OUR ROUTE
LUNCH AT LA BIENNALE
As a group we arranged independent travel from London to Venice. Some a couple of days earlier, some on Tuesday as pre-arranged by the tutors and some the next day; before the meeting at the biennale. Our journey was far from smooth. Some of us rushed to the airport, whilst forgetting key items such as laptops and other stationary equipment at ...
On our first day, we were all eager on exploring the city of Venice. Some took the canal boat buses, whereas the rest walked through the city to explore its wonders. Henriette, examined the social fitness of the city by monitoring her walking distance and steps, thus calculating her fitness each day. This was interesting to examine, as health experts always insist that every person..
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Upon our arrival at the “elements of architecture” exhibition, we were greeted by Jonas. We were given a brief breakdown of the initial explanation for which professor Jonas dwelled into the modern ceiling, whilst also touching upon lighting. The installation was programmed to allow sufficient “blue light” which suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences circadian rhythms, and there's some experimental evidence (it's very preliminary) that lower melatonin levels might explain the association with cancer. With the right amount of... Page 34
[BOOK 1]
biennale architectura 7.06-23.11
la Biennale di Venicezia 2014 - the CASS U4 student trip
FROM LONDON TO VENICE AND BACK
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SOL_ I N T U IT I V E D W E L L I N G
T H E T E A M T R I P 2 0 1 4 V E N I C E
biennale architectura 2014 7.06-23.11
funda men tals
Arrivals Page 3
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As a group we arranged independent travel from London to Venice. Some a couple of days earlier, some on Tuesday as pre-arranged by the tutors and some the next day; before the meeting at the biennale. Our journey was far from smooth. Some of us rushed to the airport, whilst forgetting key items such as laptops and other stationary equipment at home. Whilst others were early at the airport only to forget they had to check in at the gates. Like a scene from a movie, the group leaving on Tuesday all met up cascading at the back of the queue leading all the way to the escalators. Realising at the time that everyone was late, equally each individual was reassured that everything was just as it should be. As a group we were calm and collective, but bursting with excitement and joy. For
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some, this journey was a great break to shut down and catch on lost sleep from their all-nighters made on the day before. For the rest, this was simply a great platform to build and strengthen relationships. Working collectively to organise events, hotels and other arrangements. Whilst also being there for one another in desperate times as it is often seen in student trips abroad. We had many bliss and joyful moments during our trip. Filled with tutorials and analytical sessions, after all we were in the “floating city� of dreams. In conclusion, despite a never-ending wet weather with glimpses of solar rays we enjoyed and created new memories that we collectively will take forward upon the rest of our years together as a unit. We were just as excited to arrive back as we were when we left for Venice. Excited to get back to our unit projects, where as a team collectively received confirmation from the Decathlon committee that our project had the green light for planning and preparation.
La Biennale di Venezia Page 5
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FROM LONDON TO VENICE AND BACK Page 4 DAY 1 ARRIVALS Page 8 DAY 2 FUNDAMENTALS EXPO. Page 14 DAY 3 FUNDAMENTAL STUDY & LA BIENNALE EXPO. Page 32 DAY 4 FONDAZIONE QUERINI STAMPALIA Page 54 DAY 5 RANDOM VENTURES BEFORE DIPARTURE Page 60
DAY ONE Page 7
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England - to - Italy Page 8
“All arrive at Hotel Tre Archi. Hotel reservation were been booked by us including breakfast.” The challenge was trying to find the hotel. With some help from a friend, (google maps) we managed to locate our boudoir.
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Arriving in Venice, felt as if we entered a scene from a movie. This city was filled with small enclosed alleys, all leading to various nodes. All of which connected with bridges, all acting on similar mathematical theories such as “The Seven Bridges of Königsberg” which is a historically notable problem in mathematics. Its negative resolution by Leonhard Euler in 1735 laid the foundations of graph theory and prefigured the idea of topology. The city from an initial glance was everything by disabled friendly. In turn wore us out, for those who had big luggage’s.
