Interaction of Colour & Light in the Arts and Sciences
Midterm Meeting of the International Colour Association (AIC) 7–10 June 2011 Zurich, Switzerland
Conference Proceedings Editors: Verena M. Schindler, Stephan Cuber
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Please use the following format to cite material from the AIC 2011 Conference Proceedings: Author(s). “Title of paper”. AIC 2011, Interaction of Colour & Light in the Arts and Sciences, Midterm Meeting of the I nternational Color Association, Zurich, Switzerland, 7–10 June 2011: Conference Proceedings, edited by Verena M. Schindler and Stephan Cuber. Zurich: pro/colore, 2011, page number(s). The Conference Proceedings contain the full papers of the technical programme cited in the cover and title page of this volume. They reflect the author’s opinions and are published as presented. The abstracts from the technical programme are published in the AIC 2011 Book of Abstracts, ISBN 978-3-033-02929-3. Editors: Verena M. Schindler, Stephan Cuber Design: Florian Bachmann, Zürich Layout: Stephan Cuber, Bern Produktion: CD-Fabrik, Zürich
Contents Oral programme
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Poster programme
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AIC President’s Message
14
AIC, International Colour Association
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Preface
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pro/colore, Swiss Colour Association
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Interaction of Colour & Light in the Arts and Sciences
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Committees
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Judd Award citation
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Judd Award lecture
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Invited lectures, oral papers
39
Posters in alphabetical order
243
Index of names
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Partner, Sponsors, Supporters
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Colour and light in the media architecture envelope: Kinetic and luminous effects on building façade Katia GASPARINI Faculty of Architecture, Iuav University of Venice
Abstract In the contemporary architectural project, the realization of media facades is growing up. In the collective imagination these systems refer only to an architectural skin made by electronic tools: large bright screens, video walls and architectural projection systems, very different from each other, but still always of luminous and informative type. The media façade can change its image and, at the same time, its form, not only perceptually with the aid of digital artificial instruments or with the actual usual coloured coatings, but also with a “simple” movement of its components. These are panels and mechanisms more or less dependent on each other and with the building, poly or monochromatic, transparent or opaque, metallic or plastic, etc. Their movement can be created with purely kinetic systems (automatisms), hydraulic systems or pneumatic ones. The aim of this contribution is to investigate how technologies and systems currently in use for the construction of mechanical façades (for kinetic, pneumatic and hydraulic systems) influence the perception of colour and light on the contemporary architectural surfaces and their interaction with the surrounding urban space. In this analysis we will include natural and artificial parameters and systems.
The contemporary urban space seems to become a place to experiment all the technologies and materials suitable to communicate, through the used colours and the applied light systems. The planners put a lot of attention to the details that help bring to life the architecture with materials and technology able to cause reactions, interactions and interferences. The result of this evolution is expressed in architectural surfaces that have become important vehicles of colour and sound messages, where “colours are the way the surfaces appear. (...) Walls, screens and paper surfaces, plastic, aluminium, glass, fabric etc. have become important media” (Flusser V., pp.3-4.). Dorfles argues (Dorfles G., pp.57-59) that the senses of modern man are undermined by the bombing of imaginative billboards and commercial television so that the contemporary environment is saturated with colour and light, 24 hours per day. It’s also true as he says that the colour is vehicle of messages and codes. We know that before the invention of writing, man communication was enabled through symbols and images: the numeric writing system was developed by passing through the stages of the pictogram, the ideogram, and then only as a last step we have moved to the phonogram (signs that represent sounds, such as the musical notation on the staff). In human history the transmission of knowledge by images was perfected by the frescoes, the mosaics, the carpets and the stained glass windows of the cathedrals. As the interior of a Gothic nave was illuminated by the colours of its stained glass windows, today, lights and colours produced by large-size display are reflected in urban development and in the surrounding landscape, creating what Virilio called the “Electronic Gothic of the Mediabuildings” (Virilio P., pp.7-8). In our age characterized by the information, the
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1. Introduction
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image has an even more important role because it seems to be the cheaper and faster media. The image is striking and instantly perceived by anyone, it is a means of information more effective than any other (narrative, music, etc...) Does it mean that we are going back to a primitive culture?
2. The perception of architectural surfaces Until a few years ago and still today, in many suburbs or small towns, the perception of architecture is realized through a more or less skilful use of colours and decorations. The planners use traditional materials such as paints, colour marble, plaster, or more advanced materials such as films or polychromatic panels paste painted (glass or plastic). In the contemporary architectural project, the media facades are growing up in number. In the collective imagination these systems refer only to an architectural skin made by electronic tools: large bright screens, video walls and architectural projection systems, very different from each other, but still always of luminous and informative type. So we think almost exclusively to a massive use of light to adjust the visibility and the perceptiveness of the architecture. To do this, the planners use the more advanced materials and systems that induce a sense of dynamism to the vision. Recently they use fibre optics, OLED and Neuroled. These are technologies that interact in an almost intrusive way on the perception of contemporary architecture through an innovative use of colour and light. Bernard Tschumi, noting that “most of the architecture has become a surface, an applied decoration, exterior appearance, paper architecture (or “billboard building”, using the famous expression of Venturi)”, asked himself: what distinguishes today’s architecture from the design of billboards? (Tschumi B., p.186). In reality a media facade can change its image and, at the same time, its form not only perceptually with the aid of digital artificial instruments or with the now usual coloured coatings, but also with a “simple” movement of its components. These are panels and mechanisms more or less dependent on each other and with the building, poly or monochromatic, transparent or opaque, metallic or plastic etc. Their movement can be created with purely kinetic systems (automatisms), hydraulic systems or pneumatic. An example of this technical solution is “Daisy World” experimental project by Thomas Nicolai, which uses a pneumatic mechanical system for handling coloured rubber components (or similar material) in the form of a daisy. In other cases they may be components whose movement is generated from natural sources such as wind or sunlight, as in the works of Ned Kahn.
