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CULTURAL CENTRE
CAMILLE FILBIEN STUDIO 4.9 2016
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Martin Gledhill Head of Year Vanessa Warnes Tutor Tim Osborn Landscape Consultant John Griffiths Tectonic Consultant Studio 4.9 particularly Rachel Testard Salisbury Art Center Chepstow Castle
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CONTENT
INTRODUCTION theoretical ground overview CHEPSTOW CASTLE historical and architectural exploration embodiment of time and place BRIEF the making of culture schedule of accommodation master planning the site design development Proposal
SCHEME the Agora Reliant Dependant Interdependent TECTONIC structure materiality LIFE OF THE BUILDING environmental strategies compliances costs conclusion
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THEORETICAL GROUND personal aims
Architecture possesses a duty and means to engage and respond to political and social climates. Its relevance lies in inherent commitment towards today and tomorrow’s reality while undergoing a constant requestioning of its essence.
The following project is the culmination of a four year architecture degree undertaken at the University of Bath. Through research and development I aimed to refine and further materialise my architectural conscientiousness and social engagement.
The project expands on theories of physical and psychological borders, towards an acceptance of the “other” as a completion of ourselves. It aims to re-evaluate man to man and man to his environment relationships while moving from ecocide to ecophilia; redefining Man’s inherent place in Nature, rather than considering them as two opposing entities. The proposal engages with the ruins of a historical monument in Wales, Chepstow castle,aiming to heighten the awareness of the found conditions while binding the new and old together in an act of mutual dependency. The richness of the site awoke an eagerness to understand the cultural depth embedded in the architectural fabric and a desire to grasp its uniqueness. Through this project, I strived to reactivate a place today numbed in lifeless display, disconnected from the civic/social present and the effect of time.
This project follows the writing of my dissertation entitled Beyond Survival which sought to demonstrate refugee camps’ architectural responsibility and capacity to fulfil inhabitants lives with opportunity prospect and delight. The proposed scheme, drawing indirect inspirations from this research, is a response to today’s redefinition of culture and movement through time and place, and aims to generate a place of culture making.
The political agenda of this project, giving architecture a legitimate problem beyond itself, defines my personal ambitions as an aspiring professional. I believe tomorrow’s aspirations for a holistic world, increasingly relevant in the spirit of the current great migration, demands a constant requestioning of established orders, in order to participates in the necessary enrichment and broadening of architecture’s well of knowledge.
COLLAGE disconnection from time and place
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EXISTING
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PROPOSED
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CHEPSTOW CASTLE historical and architectural exploration
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Shorty after the Norman Conquest, William Fitz Osbern was created Lord of Striguil, “Striguil” being the original name of Chepstow meaning “the bend” in Welsh. Chepstow Castle was first built in 1067, on a peninsula where there was no settlement before the Conquest. It is thus essential to see this location as one which was carefully chosen as the site of a castle, to protect the crossing of the Wye, rather that of a town. The strategic narrow position, on top of a limestone cliff of almost 100 meters to the river and bordered by a natural valley on the south side was of prime importance to the safety and defensive character of the castle.
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The site became a magnet for settlers, and the town grew at great rate, the taxes usually common in town at this period were almost non existent, resulting in flourishing trade, commerce and prosperity in Chepstow. For more than 600 years, 1067-1685, the castle was inhabited. More than fifty different lords were successively appointed, each time repairing, adapting and extending the existing fabric to fulfil their desires and aspirations. The castle holds within its walls 600 years of feasts, parties, tournaments, battles, sieges, defeats and victories.
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NORMAN 1067-1115
ROGER BIGOD 1270-1306
NORMAN NORMAN 1067-1115 1067-115
NORMAN 1067-1115
ROGER BIGOD 1270-1306
ROGER 1270-
TUDOR XVI CENTURY
ROGE ROGER BIGOD R BIG OD 1270-1 1270-1306 306
TUD XVI C OR ENTU
ROGER BIGOD 1270-1306
TUDOR XVI CENTURY
OD
TUDOR
TUDO Rcentury XVI C 16th ENTU RY 10
1067 of William ed him the reford.
Chepstow remained in royal hands until 1115 when Henry I granted the Lordship to Walter fitz Richard de Clare. His family help the castle for most of the 12th century
William Marshal married Isabel, daughter of Earl Richard Fitz Gilbert ad became lord of Chepstow in 1189 until his death 14 May 1219, Isabel died a year later
December 1284, 4 days visit of Edward I and Eleanor
William H daughter
Roger Bigod 4th Earl of Norfolk 1270 to 1306
Charles Som acquired the undertook re N of a
inherited in turns by his five sons ichard founded Tintern Death of Roger Bidog, start NORMAN WILLIAM MARSHALL & SON’S ROGER BIGOD WILLIAM MARSHALL MARSHALL'S WILLIAM MARSHALL MARSHALL'S SONS NORMAN NORMAN ROG bbey in 1131 period of decay and SONS decline both ROG William II death 1231 for the castle and the borough of 1067 1189 1270 Richard 1234 William Marshal Roger Chepstow Bigod 4th Earl of Norfolk ew: Gilbert 1148William Fitz Osbern Chepstow William Chepstow remained remained in in royal royal hands hands William Fitz Fitz Osbern Osbern 1067 1067 December December William William Marshal Marshal married married Isabel, Isabel, One of the closest friends of William the Gilbert Married 1241 Isabel, daughter of Earl Richard R until 1115 Henry II granted the one closest friends William until 1115 when when Henrylord granted the one of of the thewho closest friends ofthe William Edwar Edwa daughter of Earl Richard Fitz Gildaughter of Earl Richard Fitz GilConqueror, granted himof Saxon Fitz Gilbert and became of Chepstow. Walter 1245 Earldomwho of Hereford. Lordship Richard Fitz Gilbert the granted thead hand oflord theof King Edward I Lordship to to Walter Walter fitz fitz Richard Richard de de In bert the Conqueror Conqueror who granted him him the the became Chepstow in bert ad became lord of Chepstow in Anselm 1245 Clare. His family help the castle for Saxon Earldom of Hereford. Clare. His family help the castle for Saxon Earldom of Hereford. 1189 until his death 14 May 1219, 1189 until his death 14 May 1219, No significa inherited in turns by his five sons Walter fitz Richard founded Tintern Death of Roger Bidog, start of a 71-1075 Gr Strongbow" 1170, died 1306 to 1312
most Roger most of of the the 12th 12th century century Roger Bigo Isabel died aa year later Isabel diedand year later both theBigo deat period of decay decline 12 1 William II death 1231 for the castle and the borough of and then his daughter Maud who Various Lords (more than 20) ruled fi Richard 1234 Chepstow his nephew: Gilbert 1148 lbert, died in 1185 married Hugh Gilbert Bigod1241 between 1312 and 1491, a few Remodelling m Walter 1245 repairs were undetaken but no major in the lowe his son: Earl Richard Fitz Gilbert In the hand of the King Edward I an 1245 Isabel Wales of nicknamed "Strongbow" 1170, diedby their 1306 to 1312 sonAnselm Roger Bigod 1071-1075enherited Inherited in turns by his five sons December 1284of decay Great Court, building work. state Rogerinde1176 Breteuil 4 days visit of Edward I and Eleanor al entouof new win II 1231 and then hisWilliam daughter Maud who Various Lords (more than 20) ruled uth Wales, fireplaces in Attempted over throw William, Richard 1234 1306 his sonto Gilbert, diedKing in 1185 married Hugh Bigod between 1312 and 1491, a few n why the more fundam captured and imprisoned. Gilbert 1241 Death of Roger Bidog m "It was in a poor state, all the Y DEVELOPMENT Walter 1245 repairs were undetaken but no major and circulatio Isabel Anselm 1245 up Starts of a period of decay and decline within andofwithout were changing d enherited by their son Roger Bigod lodgings building work. state decay 1081 inherited in by his sons both for the castle the borough of Death Walter Richard founded inherited in turns turns byand his five five sons Walter fitz Richard founded Tintern Tintern Death of of Ro R Roger 1071-1075 Roger de de Breteuil, Breteuil, 1071-1075 EXTENSION OFfitz THE CASTLE WER Expedition through South Wales of tur ruinous