City Analysis Page 9
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Group meet-up Page 10
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As we entered the labyrinth of the floating city, our eyes were immersed with the rich coloured render and cool colour tones that transcended a rainbow effect throughout the streets. The architecture detail on the buildings were of particular interest to all of us, including the wonder of how building is able to be immersed in water and yet be resilient to damp. As seen from the collection of images on the opposite page, the colour tone used throughout the cite were cool tones of colour. A colour that resonates terracotta and ceramics as a natural element. Non-the-less there were other cool colour tones used such as yellow, grey, blue and green all of which contributed to the magical trance imbued on us over time.
Architectural style Page 11
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Site seeing & Italian Cuisine Page 12
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Upon our arrival we were eager to try everything; from food to swimming in the river. We were constantly amassed and fascinated how architecture is so resilient in withstanding water, including salt water. We were constantly examining buildings, touching their render and digging our fingers between the bricks, in
order to examine the mortar quality that binds the structure. To our surprise, with every stroke dust and sea-salt was present. The mortar felt as if it had been weakened due to the eroding effect caused by sea-salt winds that acted upon the buildings. Our fascination didn’t there, we were constantly amused with the architectural structures found on rivers, where big logs connected together to create pillars and columns for stability against water displacement. After a long day of travelling, we were eager to try the local cuisine. Our budget was limited and prices were high, but as a group we compromised and bought one portion of chips and pail beverages that looked like alcohol.
DAY two Page 13
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On the way to Expo. Page 14
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“Mamma mia prego, gli stivali stanno ballando” “My umbrella-ella-ella-e-e makes me look cool”
“HELP, I’m not really waterproof”
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On our second day, it was organised by our tutors that we attend the La Biennale exhibitions. The day began poorly, with heavy showers. This also reduced our walkability as many roots were blocked from floods. Some, went to venture at the Saint Marks square, whereas the rest were shopping for waterproof overcoats. The weather only screened Venice with more beautiful scenery. It allowed the architecture; as if it were a canvas and the rain a brush stroke, to be enriched with detail. The ageing texture that had accumulated dirt overtime, enhanced the architectural characteristics of the building. Water itself being a natural element also reflected in the enrichment of the architectural scenery that we enjoyed so much.
Walking & Boating Page 15
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On our first day, we were all eager on exploring the city of Venice. Some took the canal boat buses, whereas the rest walked through the city to explore its wonders. Henriette, examined the social fitness of the city by monitoring her walking distance and steps, thus calculating her fitness each day. This was interesting to examine, as health experts always insist that every individual should make 10,000 steps each day, where as we made averagely 14,000 to 16,000 each day. “The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.� as stated by NHS advisors. This clearly was a city of fitness.
Nordic Pavilion Page 17
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Pic from Tumblr: Nordic Form
Nordic Pavilion Page 18
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We arrived at the Biennale earlier than the rest, and we began to explore some of the venues, one of which was the Nordic Pavilion. The roof consists of concrete beams one metre high in two direction: each beam is 6 cm thick and together they form a 2-metre high brise soleil. Transparent roof elements are suspended between the uppermost beams. These plastic units impart an oriental, venetian tone to the strict articulation. To preserve the intensity of the light, the entire building was casted in a mixture of white cement, white sand and crushed marble. It is a nordic shadeless light. The three plane trees inside the 446-squaremetre unsupported space are almost the only vertical elements. The trees intensify, as do the large walls of glass, the impression of being both inside and outside at the same time. In both realms, nature and culture face each other. At a certain distance the beams seem both to collide with and evade the trees. Outside, to the left of the entrance, Fehn has kept the big old plane tree where the enormous main beam divides into a Y. It is the strongest gesture imaginable. The old trees rise out of the earth, stretching through the roof, up into the sky. Upon the earth and under the sky we humans dwell—who Heidegger calls “the mortal ones.” Heidegger often quotes Hölderlin’s words that man “dwells poetically upon the earth.”
