A Precedent Study Report on the Amsterdam Municipal Orphanage

ALDO

VAN

EYCK

MUNICIPAL ORPHANAGE BUNAG RAMELA JOEY DELEN HISTORY & THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE II

PRECEDENT STUDY REPORT This individual report uncovers an in-depth study of the Amsterdam Municipal Orphanage by Aldo Van Eyck. The study is categorised based on the ‘7 Lines of Inquiry’ — Massing, Structure, Interior vs Exterior, Programmatic Distribution, Public vs Private, Circulation, and Facade.

All the diagrams used were derived from the Revit Model we were tasked to do as a team of 4.

CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

04

01 MASSING

06

02 STRUCTURE

16

03 INTERIOR vs EXTERIOR

04 PROGRAMMATIC DISTRIBUTION

22

30

05 PUBLIC vs PRIVATE 32

06 CIRCULATION

38

07 FACADE

40

CONCLUSION

44

INTRODUCTION Architect : Aldo Van Eyk Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Period of Construction: 1955 to 1960 Client : Amsterdam Municipal Corporation Project Area : 14000 sqm

Location Plan

6 | Aldo Van Eyck

The Municipal Orphanage was designed by Aldo Van Eyck in late 1950s to house 125 young children, teenagers and their guardians.

He took on a humanistic and user friendly approach to design to meet their human being’s needs.

A HOME FOR THE CHILDREN

Van Eyck readopted the concept previously formulated by L.B. Albertii, the analogy between house and city, ‘a small world within a large, large world within a small one, a house as a city, a city as a home’. This project aimed to create a home for the children - to create a building that felt like an open and friendly environment that would give the children(orphans) a sense of ‘home and safety.

View of Main Courtyard

AN EXPRESSION OF THE STRUCTURALIST ETHOS

The complex encompasses a total of more than 300 modules, all interconnected and grouped around a series of intimate courtyards, with spaces merging into one continuous interior. Seen from above, the low-lying structure seems to spread across the terrain like a virus. It is an expression of the Structuralist ethos which promoted a human-centric, self-generating and open-ended architecture.

Aerial View of the Orphanage

BINARY OPPOSITION IN ITS SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT Enclosed

Open

The project puts emphasis on juxtaposing extremes of spatial conditions - e.g Open vs Enclosed or Public vs Private to leave the users to decide its eventual use, to give them a choice of environment.

The relationships between these opposing elements are emphasised rather than just the bare elements themselves.

FUNCTION FOLLOWS FORM

In this project, form remains immutable. Flexibility is emphasised.

Although the project had a specified use - an orphanage - when it was built, the structure lends itself to possible uses. In 1990s, the orphanage was converted to an architectural school.

ORDER | ADAPTATION

The design had distinctive ‘pattern of identical units’ which characterised structuralist works. This repetitive pattern has the capacity of the structure to influence human adaptation of the designed spaces.

Municipal Orphanage | 7

MASSING

G TIN SHIF INT PO

Residential Mass #1 Residential Mass #2 Faculty Room Mass Courtyard Other Sevices Mass

8 | Aldo Van Eyck

CONCEPT The massing of the Municipal orphanage reflected the effort to use a rational system. The repitition of a standard module meant adherance to an orthogonal grid and strict module . To support Van Eyck’s ides of designing a home for the children and a plan of a small city, he created a decentralised urban node with many points of interaction within the plan such as the pockets of courtyard.

DECENTRALISED AND LINEARISED PINWHEEL ORGANISATION Each respective massings are decentralised and dispersed from the main courtyard(shifting point). However, this courtyard is not centralised to allow fluid connections between the spaces. Both Residential Mass 1 and ‘s units are repeated in opposing directions.

The faculty massing stretches for a long distance, forming the main frontage of the building. The services massing is an L-shaped configuration which extends outwards from the main courtyard. Each massing follows a rule of generating in a linear manner just like a Pinwheel.