and uncovered, so that none More comf Chepstow Abbey period of Abbey in in 1131 1131 period of de de hid to King hidIson son tried to over over throw throw Kingand William andtried a substantial entourage more andcastl big "ItWilliam was in a II poor state, all the because army, could an be of the reason why the pot MILITARY DEVELOPMENT of them could bedeath inhabited 1231 for William II death 1231 for the the cast William, was therefore captured William, an one was therefore captured "It was in a poor state, all the lodgings castle was built. up to the view lodgings within and1234 without were Richard C Richard 1234 and and imprisoned. imprisoned. within if and without wererain" ruinous and his Gilbert 1148 his nephew: nephew: Gilbert 1148 the falling EXTENSION OF THE CASTLE ture of the me ruinous and uncovered, so that none uncovered,Gilbert so that 1241 none Gilbert 1241of them could be inhabited because of the1311 falling rain" pots had com 1115 John de Tany of them could be inhabited because Walter 1245 Walter his John de 1245 Tany 1311 In o Walter fitz Richard de Clare his son: son: Earl Earl Richard Richard Fitz Fitz Gilbert Gilbert In the the hand handG if Anselm the falling rain" Anselm 1245 1245 1081 1081 Expedition Expedition through through Wales Wales of of nicknamed 13 nicknamed "Strongbow" "Strongbow" 1170, 1170, died died 13 John de Tany 1311 founded Tintern Abbey in 1131 William William II and and aa substantial substantial entouentouin in 1176 1176 GLORIETT and then and then his his daughter daughter Maud Maud who who Various rage Various Lord Lord rage and and army army through through south south Wales, Wales, THE GLORIETTE his married his son son Gilbert, Gilbert, died died in in 1185 1185 married Hugh Hugh Bigod Bigod between 13 could between 1 could be be one one of of the the reason reason why why the the THE GLORIETTE repairs castle repairs were were uu castle was was built built Isabel Isabel enherited enherited by by their their son son Roger Roger Bigod Bigod building building w w THE THE GREAT GREAT TOWER TOWER
ow inKing 1176 e captured
Abbey in 1131
MILITARY MILITARY DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT EXTENSION EXTENSION OF OF THE THE CASTLE CASTLE
THE THE
1067-1685 asts, parties, tournaments, es, defeats and victories
ents, es
"It "It was was in in lodgings lodgings wit wi ruinous ruinous and and uu of of them them coul coul ifif th th John John
GREAT TOWER first stone building of the castle
EXTENSION OF THE CASTLE Military development of the stone fortifications
1067-1685 1067-1685 600 600 years years of of feasts, feasts, parties, parties, tournaments, tournaments, battles, battles, sieges, sieges, defeats defeats and and victories victories 11
THE GLORIETTE Erection of a new large and sophisticated stone construction
in 1508 and of the castle
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TUDOR TUDOR
CIVILCIVIL WAR WAR
RESTORATION RESTORATION
1630s 1660 uilding since Break of1508 the bridge to prevent Henry Lord Herbert was of King Charles to the II to the slid towards civil warcivil war Restoration The country slides towards Restoration of King IICharles it of William Herbert passed his Bristol Country Charles Somerset r Bigod surprise attack, tradetowith commissioned to uphold and throne 1660 throne 1630's daughter Elizabeth in 1491 largely stopped. People of Chepstow maintaine in good repair the Castle. Earl of Worcester, acquires the Lordship and undertakes the remodelling of town the castle crammed within the walls the medieval, TUDOR CIVIL masonry WAR Chepstow RESTORATION OD castle was adapted and maintained d's buildings rfolk Charles Somerset, earl of Worcester in the later 17th century as an o creat the acquired the Lordship in 1508 and artillert fort and barracks. Chepstow besieged for 3 days in lly: insertion undertook remodelling of the castle 1645, the wall was breached, Morgan someofnew Restoration of King Charles II to the Country slid towards civil war visit William Herbert passed to his drew up 400Elizabeth men for assault, n room. But throne 1660 1630's nor daughter in 1491 Fitzmor1679 Military Inventory ris surrendered and in 1648, cannon hange in plan the weaponry in store at Chepstow made a breach in the wall "so low reflected the was to abridge large extend obsolescent " that a man might walk into it of Bigod'searl buildings in the Chepstow is broken to prevent late 17th century of the age. Remodelling Norfolk Charles Somerset, of Worcester lower Bailey to create the Great Court. surprise attacks and tradeto be with Henry Lord Herbert uncared for and scarcely fire place, acquired the Lordship in 1508 and Bristol is largely stopped. People accepted as a serious tactical ows, opening undertook remodelling of theascastle of Chepstow are crammed within the Adaptation of the castle as an artillery Chepstow Castle used a state Insertion of new windows and fireplaces town walls fort and barracks. e latrine, feaprison into the main room, creating more No significant new building since stle, chamber Break of the bridge toof prevent of a twenty-five years the occupation Henry Lord Herbert was comfort and opening up to the view. 1679and at this period the death of Roger Bigod surpriseofattack, trade1645 with Bristol both Chepstow castle as a military commissioned to uphold is besieged for three days Military Inventory BREACHED WALL largelyChepstow stopped. People of Chepstow gh of maintaine in good repair the Castle. is an important period its andfort the wall breached. 400 ofmen Fundamental changes in plan and crammed within the town walls the medieval, masonry Chepstow development. assault the castle and Lord Fitzmorris the weaponry in store at Chepstow was to circulation, which reflect the changing DELLING surrenders. a large extend obsolescent, uncared for demands of the age castle was adapted and maintained Remodelling of Bigod's buildings and scarcely to be accepted as a serious in the later 17th century as an The garrison was disabandoned in A cannon made a breach in the wall tactical reserve in time of war in the lower Bailey to creat the ward I artillert fort and barracks. "so1685 lowbesieged that a man walk it" Chepstow formight 3was days in into the building left to fall Great Court, superficially: insertion No significant new building since 1645, the Break the bridge to ruin. prevent tart of a Henry Lord Herbert was wallofwas breached, Morgan into further of new windows and some new 1685 the death of Roger Bigod surprise attack, trade with Bristol ine both commissioned to uphold and drew up 400 men for assault, FitzmorThe garrison was dis-abandoned and the ) ruled fireplaces into the main room. But building was left to fall into further ruin. largely stopped. People of Chepstow ough of maintaine in good repair the Castle. 1679 Military Inventory ris surrendered and in 1648, cannon few more fundamentally change in plan WEAPONRY IN within walls the medieval, masonry Chepstow the weaponry in store atofChepstow madecrammed a breach in the the walltown "soSTORE low o major Beginning the Picturesque and circulation, which reflected the castle was adapted and maintained was to a large extend obsolescent " that a man might walk into it cay Remodelling of Bigod's changing demands of the buildings age. in thefor later century as an uncared and17th scarcely to be in the lower more Baileyfiretoplace, creat the dward I More comfort, artillert fort and barracks. Chepstow besieged for 3 days in accepted as a serious tactical Great Court, superficially: insertion more and bigger windows, opening the Chepstow Castle used as a state 1645, the wall was breached, Morgan windows and somefeanew up to of thenew view, no more latrine, were prison drew up 400 men for assault, Fitzmor20) ruled fireplaces into the main room. But ture of the medieval castle, chamber at none twenty-five years of the occupation 1679 Military Inventory ris surrendered and in 1648, cannon , a few potsmore fundamentally in plan had come into use atchange this period ecause of Chepstow castle as a military the weaponry in store at Chepstow made a breach in the wall " so low t no major BREACHED WALL and circulation, which reflected the fort is an important period of its was to a large extend obsolescent " that a man might walk into it decay changing demands of the age. development. uncared for and scarcely to be GLORIETTE REMODELLING More comfort, more fire place, accepted as a serious tactical more and bigger windows, opening all the The garrison was disabandoned in Chepstow Castle used as a state up to the view, no more latrine, feaout were 1685 the building was left to fall prison ture of the medieval castle, chamber that none twenty-five years of the occupation into further ruin. pots had come into use at this period d because of Chepstow castle as a military BREACHED WALL " fort is an important period of its WEAPONRY IN STORE 1 development. GLORIETTE REMODELLING
The garrison was disabandoned in 1685 the building was left to fall into further ruin.