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Primitive Hut Page 19
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The installation curated by Ole Bouman and Juulia Kauste aims to respond to the Biennale’s theme, which focuses on the timeless basics of architecture. The two wooden structures were built by Finnish and Chinese teams-the project was developed in collaboration. Their simplicity strikes up a complex dialogue between architects and local builders and embraces an appreciation for traditional building techniques. The theme of Absorbing Modernity, set by the Biennale’s curator Rem Koolhaas, is addressed by establishing the connection between new structures and the famous Finnish Pavilion. The Pavilion’s use of material and natural lighting is revisited by embracing the concepts of modularity and traditional construction processes. Located at the opposite entrances of the Pavilion, the Finnish and the Chinese installation add a new perspective to the reading of modernist architecture. The idea was to take the form of a
Primitive Hut Page 20
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basic structure, or a hut, and to see what would happen to this “eternal” idea of a shelter when it was introduced to another cultural mind frame. The Finnish ended up with a beautiful hut made up of interlocked local spruce beams with a small rectangular entrance. Architect Anssi Lassila; suggests that this is a very typical way to work in Finland, to use local material and local people, but the architects wanted to embrace this idea because you can work that way everywhere in the world, just using the possibilities of what you can find in different places. That different place that they chose was China, who used Bamboo, which is a locally available material that they used for the same purpose–to create a hut–but in a very different way because of the wood’s characteristics. Instead of interlocking them like the Finnish hut, they instead made a vertical shaped hut that also features a rectangular entrance. Both huts ended up with a skylight, and a similar shape, thus demonstrating the similarities of the two buildings, yet their difference in their material and its use. The huts are both in full form on opposite sides of the pavilion and are open to enter, despite only being able to house a few people at once.
Elements of Architecture EXPO. Page 21
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T he servi ci ng be tw ee n our cilings is always expanding, incr e as i ng c os t and r ed u ci ng b u i l t sp a ce . Our building heights also incr ease hand-i n- hand unl es s w e d e si gn more e ffi ci ently with the use of BIM tools.
Architecture Elements Study Page 22
floor wall ceiling roof door window facade balcony corridor fireplace toilet stair escalator elevator ramp fundamentals ROOF
experiments traditions
FIREPLACE
no more crackling fire in homes nostalgia of coziness
WINDOW precision voyeurism
TOILET
tricks for thrones and for similar objects throne of necessity
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smooth vs soft dream of flexibility, dream of durability
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dresses for buildings how places became the same
ELEVATOR key to comfort key to tallness
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ways in which sesame opens, and closes “open sesame”
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still looking up for beauty managing sound, air, light
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On our first visit to the “elements of Architecture” exhibition curated by Rem Koolhaas, we were asked to immerse ourselves with all of the architecture elements that were touched upon within the exhibition. We were asked to question everything; extract and expand the reasoning of the show. After all, architecture is the combinations of all elements coherently working together. We all rushed through the building with open minds, instantly being bombarded with words such as “corridor”, “stairs” whilst further into the building; installations of the modern ceiling within a classical building. Upon closure, we were gathered to discuss our visual analysis of the Koolhass research. We delegated individual tasks to research and present individual elements that were touched within the exhibition. Our task for the next day, would in turn allow us to further our research for the Cali project. The wealth of information found at the La Biennale was inspiring to all of us. One that would nurture our critical thinking for the delivery of our project.
Elements of Architecture Page 23
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WHAT IS SCALALOGY? “The definition of scalalogy is the ‘science of the properties and the effects of stairs, ’in short ‘ the science of stairs.’ It emerged from stair research, which serves both practical stair construction, as well as architectural history in multiple ways. The subject of research is the type of negotiation of height differences through static constructions with steps.” Friedrich Mielke, Collectaneen 11, 1986 “Einleltung,”
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re ictu a p !” g kin man t is ta uy straigh g t a d h n T a “ t s, s of u
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End Day TWO - Start day THREE Page 32
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After a long evening at the exhibition, we made our way home as we had to follow up and extract all of the information we had absorbed during the day. Dawn caught up with us, and the lights glittered. The park was filled with amazing views, as if we were in a film set. The following day, we made our way back to ‘La Biennale’. The day began with rays of sunshine, and a clear sky over us. On the way we had the pleasure to see some great landmarks. This truly painted a different environment for all of us. The ability for to explore Venice in all climate conditions was a gift in its own.