As a whole , it is only beyond the main courtyard do the resultant internal streets lead off to 2 residential massing , each set on a linear diagonal line which provokes an echelon of corners both inside and out where each unit has multiple exterior facade.

Municipal Orphanage | 9

MASSING

Residential Mass #1 Courtyard Beam

3.90 m

A STANDARDISED MODULE TO START OFF

3.

36

m

3.36 m

3.36 m

3.36 m

10 | Aldo Van Eyck

Seen from the aerial view, a distinct module is generated to create spaces. There are about 328 modules with the size of 3.36 x 3.36 x 3.90 m which connects and forms small to big modules, depending on the function of the spaces. In short, there is unity in the variety of spaces due to this standard module.

OPEN vs CLOSED In general, the residential massing are built up with the idea of incoporating both the inside and outside. Seen from this massing; which is the dormitories for younger kids; parts of the lower wing extends out. Hence, the repetition of each units generated a by-product of creating small courtyards. This idea ties up with with the idea of Binary Opposition in Structuralism.

For instance, the Orphans perceive how the open(Courtyard) differs from the enclosed spaces(their dormitories).

Municipal Orphanage | 11

MASSING

Residential Mass #2 Courtyard Beam

BIGGER MODULE FOR TEENAGERS To an extent, this strategy was a humanist approach. Orphans of different ages require different needs. Aldo Van Eyck was trying to create an appropriate place that suits teenagers’ growth thus requiring a bigger space.

To create in-between space, one module was removed, creating a courtyard for the orphans to use.

12 | Aldo Van Eyck

OPEN vs CLOSED A 2 x 2 grid creates a courtyard within the territory (open space).

The Teenagers’ courtyards are smaller compared to the Kids’ courtyards.

Municipal Orphanage | 13

MASSING

Faculty Room Mass Courtyard Beam

14 | Aldo Van Eyck

FLAT ROOF OVER THE TYPICAL DOMED SHAPED ROOF The Faculty wing is characterised by an elongated massing which welcomes the public vehicular entrance. The massing generated was more blockish, removing the use of the typical domed shaped roof completely. This could be to differentiate the spaces that is primarily accessible to the Orphans from the staff members’ ‘territory’. Nonetheless, the principles of the standard module is still applied; with the flat roof taking up 20 units the standard units’ dimension. Hence, order is still ap

Municipal Orphanage | 15

MASSING

Residential Mass #2 Courtyard Other services mass Beam

16 | Aldo Van Eyck

OPEN vs CLOSED The Services wing is an L-shaped configuration. Another formation of small courtyards is generated due to the resultant staggering of modules. The L-shaped form enclosed the courtyard from the public vicinity to maintain its intimacy for the Orphans to use.

Municipal Orphanage | 17

STRUCTURE

1st Storey Structural Plan

18 | Aldo Van Eyck

AESTHETICS OF NUMBERS The Structuralist movement has its own set of rules, one being the ‘Aesthetics of Numbers’. Relating back to this rule, Aldo Van Eyck applied this in its Structural Plan with basic geometrical grid which was repeated in varying sizes of proportionality.

MOMENT-RESISTING REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME SYSTEM

Curtain walls are used with the idea of frame system.

Orthogonal Framing system was used to restrict the use of Load-Bearing walls to critcical areas like the hallway, which was interpreted as an indoor ‘streets’. A relatively free plan is then achieved to replicate what actual streets would be; open spaces. Hence, it was more evident that these hallways are ‘streets’ in a city. This also provided oppportunity to use other systems like Curtain walls to aid with his idea regarding seamless transitions between the Interior and Exterior.

Ovverall, these long-spanning beams could still be made to run unsupported across up to 4 units due to its increased reinforcement. This implies that the network of squares did not requre support at every node, but only sporadical support .

Again, this allowed free-planning for potential seamless transitions between spaces and the omission of inconvenient columns.

A SQUARE UNIT The use of a standard square grid unit is not coincidental, but due to its effiency when generating a space/room. For instance, having a rectangular module could leave the spaces with a more odd configuration thus reducing the order of the structural system.