E REMODELLING Adaptation of the existing fabric
BREACHED WALL symbolic marker of the end of an era
DECAY Chepstow caslte is abandonned
WEAPONRY IN STORE
HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL TIMELINE 600 years of occupation and architectural development 12
GLORIETTE
R IV E R
BARBICAN UPPER BAILEY
GAL
LER
WYE
Y LOWER BAILEY
GREAT TOWER MIDDLE BAILEY SOUTH WEST TOWER
VAL LEY
MARTEN’S TOWER
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BARBICAN
UPPER BAILEY
SOUTH WEST TOWER
GREAT TOWER
SOUTH ELEVATION cut through the valley 13
CHEPSTOW CASTLE detailed plan and valley elevation
The castle is divided into 4 baileys or courtyards linked in enfilade with at its centre the great tower, generator of the castle.
MIDDLE BAILEY
LOWER BAILEY
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MARTEN’S TOWER
CASTLE WALL COVERED IN IVY sketch
GREAT HALL TRANSFORMED INTO A GLASS BLOWER
SMALL FARM KITCHEN GARDEN
OVER GROWN WITH BUSHES
KITCHEN TRANSFORMED INTO SNAIL FACTORY
GARDEN FILL WITH FRUIT AND HAZELNUT TREES
STORE ROOM TRANSFORMED INTO WINE CELLAR
STEPS UP VIEW POINT
NAIL FACTORY 1.
LIME KILNS
INDUSTRY DURING THE PICTURESQUE map
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THE PICTURESQUE
The dissolution of the Monarchy and the Civil war between them produced a rash of ruins across the face of the country. Abbeys and castles, once the centre of power, wealth and domination, were mostly abandoned or used for agricultural and even industrial purposes (cf. map). The early 18th century saw the emergence of the Picturesque, this fascination for the Sublime, the terrifying, - rugged cliffs, mountains, waterfalls - in contrast with beauty, smooth and gentle- the cultivated valleys, groves and lakes. The obsession for the “picture perfect” landscape which required beaten down ruins covered with ivy was often not achieved by Nature, who failed to get the competition right according to the ideals of the Picturesque. Thus reality was altered by the painter and criticised by the writer:
“...Chepstow Castle comes in sight. I could wish the bank before it on the left were covered with wood, as it appears in part only over a narrow neck of land not in a very advantageous point of view; whereas it would break on the sight most nobly and surprise every beholder if it could possibly be hidden till the boat turns the angle...” (1)
Man’s relationship with his surroundings evolved from one of non-recognition and ignorance to an objectified “thing” which could be harvested and utilised to server man’s need. With the Picturesque, the owe and fascination for decay, time and the power of the uncontrolled unfolded to become the perception of the earth as a resource, Man’s supremacy over the natural and control over what is given to him by place.
1- M.W. Thompson, The journeys of Sir Richard Colt Hoare through Wales and England 1793-1810.
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Today this relationship is starting to change, aware of the extinguishable nature of species, of humans impact on the natural evolution of things, the concept of sustainability has emerged. A differentiation between man and the earth, as if “ Nature” included everything living except us, has led to ideas that every breath we take and every move we make hurts the planet, thus we are slowly killing our environment. The response has been one of drastic control, aiming to stop “touching” the earth and limit our relationship with our environment to looking. This dissociation between man and nature also exists between man and what remains of the past. Museums show case vestige of history through bullet proof glass and ruins which used to be places where fervent fear of battles and drunk joy of festivities used to be felt are now empty, dead, and life-less. The past is looked at, but never seen. Tourists tick of their list the places they visit for an hour, and never come back again. In this mind set, whereas the rest of the town has undergone considerable urbanisations and expansions, Chepstow castle has become one of these plastic statues standing as a symbol, uninhabited, occasionally used as a backdrop for yearly events.
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1985 RE ROOFING OF GLORIETTE REPLACEMENT OF WINDOWS
1999 7M LONG STAINLESS ROCK BOLTS INSERTED TO TIE THE CLIFF FACE BACK TOGETHER
1989 SHOP, VISITOR CENTRE CUSTODIAL FACILITIES
2006 NEW ROOF CONSERVATION WORK
1970 REMOVAL OF CHIMNEY AND STEPPED BUTTRESS FROM GLASS BLOWING INDUSTRY
1922 REFACING OF THE BASE OF MARTEN’S TOWER IN RED STONE
1922 BUTTRESSES TO CONSOLIDATE WALL
1961 REMOVAL OF WALNUT TREE 1995 CONSERVATION OF PLASTER, PAINTED AND CARVED DECORATION
1989 REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM TO TIE WALLS TOGETHER
1964 CONSOLIDATION NEW WALKWAY
MAP OF CONSERVATION AND BUILDING WORK 1922-2006
ORGANISATIONS IN CHARGE OF THE CASTLE 1953-1984 MINISTRY OF WORK Pealed back layers to reveal what they felt was the most important original fabric
1984 - today CADW Welsh Government’s historic environment service working for an accessible and well-protected historic environment for Wales
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EMBODIMENT OF TIME
Defensive protection Place of celebration Marker of loyalty to the crown
During the 600 years period of inhabitation, Chepstow castle has embodied and architecturally responded to the social and political factors of its time. The following three examples highlight the castle’s evolution in response to the different roles it played in history.
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DEFENSIVE PROTECTION embodiment of the military development
The introduction of the cross bow as a weapon of castle defence and adoption of rounded towers contributed to major changes in castle design at the end of the 12th century. The move from angular to rounded towers is seen as a mean of both strengthening towers by rendering them lass vulnerable to undermining and improving the all-round view, particularly for use of the crossbow. The round towered main gate way is one of the earliest example of this type, which is at the cutting edge of development in military architecture.
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Stephen Langton eulogized William Marshal as the “best knight that ever lived” in 1189. Indeed William Marshal’s building work was at the forefront of military castle design. The design of the South - West tower and its comprehensive field of fire is at the forefront of military engineering. It was not until after the south-west tower at Chepstow was finished in the 1230’s that open back, D-shaped towers became widespread.
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PLACE OF CELEBRATION embodiment of the relationship between servant and served
The building demonstrates a level of sophistication in domestic planning not seen by this date in the castle of the Welsh marches and perhaps even in royal palaces in the 13th century. Roger Bigod invested intensively in the highest quality of domestic accommodation. Highly integrated set of apartments for the earl, provide working space with a clear division of labour and create a pattern of circulation which policed the are around his own person. Bigod was encouraged to invest heavily in the highest quality of domestic accommodation, rather than to elaborate the defences of the Marshall’s castle in a relatively safe corner of Wales by that time. The size of the kitchen not only reflects the amount of food that would have been produced when the earl and household were in residence but also emphasizes the importance of hospitality and conspicuous consumption to a great magnate.