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3. The kinetic media-façade
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The Kinetic media façade is classified inside the group of mechanical media façades. Those one are realized with kinetic, pneumatic and hydraulic system. Which kind of role has the Kinesis inside this specific topic of media façade? In this research topic the meaning “kinetic façade” was taken from the Greek “κίνησις” (Kinesis): movement, action, motion. The best cultural references date back to the history of Futurist Art. The Futurist utopia was represented by the city eternally dynamic. For Sant’Elia, the most representative Futurist architect, the architectural space is related to time, in a systemic project of the technical science of the machine. The technological innovation in the contemporary architecture was realizing many
AIC 2011 MIDTERM MEETING, ZURICH – INTERACTION OF COLOUR & LIGHT IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES – PROCEEDINGS
In this analysis have been included natural and artificial parameters and systems. From this research we may argue that the kinetic envelopes mainly interface them with the building in separate or indirect way. It means that they aren’t an enclosure component. They are mostly applied to an envelope located below them and with whom they interface. Thus they become a second skin with screening or communicative function. Their dynamism can be handled by electronic or electromechanical systems. In some recent testing their movement is caused by natural elements
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experiments and applications using new materials and building systems. They are essentially linked to the mechanical sector. For example, in the Peugeot Building project (Sacripanti, M. 1967, Milan) we may see the design of a dynamic facade system, like as a brise-soleil, and a media system. The building skin was a cladding system realized with metallic mobile panels. In other more recent projects the claddings may be realized in different materials: glass or plastic panels that can move with kinetic or hydraulic system. These system envelopes are “kinetic cladding” or “kinetic façade”, where the dynamicity was realized linking together mechanical component with sensor system that pick up the wind speed or the air temperature, or the solar radiation, and so on. An emblematic example is the IMA project, by Jean Nouvel in Paris. Another type of mechanical system cladding may be the pneumatic system. This one is different from the Kinetic system, because of the use of different materials and components, they have another envelope design and they use some kind of gas (air or nitrogen). As an example we may remember the geodesic domes of Eden Project by Nicholas Grimshaw. Than, the media envelope realized with hydraulic system are similar to the kinetic cladding. The hydraulic technology applied to the media façade is constructed with an hydraulic cylinder and a mechanical actuator that imparts a linear force to the system. In this way, the generated force gives movement to the system components of the façade. A research, conducted by the author in the Colour and Light in Architecture Research Unit at University Iuav of Venice, showed that the realized media facades and the facades in developing phase may be classified according to the systems used to achieve them. The identified categories are: luminous facades, mechanical facades, liquid facades, facade’s projections. Because of the vastness of the topic and of the current research, in this paper we will delimitate the investigation field only to the mechanical media facades. The aim of this paper is to understand how technologies and systems currently in use for the construction of mechanical facades (for kinetic, pneumatic and hydraulic systems) influence the perception of colour and light on the contemporary architectural surfaces and their interaction with the surrounding urban space. In this analysis we have included natural and artificial parameters and systems. The envelopes tested were made either on existing buildings or on new construction. The research was conducted through a careful analysis of the state of the art, a literature survey and a cataloguing of case-history (about 100 realizations/projects). Each project was analyzed by classify ing the architectural envelope in envelope-typologies (applied and integrated), identifying the types of interfaces (direct, indirect, separated), technologies and materials used to make it happen. The result of this contribution is to investigate three fundamentals topics: 1. the type of technologies and building systems currently in use for the construction of mechanical facades (kinetic, pneumatic and hydraulic systems); 2. how those media-system could influence the perception of colour and light on the contemporary architectural surfaces; 3. their interaction with the surrounding urban space.
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like air, wind, solar and so on. It may be noted that their development leaves open many possibilities that some investigators are conducting on prototype projects, especially connected to the sustainability of architectures.
References AA.VV., 1986. La nuova enciclopedia dell’arte. Milan: Garzanti. Baglioni, A. 1993. Nuovi materiali leggeri per l’architettura. Bologna: Progetto Leonardo. Ciribini G. 1979. Introduzione alla tecnologia del design. Milan: FrancoAngeli. Garimberti M., Susani G., editors. 1967. Sacripanti Architettura. Venice: Cluva. Gasparini K. 2009. Design in superficie. Tecnologie dell’involucro architettonico mediatico. Milan: FrancoAngeli. Giedion S. 1941. Space,Time and Architecture: The Growth of aNnew Tradition. Harvard: Harvard University Press. Haeusler M.Hank. 2009. Media Facades. History, Technology, Content. Berlin: Avedition Mussa I. 1976. Il gruppo enne. La situazione dei gruppi in europa negli anni 60. Rome: Bulzoni. Tafuri M., Dal Co F. 1976, ed.1992. Architettura contemporanea. Milan: Electa. Vergine L. 1983. L’ultima avanguardia. Milan: Mazzotta. Zennaro P. 2000. La qualità rarefatta. Milan: Franco Angeli.
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Address: Katia Gasparini, Department of Research, University Iuav of Venice, 2196 Dorsoduro, 30123 Venezia, Italy E-mail: katia.gasparini@iuav.it
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