narrative! architecture! provides! context! and! meaning! to! social! and!cultural! life.! “So,! rather! than! conceiving! a! narrative! design! arising! from! an! addition! of! a! singular! storyUline,! it! would! be! critically! more! constructive! to! chose! from! the! plurality! of! narratives! ready! in! their! imagination.” 41 !The! process! of! creating! an! architectural! narrative! requires! the! designer! to! put! themselves! in! the! shoes! of! the! endUuser,!time!period!or!client.!“There!is!no!design!in!silence.!All!designers,!like!all! designed! objects,! ‘tell! stories’,! sometimes! deliberately,! many! other! times! without! much! degree! of! consciousness.! Design! is! permeated! with! narratives! because! it! is! constituted!within!a!field!of!discourses:!formal,!psychological,!theoretical.”42!Porter! and! Sotelo! describe! the! confliction! between! ideologies! in! architecture! such! as! its! relationship! with! the! psychological! and! other! theoretical! concepts.! Winners! American! Air! Museum,! Scottish! Parliament! Building,! Marbach! Museum! and! MAXXI! Museum!are!used!in!this!section!to!explain!how!the!internal!design!sequence!creates! narratives!in!built!forms.!! ! !

American$Air$Museum$

As!the!title!alludes,!the!1998!PrizeUWinner,!American!Air!Museum!in!Duxford!airfield,! Cambridgeshire!provides!“a!permanent!home!for!the!BU52!and!twenty!other!aircraft! dating!from!the!First!World!War!to!the!Gulf!War!and!commemorates!the!role!of!the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 41 42

!Luis!Porter!and!Sergio!Sotelo,!Design(by(Narratives!(Simon!Fraser!University!Press,!2004)! !Luis!Porter!and!Sergio!Sotelo,!Design(by(Narratives!(Simon!Fraser!University!Press,!2004)!

46!

! US!Air!Force!in!the!Second!World!War!and!the!thousands!of!airmen!who!lost!their! lives.”43!Foster!and!Partners!created!this!intense!setting!for!the!museum!by!the!use! of!the!site!alone;!Duxford!was!a!Battle!of!Britain!fighter!station!from!1943!to!1945! which!later!became!the!headquarters!of!the!78th!Fighter!Group.!Immediately,!with!a! slight! historical! awareness,! a! narrative! is! created! by! the! museum! without! any! architectural! considerations.! Naturally! this! is! not! possible! in! every! project! or! brief,! however!it!does!add!and!enhance!the!cultural!experience!in!this!case.! ! Exteriorly! the! building! is! instantaneously! similar! to! an! aeroplane! cockpit! where! visitors!can!view!the!takeUoff!through!glazed!facades.!The!flight!and!landing!of!these! historic!aircraft!originate!from!the!20th!century,!ranging!from!the!First!World!War!to! the!Gulf!War.!User!experience!is!embedded!in!the!building!aims!as!an!experience!is! created!with!how!the!activities!in!the!building!narrate!with!the!building’s!form.!The! building!showcases!a!single!exhibition!space!that!houses!the!display!and!collection,! “some! hang! from! the! ceiling! in! positions! of! flight! and! others! are! arranged! on! the! ground!to!enable!visitors!to!view!them!close!up.”!44!It!was!designed!with!the!intent! to!deliver!a!neutral!backdrop!to!the!exhibits!with!emphasis!on!legibility!and!natural! light.!The!centrepiece!of!the!museum!is!the!largest!BU52!Bomber!plane.!In!addition! to!this!the!dramatic!arc!of!the!roof!and!the!sweep!of!the!glazed!wall!overlooking!the! runway!add!to!the!overwhelming!museum!experience.!Around!the!base!of!the!vault,! there! is! a! permanent! strip! of! glazing! that! brings! daylight! into! the! space.! The! structure!is!partially!dug!into!the!ground!however!it!does!not!reflect!in!the!interior! because!of!these!lighting!considerations.!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 43

!Foster!and!Partners,!American(Air(Museum,(Cambridge,(UK((1987(–(1997!(Available:! http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/americanUairUmuseum/,!2014)! 44 !Foster!and!Partners,!American(Air(Museum,(Cambridge,(UK((1987(–(1997((Available:! http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/americanUairUmuseum/,!2014)!

47!

! Figure$25:!American!Air!Museum!exterior!at!sunset

! ©(Nigel(Young(

! With!a!single!span!roof,!the!concrete!panelled!feature!was!the!largest!of!its!kind!in! Europe.! The! external! simplicity! however! did! not! reflect! the! complex! engineering! process;! special! engineering! was! needed! to! tackle! the! stresses! caused! by! the! hanging!aircrafts.!The!judges!said!of!the!museum,!“We!thought!the!Foster!Museum! was! a! very! special! building! and! yet,! unusually! perhaps! for! Foster’s,! almost! selfU effacing.!It!has!a!quality!beyond!that!of!simply!being!a!museum;!it!is!a!memorial!to! the!American!Airforce!in!the!Second!World!War.!The!concrete!roof!structure!conveys! a! feeling! of! compression,! which! emphasises! the! power! of! a! simple! idea.! This! is! definitely!a!“less!is!more”!building.”45!Another!historical!reference!by!Mies!van!der! Rohe!highlights!the!narrative!of!the!process!involved!even!before!the!completion!of! the!building.! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 45

!RIBA,!American(Air(Museum,(Duxford((1998)((Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/americanUairUmuseumU duxfordU1998/,!2013)(

48!

! Figure$26:!Exterior!and!Interior!

©(Nigel(Young(

! The! Stirling! judges! further! commented,! “the! success! of! this! project! lies! in! the! resonance!between!the!elegant!engineered!form!of!the!building!and!the!technically! driven!shapes!of!the!aeroplanes.!The!building!itself!sustains!the!fascination!of!these! objects.”!46!The! project! narrates! a! story! of! a! time! period! and! illustrates! as! well! as! engages!with!the!user!at!every!opportunity!with!this!simple!museum!space.!! !

Scottish$Parliament$Building$

Edinburgh!is!one!of!the!Scottish!cities!where!important!buildings!have!always!been! built!with!strong!relationships!with!topography!and!infrastructure.!Her!Majesty!The! Queen! officially! opened! Stirling! Prize! Winner,! Scottish! Parliament! Building! (SPB)! in! October!2004.!Much!debate!surrounded!the!controversial!building,!mainly!stemming! from!construction!costs;!its!unique!design!and!the!six!years!it!took!to!be!completed! after! the! architect! Enric! Miralles! Benedetta! Tagliabue,! EMBT’s,! untimely! death! in! 2000!four!years!prior!to!completion.!“The!Parliament!sits!in!the!land.!We!have!the! feeling! that! the! building! should! be! land,! built! out! of! land.! To! carve! in! the! land! the! form! of! gathering! people! together…! Scotland! is! a! land…! The! land! itself! will! be! a! material,!a!physical!building!material…”47!The!Scottish!Parliament!was!constructed!to! reflect!the!narrative!of!the!land!in!which!it!represents.!‘Parliament!sits!in!the!land,! because!it!belongs!to!Scottish!land’!was!the!design!aim!set!by!architect.!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 46

!Foster!and!Partners,(American(Air(Museum,(Cambridge,(UK((1987(–(1997!(Available:! http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/americanUairUmuseum/,!2014)! 47 !Meg!Sveiven,!AD(Classics:(The(Scottish(Parliament(/(Enric(Miralles!(Available:!http://www.archdaily.com/111869/adUclassicsU theUscottishUparliamentUenricUmiralles/,!2011)!

49!

! Figure$27:!Scottish!Parliament!exterior!

! ©(Keith(Hunter((

! Miralles! illustrates! the! story! of! the! nation! through! the! design! of! the! Scottish! Parliament!Building.!Scotland!developed!its!own!Parliament!in!1999!and!the!design! of! Miralles’! building! is! almost! a! polar! opposite! to! that! of! the! United! Kingdom’s! regimented!building.!“Narratives!have!their!own!roots!in!the!worlds!we!inhabit,!and!

50!

! occurs![sic.]!at!the!interface!between!our!own!experiences!and!complex!signs”48.!In! this!case!this!may!illustrate!the!onUgoing!experience!of!Scotland!in!attaining!its!own! independence! as! a! country.! At! the! moment! Scotland’s! Parliament! can! legislate! on! issues! such! as! the! environment,! education,! health,! justice! and! housing! however! some!still!seek!to!retrieve!full!independence!on!all!issues!concerning!Scotland!except! defence! and! foreign! affairs.! In! order! to! accommodate! the! 129! members! of! the! Scottish! Parliament! (MSP),! Miralles! scheme! required! each! member! to! contribute! close! to! $6! million! to! cover! the! forecasted! $750! million! cost.! The! inclusive! and! cooperative!nature!needed!to!fulfil!the!design!needs,!set!Miralles!scheme!apart!from! the!competitors!at!the!initial!stage!by!illustrating!its!democratic!influences.!! ! Figure$28:!Scottish!Parliament!exterior!windows!and!interior!

©(Keith(Hunter(

! Democratic! narratives! are! created! throughout! the! building! in! the! layered! and! complex!plan!comprising!of!a!debating!chamber,!separate!building!for!the!129!MSP! offices,!committee!towers!and!a!listed!17th!century!house.!“The!Scottish!Parliament! is! a! remarkable! example! of! incorporating! architecture! into! its! surroundings.”49!A! large! percentage! of! the! outdoor! public! space! is! covered! in! different! plantings,! allowing! nature! to! play! a! big! part! in! the! urban! site.! The! assembly! area! is! also! incorporated!into!this!area!and!is!open!to!all!public!to!reveal!some!of!the!democratic! and! inclusive! intentions! of! Miralles.! Miralles! also! develops! ornamental! detail! by! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 48

!Nigel!Coates,!Narrative(Architecture((John!Wiley!&!Sons!Ltd,!2012)! !Meg!Sveiven,!AD(Classics:(The(Scottish(Parliament(/(Enric(Miralles!(Available:!http://www.archdaily.com/111869/adUclassicsU theUscottishUparliamentUenricUmiralles/,!2011)! 49

51!

! capturing! situations.! For! example! the! balconies! that! project! from! the! members’! offices! give! opportunity! for! reflection! while! framing! the! situation! as! it! happens.! “Narrow,! swinged! corridors! and! staircases! were! included! to! encourage! casual! interactions! and! to! increase! the! circulation! and! steady! flow! of! the! layout! in! the! debating! chamber.”50!Social! narratives! are! included! as! well! as! democratic! as! the! building! draws! visitors! into! its! system! of! narrative! fragments! at! every! opportunity.! MSP’s!private!rooms!display!seats!‘in!conversation’!onto!a!cliff!like!façade!while!the! interior!chamber!sits!below!a!timber!casing.!This!is!another!narrative!of!the!nation! differing! from! its! UK! counterpart! revealed! in! the! exceptional! design! of! the! interior! chamber.!! ! Figure$29:!Scottish!Parliament!Interior!

©(Keith(Hunter(

! Miralles!attempts!to!create!a!narrative!of!the!complex!and!rich!Scottish!culture!with! the! exterior! design! of! the! building.! “By! the! public! entrance,! saltire! crosses! sit! embedded! in! the! concrete! vaults.! The! stepped! gables! along! the! Royal! Mile! are! turned!upsideUdown,!and!grey!granite!was!found!in!a!Scottish!quarry!and!used!in!the! building.”51!The!public!space!outside!creates!a!narrative!pertaining!to!strong!Scottish! character! and! natural! Scottish! elements! such! as! the! mountainUscape! and! the! surrounding!sea.!Views!and!walkways!are!placed!around!this!to!prepare!visitors!for! the!internal!experience.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 50

!Meg!Sveiven,!AD(Classics:(The(Scottish(Parliament(/(Enric(Miralles!(Available:!http://www.archdaily.com/111869/adUclassicsU theUscottishUparliamentUenricUmiralles/,!2011)! 51 !Meg!Sveiven,!AD(Classics:(The(Scottish(Parliament(/(Enric(Miralles!(Available:!http://www.archdaily.com/111869/adUclassicsU theUscottishUparliamentUenricUmiralles/,!2011)!

52!

! ! The! authenticity! of! the! story! of! Scotland! or! Scottish! narrative! created! by! the! SPB! prioritises! human! experience! and! emphasises! a! buildings! meaning! rather! than! its! performance.! The! building! shows! a! positive! way! of! engaging! with! the! users! while! making!reference!to!surroundings!and!history!in!its!spatial!narrative.! !

$ $

Marbach$Museum$of$Modern$Art$

Like! the! narrative! of! the! Scottish! Parliament! Building,! authenticity! is! something! found!commonly!in!the!narrative!of!many!museums.!In!2007,!PrizeUwinner!Marbach! Museum!of!Modern!Art!was!praised!for!its!limited!material!palette.!“The!architect's! control!and!discrimination!in!the!choice!of!materials!has!by!now!become!a!signature! but!above!all!it!is!in!the!handling!of!the!'difficult!whole'!that!the!building!excels.“52! Architect!David!Chipperfield!wanted!to!make!an!environment!that!in!itself,!without! any!museum!elements!was!a!symbol!and!created!its!own!user!experience.!“It!is!if!not! a! temple! then! a! shrine! to! the! soul! of! a! literate! nation.”53!Shrines! and! temples! in! architecture!are!religious!institutes!and!often!the!symbols!used!there!are!purposed! to!express!the!faith!of!those!who!associate!themselves!with!the!origin!and!traditions! of!the!belief.! ! Figure$30:!Marbach!Museum!Exterior!!

! ©(Christian(Richters(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 52

!Lorna!Gemmell,!Museum(of(Modern(Literature(in(Germany(wins(prestigious(RIBA(Stirling(Prize!(Available:! http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U2012/,!2007)$ 53 !Lorna!Gemmell,!Museum(of(Modern(Literature(in(Germany(wins(prestigious(RIBA(Stirling(Prize!(Available:! http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U2012/,!2007)$

53!

! Often!sculptured!and!organic!buildings!are!intended!to!replicate!and!symbolise!the! landforms,! occasionally! in! an! attempt! to! recognise! and! pay! homage! to! them.! Marbach!museum!is!located!on!top!of!a!rock!plateau!overlooking!a!small!city!on!the! River!Neckar,!Germany,!which!has!a!wellUknown!reputation!as!the!literary!centre!of! the!country.!The!limited!material!palette!does!not!overpower!the!location!that!the! museum!is!in!but!pays!homage!to!it!by!using!the!steep!slope!of!the!site!and!terraces! allow!for!the!creation!of!interesting!interior!spaces.!The!use!of!solid!materials!such! as! pale! concrete,! sandblasted! reconstituted! stone,! glass,! wood! and! felt! for! the! exterior!gives!a!calm!architectural!language!symbolising!serene!physical!presence.!