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SERVANT
SERVED
EARL’S CHAMBER
HALL
KITCHEN
PASSAGE
WINE/BEER CELLAR
DAIS CHAMBER OPEN VIEWPOINT BUTTERY LATRINE
ACCESS FROM EARL’S CHAMBER DAIS
HALL
FOODSTUFFS WINCHED UP FROM BOAT INTO THE KITCHEN
PASSAGE
OFFICE KITCHEN GUEST ENTRANCE
PIT LARDER SERVANTS ENTRANCE
OVEN
LATRINE
REAR OF GATEHOUSE
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MARKER OF LOYALTY TO THE CROWN embodiment of the relationship between king and monarchs
JUSTICE
MUSIC
the cross-legged
the viol player
MILITARY ARTS the shield bearer
LITERACY
SKILL OF CHASE
the hood scrool bearer
the man with the hawk on his writ
Marten’s tower is one of the first great tower to be built as the King’s lodging should he come and stay. This imposing structure, standing in a very dominating position - first part of the castle to be seen - was built as a symbol of the Lord’s trust for his Monarch, crowed by five figures representing music, arts literacy, skills of chase, and justice, all symbolising the virtues of the king. Two finely appointed chambers and access to private latrine, a chapel, and elaborated roof-scape, a panoramic view - these were the typical attributed of those mural towers built for the King by his great Earls or most trusted servants, which stood apart from the domestic ranges.
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Mahoud Nairi, Syrian Artisan, building a model of Palmyra using clay and wooden kebab skewers. photograph courtesy of UNHCR
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CONCLUSION reactivation response to time
Chepstow castle has been, during these 600 years of inhabitation, at the architectural for front of its time. The proposed programme therefore aims to respond to today's social and political climate in a positive and engaging manner. One of today and tomorrow's challenge is the redefinition of culture as a result of the movement of populations. Ancient societies were inscribed in a territory, the mother land, today they are drifting for reasons of employment de-localisation, raging conflicts and the great climatic question. As a consequence, culture is no longer defined by place and, therefore, endangered. A contemporary case history is the Syrian civil war. Bombings in late 2015 have resulted in the destruction of one of the most precious historical monument in Syrian culture, the Bel Temple in Palmyra. Close to 1 million Syrians have requested asylum in various countries, particularly Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and the European Union, forced to abandoned their mother land, one of the cradle of European civilisation. The scheme takes inspiration from the Lebanon based association Support An artisan. Their aim is helping to create, support and maintain safe and sustainable business environments for artisans whose livelihoods and cultural heritage have been adversely affected by war and terrorism, particularly in Syria. By providing spaces to make, materials and contacts with clients, Support An Artisan strives to preserve the fragile traditions of Syrian crafts and provide a sustainable livelihood for artisans. The proposal is for Chepstow castle to respond, once again, to today’s social and political climate by inhabiting within its walls a place for the making, study, teaching and exhibition of culture, including but not limited to Syrian crafts.
“The 21st century will be the century of great migrations. 1 billion people are predicted in the next 50 years. 1 billion people who move in half a century, that has never happened before.� Paul Virilio, 2009, translated from French
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THE MAKING OF CULTURE proposed brief
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THE CRAFTS process of making The proposal focuses on three different crafts and therefore aims to provide 3 principal spaces for making, designed as direct responses to the needs of each making process. These workshops would provide classes for apprentices as well as working space for professional artisans and include a pottery atelier, a wood workshop and a weavery. The aim is to provide a variety of spaces for creation and teaching in an inspiring setting auspicious to cultural discoveries and exchanges.
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Man is by nature a creative artist and a community deprived of the opportunity to create with hands as well as with brain, becomes illbalanced and ultimately unsound. Elise G. Davenport,1948
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SERVED
SERVANT
FURNACE
POTTERY ATELIER centralized process
1-STORAGE AND PREPARATION Soak clay in water, using a fine sieve get rid of the impurities and place on a gypsum board to absorb the remaining water
2-PREPARATION AND KNEADING Remove remaining air in the clay and shape according to design
5-DRYING The clay requires 48 hours to dry, the pieces then need to be cleaned to remove the dust in order to be smooth and without impurities once cooked. Use a sponge, water and a small blade.
6-BAKING Bake for 24hours, the clay becomes pottery. The furnace must be full when in use to preserve the heat. Wait 15 hours for the furnace to cool down before removing the pottery
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3-POTTERY WHEEL An other way to shape the clay is using the pottery wheel to create circular objects
4-CARVING After a few minutes of drying, carving and drawing of the design can begin using pencil and tools.
8-SECOND BAKE Last step is 24 hours of baking, the powder glaze of the pottery will turn in to a baked glass layer called ceramic. Open the furnace door and leave for an hour to cool down before removing finished pieces.
7-COLOURING The pottery can be painted once cooked and cooled down.
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STORE
CUT
MAKE
USE
WOOD WORKSHOP linear process the making of timber boardgames
1-DELIVERY AND STORAGE Timber is delivered in the workshop and stored
3-ASSEMBLE AND FINISH The artisans and apprentices place the veneers onto the skeleton. The piece is then polished, varnished and ready to use.
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2-WOOD CUTTING Carpenters and apprentices cut and build the skeleton of the boardgames
4-PLAYROOM The boardgames are then brought to a playroom where artisans, apprentices and visitors can play.
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SERVANT
APPRENTICE
EXPERIENCED
small looms
large looms
SERVED
SERVED
SERVANT
WEAVERY centralized process
1-MAKING THE LOOM Made from shorts lengths of any kind of wood and 8 screws, each apprentice can make his own at the beginning of the class in the wood workshop.
2-CHOOSING THE YARN Wool is the most universally useful of all the natural fibres. Strong resilient, exceptionally warm in handle, it is ideal yarn for the hand-weaver.
5-FOUR SHAFT LOOM More experienced weavers can use a larger loom which allows for the creating of larger and more complex designs.
6-THE SHUTTLE The threads are taken over and under the wrap by a shuttle to wich the threads are wrapped
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4-SETTING UP THE WRAP Sometimes the most time consuming part of weaving is preparation. The set of threads is set up on the loom providing a frame for the weaver.
3-DYES The yarns can be hand dyed in the workshop, soaked overnight in warm water and colouring to obtain a personalized fabric.
7-WASHING All fibres soften in warm water and in so doing, mould to one another, so that , from a collection of interlacing threads there are transformed into a unified material. The piece is soaked in warm mater with soap and hang until damp .
8-FINISH The handwoven fabric is finally ironed on moderate heat as a finish on a very thick pad of some smooth soft material.
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SCHEDULE OF ACCOMMODATION The workshops are complemented by a board-game playroom, cafe, learning centre, lecture hall and exhibition hall in order to generate a cultural centre which addresses the active perpetuation of knowledge. This diversity of spaces permits to architecturally respond to the multiple existing conditions of the site.
