The Institute of Film in Bristol Individual Process Document
Carolina Saludes
Introduction The Basil Spence project has been a steep learning experience, both personally and as a group. The targets we had as a team were to design a scheme we all liked and were proud of and try to achieve as much as possible an integration between architecture, environmental design and structure. In the very beginning we had talks about group dynamics and organising who would do what. Rich, our engineer, participated from day one on the development of the concept and contributed as much as any of us archtiects. This personal process document aims at representing all the work we developed during the 8 weeks of Basil Spence and to reflect upon our attitudes, both good and bad, that ultimately made us grow as people.
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Contents Introduction
4- 5
The Site
12- 19
Plato: The Starting Point
20- 27
The Concept
28- 35
The Programme
36- 41
2 Buildings 1 Threshold
42- 51
Interim Crit: Light
52- 57
4
58- 79
The Building
80- 89
The Structural Strategy
90- 97
The Environmental Strategy
98- 117
Landscape defined
118- 129
Detail + Possibilities
129- 130
Conclusion
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The Site Our two site visits, on our own and then with our engineer Rich, bonding and getting to know the site and the area around it. We aimed at seeing the place during the day and during the night. The industrial heritage of Bristol is very visible on site. Also, the character of Spike Island as a threshold between the sea and Bristol was very important to us. Spike island has developed a new attitude as a centre for artists, a young community and culture Water was an extremely relevant element to the scheme. The wealth, independence and freedom of the city come from the water itself.
The MShed being renovated and converted into a cultural landmark for Bristol
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First impressions of the site
View of Bristol in the background, some 15 mintes away from Spike I.
The shed next to the site, which we had the option to knock down. We prefered to keep it.
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One side is layered with history and flavour.
Old
View of the site from the New Harbour
New Wapping Wharf development reflects the new trend in the islandwith and ideal of culture and independence. The preservation of the industrial heritage of the Island, including the MShed, is key to understand it.
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Very rough section though the site.We tried to get to grips from the beginning with the massing of the Wapping Wharf development and the character of the site.
Early site analysis
The Building
The site is divided into two very clear areas: new and old. Both are equally important but tell a different story and should be treated differently. We wanted to mimic the function of Spike Island as a threshold by making our building also a separation between these two sides.
New
The other is new and still to develop.
Artist’s view of the future Wapping Wharf development 9
The Building is tucked away, protected
Of all the site available we chose to design our
scheme in a small plot, knocking down just half of the proposed Wapping Wharf buildings. This allows us to limit the design options, to keep true to the new development and to force ourselves to create a scheme with a smaller footprint, which would be more environmentally friendly.
a natural axis between the building and the sea, This decision also allowed us to create
which is an extremely important part of our design.
First impressions of where we wanted the site to be The site location, very rich and complex
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North facade Urban side
Residential side
Basic sunpath diagram that influenced heavily our decision making of spatial arrangement.
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Initial diagram for the development of the landscape. As described before there are two clear areas that divide the site.
Choosing the Site
Main movement of people
Analysis of our site once we decided upon it basic analysis of sun path, height of buildings around it, activities in the area, etc. The clear difference between the two areas becomes even more obvious after the initial analysis, making it clear that one part would be outdoors and the other would be for the building. Big discussions on the movement of people across the site, making it a major theme of the project.
The main views around the site.
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Plato:The Starting Point The Allegory of the Cave in the chapter VII of Plato’s book ‘The Republic’ seemed to be at the very core of cinema experience, making it a quintessential piece of literature that could be very helpful to us. We liked the piece so much that we decided to make it the conceptual basis for our whole project. We knew we wanted to be able to come back to a very solid and essential ‘story’ that would guide us throughout the project. The allegory of the cave, our analysis of it and the short conceptual essay developed from it were key tools to knowing what the main conceptual elements of our building would be and what our main aims for the project would be. The spine of the scheme comes from this story.
The journey is
absolutely primordial to the design and to the growth of the project. It has been a journey both for the scheme and for the team.
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The beginning of the project and the journey. Everyone chained in ignorance.
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The Allegory of the cave
Light The two world and the threshold between them. That threshlld we knew was our building.
and darkness was the very first approach to the design, coming from the idea of the man getting out of the cave. The dialogue that happens between Socrates and Glaucon, between the man and the master, between the inside and the outside and the interdependence on each other was a principle kept throughout.
The contrast of opponents would be the very driving force for the design and what would ultimately make it what it was.
Emission and abosrption: coming in and out of the darkness. We would base our environmental strategy on this principle. 17
The building is not dark or light or either of the opponents, but rather the
threshold
between them.
This tied in with the idea of Spike Island being a threshold in itself and the site being a border between old and new, cosmopolitan and residential. The building is a transmitter of energy, people, light, etc. v. Because the natural cycles of a film institute define distinct activities during the day and during the night, we soon realised that the process of absorving and releasing happened one during the day and one during the night. We explored this idea in the programme of our building.
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The building, the artefact, during the day, absorving and reflecting what is around it.
