PERSONAL STUDY ESSAY on ‘To what extent can it be argued that ‘difficult’ architectural sites actually encourage more creative solutions.’
BY KATERINA ZHELYASKOVA
CONTENT PAGE
Introduction…………………………………………………………………… ……………………………….3 Zaha Hadid - Maxxi Museum……………………………………………………………………… ……3 Zaha Hadid - BMW Central Building……. …………………………………………………………..4 Daniel Libeskind - Jewish Museum…………………………………………………………………..6 Piers Gough - Canada Water Library………………………………………………………………..7 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………… ………………………………….9 Bibliography………………………………………………………………… …………………………………11
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INTRODUCTION
Creative freedom. Don’t we all wish we had a little taste of that. The thought of being able to design a structure so ridiculously absurd without a worry, whether the structure is too vast, too rigid, too obscure… what a dream. Alas, the definition of ‘creative freedom’ isn’t commonly known in the architectural sphere and that is the sad, painful but inevitable truth everyone is not so keen to accept. Though I do wonder... Is it possible to broaden the boundaries of creativity further? Could the restrictions be used as an advantage, or as a guide even… a guide that determines the potential outcome of the design from its very first stages? More importantly, is there a possibility that particularly the complexity of the named site might actually grant more ideas to the architect? Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said, ‘Less is more’, indicating, the fewer decorations are being used in the design, the more impact it would have, although he was referring to the décor, the quote can be reinterpreted into various meanings. On that account, there is a possibility restriction formed by the complexity of the site might force the architect to think more creatively. Generally speaking, the most challenging and demanding sites may induce in best designs solutions. Question is how far can we take this possibility? As a result of overpopulation and rising land values, restricted to very little sites are progressively becoming an abundantly common issue. Although the size of the area, one’s working with, is not the biggest concern of it all, as there are many site factors that must be taken into a consideration before the production, which may become suffocating during the design process. So, what characteristics make the site ‘difficult’? Is it topography, soil or the historical context, perhaps the geographical location or is it its primary form and sizing? I believe all the things mentioned above have a substantial impact on the initial design. For example, relying on the factors like the solar study, with an intent to reduce energy consumption, the architect determines what cardinal directions, such basic necessities as windows, will be facing. History and the form of the location particularly, have a major influence on the outcome of the visual appearance the structure holds. Through personal study, I intend to find out how the site affects the design process; what characteristics complicate the site; how architects successfully apply their knowledge to tackle these complications, broaden the creative field and maximise the characteristics of the site, as well as magnify the efficiency of the actual structure, while working with difficult locations. ARCHITECT 1- ZAHA HADID
Specifically, for this investigation, I chose to explore Zaha Hadid’s work because I was intrigued by her proficiency in adaptation to architectural sites. This skill allowed her to effectively incorporate elements of movement and flow into restricted spaces. One of Hadid’s greater skill was the ability to successfully embody the elements of conceptual art and execute those ideas at full complexity, revealing a completely new way, in which architecture can be perceived. She was particularly interested in ‘Russian Avant Garde’, which has influenced the dynamic, dystopian nature of her creations.
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Maxxi Museum is one example of dynamically driven structures that showcase the way historical context, geographical location and the form of the site, contribute to the creative process of the design. The museum’s bizarre visual appeal is achieved through the interaction and conflict of historical Roman architecture with a contemporary design. Hadid says she was ‘inspired by Rome's many layers of history and architectural styles.’ The building is visually attached to the military barracks by its concrete exterior (figure 1), that sort of merges with the surroundings. Material such as concrete has embedded connotations of brutalism and harshness, which in this case, is counter stereotypical. Hadid’s delicate use of concrete, juxtaposed with translucency of the glass panels, created a ‘humane’ connection to the place. Structural reinforcements also visually resemble pillars, often seen in the ancient Roman architecture (refer to figure 2 and 3). This allowed Zaha Hadid to form a connection, allying past and present.
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The form of the structure itself is like an additional puzzle piece, which completes the site when joined with the locality (figure 4). It is clear that the design was influenced by the primary, awkward form of the site, shaped as an irregular hexagon. The commander of fluidity, Zaha Hadid, was able to trap movement within the enclosed space and create a design that moderately flows from end point to another, putting to use about ninety percent of the given space and making highly effective in terms of spatial consumption. This design solution particularly works well not just externally but also internally, providing the visitors with a captivating experience, suitable for museums and galleries as it guides the visitors from one exhibition display to another all the way throughout the building. However, this design concept raises the question of cost and budget, as naturally oddly shaped buildings tend to require high expenses. Zaha Hadid herself disclosed, the Maxxi Museum is an unfinished project which was cut due to lack of funding, as only the main building was built out of five originally planned structures (figure 5).
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Figure 5
An example of a structure which fulfils a large number of set functions within the restricted space, also bult by Zaha Hadid, is the BMW Central Building in Leipzig, Germany. A BMW central building ‘is a radical reinterpretation of traditional office,’ a brain or an ‘engaging nerve-centre,’ which operates the entire factory and creates a ‘physical connection’ between all three segments of production of BMW ‘3 Series’.