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WORKSHOPS - CAFE 300sqm
LEARNING CENTRE 80SQM
weavery 40sqm
study space 38sqm
wood workshops 45sqm
meeting room
pottery atelier 60sqm
17sqm
workshops storage 20sqm
WC 9sqm
circulation 20sqm
circulation 16sqm
cafe 50sqm playroom 26sqm storage 4sqm plant room 8sqm WC 12sqm circulation 15sqm
GREAT HALL 150SQM
GREAT TOWER 520SQM
Reception 62sqm
exhibition 420sqm
lecture hall 55sqm
Cloak room 20sqm
plant room 5sqm
storage 10sqm
water collection 4sqm
PLANT ROOM
storage 8sqm
WC 10sqm
WC 6sqm
circulation 60sqm
circulation 10sqm
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MASTER PLANNING landscape proposal
paths made by walking - outside raised walkways - inside the hole - through
EXISTING
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PROPOSED
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CASTLE
HI
G
HT
ST
RE
ET
CAR PARK
W
E
LS
H
S
TR
E
E
T
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LANDSCAPE PROPOSAL paths made by walking
Outside the castle, at the bottom of the valley, runs a paved footpath linking Welsh street to the castle car park. Unintended trails have been carved in the valley by walkers, creating direct routes from the valley towards the castle wall and the town. The proposal is for the reactivation of these trail and their adaptation into paved path in order to physically reconnect Hight street, main axis of the town centre, to the castle.
Above - sketches of existing path made by walking Left - site plan of existing routes to the castle
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LANDSCAPE PROPOSAL raised walkways
Within the castle, raised walkways perched on the defensive walls provide panoramic views onto the landscape, Chepstow and the English border. The existing walkways are discontinuous and separated into three parts. The proposal is for the restoration of the historical walkways currently disused and the addition of new raised paths in order to connect all the baileys of the castle into one continuous route and create the panoramic promenade.
EXISTING
PROPOSED
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PANORAMIC PROMENADE
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There is something about a wall, that needs a hole. Martin Gledhill
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Finally, in order to symbolically terminate the period of abandonment and degeneration of this historical ground, and to mark the democratisation of the site, a hole is punctured through the wall, creating a desired new entrance into the second Bailey of the caste.
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THE SITE at the edge of Monumentality
The lower bailey being the only one used on a yearly basis for festivals, the master planning proposal is to landscape an outdoor amphitheatre, following the natural slope of the site, to provide sittings during these events. The barbican and upper bailey, long and thin, are kept as existing and provide an adequate environment for landscaped gardens. The proposed scheme inhabits the Middle Bailey of the castle. This site, sloping towards the east, is monumental in its context and flanked on all sides by different grandiose conditions:
THE CLIFF north THE VALLEY south THE WALL east THE RUIN west
N 50
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THE CLIFF north The 100 meters limestone cliff, behind a small stone wall, falls down to the river. At the limit of Wales, the cliff edge bathed in north light provides a vast and peaceful view of the English border, past the river Wye.
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THE VALLEY south The
4
meters
thick
defensive
wall
surmounted by a walkway separates the bailey from the town. On the other side of the wall a deep valley further detaches the castle from Chepstow.
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THE WALL east The stone wall with remains of historical window openings, fireplaces and doorways separates first and second bailey. More connections between them can potentially be created through adaptation of the existing holes.
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THE RUIN west The existing great tower, oldest ruin and heart of the castle, dominates the highest part of the Bailey with its 16 meters high decaying facade.
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
The first design was nested against the defensive walls of the castle, inhabiting the site in the manner of the historical timber constructions which used to populate the bailey. This proposition was too reliant on the existing architecture of the site, using the wall as a protection. During these first few weeks of intensive research on Chepstow castle I was struggling to detached myself from its architectural history. Tim Osborn, landscape consultant, suggested during a tutorial to consider the castle as landscape, not as a building, which really helped me to move the design forward.
confirmation of brief - 02-02-2016 59
The proposal developed into a more holistic occupation of the second bailey, while connecting with the rest of the castle. This design phase, in opposition with the previous, was focusing on monumentality and the idea of challenging the existing fabric.
first interim crit - 23-02-2016 60
The focus of these weeks was to develop the relationship between the different elements of the proposal in order to centralize the design and create an Agora.
second interim crit - 15-03-2016
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From the articulation of each element in response to programme and site specificity emerged a family of buildings, distinctive members enriched by their interactions.
tectonic crit - 15-03-2016
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view showing the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, and the statue of Athena in front of the Propylea.
THE ACROPOLIS dynamic interplay
Situated on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, the Acropolis is composed a 21 different elements organised around a central sloping plane. The topography of the site and the vigorous arrangement of buildings forms a dynamic tension between place and architecture, between the natural and the designed. The whole composition is “massive, elastic, living, terribly sharp, keen and dominating� (Towards a New Architecture, 1931 - Le Corbusier)
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THE PROPOSAL the Agora response to place
The proposal aims to be a dynamic response to the
topography and landmarks of the site.
Organised at the perimeter of the bailey, each element of the programme addresses a specific found condition while addressing one another. Together they form a central focal point, the Agora.
parti
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MASING PROPOSAL 1:1000 site model photograph
Challenge what is there, reactivate it, make it part of the current, but allow it to cause friction to resist. The moment we let go of the sentimental values, but holistically assess what is there, and have it fight for its place in the here and now, we can reendow the old with contemporary architectural agency. Florian Idenburg, Its about time all over again, Domus#958, January 10, 2013
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RELIANT workshops overhanging from the cliff
INDEPENDENT
INTERDEPENDENT
exhibition hall within
great hall against
the ruin
the wall
RELIANT learning centre reaching out towards the valley
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RELIANT workshops - cafe
RELIANT learning centre
Overhanging from the cliff, the workshops positioned
Overhanging from the defensive wall, the learning
on the north side of the site enclose the bailey. This
centre
element brings the focus both inward - cafe, playroom
connections between the cultural centre created within
- and outward - workshops. In between them a route is
the bailey and the town. This element also marks a new
created linking the Bailey to the rest of the castle as
entrance. Indeed next to the learning centre a hole is
well as being the transition from one internal space to
punctured through the wall in order to create a direct
the other.
access to the new Agora from the valley.
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addresses
the
town
and
stands
as
the
DEPENDANT great tower
INTERDEPENDENT great hall
A light frame is placed within the great tower creating
The great hall is placed within the Bailey, in dialogue
an internal exhibition space. Around the great hall,
with the great tower. This element domesticates the
a light outer skin creates a raised walkway which
site by its mass and gives it an appropriate scale for
extends to the other existing wall walks and links great
gathering.
hall, learning centre, and great tower. The walkway
Lifted from the ground to allow the landscape to flow
also extends towards the first bailey and from the great
underneath it, the great hall creates a thickly enveloped
tower towards the third and forth bailey.
internal space recalling the thick stone walls of the
Great tower and great hall now stand as each others
great tower.
alter ego: The great tower with its thick outer skin beholding a light frame and great hall wrapped in a thin frame beholding a thick inner skin. This tension between, reliant, interdependent and dependant gives birth to: the Agora.
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THE SCHEME
The Agora Reliant Dependent Interdependent
The new and the old are brought to collaborate across their difference to make vivid what needs to be realized today. The old is not old text for veneration but old architecture to be honoured in use." - Paul Spencer Byard
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN 73 0
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5
15
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FIRST FLOOR PLAN 75 0
1
5
15
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LOOKING EAST the great tower as the existing dominant 1:200 model photograph
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LOOKING WEST the great hall as the alter ego 1:200 model photograph
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LONG SECTION dependant verses interdependent cutting through the great tower and great hall
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LONG SECTION cutting through the walkway and pottery workshop
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SHORT SECTION reliant cutting through the weavery, playroom and learning centre
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RELIANT workshops - cafe
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WEAVERY 1 weaving table 2 washing basin/dye 3 large looms 4 storage and display 5 tea break, connection with wood workshop
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1 5 2 4
PLAYROOM
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WOOD WORKSHOP
POTTERY ATELIER
6 office, detail work 7 workshop machinery 8 washing basin 9 storage 10 tea break, connection with pottery atelier
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8
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storage pottery table washing basin furnace pottery wheels storage and display
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WORKSHOP PLAN CAFE
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90
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6
CASA HORIZONE Girona RCR
The site of this house sits between two views - a Romanesque church and the Pyrenees - two orientations and two levels. The individual spaces are articulated in direct response to these conditions and linked by a longitudinal flow which merges the different functions of the spaces, highlighting the in-between spaces.