The Allegory of the Cave
Ancient puppet show in Greece
The machine at night, giving back all that it has collected during the day. 19
We investigated the nature and manifestation of the pilgrimage or journey within Plato. Using Freytag’s ‘triangle’ that reduces any story to four stages: exposition; action that leads to climax; this followed by action and then denouement or ending. We therefore knew that the building would have to guide the visitor through those 4 steps in order for them to experience the same as the man in the Allegory of the cave. 4 Stages: approaching the building, going through it to the film, the climax of the experience; then the journey back out, and the subsequent rediscovery of the city of Bristol. This pilgrimage would anchor the building firmly within its context. Also, by following this principle, we knew we would always have the visitor in mind, making it an engaging and meaningful building.
The visitor is a vessel arriving to the shores of this island that the building is.
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Introduction- Approach
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The Allegory of the cave
The
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ence of watching films.
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The changed person comes out from this mystical experience on to a new
world around them. Nothing will be the same again.
DĂŠnouement- Return to Bristol
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The Concept The concept was developed from the analysis of the Allegory of the Cave. We set out a series of principles within the concept development text that we wanted to keep throughout the project and that would always guide us in the right direction. Similarly, we used the analogy of the lighthouse as the first building type we could relate to and from which we could take information for our own building. We found the same strong relationship with the sea, the threshold nature of its location and function and the duality of its programme: vantage point during the day, guide during the night.
Section through the top part of a lighthouse, showing the outside path and the inner fire.
Also, the idea of the illuminating fire, although not literal, was very inspiring, and helped us determine the metaphorical depth of the concept.
The duality of the functions of the lighthouse, very similar to our own building, receiving and emitting. 22
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‘The region revealed to us by sight is the prison dwelling, and the light of the fire inside the dwelling is the power of the sun’ Chapter VII, ‘The Republic’, Plato. V c. B.C.
The core is defined as the real absorber, protected by a skin or veil 24
The Lighthouse and the Tower
The core would shine through its protecting veil at night to release all that it absorbed beforehand. 25
Metamorphosis of the man 26
Metamorphosis
The effect of the pilgrimage on the visitor is that
of transformation, or metamorphosis. The beauty of this transformation is that it doesn’t in itself come from the building. The climax of the experience of the Film Institute comes from the films themselves, and the building acts as a support, a protector and an enhancer of the experience. We found multiple analogies, such as the metamorphosis of a butterfly or the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The feeling of illumination, ascendence, beauty and happiness is the essence of the experience of the Film Institute, and the principle that made this project so special to us. In assigning such a role for our building, we knew that we had infused it with a spiritual depth that would help us in find the architectural expression of the ideas.
From egg, to larva, to cocoon, to butterfly... it is the same animal but it is
transformed, improved
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Early sketch by Martin depicting the idea of the Tower within its context 28
Light + Darkness
The combination of the idea of the lighthouse and the experience of ascent led us, with the help of our tutors, to the initial idea of a
tower.
Although we abandoned the physical manifestation of the Tower, this building type, like the lighthouse, was extremely inspiring to us, and helped us develop our building up until the very end. Working with a tower in mind made it very easy for us to determine a hierarchy of spaces from very early on, keeping us on the right track of what was important to our building.
Day as mundane and public.
Night as magic and trascendent
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The Programme Elevating Film over public spaces, separating cinemas from the more mundane experience of the outside, Putting together film production and education, Making the exhibition spaces part of the cinema experience, The connection between public and cinema experience. Following the idea of the horizontal and vertical axis, which also tied in with our initial site analysis. This axis would be developed on elevation but also on plan.
Concept diagram of Film being above ground and the spcae underneath being for the public.
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Film vs. Public
Developing the core and how it breaks down inside
Development of the access to the core, essential in the experience of the core itself
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Early group sketch of the allocation of spaces to the different thresholds accoring to their importance and function.
Hierarchy of spaces
Being
The daily activities of the Film Institute hapen around the core, where the cinemas are. There were still discussions as to wether the exhibition space should be inside the core or not. Gradually we realised that the middle ‘layer’ covered the functions of moving in between the core and the outside. This resonated yet again the skin character of our building and the idea of
Moving
thresholds.
Viewing, moving and being was somehow useful when doing the precedent and typology studies, as we could easily identify which buildings worked with a similar programme to ours.
Viewing
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Soft, organic, tactile, vernacular and traditional
Hard, cold, technological, orthogonal
The fact that the bridge is made out of steel did not convince us much for our building
The Finland Pavilion at the Seville Expo, by Matti Sanaksenaho 34
The connecting bridges
Very soon, when we encountered the problem of how to connect the layers between each other, we realised how important it was to create a tension between them, that would intensify the experience of each of them. We
es
were
specially
attracted
to
bridg-
connecting opposites, li.e. old and new, rough and smooth, transparent and opaque. The idea of the elevated bridge came very early on as the architectural tool we needed to develop the four stages of the ‘story’ experience. Project in Marseille with the same idea of old and new connected by a bridge
The idea of the bridges sprung the challenge of defining how the layers were physically, leading us to study materials, shapes, and the building within the context of the landscape.
