THE PURSUIT OF LIGHT
THE HONEYCOMB PAVILION
EDWARD OMONDI a1704382
light study references Schielke, Thomas. 2017. Fluid Luminosity: The Architectural Lighting of Zaha Hadid. March 31. Accessed August 20, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/868157/fluid-luminosity-the-architectural-lighting-of-zaha-hadid. —. 2015. Light Matters: Le Corbusier and the Trinity of Light. February 11. Accessed 2017. https://www.archdaily. com/597598/light-matters-le-corbusier-and-the-trinity-of-light. —. 2014. Light Matters: Whiteness in Nordic Countries. August 29. Accessed 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/542503/ light-matters-whiteness-in-nordic-countries. —. 2016. Veiled in Brilliance: How Reflective Facades Have Changed Modern Architecture. October 12. Accessed September 1, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/796974/veiled-in-brilliance-how-reflective-facades-have-changedmodern-architecture
STAGE I - PLACE
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- THE SITE PAGE 3 - PLAN PAGE 4 - ELEVATIONS (MATH + ENG. BUILDINGS) PAGE 5 - ELEVATION (BARR SMITH LIBRARY) PAGE 6 - VIEWS (3D) PAGE 7 - THE ELEMENTS PAGE 8 - ACCESS + MOVEMENT PAGE 9 LIGHT STUDY I - LUMINOSITY
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STAGE II - IDEA
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- SPATIAL DIAGRAMS - ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS - EXTERNAL VIEWS (3D) - INTERNAL VIEWS (3D) - DESIGN PRECEDENT: SKYLIGHT PAVILION
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LIGHT STUDY II - REFLECTION
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STAGE III - FORM
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- SECTIONS PAGE 23 - PLANS PAGE 24 - VIEWS (EXTERNAL) PAGE 26 - VIEWS (INTERNAL) PAGE 28 - APPROACH + ACCESS PAGE 29 LIGHT STUDY III - OPACITY
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STAGE IV - MATERIAL
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- STRUCTURE PAGE 33 - COMPOSITION PAGE 34 - DETAILS (3D CONSTRUCTION DETAILING) PAGE 36 - INTERNAL VIEWS (TEXTURES & MATERIALS) PAGE 38 LIGHT STUDY IV - FILTRATION
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C O N T E N T S
S TA G E
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PLACE The Adelaide University Maths Lawns is an open, grassed space situated between the Maths and Engineering buildings, and overlooked by the heritage listed Barr Smith Library. The space acts as a refreshing, quiet outdoor study spot, as well as an ideal location for a coffee catchup with a friend. It then transforms into a hive of activity suring Open Week and other events, buzzing with excitement.
D A Y
THE SITE STUDY OF AMBIENT LIGHT
During the day, the sight is well lit by the sunlight, as it is an open outdoor space. The entire space between the two buildings experiences sunlight, and the position of the shadows created by the buildings obviously changes throughout the day as the sun rises and sets. During the night time, whilst the sky is dark, the buildings within the space are built with alot of soft, ambient lighting, so they can be seen clearly. In addition to this, the lawns have street lamps that light up the entire space. Overall, the site remains well lit, but the lighting isn’t too bright or harsh.
N I G H T
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santos petroleum engineering molecular life sciences engineering & mathematical sciences
maths lawns
the braggs
inkarni wardli
PLAN 1:1000
barr smith library reading room
PLAN FULL SITE
barr smith library reading room
the braggs
santos petroleum engineering
engineering & mathematical sciences
ELEVATIONS MATHS + ENGINEERING BUILDINGS
molecular life sciences
inkarni wardli
barr smith library reading room
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ELEVATION BARR SMITH LIBRARY
AERIAL VIEW 1: AN OVERALL LOOK AT THE ENTIRE SITE
AERIAL VIEW 2: PEEPING OVER THE BARR SMITH LIBRARY READING ROOM OVERLOOKING FROME RD
GROUND VIEW 1: THE MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES BUILDING FROM NEAR THE INKARNI STAIRCASE
GROUND VIEW 2: PERSPECTIVE VIEW FACING THE BARR SMITH LIBRARY READING ROOM
VIEWS THE SITE IN 3D
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summer 9:00 am
winter 9:00 am
summer 12:00pm
winter 12:00 pm
summer 3:00 pm
winter 3:00 pm
THE ELEMENTS
SHADE, SHADOW AND THE EFFECTS OF THE WEATHER
thoroughfare
entrance to braggs building
entrance to molecular sciences building with staircase
entrance to inkarni wardli building
thoroughfare thoroughfare entrance to barr smith library reading room
entrance to engineering & mathematical sciences building
staircase
entrance to inkarni wardli building
entrance to santos petroleum engineering building thoroughfare
ACCESS + MOVEMENT ACCESSIBILITY
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LUMINOSITY L I G H T
S T U D Y
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The term “luminous” describes the characteristic of radiating a glowing light. Objects that glow in the dark or reflect a bright, ambient light are described to have luminous qualities, and thus we get the term luminosity – the state of being luminous. Whilst in a linguistic case, the term luminosity refers to an object’s light properties, philosophers have a very different idea upon which they attach the term ‘luminosity’. According to Zardini, the term ‘luminosity’ describes the philosophical idea that “one is always in a position to know” . This means that, if one is feeling a certain way e.g. hungry, then one is inclined to know that they feel hungry.