PROPORTION The standard module could be deemed as small for other public buildings but the 3.36 x 3.36 x 3.90 m dimension was actually set everything to be to the scale of the children.

Municipal Orphanage | 19

STRUCTURE

CLOSED

OPEN INDOOR H A L LWAY

Load Bearing Wall Column

20 | Aldo Van Eyck

COLUMNS vs LOAD-BEARING WALLS The relevance of columns and load-bearing walls differs in relation to the primary functions of the spaces. For instance, the use of columns were more evident to the paces such as the indoor hallways that is adjacent to the respective courtyards. Load-bearings walls are then used to enclose the rooms for privacy. In a way, this strategy then aided in directing users to the open courtyards. This strategy supplemented the orphanage’s user experience.

Municipal Orphanage | 21

STRUCTURE AN ORDER IN ITS STRUCTURAL SEQUENCE Up to its structural technology, there was still a general order and sequence used. This was greatly evident from the resultant expressed detailings of the Orphanage.

PRECAST(PC) CONCRETE SYSTEM Starting off with a standardised module, Precast Concrete System would be a more viable strategy.

Expressed details of the PC Concrete Beam to Concrete connection

PC Concrete Domes PC Concrete Beams Slit is in between the compression and tension zones

Filled for transmission of force and gives illusion of a ‘Capital’

Elevation Diagram

22 | Aldo Van Eyck

Non-Structural Skyight

Roof Structural System: Large Reinforced Concrete Dome for the 2nd Storey of Teenager Dormitories. This roof was mainly used to bring the light into the interior rooms due to its relativeky deep plan (≈ 9.0 x 9.0 m) to meet the lighting needs of the orphans.

9-grid beams

PC Concrete Wall Panels

PC Concrete Floor Slab

9-grid PC Concrete Beams

516 mm thk Load-bearing Brick Wall to enclose the dormitory

340 mm Ø PC Concrete CircularColumn to express the ‘lightness’ of the building Elevation Drawing

Municipal Orphanage | 23

INTERIOR vs EXTERIOR A

I N N E R C O U R T YA R D

MAIN ENTRANCE

FA C U LT Y W I N G

H A L LWAY

FOYER

M A I N C O U R T YA R D

H A L LWAY A Part Plan Interior

24 | Aldo Van Eyck

Exterior

FOYER AND ITS EXTERIOR The Foyer could seem to put an abrupt end to the flow of the exterior spaces adjacent to the its both sides.

To maintain the continuity of this extensive exterior realm, thin circular were used to free up the plan.

M A I N C O U R T YA R D

FOYER

MAIN ENTRANCE

Section A-A

FACULTY WING AND THE INNER COURTYARD Seen from the Part Plan, a section of the Faculty wing extends out towards the inner courtyard on its left.

Hence, it could seem that the users are on the outside while steel being sheltered and enclosed in a space Parti Diagram showing the ‘plugging’ method

HALLWAY AND THE COURTYARDS The corner of the hallways are angled which creates a triangular corner. This sheltered Triangular corner extends out towards the courtyards respectively. This provides a seamless human flow where at one point, users become closer to the exterior due to the added extension while actually being on its interior.

Angled Corners of the Hallway

Municipal Orphanage | 25

INTERIOR vs EXTERIOR LIVING ROOM Transparent Fully Glazed Curtain Wall

KIDS’ DORMITORY

B

B INNER C O U R T YA R D

OPEN FIELD

Part Plan

Interior

Exterior

INNER C O U R T YA R D

Section B-B 26 | Aldo Van Eyck

KIDS’ DORMITORY AND ITS EXTERIOR Similar to the Faculty Wing, the Kids’ Dormitory has a section of its lower wing that protrudes out the exterior realm. Interestingly, translucent glass blocks are implemented towards the inner courtyard, leaving the facade looking towards the open field with transparent curtain walls. Hence, the open field as an exterior element is emphasised.