! Figure$31:!Marbach!exterior!colonnade!

! ÂŠ(Christian(Richters(

! The!pavilionUlike!form!is!located!at!the!highest!point!of!the!sloped!site,!taking!visitors! down!through!the!entrance.!While!descending,!the!interior!forms!reveal!themselves! gradually! through! the! foyer! to! the! staircase! spaces.! This! sense! of! progression! to! a! world! unknown! is! intended! to! â&#x20AC;&#x153;prepare! the! visitor! for! the! dark! timberUpanelled!

54!

! exhibition! galleries”54!which! are! “illuminated! only! by! artificial! light! due! to! fragility! and! sensitivity! of! the! works! on! display.”55!The! rich! symbolism! embedded! into! the! entrance! sequence! begins! with! the! colonnade! leading! users! to! the! museum! and! ends!with!the!portal!through!the!large!hardwood!doors.!!!! ! The! white! wall! and! extravagant! paintings! with! golden! frames! art! museums! are! normally! associated! where! sculptures! stand! freely! in! bright! spaces! have! nothing! in! common! with! the! Marbach! museum.! Rooms! are! clad! with! dark! tropical! wood! symbolising! bareness! as! the! attention! is! focused! on! the! exhibits! contained! in! glass! cases.! The! theatrical! space,! through! reflections! and! refractions! of! light! symbolises! the!soul!of!German!imagination!and!drama.!“Since!the!end!of!the!war!Germany!has! been!sensitive!to!matters!concerning!the!neoUclassical!in!architecture.!!Had!it!been! submitted!a!decade!or!two!earlier!it!would!surely!have!been!eliminated!for!its!formal! manner.”!A!change!in!attitudes!and!cultures!have!opened!the!interpretation!of!NeoU Classical!architecture!and!what!it!symbolises!has!changed!over!the!past!decades;!this! openness!is!what!makes!Marbach!a!great!symbol!of!architecture.! ! Figure$32:!Marbach!interior!

! ©Christian(Richters(

! From! the! entrance! sequence! to! the! quietly! loud! interior! spaces,! the! Marbach! is! imbued! with! multipurpose! meanings! and! messages.! The! architecture! provides! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 54

!Lorna!Gemmell,(Museum(of(Modern(Literature(in(Germany(wins(prestigious(RIBA(Stirling(Prize!(Available:! http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U2012/,!2007)! 55 !Lorna!Gemmell,(Museum(of(Modern(Literature(in(Germany(wins(prestigious(RIBA(Stirling(Prize((Available:! http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U2012/,!2007)!

55!

! structure!and!form,!however!the!symbols!behind!this!provide!meaning!and!context! to!social!and!cultural!life.! ! !

MAXXI$Museum$

“The!connection!between!culture!and!public!life!is!critical.!What!really!differentiates! recent! museums! from! their! predecessors! is! that! the! client! is! no! longer! one! single! patron.!The!client!is!now!the!mass,!the!public.!I!find!this!very!positive!and!exciting.”56!! ! Figure$33:!MAXXI!interior!staircase!

! ©(Iwan(Baan(

! Zaha! Hadid’s! MAXXI! National! Museum! won! the! 2010! Stirling! prize! and! was! commended! for! its! authenticity! and! experimentation! with! light! and! movement.! Catering! to! the! mass! public! can! be! challenging! as! it! provides! a! great! number! of! diverse! critics! to! attempt! to! please! in! the! design! of! the! museum.! MAXXI! uses! an! architectural! narrative! in! its! design! that! enhances! and! emphasises! the! smooth! transition!between!otherwise!disparate!elements.!Hadid!rightfully!commented,!“The! story! of! the! museum! has! changed! a! great! deal.! It’s! no! longer! just! an! awful! lot! of!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 56

!Felix!Mara,!Maxxi(by(Zaha(Hadid(Architects!(Available:!http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/stirlingUprizeU2010/maxxiU byUzahaUhadidUarchitects/8606437.article,!2010)!

56!

! rooms!that!connect!sequentially!as!in!a!palace.”57!Narrating!experiences!and!points! of! view! in! museum! culture! is! something! characteristically! left! to! the! artists! on! display,!most!likely!to!avoid!deflecting!attention!from!the!power!of!the!exhibitions!in! the! building,! however! MAXXI! provides! a! narrative! level! that! the! exhibitions! alone! cannot.!! ! Figure$34:!MAXXI!exterior!

! ©(Iwan(Baan(

! Prominent!cultural!buildings,!especially!contemporary!museums!and!art!centres,!are! perfect! means! to! communicate! architectural! narratives! as! a! design! process.! Most! buildings! are! built! according! to! economic! or! functional! criteria! and! not! necessarily! with!the!intention!of!narrating.!However!the!design!of!museums!can!be!a!vehicle!for! a! much! needed! narrative! layer! to! building! design,! with! the! potential! to! engage! human! experience! in! ways! that! broad! function! does! not,! narrative! relies! on! the! users’!ability!to!draw!on!the!world!around!them.! ! MAXXI! started! ten! years! ago! as! a! theoretical! project,! after! many! years! of! study! research!progressed!into!the!‘concept!of!the!confluence!of!lines’.!Hadid!attempted! to!move!away!from!the!idea!of!the!‘museum!as!an!object’,!which!is!apparent!in!the! design!of!many!previous!museums,!and!more!to!the!idea!of!a!‘network!of!buildings’.! The! concept! of! networking! links! all! of! the! possible! elements! commonly! found! in!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 57

!Felix!Mara,!Maxxi(by(Zaha(Hadid(Architects!(Available:!http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/stirlingUprizeU2010/maxxiU byUzahaUhadidUarchitects/8606437.article,!2010)!

57!

! museum!design.!“The!primary!force!of!the!site!is!the!walls!that!constantly!intersect! and!separate!to!create!both!indoor!and!outdoor!spaces.”58!! ! The! museum! is! inserted! within! a! dense! urban! block! formation! in! the! Flaminio! neighbourhood!and!the!exterior!is!influenced!by!its!surrounding!urban!context;!two! urban! gridUdirections! meet! at! the! site,! ”the! two! directions! are! drawn! into! the! projectUsite.! The! resultant! angleUdivergence! of! 51! degree! is! mediated! by! means! of! curves.!The!second,!decisive!design!concept!was!the!imposition!of!a!strong,!rigorous! formalism:! the! formalism! of! striation! involving! parallel! lines! that! bend,! branch,! bundle!or!intersect.!These!lines!were!later!interpreted!as!walls,!beams,!and!ribs,!as! well! as! staircases! and! lighting! strips.! The! formalism! gained! particular! functional! significance!by!taking!the!essential!functional!substance!of!the!museum!!U!the!wall,! everywhere!understood!as!potential!exhibition/display!surface!–!as!the!fundamental! spaceUmaking! substance! of! the! project.” 59 !These! two! grids! regulate! the! town! planning! of! the! local! area! within! the! urban! fabric! in! the! context! of! Rome.! A! geometric! complexity! is! immediately! generated! however! softened! by! sinuous! lines! that!harmonise!these!aspects!while!facilitating!the!narrative!flow!within!the!site.! ! Figure$35:!MAXXI!interior!activity!

! ©(Iwan(Baan(

! Inside! the! museum,! the! program! is! clear! and! outlined! with! an! organised! plan.! The! main! goal! of! the! project,! however! is! flexibility! and! the! continuity! of! indoor! spaces! makes!this!an!easy!environment!to!flow!through!as!a!user,!and!a!suitable!place!for!all! kinds!of!temporary!or!moving!exhibitions.!Normally!museums!use!walls!and!divisions! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 58 59

!Zaha!Hadid!Architects,!MAXXI:(Museum(of(XXI(Century(Arts!(Rizzoli!International!Publications,!New!York!2010)! !Zaha!Hadid!Architects,!MAXXI:(Museum(of(XXI(Century(Arts!(Rizzoli!International!Publications,!New!York!2010)!

58!

! to!divide!up!the!interior!spaces,!however!Hadid!uses!curved!walls!and!monochrome! colours!to!guide!users!through!the!space.!“By!these!elements!Zaha!Hadid!intended!‘a! new!fluid!kind!of!spatiality!of!multiple!perspective!points!and!fragmented!geometry,! designed!to!embody!the!chaotic!fluidity!of!modern!life’.”60!Natural!lighting!is!heavily! used! within! the! museum! narrative! as! thin! concrete! beams! drop! from! the! ceiling,! from!which!the!art!pieces!are!suspended,!and!are!illuminated!by!the!linear!lighting! system.!“The!beams,!the!staircases!and!the!linear!lighting!system!guide!the!visitors! through! the! interior! walkway,! which! ends! in! the! large! space! on! third! level.”61!To! avoid!taking!attention!from!these!interior!spaces,!the!construction!and!technological! elements!were!designed!in!isolation!from!the!main!focus.!! $ Figure$36:!MAXXI!interior

! ©(Iwan(Baan(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 60 61

!ArchDaily,!MAXXI(Museum(/(Zaha(Hadid(Architects!(Accessed:!http://www.archdaily.com/?p=43822,!2009)! !ArchDaily,!MAXXI(Museum(/(Zaha(Hadid(Architects!(Accessed:!http://www.archdaily.com/?p=43822,!2009)!

59!

! MAXXI! shows! that! the! narrative! of! the! museums! is! changing! from! a! shell! in! which! pieces! are! exhibited! to! an! exhibition! in! itself! that! enhances! the! experience! of! the! visitor.! ! Concluding$Statements$ Assessing! the! successful! elements! of! the! winners,! especially! concerning! the! museums,! due! to! the! nature! of! a! cultural! and! narrative! experience,! is! largely! oneU sided.! This! is! because! a! narrative! is! subjective! and! personal! to! each! individual.! However! each! architect! attempts! to! imbue! the! buildings! with! cultural! references! that!provide!context!to!the!overall!narrative!of!the!building.$

60!

006 MAGNA CENTRE ARCHITECT - Wilkinson Eyre COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £46m TYPOLOGY - Science Centre TIME - 2001

2001 2012

010 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

017 ASTLEY CASTLE ARCHITECT - Witherford, Watson and Man COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £1.35m TYPOLOGY - Castle TIME - 2007-2012

CHAPTER 5

Derivative Experience

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$5$

Derivative$Experience$ ! Derivative! experiences! can! be! a! reminder! of! a! place! or! time,! where! materials! and! their!uses!play!an!important!part.!A!variety!of!design!approaches!can!come!from!the! understanding!of!possibilities!and!limitations.!German!architect!and!critic,!Gottfried! Semper! wrote! ‘Let! every! material! be! true! to! itself...! brick! should! appear! as! brick,! wood!as!wood,!iron!as!iron,!each!according!to!its!own!statistical!laws.’!A!true!use!of! materials!is!in!the!understanding!of!its!historical!development.!It!is!the!responsibility! of! the! designer! to! understand! the! nature! of! materials,! the! history! as! well! as! the! materials’!strengths!and!limitations!before!they!select!them!for!a!scheme.!Often!this! can!be!the!difference!between!creating!a!mere!space!and!creating!a!place.!In!most! cases,! materiality! can! be! indicative! of! a! periodic! age,! a! building! type! and! more! commonly,!a!vernacular.!!This!chapter!looks!at!two!abstract!winners;!Magna!Centre! and!Astley!Castle,!who!used!their!brief!to!restore!elements!of!the!buildings!origins.! $ !

Magna$Centre$

“The! black! painted! exterior! was! no! preparation! for! the! interior,! a! dramatic! and! colourful! display,! telling! the! story! of! steel.”62!Stirling! judges! praised! 2001! winner,! Wilkinson!Eyre!Architects!for!their!transformation!of!a!prior!redundant!steelworks!to! the!UK’s!first!Science!Adventure!Centre!in!Rotherham.!Magna!Centre,!as!it!is!called,! is! an! example! of! how! architecture! can! be! derived! from! previous! purposes! by! updated!processes!and!materials!while!retaining!some!of!the!original!features.!The! use!of!steel!for!the!exterior!represents!a!less!natural!and!more!manufactured!form! of! architecture.! Both! functional! and! practical,! steel! is! frequently! used! in!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 62

!RIBA,!MAGNA(Science(Centre,(Rotherham((2001)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/magnaUscienceU adventureUcentreUrotherhamU2001/,!2014)!

61!

! contemporary! architecture! with! versatile! aesthetic! possibilities! as! shown! by! the! Magna!Centre.!! ! Figure$37:!Magna!Exterior!and!Interior!

! ©(Benedict(Luxemoore((

! The! ‘story! of! steel’! was! the! main! focus! and! informed! the! design! of! much! of! the! centre! and! much! of! the! original! steelwork! machinery! was! kept! in! order! to! show! users! how! steel! works! operated.! Aristollean! elements! of! earth,! air,! fire! and! water! organise! the! exhibition,! all! elements! essential! to! the! steelUmaking! process.! “Our! design! concept! placed! four! pavilions! –! one! for! each! (Aristollean)! element! –! within! the!400m!long,!35m!high!main!shed,!connected!by!steel!bridges!and!walkways”63!In! addition!to!this,!video!walls!recall!the!human!story!of!steel!making.!Each!Arisollean! pavilion! relates! to! its! natural! theme! in! an! evocative! and! poetic! way,! “The! Earth! Pavilion,!for!example,!is!located!in!the!basement!below!the!ground!slab!while!the!Air! Pavilion!is!designed!as!a!huge!dirigible!airship,!which!seemingly!floats!in!the!space.”! Wilkinson! Eyre! have! thoroughly! thought! about! the! function! of! the! building! and! integrated! it! into! the! form! in! order! to! utilise! all! the! resources! to! make! the! user! experience! as! responsive! as! possible.! ”Meanwhile! the! Fire! Pavilion! is! a! matt! black! box!containing!a!tornado!of!flame,!and!the!Water!Pavilion!is!enclosed!by!a!coollyUlit! wave! formed! of! steel.”! The! use! of! material! enhances! the! significance! of! each! pavilion! and! gives! it! its! own! unique! identity.! Each! pavilion! is! relative! to! the! actual! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 63

!Wilkinson!Eyre,!Magna!(Accessed:!http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/magna.aspx?category=interiors,!2014)!

62!

! Magna! Centre! and! would! be! difficult! to! replicate! in! other! circumstances,! which! is! what!gives!buildings!a!unique!purpose.! ! Figure$38:!Magna!exterior!elements!

