Case Study I: Museo de Castelvecchio

Chrome clad

Reflective columns to impress the column is not holding the ‘floating’ roof.

Cruciform steel column.

4 pieces of steel, fixed with screws.

construct for the exhibition; grand greetings ceremony & celebration occurs on site during the time of exhibition

Salvaging materials; reconstruction. Later led to covering the marble with modern white ceramic panels, to preserve the ‘modernity’ of the interior (Bach, 2017).

LIFE CYCLE council decision to disassemble the pavilion after the necessary use

international materials from Greece, local site. Was salvaged for reconstruction later. deconstruction in <1 year; short lifespan Wall material (marble) fixing detail & column detail. Galvanised steel bracket to keep right angle

Internal fixing to tightly connect marble panel to concrete structure

Marble panel

Stucco Flashing

original state (uncovered)

changes appreciated by visitors for a short time before reversion to the original state.

white plaster; homogenous material. Showcase modernity for a temporary exhibitive event.

*Similarly, other events of material changes also took place, with SANAA architects adding acrylic curtains in 2008, artist Ai Wei Wei filling pools with cafe latte, architect Andres Jaque furnishing the interior with objects stored in the hidden basement in 2013. In 2016, temporary steel columns were placed outside of the Pavilion, made from recycled steel drums, by architect Luis Martinez Santa-Maria, in celebration of Catalan monuments. The intent was to express the relationship between the industrial landscape and the beauty of time and age upon its materials.

In 1980, Oriol Bohigas, the head of the Urban Planning Department of Barcelona City Council, assigned reconstruction and redesign to architects Ignasi de Solà-Morales, Cristian Cirici and Fernando Ramos. Construction work began in 1983 and was reopened in 1986. The materials gave an essence of timelessness, possibly due to the temporal effects of reflecting light and colour off one another. The dynamism of the elements allowing the building to seem as though it transitioned its form slightly throughout the seasons and days. The state of the Pavilion is currently sustained by a re-modification of the interior, covering the original marbled walls and stucco with a protective white ceramic material. This was intended to upkeep with the current trends of minimalism and modernity (Bach, 2017). Some consider the salvaged building as a “faithful replica” (Hosey, 2018). However it still allows for users of the modern day to experience mediated ranges of space, light and colour, in accordance to the current generation they are in. Thus maintaining the standard of modernity it previously had before, despite catering for different needs of a past generation.

The free facade notion was integrated, wherein supporting capacities was transferred to exterior walls to handle, or support columns. Another element that was applied was the spatial principle of the open floor plan, wherein the volume would act as a single coherent space. Utilising the marble material, despite its variant colours and visual texture, allowed for a seemingly homogeneous impression whilst remaining dynamic at the same time due to its temporal reflective qualities. The structure appears elevated by the steel columns that form a cross shape, holding up the roof slab and relieving the weight from the other vertical glass structures. The overhang of the roof further contributes to this effect on ‘weightless mass’ alongside the column integration. Alongside with the furnishings, statue and interior installations, the Pavilion showcases a balance between art and architecture, one that seems to remain the same constant no matter how much time has passed. Georg Kolbe sculpture; located at the end of a small pool that reflected in the water and also in the surrounding marble material. With multiple light reflections and projections, this gave a dynamic impression to the atmosphere of the inside of the building for visitors to bask in its serenity. A permanent installation, this serves as an intervention that brings permanence to the space, and stagnates, despite its dynamic reflective quality.

Barcelona chair; the furniture was an important indicator of moving forward to modern aspects of ‘timelessness’. The black carpets combined with the furnishing and beige coloured marble walls represented the German flag and celebrated their culture.

“The future is a spreading matrix rather than a straight line. What I am making now can be seen as seeds for the future, although those seeds are created by the past seeds of past histories. So, it is a continuity of creations, ideas, and inspirations.” -- Sou Fujimoto

SERPENTINE PAVILION SOU FUJIMOTO

Architect: Sou Fujimoto Category: Ownership Project Location: Hyde Park, London Site Footprint: 357 m2 (ext), 142 m2 (int) Completion: 2013.

Created by the architects, for the visitors, in place with the environment. Public interaction with a structure. Its lattice form is derived from the cloud-like shape it undertakes, with a strong sense of lightness and transparency invoked by its grid structure. It consists of a three-dimensional steel grid of approximately 40 centimetre modules, capable of morphing on every side. Its form and materials allow for user access all-around, both below as well as above the structure. Its translucent figure impresses a hovering atmosphere, providing users with a terrain of versatility of use to explore the site in various creative ways.

The feasibility of structure is similar however the response as shown in the comic, was intended to be invasive and destructive, whilst Fujimoto intended his pavilion form to peacefully blend with its surroundings, embracing its environmental and user-cultural context.

With the structure giving very similar impressions to the 1985 artworks of Schuiten and Peeters, in a sense, some of the ownership too, goes to the older concept creators.

Figure 9. Sou Fujimoto. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion detail model Plan & Section. 2013. https://www.detail-online.com/article/interactive-art-serpentine-gallery-pavilion-by-sou-fujimoto-16577/.

