20 Principles of Architecture: Seen In Atlanta - Connie Lee by Connie Lee

20 PRINCIPLES OF ARCHITECTURE: SEEN IN ATLANTA

Connie Lee

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE CONCEPT

ANALYSIS

MASS

SOLID - VOID

PART-TO-WHOLE

SURFACE

STRUCTURE MATERIAL

MOVEMENT

CIRCULATION

LIGHT AND SHADOW

SPACE

TRANSFORMATION

REPETITION

HIERARCHY

SYMMETRY

LINE

PLANE

GRID

COLOR

PREFACE

This book will explore twenty unique principles in architecture, starting with the most basic element, concept. To help demonstrate these principles, the book includes prominent architecture from Atlanta along with previous class assignments and notes. I used Atlanta architecture to become familiar with the city and to explore the unique architectural fabric of city design. The images of Atlanta architecture include my own drawings made from ink, marker, and graphite as well as photographs from reliable sources.

CONCEPT Concepts are the most basic element of design and must be flexible and generative of more complex development. This can be represented by a simple sketch or model, exemplified by the ventilation sketch of the Mercedes Benz Stadium and the continuous plane concept model respectively. The concept sketch by HOK Architects explores the concept of sustainability by using natural ventilation to minimize energy use. In my concept model, I wanted to demonstrate the juxtaposition of fluidity and rigidity using paper.

Concept model of Continuous Plane

Concept sketch of Mercedes Benz Center by HOK Architects 7

ANALYSIS Analysis in architecture is a process of abstracting and understanding a project to evaluate a design process. Analysis is based on past conventions and precedents that inform architects about a particular program or cultural reference. Analysis is also based on how the architect interprets the project, which may differ from other architects. In my section analysis of the Observatory House by Tatiana Bilbao, I noticed that the center of the section featured a hemispherical dome, tracing back to its precedent, the Jai Prakash Yantra in Jantar Mantar. The dome structure is also a common architectural element used in early designs such as the Pantheon in Rome. To further analyze the structure with its predecessor, I compared the two plans which uncovered considerable differences in proportion, but maintained the same structural organization. 8

Section analysis of Observatory House

Comparing the Observatory House Plan to the Jai Prakash Yantra plan in Jantar Mantar 9

MASS Three-dimensional structures display mass when there is a sense of impenetrability, weight, and gravity. Additive masses are created by attaching forms to its volume. Both the massing example and the Georgia Pacific Center (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) display additive forms of mass, where repetitive elements are added to a composite volume. Subtractive masses are created by excavating volumes from a structure. The Georgia Pacific Center can be described as a subtractive form, starting with a rectangular block and carving away rectangular units.

Massing exercise: scale action

Drawing of the Georgia Pacific Center 11

SOLID/VOID A solid is an impenetrable mass and a void is the space that fills the nothingness around and within the form. The two coexist and work together to create interesting spaces. The planes on the dowel structure act as the solid that encloses the void. The circular plane creates an interesting enclosure, leaving most of the space open underneath. In the Atlanta Fulton Central Library (Marcel Breuer), the glass windows and empty spaces are voids, composing engaging spaces on the interior (the juxtaposition between the openness of the windows and solidity of the structure) as well as the exterior (the structure overhangs over the street level). The Janter Manter has a central void that centralizes the structure. The solid and void relationship in this composition is functional, where the stairs and circulation are very visible and clear. 12

Drawing of the Atlanta Fulton Central Library

Jantar Mantar sketch 13

PART TO WHOLE A part to whole relationships describes how the parts of a composition create a centralized whole. In the floor plan of the Observatory House, the building is subdivided into four parts, unified by the circle in the center. The individual parts become less important in terms of the combined whole. In WilkinsonEyre’s Gasholder Apartments in London, there are circles which are then divided into smaller units or parts.

Decomposition of the Floor plan of The Observatory House

WilkinsonEyre’s Gasholder Apartments

Continuous plane

SURFACES The surface is the “clothing” of the building. The first impression of a building is usually created by the surface of the building. Surface composition, colors, materials, etc. influence the perception of the building. The surface of the continuous plane guides the viewer’s eyes along the smooth edges of the curved paper, interrupted by the rigidity of the fan structure. The High Museum’s homogeneous, minimalist white surface stands out from the busy streets of Atlanta. Curves paired with horizontal elements guide the viewer’s eyes across the building. The Schocken Department store uses continuous windows as the primary surface. The protrusion of the curved windows adds depth in the structure and allows the side elements to recede into space.

