The Nucleus A Hub Within The City Performance to the Domain
James Junkai Huang
500495717
| Tutor - Jason Dibbs Graduation Studio
Studio 3
Performance to the Domain
CONTENTS
ACT I
Project Brief
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
Project Statement
Jørn Utzon Study -
Site Mapping -
INTERMISSION
-
Kuwait National Assembly Understanding Movement “A city is not a tree , but a semi-lattice”
ACT V
ACT VI
ACT VII
ACT VIII
Reimagining Pockets -
The Nucleus -
Moments Within -
Walking Through -
Creating Thresholds
Finalising the Design
Looking at Details
Experiencing Performance Model and Perspectives
The Nucleus A Hub Within The City Performance to the Domain
ACT I -
Project Brief
ACT I - Project Brief The brief for the project was to create a space that would be able to facilitate for performance of the arts, office areas as well as areas that serviced the general public. The site is situated adjacent to the Domain, bounded by The Mint to the West, the Barracks to the South and the Eye Hospital to the North. The existing urban and landscaped conditions were studied carefully together with the cultrual and historical contexts of the site. It allowed possibilities to either conform to the nearby heritage building typology, or to deviate and create a more modernistic performance space for the Domain space. A key component of the studio was to decode and understand the works of Jørn Utzon, exploring aspects of architectural thinking, allowing for opportunities to incorporate the researched aspects of design into the studio. The project was therefore a critical extension of this process, utilising the analytical studies of Utzons work and reimagining the site threshold. The mapping process allowed for deeper thinking regarding circulation and the conversation of the built form to the surrounding area.
To Circular Quay Station, Museum of Sydney and Customs House
Royal Bota Gardens
Calyx
State Library of New South Wales
10
New South Wales Parliament House
m
lk wa te inu
The Domain Phillip Precint
5m
To Martin Plac e Station
u in lk wa te
The Reserve Bank of Australia
inu lk wa te
Supreme Court of New South Wales
2m
Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital
The Land and Environment Court of NSW
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Mint
St. James Church Hyde Park Barracks
Hyde Park To St. Marys Cathedral and Australian Museum
The Domain Pitches
Main Roadways
Heritage Buildings
‘New’ Multi-Storey Buildings
Renovated Heritage Building
Public Facilities
Main Roadways
Building Typology
The roads shown above are Macquarie Street, Prince Albert Road and Hospital Road. Macquarie Street is a main connector of Sydney’s main heritage buildings, many of which are governmental bodies, including that of The Mint and NSW Parliament House. It begins from Hyde Park and continues towards Circular Quay. Prince Albert Road connects St James Road (St James Station), College Street (Australian Museum and Sydney Grammar), Art Gallery Road (Art Gallery of NSW) and the Hospital Road (site locaton). Although Hospital Road is one-way, it runs parallel to Macquarie Street, servicing the same buildings. The less used laneway gives perfect opportunities to act as a back entry. The site, being located on Hospital Road allows the opportunity to design a space that acts as a getaway from the otherwise chaotic and loud nature of the surrounding area.
The site is surrounded by heritage buildings, however the recent renovations to the Mint by FJMT sets a precedent for how the design can utilise the heritage material palette along with a modern architectural approach. Macquarie Street is seen to be the divider between heritage and a ‘newer’ form of architecture, with the blue shaded buildings being placed closer to each other, as well as multi-storeyed.
Circulation of the Site
The main access point into the site will be from East side, as it allows for pedestrian access from The Domain as well as those coming down from Hospital Road. It is also perfectly connected to Macquarie Street, allowing people to acces it easier if they are coming from St. James Station. Those coming from Hyde Park may also use this route, or acces from Hospital Road via Prince Albert Road. Vehicular access will be welcomed, however less heavy, as Hospital R -oad is a one-way street.
Parkland
Green Spaces
The two main parklands surrounding the site are Hyde Park and The Domain. It will be interesting to see how green spaces can be incorporated within the design to connect to the surroudning green spaces. The renovations done to the Mint by FJMT may have considered this idea too, including a elevated green area in the centre of the built forms. The creation of a external performance area that is also elevated from the street is deenitely a possibilty.
Shadows in the Site
Issues with shading wil need to be investigated further, however, initial effects may be due to the Mint building and the Sydney Eye Hospital. These buildings will effect the site later on in the day when the sun is on its way down. The issue may be more problematic in the summer, where the sun path is higher. Winter sun paths may only effect the site minimally. The design will need to look into ways in how solar access can be achieved throughout the year.
Thoroughfares through the Site
There are possibilities in making thoroughfares from Macquarie Street into the site, allowing the perfomance centre to be more accessible. This will need to be explored further to ensure there are no restrictions (gates) that may affecpedestrian activity, especially for the thoroughfare that utilises the Mint.
