Kaap Skil Maritime + Beachcombers Museum Precedent Analysis

Daniel Sobieraj

This template follows the content, layout and structure of Radford, Antony, Selen B. Morkoc and Amit Srivastava. The Elements of Modern Architecture: Understanding Contemporary Buildings. London: Thames & Hudson, 2014. The compilation of your research and analysis is a pedagogical exercise that is based on their work.

Section 2

ASC 301 Design Studio II

Assignment 2: Analysis of a precedent

Fall 2014 Section 2

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Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten Oudeschild, Netherlands

Oudeschild, Netherlands

Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten

By: Daniel Sobieraj

Oudeschild, Netherlands

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Retrieved From: http://www.jaja.club/page/news/world-map-vector-outline

Kaap Skil is a museum that focuses on context and defines spaces through the use of light (Galindo, 2012). Located in the small harbour town of Oudeschild on Texel Island, the largest of the Wadden Islands, Kaap Skil references the ancient Dutch tradition of reusing driftwood by using strips of driftwood found in the North Holland Canal to compose the facade of the museum (Sypkens, 2012).

The museum’s relatively small size and massing echoes the local architecture and gives the sense that the building exists in harmony with the existing city. By designing the ground floor as an extension of the city street, Kaap Skil has becomes a place that is culturally significant with a human touch (Valle, 2007).

The transparent façade envelops the inner shell built of two solid walls on the East and West and two glass walls on the North and South (Lomholt, 2012). Through the use of natural and artificial light as well as constriction and expansion, the visitor is carried through different and distinct experiences within the same building (Mecanoo, 2011). The extensive use of glass and minimal structure allows for an overall transparency in the building that allows light to penetrate and cast interesting shadows throughout the interiors (Lomholt, 2012). In the basement projectors animate the space and take visitors back in time to the Dutch Golden Age (Mecanoo, 2011). Kasip Skil is a contextually responsive building that articulates itself as complex parts that came together to create an iconic and recognizable image (Mecanoo, 2011).

Sobieraj

Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten Oudeschild, Netherlands

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A 0

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Section A - 1:250

10m East Elevation 1:250

N 0 Site Plan Sobieraj

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20m

10m Ground Floor Plan 1:250

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10m Second Floor Plan 1:250

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Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten Oudeschild, Netherlands

Response to context and place Four linked gabled roofs echoe the rhythm of the surrounding rooftops. From sea these look like waves rising out of a canal. The scale and relatively small size of Kaap Skil allows the building to exist in harmony within the fabric of the city but still be recognized from the rest. The building facade that protects the interior shell from the stormy climate is made of driftwood that is found in the nearby North Holland Canal, this relates to the age-old Dutch tradition of using driftwood to create their houses and addresses the global concern of environmental conciousness by recycling material (Mecanoo, 2011). The massing of the building along with its wooden facade makes the building look like a reincarnation of the traditional Dutch house. The museum sits on the South side of Oudeschild’s main road. There is a canal to the South of Kaap Skil and a port to the East (Lomholt, 2012).

The façade is made of driftwood collected locally

Brick paving continues into the museum to give visitors the sense of that they are in an extension of the street

Visitors can tour other buildings on the museum grounds to the South

The main entrance is located on the North side of the building and is accessible from the street From sea the form of the roof looks like waves rising out of a canal

The scale of the museum allows it to exist in harmony within the built environment

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Retrieved From: www.mecanoo.nl/

Sobieraj

Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten Oudeschild, Netherlands

Response to people sensing space From afar visitors perceive the building as being a solid wooden form; as they approach, the building seems to become more transparent to the point that they can see the museum grounds on the South end. The ground floor was designed as an extension of the city street. It consists of a cafĂŠ, gift shop, washrooms and front desk (Phaidon, 2011). Visitors ascend to the second floor where they experience an expansion of space that is created through the use of light, white finishes, as well as the high, pitched ceiling that gives visitors the sense of being able to capture the extensive collection as well as the village of Oudeschild in a single glance. Beachcombed artifacts seem to be floating as they are exhibited on steel and glass showcases (Lomholt, 2012).

Visitors descend into the basement where there is a model of ancient Texel that shows them the life in the past. Contrast is created through the use of artificial lighting, projections and enclosure. Storage rooms are in the basement (Sypkens, 2012). There are activities such as cooking fish and net mending located to the grounds South of the Museum. The interactive exhibits give children a fun experience.

Light analysis - Section looking West Sobieraj

1. Front Desk & CafĂŠ 2. Upper Exhibition Spaces 3. Model of Texel 4. Storage Rooms 5. Store 6. W/C

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From afar the museum looks like a solid traditional wooden house

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As visitors come closer, the building becomes tranparent and they can see through the building

Circulation

Visitors feel an expansion of space as they ascend into the brightly lit second floor

Artificial light in the basement creates a contrast to the day-lit upper floors

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Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten Oudeschild, Netherlands

Strips of driftwood envelop the building like a protective skin

Response to technology and lighting Mecanoo accomplished to create a place of lightness and transparency. By using steel frame construction minimal structure was achieved (Galindo, 2012). The top of the columns on the second floor thin out and the ceiling is made of metal mesh to give the sense of weightlessness.