Figure 10. François Schuiten & Benoît Peeters. La fievre d’Urbicande. 1985. Figure 9. Sou Fujimoto. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion detail model Plan & Section. 2013.

Figure 10. François Schuiten & Benoît Peeters. La fievre d’Urbicande. 1985.

The cube shapes were used in repetition to build this dynamic form that hovers between the natural and the abstract, testing the boundaries of what is presently perceived as interior and exterior. The lattice also allows for shelter in utility, exploration and diversity of use, access and interpretation. The Pavilion contains 2 entrances, with multi-purposed social spaces, seating/walls/roof all derived from the same fine steel element. Users are able to perceive the utility and novelty of the Pavilion in their own varying degrees of suspense within this architecture. Semicircular glass panels are overlaid on each other, creating a multilayered transparent roof. The panels are rotated to enable multi-directional interlocking.

Thinner steel rods for safety (anti-fall for children playing on the steps) Glass panel with anti-slip surface

Sealant material Figure 3b. Model of roof & ‘wall’/window fixings based on observation and research. 2020. Alongside it is the greenery of the park, well established to enhance the stark contrast the grid structure has with the rest of the natural environment. It is noted that it is inspired by geometric formations that could emulate the movement of natural organisms including the human body, whilst maintaining its geometric sharpness. Although the structural component, by itself, is seemingly fragile-- when fixed together the structure maintains rigid support.

Designed for versatility, the multi-purpose lattice frames encouraged social events, as well as entry and interaction for visitors, bringing in activity to the site. The temporal quality of this architecture can contribute to the socio-cultural sustainability of urban heritage-- ultimately it is a preservation of the heritage and historical moments that surround it (Wozniak-Scpakiewicz, 2020). The Pavilion, in this case, should respond to the needs of its inhabitants and users, leading from present use to future potential use. For Fujimoto’s Serpentine Gallery, it is indicated that it could only be accepted on to placement in the site, if: a) it would not materially damage the site in any way, b) of high quality of design and execution that is valued in both present and for future use, and c) that consequences occurring from the proposal positions would be benign and otherwise allow the ‘environment’ to remain unaffected.

The Pavilion generates cyclical movement throughout the park, enriching the site’s character (Wozniak-Scpakiewicz, 2020). In this regard, it is perhaps not incorrect to define one of the ‘owners’ of the pavilion, being the site location itself. The community, that is part of its environmental context, further contributes to this relationship. The structure only allowed for visitor access for 4 months on site, an all-day exhibit to facilitate the program of the park. Security was monitored by the visitors, over the other visitors, moreso for safety reasons. Fujimoto himself was able to witness the Serpentine Pavilion as a useful place to promote and enhance brand positioning.

Analytical sketch of fixings based on observation and research. 2020.

Pen drawings of the Madi unit, fixings and foldings. By author, 2020.

Pen drawings by author, 2020.

MADI A-FRAME HOUSE

MADI houses by Renato Vidal were portable, foldable, flatly packed houses that are said to be able to complete assembly in under six hours. Its relatively low structure with a variety of rotational and fixed forces at fixings allow for rigidity to endure even earthquakes. It can be installed without footings so long as the unit is placed on level ground or a flat ‘base’. For long term use however, it is recommended to install the frame with concrete footings and prepared foundations. Vidal currently has designs for MADI houses that range from 26 m2 to 84 m2, offering a variety of choice depending on the number of users.

In relation to the thesis pavilion research, perhaps a similar principle can be applied-- the notion of efficient assembly and disassembly via structures that fold. It is almost ideal that the contours of the site remain relatively flat as well. This notion could potentially be harnessed in the ‘stagnation’ phase of the project, where the design may be on site for up to several weeks for temporary or seasonal residence/use. The idea is to be able to provide a comfortable environment to which allows for discussion between the public communities and address issues of ‘today’, or discuss concerns within a ‘shelter’/space.

Jose Selgas & Lucia Cano, Pavilion Martell, 2016.

PAVILION MARTELL JOSE SELGAS & LUCIA CANO

By architects SelgasCano; Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano, spanning 1340 sqm with dimensions of 17.50x76.80m, Pavilion Martell was installed for the exterior courtyard of the Fondation d’entreprise Martell building. The aesthetic is defined by the foundation’s values, that is, to have transparency and openness to the world/public.

The steel frames are cable-tied to translucent material created by French brand ‘Onduline’. The pavilion is formulated into segments with flexible and organic planes in shape, allowing for diverse program utility and able to host and shelter large crowds and events. Inflatable seats are attached to the frame through straps, which allow for visitors to sit, lean on or be comfortable throughout the entire space.

The straps and cable tie usage allow for more effective disassembly for when the event closes. SelgasCano have since then spread the pavilion design into multiple parts for multiple destinations for reconstruction. A limited portion is kept at Fondation d’entreprise Martell for archive and visitor purposes. Other parts have been scattered for social and community utility internationally with plans for using parts alongside local materials. The ability to be easily assembled, disassembled and scattered, embodies the notion that regards time as multilayered, with many complexities and potentials. It implies that any given perception of time can occur at any ‘moment’ and also within any space; it is versatile and left to open interpretation to what society, the user, or community prefers to perceive it as.

Pen drawings by author, 2020.