! ÂŠ(Benedict(Luxmoore(

! Architectural!heritage!is!maintained!throughout!Magna!Centre!right!from!when!you! enter! as! visitors! arrive! through! the! same! 30m! long! tunnel! below! the! building! that! the! steel! workers! did.! Corroded! pinholes,! scorch! spots! and! cauldrons! remain! throughout!the!building.!A!heated!and!dirty!atmosphere!is!recreated!through!Magna! as!Wilkinson!Eyre!pay!particular!attention!to!ensure!drama!is!created!and!retained! with!areas!of!dark!expanses!with!intermittent!columns!of!red!light!and!as!visitors!put! it!â&#x20AC;&#x153;the!roar!of!the!20ft!pillar!of!fire!spewing!forth!from!one!of!the!arc!furnaces!at!the! shed's! far! end.â&#x20AC;? 64 !Magna! illustrates! how! buildings! can! have! material! as! well! as! historical! references! used! together.! Heritage! is! included! in! the! design! intent! and! flows!through!to!the!user!narrative,!which!is!what!makes!memorable!experiences.! !

$ $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 64

!BBC,!From(Steel(Valley(to(Cultural(Hot(Spot!(Accessed:! http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/heritage/england/south_yorkshire/article_1.shtml,!2003)!

63!

Astley$Castle$ Moving!on!from!Aristollean!elements,!stone!and!brick!buildings!of!today!retain!the! synonymy!with!the!idea!of!permanence.!Solidity!and!presence!suggest!a!connection! between! architecture! of! today,! tomorrow! and! the! future.! As! a! modern! architect,! understanding!the!changing!nature!of!materials!is!critical!to!the!success!of!a!scheme,! especially! if! elements! of! restoration! and! renovation! are! involved.! A! scheme! that! tackles! this! balance! positively! is! that! of! Witherford! Watson! and! Man! Architects! (WWM)! on! the! refurbishment! of! Astley! Castle! in! Warwickshire,! England.! The! 2013! PrizeUwinner! was! praised! for! “place(ing)! the! new! building! at! the! heart! of! the! old,! demonstrating!creativity,!preservation!and!conservation.”65!The!12th!century!maory! was!damages!by!fire!in!1978!however!WWM!have!created!a!new!house!within!the! constraints! of! the! ruins! of! the! castle.! In! 2012,! the! remains! were! rescued! from! dereliction!by!the!organisation!Landmark!Trust.!With!the!collaboration!of!WWM,!the! scheme! integrated! historic! and! modern! in! order! to! keep! and! maintain! the! ancient! castle.!! ! Figure$39:!Astley!Castle!exterior!

! ©(Helene(Binet((

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!RIBA,!2013(RIBA(Stirling(PrizeEWinner(–(Astley(Castle,(Warwickshire!(Accessed:!!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/ribaU stirlingUshortlistU2013UastleyUcastleUwarwickshire/,!2013)!

64!

! The! site! has! a! rich! historic! presence! with! ”a! moated! castle,! lake,! church! and! the! ghost! of! pleasure! gardens! are! grouped! around! a! shallow! ridge.”!66!However! after! many! years! of! neglect! and! decay,! some! of! these! elements! are! mere! memories.! WWM!create!access!points!to!the!site!through!a!network!of!newly!created!pathways! and! some! existing! salvages.! The! vivid! house! allows! Landmark! Trust! to! create! experiences!for!guests!to!explore!the!one!thousand!year!old!castle,!which!has!been! renovated,!where!possible,!to!21st!century!standards.!Public!buildings,!in!the!interest! of!pleasing!all,!can!sometimes!lack!sense!of!place!or!presence,!however!Astley!Castle! resembles! a! home! for! a! collective! personality,! rather! than! opposing! views;! this! encourages! reinvented! experiences! from! people! with! shared! backgrounds.! “Astley! Castle!demonstrates!that!working!within!sensitive!historic!contexts!requires!far!more! than!the!specialist!skills!of!the!conservation!architect:!this!is!an!important!piece!of! architecture,! beautifully! detailed! and! crafted.” 67 !The! designers! researched! the! properties! of! the! area! and! context! around! the! castle,! which! takes! into! account! materials,! processes! and! design,! which! gave! the! scheme! an! interesting! exterior.! Architects!WWM!create!an!atmosphere!and!set!the!tone!for!the!interior!spaces!with! the!stone!exterior.!! ! Figure$40:!Astley!Castle!interior!

! ©(Helene(Binet(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 66

!WWM!Architects,!Astley(Castle,!(Accessed:! http://www.wwmarchitects.co.uk/subpage/public_buildings/astley_castle.php?view=pb,!2014)! 67 !RIBA,!2013(RIBA(Stirling(PrizeEWinner(–(Astley(Castle,(Warwickshire!(Accessed:!!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/ribaU stirlingUshortlistU2013UastleyUcastleUwarwickshire/,!2013)!

65!

! With! a! material! palette! of! stone,! contemporary! brick,! timber! and! concrete! integrated!into!the!medieval!rubble!walls,!the!remains!are!covered!where!possible!to! create!the!outer!shell!of!the!house.!“The!large!gashes!in!the!ruined!walls!have!been! retained,! making! it! an! unusually! light! castle.! The! house! is! animated! by! slashes! of! sunlight! on! stone! walls! and! views! over! the! ancient! landscape.”68!Components! of! retained! walls! of! stone! suggest! a! level! of! permanence! and! strength.! Tudor! and! Jacobean! wings! are! kept! as! exterior! rooms! to! separate! them! as! special! rooms.! Communal!spaces!are!on!the!second!floor,!while!the!more!private!spaces!such!as!the! bedrooms!and!bathrooms!are!all!on!the!ground!floor,!this!is!intended!to!make!the! experience!of!the!house!unique.! ! The!12th!century!constructional!integration!with!the!21st!century!methods,!materials! and!techniques!can!be!seen!right!from!the!dining!table!in!the!house,!illustrating!the! dialogue!across!centuries.!The!modernist!house!has!been!placed!in!an!ancient!shell! and!filled!with!light!to!pay!homage!to!the!design!of!yesterday,!while!reinventing!the! design!of!today.! ! Figure$41:!Astley!Castle!Interiors!

! ©(Helene(Binet(and(J.(Miller(

! WWM!comment!“Astley!shows!that!working!with!historic!buildings!doesn't!just!have! to!be!about!repair!or!reinstatement.!It!can!be!a!reinvention!or!reimagining,!making! something! richer! and! more! engaging! than! what! was! there! before.! Its! ancient! shell! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 68

!WWM!Architects,!Astley(Castle,!(Accessed:! http://www.wwmarchitects.co.uk/subpage/public_buildings/astley_castle.php?view=pb,!2014)!

66!

! brings! warmth! and! softness! in! place! of! coolness,! crispness! and! hardness.”!69!The! architecture! of! the! renovated! house! is! historically! literate! and! easy! to! read! from! today’s!viewpoint,!while!not!disengaging!from!its!historic!heritage.!“People!respond! emotionally!to!this!house.!Seeing!and!experiencing!change!prompts!us!to!reflect!on! the!continuity!and!change!in!our!individual!lives,!generations!of!family,!friendships!or! society.!It's!a!pleasure!Uor!a!need!U!that!both!our!fastUmoving,!freeUforUall!urbanism,! and!our!freezing!of!buildings!and!areas,!generally!deny!us.!It's!a!prototype!for!time,! leftover! matter! and! social! capital! (or! soul)! in! our! cities.”70!Overall! the! house! is! an! experience!for!all!to!see!which!originated!from!a!stone!and!brick!idea,!ideas!of!longU lasting! form! and! perseverance! through! the! building! materials! are! maintained! for! future!generations.! $ Concluding$Statements$ As! physical,! visual! artists,! architects! must! choose! the! right! medium! in! which! to! convey! the! right! message! through! the! building.! Astley! Castle! provides! a! clear! and! coherent! scheme! that! ensures! the! building! function! is! well! defined! throughout.! As! stated! earlier,! materials,! as! well! as! physical! qualities,! possess! different! unseen! qualities!and,!sometimes!within!the!built!world!they!can!also!be!taken!to!represent! different!symbols.!Magna!Centre!uses!materials!and!Aristollean!elements!as!tools!in! the!to!create!an!atmosphere!and!provide!substance!to!the!user!while!in!the!space.! $

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!The!Landmark!Trust,!Astley(Castle(wins(Stirling(award,!(Accessed:!http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/newsUandUevents/latestU news/Astley_Castle_StirlingPrize/,!2014)! 70 !The!Landmark!Trust,!Astley(Castle(wins(Stirling(award,!(Accessed:!http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/newsUandUevents/latestU news/Astley_Castle_StirlingPrize/,!2014)!

67!

004 LORDS MEDIA CENTRE ARCHITECT - Future Systems COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £5M TYPOLOGY - Media Centre TIME - 1994-1999

1999

010 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

011 MADRID BARAJAS ARCHITECT - Richard Rogers COUNTRY - Spain BUDGET - $7.2m TYPOLOGY - Airport TIME - 1997-2006

2006

CHAPTER 6

Theoretical Experience

! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$6$

Theoretical$Experience$ ! The! theoretical! experience! of! a! space! is! one! in! which! the! built! form! ‘in! theory’! should! have! positive! form! of! user! experience,! however! often! because! of! the! placeless!nature!of!the!buildings,!the!experience!is!either!limited!or!entirely!absent.! The!term!‘sense!of!place’!is!appropriate!in!describing!a!theoretical!experience;!this!is! because!the!term!refers!to!the!idea!that!there!is!more!to!a!building!than!its!physical! dimensions!and!materials.!In!the!modern!environment,!!“Architecture!can!neither!be! only!an!aesthetical!exercise!nor!a!technological!construction!to!be!able!to!create!a! sense!of!place.”71!British!Planning!Guide!states!“considerations!of!design!and!layout! must! be! informed! by! the! wider! context,! having! regard! to…! the! local! pattern! of! streets! and! spaces,! building! traditions,! materials! and! ecology.”72!This! requirement! attempts! to! lessen! the! erection! of! placeless! buildings.! They! have! no! cultural,! architectural! or! design! elements! that! would! give! them! a! sense! of! place.! Therefore! designers! should! develop! more! theoretically! informed! buildings! with! a! sense! of! place,!authenticity!and!character!which,!moreover,!should!be!informed!to!a!greater! extent! to! the! users! as! those! directly! involved! with! the! end! product.! Lords! Media! Centre!provides!a!case!study!for!abstract,!placeless!design!whereas!Madrid!Barajas! attempts! to! contest! the! placeless! stereotype! associated! with! airports! within! its! design.! ! !

$ $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 71 72

!Andreas!Vogler!and!Arturo!Vittori,!Genius(Loci(in(the(SpaceEAge((1st!InfraUFree!Life!Symposium,!2006)! !Department!of!the!Environment,!Appendices:(Design(Policies!(Local!Distinctiveness!Design!Guide)!

68!

Lords$Media$Centre$ A!sense!of!place!not!only!encompasses!buildings!that!are!not!necessarily!‘set!in!their! environments’,!however!such!placelessness!can!also!be!experienced!when!buildings! are!not!set!in!their!technological!age.!Large!curvy!masses!are!often!both!praised!and! critiqued! for! their! use! of! technology! and! their! lack! of! spatial! presence! within! their! context.!“Digital!alarm!clock,!barcode!reader,!alien!star!ship:!these!are!just!a!few!of! the!attempts!by!the!press!to!explain!a!structure!that!at!first!did!indeed!seem!alien!to! its! very! conventional! setting.”73!Infrequently! users! associate! buildings! with! objects,! however!1999!Stirling!PrizeUWinner!NatWest!Media!Centre!by!Future!Systems,!may! have!been!too!eccentric!a!building!for!users!to!positively!associate!with.!! ! Figure$42:!Lord’s!Media!Centre!exterior!

! ©(Richard(Davies(

! Being!the!world’s!first!allUaluminium!and!semiUmonocuque!building,!the!structure!is! more!commonly!known!as!Lord’s!Media!Centre!afters!its!location!within!the!Lord’s! Cricket!Ground!in!London.!Architect!Future!Systems!removed!the!need!for!disruptive! columns!and!instead!welded!the!white!skin!onto!the!ribs!and!spars!of!the!structure.! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 73

!RIBA,!Lord’s(Media(Centre,(London((1999)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/lordsUcricketUgroundUmediaU centreUlondonU1999/,!2013)!

69!

! This! technique! is! commonly! used! in! the! construction! of! boat! and! aircraft! building,! which!is!probably!why!the!public!have!referred!to!it!as!both,!as!well!as!an!‘alien!star! ship’.! The! purpose! of! the! building! is! to! provide! journalists! and! commentators! idealistic!views!of!the!cricket!grounds.!This!gives!the!building!less!userUinvolvement! and!makes!it!more!a!theoretical!space;!rather!than!an!experiential!place.!As!well!as! the! structure,! Lord’s! Media! Centre’s! form! is! also! unconventional.! Encompassing! a! large! pod! that! sits! on! top! of! stands! built! in! a! Cornish! boatyard,! disassembled! and! reconstructed!on!site.!This!seems!like!a!backward!and!complex!process!for!a!Media! Centre.!Moreover,!considering!the!main!criteria!of!the!Stirling!Prize!is!that!the!award! is!given!to!the!building!that!has!made!a!contribution!to!the!evolution!of!architecture,! it!could!be!considered!contradictory!that!this!private!and!otherwise!exclusive!project! is!considered!to!have!made!the!biggest!contribution!through!the!year.! ! At!15!metres!high,!“internally!it!is!as!comfortable!and!luxurious!as!the!50s!Chevrolet! whose!babyUblue!upholstery!inspired!it.”74!The!centre!is!split!into!two!levels,!with!the! lower!level!housing!more!than!100!journalists!and!the!upper!level!given!to!radio!and! television! broadcasting.! Functionally,! the! unconventional! method! of! construction! provides!a!waterproof!shell!and!stops!external!glare!because!of!the!25Udegree!tilt!of! the!windows.!Aerodynamic!contours!give!the!white!façade!a!futuristic!look,!which!is! a!contrast!to!the!lowUtech!sport!of!Cricket.! $ Figure$

43:!

Lord’s!

Media!

Centre!

exterior

! ©(Loz(Flowers(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 74

!RIBA,!Lord’s!Media!Centre,!London!(1999)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/lordsUcricketUgroundUmediaU centreUlondonU1999/,!2013)!

70!

! Stirling!judges!commented,!“Lords!Media!Centre!is!already!a!TV!personality.!It!is!its! own! thing,! completely! unusual! and! totally! uncompromising.! It! is! a! breath! of! architectural!fresh!air.!Perhaps!that!is!why!we!all!got!so!excited!as!we!walked!into! the!Media!Centre.!Judges!try!to!put!themselves!into!the!position!of!an!eightUyearUold! when!they!first!see!a!building,!and!this!was!the!one,!we!all!agreed,!asUeightUyearUolds! we!would!have!the!most!fun!in.!In!fact!everyone!felt!ten!years!younger,!seeing!the! blue.”!75!However,!most!eightUyearUolds!will!never!get!to!experience!the!building.!As! a!centre!for!strictly!media!and!journalists!it!is!unlikely!that!the!‘target!audience’!will! ever!get!to!enter!the!building.!! ! Figure$44:!Lord’s!Media!Centre!interior!