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2 Buildings 1Threshold We experimented with the thresholds and how they manifested themselves in the building. The initial approach of having a semitransparent membrane protecting the central core prove to be too literal and simplistic. Instead, through the idea of the bridges, we turned the building inside out like a negative picture. This resulted in a strong, inhabited external skin made out of brick that would protect the core from all sides and allow the activities to surround it. The core became a lightweight steel structure dependant on the strength of the brick building around it.
Turning the building inside out like a negative picture
This seemed to tie in very well with the idea of dialogue, the play with light and the approach to the building The building is defined as a building within a building, a principle kept until the very end of the project.
The building within the building with and idea of floors and their heights and the possible platform to the core. 36
From concept to reality
The veil-like carcasse put it closely in contact with the landscape
Our initial architectural approach 37
The North Facade and the possible performance space that could be flooded like the old docks in the Island.
The platform to the core, a sort of ascent to darkness 38
Two Buildings 1 Threshold
the box becomes an imposing element int he landscape
The Building defined as a building within another. 39
Although the cinemas are protected by the institute, you can see them from the outside, like a symbol
Bristol in the background The THRESHOLD, shooting lght down to the atrium.
The transition from the cinemas to the outside was crucial to the design
The performance space here, next to the MShed
The main entrance to the Building 40
Two Buildings 1 Threshold
The cinemas stacked to reduce the volume of the core.
We started defining the massing of the institute according to the surroiunding buildings
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We found it very difficult to develop at the same time the qualities of the spaces and a clear circulation strategy that would work for both day and night, Institute and core. The problem was always aggravated by the fact that we had to consider fire regulations in the circulation of the building. The shape of the institute was very restricting and it was a rea challenge to try to marry beautiful, intimate spaces with clear and fast means of escape. Unbuilt Louis Kahn project of a temple
The axis is kept pure while the accesses are on the corners 42
We looked at various precedents to get to grips with the building form we had developed. Some of the buildings we looked at were the Mosque of Agia Sophia in Istanbul, an unfinished temple project by Louis Kahn or the Exeter Library by Louis Kahn, all of which approached the movement of people in buildings within buildings.
Typology Study
Although these precedents provided us with useful solutions, none of them seemed to suit our building perfectly. We had to bare in mind the movement of people on site, the means of escape, the bridges connecting cinemas and Institute and the increasing structural problem the elevated core imposed on us. Not only did we want to solve the problem of circulation, but we also aimed to provide a magical journey for those going through it. This made us investigate the possibility of windows looking out, windows looking in, or just roof lights that shot light in, like in the Exeter Library.
The Exeter University Library, by Louis Kahn. Again the accesses between floors are in the corners, leaving the central space free.
It became time to make decisions so we decided to look at all the precedents and pick from them the elements that would allow us to tell the story in the minimum of moves possible.
Lifts and stairs in the upper corners, with the cetral open space and thecirculation around it. 43
The strategy we went for was somehow similar to the temple of Aegina in Greece in which transition between spaces was mainly circular around the core and linear within it. The simplicity with which this was achieved was also inspirational, as it made the design clearer and stronger. It is important to note as well that by choosing to have people moving on the sides of the building we freed out the North and South facades, which could then be occupied by the activity spaces, such as the education spaces, the restaurant and the offices. The stairs would constitute in themselves a structural element that would help the brick building cope with it own weight, while at the same time allowing the other spaces to be free of load-bearing walls.
Onthe sides the circulation is vertical and in the centre the circulation is horizontal, within the same floor.
The Temple of Aegina, Greece. 44
Circulation
The movement of the people was very marked out, and determined by the day and night activities. During the day, when the institute was open, the movement would be free and mainly circular around it. During the night however, when big crouds of people would have to be moved through the spaces, the movement would be more restricted, and concentrated in the experience of the visitor coming out of the cinema an into Bristol.
Circulation quite free during the Day Entrance to the cinemas
Althgouh we knew the design heavily after the crit, we were velop this scheme, and progress tial and conceptual depth of
would evolve happy to dewith the spathe building.
Exit towards BRISTOL. End of the journey
Circulation inside the building during the Night becomes more restricted, with visitors having to enter the core from the foyer space and leave it at the front. 45
Interim Crit: Light The interim crit offered us as a group and the project a very good chance to test and evaluate the scheme as it was then. We put all our effort in creating a series of images that reflected where we wanted to get at, more than necessarily were we were at the time. The crit itself was extremely helpful, as it reassured us in the conceptual principles we had based our project on, and highlighted the points that were unclear or that simply didn’t work. The images, although successful, lacked reality ,and depth, and concern was raised on the level of development of the landscape.
The brooding object int he Industrial landscape.
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Interim Crit
Image of the Institue on the gound floor with the elevated core at the back.
The visitor coming out of the film into Bristol.
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Opening up the binner brick facade to create a light and spatial play between the buildings.
The section shows the intention of distributing spaces and the play of light we wanted to achieve.
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First Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
Third Floor Plan
Interim Crit
The performance space was still completely undesigned
The drawings, although naive and incomplete, did show the intentions of the building and somehow the character of the spaces within.
The main entrance, an imposing element.
