Site Plan - Refer to submitted document
“Architects always pretend the scheme we are presenting is within such a conviction and as if it comes out of magic. But of course we tested so many schemes before we arrive to the final scheme” - Shohei Shigamatsu
“If one looks back over time and runs a memory record of a project through one’s mind, a diary of sorts takes shape. In serial fashion, key events milestone the project - changes, dead-ends, parallel lines of enquiry, the conclusion and the ambitions of that first inception - moments of importance that turn into only a few days of recollection.... With each day the long hours of criticism, the short seconds of inspiration, the tug of all those movements that push and pull each way as what we call ‘The Project’ ticks on.” - Cecil Balmond
Site Visit and Analysis
The studio started with some normal work addressing the brief, site visits, production of necessary materials such as site map and site model. Search of inspiration followed as site analysis and lengthy research were conducted.
Site Visit
Tower adjacent to site
Interior - current carpark
View towards Mackenzie Street
Street scape - La Trobe Street
Grant Lane
Parking signage
View from Mackenzie street
Views
Context Study
Production of site map
Renderings - Study of shadow and view
Rear Entrance
Streetscape on La Trobe Street
North-South Section
Volumetric Context
Sun Path
Sun Path
Spring
Spring
Summer Summer
Autumn Autumn
9am
1
9am
1
9am
1
9am
1
Winter Winter
12nn
3pm
12nn
3pm
12nn
3pm
12nn
3pm
Analytical Diagrams
Vehicular Circulation
ing
nB
d uil
E al y Ro
set
n
tio ta
View Corridors
Mal ping
el
hop
M
QV S
rn
ra nt e eC
l
lS
u bo
i
xh
Sun
io bit
Initial Thoughts and Concepts
“In the beginning I looked around and could not find the car I dreamed of, so I decided to build it myself ” - Ferry Porsche
“You see fields of African mountains based on red African earth that at first sight look like junk yards and at second sight perhaps look like cemeteries for cars but that on closer inspection turn out to be incredibly integrated systems where individual people have tiny little sheds in which they are able with incredible precision to maintain, to restore or to recompose from the wreckage of other cars completely new cars like the Volkswagens seen in the background. So what is actually amazing is that what at first sight looks like a completely disorganized field with abandoned objects is actually a productive unit where local people are able to orchestrate endless streams of false spare parts from Taiwan and Mexico, from Mercedes and Peugeots, without any kind of infrastructure through the simple device of pure organization. So currently more Mercedes are driving in Nigeria than in the whole of Germany.” - Bigness and Velocity, Rem Koolhaas
“The city in th ereflection of the moving object” “ The very surface of the car is able to capture the reflected image of the city” - Concept for a car showroom, Enric Miralles
Research and concept graphics
Concept for a car showroom - Enric Miralles, 1995
Initial thoughts - deformation & graffiti in car park
Concept sketches
Street Racing and Drifting Not that the original thoughts were bad, but Barlow, the client for this brief, was an adventurous man who challengd the shortest possible time driving from Darwin to Melbourne, and crashed a plane just to buy a new one a fortnight later. The mentioned serious ideas needed a more exciting and flamboyant translation.
Let there be speed, freedom, style, pride!
Let there be STREET RACING and DRIFTING!
Fast and Furious - Tokyo Drift
Need for Speed Underground - Video game about street racing
Preliminary Design - Sketches
Plot study
Form finding - intended to be a car but ended up too alike with a duck
Showroom - Option 1
Showroom - Option 2
Showroom - Option 3
Office Floor
Section & Program
Openings and Facade Expression
Preliminary Design - Diagrams
Parking layout - Maximized efficiency
Conventional
Section/Elevation
Plan
Plan
Possible Scenario
Public Racing
Concept diagram for Car Park Tower
Car Park Tower
Program Apartment
Showroom, Parking, Service Centre Complex
Massing
Circulation Block
Neon Light Signage
Being rather unfamiliar with neon lighting, I’ve done some simulation in Photoshop examining the use of color and lighting effect, trying to understand how the graphic should look like for my neon signage design. I was particularly happy with the gradation of ambience and the visual similarity of neon light tubes. Different type faces were laid out as an exercise to determine the font for Barlow’s signage.
Color and Font Study
Color Simulation - Nissan Skyline GTR34
Color Simulation - Zonda
Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors Barlow Motors
Test of font for neon light signage
Making of...