The inner courtyard was also accompanied by a living room of the same size (3 x 3 grid module). A transparent Curtain wall is situated at the edge of the living room to frame the view of the courtyard, which thus becomes the focal point of the room.

Translucent Glass Block

Transparent Fully Glazed Curtain Wall

KIDS’ DORMITORY

Municipal Orphanage | 27

INTERIOR vs EXTERIOR C

TEENS’ DORMITORY AND ITS EXTERIOR

TEEN’S DORMITORY

The spatial planning of the Teens’ Dormitory courtyards differs from the kids’ dormitories as the Teens’ Dormitories faces the more open field. Their external courtyards are were semi enclosed to encourage the use of the open field and beyond.

C O U R TYA R D

BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES OPEN FIELD

C Part Plan Interior

Exterior

TEENS’ DORMITORY

Section C-C 28 | Aldo Van Eyck

Seen from the Part Plan and Section C-C, 1/4 of the courtyard grid is sheltere, taking the floor slab of the upper storey as its roof. This creates a gradient between the Interior and exterior with a common transition point. Here, the users both feel inside while being outside and outside while being inside.

C O U R T YA R D

OPEN FIELD

Municipal Orphanage | 29

INTERIOR vs EXTERIOR FESTIVAL HALL AND ITS EXTERIOR The degree of transparency of the public Festival Hall is high most especially the South and West frontages. The Hall extends out to an Outdoor space as its exterior. The use of transparent curtain walls blurs the line between the Interior and Exterior. Being constructed to the same level and material also supplements this idea of seamless transition between the inside and outside.

Furthermore, the translucent glass blocks in the North put emphasis on the Outdoor space of the Festival Hall thus being the main exterior focal point. The children playing on the open field is not the exterior view to be framed but rather the activities occuring at the Outdoor space of the Festival Hall.

Interior

Exterior

Transparent Fully Glazed Curtain Wall

OUTDOOR S PAC E

Section D-D 30 | Aldo Van Eyck

FESTIVAL

D TEENS’ DORMITORY C O U R TYA R D OPEN FIELD

FESTIVAL HALL

Main focal point

OUTDOOR S PAC E

D

Part Plan Translucent Glass Block

HALL

OPEN FIELD

Municipal Orphanage | 31

PROGRAMMATIC DISTRIBUTION Chances for Interaction Orphan

Section Diagram

Adopter

Parking Lots Garage Bicycle Shed Hallway Foyer Main Kitchen Main Linen Room Maintenance Room Administrative Office

Parking Lots Garage

SUNKEN CIRCULAR BENCH This allows the orphans to automatically gather in a circle thus forming a more non-hierarchical space.

View out Bicycle Shed

Director’s Residence Team Leader’s Residence Faculty Rooms

Hallway Foyer

Boys (14-18 Y/O) Girls (14-18 Y/O)

Main Kitchen

Boys (10-14 Y/O)

Main Linen Room

Girls (10-14 Y/O)

Maintenance Room Administrative Office

Infirmary Infant/Toddler (0-2 Y/O)

Director’s Residence

Kids (4-6 Y/O)

Faculty Rooms

Kids (6-10 Y/O)

Boys (14-18 Y/O)

Theatre/Gym

Parking Lots Garage

Girls (14-18 Y/O)

Library

Bicycle Shed

Boys (10-14 Y/O)

Festival Hall

Hallway

Girls (10-14 Y/O)

Foyer

Courtyard Infirmary

32 | Aldo Van Eyck

Kids (2-4 Y/O)

Team Leader’s Residence

Main Kitchen

Infant/Toddler (0-2 Y/O)

Main Linen Room

Kids (2-4 Y/O)

Maintenance Room

Kids (4-6 Y/O)

Administrative Office

Kids (6-10 Y/O)

Director’s Residence

Theatre/Gym

Team Leader’s Residence

Library

Other Outdoor Play Area

CITY IS HOUSE AND HOUSE IS CITY Aldo Van Eyck took the principles of a non-hierarchical city development. Hence, there were many in-between conditions to break down the hierarchy of spaces.