Elements of Architecture Page 33
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floor wall ceiling roof door window facade balcony corridor fireplace toilet stair escalator elevator ramp fundamentals
Lunch at La Biennale Page 34
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Upon our arrival at the “elements of architecture” exhibition, we were greeted by Jonas. We were given a brief breakdown of the initial explanation for which professor Jonas dwelled into the modern ceiling, whilst also touching upon lighting. The installation was programmed to allow sufficient “blue light” which suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences circadian rhythms, and there's some experimental evidence (it's very preliminary) that lower melatonin levels might explain the association with cancer.. With the right amount of exposure it becomes beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood. We later turned to our pre-arranged topics, where individually and collectively as a group discussed each sub-group that contributed to the overall architectural element. We were highly informed from each individual’s interest on their topic, and we also made possible connections with our project that is in developing stages in Cali. After a long successful discussions, we continued our research on the rest of the exhibition which stretched for miles. But firstly, it was time to refuel and our search for food lead us to the glass house building. A stunning building, made from local materials produced at the local glass refinery.
Everything else - La Biennale Page 35
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Our study moved beyond the 2elements of architecture” into the “fundamentals” exhibition which is internationally recognised. Architects all around the world eagerly compete to display; like a peacock their creative flair and architectural skill. Pushing boundaries for presentation and development alike in the physical and virtual worlds. The following pages will show a collection of photographs that raised our interest throughout the day.
Everything else - La Biennale Page 36
I NT ER N AT I O N A E X H IB IT ION
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 37
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 38
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 39
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 40
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 41
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 42
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 46
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 47
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 47
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 48
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 49
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 50
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Everything else - La Biennale Page 51
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Part 1 finished Page 52
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Day FOUR - Exploring Venice Page 54
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The Museum of Fondazione Querini Stampalia is one of the most important examples of House-Museum, in the heart of Venice, and it is one of the best preserved in all Europe. The noble floor of the Palace recreates the the magnificent residence of the Querini Stampalia family. The ancient collections containing precious furniture, paintings, porcelains, globes, fabrics and sculptures create an inseparable connection in a refined atmosphere, with the luxurious rooms covered with plasters and frescos. The House-Museum has been open to visitors since 1869 telling by means of everyday life, traditional and cultural stories that reflect Venice’s lifetyle: a unique city in the world. The Museum is presented as an historic dwelling that maintains its ancient atmosphere but opens its doors to novelties, concerts and exhibitions of classic and modern art.
Day FOUR - Exploring Venice Page 55
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Day FOUR - Exploring Venice Page 56
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Day FOUR - Exploring Venice Page 57
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Day five - Around venice Page 59
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S A I N T MA R K S S Q U A R E - RUN H T T P S ://WWW.Y OU T U BE . C O M/WAT C H ?V =8-GV1Z4GIIY
ON A BOAT STATI ON A- TO- B HTTPS://W W W.YO U TUBE.COM /WATC H ?V=K2T PU 9T M LEM
S A I N T MA R K S S Q U A R E - BOAT STUDY H T T P S ://WWW.Y OU T U BE . C O M/WAT C H ?V =8-GV1Z4GIIY
AT A STATION - PED EST R IAN HTTPS://W W W.YO U TUBE.COM /WATC H ?V=LELT H A0W 5U E
S A I N T MA R K S S Q U A R E - CIRCULATION H T T P S ://WWW.Y OU T U BE . C O M/WAT C H ?V =1H SCW K1B_GK
BOAT STUDY - NIGH T HTTPS://W W W.YO U TUBE.COM /WATC H ?V=EZ Z KK_7YJ XI
Day five - Around venice Page 58
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The QR codes on the side, contains a virtual link to a YouTube video that has been made in accordance to analysing the site context. Venice being a city of uncertainty, it was important to document some of the natural phenomenon that occurs in the city on a day to day bases. The time laps videos both indicates a natural trajectory of movement. Where boats have a designated route, similar to that of a motorway but invisible. Whereas human movement, also indicates similar trajectories, only disturbed by obstacles on the path. However, younger children behave differently. Irrational. You will see a video of saint marks square, where near the end a group of kids run across the square totally in random directions, thus compared to that of older generations.