The critiques pointed out the uniformity of the open spaces in the institute and the lack of information on the cores. Furthermore, the drawings failed to convey the dialogue of the brick facade with the outside and the playfulness of the inner brick facade with the steel.
This part is bigger to acknowledge the bigger flow of people
Ground Floor Plan in context with the square at the back and the public space in front.
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Problem 1: Structurally, the steel elevated core
was not making the most out of either the material or the space it occupied. The ‘exhibition space’ underneath the core was asphixiating and grim, and our hope that there would be enough light coming from the sides towards the inside of the building was unrealistic
Problem 2: The spaces inside institute were
too undefined and restricted, all of them ending up looking like long corridors between stairs. The filmmaking facilities were completely strangled and the spaces on the ground floor inadequate.
Problem 3: The institute was very awkward on
site, not allowing the buildings in the Wapping Wharf development to breathe and interact with it.
Conceptual image showing a short section of the building 50
Post Crit analysis
Overall, the direction we had taken was the correct, but the implementation of it wasn’t quite right yet. We learned a lot from the interim crit. We knew the development of the building was not over at all. It was very exciting to get positive comments and constructive criticism
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The Building After the Interim crit it was important to solve the problems arisen and to start finalising parts of the building, like the final location and the material palette. The main problem that we had to tackle was the
shape of the institute,
which limited us both in terms o f the experience of film, the circulation and the quality of the spaces within. The principles behind it were right, but it needed to interact with the landscape around it rather than fight against it.
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Breaking the Institute. Help from the tutors was crucial when doing this as it seemed topervert the ourity of theinstitute and the core.
Martin helped us clarify the development of the diagram and take it a step further, essentially freeing from it.
Breaking the box
The two pure boxes. This option, although very pure and attractive (and very similar to the Finnish Pavilion in Seville) left the threshold exposed to the city, making it too much of a different space for us. Also, this shape clashed with the programme of the Institute, disconnecting it too much from the cinemas.
The L shape, a clear hierarchy of spaces. This option was very strong
Stage 1 of development.
programmatically but created too many problems on site, and lost the axis with the front facade.
Stage 2 of development.
The U, the Institute hugging the building.
Although this option presented challenges in the landscape, it did protect the concrete building, defining the North and South Piazzas and creating a very strong link between the two buildings. Stage 3 of development.
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The facade became extremely important to the design, as we will see later.
Making the Institute smaller allowed us to take out the excess spaces and to clarify the programme of the building
Floor 2 The Mediathèque and the educational spaces that can also be used as workshops. There are reading spaces and technology at one’s reach.
Floor 0 The CafĂŠ, the Reception and the Shop welcome the visitor and situate them within the context of the building and the programme.
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The institute in its final form, protecting the cinema building and merging into the landscape.
Final Programme
It wasn’t an easy process, as we experimented with the different shapes over and over until we were happy with the ‘u’ shape. The side s are angled slightly to react to the site and to create more comfortable spaces inside
Floor 4 The top floor houses the administration and film-making facilities. This allows for ease of control and offer a very good environment for work.
Floors 1 + 3 These two floors are quite similar, the first housing a bar and the third a restaurant with areas to relax and lounge before and after viewings. These spaces can also be used for conferences and business meetings.
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The core, from being a delicate steel frame, became a monolithic mark in the landscape, more to do with Stonehenge than with a protected jewel. This tion
proved to be a very good solustructurally and environmentally.
Museum of Modern Art, Vienna, by Ortner und Ortner.
We considered both the options of form concrete and concrete panels, both architecturally and structurally. The Cinemas, from Studio Loop at the bottom to big Cinema at the top. 56
Timber + Concrete
The institute became a delicate veil, a sort of female body around the womb of the cinema building. The reason for using timber had a lot to do with the environmental strategy. Again this proved to be a very prudent decision.
Image of a fabric, which we used as inspiration for the timber building
Larch was the timber chosen for the Institute, largely for structural reasons The Institute, served and service spaces 57
The Doge Palace, Venice, inspiration for the timber facade
Middle Eastern vernacular architecture
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Developing the Institute to morph into the Landscape, while the concrete building remains pure
Institute + Cinemas
Crypts have the same feeling of wonder and mystery as the concrete blg.
The Haaj in Mecca, a constant inspiration.
The facade ended up angling slightly to accommodate itself within the buildings around it. We eventually decided upon a particular facade, as explained
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Again, there was much discussion as to where the service spaces should go, and whether they should be separated from the served areas.
Leopold Museum, Vienna, by Ortner und Ortner
The importance of the North facade meant we wanted to keep it as free as possible, so we pushed the accesses and the services closer to the cinema building. This had a double advantage: on one hand we could develop a unique fire strategy for both buildings instead of having separate ones; also, architecturally, the service space reinforced the idea of the core being protected by a veil that becomes more and more dense as t gets close to it. A grand staircase in the main spine of the building makes communication between floors easier and at the same time enhances the journey towards the cinemas.
Atrium connecting the big staircase with the cinemas 60
Circulation + Fire strategy
The escape stairs are fully integrated within the design.