Screen Capture from Initial D the movie
When the theme of drifting was confirmed I returned to one of my favourite car movies called Initial D. It was originated from a Japanese ficition about downhill drifting, the D was of course the initials of these two words. There was a scene where the legendary Toyata AE86 overtook a monsterous Nissan GTR32 with the skill called “Inertia drifting�. The abstraction of road into higlighted lines, the motion of the car according to the perfect drifting line, the backlight rail all served as key inspiration of the neon light signage design.
Sketch and draft image of neon light signage
Week 4 Submission
Proposed position of neon signage
0
0.5
1
Final Design
2
3
(m)
Neon Light Signage
Golf Hazard
To carry through the concept of racing and drifting I have been researching through Formula 1 and a car racing game called Gran Turismo to collect reference for racing courses. The idea was to create golf hazards in the form of tracks, to race or challenge the fastest lap time with golf ball would be the rule for the games.
Research on racing tracks
Track maps from racing game Gran Turismo 4
Track maps from Formula 1
Computer Modelling
Screen Captures during computer modelling
Week 7 Submission
Theme 1 - Ring
Theme 2 - Drag
Theme 3 - Dirt
Theme 4 - Glacier
Main Building
Returning to earlier sketches I could not withstand the shock of having my design looking like a faceted swan or giraffe, it has nothing to do with drifting, architecturally it was not appropriate and intelligent, and it does not suit my taste. The car park tower must be axed. The axed prking lots have to be relocated so I returned to something my hometown, Hong Kong, specializes in - utilizing floor area and stuffing in parking lots. It was a lateral process, with parking, circulation, structural layout and various functions being juxtaposed simutaneously.Vehicular circulation enjoyed a slightly higher priority as the drifting track was the soul of this design. Detailed design of strategic spaces such as entrance, showroom and rooftop apartment then fell in place. Facade was confirmed last when programming appeared satisfactory. The volume this building encapsule is in cubic form, but the very openness and slenderness of structure presented a new architectural language to me. The tilted facade walls came together as a dynamic structure, excitment and livliness of events radiates from the interior. The way the structural system presented itself gave a sense of lightness to the building.
The spaces are also usable.
Layout and Programming - Development
Entrance Level
Development Sketches
Basement
UG
LG
L1
LG - 27 Parking Lots
B3 - 49 Parking Lots
UG - 6 Parking Lots
B2 - 80 Parking Lots
Change of plans up to 11th September
B1 - 67 Parking Lots
UG - 5 Parking Lots
B3 - 47 Parking Lots
L1 - 9 Parking Lots
B2 - 78 Parking Lots
Changes of plans up to 17th September
L2 - 39 Parking Lots
B1 - 60 Parking Lots
L3 - 28 Parking Lots
LG - 26 Parking Lots
L3 - 36 Parking Lots
L4 - Showroom
L5 - Apartment
L6 - Apartment
LG - 26 Parking Lots
UG - 5 Parking Lots
L1 - 9 Parking Lots
L2 - 41 Parking Lots
Change of plans up to 26th September
Final Floor Plans (Refer to submitted documents)
B
C
D
F
A
1
B
C
D
F
A
1
UP
C
D
F
1
UP
DN
M.A.C
UP
DN
M.A.C
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
DISABLED
DISABLED
DN
M.A.C
2
DISABLED
B
DISABLED
5
5
5
6
6
6
UP
A
DISABLED
DISABLED
DISABLED
G
DISABLED
DISABLED
H
7
G
H
7
G 7
STORAGE
UP
AHU
AHU
DN
UP
DN
UP
UP
DN
UP
9
9
10
10
10
11
11
11
12
12
13
13
12
DN
B3
DISABLED
DISABLED
14 A
B
E
G
H
14 A
B2
DN
13 DISABLED
14
UP
8
DN
8
9
UP
AHU
8
H
DISABLED
DISABLED
B
E
G
H
A
B1
B
E
G
H
B
B
B
A
C
D
F
A
1
B
C
D
F
1 METER
ACCESS CONTROL & OFFICE
UP
DN
DN
M.A.C
2
UP
2
M.A.C.