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RELIANT workshops
Perched on the limestone cliff, facing the English border, the workshops offer peaceful views to artisans and visitors while animating the north elevation of the castle. In contrast with the stone Gloriette, which appears as a continuation of the cliff, the workshops protrude past the border, reaching out over the river. The different cells of the ateliers are articulated as served and servant spaces, and unified by a rhythmical composition.
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SERVED - making
Chepstow castle photograph A hole in the wall overgrown with ivy frames the view of the English river side.
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SERVANT- preparing
Golden Forest - Gustave Klimt painting, 1907 vertical composition/decomposition of the landscape
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RELIANT learning centre 97
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3
4
RELIANT learning center
Perched on the south defensive wall, facing the town, the learning center announces the new entrance to the Agora from the valley. Accessed from the restored raised castle walkways, this elements leads visitors over the wall.
Study desks offer
calm views onto the landscape and articulate the facade, responding to the ups and down of the existing stone wall, while adopting a unifing language with the workshops.
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wc book shelves study desks meeting room
LEARNING CENTER PLAN 0 0.5
2
6
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DEPENDANT great tower 102
NEUES MUSEUM
Berlin
David Chipperfield
restore order to the whole and significance to the parts
The restoration of the Egyptian court of the Neuse museum enables the new and the old to reinforce each other in a search for continuity. Through an inversion of space and mass, the new addition consists of a structure within a structure inserted into the existing court.
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Precedent Analysis Neuse Meuseum Sketch of the Egyptian court of the Neuse museum overlay on a photograph of the interior of the great tower
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5
9
7 5
8
8
4
3
5
1 2
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DEPENDANT great tower
Divided into 3 floors stepping back from one another, the exhibition hall inhabits the existing great tower as the insertion of a light frame.
The old entrance of the great tower (7) currently disused is restored and external paved steps act as the main entrance route, reaching up to the level of the raised walkways. From the top floor an existing hole in the wall which used to lead to a wooden staircase down to the gallery (8) is restored and adapted into a door leading to an external walkway which wraps around the tower and reaches the existing raised walkway of the upper bailey (10). The exhibition hall is thus integrated within the panoramic promenade, providing visitors with a dual object of contemplation:
-the exposed internal walls of the great tower with its intricate detailing revealing layers of history
-the exhibited art pieces occupying the space through a light rhythmical frame.
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wc cloak room plant room storage exhibition hall external walkway
7 restored entrance 8 gallery 9 walkway toward learning centre 10 walkway toward upper bailey
PLAN great tower 0
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2
4
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INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE the light frame within the solid mass
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INTERDEPENDENT great hall 109
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RECONCILIATION CHAPEL
Berlin
Rudolf Reitermann and Peter Sassenroth
Located in the former ‘no-man’s land’ between East and West Germany, the chapel is constructed of a continuous load-bearing rammed earth wall beholding the
sacred
space,
and
encircled
by
a
hallway
for circulation which forms a threshold between the outside ambiance and religious interior.
The
relationship between the two elements is like that between the white and the yoke of an egg - related to the concept of a forme forte, both monumental and monolithic.
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INTERDEPENDENT great hall lecture hall - reception
From the outside, the great hall looks as if framed with fixed vertical blinds that cast picturesque shadows. The spherical mass of the lecture hall is wrapped in a delicate envelop of timber louvres which forms a sheltered intermediate space of contemplation. This space aims to provide a dynamic experience of movement and views. The relationship between the square, responding to the line of the existing stone wall, and the circle, evoking the ruinous wall towers of the site, compresses and releases the visitors as they walk around and the vertical battens rhythmically frame the view, revealing new perspectives at each step.
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PLAN great hall The great hall, positioned against the wall separating first and second bailey, houses the reception on ground floor as well as the lecture hall and walkway on the upper floor. The upper floor, at the same level as the wall walks, stands a a dynamic viewing platform for visitors walking along the panoramic promenade. The circular lecture hall, lit by a deep skylight, is inward looking, focusing the attention of visitors on the lecture happening. On ground floor, the glazed reception provides an internal gathering space for visitors, while allowing the landscape to visually flow underneath the lecture hall.
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reception hall wc plant room water collection storage walkway
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3
7
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6
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BERLIN JUNCTION Richard Serra
Richard Serra’s work of large scale steel sculptures draws ,with a site specific and often highly public setting, new attention to potential for experience by viewers in both physical and visual terms.
AXONOMETRIC PROJECTION great hall
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INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE the solid mass within the light frame
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TECTONIC
RELIANT construction sequence axonometric detail
INTERDEPENDENT structural strategy detailed section
DEPENDANT exploded axometric axonometric detail section details
MATERIALITY reliant interdependent dependant
'The new has to motivate us to better see the existing' Peter Zumthor
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CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE wood workshop and cafe
All the workshops, cafe and playroom would be erected simultaneously with the following construction method:
1-SITE Structural survey is carried out on the lime stone cliff and historical stone walls and stabilised if necessary. In- situ Concrete piled foundations are laid. 2-FLOOR TRUSSES 1200x10500mm overhanging steel trusses are installed spanning over the cliff.
3-COUNTER BALANCING FRAME The steel frame of rectangular hollow sections on the south side of the wall is installed first in order to provide sufficient weight and stability to the structure. 4-OVERHANGING FRAME The overhanging steel frame of the same rectangular hollow section is then installed and attached to the first frame with 100x300mm Corten beams spanning over the stone wall. 5-CLADDING 550mm wide insulated Corten panels are installed on the frame forming the walls, roofs and floors. 6-GLAZING Corten framed tripled glazing is installed and the building thermally sealed. The internal fittings are finished.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
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STRUCTURE reliant workshops - cafe - learning centre
Corten beams span between the two frames providing additional stability to the structure. These beams also roof the external walkway linking the workshops, cafe and playroom. In between them a timber frame is installed in order to shelter the walkway with frosted glass panels.
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GREAT TOWER structural strategy
The structural strategy of the exhibition hall is to restore and adapt the structural remains within the walls of the existing great tower to insert a light polymer concrete frame.
STRUCTURAL REMAINS photograph
of
a
within
the wall where the timber beams supporting the floors use to sit
GREAT TOWER exploded axonometric projection 125
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GREAT TOWER structural strategy
Historically,
the
great
tower
used
to
be
separated in three floors, all supported by timber beams, themselves inserted in the stone walls. Indeed at regular intervals can be seen pockets where the beams use to sit, remains of double archways used to support the floors and details of roof support. The proposed exhibition hall within the great tower responds to the exiting architectural fabric
without
relying
on
it.
Indeed
the
structural strategy is to insert a concrete frame of 300x300mm members, supporting the new floors and roof of the exhibition hall. The existing pockets are reused to connect the concrete beams to the stone walls. The roof of frosted glass panels, supported by structural frosted glass beams, rests on the concrete frame and the stone wall parapet where the historical roof structure use to rest.
SHORT SECTION exhibition hall
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STRUCTURE interdependent great hall
The lecture hall is constructed of a glue laminated timber frame resting on a concrete slab, itself supported by 8 concrete columns. In order to create the curvature of the wall, a dense timber framework of thin battens is clad in pine veneers, creating a smooth and almost monolithic surface, as if carved of one piece. Around, under and above this solid element, a veil of larch elements lightly wraps the circle in a square. Controlled openings within the louvres provide dynamic breaks from the vertical rhythm. the roof louvres converge toward the centre of the space and, combined with the deep glue-laminated beams, form a sunken square, bringing light at the heart of the lecture hall.
