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Week 1 01 March 2012
Architectural Discourse When I first understood the word ‘Architecture’, I thought Architect = Building Designer Architecture = Building Styles but than a few projects changed my thought.
Project: The Museum Langen Foundation (2004) Architect: Tadao Ando Location: Neuss, Germany Description: The museum is in an over 131 feet (40 meters) long concrete construction, which enveloped by a glass cube. Two parallel concrete wings are added at a 45 degree angle. Design theme: 1)Minimalism = Simple geometrical structures + Selected materials (exposed concrete, glass and wood) 2)Ando’s own background/interest = Japanese elements (the gateway, the garden) 1 + 2 + Ando’s talent = A construction in its simplicity which has been able to unite Japanese elements with modern architectural morphology, is reflected in the water of a pond and seems to float. 2
Architect = A speaker who is speaking by buildings Architecture = Language of the Architects
Sources: http://www.karinazarzar.com/6.pdf 3
Project: Blur Building (2002) Architect: Diller + Scofidio Location: Neuchatel Lake, Switzerland Description: The building is a delicate steel construction with a height of 20 meters and a ground surface of 60meters by 100 meters., with more than 30,000 high pressure stainless steel mist nozzles with a nozzle diameter of 0.12mm shot fine mist, which was immediately absorbed by the air. This result in fog, which is also known as the ‘Blur effect’. Design theme: 1) Constructing a cloud = crazy thoughts + technology 2) The focus that put visitor out of focus = the “blur” experience of the visitors
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“BLUR is not a building, BLUR is pure atmosphere, water particles suspended in mid-air. The fog is a dynamic, phantom mass, which changes form constantly . . . .” “BLUR is a spectacle with nothing to see. Within BLUR, vision is put out-of-focus so that our dependence on vision can become the focus.” of the pavilion. - Diller
Architect = Someone who design ‘experience’ Architecture = The experience of the visitors feel on that particular space
Sources: http://www.dillerscofidio.com/blur.html http://www.carywolfe.com/16.3wolfe.html 5
Project: Webb Bridge (2005) Architect: Denton Corker Marshall & Robert Owen Location: Melbourne, Australia Description: The bridge is constructed out of steel beams, it resembles a feather gliding over the river landscape, with its flat curve, large span and completely optimized fish bellied beams, so as to ensure complete lightness. The already existing bridge measured 145 meters and was extended by the curved construction by about 80 meters. Design theme: 1) New connection = Old & New, Past & Future 2) The history = express the gestural flow of the river below and also references Koori fish traps, drums and baskets –the everyday tools used by Aboriginal people to harvest this once fertile land. 3) Parametric = At the northern bank it starts as a series of plain hoops that grow further apart towards the middle of the span. When approaching the south bank, the hoops regain their intensity and evolve into a filigree cocoon. 6
Architect = Someone who can create the movement of time Architecture = A piece of artwork showing the movement of time
Sources: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/melbourne/webb_bridge.htm http://www.vicurban.com/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application% 2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1297834963945&ssbinary=true&blobheaderna me1=Content-Type&blobheadervalue1=application/pdf&blobheadername2=ContentDispostion&blobheadervalue2=attachment%3B+filename%3DDocklandsPublicArtWalk.pdf 7