3
3
UP A
A’
A
A’ 4
4
DISABLED
DISABLED
5
5
6
6
DISABLED
G 7
DN
UP
OFFICE/ STORAGE
H
G
UP STAFF LOUNGE
FEMALE CHANGE ROOM & LOCKERS
STAFF LOUNGE BELOW
UP
MALE CHANGE ROOM & LOCKERS
UP
DN
UP
AHU
DN
8
OFFICE
ENTRANCE LOBBY
DN
UP
8
UP
DN
DN
BALCONY
UP
9
9
SEMI-OPEN FUNCTIONAL SPACE
SEMI-OPEN FUNCTIONAL SPACE
10
10
DN
UP
DN
11
11
12
12
KIOSK
KIOSK
13
13
14
14 A
B
E
G
H
A
B
E B’
B’
LG
H
7
UG
G
H
A
B
C
D
F
A
1
B
C
D
F
1
DN
DN
ELEVATOR ABOVE
DN
SERVICE HUB ABOVE DN
UP
2
UP
2
SERVICE CENTRE
3
3
SERVICE CENTRE BELOW 4
4
5
5
6
6
OFFICE
DN G
H
7
G
H
UP
7
DN
DN
AHU
AHU
DN
DN
UP
UP
8
UP
9
DN
8
9
10
10
11
11
12
12
DN
KIOSK
13
13
14
14 A
L1
B
E
G
H
A
L2
B
E
G
H
A
B
C
D
F
A
1
B
C
D
F
1
ELEVATED SERVICE PLATFORM
DN
SERVICE HUB BELOW
DN
HUB 1 DN
DN
UP
2
2
3
3
UP
HUB 2
DN
4
4
5
BARLOW'S CAR LIFT
5
DISABLED
6
6
HUB 3
DISABLED
G
HUB 4
H
7
G
H
7
DN
DN
AHU
AHU
DN
DN
UP
8
SUSPENDED EXHIBITION PLATFORM
8
HUB 5 CAFE
KITCHEN 9
DN
9
HUB 6
10
10
CAFE BELOW
11
11
UP
12
HUB 7
DN
12
UP
DISABLED
BOARD ROOM
DN
DISABLED
GOLF TERRACE 13
13 DISABLED
DISABLED
14
14 A
L3
B
E
G
H
A
L4
B
E
G
H
A
B
C
D
F
A
1
B
C
D
F
1
2
2
COURTYARD
UP
3
STORAGE
3
DN
COURTYARD
4
4
GARAGE
5
5
6
6
G
H
7
7
8
8
9
9
BARLOW'S TEST DRIVE
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13
14
14 A
L5
B
E
G
H
H
G
H
BARLOW'S TEST DRIVE
A
L6
G
B
E
Barlow’s Rooftop Apartment
Showroom/ FINISH Cafe and Golf Terrace Service Centre
MacKenzie Entrance
Basement Parking/ START
Circulation/Drifting Track
Programming and circulation
La Trobe Street Entrance/TURN
Showroom
Option 1 - Showroom and Parking
Option 2 - Display hubs and golf
The showroom is meant to be the highest level the public can access, it is also the finishing point of race. At first it was a mix of parking and display zones. It seemed to offer a better flexibility and also tackled the problem of insufficient parking space on lower levels. However it was too rigid in terms of geometry, presenting a less spectacular and pleasant nevigation experience. The intended flexibility could as well ended up as uncontrolled mess. Another option was explored where the entire floor is occupied by free-form display hubs and golf terrace. The program mix offered a sense of fluidity. The idea of a space with no walls remained as the hubs are defined by light tubes, shorter than human height and separated wide enough for people to walk through them freely. It should now offer a more pleasant user experience.
Preliminary sketches, showroom layout
Precedent study for light tubes Hello Stranger by Vehovar + Jauslin Architects
Test rendering on ceiling lighting effect
Showroom - Day time
Showroom - Night time
Barlow’s Apartment
Form construction according to floor plan
Opening and framing patterns
The idea for Barlow’s apartment was to create an iconic single house on the roof top, where spectacular views over the city can be enjoyed. As the entire roof level is surrendered to Barlow, the provision if an exclusive driving field is in fact possible. The sense of privacy and hierarchy, along with the convenience of enjoying a private test track, should fit Barlow’s pursuit of an extravagance life.
Front of apartment and Barlow’s driving field
Back of apartment and Barlow’s driving field
Form, Expression and Appearance
Massing and La Trobe Street Entrance
Braced structural Expression on facade
Bracing replaced tilted sheer walls
Confirmation of form, expression and lighting
Elevations and Sections (Refer to Submitted Documents)
From Top: East Elevation, South Elevation, West Elevation
From Top: North Elevation, Side Section, Rear Section
Model Making
Preparation
Vector drawing files for laser cutting and fabrication of model materials
Photograph Collection
Physical model of building, rooftop apartment and golf hazard
Finish Line
Presentation Panel (Refer to submitted documents)
Notes for presentation speech