SECURITY IS A PRIORITY. The adminstrative works are zoned closest to the main public entrance for ease of circulation for potential adopters, as well as protecting the Orphans from threats. Hence, the adminstrative offices serves as the first line of defence.

CHANCES FOR INTERACTION Indoor activities like Theatre/Gym and Library are zoned in proximity to the Administrative Office. Since these spaces are commonly used by the Orphans during the day, adopters would get the chance to mingle with the children without trespassing their terriorial spaces like the bedrooms.

EASE OF CIRCULATION The Faculty Residence is zoned in proximity to the service spaces as well as vehicular parking spaces. Such zoning is made convenient for them as they are the ones who are allowed to leave the premise for other commitments.

SUPERVISION The other reason why the Faculty rooms are elevated (upper storey) is for ease of supervision. The higher level would allow staff to overlook the whole area in case of emergency.

THE NEED FOR PRIVACY All the children’s dormitories are designed to face the open field to encourage outdoor play and for security purposes.

The Festival Hall is zoned away from the main Public street to provide a sense of intimacy during celebrations. It is also adjacent to the Open Field thus providing opportunity for an Indoor and Outdoor Celebration event.

Municipal Orphanage | 33

PUBLIC vs PRIVATE

CE

EN ESID

YR ULT C A F

FAC RES ULTY IDE NC

E

ES RVIC

SE

SER

VIC

ES

TEENS’ SECTION

Exploded Axonometric View

34 | Aldo Van Eyck

CO YA URTRD

E

SER

VIC

ES

KIDS’ SECTION

N

MAI

N

IC E

L PUB

NC TRA

Private

Public

There is a smooth transition between the public and private seen from the 1st Storey Axonomeric view, primarily due to the protection of the Orphans as well as the staff. Hence, the most Private spaces are situated towards either the rearmost of the building or the 2nd Storey.

SECURITY OF THE ORPHANS The degree of privacy needed for the orphans’ territorial dormitories is the highest thus its location became a significant factor. Aldo Van Eyck related the Orphanage’s spatial planning to the differing behaviours of orphans of different ages, relating back to the humanist approach ethos. Hence, the kids dormitory section occupied the rearmost house furthest from the main public entrance to limit any potential chances of the young kids (aged 0-10 years old) escaping the Orphanage which could pose additional safety threats.

PUBLIC FRONT The adminstration services are zoned adjacent to the main public entrance.

Municipal Orphanage | 35

PUBLIC vs PRIVATE Large-scale T H E AT R E / GYM

LIBRARY

TEENS’ DORMITORY

TEENS’ DORMITORY C O U R TYA R D TEENS’ DORMITORY

FAC U LT Y RESIDENCE KITCHEN AND LINEN RM KIDS’ DORMITORY

TEENS’ DORMITORY

KIDS’ DORMITORY FESTIVAL HALL

KIDS’ DORMITORY

KIDS’ DORMITORY 1st Storey Plan

This diagram shows an overview of the transitioning between Public and Private at the 1st Storey.

As an Orphanage, there are communal ‘places’ and activities catered for the children. Hence, places like the Library and Theatre/Gym transitions to become a more public place where Orphans of different ages gather to read and exercise.

36 | Aldo Van Eyck

Private

Public

Sleeping, Bathing

Cooking Play at inner courtyards, Performing at Hall

Studying, Reading at Dormitory

Play at main courtyard realm, Walking at Hallways Reading at Library, Exercising Opening

Brickwall STUDY

READING WC

LIVING OUTDOOR P L AY

H A L LWAY

OPEN FIELD 1ST STOREY PART PLAN

TEENS’ DORMITORY Zooming into the Teens’ Dormitory spaces, the use of brickwall helps to frame the gradient between the more public hallway and the more intimate spaces inside their dorm, as well as the shared outdoor play area within their territory. Though being integrated to the dorm, the Outdoor Play Area is a more public space as it opens up to the open field which is free to use by other Orphans. Openings in the brickwall provides a sense of publicness thus the change in gradient as users from the inside would be able to see what’s on the inside. Generally, the more the users get into the inside such as the Living, it starts to get more private as these areas are further away fro the dormitory entrance. It implies that they have reacher their safe place; their ‘territories’.