©(Richard(Davies(

! Architecture! acts! as! a! form! of! built! communication! centring! on! society.! Therefore! any! contribution! made! to! increase! the! profile! of! the! built! environment,! ideally,! should!thusly!centre!on!the!public!and!userUexperience.! $

Madrid$Barajas$ Historically,!the!uniformity,!standardisation!and!large!scale!of!airports,!makes!these! stopover!points!placeless!in!their!identity.!Commonly!many!airports!lack!social!and! cultural! contexts,! which! make! them! impersonal! environments! to! communicate! to! mass!audiences.!Usually!signage!is!heavily!relied!on!in!these!spaces!to!communicate! quickly!and!efficiently!to!a!large!scale!of!people!who!more!than!likely!do!not!speak! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 75

!RIBA,!Lord’s!Media!Centre,!London!(1999)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/lordsUcricketUgroundUmediaU centreUlondonU1999/,!2013)!

71!

! the! same! language.! In! some! cases,! this! could! be! the! difference! between! making! a! flight!and!entering!the!wrong!terminal.!The!reliance!on!signage!could!be!enhancing! the!placelessness!of!the!typical!airport.!! ! The!Madrid!Barajas!airport!was!first!opened!in!1933!and!has!been!extended!several! times! to! the! extent! that! it! became! overUstretched,! in! need! for! a! new! site! with! its! own! terminal,! satellite,! run! ways! and! ancillary! buildings.! “Usually! the! terminal! buildings!of!major!airports!are!surrounded!by!ancillary!elements!such!as!parking!of! vehicles,!power!station,!hotels,!etc.!that!in!no!way!contribute!to!the!understanding! of! it.”76!However! even! on! arrival,! Terminal! 4! stands! out! subtly! as! it! removes! the! elements!that!confuse!users!from!the!initial!stage!of!reading!the!building.! ! Figure$45:!Madrid!Barajas!Terminal!4!

! ©(Amparo(Garrido(

! The!integration!of!the!structural!elements!mentioned!is!evident!in!Barajas!Terminal! 4,! this! is! not! to! disturb! or! confuse! the! reading! of! the! components.! In! turn! the! landscape!is!integrated!into!the!design!of!the!exterior!as!to!express!local!character! and!give!the!airport!a!sense!of!place.!The!canons!are!combined!in!a!sequence!down! a! straight! line! as! to! bring! the! landscape! into! the! interior! space.! Immediately,! even! through! the! exterior! Barajas! architect,! Richard! Rogers! is! tackling! the! placeless! stereotype! associated! with! airports! terminals! by! injecting! local! culture! into! the! exterior.! “The! work! is! based! on! three! ideas:! the! corrugated! roofing,! the! paired! columns,!and!an!array!of!rainbow!colours!ranging!from!dark!blue!to!yellow.!Through! the! use! of! colours! in! the! columns! that! hold! the! corrugated! roof,! we! identify! the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 76

!Unknown,!Barajas(T4!(Accessed:!http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Barajas_T4,!2013)!

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! different!areas!of!the!terminal.”77!Over!six!floors!are!the!functional!areas!of!checkUin,! baggage,! boarding,! transfers,! security! and! maintenance! aspects! such! as! baggage! processing.! “The! lower! (three)! levels! of! the! building,! robustly! constructed! in! concrete,! contrast! strikingly! with! the! lightUweight! transparency! of! the! passenger! areas! above.”78!Visual! design! elements! such! as! colours! minimise! the! reliance! on! signage.!Legibility!is!embedded!in!the!design,!with!a!straightforward!linear!sequence! illustrated! with! colours.! There! is! a! clear! definition! of! the! progressing! spaces! for! departing!and!arriving!passengers.! !! Figure$46:!Madrid!Barajas!Interior!

©(RIBA(Stirling(Prize(Website(

! Passengers!are!encouraged!by!the!lack!of!signage!through!a!sequence!of!activities,! from! entering! the! building! to! checking! their! luggage,! clearing! security! and! lastly,! boarding! their! respective! flights.! The! sequential! natures! of! these! processes! are! articulated!through!the!building’s!design!by!the!separation!of!the!tasks!to!functional! modules.!“Each!module!is!separated!from!the!next!by!a!space!we!call!the!"canyon."! It! involves! the! interface! between! the! various! stages! of! processing! passengers,! facilitating! their! orientation,! which! is! underscored! by! the! introduction! of! natural! light! into! the! building! and! significantly! reduces! dependence! on! artificial! lighting,! dramatically!improving!quality!and!perception!of!space.”79!A!‘wave’!roof!covers!the! building!and!is!supported!on!‘central!trees’.!An!over!sailing!edge!shades!the!exterior! façade! in! the! extreme! heat! of! Madrid.! Natural! lighting! is! brought! down! from! the! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 77

!Unknown,!Barajas(T4!(Accessed:!http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Barajas_T4,!2013)! !Rogers!Stirk!Harbour!and!Partners,!Madrid(Barajas(Airport!(Accessed:! http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/work/all_projects/madrid_barajas_airport/concept,!2014)! 79 !Unknown,!Barajas(T4!(Accessed:!http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Barajas_T4,!2013)! 78

73!

! higher! levels,! given! the! multiUlevel! section,! and! is! alternated! with! roof! lights! when! necessary.!! ! Figure$47:!Madrid!Barajas!Roof!lights!

! ÂŠ(RIBA(Stirling(website(

! Legibility!is!one!of!the!main!themes!of!the!airport!and!the!simple!palette!of!materials! allows!users!to!focus!their!attention!on!the!detailing!of!the!scheme.!For!this!reason! the!signage!of!the!airport!is!kept!to!a!minimum!and!in!exchange!for!a!sense!of!place! and!independent!orientation!for!users.!Madrid!Barajas!attempts!to!break!away!from! the! preconceived! placeless! impression! by! limiting! the! use! of! signage! and! engaging! sense,!such!as!sight!with!colour,!to!enhance!the!user!experience.!However!there!are! only! so! many! changes! that! can! be! made! to! such! a! functional! building! before! it! is! rendered!impractical.! ! Concluding$Statements! To! conclude,! although! both! buildings! had! somewhat! unconventional! briefs! Madrid! Barajas! proved! more! experientially! friendly! than! Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s! Media! Centre.! Madrid! Barajas! utilised! senses! and! provided! travellers! with! an! interesting! stopover! experience,! which! reflected! the! vibrancy! of! the! Spanish! culture.! Not! much! can! be! said! about! Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s! Media! Centre,! which! although! extremely! functional! in! its! design,! !

74!

! fails! to! interact! with! the! majority! of! cricket! viewers! and! could! possibly! pose! a! distraction!with!its!abstract!form.!! ! !

! !

75!

005 PECKHAM LIBRARY ARCHITECT - Alsop and Stormer COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £5m TYPOLOGY - Educational TIME - 1999-2000

2000 2002

010 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

2004

007 GATESHEAD BRIDGE ARCHITECT - Wilkinson Eyre COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £22m TYPOLOGY - Bridge TIME - 2000-2001

009 30 ST MARY AXE ARCHITECT - Richard Rogers COUNTRY - UK BUDGET - £138m TYPOLOGY - Office TIME - 2001-2003

CHAPTER 7

Aesthetic Experience

! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$7$

Aesthetic$Experience$ ! Experimentation! with! form,! pattern! and! materials! are! rooted! in! the! whole! built! environment! as! a! whole! and! as! such,! this! important! process! is! categorised! as! an! aesthetic!design!value.!Diverse!and!varied!design!values!reflect!the!development!in! society! and! some! to! a! smaller! degree! reflecting! the! development! that! has! taken! place!in!the!art!and!design!community.!Within!Western!Societies,!broader!aesthetic! architectural! advances! have! taken! place! as! a! result! of! new! economic! realities,! political!changes!and!technological!advances.!These!agendas!are!at!time!manifested! in! the! architecture! or! can! be! reflections! of! the! individual! designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s! personal! expression,! which! forms! their! aesthetic! vocabulary.! Aesthetic! experiences! are! associated! with! buildings! with! a! strong! visual! standing! and! can! sometimes! overpower! the! natural! experiences! occupants! would! otherwise! have.! This! chapter! looks!at!three!visually!loud!Stirling!winners,!Peckham!Library,!with!its!hidden!social! agenda,!Gateshead!Millennium!Bridge,!treading!finely!on!the!line!that!differentiates! engineering! from! architecture! and! 30! St! Mary! Axe,! with! its! environmental! agenda! and!unique!form.! !

Peckham$Library$ When! Southwark! Council! wanted! a! library! building! that! would! contribute! to! the! regeneration!of!the!South!London!Peckham!area,!Peckham!Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!design!shocked! the! public! who! mistook! it! for! something! grander! because! of! its! unusual! shape,! colour!and!material!palette.!The!brief!was!â&#x20AC;&#x153;to!create!a!building!of!architectural!merit! that! will! bring! prestige! to! the! borough! and! a! welcome! psychological! boost! to! the!

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! area,”80!and!“be!a!thoroughly!modern!building!that!is!ahead!of!its!time,!but!also!one! that! does! not! alienate! people! by! giving! an! appearance! of! elitism,! strangeness! or! exclusivity.! Local! people! must! be! able! to! relate! to! the! architecture! and! design,! as! well! as! the! services! provided! and! they! should! feel! pride! in,! affection! for! and! ownership!of!the!building”!81.!Architect!Alsop!and!Störmer,!responded!imaginatively! but! pragmatically;! the! exterior,! clad! with! preUpatinated! copper,! steel! mesh! and! coloured!glass!give!the!building!an!attractive!appearance,!however!the!use!of!these! materials! and! colours! was! also! intended! to! deter! vandalism.! Different! textures! are! arranged!on!a!large!plaza!in!front!of!the!library!to!give!the!exterior!a!sweetUlike!feel.! The! duckUlike! building! showcases! the! word! ‘LIBRARY’! at! the! top! of! the! building! to! make! its! otherwise! ambiguous! function! clear.! The! 2000! PrizeUwinner! became! very! popular! with! the! public! and! local! community! because! of! its! unusual! aesthetic.! Stirling! judges! praised! the! building! and! said! of! it,! “this! is! a! building! full! of! bravado! and!as!such!it!has!captured!the!hearts!of!a!disaffected!part!of!the!population.!All!the! best!buildings!are!popular!with!their!users!and!the!young!people!of!Peckham!flock! into! their! library! every! day.! In! the! end,! this! is! a! building! to! make! you! smile:! more! architecture!should!do!that.”!82!The!judges!were!pleased!to!see!money!being!spent!in! this! particular! area! of! London! as! it! was! in! need! of! a! morale! boost! and! a! universal! building!the!community!could!be!proud!of.! ! Figure$48:!Peckham!Library!exterior!

! ©(Roderick(Coyne(

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 80

!RIBA,!Peckham(Library,(London((2000)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/peckhamUlibraryUlondonU2000/,! 2013)! 81 !RIBA,!Peckham(Library,(London((2000)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/peckhamUlibraryUlondonU2000/,! 2013)! 82 !RIBA,!Peckham(Library,(London((2000)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/peckhamUlibraryUlondonU2000/,! 2013)!

77!

! The! building! resembles! an! inverted! LUshaped! box! with! thin! steel! pillars,! randomly! angled,! supporting! the! upper! section.! Alsop! took! a! different! approach! to! the! conventional!library!plan;!the!lower!floors!of!the!building!are!given!to!public!spaces! in! order! to! remove! quiet! and! private! study! areas! from! street! level! noise.! By! suspending! the! main! reading! room! 12! metres! above! ground! level! on! the! cantilevered! plane,! public! space! is! created! below! the! soffit.! “Three! elevated,! oval! objects! known! as! ‘pods’! dominate! the! building's! twoUstorey! room.! Each! of! these! ‘pods’!contains!a!room!with!a!special!function.!One!is!reserved!only!for!children,!one! functions! as! a! meeting! place! to! relax! or! debate! with! others! and! one! pod! houses! a! special!section!on!AfricanUCaribbean!literature.”83!The!AfroUCaribbean!section!is!well! suited!to!the!ethnic!proportions!of!the!area!and!should!encourage!further!study!into! different! cultures.! The! main! entrance! area! includes! not! only! the! foyer! and! formal! areas! but! also! information! equipment,! a! media! centre! and! social! points! where! occupants!and!visitors!are!encouraged!to!use!in!order!to!become!more!familiar!with! the!modern!computer!technology!of!the!library.! ! Figure$49:!Peckham!Library!‘pods’!

! ©(Roderick(Coyne(

! In! addition! to! the! practical! considerations,! many! energy! and! environmental! attentions!have!been!prioritised,!“the!centre!‘pod’!opens!to!the!clerestory,!allowing! daylight!to!enter!the!main!space!while!the!'beret'!above!affords!shade.!The!library! was! conceived! with!sustainability! in! mind! and! has! natural! lighting! and! ventilation! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 83

!KME,!Peckham(Library,(London!(Accessed:!http://www.kme.com/en/peckhamlibrary,!2013)!

78!

! systems! which! significantly! diminish! the! building's!energy! requirements.”84!Socially,! on!the!south!façade,!slanting!steel!supports!enclose!a!public!plaza,!which!is!used!for! public!events!and!openUair!concerts,!carries!the!load!of!the!library.!! $ Figure$50:!‘LIBRARY’!sign!and!Peckham!library!at!night!

! ©(Roderick(Coyne(

! Successful!new!designs!for!library!buildings!that!draw!from!the!traditional!uses!of!a! library!as!well!as!the!embodiment!of!new!ideas!that!better!respond!to!new!ideas!of! the! widespread! use! of! information! communications! technology! are! more! likely! to! have!longUterm!relevance.!! Peckham! Library! could! be! arguable! one! of! the! most! aesthetically!conscious!of!recent!libraries,!however!has!become!one!of!the!icons!in! South! London.! The! stylish! aesthetic! has! won! the! affection! and! loyalty! of! many! people! of! diverse! backgrounds! and! ages.! The! design! of! the! library! lets! the! form! follow! the! function! and! provides! solid! evidence! that! the! aesthetic! architectural! design! value! needs! to! be! reassessed.! ArchitectUpleasing,! vernacular! aesthetics! are! sometimes!better!given!over!to!a!broader!purpose.!Buildings!don’t!always!need!to! follow! the! form! of! what! already! exists,! as! shown! in! Peckham! Library;! sometimes! something!new!is!exactly!what!is!needed!to!bring!longUterm!honour!and!pride!to!a! community.!! !

$ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 84

!Unknown,!Peckham(Library!(Accessed:!http://www.allUworldwide.com/what/cultural/peckhamUlibrary/)!

79!

