Studio AIR
Leanne Wong [359847]
progress_journal
ARCHITECTURE
as_discourse
“We tend to view architecture as permanent, as aspiring to the status of monuments.”
ALLISON ARIEFF, NY Times
The idea of architecture as art is one of the most familiar and prevalent definitions of architecture. Previous stylistic forms have tended to be more concerned with aesthetics, rather than more spatial aspects of architecture, its relationship with its surroundings or its use. In this vein, this old school paradigm considers architecture as a hermetic, apolitical activity and we thus expect buildings to leave unique, lasting impressions as individual works of art. Architecture has often been synonymous with permanence and completion, but should it be? The problem with this definition is that it ignores the complexities involved with buildings being so intrinsically tied to society and arguably, leaves little room for adaptability. Architecture should be thought of less as a set of material products and more as a range of social and professional practices which can eventually, but not always, lead to buildings. Though contradictory, this perspective can lead to new technologies and approaches in architecture by encouraging a more global focus. And if new digitally-generated forms are anything to go by, this discourse design generates in the world heralds the paradigm shift from “a passive space of static coordinates to an active space of interaction” (Greg Lynn).
Previously conceived for an earlier design, this concept model sought to challenge pre-existing notions regarding architecture as simply being a set of material products. In particular, this model represented an ephemerality by being made of discrete, interlocking components suggesting portability and an ability to be deconstructed, and thus recreated. Additionally, the use of balsa wood was representative of the idea of taking conventional materials (such as timber, concrete etc), and re-conceptualizing them in new ways to create novel building forms. In the context of the Gateway brief, this rebellion against the notion that artistic and contextual architectures are mutually exclusive is particularly pertinent. The brief requires that the design “explore placemaking aspects”, whilst still being “eyecatching”, therefore this new discourse is of significant personal interest and relevance.
CONCEPT MODEL | PERSONAL PROJECT
Located in Covent Garden, the Bridge of Aspiration links the Royal Ballet School with the heritage-listed Royal Opera house adjacent. This award-winning design has been widely recognized for addressing a number of complex contextual issues to create a bridge which acts both as a fully integrated component of the two buildings, and as an independent architectural element. In this manner, the Gateway Project brief demands a similar resolution: an installation which “integrates with the immediate and surrounding landscape” (Wyndham City Council). Designed by computer with engineers Flint and Neill, the simple idea of a rotating box was difficult to achieve and was produced using complex CAD geometry and hand-crafting, As noted by Sara Hart from Architectural Record, “the footbridge, in the form of a concertina, twists from one facade to the other, becoming more sculpture than architecture.” This design therefore advances architectural discourse by highlighting how architecture can be functional and act as an artistic “focal point” (Wyndham Council) within an urban context. Additionally, aluminium was chosen for its lightness, with each component dimensioned on the computer so that assembling the prefabricated parts only took two hours for workers to achieve. Though fundamentally being quite geometrically simple, the Bridge of Aspiration shows how advanced geometry and digital tools can be used to push the boundaries in design, not only structurally (with its square portals), but also materially, by testing the limits of fairly innocuous aluminium. This idea, from a personal standpoint, of taking a traditional material and then shaping it into an aesthetically intricate design is something which greatly appeals as it appears to respond to two of the Gateway Brief’s seemingly contradictory notions: that of having “longevity” whilst also proposing “new, inspiring and brave” ideas.
“We look for a combination of efficiency and visual pleasure in our designs.” CHRIS WILKINSON
BRIDGE OF ASPIRATION | Wilkinson Eyre 2003__Royal Ballet School_England
Upon completion, the Bridge of Aspiration won multiple awards, with the most significant being, in relation to the Gateway Project, an award for Best Public Space. This bridge therefore not only connects with its client and their patrons, but evidently also with the general public.
SIGNIFICANT_AWARDS - AluProgetto Award 2006 - Footbridge Award (aesthetics/short span) 2005 - Aluminium Imagination Awards 2003 - British Construction Industry Awards 2003 - FX Awards, Winner of Best Public Space 2003
“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” FRANK GEHRY
Almost from the moment it opened in 1997, Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was hailed as one of the most important buildings of the 20th century. Gehry’s Guggenheim visually links the Basque city to the surrounding landscape and delivers a significant piece of Bilbao’s redevelopment puzzle. In this regard, Gehry’s design showcases the ability for a structure to be an “identifier for the municipality”, something which distinguishes the landscape from other areas and “encourages a sense of pride within the local community” (Wyndham City Council). As emphasised by one author, the Guggenheim Bilbao highlights the “power of a single building to instigate urban renewal and perform an architectural miracle” (Joseph Zulaika, Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa). Technologically speaking, Gehry’s ability to create such a spontaneous, organic design is due to what was a ground-breaking new computer advancement, CATIA (Computer Aided Three Dimensional Interactive Application). This software facilitated the engineering aspects of the project, processing data and integrating material specifications to calculate the mathematics of the construction. The material advancement that accompanied the software was titanium, chosen because it is an extremely corrosion-resistant, low-density metal that is more malleable than steel, without sacrificing any strength. Most importantly, titanium can be curved, allowing for the complexity of Gehry’s design. Like Wilkinson/Eyre’s Bridge of Aspiration, the design took the possibilities offered by the material composition and reworked it to achieve a new repertoire of surface effects. The resulting architecture is sculptural and expressionistic; relevant and highly contextual whilst still being extremely distinctive.
SIGNIFICANT_AWARDS
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM | Frank Gehry + Associates 1997__Bilbao_Spain
- Time Magazine’s Best Design 1997 - European Museum of the Year 2000 - Communication Award, in recognition of the Museum’s contribution to spreading a positive image of the Basque Country 2000 - Prix d’Excellence, underlining the role played by the Museum as a fundamental element in the city’s urban revitalization 2001