There are corners allocated for studying and reading. The level of Privacy catered for these activities in their own respective dormitories is higher as compared to studying/reading at the communal Library shared by Orphans. This gives a choice of environment to the Orphans; having to choose between the more small-scale intimate corners at their dorms or the large-scale main Library outside their dorms.

Municipal Orphanage | 37

PUBLIC vs PRIVATE TEENS’ DORMITORY LINEN RM

WC

BENCH

BEDRM 2ND STOREY PLAN

The most private areas within their dormitory is located at its upper storey where they sleep and bathe. Being a shared space, the inner spaces become a semi-private places where the Orphans could gather as they step out of their bedrooms (their own territorie) thus having the change in gradient. This change in gradient is framed by the partition RC walls to enclose the bedrooms.

Overall, their bedroom sizes are kept smaller than the shared spaces within the dorm because fundamentally, bedrooms are spaces to sleep/rest involving a single person. This change in scale also induces users to step out of their territorial spaces (bedroom) to increase chances of encounter for interaction purposes.

KIDS’ DORMITORY

LIVING

INNER C O U R T YA R D

1ST STOREY PLAN

KIDS’ DORMITORY (BEDROOM)

Section Diagram 38 | Aldo Van Eyck

WC

BEDRM

OPEN FIELD

Similar to the Teens’s Dormitory, the private rooms are enclosed using brickwalls. The bedrooms are located at the rearmost of the dormitory with the bathroom beside it, zoning the most private spaces together. The living room has has an open plan concept, being a shared space between the children. The inner courtyard becomes a more public place being surrouned by transparent curtain walls. This implies that the courtyard is seen by the other orphans more and it is also used by the immediate orphans from the dormitory.

PROPORTION The Teens’ Dormitory has a larger portion, being 2 storeys high, of transitioning between Public to Private spaces as it is nearer to the public street/road. The addition of an upper storey secures the territorial bedrooms of the teenagers.

The Kids’ Dormitories implies a more elongated plan to secure the bedrooms of the children.

TEENS’ DORMITORY (BEDROOM)

Municipal Orphanage | 39

CIRCULATION Ramp and Stairs to Basement

T H E AT R E / GYM

LIBRARY

1

4

TE

EN

S’

DO

RM

IT

O

RI

ES

2 C O U R TYA R D

LINEN/ KITCHEN

3 INDOOR STREETS

S

’

D

O

R

M

IT

O

R

IE

S

Framing the views of the greenery

A D M I N I S T R AT I V E OFFICE

ENTRANCE

K

ID

Vehicular Circulation Human Circulation Staircase Ramp

1st Storey Plan

40 | Aldo Van Eyck

The Streets of Amsterdam

The primary connector of the different spaces is the indoor streets of the Orphanage; the corridors. These indoor streets are seamless, ensuring a fluid transition from places to places.

To get to the upper storey of the Teens’ Dormitory and Faculty Residence, users are directed to staircases which runs on a straight flight.

Ramp and Stairs combination to Basement

The 1st Storey connects to the basement bicycle park using both the stairs and ramp, considering how bicycle riders would use the space.

SENSE OF JOURNEY 1 The act of entering the Orphanage is subtle, achieved through an implied plane established by colonnades.

Colonnades 2 Users are then welcomed by a long courtyard bridged by the linear and elongated faculty residence. The focus of the inner courtyard is a circular seat marked by 2 lamps. The seat is moved 4 meters diagonally instead of being the geometic center. It ties up with Van Eyck’s concept of decentralisation; the seat does not dominate the whole courtyard place.