Gateshead$Millennium$Bridge$ An! undoubted! principle! of! architecture! is! its! fundamental! relationship! with! structures.!Without!such,!there!are!no!buildings;!no!constructions!and!no!technically! sound! arrangement! to! any! built! form.! In! order! to! fully! appreciate! the! technical! qualities!of!the!built!world,!the!observer!should!understand!certain!elements!about! its!makeUup.!The!relationship!between!architectural!design!and!structural!design!can! be! varied! in! levels! of! importance.! For! example,! structural! considerations! could! be! completely!ignored!in!a!built!form,!in!favour!of!a!more!informal!user!experience.!On! the!other!hand!structural!elements!could!be!used!to!conceal!all!the!design!elements! of!the!building.!Finding!the!right!balance!is!becoming!more!and!more!important!with! the!longevity,!or!life!span!of!a!built!form!increasing.! ! While! the! priorities! are! different,! a! bridge! is! still! as! much! a! part! of! the! built! environment!as!buildings!are.!The!purposes!of!bridges!vary!as!the!different!designs! serve!unique!purposes!that!are!appropriate!and!pertain!to!the!situation.!Aesthetics! play!a!lesser!part!of!the!makeUup!of!a!bridge!as!they!are!primarily!functional!and!are! constructed! to! span! across! natural! obstacles! such! as! bodies! of! water,! valleys! and! manmade! obstructions! such! as! roads,! in! order! to! provide! immediate! passageway! over!such!obstacle.!The!function!of!the!bridge,!the!nature!of!the!obstacle!or!terrain,! location! and! structural! considerations! are! all! determinants! of! the! design! of! the! bridge.!! ! Although!the!Stirling!Prize!is!known!for!it’s!awarding!to!grand!buildings!and!before! 1996,!in!2002!the!award!winner!was!the!first!structural!bridge!to!receive!the!prize.! The!Gateshead!Millennium!Bridge!is!the!fifth!of!the!bridges!that!make!up!the!famous! Tyneside!skyline,!spanning!the!River!Tyne!in!Northern!England.!Similar!to!Peckham! Library,! the! bridge! was! to! play! a! pivotal! role! in! the! regeneration! of! the! area! of! Gateshead.!As!one!of!the!more!successful!millennium!projects,!the!bridge!connects! the! newly! regenerated! quaysides! of! Gateshead! and! Newcastle.! Designed! by! WilkinsonUEyre,!the!footbridge!is!alternatively!referred!to!as!the!‘Winking!Eye!Bridge’! or! the! ‘Blinking! Eye! Bridge’! as! a! result! of! the! unusual! shape! and! tilting! method! to! open!and!close!the!bridge!to!passing!ships.!! !

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! Figure$51:!Gateshead!Bridge!

! ©(Graeme(Peacock(

! As! a! footbridge! to! carry! pedestrians! and! cyclists,! the! design! had! to! be! allUinclusive! and! functionally! able.! As! a! result! of! the! steep! gorge! in! Tyne,! there! were! many! challenges! to! overcome;! other! bridges! had! done! so! however! this! meant! a! steep! gradient!or!stairs!for!minimal!clearance!for!small!ships.!The!steepness!of!this!meant! wheelchair!users!were!unable!to!the!bridge,!as!well!as!those!not!greatly!talented!in! cycling.!”Wilkinson!Eyre!instead!proposed!a!curved!deck!to!reduce!the!gradient.!This! in!turn!suggested!a!solution!to!the!other!part!of!the!brief:!a!mechanism!for!allowing! the!occasional!passage!of!taller!ships.!The!architects’!elegant!answer!to!this!was!to! pivot! the! bridge! at! either! end! so! that! it! could! be! hinged! open.”85!Supporting! both! sides! of! the! deck,! the! two! arches! pivot! around! a! spring! point,! which! allows! ships! underneath! to! pass.! A! grand! arch! is! formed! as! the! bridge! tilts! and! transforms,! resembling!the!opening!of!an!eye.! ! ! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 85

!!RIBA,!Gateshead(Millennium(Bridge((2002)!(Accessed:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/gatesheadUmillenniumU bridgeU2002/,!2013)!

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! Figure$52:!Gateshead!Bridge!at!night!

©(Graeme(Peacock(

! In! selecting! the! bridge! as! the! winner! the! Stirling! Judges! praised! the! structure,! describing! it! as! ‘architecture! and! engineering! in! harmony’! and! commended! the! structure!for!its!social!affect!in!providing!a!stimulus!to!regeneration!and!joining!the! two! cities! of! Gateshead! and! Newcastle! together.! Architects! have! overcome! many! challenges! and! controversies,! however! can! a! bridge! really! be! considered! as! architecture!looking!at!previous!and!future!PrizeUWinners?!Can!it!be!compared!to!an! experience?!Can!a!structural!form!give!the!same!experience!as!a!built!one!with!an! interior!and!exterior!form?!! !

30$St$Mary$Axe$ As!far!as!landmarks!in!the!UK!go,!London’s!unusual,!symmetrical!and!distinctively!tall! building!made!its!mark!in!the!heart!of!the!financial!district!in!the!City!of!London!2004! when! it! was! opened.! Shortly! after! its! twoUyear! construction,! the! building! has! been! replicated! in! many! drawings,! photographs,! British! postcards! and! more! notably,! in! the! London! 2012! Olympic! ‘Back! the! Bid’! campaign.! Located! on! 30! St! Mary! Axe! Street,!the!building!has!no!official!title!but!is!more!popularly!known!as!‘The!Gherkin’! because! of! the! resemblance! it! bears! to! the! vegetable! in! its! unique! enlarged! form.! Structurally,! technically! and! environmentally,! the! building! stands! as! a! distinctive! addition! to! the! city! skyline! with! it’s! unique! form! that! is! visible! across! London.! The! Gherkin! has! become! one! of! the! UK’s! icons,! much! like! the! Eiffel! Tower,! with! its! structural!statement!in!the!heart!of!France.! ! !

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! Figure$53:!Gherkin!building!within!the!skyline!

! ©(Grant(Smith(

! The! site! was! previously! the! on! the! former! location! of! the!Baltic! Exchange! and! was! severely!damaged!by!a!bomb!explosion!in!1992,!architects!Fosters!and!Partners!have! taken! the! negative! message! associated! with! the! site,! and! created! a! landmark! of! London.! The! 2004! Stirling! PrizeUWinner! stands! at! fortyUone! storeys,! 46,400! square! meters!of!which!are!given!to!work!and!social!spaces!such!as!offices,!shops,!a!plaza! and!cafes.!At!the!top!of!the!building!is!a!clubroom!from!which!a!360!panoramic!view! of! the! capital! city! can! be! seen.! As! the! first! office! building! to! be! voted! for! unanimously!by!Stirling!judges,!the!radial!geometry!of!the!building!circulates!as!the! building! ascends! in! height! to! reach! it’s! tapered! apex.! The! radiated! form! responds! directly! to! the! restraints! of! the! narrow! site,! essentially! the! elongated,! curvilinear! shaft!is!uniformly!covered!around!the!exterior!with!glass!panels.!A!lensUlike!dome!at! the!apex!serves!as!an!observation!deck!for!a!view!of!the!financial!district!of!London.!! ! Figure$54:!Gherkin!exterior!and!Gherkin!interior!

!! ©(Grant(Smith(

83!

! In! terms! of! overall! design,! the! Gherkin! building! features! a! number! of! energy! efficiency! increasing! elements! and! acted! as! a! pioneering! scheme! for! largeUscale! energy! conscious! schemes! in! London.! “Environmentally,! its! profile! reduces! wind! deflections!compared!with!a!rectilinear!tower!of!similar!size,!helping!to!maintain!a! comfortable!environment!at!ground!level,!and!creates!external!pressure!differentials! that! are! exploited! to! drive! a! unique! system! of! natural! ventilation.”86!In! order! to! increase!ventilation!and!limit!the!energy!needed!to!create!this,!between!each!floor! open!shafts!were!built!in!that!require!zero!energy!for!the!use.!During!the!summer,! the!shafts!are!used!to!take!warm!air!out!of!the!building!and!alternately!in!the!winter! they! use! passive! heat! from! the! sun! in! order! to! warm! the! building! by! bringing! that! heat!in.!In!addition!to!controlling!temperature,!the!shafts!allow!sunlight!to!penetrate! into! the! office! spaces! and! which! in! turn! cuts! down! on! light! costs.! The! Gherkin! has! been!reported!to!use!around!half!the!energy!of!that!of!a!similar!sized!building.! !

Figure$55:!Gherkin!up!close!

! ©(Grant(Smith(

The! environmental! emphasis! of! the! building! together! with! other! sustainable! measures!suggests!a!muchUneeded!new!rapport!between!nature!and!the!workplace.! The! energyUconscious! structure! gives! columnUless! floor! space! with! a! fully! glazed! façade,! which! allows! the! building! to! bring! in! light! and! views! of! London.! “Atria! between!the!radiating!fingers!of!each!floor!link!vertically!to!form!a!series!of!informal! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 86

!Foster!and!Partners,!Swiss(Re(Headquarters,(30(St(Mary(Axe(((London,(UK(1997(–(2004!(Accessed:! http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/swissUreUheadquartersU30UstUmaryUaxe/,!2014)!

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! breakUout! spaces! that! spiral! up! the! building.”!87!These! illuminated! light! well! spaces! act!as!social!and!communal!spaces,!service!spaces!such!as!places!to!get!refreshments! and! also! meeting! areas.! Spaces! given! to! such! menial! tasks,! particularly! in! highUrise! buildings! are! provided! in! mundane,! uninspiring! spaces,! however! the! advantage! of! the! Gherkin’s! glazing! and! curved! form! are! that! occupants! are! given! magnificent! views!of!the!city!at!all!turns.!“Internally!the!ground!floor!lift!lobby!is!suitably!elegant,! and! the! bar! area! at! the! top! responds! to! the! challenges! and! opportunities! of! elevation,!situation!and!360Udegree!views,!making!it!one!of!the!very!best!rooms!in! 21st!century!London.”!88!The!only!disappointment!is!that!the!building!is!not!publicly! accessible!therefore!only!those!allowed!in!the!building!are!entitled!to!the!views,!also! for! security! reasons,! many! muchUneeded! interior! pictures! of! the! building! are! not! available!to!the!public.!! $ Concluding$Statements$ Design!in!architecture!involves!aesthetic!judgement,!intuition,!convention!as!well!as! considerations! of! the! environment,! law! and! available! technology! as! well! as! many! other! factors.! The! Gherkin! is! a! building! that! shows! that! there! is! a! need! for! the! relationship! of! the! built! environment! and! nature,! however! in! it’s! energyUconscious! effort!it!has!let!the!architecture!involved!in!everyday!life!slip.!Peckham!Library!and! Gateshead! Millennium! Bridge! are! reminders! of! the! positive! social! implications! of! aesthetically! strong! architecture! and! what! the! built! environment! can! do! for! their! communities.! Many! reviews! hail! buildings! for! their! material! usage,! lighting! and! ventilation! strategies,! however! the! experiences! of! those! involved! in! the! building’s! everyday!life!are!not!spoken!of.!The!working!spaces!and!areas!inside!the!envelope! can!be!relegated!in!attempts!to!make!the!building!as!ecological!as!possible,!instead! of! used! to! engage! with! the! occupants.! Esteeming! nature! and! the! use! of! materials! cannot! only! generate! architecture;! it! should! be! used! as! a! medium! for! the! enhancement!of!everyday!life.!In!this!sense,!it!jointly!gives!life!to!the!environment! inside!the!form!as!the!external!design!respects!structural!and!environmental!aspects.! $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 87

!Foster!and!Partners,!Swiss(Re(Headquarters,(30(St(Mary(Axe(((London,(UK(1997(–(2004!(Accessed:! http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/swissUreUheadquartersU30UstUmaryUaxe/,!2014)! 88 !Foster!and!Partners,!Swiss(Re(Headquarters,(30(St(Mary(Axe(((London,(UK(1997(–(2004!(Accessed:! http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/swissUreUheadquartersU30UstUmaryUaxe/,!2014)!

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! $

$ $ $ $ $ Chapter$8$

Conclusion$ $ Summary$ The!paper!set!out!to!critically!review!the!Stirling!PrizeUWinners!through!the!lens!of!a! user!and!determine!if!the!prize!as!a!whole!was!encouraging!buildings!that!reflected!a! holistic! design! approach.! To! a! broader! extent,! the! paper! has! been! an! exploration! into!the!relationship!between!people!and!spaces.!From!central!life!experiences!such! as! learning,! working! and! living! to! abstract! experiences! such! as! cultural! and! theoretical!experiences,!the!Stirling!PrizeUWinners!so!far!have!covered!a!wide!range! of! typologies.! Each! typology! differed! in! its! aims! for! the! building,! as! they! rightly! should.! The! Educational! buildings! will! have! different! aims! those! of! Derivative! generation!because!of!their!target!audience;!therefore!taking!a!typological!structure! provided!clearer!outcomes.!! ! After!reviewing!all!eighteen!winners!so!far,!to!categorically!say!there!has!ben!a!shift! in! the! importance! of! pure! design! intention! and! user! experience! within! the! Stirling! PrizeUWinners! would! be! unsubstantiated.! Subsequent! to! much! research,! declaring! one!building!as!â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;making!the!biggest!contribution!to!the!evolution!of!architectureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;!is! relative! to! whoever! was! on! the! RIBA! Shortlist! at! the! time,! and! the! jury;! thus! unreflective!of!an!entire!discipline!or!society.!The!RIBA!Stirling!award!is!a!snapshot! into! the! state! of! architecture! at! that! moment,! therefore! the! whole! picture! is! not! considered.! If! the! Stirling! prize! had! winners! from! each! area! of! England,! this! would! provide! a! more! concrete! verdict! to! a! wider! representation.! Although! the! social! agendas! in! terms! of! sustainability! has! increased,! making! extensive! judgements! on! eighteen! winners! will! provide! a! very! misleading! result! because! the! sample! is! not! great!enough.!! !