ACT II -
Project Statement
ACT II - Project Statement The site of the project strongly emphasies as a place of major hotspot witin the city, providing pathways from the site to most surroudning areas. The Domain to the East provides for connections through to the Opera House as well as the Art Gallery of NSW. Walking along Hospital Road will lead to Hyde Park to the South and other significant historical landmarks to the North, including those of the State Library and Parliament House. Thoroughfares throught the site to the West allow for direct access to Macquarie Street through The Mint. The locality of the site is therefore highly favourable and promotes for users to access the site and the areas around by foot. Circulation routes are thus of major importance, looking at where thoroughfares can be placed within the site itself, as well as how people can move through the site in the most efficient manner. The study of Utzon’s Kuwait National Assembly allowed me to understand how circulation can service both the internal areas but also external routes around the outside of the building. I developed this idea within the design, looking at how people were able to move within the scheme, as well as finding ways for people to use the scheme as a thoroughfare between Macquarie Street and The Domain. The architecture conversates deeply with the ideologies of cirulation, and allows users to enter the scheme and journey through it, giving a sense that they are walking through a performance performed by the architectural elements of the project.
ACT III Jørn Utzon Study
Kuwait National Assembly
ACT III - Jørn Utzon Study Kuwait National Assembly was studied rigorously, understanding the idea behind the circulation routes within the building. There are two main cirucalation rideas within the building, the first being the long hallway leading the grand hall, and the second being the cirulation on each of the levels. The long hallway that leads to the grand hall becomes a journey for the visitor, with the visitor passing through multitudes of areas before reaching the final destination. The constant ceiling level is then suddenly disrupted by the design of the roof, with Utzon designing it to curve exponentially, allowing the space to become more spacious Utzon juxtaposed this idea of the singular lane circulation in the upper levels of the building, creating a lattice like system, allowing for people to easily move from one end of the building to the other. The strict and rigid nature of the circulation therefore serves to allow efficient routes between programmes on the level. These two ideas were broken down in the mapping process and subsequently added into the final design.
The Assembly emphasises the idea of the curve throughout its design, with the opened area faciliating, or directioned at an area of importance. In this image, the high end of the curve reaches out towards the adjacent sea, an area that is integral to Kuwait’s economy and trade. The image also captures the other building, also showcasing the repeated curved design. This space facilitates the main hall, and is situated directly underneath the high end of the curve. Utzon’s design therefore prioritised programs and consequently allowed for the positioning of the design to accomodate for those key areas.
This conceptual drawing by Utzon shows the importance he gave to the overall form of the design.
Concept drawing showing the repeated curve design within the building, creating a journey for the user as they walk through the internal spaces of the assembly.
Kuwait National Assembly Kuwait City, Kuwait | 1:200 Longitudinal Section
Logic in Section i columns placed in line with structural bay allow for a common rhythm along the entirety of the building. It also breaks up what is a long building into sections i
ii the horizontality in the study is limited, showing that Utzon utilised the idea of double and triple height areas. This can be seen to be given to areas of key significance, these being the assembly hall and the entry into the building.
ii
iii highlighting areas that utilise high ceiling heights.
iii
Kuwait National Assembly Kuwait City, Kuwait | 1:200 Street Level Plan
Main walkway creating nodes for extended circulation
Keeping strucutral bay rhthym to break the long walkway
Planning logic through proportionate geometry
significant areas centralised to allow convenient access
Orientating the Axis Rotating the building form towards Mecca
Reimagining plan through rotation new pockets of geometry are found when overlapping the original plan and the rotated plan towards Mecca
ACT IV Site Mapping
Understanding Movement
ACT IV - Site Mapping Mapping the site allowed me to understand how people used the site as well as the surroudning areas. Its close proximity to The Domain, Hyde Park, as well as the shops near St James Station allow for the area to be widely used on all days during the week. Understanding movement in the site also allowed me to uncover how the site can be used as a thoroughfare, looking into how the site would act as a hub for transitioning between Macquarie Street to the Domain. The cultural values of the site are already strong, having connections to the Art Gallery of NSW just across from the site situated in The Domain threshold. The mapping exercise done looked mainly at interactions between people around and how that is able to influence factors of design.
Identifying hotspots Areas of significant traffic on a typical weekday
Identifying hotspots Areas of significant traffic on a typical weekend
Creating a Network Realising the interconnections on a weekday
Creating a Network Realising the interconnections on a weekend
Grouping by density dense areas around the site
Understanding contour and level change isolating hotspots on the contours
Understanding contour and level change finding interconnections between changes of levels
Creation of the Nucleus Drawing a semi-lattice structure to encapsulate dots
Interactivity formation of groups through interactivity
Creating the Axis forming circulation and thoroughfares
Creating the Axis forming circulation and thoroughfares
Creating the Axis forming circulation and thoroughfares
Creating the Axis forming circulation and thoroughfares
Creating the Axis forming circulation and thoroughfares
INTERMISSION -
“A city is not a tree, but a semi-lattice”
INTERMISSION - “A city is not a tree, but a semi-lat-
tice�
Christopher Alexander’s A city is not a tree forms a well directed idea of how a planning of a city should not revolve around ideologies branching outwards, rather ideas within a city should interrelate and overlap with one another, like a semi-lattice. In the design of a hub within the city, I have taken into account this design philosophy, attempting to bring together all elements within the scheme to work together in harmony rather than have it seen as separate entities within a site. As the design looks at various programs spread out across the site, it is important for users of the space to understand that they are not in any oridnary cafe, but a cafe within a small city hub that is also able to satisfy the user with performance and exhibitions.