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1:20 AXONOMETRIC DETAIL wall build up
External layer 10/200/1200mm pine veneers 25/15mm vertical timber battens 40/40mm horizontal timber battens Waterproof membrane 185/50mm secondary timber framing 120mm glass wool insulation 40/40mm vertical timber battens 25/15mm horizontal timber battens 10x200x1200mm pine veneers 1000mm deep service zone including WC, storage, water tank and heat reservoir 20x200x1000mm timber beams 300x300 glued laminated timber columns Internal layer 10x200x1200mm pine veneers 25x15mm vertical timber battens 40x40mm horizontal timber battens 25x15mm vertical timber battens
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GREAT HALL detailed section
The insulation layer situated within the outer layer wraps around the concrete slab and primary timber frame. The 1600mm deep roof beams are therefore exposed internally and create a square frame around the skylight, accentuating its directionality. the larch louvers continue above and under the lecture hall, creating the ceiling of the reception, further materialising the concept of light monolithic wooden box.
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ROOF BUILD UP 100/75mm squared larch heat treated (275mm centre to centre) 170x30mm timber battens 0.8mm zinc sheet waterproof membrane 80x80 timber intermediary beam members glue-laminated secondary beams 15mm plywood 120mm glass wool thermal insulation between 50/180 timber frame vapour barrier 2x15mm plasterboards 1600/200mm glue laminated primary beams
FLOOR BUILD UP
20mm poured resin floor 60mm screed fitted with underfloor heating 250mm concrete slab 120mm rigid insulation 60/25mm suspended timber frame 100/75mm squared larch, heat treated when external (275mm centre to centre)
GREAT HALL detailed sections 1:50
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MATERIALITY “What you see is all there is”
The existing walls of Chepstow castle were first built 950 years ago. Alterations, restorations and extensions have enriched the stone walls which stand today as a physical embodiment of the passage of time. Time is what has made this site of historical and architectural value, it therefore felt pertinent that the materiality of the scheme acknowledges, brings to light and celebrates the unstoppable aging nature of our built environment. Indeed instead of battling materials’ weathering and decaying, the different cladding elements aim to gracefully express their aging nature and harmoniously complement the existing castle. Another key aspect of the existing materiality of the castle that the proposal aims to respond to is the nature of ruins. What is left of the castle’s architecture is at its rawest and purest form. Stripped of any finishes, secondary frame or services,
the essence of the architectural design is the
only thing that remains. With stones as the one and only material, the castle reveals its layout, mass, detailing and structure in the most honest manner. In order to respond to the nature of the existing ruins, each proposed building is embodied by one material which directly responds and expresses the way it is made. In most spaces the same cladding material is used internally and externally, contributing to the unity and wholeness of each particular element. The proposed additions to the castle aim to honestly represent the construction material used as well as remaining simple and pure in their materiality.
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INTERDEPENDENT larch timber great hall
RELIANT weathered steel - Corten workshops - cafe - learning centre
DEPENDANT polymer concrete great tower
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THE RELIANT corten workshops, cafe, learning centre
The reliant elements of the scheme overhang on either side of the site, the learning centre towards Chepstow, over the defensive stone wall, and the workshops towards England, over the limestone cliff. These buildings are clad in Corten, weathered steel. The chemical composition of this steel allows it to exhibit increased resistance to atmospheric corrosion compared to other metals due to the protective layer formed on its surface under the influence
of
the
weather. Through
its
natural
rusting, this cladding material embodies the effect of time as well as poetically representing the steel frames which makes the buildings.
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GREAT TOWER polymer concrete
The exhibition hall within the great tower aims to lightly inhabit the space, physically and materially, and act only as a frame to better see the existing historical richness of the great tower and the art displayed. The beams and columns framing the space are made of polymer concrete, a type of concrete
that
use
polymers
to
replace
lime-type cements as a binder. The added polymers
subtlety enrich and texture the
concrete. The space is roofed with frosted glass panels, allowing a gentle glow of light while displaying blurred shadows of the castle walls and sky above. By using two common building materials, concrete and glass, but with slightly altered properties,
the
space
richness.
141
achieves
calms
142
GREAT HALL timber
The great hall placed within the bailey is an evocation of the historical timber constructions which use to inhabit the baileys when the castle was first built. Indeed the remaining stone walls were only used to create a defensive threshold between the castle and its exterior or to erect large ceremonious spaces such as the great tower and the Gloriette. Most of the inhabited constructions were built of locally sourced timber and lodged against the defensive stone walls. The
great
hall
is
therefore
predominantly
constructed and clad using, wherever possible, locally sourced timber products. With low embodied energy,
flexibility,
durability
and
sustainability
it is the ideal material to use within a bailey of Chepstow castle. The external louvres are constructed of larch timber battens. Larch is a tough, resinous timber, naturally resilient to water which requires minimal treatment, making it ideal for outdoor use. The internal and external cladding is composed of 200mm wide pine veneers creating a smooth continuous surface following the curve of the cylindrical lecture hall.
NORMAN 1067-1115
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ROGER BIGOD 1270-1306
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LIFE OF THE BUILDING
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY reliant dependent interdependent COMPLIANCES access statement fire strategy costing calculation Conclusion
“Highlight the space and the city will react” Kevni A. Lynch - the image of the city
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ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY
The proposal sits in the middle bailey of Chepstow castle. An existing visitor centre with bathroom facilities is located in the lowest part of the lower bailey and is supplied with drainage electricity gas and water. In addition, existing underground electric cables run through the entire length of the castle providing external lighting. Therefore even though the site is difficult to service due to its topography and historical value the extension of the existing servicing system would provide all the necessary services to the proposed buildings. Most existing cables and pipe run along path and avoid breaking through walls and the extension of these should also avoid damaging the existing fabric of the castle. The aim of the proposal is to establish and Agora activated by several buildings, linked by external paths and raised walkways. In order to minimise the size of the walkways connecting the buildings and, therefore, the structural impact on the existing stone walls, the idea of a centralised plant room was dismissed in favour of multiple plant rooms. Each building is independently distributed which enables smaller plant rooms proportioned to their sizes. This system also allows for specific environment strategies responding to the conditions of each space. One method taken to reduce energy consumption was to design most circulation spaces as external sheltered walkways which have no heating demand.
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UNDERGROUND SERVICES existing
Electricity cables Water drainage and water mains Man holes
UNDERGROUND SERVICES proposed
PROVISION OF SERVICES
DRAINAGE
Monmouth district council Mamhilad Nr. Pontypool
ELECTRICITY
South Wales Electicty Board Rees Road Cymbran
WATER
Welsh National Water Authority Chepstow area office Olive house, Moor Street Chepstow
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ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY reliant
The workshops, overhanging from the cliff, provide spectacular views to the artisans and generous north lighting. The short span of each workshop, between 5600 and 6200mm, allows for natural cross ventilation to provide fresh air at all times. The building being situated on a cliff minimal underground work should be involved therefore the 1200mm depth of the cantilevering structure is used to allow services to run from the plant room to each individual workshop. The wood workshop is equipped with a dust extractor in order to maintain healthy air quality. The pipes, which also run in the structural depth, collect the saw dust which is then stored in the plant room and can be recycled and sold to a pet shop as saw dust bedding. The workshops are connected to the cafe and playroom by an external sheltered walkway which has no heating demands and therefore minimises energy consumption. In the cafe and playroom the south facing full height glazing is recessed from the roof and wall by 800mm in order to provide adequate shading and minimise over heating while providing visual connections to the Agora.