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Evaluation$ Within!the!PrizeUWinners,!looking!from!a!humanist!approach!in!architectural!design,! from! 1996,! the! sustainable! agendas! of! many! of! the! buildings! have! immensely! changed.! For! example,! recent! winners! such! as! the! Gherkin! building! and! Sainsbury! laboratory! have! been! more! environmentally! aware! than! earlier! winners.! Tony! Chapman,! Head! of! Awards! at! RIBA! further! commented,! “the! importance! of! sustainability!has!changed!enormously!since!1996.!But!if!you!were!to!say!for!instance! you!take!the!first!winner!and!you!take!last!years!winner!and!you!say!‘has!there!been! a!movement!in!terms!of!social!agendas!in!architecture’;!well!obviously!not!because! the!first!winner!was!a!far!more!socially!aware!winner!than!last!years!winner,”89!and! this!is!exactly!what!is!meant!by!snapshot!into!architecture.!Winners!like!Laban!Dance! Centre,! Peckham! Library,! Gateshead! Millennium! Bridge! and! Maggie’s! Centre! are! heavily! socially! aware! and! have! shown! architecture! shaping! a! community! and! making! a! difference! to! community! morale,! however! these! buildings! range! from! different! typologies! and! years! and! are! not! necessarily! linked! in! any! way.! Chapman! describes!this!element!as!a!foremost!factor!in!the!deciding!process!although!it!is!not! highlighted!in!each!building,!“it!has!to!give!something!back!to!society!which!is!part!of! the!social!agenda!which!is!what!I!would!define!as!sustainability.”90! ! As!a!very!rigorous!process!of!many!months,!the!selection!process!is!not!always!right! as!with!every!prize,!“there’s!always!controversy!about!it,!everyone!thinks!they!know! best,! everyone! knows! what! the! best! book! is,! the! best! piece! of! art.”91!The! deciding! jury!will!normally!visit!each!shortlisted!building,!prior!determined!from!the!National! award! winners,! and! speak! primarily! to! the! user! and! the! architect! secondarily,! in! order! to! really! know! how! the! building! is! working! for! its! user.! Although! as! demonstrated! by! many! winners,! a! persons! perception! and! understanding! of! a! building! is! to! a! vast! extent,! determined! by! their! culture! and! social! background! as! well!as!their!current!state!of!mind.!! !

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! Stirling! architects! and! architects! in! general! are! artists! and! consequently! feel! ownership! for! their! creation,! and! although! this! creation! may! be! flawed,! it! is! up! to! the!Stirling!jury!to!judge!whether!the!flaw!is!great!enough!to!exempt!them!from!the! Prize.! Every! brief! is! different! and! every! audience! is! difference,! for! instance! many! reviewers! were! surprised! at! Gateshead! Millennium! Bridge! winning! the! prize,! however! architecture! is! every! built! work! involving! people.! The! multifaceted! craft! embraces! many! paradoxes! as! Chapman! rightly! explains,! “the! architect! takes! the! brief!thinks!‘how!can!I!fulfil!what!the!client!wants!and!what!extra!can!I!bring!to!the! table?’!and!that!is!the!genius!of!architecture!and!its!based!on!that!experience,!that! they’re! bringing! their! professional! and! artistic! skills! to! the! process.”92!Hence! the! prize!is!not!just!about!aesthetics!or!a!brief,!it!is!awarded!to!those!who!go!above!and! beyond!what!they’ve!been!required.!At!times!winners!have!higher!user!awareness,! sometimes! not,! but! it! is! all! down! to! preference.! The! Cultural! experiences! of! museums! have! higher! narrative! environments! by! nature;! because! of! the! specific! circumstances.! ! For!architects,!understanding!the!range!of!unidentifiable!experiential!elements!can! be!hard!to!understand!and!is!truly!at!times!neglected,!however!this!type!of!holistic! design!requires!extensive!research!into!the!target!user!and!sensorial!environments.! “Sometimes!an!extraordinarily!good!architect!knows!and!can!bring!so!much!to!the! table!that!they!are!creating!something!so!much!better!than!you!or!I,!any!client!would! have!thought!it!was!possible.!So!that!the!genius!of!architecture!that!it!always;!should! produce! something! better! than! anyone! ever! thought! was! possible.”!93!The! genius! and! harmonious! architecture! that! Chapman! and! Le! Corbusier! describe! is! still! a! theoretical!concept.!This!is!because!architects!and!designers!can!never!really!predict! or!fully!anticipate!how!the!user!will!use!and!feel!in!their!space.!For!this!reason!many! architects!will!agree,!“the!building!can!change!and!adapt,!if!something’s!not!working! then!it!should!be!changed!and!adapted.”!94! !

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! The!Stirling!prize!represents!a!glimpse!into!the!world!of!architecture!in!one!sector!at! one! moment! and! therefore! shouldn’t! be! used! to! generalise! the! whole! sector.! It! demonstrates! the! greatest! achievement! of! a! building! is! not! in! it! practical! considerations!or!its!aesthetics,!but!in!its!contribution!to!its!community!and!added! value,!to!whatever!extent,!to!its!own!personal!user.!

$ Future$Work$ Although!Stirling!PrizeUWinner,!Astley!Castle!did!not!receive!the!£20,000!cash!prize,! the!award!is!more!than!money!and!the!entrants!do!not!enter!for!the!money,!in!most! cases!it!doesn’t!even!cover!their!fee.!However!it!is!a!“!token!of!the!importance!of!a! the! prize;! not! least! in! its! public! perception.”95!Public! perception! of! he! prize! is! very! important! and! why! architecture! should! matters! to! the! public.! “We! don’t! want! to! communicate!architecture!to!the!people!who!are!already!interested!in!it;!well!we!do! but!that’s!not!the!primary!aim.!We!want!to!get!people!who!are!unaware,!interested! in! architecture.! And! you’re! less! likely! to! do! that! without! that! broad! coverage.”96! Chapman!aims!to!boost!the!media!coverage!of!the!prize!after!being!removed!from! BBC!live!broadcast!just!a!few!years!ago.! ! Moving!forward,!there!are!plans!to!make!a!new!international!RIBA!award!and!make! the! existing! Stirling! Prize! eligible! to! UK! winners! only! as! opposed! to! EU.! ! This! could! promote! public! interest! by! refining! and! showcasing! contemporary! British! architecture! to! a! wider! public! audience.! In! terms! of! further! research,! in! order! to! paint!a!more!accurate!picture!into!the!UK!architecture!and!shifting!priorities,!more! RIBA! award! winners! will! need! to! be! analysed! to! get! a! gradual! and! stronger! conclusions!right!from!the!regional!and!national!award!winners.!In!addition!to!this,!it! would!be!better!to!get!original,!firstUhand!opinions!of!each!building,!however!this!is! not!entirely!practical!if!winners!are!all!over!the!EU.!! ! To!conclude,!“If!you!take!away!the!pure!architecture!–!there!is!a!pure!discipline!and! it’s!very!important!that!that!moves!forward!and!is!constantly!developed!because!if!it! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 95 96

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! does!then!that!will!be!for!the!betterment!of!society.!If!you!start!purely!from!creating! a!building!that!entirely!fulfils!or!only!fulfils!what!the!client!wants!it!to!do!as!a!user!or! working!building,!then!it!will!not!be!as!good!as!one!that!has!done!both!at!the!same! time.â&#x20AC;?!97 !Essentially! architects! in! any! capacity,! study! the! built! environments! and! people.! The! two,! although! unconnected! must! be! considered! in! relation! to! one! another!in!order!to!increase!the!chances!of!achieving!positive!user!experiences.!! ! !

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ArchDaily!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“MAXXI(Museum(/(Zaha(Hadid(Architects”!! Available:!http://www.archdaily.com/?p=43822! ! th BBC!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“From(Steel(Valley(to(Cultural(Hot(Spot”!! Available:!http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/heritage/england/south_yorkshire/article_1.shtml! ! th Dezeen!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Sainsbury(Laboratory(by(Stanton(Williams”(! Available:!http://www.dezeen.com/2011/08/03/sainsburyUlaboratoryUbyUstantonUwilliams/! ! th Eyre,!W.!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Magna”!! Accessed:!http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/magna.aspx?category=interiors! ! th Foster!and!Partners!(Last!Accessed!10 !May!2014)!“American(Air(Museum,(Cambridge,(UK((1987(–(1997”,!! Available:!http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/americanUairUmuseum/! ! th Foster!and!Partners!(Last!Accessed!10 !May!2014)!“Swiss(Re(Headquarters,(30(St(Mary(Axe(((London,(UK(1997(–( 2004”,!! Available:!http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/swissUreUheadquartersU30UstUmaryUaxe/! ! th Gemmell,! L.! (Last! Accessed:! 10 ! May! 2014)! “Museum( of( Modern( Literature( in( Germany( wins( prestigious( RIBA( Stirling(Prize”!! Available:!http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U2012/$ $ th Hezrod!and!De!Meuron!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Laban(Centre”,(( Available:! http://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/completeUworks/151U175/160UlabanUdanceU centre.html! ! th KME!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Peckham(Library,(London!“!! Accessed:!http://www.kme.com/en/peckhamlibrary! ! th The!Landmark!Trust!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Astley(Castle(wins(Stirling(award”,!! Accessed:!http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/newsUandUevents/latestUnews/Astley_Castle_StirlingPrize/! ! th Lomhort,!I.!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Accordia(Cambridge:(Residential(Architecture”!! Available:!http://www.eUarchitect.co.uk/cambridge/feildenUcleggUbradleyUhousing! ! th! Maccreanor!Lavington!(Last!Accessed:!10 May!2014)!“Accordia,(Cambridge(England”,!! Available:!http://www.maccreanorlavington.com/website/en/project_907.html! ! th Mara,!F.!(Last!Accessed!10 !May!2014)!Maxxi(by(Zaha(Hadid(Architects!! Available:http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/stirlingUprizeU2010/maxxiUbyUzahaUhadidU architects/8606437.article! ! th Robertson,!G.!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Architecture”,!! Available:!http://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/aboutUus/greatUfacilities/facultyUofUdance/architecture! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“2013(RIBA(Stirling(Prize(winner(–(Astley( Castle,(Warwickshire”,!! Available:!!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/ribaUstirlingUshortlistU2013UastleyUcastleUwarwickshire/! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“About(the(RIBA(Stirling(Prize”( (Available:!http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAStirlingPrize! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Accordia,(Cambridge((2008)”(( Available:!http://www.architecture.com/awards/ribastirlingprize/ribastirlingprize2008/accordia/accordia.aspx! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“American(Air(Museum,(Duxford((1998)”(! Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/americanUairUmuseumUduxfordU1998/! !

91!

! th

The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Gateshead(Millennium(Bridge((2002)”,!! Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/gatesheadUmillenniumUbridgeU2002/! ! th The! Royal! Institute! of! British! Architects! (Last! Accessed:! 10 ! May! 2014)! “Judging( Process( and( Jury”,! Available:! http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/judgingUprocessUandUjury!! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“The(Laban(Centre,(London((2003)”,!! Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/trinityUlabanUconservatoireUofUmusicUandUdanceUlondonU2002/! ! th The! Royal! Institute! of! British! Architects! (Last! Accessed:! 10 ! May! 2014)! “Lord’s( Media( Centre,( London( (1999)”,! Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/lordsUcricketUgroundUmediaUcentreUlondonU1999/! ! th The! Royal! Institute! of! British! Architects! (Last! Accessed:! 10 ! May! 2014)! “MAGNA( Science( Centre,( Rotherham( (2001)”,!! Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/magnaUscienceUadventureUcentreUrotherhamU2001/! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Peckham(Library,(London((2000)”,!! Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/peckhamUlibraryUlondonU2000/! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“RIBA(Stirling(Prize(winner(1997(E(Stuttgart( Music(School!“,!! Available:http://www.architecture.com/whatson/exhibitions/atthevictoriaandalbertmuseum/room128a/2005/ri bastirlingprize/1997.aspx!U!.U1ZtGUZdV2A! ! th The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Stirling(Prize:(a(Short(History”,(( Available:!http://ribastirlingprize.architecture.com/stirlingUprizeUaUshortUhistory/! ! th! Stirk,!R.H.!(Last!Accessed:!10 May!2014)!“Madrid(Barajas(Airport”,!! Available:!http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/work/all_projects/madrid_barajas_airport/concept! ! th! Stirk,!R.H.!(Last!Accessed:!10 May!2014)!“Maggie's(Centre:(Facts”,!! Available:!http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/render.aspx?siteID=1&navIDs=1,4,25,566! ! th Sveiven,!M.!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“AD(Classics:(The(Scottish(Parliament(/(Enric(Miralles”,!! Available:!http://www.archdaily.com/111869/adUclassicsUtheUscottishUparliamentUenricUmiralles/! ! th Unknown!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Barajas(T4”,! Available:!http://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Barajas_T4! ! th Unknown!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Peckham(Library”,!! Available:!http://www.allUworldwide.com/what/cultural/peckhamUlibrary/! ! th Vadon,!M.!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Richard(Rogers'(Maggie's(cancer(care(centre(has(won(the(RIBA(Stirling( Prize(2009”!! Available:! http://www.architecture.com/NewsAndPress/NewsArchive2002U 2012/AwardsNews/News/2009/MaggiesCentreWinsSitrlingPrize2009.aspx#.U3iWNVhdV2A! ! th Williams,!S.!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Sainsbury(Laboratory”(! Available:!http://www.stantonwilliams.com/projects/sainsburyUlaboratory/! ! th WWM!Architects!(Last!Accessed:!10 !May!2014)!“Astley(Castle”,!! Available:!http://www.wwmarchitects.co.uk/subpage/public_buildings/astley_castle.php?view=pb!

Books$and$Papers$

American!Institute!of!Architects!(2000)!“The(Architect’s(Handbook(of(Professional(Practice”,!John!Wiley!&!Sons! ! Chapman,!T.!(2006)!“The(Stirling(Prize:(Ten(Years(of(Innovation(and(Architecture”,(Merrell!Publishers!Limited! ! Coates,!N.!(2012)!“Narrative(Architecture”,(John!Wiley!&!Sons!Ltd! ! Downs,!R.,!Stea,!D.!(1977)!“Maps(in(Minds”,(New!York:!Harper!and!Row! ! Farrelly,!L.!(2009)!“Construction(and(Materiality”,!AVA!Publishing!SA!

92!

! $ Franz,!G.!(2005)!“An(Empirical(Approach(to(the(Experience(of(an(Architectural(Space”,!Bauhaus!University! ! Franz,!G.,!von!der!Heyde,!M.,!Bulthoff,!H.H.!(2004)!“Predicting(Experiential(Qualities(of(Architecture(by(its(Spatial( Properties”,(Max!Planck!Institute!for!Biological!Cybernetics,!Tübingen! Giedion,!S.(1941)!“Space,(Time(and(Architecture”,!Harvard!University!Press! ! Hadid,!Z.!(2010)!“MAXXI:(Museum(of(XXI(Century(Arts”,!Rizzoli!International!Publications,!New!York! ! Hau,! Y.! (2007)! “Designing( OpenEplan( Workspaces( for( Collaboration:( An( Exploration( of( the( Impact( of( Workplace( Spatial(Settings(on(Space(Perception(and(Collaboration(Effectiveness”,!Carnegie!Mellon!University! ! Hunter,!S.!(2010)!“Architectural(Wayfinding”,!Center!for!Inclusive!Design!and!Environmental!Access! Jiven,! G.,! Larkham,! P.J.! (2003)! “Sense( of( Place,( Authenticity( and( Character:( A( Commentary”! Journal! of! Urban! Design! Le!Corbusier!(1927)!“Towards(a(New(Architecture”,(Frances!Lincoln! ! Lynch,!K.!(1960)!“The(Image(of(the(City”,!Cambridge,!Massachusetts:!!MIT!Press! ! Poriau,!M.A.!(1986)!“The(Aesthetic(Value(of(Architecture”,!Philosophics!38! ! Porter,!L.,!Sotelo,!S.!(2004)!“Design(by(Narratives”,!Simon!Fraser!University!Press! ! Ouyang,!C.!(2012)!“Narrative(in(Design”!Unknown! ! Seamon,!D.,!Sowers,!J.!(2008)!“Place(and(Placelessness,(Edward(Relph”,!Sage!Publications! ! Steudte,!B.!(2007)!“Architecture(and(Human(Senses”,!Virginia!Polytechnic!Institute!and!State!University! ! Verbanic,!A.!(2010)!“Perceiving(Architecture:(A(Experiential(Design(Approach”,!University!of!South!Florida! Vogler,!A.,!Vittori,!A.!(2006)!“Genius(Loci(in(the(SpaceEAge”,(1st!InfraUFree!Life!Symposium!