NORDPARK RAILWAY STATION, hungerburg Neta and Rohrbaugh concur that the term luminosity describes the notion and the idea that one can “possess the requisite cognitive capacities” to always consciously know, with certainty, exactly how they feel. As far as the definition of luminosity in an architecture context, this is captured well by the work of Zaha Hadid, who was incredibly creative and innovative in how she used light in her architecture.
MUSEUM OF XXI CENTURY She often used luminous lines of light in much of her early work, allowing the observer to gain a new sense of the forms and shapes within the space, enhancing the experience. Luminous light plays a key role in her first building, the Vitra Fire Station. From the use of light lines in the ceiling to the glowing light situated between the outer walls and the flooring, the use of luminous light turns an ordinary concrete structure into a dynamic piece of art, bursting with energy. Hadid gained inspiration from abstact paintings and everyday transport patterns, such as road markings, and used them as inspiration to create strips of luminous light in an enclosed concrete carpark by creating open slits in the roof of the carpark. vitra fire station, weil am rhein
She goes on to move past concrete structures and build an incredible form at the Nordpark Railway Station in which luminous light is not absorbed, but instead reflected by glass, creating a glossy finish that radiates energy and can be spotted a mile away. Much of her use of luminous light created a sense of energy in the space, as is evident in the Guangzhou Opera House. She was also able to allow light to move freely and seamlessly through the organic shapes of her buildings, allowing the luminous light to emphasise the sheer fluidity of the walls and the ceiling that enclosed the space, and indeed this is evident in many of her projects, such as the Heydar Aliyev Centre and the Museum of XXI Century Arts.
guangzhou opera house, guangzhou She used luminous light subtly in the former, but then in buildings such as the Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre, she used it quite strongly, creating an incredible brightness within an indoor space. Over the course of Hadid’s career, she experimented with new ways to use light, and showed how luminosity can be used in a variety of ways to create different feelings or convey different ideas within a space.
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S TA G E
I I
IDEA This chapter details two design ideas of an underground light pavilion within the site. The inspiration for the shape of the two sites comes from the image you get when you look at lights in the distance and squint your eyes, and the light appears in blurry, hexagon shapes. One of the design concepts is a single-storey concept whilst the other is a multi-storey concept.
total floor area: 263.044 SQUARE METRES
stairs ramp for diasabled access reception area storage space
exhibition/ presentation space seminar room 1 seminar room 2
hallway
small library reading space
stairs
disabled access toilet male & female toilets
ramp for diasabled access
SPATIAL DIAGRAMS SINGLE LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILION
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total floor area: 263.044 SQUARE METRES hallway seminar room 2
top floor ll sma ry a libr g din rea ace sp
disabled access toilet male & female toilets stairs ramp for diasabled access
exhibition/ presentation space
stairs reception area
seminar room 1
2nd floor
storage space hallway
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SPATIAL DIAGRAMS MULTI LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILION
S1
SINGLE LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILLION
elevation
section
PLAN 1:1000 S1
DRAWINGS PLANS, SECTIONS & ELEVATIONS
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S2
multi-LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILLION
elevation
section
PLAN 1:1000 S2
DRAWINGS PLANS, SECTIONS & ELEVATIONS
SINGLE LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILLION
MULTI - LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILLION
EXTERNAL VIEWS THE SITE IN 3D
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SINGLE LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILLION
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MULTI - LEVEL HONEYCOMB PAVILLION
INTERNAL VIEWS
THE SITE IN 3D
SKY LIGHT PAVILLION These hallways act as a space between block structures with a glass ceiling, allowing light to peer in and illuminate the space, in a similar way to which light does the same thing in the Sky Light Pavilion, and in this case, the space has no roof. Allowing natural light to enter the space creates an interesting experience for the person walking through, and this experience changes as the days and seasons progress, due to the ever changing position of the sun.