ACT V Reimagining Pockets
Creating Thresholds
ACT V - Reimagining Pockets The site is bounded between The Mint buidling to the west and The Domain to the east, with these two areas acting as major thresholds for the site. The bounded nature of the built form of The Mint was therefore challenging, juxtaposing the free and open nature of The Domain. This created problems regarding circulation between the proposed development and The Mint as well needing to solve the south and north boundary lines of the proposed built form. This had to be taken into consideration as the circulation around the outside of the development had to be sufficient and comfortably wide. The exercises done on the following page show the solutions brought forward at the beginning of the semester, priming for the start of design. The understanding of boundaries and creating new thresholds in the site from the onset of the project allowed for me to work inwards, in a way, setting the exterior threshold was a stepping stone to finalising internal circulation routes from the mapping done when creating the axis of the immediate site. Internal pockets were also studied, looking at areas that development would benefit. This part of the exercise became helpful in two ways, first it allowed me to understand where programmable spaces would best situate within the site, second, it helped me understand how circulation routes around those areas can be formed.
Identifying a Threshold creating the external boundary, keeping it in line with The Mint
Identifying a Threshold 2D massing of form based on relationship to the public Domain
ACT VI The Nucleus
Finalising the Design
ACT VI - The Nucleus The final design of the project considered various factors including axis of the existing built forms, areas of major circulation within the site as well as possibel viewpoints outlooking The Domain area. The act of keeping a considerable distance with The Mint building allowed for the back lane to be developed into a lit thoroughfare, inviting users to walk through and bypass the scheme to the east. The conversation between The Domain and the project was an important one, and have been made through the inclusion of wide green spaces as well as the orientation of the axis of the development. This allowed for the green roofs and outdoor green spaces to connect directly with the domain, as well as allowing the perfomance building to be on an axis which focuses on the Art Gallery NSW. The design conclusion predominantly focused on the mapping process and heavily relied on the nucleus mapping done in the early parts of the semester. Following on from the study of Utzon, I wanted to incorporate an area that acted as a centralised place of significance to the scheme. I also wanted to allow this space to act similarly to the long hallway seen in the Kuwait National Assembly, having multiple nodes coming off the main walkway creating smaller but more efficient courses of circulation. The space that became of similarity was the elevated walkway, with it extending smaller paths to other programs that adjoin it. The walkway therefore becomes a significant portion of the scheme, with users having to constantly use it when arriving at, and within the development.
Maintaining the Threshold abiding by the external threshold set, allowing the design to be kept in line with The Mint building
Maintaining the Axis of The Mint keeping with the idea of not exceeding the existingboundaries, maintaining the axis was also of importance
Deviating from The Norm as the axis of The Mint was maintained, the opportunity to create an axis that deviated from the existing arose
Main Circulation Route the elevated walkway was the main circulative route and acted as a centrepiece of the scheme
Outlooks towards The Domain The design focused on providing ample visual continuity towards The Domain from any given point within the Scheme
Back Lane and Connection to Walkway the back lane was developed to act as a lit thoroughfare acting as the main connection between the scheme and The Mint
Conversation of Green Space the green roofs and grass areas conversate directly with The Domain
Conversations between Performance the axis created by the performance building lines up the AGNSW across The Domain
ACT VII Moments Within
Looking at Details
ACT VII - Moments Within The following pages look at areas within the project that harmonise well with its immediate surrounding programmes within the scheme. The idea of creating pockets of moments allow the user of the space to appreciate the hub as an independent from the chaos of the city. There are four areas that will be isolated from the model. P01) The looped circulation of the double height music hall space, understanding that vertical circulation does not need to be limited by stairs and lifts. P02) The play between open and closed, looking at the different walking platforms on the north side, understanding its connection to the communal green space below but also the open air above. P03) Lighting up the backlane, understanding that the development of the backlane promotes the laneway to act as a thoroughfare as well as serving as a connection to The Mint building. It also serves to diffuse light to the back of the drama theatre. P04) Integrated seating on the walkway, understanding that the elevated walkway will be a main circulation route and areas of resting will need to be implemented.
P01 Looped Circulation (Performance Building)
P02 Elevated Thoroughfares (Northern side)
P03 Illuminating the Back Lane (Western Side)
P04 Integrated Seating (Elevated Walkway)
ACT VIII Walking Through
Experiencing Performance Model and Perspectives
ACT VIII - Walking Through The following renders allow for an atmospheric feel of what the space will be like in certain areas of the scheme. The aim is to showcase the liveliness of the space as well as portraying what the space is intended to programme. The renders will be accompanied by a reference plan, allowing for both a 2D and 3D representation of the space showed. Photos of the physical model will also be showcased to represent scale on a 1:200 level.
Elevated Walkway
Entrance off The Domain
The Back Lane
10 . 12 . 20 | USYD
Graduation Studio