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rainwater collection provides grey water for toilets minimal south light
full height tripled glazing maximises northern daylight
full height tripled glazing maximises views, recessed by 800mm to provide shading external walkway natural cross ventilation
natural cross ventilation
Underfloor heating provided by CHP unit
WATER TANK
Metal louvres on the west faรงades provide protection from evening sun glare
WOOD WORKSHOP
extraction
storage
SAW DUST CYCLE
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pick up point for recycling
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY great tower
The 4 existing walls of the great tower inhabit the exhibition hall. The average thickness of the existing stone wall is 2500mm and is therefore used as thermal mass to insulate the internal space in order to be exposed internally and externally. To thermally seal the building each existing opening is restored and closed with steel framed open-able double glazing. The space is roofed by frosted glass panels, providing diffused light and minimising overheating. The satin finished glass roof of the exhibition hall provides a uniformed hallow of light appropriate for the display of art pieces. Additional directional mechanical lighting is used to lit individual art pieces. Rainwater is collected from the roof and transported through the hollow columns to be used as grey water for toilets. An external walkway connecting the second floor of the exhibition hall to the existing wall walks provides maintenance access to the roof. A temporary ladder can be installed from the walkway to access the roof through an existing opening.
WATER TANK
RAINWATER CIRCUIT
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matted glass roof minimises overheating provides diffuse light
Rainwater collection provides grey water for toilets
Thermal mass of existing stone wall provides cooling
SUMMER COOLING matted glass roof minimises overheating provides diffuse light
Rainwater collection provides grey water for toilets
Thermal mass of existing stone wall provides heating
WINTER WARMING
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Underfloor heating provided by CHP unit
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY great hall LIGHTING The lecture hall aims to be relatively dark in order to allow for presentations and screenings. The space is top lit by a 3000x3000mm skylight which is framed by 1600mm deep timber beams enabling diffuse light and reducing direct sunlight. This allows for artificial light to be used if necessary to get the correct amount and type of light for the given event. The circular hall is surrounded by two “protecting” layers. The first is the 1400mm thick envelop which houses all the services necessary to the functioning of the main space. the second is an external walkway roofed and protected by vertical timber louvres diffusing natural light and allowing air to circulate. These two layers allow the hall to be protected from over heating and unwanted lighting conditions. DISPLACEMENT VENTILATION A heat reservoir enables the use of displacement ventilation in the lecture hall, using the stale air to heat/cool fresh air which is then brought at the bottom of the hall. RECEPTION The mainly glazed reception allows for the wooden box to be liberated from the ground and enables the landscape to flow underneath. The almost fully gazed façades could be at risk of over heating therefore the reception is recessed under the hall, protected by the cantilevered walkways which extend between 2000 and 3000mm and provide shading. The 2300mm high curved triple glazed panels allow diffused light while maintaining a constant temperature in the reception.
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rainwater collection provides grey water for toilets
framed skylight provides diffuse light
23°C
stale air
vertical timber louvres provide shading and create a fragmented light effect
23°C
WATER TANK
HEAT RESERVOIR Use of stale air to partly cool the new fresh air
Cantilevered walkways provides shading for the reception
18-20°C
30°C fresh warm air
full height tripled glazing maximises daylight
Thermal mass of concrete structure provides cooling
SUMMER COOLING
rainwater collection provides grey water for toilets
framed skylight provides diffuse light
23°C
stale air
vertical timber louvres provide shading and create a fragmented light effect
23°C
WATER TANK
HEAT RESERVOIR Use of stale air to heat the new fresh air
Cantilevered walkways provides shading for the reception
18-20°C
-4°C fresh cool air
full height tripled glazing maximises daylight Underfloor heating provided by CHP unit Thermal mass of concrete structure provides heating 154
WINTER WARMING
levelled pedestrian access vehicle access delivery and drop off point public lift
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
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ACCESS STATEMENT
The proposal celebrates the act of inhabiting a relatively abandoned and reclusive site in order to breath new life into an architecturally, historically and naturally rich environment. However the proposal is for a public building and aims to gather therefore it was key to design a building accessible to all and not discriminate against any portion of society. The proposal sits in the second Bailey of Chepstow castle, bordered by a 90 meters cliff and deep valley. Level access is therefore difficult. The castle has two main entrances, however only one is currently in use to manage entrances. The project proposes to open the second entrance in order to create a new “street� in Chepstow and add a third entrance from the valley by symbolically and physically breaching the wall and create a direct access to the Agora. The proposal is organised around the Agora, an external levelled square from which all the buildings are accessible. Externally, to reach the Agora the existing path following the external wall of the castle is repaved and levelled. (cf. landscape proposal) Currently the castle is equipped with a mobility adapted electric vehicle which allows wheelchair users to access the different baileys and the staff to rapidly reach a given point for maintenance or emergencies. Within the building all floors are level, with vertical access available via the public lifts within the great hall and wall tower. All circulation routes exceed 1000mm in width to allow free wheelchair access. PARKING Two existing parking border the castle. One with a capacity of approximately 50 cars sits in front of the main entrance and another with a capacity of approximately 200 cars sits on the other side of the valley.
EXISTING ENTRANCE
EXISTING BACK ENTRANCE REINSTATED NEW ENTRANCE
PARKING
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PARKING
escape route GROUND FLOOR PLAN 60min fire compartment wet riser
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FIRE STRATEGY The nature of the proposal, organised around a courtyard, is to connect most internal spaces with external walkways and path. Therefore all buildings have at least two escape routes, towards the west and east exits of the castle premises. The raised walkways linking the great tower, learning centre and great hall also provide escape route on the upper floors. Due to the historical and architectural importance of the great tower minimum alterations have been implemented onto the existing walls. However two of the previous entrances to the great tower have be reinstated, providing an escape route on each floor.
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COSTING CALCULATIONS Construction estimate: Reliant Interdependent Dependant Connections
workshops, cafe, learning centre great hall great tower external walkways
380sqm 150 sqm 520 sqm 650 sqm
x£4000/sqm x£3500/sqm x£4500/sqm £1500/sqm
=£1,520000 =£525000 =£2,340000 =£975000 =£5,360000
+ + + +
Landscaping and site complexity factor 12.5% Contractor Preliminaries and Profit 12% Design and Construction Contingencies 10% Consultants and Statutory fees 15%
=£6,030000 =£6,753600 =£7,428960 =£8,543304
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TOTAL =£8,543304
“Ah, what sights and sounds and pain lie beneath that mist. And we had thought that our hard climb out of that cruel valley led to some cool, green and peaceful, sunlit place---but it's all jungle here, a wild and savage wilderness that's overrun with ruins. But put on your crown, my Queen, and we will build a New City on these ruins.” ― Eldridge Cleaver, Soul on Ice
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FINAL CRIT PIN UP
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05-05-2016
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“It’s just growing pains Camille!” Alus Di Lieto
What a hard climb... which was worth every step.
With a trip to Berlin where I visited and discovered most of the precedents which inspired this proposal such as the Neues Museum and the Chapel of Reconciliation, this year and particularly this project, truly deepened my architectural knowledge, ability and passion. Given more time I would have wished to further develop my knowledge of detail design and therefore the tectonic part of the scheme. I wish I had managed to design and represent each element of the proposal with the same level of wholeness as I set out for. One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt from this architectural degree and particularly during this project is to accept and embrace the pains, for they bring growth and enlightenment.
“When you don’t fell that your feet are quiet touching the bottom, you are just about in the right place to do something exciting.” David Bowie
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