This light pavilion was designed by Nimbu architects as part of the Architecture Pavilion Competition histed by Arhitekton Magazine and Kingspan. The structure consists of two block structures with a gap in the middle, creating a space for people to walk through and experience. The manner in which natural light enters this space inspired the design of the hallways of my pavillion.
DESIGN PRECEDENT FORMAL & SPATIAL STUDY
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REFLECTION L I G H T
S T U D Y
I I
The term ‘reflection’, in a physical sense, describes the casting back or mirroring of light, heat or sound. A mirror reflects light, as can water, and they subsequently reflect an image. When a person looks in the mirror, they see a reflection of themselves and their immediate environment.
walt disney concert hall, la
Elbphilharmonie, hamburg
Reflection, in a philosophical sense, describes mentally looking back and re-processing certain events, bringing them back to memory and pondering the outcomes that occurred and the reasons for it. It is regarded a logical mental action, through which a particular concept can be better understood. It is when one first makes a physical observation of some kind, and joins it with a mental observation and In addition to this, reflection in a nature context refers to how things naturally reproduce or change under the influence of other things, such as a chameleon changing colour to mimic its surrounding. The idea of reflection has been explored in architecture with the hope of creating iconic structures for a long time. Architects have experimented with reflective imagery to skin the entire façade of a structure since the early 1900s. Materials such as glass that have reflective
properties bring a dynamic feel to a building, and architects have not shied from creating reflection by the using glass as a primary material for the façade of a building, such as that of Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. Not only is the façade creative and deliberately designed as a work of art in itself, but the warped glass façade creates a distorted reflection of the city around it. It is as though, rather than visually overpower the rest of the city, the building aims to paint a picture of the city around it through the use of reflection. Glass isn’t the only material that has been used to create reflection. Frank Gehry used metal to create the façade of the
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, as well as on the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The reflection created by metal is far different to that of glass, as light interacts with the material differently. But the effect remains intriguing and captivating, particularly when coupled with the smooth organic forms of these two buildings in particular. In contrast to the warped, organically shaped masses that make up the facades of these two buildings, the Messe Basel New Hall has elements of stretched aluminium that reflect the sunlight, creating a dazzling visual display. If an architect can use the properties of light (e.g. reflection) to his or her advantage, it can complement the architecture and tell its own story – hence the great curiosity and excitement when it comes to creating reflective facades.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, BILBAO MESSE BASEL NEW HALL, BASEL
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S T A G E
I I I
FORM After careful consideration of all factors, the Single Level Honeycomb Pavilion was chosen as the final design for the underground light pavilion situated on the Maths Lawns of the University of Adelaide. This chapter explores the design in more detail, with particular emphasis on the final form of the design.
section 1 1:250 toilets
seminar room 2
presentation space
section 2 1:250 reading room
SECTIONS THE SITE IN DETAIL
library
seminar room 1
reception + storage space
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entrance (above ground) reception storage space presentation space seminar room 1 seminar room 2 hallways library reading room male & female toilet disabled toilet entrance (above ground)
PLAN 1 1:250
PLANS FROM ABOVE
slits in glass roof to create natural light pattern. roof with small glass openings to create natural light pattern
glass roof to allow natural light circular tiered seating area
seminar podium shelves glass roof seating area
slits in glass roof to create natural light pattern.
PLANS
WITH ATTENTION TO THE INTERIOR
PLAN 2 1:250
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VIEWS FROM ABOVE
VIEWS
FROM GROUND LEVEL
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VIEWS
FROM THE INSIDE
APPROACH + ACCESS MOVEMENT IN AND OUT
OPACITY L I G H T
S T U D Y
I I I
Pirkkala Church, pirkkala
By linguistic definition, opacity is the characteristic or quality of a body that causes it to obstruct rays of light. An object that is opaque is not transparent or transluscent, and as a result, light cannot penetrate through it. This not only is true for light, but for things like heat and sound as well. Philosophically speaking, two terms are said to be opaque if they don’t stay true when the terms are reversed. For example, if a person believed Statement A to be true, but believed Statement B to be false, when Statement A requires Statement B to also be true, then it can be said that the person’s belief is opaque.
combine the long, dark winter days with the low position of the sun in relation to its geographical location, great study has been conducted to better understand how light interacts with the area, and architects have taken note. They have employed the method of using white surfaces as a response to the dark winter periods in order to maximise on interior light reflection off opaque surfaces is a clever way. Of course, white reflects light like no other colour on an opaque surface. This practice is seen a lot in Scandanavian churches.