In the North facade, the spaces are clear for activities. 61
Week 5 The projection rooms are part of the cinemas, housing the CHP plant and the individual projection rooms. It was unreasonably big and was making our cinemas very awkward and small.
Baptistery of the cathedral in Florence
Week 6 After dismissing the idea of the CHP plant, the projection rooms became smaller in size, and we realised this was the jewel inside the jewel box. We considered different options of material and form.
The baptistery with the altar seen from above.
Week 8 We defined the projection rooms as an altar, much like the baptistery in Florence, with the projection rooms growing inwards. Showing the cross outside would have been misleading.
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The Facades
Week 5 In the first stages, we only knew we wanted a very open ground floor and a structural system of portals for the Institute. We didn’t know what type of cladding we would use or whether we would have exposed bracing.
Week 6
Image of our model showing the impression of the petticoat facade from the Ground Floor
We tried various different options, including irregular patterns and different options for the ground floor openings. The roof had not been developed yet although we new that the atrium would be glazed.
Office at the Wylly Theatre in Dallas, TX, by REX and OMA.
Week 8 With Martin’s help the facade was defined as a petticoat, completely open on the ground floor and fixed above. This allowed for a beautiful yet clear facade that adjusted to all the needs within the building. 63
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The Facades
The final result of the facade of the building. There is a successful contrast between the two materials used and the structural approach for each of them. We were still considering different options for the Projection Rooms, amongst others flyash concrete, stacked glass and LitraconŠ, a mixture of concrete and fibre optics.
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We chose Litracon as the material for the South facade, keeping the inside as solid flyash concrete. The projection rooms acquire the importance they deserve as the producers of the magic, making the projectionist the man inside the machine. Š
We got inspiration from differents centres of belief, including Ronchamp by Le Corbusier. The entrance to each projection room from the cinemas becomes an altar, a stage from which the projectionist performs his magic. The star shape is highly charged with symbolism.
One of our main sources of inspira-
tion was the mimbars one can find in mosques. Normally made out of timber, they praise the importance of the imam as the speaker of the word of Allah. The opening for the camera is te opening from which this ‘speech’ is delivered. 66
The Projection Rooms
Day During the day, the projection rooms appear as a dark presence within the South facade. The cinemas are not at work, so the whole mass remains a mysterious dark protrusion. On the inside of the building vision is possible without artificial lights thanks to the Litracon Š facade allowing natural light inside.
Night During the night the whole projection room lights up, emitting energy and art to its surroundings. Being above the moat of water, the light coming from the inside of the projection rooms through the Litracon Š facade is reflected in the water creating a beautiful play of light. In a way, films are projected out on both sides, not just to the cinemas.
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The exhibition around the studio loop was never represented to its full potential, something regretable as we had done a lot of research on it This part between the sides of the institute and the cinemas could have been further developed The fire stairs were actually one more element of the design, giving a very good view of the back courtyard
The short section is very useful in showing the side streets of the building, the timber building enveloping the concrete building and the sacred character of the projection rooms. 68
The Projection Rooms
These visuals show the final appearance of the projection rooms, both inside the cinemas and on the South Facade It is very significant that the ‘altar’ of the building is surrounded by the community, protected by the buildings around it.
This South Facade view shows a section through Gaol Bridge St and through Ropewalk, which puts the concrete building within its residential context. It is useful to see how the trees contribute to the protection of the ‘box’. 69
Options for lighting the stairs
The projection rooms still in very early stages of design
The character of the facade still wasn’t very clear
Week 6: Development of the section
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The main staircase wide ans generous as a practical means of ciculation and smbol of the journey upwards We still didn’t know how to make the concrete building meet the ground
Development of the Section
The roof was not designed until we had a more clear idea of what its environmental purpose would be
We hadn’t developed yet how the timber met the ground
We didn’t really know what to do with the underside of the seating area, and we didn’t want to just waste material
Week 7: Refinement of the section We knew that we wanted a shadow gap, but were not sure that that was enough 71
The final section of the building, which shows the procession from the outside landscape to the very core of the projection rooms.
In retrospect, it is easy to see how we played with the same conceptual ideas we had had from the beginning, and modified the architectural elements until we got a balanced deign that responded to all the necessities of the project.
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Like with the exhibition space the public performance stage was never fully resolved
Final Section
Although we did design the roof it was never represented fully
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A Structural Strategy We worked very closely with our engineer, who was implicated from day one in the development of the concept.
Some sort of bracing holding the membrane up
One of the first options we looked at was to have the core being a solid mass that would hold the lightweight veil around it. Funnily enough we came back to this later on. This was within the context of a tower though, which had very different implications for Rich, our engineer. When the idea of the building within a building came about, we worked hard to integrate our architectural aspirations with structural soundness. However, having the core elevated over the ground, with the big spans and loads, proved to be a decision almost impossible to marry with a sensible structural strategy. We had to make some compromises and work together to make the architecture coincide with the structural requirements of the cinemas.
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The first sketches suggested a lightweight steel structure and some sort of LED fabric facade using bracing as the main structural system.