View of the circular seat at Courtyard 3 Beyond the courtyard, internal streets lead off to two groups of houses; for the teens and kids. There is a clear seperation of the houses; with the teens being on the west wing while the kids being more towards the south.

The indoor streets has a linear, meandering path configuration which attempts to mimic the streets of Amsterdam.

4 Passing by the internal streets, small slits of window openings from the brickwall of the dormitories brings light into the space. Viewing from the window, the open field greenery is framed as a view. Walking through the internal street brings a sense of lightness; the streets receive sufficient natural daylight due the curtain walls used. It also brings a sense of security due to the transparency of the curtain walls; users would not feel trapped as if they were in a labyrinth.

Municipal Orphanage | 41

FACADE

DEGREE OF TRANSPARENCY Approximately 50% of the facade is transparent; primarily through the use of glazed curtain wall panels. To create gradients of the facade’s transparency, translucent glass blocks are added to selected parts of the hallway, Festival Hall, and kids’s dormitories.

The extensive use glass creates a structure which looks weightless and transparent, integrating the open field greenery towards the user experience. The use of glass also supports the idea of shifing away from functionalism, which potrayed a more blockish and brutish style.

Close up view of the Translucent Glass Block

42 | Aldo Van Eyck

SKYLIGHT Some of the domes are integrated with skylight which allows the entrance of natural light. The rays of ligjht penetrate the dim rooms according to the sun path of Amsterdam to create visual interests within the place.

BEAMS AS LIGHTING DEVICE Interestingly, the beams are used to provide natural daylighting into the places. This is achieved due to its slit that rund from end to end.As such, the beams becomes like a mini skylight for the places.

Hence, this provides a more conducive environment for the Orphans during the day.

Beams without glass panel on slit - Located at outdoor open areas Beams with glass panel on slit - Located at indoor enclosed rooms for weather protection purposes

Skylight

Part Section Diagram of the Kids’ Dormitory Municipal Orphanage | 43

FACADE A SHIFT FROM FUNCTIONALISM Apart from providing light and ventilation, the structural roof domes create aesthetic emphasis on the otherwise regular rectangular plan. The building loses its rigidity because of the roofing element that shows fluidity and horizontality.

Brickwall

Precast Wall Panel

44 | Aldo Van Eyck

Precast Beam

These curtain walls provide the necessary transparency and warmth inside the building. This is highly relevant in Amsterdam with a cool climate.

Operable Window

MATERIAL, COLOR AND TEXTURE The building heavily relies on industrial materials and techniques; the use of precast concrete for the beams, columns, domes, and the wall panels for upper storey. The facade has a relatively monochromatic color. Visitors are invited by the different shade of gray given out by the different grades of concrete.

MATERIAL HONESTY The building facade does not have any added frills and painted finishes, relating back to the structuralism ethos.

Sunken circular bench to provide a sense of informality

Elevation Diagram of the Teens’ Dormitory

Municipal Orphanage | 45

CONCLUSION

46 | Aldo Van Eyck

Exploded Axonometric View

ROOF DOMES

CONCLUDING REMARKS

GLASS FACADE

The design of the Municipal Orphanage emphasised the relationship between ‘places’ and its users and it attempted to reconcile the opposites; interior vs exterior, open vs closed, small vs large.

The orthogonal frame system supplemented this idea through the proportion of each places. The extensive use of glass for the transitional corridors was evident througout its facade to replicate the Amsterdam’s steets. Van Eyck was strategic in its structural planning; using Load-bearing walls to enclose the spaces while using columns to provide an open plan concept. Overall, the Municipal Orphange puts great emphasis on creating a sense of belonging for the Orphans.

PRECAST CONCRETE WALL PANEL

BRICKWALL

SEGREGATION OF SPACES The by-product of securing the younger children was the hierarchical play involved; a segregatiion between orphans of different ages. The orphanage was designed for the orphans to live and grow in different sections of buildings - with different areas for play opportunities. Hence, Van Eyck contradicted the principle of a non-hierarchical city development.

A VISIBLE SKELETON

Municipal Orphanage | 47