The interior of the Bagsværd Church in Denmark is predominantly white, producing a quality of light more intense than the light, maximising on the amount of natural light present in the area. The Pirkkalla Church Dybkær Church, Silkeborg
Bagsværd Church, copenhagen
Hyvinkää Church, Hyvinkää
has a white interior in the main chapel, with a large window making up of the walls. Light patterns are reflected onto the wall through the window, and they constantly move and change as the day progresses, painting a dramatic scene on the wall. To look at it in an architectural context, we will observe how architects have made the most opacity in Scandanavian countries. Scandanavia has unique light situations. When you
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S TA G E
I V
MATERIAL The Honeycomb Pavillion has a simple, elegant material pallette. The walls are predomnantly made of white concrete, creating a clean and neat finish that reflects light well. There are also elements of glass all through the site, that bring an elegance and a weightlessness to the pavilion, and allow natural light to travel into it, creating patterns in some areas. Other materials like brick and timber add character to the pavilion.
steel framing for concrete walls
STRUCTURE CREATING THE PAVILION
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COMPOSITION PIECE BY PIECE
roof of entrance with slits to create light pattern materials: glass entrance materials: glass
breakdown of stairs and disabled access ramp with handrail materials: concrete, brick, glass ceiling materials: transluscent glass external walls of the entire pavilion materials: concrete, steel foundation
individual room ceilings material: concrete individual room walls materials: concrete, steel foundation
contents of individual rooms materials: various flooring materials: concrete
COMPOSITION PIECE BY PIECE
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PAVILION CEILING FROM ABOVE. GLASS AND CONCRETE
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DETAILS
3D CONSTRUCTION DETAILING
STAIRCASE FROM BEHIND CONCRETE, BRICK AND GLASS
DETAILS
3D CONSTRUCTION DETAILING
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INTERNAL VIEWS
TEXTURES AND MATERIALS
INTERNAL VIEWS TEXTURES AND MATERIALS
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FILTRATION L I G H T
S T U D Y
I V
chapel of notre dame du haut, ronchamp
A filter, by definition, is a transparent material that absorbs certain wavelengths of light, and is used to manipulate and modify the light that passes through it. Filtration refers to a method of separating a certain characteristic in a particular thing (e.g. light, water) from another characteristic. Filtration, in a philosophical sense, refers to the passing through on one thing through another thing to make it cleaner. Such as, when a person is about to say something in a public setting, they must firstly mull over it mentally and filter out anything that may be inappropriate for that setting, in a similar way to which you filter out dirt from water. In essence, they must make their statement “cleaner� before they present it. Filtration of light in architecture appears in a number of ways. Architects have explored the idea of light rather extensively and, and have experimented with the idea of only letting
certain light through and filtering it from the rest of its Source. Le Corbusier designed three famous churches, each that plays with light filtration in its design. In these designs, rather than using light as an item of religious persuasion, as has been done all through history, Le Corbusier filters through certain elements of light and highlights the softness and quietness of light, and its ability to subtly create a striking visual display. His chapel at Ronchamp uses angled cavities in the wall. and coloured glass to create a brilliant show of light filtration into the building. The roof is also lifted from the wall, creating a small 10cm opening, enough to allow a sharp, contrasting horizontal plane of light to filter through. The Monastery of Sainte Marie de La Tourette is far more intricate, with light being filtered into the chapel through slots in the walls at irregular intervals, creating a unique rhythm of light for the audience to experience. The Parish Church of Saint-Pierre has small windows on one of the facades, that creates a speckled effect of dots of light on the floor in the chapel, and these dots turn monastery of sainte marie de la tourette, Éveux
parish church of saint-pierre, firminy
parish church of saint-pierre, firminy into beautiful organic waves of light flowing through the space, creating a pattern on the smooth curved walls of the chapel as they dance through the day with the movement of the sun. Some of the light effects within the building occurred by accident, but remain highly visually entertaining.
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The Honeycomb Pavillion based on the Maths Lawns within the University of Adelaide North Terrace campus aims to complement and enhance the atmosphere within that part of the university. Above all, the pavilion captures the university’s theme of “Seek Light”, with light being knowledge. Certain elements of the site have atransluscent glass ceiling to allow natural light to pour in, including the small library - the source of the light. This space will allow students to experience light in a whole new way.