Structural Strategy Priciples
The steel elements are expressed on the outside as both a structural and an arhcitectural statement
The double layer of masonry made it more stable
Because of the soil conditions we decided from early on to use groups of piles Week 5: Interim crit level. The cinema core, made out of steel, is self-supportive but braced to the institute. There are too many inconsistencies in the design. 75
Week 6 While working on the programme and the spatial arrangements, the structure of the institute also changed considerably. Instead of the masonry structure we had before, we started working on a light gluelam timber system with a module that would provide stability at all points and give us freedom to mould the spaces
The timber structure for the Institute
Week 7 The core with the cinemas developed from being a lightweight ‘floating’ steel structure with huge spans and problems with the foundations to a much more sensible post and beam concrete structure that made the most of the material’s capacities: thermal mass, accoustic insulation, and very high compressive performance.
The concrete structure for the Cinemas 76
Structure Development
For architectural and structural reasons, we chose to put the exhibition space and the studio loop on the Ground floor of the concrete box. On top would go the two small cinemas, providing support for the big 28 metre-spanning cinema on the third floor. This meant we could save a lot of material and at the same time create a very sensible structure, something necessary considering the bad quality of the soil on site.
Cinema 1 made out of concrete and the inner ‘box’ to insulate it
However, we immediately came across a problem with the cinemas. Because the two small cinemas were next of each other and the big one on top of the two, we ran the risk of sound travelling from one to the other. We therefore had to devise a ‘floating box’ system that meant each space was completely separated from the other. Not only that, but this gave us the space we needed to run all the ventilation pipes and cables from the projection rooms and from the ground source heat pumps.
Cinemaas 2+ 3
Exhibition Space
We developed a system of boxes within boxes for the cinema structure
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We lightened this up to get the feeling of openness The structure of the roof changed slightly
The detail of the timber flooring was still not fully detailed as it hadn’t been resolved Final Crit week 9
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The roof structure was stil a steel truss
The Structural Section
As is normal some corners remained relatively unresolved
As is explained later the bridges were never fully resolved
Refinement after crit
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From the very beginning, we knew that a successful project should have a well thought-of construction sequence. The site being in front of the New Harbour, we could count on a wide range of materials with a very small environmental impact. Brick was very convenient, being a local material. It was however very heavy, difficult and slow to build. Steel also had problems attached to it, it being a very heavy material that would have to be taken in, and handled within a very tight site.
we worked to make the design as light as possible, making the most of each member to When we swopped to timber and concrete
achieve the maximum result with the minimum material. The foundations were an important part of the design process, as it marked how we would have to have modular systems in both buildings to work with the pile foundation system. Our engineer described the construction process of the concrete building. The timber building would be taken into site in gluelam portals.
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The Construction Process
Exploded isometric of the Cinemas
The result was a mostly prefabricated building that could be dropped on site quickly and effectively. Because most of the timber members are made in factory, there would be no problems on site handling moist and rain on site for more than two days. Once the main structural members are in, it becomes really easy to work on the inside elements. Working from the main structure to the cladding decorations was specially useful for the institute, as it helped us develop the details of the facade.
Exploded isometric of the Institute
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Our engineer Rich showed a real enthusiasm for all the architectural aspects of the project, and when it came to producing the engineering work, he did a fantastic job, giving us plenty of information on construction details, sections, material information and even precedents when we needed them. If there is something regretful about the Basil Spence project is the fact that we did not represent appropriately in the brochure
Construction Detail 1 82
Construction Detail 2
Construction Detail 3
The Construction Details
the amount of information that we developed alongside our engineer. We worked together very well and developed a project we were all very proud of. We didn’t, however, manage our time properly to allow for all of the information from Rich to go into the brochure.
Construction Detail 4
Construction Detail 5
Construction Detail 6 83
An Environmental Strategy To keep true to our principles of the core absorbing the energy and then releasing it to the institute. Using the properties of each of the materials to their full extent to keep or generate the most energy possible, and to make the environmental strategy part of the architecture of the building (i.e. the modules for the pv panels matching the concrete panels or the moat divided in two to provide humidification or cooling for the different areas). At interim crit level we had esteblished the main principles for the environmental strategy that we kept throughout. There would be separate winter and summer strategies using the ground source heat pumps as part of them. Also, the outer skin of the building would be filled with insulation making it an impermeable skin apart from controlled openings.
Absorption and emission of energy
Rain water
Heat
Cool air/ water
The building taking in everything useful. 84
Emission + Absorption
Highly insulated box with controlled openings
The highly insulated box with controlled openings
Using the pressure of the air to run the ventilation system so that minimum energy is used.
Using the heat from the core to either heat up the institute or get cool air thanks to stack ventilation.
The ventilation system at interim crit level. 85
The Projection Rooms transmit heat to the rest of the building.
Sketch of the ventilation pipe strategy, connecting to the institute through the timber bridges.
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From Cinemas to Institute
The Institute receives energy and vents it out through the facade and the roof
The core of the cinemas, the projection rooms, give heat and energy to the rest of the building, tying in very well with the architecture of the building. 87
Week 6 Development of the detail of the strategies throughout the weeks. There was much discussion about the amount of detail to which we needed to get. Sometimes the engineering requirements seemed to strangle the architectural aspects of the scheme, which caused much tension and distress within the group. We did however learn a lot from this, knowing towards the end how much of the tutors’ advice to follow, and being able to identify when the engineers were being unreasonable to the interest of their field of expertise.