Publications$$

Commission!for!Architecture!and!the!Built!Environment!(unknown)!“Accordia,(Cambridge:(Regional(Design(and( Historic(Environment(Champion’s(event”,!The!Architecture!Centre! $ st Commission! for! Architecture! and! the! Built! Environment! (unknown)! “21 ( Century( Libraries:( Changing( Forms,( Changing(Futures”,!CABE,!RIBA,!MLA! $ Guzman!Dumont,!G.!(2013U2014)!“K13ASD(Lectures(and(Seminars”,!University!of!Nottingham! ! Hadden,!D.,!and!others!(2005)!“The(Scottish(Parliament(Building,(Edinburgh”,!The!Arup!Journal! ! Hadley,!B.,!Clarke,!A.!(2012)!“Spatial(Experience(Narrative(and(Architecture”,(Unknown! ! Harris,!B.!(2009)!“Capital(case(study:(Laban(Deptford,(London(Borough(of(Lewisham”,!Arts!Council! England! ! The!Royal!Institute!of!British!Architects!(unknown)!“Improving(Housing(Quality”,!RIBA! ! !

Interviews$

Chapman,!T.!Interviewed!by:!Noibi,!A.!(10 !May!2014)!

$ ! !

93!

Appendix$1$–$Interview$Transcript$ Name$of$person$interviewed$ Interviewed$by$ Date$$

Tony!Chapman! Abiola!Noibi! th 10 !May!2014!

$ AN$

It’s!recording!now.!It!seems!we!are!coming!from!a!similar!standpoint!in!terms!of!architecture!

affecting!its!user.!I!just!wanted!to!ask!what!are!probably!the!foremost!factors!in!deciding!the!

Stirling!PrizeUwinners?!

TC$

Okay!well!the!Stirling!prize!of!course!is!a!not!a!standalone!prize,!it!comes!out!of!the!RIBA!

awards.!It’s!a!twoUstage!process,!the!RIBA!awards!and!then!National!Awards.!The!reason!I!stress!

that!is!because!that!means!that!there!will!have!been!three!different!judging!panels!judging!these!

awards.!And!we!have!to!say!that!judging!like!everything!is!a!process!done!by!human!beings!and!

you!will!get!variety,!you!will!get!differences!of!opinion!and!we!do!this!because!we!hope!thereby!

we!will!get!a!fair!and!robust!decision!about!the!RIBAs.!If!it!were!only!one!jury!then!you’d!be!

open!to!possibilities!of!rapidness!and!that’s!what!were!trying!to!cut!out;!the!random!decision.!So!

first!of!all!I!suppose!the!building!should!be!sustainable,!not!only!in!terms!of!environmental!

performance!but!social,!it!has!to!be!a!building!that!works!for!its!community;!it!has!to!serve!its!

users!and!of!course!the!user!might!be!a!millionaire!who!wants!a!nice!house!and!the!benefit!to!

society!is!simply!what!the!rest!of!us!can!see!of!it!as!we!walk/!drive!past.!With!security!we!might!

not!get!that!much!out!of!it!and!that!might!be!a!reason!why!we!wouldn’t!choose!such!a!thing!as!a!

Stirling!short!listed!building!so!it!has!to!give!something!back!to!society!which!is!part!of!the!social!

agenda!which!is!what!I!would!define!as!sustainability;!so!I!think!that’s!one!thing.!Second!thing!is!

something!that’s!highly!connected!with!it!and!that’s!durability!so!we!have!a!phrase!within!the!

criteria!that!the!building!should!‘work!for!its!users!throughout!its!working!life’!in!other!words!its!

no!good!being!great!in!year!1!and!practically!fall!apart;!its!got!to!live!up!to!its!life!expectation.!

Now!that!might!be!a!temporary!building!for!example!a!pavilion.!However!the!millennium!wheel,!

Eiffel!tower,!they!are!temporary!buildings!that!are!done!quite!well!in!terms!of!durability!so!it!

doesn’t!necessarily!follow!that!they’re!not!good!if!they’re!not!sustainable/!temporary.!Durability!

I!would!say,!then,!a!building!has!to!contribute!something!in!terms!of!its!aesthetics.!Now!that’s!a!

very!dangerous!area!and!some!people!would!say!‘well!aesthetics!have!nothing!to!do!with!it’!but!

a!building!has!to!be!pleasing.!Pleasing!to!whom?!That’s!a!difficult!point!of!course!and!this!is!

where!we’ve!moved!away!from!objectivity!and!you!cannot!please!everyone.!Aesthetics!is!a!very!

subjective!word!but!aesthetics!are!very!important;!a!building!has!to!look!good.!I!cant!deny!that,!

however!its!not!a!beauty!or!photographic!contest;!that’s!why!we!go!to!see!all!the!buildings.!And!

I!would!say!that!that!is!the!third/!forth!most!important!thing!and!that!is!the!rigour!of!the!

process,!we’ve!talked!about!the!number!of!visits!and!people!but!there!is!a!whole!history!and!

experience!of!the!judging!of!buildings!which!begins!with!every!visit!that’s!made!and!every!

decision!that’s!made!and!I!think!that!is!also!crucial!so!that!will!be!my!four.!

94!

! AN$

That!sounds!quite!good!and!well!rounded!to!me.!From!deciding!the!shortlist!to!deciding!the!

winner!–!I!know!the!process!from!what!I’ve!read!online!–!but!could!you!further!break!down!the!

judging!process!from!the!regional!winners!to!shortlisted!and!going!to!visit!the!building’s.!

TC$

I!will!run!you!through!the!mechanics!of!the!process.!Entries!come!in!online!and!its!all!electronics.!

They!are!processed!by!the!region!in!which!the!building!is!situated.!That!means!those!people!will!

go!through!a!shortlisted!process.!The!regions!have!to!put!together!a!shortlisting!panel.!That!will!

be!three!people!from!that!region;!two!architects!and!a!nonUarchitect!because!every!judging!

panel!has!a!non!architect!on!it!which!is!also!crucial,!then!there!will!be!a!few!people!who!are!

there!to!represent!particular!specialisms!like!sustainability,!and!one!or!two!who!will!represent!

the!furthest!bits!of!a!region.!This!may!sound!a!bit!weird.!Say!for!instance!you!are!in!Manchester!

we!would!make!sure!we!are!not!overlooking!things!in!the!Lake!District.!They!will!also!be!able!to!

talk!about!the!local!traditions!of!the!area,!which!the!panel!may!not!know!about!if!they!are!form!

Manchester.!So!that!group!of!people!get!together,!sit!down!and!there’s!a!long!process,!I’m!a!

part!of!that!at!times!and!I!know!how!seriously!these!people!take!it.!They!then!decide!the!three!

buildings!they!want!to!go!and!see;!those!three!judges,!with!a!list!of!criteria.!They!will!go!see!the!

buildings!and!discuss!them.!The!end!of!that!process;!may!be!two!three!days;!at!the!end!of!that!

process!those!three!people!will!decide!on!the!RIBA!regional!award!winners.!The!chairs!of!all!the!

regional!juries!will!then!come!to!London!for!a!meeting,!together!with!a!thing!called!the!awards!

group!who!are!a!stamping!body,!which!controls!the!whole!of!the!awards!process;!creates!and!

safeguards!the!whole!of!the!criterion.!Each!member!of!that!awards!group!is!a!national!judge!

who!are!allocated!regions,!so!when!you!get!all!those!people!together!you!get!the!person!whose!

been!to!see!it!in!the!first!place,!somebody!from!the!national!awards!group!who!is!going!back!to!

see!it!and!those!people!there!discuss!what!the!buildings!that!they’re!going!to!see!are.!There’s!

very!little!discussion!on!regional!award!winners!because!that!doesn’t!change;!those!are!a!given.!

But!what!theyre!trying!to!agree!in!that!meeting!is!which!ones!they!shuld!go!and!visit!or!which!

ones!the!next!panel!should!go!and!visit!for!the!national!awards.!That!might!be!as!much!as!½U1/3!

of!regional!awards,!there’s!no!quota.!That’s!the!process!were!doing!at!the!moment,!this!is!the!

second!jury!so!it!does!have!its!nationally!appointed!architect!and!one!layperson!and!possibly!

another!architect.!It’s!given!that!the!person!who!went!from!the!region!may!go!on!it!and!really!

they!don’t!need!to!or!want!to.!The!usual!scenario!is!two!architects!and!one!nonUarchitect,!again,!

going!to!see!those!buildings!deciding!on!recommendations!for!national!awards.!And!then!there!

is!another!meeting!in!which!those!people!come!together!and!they!hammer!out!what!are!the!

national!award!winners!and!at!the!same!time!what!should!go!onto!a!Stirling!shortlist!of!six!and!

some!of!those!U!again!this!is!all!in!one!visit!–!will!go!straight!through,!it!may!be!some!that!they!

are!not!sure,!it!may!come!down!to!ten!buildings!to!decide!six!from!and!they!might!want!to!go!

see!2!3!of!them!again.!They!don’t!need!to,!they!don’t!have!to,!and!that!creates!a!list!of!six!

buildings!and!that’s!what!the!third!jury,!the!Stirling!final!jury!goes!to!see.!!They!will!just!go!one!

visit!to!six!buildings.!Again!they’ll!talk!about!it!as!they!go!along!and!they’ll!formulate!some!ideas!

95!

! and!then!they!have!a!period!of!up!to!four!weeks!where!they!do!nothing!–!there’s!no!decision! made!–!they!come!back!4!weeks!later!and!on!the!day!of!the!presentation!of!the!Stirling!prize! they!make!that!decision.!May!be!that!afternoon;!reason!for!that!is!security!to!make!sure!that! doesn’t!leak.!! AN$

Oh!I!see!

TC$

So!its!for!security!but!its!also!so!people!can!reflect!and!think!about!them!–!they!are!not!

supposed!to!talk!to!one!another!at!that!time.!Certainly!not!supposed!to!talk!to!others!but!they!

will!be!thinking!about!it!and!then!when!they!come!together!on!the!day!it!may!take!up!to!6!hours!

for!them!to!come!to!a!decision!about!the!winners.!They!don’t!always!get!it!right!–!you!may!think!

that!–!but!it!is!the!decision!of!that!jury!on!the!day!that!stands.!And!although!I!am!a!judge!in!the!

earlier!stages!I!am!not!part!of!that!process!I’m!just!there!to!make!sure!that!it’s!done!fairly.!So!

that’s!the!process!and!then!we!announce!it!at!the!party.!

AN$

Sounds!like!a!rigorous!process!

TC$

Well!it!is!rigorous!and!some!people!say!‘its!ridiculous!to!spend!all!that!time!does!it!matter?’!and!I!

would!say!it!does!matter.!Then!when!it!comes!to!the!choice!of!the!final!six!the!reason!why!you!

might!think,!I!might!think,!anyone!might!think!‘its!not!right’!the!point!is!there!is!no!right!or!

wrong!in!that.!They!should!not!all!be!on!that!shortlist!if!they!could!not!all!win!it!and!it’s!the!same!

with!every!prize;!the!Booker!prize,!the!Turner!prize,!there’s!always!controversy!about!it,!

everyone!thinks!they!know!best,!everyone!knows!what!the!best!book!is,!the!best!piece!of!art.!

They!refine!judgements!when!it!comes!to!that.!It!is!important!for!those!architects!to!be!on!that!

shortlist!because!that’s!where!all!the!debate!and!press!coverage!comes!from;!it!comes!from!

around!those!six!buildings,!not!just!the!one.!Because!once!the!winner!is!announced!nobody!talks!

about!it!very!much!so!most!of!the!debate!has!been!around!the!six!buildings!and!those!six!

buildings!should,!although!we!don’t!consciously!sit!down!and!do!it,!it!should!represent!some!

sort!of!diversity!in!architecture!in!terms!of!what!its!doing!who’s!doing!it!why!are!they!doing!it!

who!are!they!doing!it!for.!

AN$

I!see.!But!I!guess!there!is!that!diversity!represented!within!the!RIBA!Stirling!PrizeUwinners,!but!

probably!not!highlighted!in!the!shortlist.!

TC$

Statistically!there!is!going!to!be!greater!diversity!within!the!winners!

AN$

Thanks!for!that.!Next!question!–!I!know!you!spoke!about!somebody!within!the!region!being!

involved!in!the!selection!process!of!the!national!winners,!so!are!the!users!of!the!actual!buildings.!

TC$

They!are!not!involved!in!the!judging!process!but!they!are!crucial!to!the!visit!!

AN$

Okay!yes!

TC$

So!when!we!go!to!visit!a!building!as!a!jury!we!are!primarily!talking!to!the!user!and!secondarily!

talking!to!the!architect!because!we!want!to!know!how!that!building!is!working.!For!instance!

yesterday!we!went!to!a!homeless!home,!now!the!social!agenda!for!that!scheme!was!every!bit!as!

much,!probably!more!important!than!what!most!people!would!call!the!‘architecture’.!The!

architecture!contributed!enormously!but!what!the!person!running!that!project!was!every!bit!as!

96!

! $

important!as!what!the!architect!was!telling!us.!So!that!person!is!crucial.!They!can’t!judge!it.!

Because!that!would!be!like!saying!to!the!architect!‘will!you!judge!your!own!building?’!or’!will!you!

judge!other!peoples!buildings?’!clearly!they!are!going!to!judge!and!value!their!own!over!other!

peoples!so!you!can’t!put!those!people!on!to!it.!That!said,!because!we!always!have!one!non!

architect!on!everything!up!to!Stirling!–!when!it!comes!to!Stirling!we’ve!got!two!non!architects!–!

now!those!people!might!be!clients,!might!be!engineers,!but!they’re!not!architects!so!they!might!

be!people!who!can!bring!a!different!perspective!to!it.!That!might!be!the!perspective!of!a!building!

user.!