While designing BMW Central, Zaha Hadid demonstrated how to successfully unite several buildings into a singular structure, through a centre-placed construction, using only a inner section of the site: ‘...the planning and layout of the adjacent fabrication buildings had already been finalized, leaving a narrow stretch of open land to be filled.’ The grey morbid undertones of concrete delicately match the aesthetic of the BMW brand; however, the ecstatic beauty of this design lies deeper than in its visual appeal. 1ZHA mentioned: ‘The building perfectly embodies the spirit of the enterprise movement. Its lines travel fast, almost flee, drawing smooth curves environments and enclosures’. The fluid body of the futuristic exterior resembles a corridor, that dynamically flows across the site, as though ‘ricocheting’ off concrete walls of the three main units (figure 6).
Figure 6
1 ZHA (Zaha Hadid Architects) - British architecture and design firm established by Zaha Hadid. 6
Same corridor forms visible attachments that unite the structures, which therefore create an internal circulation of the assigned functions throughout the building and as Hadid disclosed: “The idea of flow is important: the flow from one space to another...”. It looks as though, Zaha Hadid has been inspired by the idea of polarisation as the structure visually creates an illusion of repulsion. What forces the structure to ‘repel’ and change the direction is the original three units of car development. By producing this design Hadid was able to fulfil the main functions, which were to unite the three segments of production, allowing her to introduce the collision of functions and a collaborative merger of the blue- and white-collar workers, while also permitting her to save a fair part of external space to be put to use for other purposes such as parking areas and greenspaces, which makes the design spatially effective and successful.
ARCHITECT 2 - DANIEL LIBESKIND
An alternative, to the Maxxi museum, example of a historical encounter with modern architecture is the Jewish Museum designed by a Polish-American architect, David Libeskind. The competition was set to design an extension to the original old museum structure, the key difficulties of this site were its intent to reflect the historical significance of the Jews in WWII Germany and nature and the greenery that was sort interfering with architect’s ideas (figure 7).
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I want to focus particularly on the visually dominant and harsh part of the whole museum complex, the main gallery also known as “Between the Lines” (figure 8). The exterior of the gallery resembles a broken line that sort of elongates across the site, as the architect likes to say: ‘zigzags with its titanium-zinc façade...’. Zinc exterior is sort of embracing the violence and horror, through its intimidating and enchanting appeal. Ironically, this monstrous, zigzag-like design is actually dependent on its surrounding as an elementary presence of a single tree, encourages the building to ‘change its direction' (refer to figure 9 and 10).
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Additionally, the tough, mesmerising appearance of the structure is being challenged by the 'garden of exile' and the nature around it, as the main gallery has to work its way around all those things, completely destroying the idea of charisma, power, and dominance, constructing a metaphorical representation of the conflict between the two juxtaposed ideas. Every interference forces the structure to morph its, what it was before a perfect line, into a terrifying broken passageway. However, it could be argued that the site could have been cleared for the construction, which would have influenced the initial design idea. In this case, the architect made a choice to intensify the complicity of the site, which became the source of his inspiration. The main benefit of this design is the experience it provides internally, as it has this idea of motion hidden within itself. Due to its shape, the construction appears to be in the constant movement, making it easy to guide the visitors through this historical journey, starting from the entrance in the ‘axes of continuity’. Though this design idea is satisfactory, considering the expenses of the land, especially in such major cities like Berlin, this is a very ineffective and unethical use of the site. As it is shown on the plan photograph of the museum space and the outside area, it is clear that a lot of space remained unbuilt, designated to an absolute waste. The brief itself focuses on history, Libeskind metaphorically and literally took his creativity deeper as he managed to connect all four adjacent structures through three underground passageway or as the architect likes to call it ‘a hidden network of communication’ (figure 11 and 12), each signifying one of the stages of Judaism. In the interview Libeskind said that ‘the site was already oriented... oriented in the world by the catastrophes that complete extermination of European Jews', suggesting that historical context was the main influence of that decision, which allowed him to come up with a much innovative idea. This was very well thought through, as any attachments that unite the adjacent buildings are well hidden below the ground, freeing some regions of the territory on the surface from being used.
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Even though there are some flaws in this design the advantages the space provides outweigh the inefficient use of land.
CANADA WATER LIBRARY – (CZWG) LEAD ARCHITECT PIERS GOUGH
Unlike with the Jewish Museum, an effective exterior solution does not always provide a good internal experience. Canada Water Library is a communal space that showcases how the site can be 8
used beyond its limitations and how a worthy design solution becomes ineffective due to poor floor planning.
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Canada Water Library project explores the possibilities of the overground expansions. The lead architect Piers Gough mentioned, “...their required brief for the library was much bigger than the site... we were obliged to make a library that sat on a sort of postage-stamp-sized, but they needed a library that was much larger...”. One of the brief requirements was to have a single large library space, which was almost impossible to fulfil with the given space due to the area being limited in its sizing. The architects proposed an effective solution to create a visual overground expansion. The building resembles an inverted pyramid, wrapped in rich gold-toned, metal plates (figure 13 and 14). As the structure grows with each floor, the exterior gradually widens outwards, steeply expanding over the waters of the River Thames. From a small site to a big open space. This approach to design definitely forms an advantage and grants full domination over the site, giving the architects a terrific opportunity to expand the space and functions internally. However, an outcome like that may not always be effective in certain situations. Supposedly, if one were to imagine, the site is closely surrounded by a number of structures, there is simply no existent space for an outward expansion, therefore the idea becomes practically impossible, but this is just a formality.