Summer
The atrium acquired a crucial role in keeping the institute at a constant temperature, and to keep the service spaces well ventilated. We chose to use a thermal labyrinth underneath the building for the summer, which doubled up as a very good way to save material underneath the concrete building.
Winter
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Strategy Development
Week 7
Add Text
Week 9
Summer
Summer
Winter
Winter
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The crosslam wall was made thicker to accommodate the pipes coming from the cinema
Final Summer Envronmental Section 90
Thick insulation
The Environmental Section PV panels installed on the roof with the same module as the concrete panels Rain water collector
Little material used and space used for piping
Final Winter Environmental Section 91
The Landscape defined The development of the landscape was a very arduous but enjoyable experience. We had some problems with the site such as the slight slope going from North to South, the restricting size we had imposed upon ourselves or the train tracks running in the middle of it. We ment easy rich
The two distinct parts of the site, one at the North and one at the South.
solved them along with the developof the building, which was not at all and task for us as a group. Our site aws but complex, confusing us sometimes.
The landscape was finally defined by the premise urban + suburban. The South part, the courtyard, private, leisurely, comfortable, small and pretty; the North open, aspirational, cultural and big.
There was always an idea of a point and a counterpoint, which transpired in the treatment of the landscape.
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First Thoughts
URBAN
SUBURBAN Interim Crit analysis of the site. Although there was a clear relationship with the urban landscape on the North facade, there is absolutely no regard for the South facade more than the West street being bigger than the East one. 93
ENtrance or facade openenings not designed yet
Week 5: Interim Crit North facade visual. The essence of this visual was kept throguht the project. 94
Interim Crit Level
The Wapping wharf development is under represented
South Facade visual from Gaol Bridge Street. The surroundings looked glooming and unengaging due to the lack of representation and understanding of the area. 95
We chose not to use the idea of turning the concrete building
The vegetation around the concrte building completes on plan the broken box that was there before.
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A crucial tutorial with Suzi made us realize what the landscape was struggling to be: urban and exciting on the North, pleasant and relaxing on the South.
Urban vs. Suburban
Vegetation surroiunds the concrete building and the moat
This tutorial sprung the creating of the moat around the building and the position of vegetation at the back, something we had strugged with for weeks. Stage
1.
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Week 6: North facade The landscape in front of the institute is open and with natural steps but still very undefined and raw. The main elements are there but very crude and underdeveloped. We agonised over small problems that did not matter that much and so ran out of time to work properly on this elevation.
Week 6: South facade from Gaol Bridge St. There still was no regard for the suburban feel of the place. The Projection Rooms liven up the concrete facades, but it is still quite raw too. The trees are not there yet.
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The Facades and the Landscape
Week 6: South facade with the courtyard The timber building is not yet developed, the moat is awkward and the street lamps haven’t been designed to suit the site. We saw here that although on plan thebuilding was working, there was a lot more to it than just that.
Week 6: South facade from East Side St. The massing of the concrete building is adequate but it still doesn’t relate properly to what is around it, like the first floor park in the building next to it. The moat is relentlessly agonised over as an element that should relate to the buildings not the concrete building. We saw later that that would be missing the point of it.
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The final result. The approach to the site was defined within the design of the facade and the initial position of urban furniture.
The MShed and the Institute talk to and about each other, creat-
ing an indredibly lively and engaging riverside, that would complement that of the other side,
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Urban vs. Suburban
Week 8: the building in context
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The South Facade from Gaol Bridge Street, lively and sociable
Urban vs. Suburban
The Litracon facade fully developed, with a moat adequate in form and size underneath it. Both play in a beautiful way with the smooth concrete surface of the cinema building. The mass is softened but not deprived of its meaning
The vegetation designed to be slender trees that would create a natural barrier (like the columns in the Aegina Temple) between the shops and the flow of people and the benches and water, making it a more calm place. We drew huge inspiration from Muslim courtyards in Persia and Spain.
When the courtyard was properly represented, with the shops and the building frontages we realised about the massive difference in character of the space and how right Suzie had been in recommending a suburban landscape for this area. 103
Persian Iwan, with the fountain in the centre Concrete church in Spain with pool of water.
Two separate moats: one for inside and one for the outside of the building. 104
The landscape with the Concrete building in it. Stage
2
Landscape Elements
Making the most of the moat. We used water as a way to make the concrete building ‘float’ over the ground. It was very important to us how to make the cinema building touch the ground, as it run the risk to be too brutal and crude. The water was a great way of adding a play of light to the concrete surface whilst preserving the sacredness of the mass. Also it was really important to use the fact that noone would be able to touch the concrete surface until they got to the entrance to the cinemas inthe atrium. It adds another layer of tension and release that we used throughout the project. The side streets were designed as yet another element of tension and release, creating relatively narrow streets between the south and the North facades. This is similar to the alleys around European churches such a Notr-Dame in Paris or the Cathedral in Florence.