Drawing of The High Museum

Sketch of the Schocken Department Store

STRUCTURE Structure refers to how the design of the building resists gravity and becomes structurally sound. In the grid exercise, glue and wooden dowels were used to construct an abstracted grid. To avoid tilting by gravity, the structure needed to be relatively balanced so that there were no heavy loads on one side or the other. This structural system served as the columns and beams for planes to rest on. The Buckhead Library (Mack Scogin Merrill Elam) has metal beams that are fixed directly into the ground. These beams also hold up the triangular planes on the roof.

Grid exercise: dowel detail

Drawing of the Buckhead Library 19

MATERIAL The materials of a building are an “architect’s instruments”. Materials create sensory responses. For example, a building with a lot of glass windows would appear more open. Furthermore, certain materials create different acoustics, making a space feel either intimate or public. Used in the transformation exercise, clay is malleable and dense. The material appears as a closed solid structure. Materials can also have cultural significance. The Carnegie Education Pavilion is a marble monument that was formerly the front facade of The Carnegie Library, a significant eminent structure that was destroyed.

Transformation exercise: split action

Drawing of The High Museum

Drawing of the Carnegie Education Pavilion 21

MOVEMENT Movement is how the building is constructed to curate a person’s experience within the space while simultaneously composing movement with its physical aesthetics. Movement can be felt without physically moving. In the charcoal drawing of a continuous plane, the fluidity of the curved edges contrasts the rigidness of the fan sequence. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport (Edbrooke and Burnham) is composed of a continuous procession which also represents the circulation of people inside.

Charcoal drawing of Continuous plane

Drawing of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport 23

CIRCULATION Circulation, closely related to movement, is how a person moves in a particular space stimulated by architectural elements. In the clay model, the curved and continuous lines create a perpetual flow of circulation. The Atlanta Marriott Marquis (John Portman) allows people to navigate around the atrium using hallways, stairs, and elevators. In the Palais Garnier, people circulate within the space using the grand stairs and traverse out the top area of the space. The Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Palais Garnier both demonstrate the idea of experiencing movement by watching the circulation of others.

Transformation exercise: carve action

Photograph of the interior of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis by David Levene

Sketch of the interior of the Palais Garnier

LIGHT AND SHADOW Light and shadow refers to the way a building manipulates spaces to illuminate certain areas and darken others. Light can dramatically change the atmosphere of a room. For example, certain surfaces can be lit like a spotlight, and light coming from one place, such as an oculus, draws attention to the source. In the dowel structure, the direct light casts an interesting pattern on the surface. Furthermore, within the Buckhead Library (Mack Scogin Merrill Elam), a light source on the roof illuminates the beam arrangement which casts diamond shaped shadow on the floor. Not only does this create an aesthetically interesting design, it also makes the room a prominent part of the building.

Direct light on plane/dowel structure

Drawing of the interior of the Buckhead Library 27

SPACE Space encloses the volume of the building, or what people occupy when they enter a structure. Therefore, the manipulation of space can change the “stage for human activity (Smith 101)”. In the indoor/outdoor space of the Porsche Experience Center (HOK Architects), there is a void in the roof which opens up to the outside and illuminates light toward the center. The rest of the area, used for vehicles, is enclosed by the roof. By doing this, the space creates a gathering space near the opening of the roof. Similarly in the dowel structure, the planes create “walls” that enclose a space. This defines where the openness of the space and how the space is used.

Planes on dowel structure

Porsche Experience Center (PEC) 29

TRANSFORMATION Transformation refers to how a building changes over time without altering its original identity or concept. The roof of the Mercedes-Benz Center (HOK Architects) opens, creating an open void in the center of the dome used for sporting events. This transformation speaks to the concept of natural ventilation, which was one of its main concepts. The building was designed so that the roof could be opened and closed at specific times, depending on the function of the space. This is an example of kinetic architecture. In the transformation exercise demonstrating stretch and rotate, the clay was altered through a series of transformations. The final composition still demonstrates “stretch”; therefore, the original concept is still intact.