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Figure 16
The proposed idea is highly effective in terms of spatial adaptations to the site and was phenomenally successful in providing the space for housing and carrying out all the necessary functions, that unfortunately was never used to its full potential. Nevertheless, nothing about this 9
space is astonishing aside from the whole idea of an overground expansion, which gets completely crushed by the careless, unsensible use of internal space. As it is shown in the figure 15, the poor floor planning completely destroys the design’s purpose. Starting with a gigantic, wooden, spiral staircase (figure 16) positioned in the centre of the library, leading to a complete waste of the precious valuable space the architects tried so hard to maintain, ending with an overall lack of circulation and movement across the floors. The interior remains underutilised. Additionally, the structure does not work well visually. The obscure shape looks too brutal and unwelcoming. The library appears as if it is on the verge of collapsing. Due to the awkward shape, the walls of the building, which are tilted under a certain degree, prevent the natural light from entering the building, making it environmentally unsustainable due to the energy consumption the building requires to run in the broad daylight (refer to figures 17, 18 and 19). The design idea is compelling, which definitely deserves further investigation. The execution however was poor, making it impossible for the structure to maintain a good appearance and fulfil the given set functions.
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CONCLUSION
Placing the above into consideration, this study clearly illustrates that, the site and its characteristics do have a big influence on the initial creative stage of the design process, but it also raises the question of whether the solution is actually practical, functional and effective. As I said before, the primary location forms the conditions within which the structure is being developed; many factors determine the complexity of the site, which don’t necessarily depend on its form nor its scale. The historical context of the encompassing locality particularly plays a significant role in the design; it determines the external fitting of the building with the surroundings. Rigid structures often come across as very unappealing, caused by a careless approach towards historical significance. As the example, the Maxi Museum has portrayed, historical context may have a major impact on even such minor detectible elements like the texture or the material per se, which helps to vaguely ‘camouflage’ the contemporary structure among the stone jungles of, what could be, Baroque, Victorian, Neoclassical or Gothic architecture. Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum has shown that the topography is another key factor the site offers, which may contribute to the design process. A scrubby, lush, verdant area may be used as an advantage. If one were to visualise the site from the creative perspective, organic forms may be imagined as immovable obstacles, every interference with which, forces the structure to change, causing it to deform and mutate. Whether that means the structure would have to bend around the obstacle or go over or underground, is up to the architect to decide. In most cases, this response to topography grants the structure an obscure, bold and distinctive look. 10
The form of the site per se is the most colossal stimulus that forces the architect to produce a variety of creative solutions. Just like the Maxxi Museum has shown, the form of the odd, complicated and awkwardly shaped site is often mirrored and reflected onto the final outcome. When put in context with the surrounding this type of design concept looks evidently good, as well as being practically effective in terms of space consumption. However, that's not always the case, as exceptionally smaller sites may require some sort of outward, overground expansion in order meet the brief specifications All, previously mentioned, combined with other factors such as the solar study, type of the soil, orientation, etc., complicate the design process which actually, shape and stimulate the architect’s response to the brief and narrow down the idea development process to the most effective possible outcomes. However, as the particular points in the study have shown the design solution may not always be as successful as it seems. With some projects, big sections of the land often remain unbuilt and, considering the increasing land values in the postmodern society, that can be viewed as an unethical approach. There are two sides of the coin to this argument: if the site isn’t used to the maximum, the land goes to waste, but then again would the design look as compelling if the site would have been put to its maximum use? Taking the Canada Water Library project into consideration, I am able to say that even if the exterior design solution is quite practical the internal planning may completely ruin the primary intentions of the design. Based on these conclusions, practitioners should take into a consideration a full analysis of the site and a careful study of all its characteristics to understand what… To better comprehend the implications of these results the future studies could address urban planning and the growth and multiplication of architecture across the globe.
Bibliography: https://placesjournal.org/article/spatial-intelligence-new-futures-for-architecture/?cnreloaded=1 https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/when-less-was-more/ Zaha Hadid Architects Zaha Hadid, MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW3CDwcv-X8 https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/architecture-quotes_2 Design Thinking for Social Impact - Design Sprint Conference 2017 https://www.shapearchitecture.co.uk/challenging-sites/ https://archello.com/project/bmw-central-building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_Central_Building https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/bmw-central-building/ 11
https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/central-building-of-the-bmw-plant/# https://www.theplan.it/eng/architecture/bmw-plant-central-building https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120448260&t=1612042918746 https://www.jmberlin.de/en/libeskind-building Architecture 12 of 23 Daniel Libeskind Jewish Museum Berlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUTkt0z_NTU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsbZsjXj8iA
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