Approaching the cathedral in Florence through the narrow streets.
The side streets both guide people around the building as they channel them into the building
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The full landscape with all the elements. Stage
3.
Landscape furniture
Grant Architects’ streetlamps in Manchetser and Suzie’s sketch.
Looking for the prefect elements for the urban furniture. The street lamps by Grant architects, recommended to us by Suzie, were perfect, as they symbolized the first architectural move on the site before the light timber cladding facade that then develops into a full building. It strengthens the idea of procession and journey while creating a beautiful landscape.
Working with the steps and slight changes of level to create visual tricks that would make the building look bigger, and to support the idea of upward procession towards the cinemas. The axis between the sea and the building is kept and reinforced, and althought there is always room for development, we get to our stage were we are quite happy with how it looks and feels.
Concept image for the landscape 107
Week 2: The axis
Week 4: Building and performance space
Week 8: The final landscape
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The Axis
The atrium as a continuation of the landscape outside. Although the building is very defined, the experience of the procession is unstopped all along
Entering the exhibition space with the film screen adn the projection rooms at the back. This becomes the first point of contact with the concrete surface of the cinema building. The action builds up towards the climax of the film experience
Coming out of the cinemas the city reveals itself through the veil of the institute, bright, beautiful and somehow new. The visitor is older, wiser, more knowledgeable. This is not just applicable to the visitor but also to the group. We have grown just like the building did.
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This space deserved to be further represented and designed The Side stairs were again under represented and the cladding would probably have not been there ifwe had ahd the time to design it
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Final External Views
Sadly we never did anything with the stage, remaining in a conceptual level
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Detail + Possibilities How we worked on the details, in particular the ones most important to the story, like the bridges, the concrete meeting the ground and the timber facade. It was dfficult to always keep an eye on the principles behind the development of the details as it woud have been very easy to follow an engineer or uninformed advice.
Structure not drawn
Also, the possibilities would have been huge if we had had the time, as we would have been able to show the building properly and refine it. Too much worry for small meaningless problems ended up affecting some parts of the design that had original been very beautiful and delicate ideas. Ego had a lot to do with the failure of some of the ideas developed, and generally with the performance of the team towards the end of the project.
The detail of the balustrade is not represented
The openings here are not shown
The bridges in the atrium were never shown fully developed 112
The Bridges
Very simple and lighweight pane of glass, creating the feeling that it isn’t really there
The detail of the bridge developed further but never shown on the brochure. Steel support for the glass 113
We sought inspiration for the facade in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern permeable facades, although adapted to the English climate. Above all we wanted to get the feeling of delicate veil that would contrast with the concrete building.
Wyly Theatre meeting room.
The facade as a lightweight veil
Concrete Facade on an Egyptian house
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Institute du Monde Arab, Paris
The Timber Facade
Model Picture of the North facade
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Week 6: still underdeveloped
Week 7: making more sense but still not there 116
Week 8: close to being finalised
Week 8: section through part of the facade
The Timber Facade
Gluelam beam not exposed to avoid quick degradation
Cassettes with the window frames
With Tim we developed the principle of building the facade for the main structural elements to the cladding: from the inside to the outside.
Week 9: Full Development of the timber facade 117
Shadows gap as entrance of air for the labyrinth. The air is naturally cooled by the water
The Litracon reflecting on the water at day and at night.
The Litracon reflecting on the water at day and at night. 118
Martin’s sketch suggesting how we could make the most of the pool of water, integrating the architecture and the environmental aspects.
The Cinema Facade
Concrete becomes a bench
The final Litracon facade fully detailed. 119
The ground floor of the Institute with the open cafĂŠ and the public square.
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The Possibilities
Openings on a concrete facade
Kolumba Museum, Peter Zumthor 121
The centre of the cross in the projection rooms had huge pontential as an archittural centre of belief, the very core of the Institute, a place of reference
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A spirirtual place, belonging to the artist
The Possibilities
The project still wasn’t finished when we froze the design, as is natural. In retrospect it is easy to see that the weakness of it was being too restricted and structured. We would have had the chance to allow the building to breathe and develop if there was time. The development of the details would have been extremely useful to give it the depth it deserves, specially with the spaces inside. We were critisized for having too structured and limiting a plan, which was true. We allowed the project to be led by engineers at points, allowing them to make decisions for us. We however learned from the experience and I personally now feel ready to tackle the challenges of the second semester project.
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Conclusion Looking back, I can definitely say that I have developed as an architect and a team mate because of this project. The problems with the group, that show problems of ego and control, where in great extent a mirror of my own flaws. However, all of the members’ attitudes at points, due to the tension and the tiredness, was extreme. It is however important to note that we kept together throughout the design process and have come to the point where all of the members can feel the project is theirs in a way. It has been a good experience, but also a deeply traumatising one. Many lessons have been learned and it is good to go now into an individual project. I know our scheme could have been much better. Doing this individual process document has been a way to come to terms with that and be able to explain the decision process behind a lot of the architectural moves.
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Retrospective
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