Drawing of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, closed and open roof

Transformation exercise: stretch and rotate

REPETITION Repetition is a tool where similar elements are repeated throughout the design, creating a sense of order and architecture language. In the massing exercise, a repetition of the same and similar objects were used to create a sense of order in the composition. Similar elements were paired together, such as the symmetrical arrangement of the jenga pieces. In the Van Leer Building, long vertical windows are used throughout the structure.

Massing exercise: overlap and lift

Drawing of Van Leer Building 35

HIERARCHY Hierarchy is a way of organizing compositional elements based on importance, which also demonstrates order. Hierarchy can be represented in sections, elevations, and plans. In elevations, structural elements and aesthetics with higher significance have a higher elevation. This is exemplified with the recomposition assignment and the Sydney Opera House. The higher structural elements help viewers categorize the importance of certain elements.

Recomposition exercise using Michael Graves’ Portland Building

Sydney Opera House Sketch

SYMMETRY Symmetry is the reflection of elements across an axis or central line, exemplifying order and balance. Many government buildings, such as the Georgia State Capitol, use symmetry, which demonstrates a symbol of democracy and the centralization of power, an idea that was passed down through civilizations of antiquity.

Recomposition exercise using Michael Graves’ Portland Building

Georgia State Capitol drawing 39

LINE Lines are the most basic form of architectural design, but they are essential in defining complex organizations and spaces. Lines are used to define a plane, which in turn defines a space. These spaces can feature specific movement, light, etc. In the dowel structure, I created geometric forms that rose from the two-dimensional grid surface. These forms featured a sense of hierarchy and repetition (similar geometrical forms). An organizational structure already existed before any planes were defined.

Grid exercise: abstracted dowel structure

PLANES Planes, defined by lines, help enclose and determine three-dimensional spaces. By placing planes in the dowel structure, we can see where the spaces are defined. A plane diagonally across the top of the structure surrounds the top, and vertical elements enclose smaller spaces. Similarly in the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (HOK Architects), two curved planes help enclose the central structure.

Plane exercise: attaching planes on abstracted dowel structure

National Center for Civil and Human Rights 43

GRID The Grid is used to organize nature and create a sense of order. The grid puts elements in relation to one another and exploits certain compositional elements that stand out from the grid and its elemental counterparts. In the abstracted grid drawing of the Lovell Beach House, the grid helped connect the edges of planes. In the grid analysis of Le Corbusier’s L’Unité d’Habitation, the grid helped coordinate and distinguish the organization of the front window layout.

Abstracted grid drawing from the elevation of the Lovell Beach House

Grid anlysis of Le Corbusier’s L’Unité d’Habitation 45

COLOR Color is used in design for visual aesthetics and plays an important role in how spaces are perceived. The split complementary color scheme applied to the massing model creates a bright and vivid translation. The Georgia Aquarium (Thompson Ventulett Stainback) uses different shades of blue with red lettering, composing a tetradic color scheme. The blue color scheme creates a water imagery, referring to the function of the structure.

Color exercise: split complementary scheme on massing model

Drawing of the Georgia Aquarium 47

“Jai Prakash.” Jantar Mantar, https://www.jantarmantar.org/learn/observatories/instruments/jaiPrakash/index.html. “Mercedes-Benz Stadium.” HOK, 2 Jan. 2020, https://www.hok.com/projects/view/mercedes-benz-stadium/. Moore, Rowan. “‘Disneyland for Adults’: John Portman’s Dizzying Interior Legacy.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Oct. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/22/disneyland-for-adults-john-portman-dizzying-interior-legacy. “My Top 50 of Atlanta Architecture in the Last 50 Years.” Georgia Globe Design News, 3 Oct. 2013, https://wdanielanderson.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/my-top-40-of-atlantaarchitecture-in-the-last-50-years/. “Observatory House.” Architectuul, http://architectuul.com/architecture/observatory-house. Simitch, Andrea, et al. The Language of Architecture 26 Principles Every Architect Should Know. Rockport, 2014.

20 Principles of Architecture: Seen In Atlanta - Connie Lee

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