The columns seem to disappear because they are painted white to blend in with the interiors and their connection to the ceiling is very subtle. The structure of the stair is minimal as well, the riserless steps seem to float in the air as they are individually suspended by aircraft cable. The iconic form of the building is created by individual strips of wood that envelop the building like a skin (Phaidon, 2011).

Light is used to carry visitors through the building.

Skylights illuminate the exhibition upstairs with Eastern light while light infiltrates through North and South glass walls. The wooden faรงade on the South creates an interesting display of light and shadow throughout the interior. Artificial light and projections lead people through the exhibition in the basement.

The materialty of the ground floor creates an indoor extension of the city by using brick paving, industrial equipment as furniture and steel in an industrial style.

The heights of the roof peaks vary to allow maximum Eastern light into the exhibition spaces. This reduces energy demand for lighting.

Braced steel frame construction is used for minimal structure

Two solid reinforced concrete walls direct visitors to views outside Glass walls allow for transparency through building

The columns are the same colour as the interiors to make the structure subtle and the building as transparent as possible

Plan to Section

Placement of the columns dictate the form of the roof

The shape of the building is derived from a pure form that subtracted from

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The metal mesh ceiling makes the roof seem lightweight

Projectors lead people around an 18m model of ancient Kaap Skil model

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Faรงade folds up to reveal entrances

The top of the columns thin out and disappear in the ceiling to give the roof a sense of weightlessness

Sobieraj

Kaap Skil, Maritime + Beachcombers Museum | 2011 Mecanoo Architecten Oudeschild, Netherlands

Research process The research process began with redrawing plans, sections and elevations of Kaap Skil. The next step was to analyze the location and context of the museum to achieve a greater understanding of how the building responds to its context.

This included researching Dutch traditions, the climate of the Netherlands, the microclimate and history of Oudeschild and searching for photos of the museum, city and its surroundings. While researching periodicals for analysis and interpretations of the building, sketching on the building drawings with trace was done to get a further understanding of the experience and tectonics of the building.

1. Research

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Critical analysis The form of the museum seems to be influenced by the Riverside Museum by Zaha Hadid and the Administration building for Opole Rural Museum by db2 Achitekci. The use of materials used in modern architecture and its relationship to other buildings around the world links the building to the global scale of architecture. Even a person who does not follow contemporary architecture will have an instant connection to this contemporary form of architecture just by visiting Kaap Skil.

The building footprint fits in a 1:√2 rectangle, the proportion of a traditional Dutch house, the architects used the proportion of this dynamic rectangle to designate the columns and valleys of the roof (Galindo, 2012). It is interesting how such modern architects created a contempory and sleek building out of traditional elements such as proportioning systems and massing.

2. Analysis 3. Interpretation

Iterative Process

After gathering most of the written and graphical information needed, the next step was to draw conclusions and analyze the building further. Displaying the written information graphically proved to be a challenge because there are many things to draw but only a few convey a clear point. Overall, it was an iterative process; everytime new information was gathered on the project or further analyses were made, the project was interpreted differently than before.

Bibliography

+ Riverside Museum - Zaha Hadid (2011)

= Opole Museum Administration Building - db2 Achitekci (2009)

Kaap Skil (2011)

Mecanoo’s intention with regards to circulation was to use light to move people through space (Houben, 2008). The two transparent walls however create a strong axis where people may walk through the building without even seeing the exhibition spaces on other floors.

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Galindo, Michelle. (2012) . Wood architecture & design. Salenstein: Braun.

Houben, Francine. (2008) . Mecanoo. Mulgrave, Vic. : Images Publishing Group.

Lomholt, Isabelle. (2012). KAAP SKIL, Netherlands : Texel Building. e-architect.

Retrieved from: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/holland/kaap-skil-texel Mecanoo. (2011). Kaap skil, Maritime and Beachcomber Museum. Mecanoo Architecten.

Retrieved from: http://www.mecanoo.nl/Projects/tabid/424/project/51/ Phaidon Atlas. (2011) . Kaap Skil Maritime and Beachcombers Museum. Phaidon Press.

Retrieved from: http://phaidonatlas.com/building/kaap-skil-maritime-and beachcombers-museum/258046 Sypkens, Michael. (2012) . Mecanoo architecten: Kaap skil, maritime and beachcombers museum texel, the netherlands 2011. A + U: Architecture and Urbanism, (11), 52-57.

Valle, Pietro. (2007) . Mecanoo: Experimental Pragmatism. Milan : Skira.

Sobieraj

1 Glazing creates a strong axis

In conclusion, Mecanoo succesfully realized their intention to create a museum that fits well into its context, uses light to create spaces that provide visitors with distinct experiences and serves its purpose as an exhibition space.

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