Studio 2Air 016 Daniel X Zou
CONTENTS
Main Body
PHOTO
OF
ME
LOOKING
INTENSELY
INTO
EMPTY
SPACE
INTRODUCTION My Name is Daniel Zou and I am currently a third year architecture student studying at the University of Melbourne. “Terrified and excited� were the emotions I had as I graduated from high school in 2012. Unlike the majority of students who had dreamed of following a specific career path, I remember struggling to comprehend the decision that could determine what I did for the rest of my life. Half a year passed and it turned out a bachelor of Commerce and Business Information systems wasn’t it. Still unsure of what to do I took an extended period of time off university and explored different parts of the world. From places full of history to places with barely any, it was the architecture that defined a country for me. I was mesmerised by the unique buildings that lay half way across the world. Structures built hundreds of years ago, still standing and giving me a glimpse of history and culture whilst inadvertently impacting the lives of so many people as they walked passed it. This new notion that architecture design encapsulated far more than just fancy lines and colours, but values beyond the image, solidified my desire to become an architect. With no predisposition towards style, I was catapulted into the design world as I started my Bachelor of Environments. Basic digital design became something that I felt was a necessity to learn and proved invaluable ever since. However, design tools such as Grasshopper, that look at the manipulation of algorithms to fit a design purpose, envisage a brand new perspective on tackling future projects.
METROPOL PARASOL Residing at the heart of Seville, a defining structure stands monolithic and dramatic; juxtaposed against a cityscape rich with tradition and history. The Metropol Parasol is one of the largest timber designs in the world and one that epitomises the delicate relationship between the architecture and a cities cultural identity. The Metropol Parasol was completed in 2011, filling a space previously unoccupied for nearly 30 years. This 30 year void damaged the cultural and economic fabric of Seville and as such, Seville needed something that could reignite the dwindling fire of a city in despair. Inspired by the vaults of Seville’s expansive cathedral and the influenced by the existing trees in the square, Jürgen Mayer H wanted to create a “cathedral without walls.” The Metropol Parasol carries the presence of a cathedral, but the appearance of something somewhat ‘galactic.’ This radical design encompasses “complex sculptural-like shapes… that computerised design and construction make possible, hence, no two parts of the Parasol are identical.” Implementation of such a formidable structure in the heart of the Old City saw a drastic change in the aesthetic footprint Seville. The design garnered intense criticism because many questioned its place in such a traditional location, however, Jurgen Mayer and Aru’s work encapsulated the concept of a ‘contemporary spirit with historical and traditional space.’ The Metropol Parasol brought about the ‘archeological museum, a farmers market, an elevated plaza, multiple bars and restaurants underneath and inside the parasols.’ This intensive resurgence of commercial life reestablished the lost culture Seville bared and thus the Metropol Parasol becomes more than a defining icon but also a cultural.
LONDON PAVILION In 2010, at the Shanghai Expo, Thomas Heatherwick showcased the London Pavilion to the world. The pavilion combined both experimental technology and innovative thinking to produce a timber structure pierced 60000 times with Optic Fibre rods that danced with the wind. Beyond the hypnotising surface and through a culmination of technology and practice, the London Pavilion is able to replicate the intricate relationship between London’s ‘Green City theme’ and Shanghai’s ‘Better city, Better Life.’ The ambitious architectural design, sometimes called the ‘Seed Cathedral,’ is achieved by using 3D Computer Modelling that precisely measured where the holes were drilled before inserting the rods. 60000 slender transparent fibre optic rods, each encasing one or more seeds at its tip were then inserted into the timber structure. These rods illuminate the interior during the day and glow at night whilst the wind also generates gentle movement to create a halo effect - ultimately forming ‘a delicate connection between the ground and the sky.’ Heatherwick and others intended to create an ‘atmosphere of reverence around this formidable collection of the worlds botanical resources; a moment of personal introspection in a powerful silent space,’ yet it does much more. The design strategy began with the aim ‘to design a pavilion whose architecture was a direct manifestation of what it was exhibiting. The second idea was to ensure a significant area of open public space around it so visitors could relax and choose either to enter the pavilion building, or see it clearly from a calm, non-queuing vantage point. And thirdly, it would be unique among the hundreds of other competing pavilions, events and programmes.’