AN$

Okay!that!is!understandable!you!said!you!speak!to!the!architects!secondarily!and!the!users!

primarily!when!you!go!on!the!visits,!so!do!you!feel!sometimes!the!architects!are!reflecting!more!

of!themselves!and!their!brand!into!the!buildings!rather!than!prioritising!the!people!that!are!

going!to!use!it!and!really!delivering!on!the!brief?!

TC$

I!don’t!think!so.!Architects!are!artists!in!a!way!so!they!feel!huge!ownership!on!their!creation;!

they’ve!created!something!and!they!will!speak!passionately!about!it!but!I!don’t!believe!that!they!

would!underrate!or!undervalue!the!importance!of!doing!a!building!that!work.!I’m!not!saying!that!

–!there!will!always!be!some!architects!that!think!they’re!the!most!important!people!in!the!world!

and!I’m!sure!some!of!the!great!names!of!architecture!are!like!that!but!it!might!well!be!that!

sometimes!an!extraordinarily!good!architect!knows!and!can!bring!so!much!to!the!table!that!they!

are!creating!something!so!much!better!than!you!or!I,!any!client!would!have!thought!it!was!

possible.!So!that!the!genius!of!architecture!that!it!always;!should!produce!something!better!than!

anyone!ever!thought!was!possible.!So!we!must!not!deny!the!importance!of!the!creative!process!

and!that’s!a!part!of!what!we’re!judging!even!though!we!would!never!sit!down!and!talk!about!it!

in!those!terms.!

AN$

Okay!that!question!was!just!brought!on!by!an!article!about!how!some!of!the!benches!in!the!

Evelyn!Grace!Academy!have!been!warned!off!because!they!were!too!sharp!for!some!of!the!

children!to!play!near!and!there!were!accidents!happening.!That!made!me!think!that!its!nice!to!

have!these!sculptural!pieces!and!things!like!that!but!a!school!is!a!pretty!practical!building!so!you!

need!to…!

TC$

I!can’t!speak!on!those!particular!benches,!although!I!went!to!that!school!to!visit!a!few!times!I!

think!but!I!mean!first!of!all!not!all!fixtures!and!fittings!are!designed!by!the!architects!so!be!aware!

of!that.!It!could!be!that!an!interior!designer!was!brought!in.!at!the!very!same!scheme!we!saw!

yesterday,!the!client!had!subsequently!added!wooden!tops!to!concrete!benches!for!that!very!

reason,!now!any!architect!would!say!‘that’s!fine!–!the!building!can!change!and!adapt!and!if!

something’s!not!working!then!it!should!be!changed!and!adapted’!I!don’t!think!that!a!reason!in!

the!fist!place!for!not!giving!it!an!award.!We!have!used!debates!about!compliance!with!Part!M!

(disabled!access!to!buildings)!and!other!regulations;!those!are!all!givens!you!have!to!achieve.!

You!have!to!reach!those!benchmarks!in!order!to!get!the!building!built!so!we!can!kind!of!take!

that!as!read.!And!everything!beyond!that,!then!that!in!essence!is!what!we’re!judging.!We!are!

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judging!everything!over!and!above!that!had!to!be!done.!But!no!architect,!no!building!is!perfect,!

there!are!always!going!to!be!–!we!actually!state!that!within!the!criteria!–!we!always!say!that!any!

building!is!going!to!have!flaws,!what!the!judges!have!to!do!is!to!evaluate!those!flaws!and!how!

important!are!they.!And!it!could!well!be!that!they!might!be!enough!to!discount!it!as!an!award!

winner.!But!very!often!there!is!a!problem!with!architecture!these!days!–!and!that!is!that!the!

architect!is!not!part!of!the!process!right!through!to!the!end.!And!that!means!that!they!are!not!

there!to!oversee!those!details!and!things!that!should!be!designed!by!the!architect!in!the!first!

place!have!sometimes!been!cut!out!or!changed!in!order!to!save!money.!That’s!what’s!called!

value!engineering!and!it’s!a!very!fine!balance,!we!have!to!judge!what!we!see!that!is!the!final!

product!but!sometimes!we!have!to!say!well!this!fault!was!the!fault!of!the!architect!and!we!have!

to!say!how!important!is!that!flaw.!And!if!the!flaw!is!attributable!to!the!architect!then!it’s!a!black!

mark!to!the!architect!and!if!its!not!attributable!to!the!architect!then!its!probably!not.!

AN$

Okay!well!that’s!fair.!Just!a!more!personal!question!–!are!there!any!winners!that!stick!out!to!you!

that!you!have!been!to!visit!or!believe!the!scheme!is!amazing?!

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I!shouldn’t!have!personal!opinions!on!it.!I!think!one!of!the!ones!that!pleased!me!most!was!the!

one!that!won!two!years!ago!which!was!the!Sainsbury!centre!in!Cambridge;!I!thought!that!was!an!

extraordinary!building.!That’s,!I!think,!one!of!the!most!finely!ruled!architecture!that!I’ve!seen!in!

this!country.!Last!year’s!was!very!good!too.!Not!everyone!thought!it!should!be!the!winner.!

AN$

Do!you!believe!that!the!Stirling!prize!reflects!architecture!within!society!or!architecture!within!

the!world!of!architecture!because!I!know!you!said!before!sometimes!an!architect!can!do!some!

thing!that!as!a!user!or!client,!you!would!never!believe!is!possible.!So!is!that!really!a!reflection!of!

society!views!or!is!the!architecture!within!its!own!world?!

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Well!you!have!to!see!architecture!is!both!an!art!and!a!science!and!a!practical!science!and!it!has!

to!be!all!those!things.!If!you!take!away!the!pure!architecture!–!there!is!a!pure!discipline!and!it’s!

very!important!that!that!moves!forward!and!is!constantly!developed!because!if!it!does!then!that!

will!be!for!the!betterment!of!society.!If!you!start!purely!from!creating!a!building!that!entirely!

fulfils!or!only!fulfils!what!the!client!wants!it!to!do!as!a!user!or!working!building,!then!it!will!not!

be!as!good!as!one!that!has!done!both!at!the!same!time.!The!architect!takes!the!brief!and!they!go!

away!and!think!about!that!brief!as!‘how!can!I!fulfil!what!the!client!wants!and!what!extra!can!I!

bring!to!the!table?’!and!that!is!the!genius!of!architecture!and!its!based!on!that!experience,!that!

they’re!bringing!their!professional!and!artistic!skills!to!the!process.!So!it’s!both.!It!has!to!be!both.!

AN$

Could!you!comment!on!the!proposal!to!make!the!shortlisted!projects!from!the!UK!only?!–!The!

Stirling!prize!this!is.!

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I!personally,!if!it!had!been!my!decision!entirely,!I!would!have!stuck!with!it!being!a!European!

prize.!In!fact!my!proposal!was!to!make!it!the!continent!of!Europe!rather!than!the!EU.!My!ideal!

solution!was!that!we!made!it!the!continent!of!Europe!and!the!reason!I!say!that!is!because!I!think!

that!architecture!is!international.!I!see!at!as!a!slight!diminution!if!it!becomes!a!UK!prize.!But!I!can!

see!it!if!it!makes!it!clearer.!I!don’t!think!its!all!that!different!because!we!are!putting!in!place!a!

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new!international!prize!that!will!be!much!better!than!anything!we’ve!ever!done!before.!And!that!

will!be!the!rest!of!the!world.!My!only!slight!concern!is!that!the!Stirling!shortlist!will!not!be!quite!

as!interesting.!That’s!a!personal!view,!not!the!view!of!the!RIBA.!!

AN$

I!read!that!the!Astley!Castle!winners!didn’t!receive!the!£20,000!cash!prize;!do!you!think!this!

devalues!the!Stirling!prize?!

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Well,!yes!I!would!like!there!to!be!a!cash!prize!because!I!feel!it’s!a!token!of!the!importance!of!a!

token!of!the!prize;!not!least!in!its!public!perception.!The!public!perception!is!very!important!and!

why!architecture!matters!to!the!public.!And!I!think!having!a!cash!prize!like!the!Booker!does,!like!

the!Turner!does,!is!important!in!that.!I!don’t!think!it!makes!one!jot!of!difference!to!the!winners,!I!

don’t!think!any!architects!enter!in!order!to!win!£20,000.!Its!not!massive,!its!nice!and!it!does!

show!appreciation!and!I!think!they!say!it’s!important!to!the!public!perception.!But!I!don’t!think!

it’s!absolutely!crucial.!

AN$

I!understand! But!architecture!has!been!through!hard!times,!just!like!the!rest!of!society!has!and!there!has!to! be!something!that!gives;!when!there’s!no!money!something!has!to!give.!If!someone!said!to!me! here’s!£20,000!you!can!either!use!it!to!make!the!judging!better!and!fairer!and!more!rigorous,!or! you!can!give!it!away!to!the!winner...!if!it!were!a!straight!choice!like!that!I!have!to!say!it!should!go!

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to!the!judging!processes!

AN$

Why!would!you!say!this?!

TC$

You!can!take!20,000!off!the!judging!process!and!give!it!to!a!PrizeUWinner…!do!you!see!what!I!

mean.!The!judging!is!rigorous!and!it!costs!a!fortune,!but!that’s!the!fairest!way!of!saying!it.!If!you!

gave!me!a!choice!to!take!the!£20,000!off!the!judging!process,!I!would!say!no!it!must!remain!

there.!

AN$

Do!you!believe!from!the!1996!winner,!do!you!believe!there’s!been!a!shift!in!prioritising!the!user!

experience!and!how!the!built!environment!affects!its!users!as!studies!have!shown?!Do!you!

believe!within!the!Stirling!PrizeUWinners!the!architecture!has!been!reflecting!this?!

TC$

I!don’t!know!that!you!can!tell!because!an!awards!programme!is!only!a!snapshot!of!what!is!being!

considered.!So!it’s!a!snapshot!of!the!state!of!architecture!at!that!moment!and!its!very!easy!to!

read!into!that!snapshot!‘trend’.!I’m!very!wary!about!trends!in!architecture;!there!are!important!

ones!and!changes.!Such!as!the!importance!of!sustainability!–!this!has!changed!enormously!since!

1996.!But!if!you!were!to!say!for!instance!you!take!the!first!winner!and!you!take!last!years!winner!

and!you!say!‘has!there!been!a!movement!in!terms!of!social!agendas!in!architecture’;!well!

obviously!not!because!the!first!winner!was!a!far!more!socially!aware!winner!than!last!years!

winner.!That’s!what!I!mean!by!snapshots!–!if!you’re!going!to!make!judgements!on!the!basis!of!

those!winners!then!you’ve!got!a!highly!misleading!result.!So!you’ve!got!to!be!very!careful,!I!think!

you’d!really!want!to!look!at!all!the!RIBA!award!winners,!I!think!from!around!that!time!it’s!grown!

from!60!odd!to!about!120!atm.!I!think!if!you!were!to!analyse!those!then!you!would!see!these!

trends!you’re!talking!about.!I!don’t!think!you!could!do!it!with!1!building!per!year,!or!even!six!

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buildings!per!year.!The!sample!is!simply!not!great!enough!–!it’s!as!simple!as!that.!!!

AN$

Do!you!see!a!future!in!the!Stirling!prize!being!less!an!award!only!architects!are!interested!in!and!

more!about!promoting!contemporary!British!architecture!to!a!wider!public!audience?!

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It!was!always!intended!to!be!a!prize!to!attract!public!interest!in!architecture!and!I!don’t!really!

think!that’s!changed.!From!the!outset!and!I’ve!been!involved!from!1996,!it!was!always!the!aim!

to!get!it!on!television!–!because!that’s!the!biggest!popular!medium!for!dissemination!of!

information!and!so!right!from!1996,!and!I!had!a!background!In!television,!it!took!us!4!years!to!do!

it.!But!once!we!did!and!once!we!got!Kevin!McCloud!on!board,!I!think!there!was!a!real!shift!in!

public!perceptions!of!architecture!as!a!result!of!that.!There!were!other!programmes!about!

architecture,!not!least!Kevin!McClouds!own;!grand!designs,!!but!things!that!a!lot!of!architects!

might!say!its!not!serious!architecture.!Well!of!course!its!serious!architecture!if!it’s!about!people.!

I!cannot!see!that!one!could!push!it!further!in!that!direction,!my!worry!actually!is!that!its!

becoming!more!inward!looking!and!that’s!because!we’ve!lost!television!coverage.!Mainstream!

BBC!or!Channel!4,!web!coverage!we!get!very!good!news!coverage!but!we’ve!lost!that;!our!

dedication!to!architecture.!And!that!means!the!public!perception,!or!their!interest!in!the!Stirling!

prize!is!diminishing.!And!that!I!think!is!regrettable.!

AN$

I!didn’t!know!it!was!shown!on!TV!at!one!point.!!

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Yeah!well!its!only!not!been!on!television!for!2!years.!And!you!could!say!well!what!good!does!

seeing!a!load!of!people!sitting!round!in!a!nice!place!having!dinner!do!to!communicate!

architecture?!Well!I!think!the!point!is!that!there!were!six!films!about!the!shortlisted!buildings!

shown!and!that!was!what!it!was!all!about.!Making!serious!and!popular!films!about!architecture.!

The!BBC!still!does!them!but!they!put!them!out!of!the!website,!on!the!news!channel!and!they’re!

not!reaching!as!many!people.!And!then!there’s!still!something!about!a!programme!that!you!sit!

down!to!watch!that!has!a!greater!impact!on!the!publics!perception!on!the!subject!matter!than!

putting!it!on!the!website!for!people!to!stumble!across.!

AN$

That’s!true.!

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I!probably!am!being!old!fashioned.!

AN$

If!you!see!how!the!media!are!now,!if!you!put!something!on!TV!people!are!more!likely!to!see!it!

than!on!the!website.!They!have!to!first!be!interested!in!it!to!stumble!across!it!!

TC$

They!have!to!know!its!there.!We!don’t!want!to!communicate!architecture!to!the!people!who!are!

already!interested!in!it;!well!we!do!but!that’s!not!the!primary!aim.!We!want!to!get!people!who!

are!unaware,!interested!in!architecture.!And!you’re!less!likely!to!do!that!without!that!broad!

coverage.!

AN$

That’s!the!end!of!my!questions.!Any!final!comments.!!

TC$

Only!to!repeat!what!I!said!at!the!beginning!that!as!a!student!you!are!taking!an!interest!in!the!

practical!aspects!of!architecture!and!its!always!been!my!concern!that!a!lot!of!architecture!

courses!–!and!of!course!I!exempt!Nottingham!–!are!taking!architecture!to!be!an!end!in!itself!and!

its!not,!it’s!a!means!to!an!end.!I!think!it’s!very!important.!

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