SPATIAL CONTINUITY AND INTERACTION
ARCHITECTURAL AUTONOMY WITH DYNAMIC SPACES
Politecnico di Milano
School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineeing
Architectural Design A.Y. 2020/2021
THEMATIC PORTFOLIO WENLEI YANG 901158
Politecnico di Milano
School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineeing
Architectural Design A.Y. 2020/2021
THEMATIC PORTFOLIO WENLEI YANG 901158
In the process of studying typology, I learned a very interesting nature of architecture, autonomy. In history, from Kaufman to Rossi, to Eisenman, different architects have proposed the different autonomy of architecture in different era.
In “Von Ledoux bis Le Corbusier”, Kaufman first distinguished between modern architecture and classical architecture with autonomy, and then aldo rossi, in “The Architetcure of The City”, tried to transcend the narrow functionalist thinking of modernist architecture. Exploring the stable and autonomous development content of architecture in history, that is, transcending functions, and typology that can carry urban memory and history. Finally, Esenman faced the postmodern trend and the dilemma of architectural development under capitalist culture, he used the architectural space form to explore the autonomy of the building.
Therefore, the autonomy of architecture originates from the thinking of architects in different eras on the crisis of architecture. It is a self-renewal behavior to deal with challenges, clean up its own body and redefine the boundaries of professional knowledge and discourse.
In the current complex information age, architecture, in particular, is facing a brand new technological innovation and breakthrough. In the face of increasingly complex and ever-changing architectural needs, thinking about a new kind of autonomy is a very meaningful topic.
After modern society enters the “Internet” era, change is the normal state of things. Data, information and energy gain meaning and value due to changes in flow. Social forms, organizational order, and economic models draw strength due to changes. People’s needs and demands in space are constantly changing, and spatial events are nonlinearly connected. Establishing a nonlinear spatial dynamic connection may bring great value to the current architectural space design.
I brought this kind of thinking into my design, so I chose three design options, which will be different from different ones. The scale, from large to small, from urban to the architectural space itself, explores how to establish a dynamic connection in different space form.
SPORTS FACILITIES AND LIBRARY LOCATED IN POLIMI’S BOVISA CAMPUS
Create a dynamic connective scenography relationship between outdoor and indoor spaces by using a walkway passing through building volumes;
Create a highly connected indoor space in both horizontal and vertical spaces; A vivid new connection typology is created between landscape, architecture and activities.
A PREFABRICATED MOVABLE MOUNTABLE DWELLING FOR AN ARTIST
In-depth discussion on the nature of residential space, and conducted spatial experiments and research on the minumum living space; through a revolving wall that can be opened at any time realizes the erasure of the living spatial interface; Create a dynamic connection between living interior and external surrounding.
A PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL PAVILION FOR GARBAGE RECYCLING CENTER
Adoptional transformation was created in both physical form and function as a plastic recycling centre and a breakthrough experiment was carried out on the architectural form, an organic streamlined design is adopted; Researche and innovate the application of lightweight transparent materials in building construction; fully realize the high degree of interaction between the pavilion, surrounding public spaces and people’s daily commuting.
PROFESSORS | EMILIO FAROLDI, PAOLO SCRIVANO, MARIA PILAR VETTORI
COLLABORATORS | YUXI CAI, YANDA WU
DYNAMIC CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LANDSCAPE, ACTIVITY AND SPACE
Through the analysis of the boundary and perception of the site, we found that there are abundant greenery around the site, but people can not get to this place very conveniently. Also by analysis of history and culture, we found the site has experienced a long period of industrial and abandoned time in the past, and because it is located on the edge of the
city, the vitality of the overall site is very low, so how to fully mobilize the rich greenery around the site and to stimulate people’s participation and initiative to enter the site has become our main design direction and goal. And because bovisa used to have a lot of Milan film production industries appearing here, a kind of movie-watching dynamic spatial experience has become the effect we want to achieve.
Since we wanted to achieve a dynamic space experience like movie-watching , we designed the site from the movement of people. By considering the boundary situation that we analysed before, we make the boundary totally open to the public and align the axis of entire site from the main direction of arrival of the site to welcome and introduce people in. Then we try to create a linear connection between the functional building volumes by applying a running track that directly passing through the volume from outside to inside. So people can also start going jogging on the running tracks. This trail starts from the public square in front of the site, passes through the gym and the swimming pool, and finally gets into the garden at the back of the site. The running tracks are divided indoors and outdoors, the former let people explore the skeletons of the sportive buildings, while the later surrounds the whole side and may arrest you to stay in the ‘backyard garden’.
It provides a rich and dynamic visual and spatial experience for people moving on this trail, and also enhances the connection between different buildings, also the connection between the building and the landscape. It achieves a dynamic interaction effect between people, architecture and space.
Through the axis of the site, we set up three building blocks with a sense of enclosure, and at the same time classify the site through this enclosure. In the space surrounded by the building, we set up a hard-paved activity square for leisure activities. The big stair in the center of the project, served as the core to link and echo three buildings. Several square furnitures are set to make the enclosed courtyard more complex and organic.
Masterplan 0 50m
Between the leisure plaza and the boundary, we set up a sports plaza paved with synthetic-rubber to enclose the leisure plaza and at the same time attract people to enter the site with lively activities.
Masterplan 0 50m
Landscape forming is significant in our project. Different kinds of settings and organizations of nature elements provide a dynamic landscape, along with the artificial arrangements and materials: water, concrete, ties and stones... Students and visitors’ vitality, using diversely of the place, is the last seasoning for the landscape we are looking for, and this is what the ‘rolling’ means to us.
In order to emphasize the connection between indoor and outdoor space, we emphasized the visual connection between indoor activities and the external landscape when designing the facade, mainly using a combination of transparent curtain wall and concrete panels. So not only the people who walking through the running track can enjoy the dynamic scenography experience, but also the people who doing sports and reading inside the building can enjoy the rich greenary around the buildings.
In the design of the interior space, we fully emphasized the spatial connection in horizontal and vertical direction. The running track is directly connected with the second floor of the swimming pool and the sports hall from the outside. The runners can pass through the active people on the first floor from above and interact with the indoor sports people, realizing a feeling of extending the “outdoor”in to indoors. This interspersed design also fully enriches the internal space experience. , forming a vivid and organic connection.
Swimming Pool & Gym
Library
Swimming Pool Gym
INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO PROFESSORS | YURI MASTROMATTEI, CRISTINA F.COLOMBO COLLABORATORS | YILIN GAO
ERASURE OF SPATIAL INTERFACES DYNAMIC CONNECTION BETWEEN LIVING INTERIOR AND EXTERNAL SPACE
The ablation and penetration of the inner and outer boundaries of space has gradually become the norm. The boundary between internal and external space is the material medium for the exchange of information, data, resources, and energy. When ablation and penetration become a trend, the space is opened at a deeper level, and the space experience is expanded accordingly. In this project, we tried to achieve the interface resolution in the living space through the dynamic structure of the rotating wall. The project is located in Villa Panza. Villa panza is historical villa in Varese, with a 20th century art collection by Guiseppe Panza. The main goal of this project is to design a dwelling for artist and in residence and a transportable service unit for museum activities. The intervention idea of us is to create a dialogue between the new buildings and landscape, and activate this forgotten area. After analyzing the site, we adopted very geometric elements to reconstruct the landscape and space in the site. Due to the close connection between the entire site and the museum, we decided to give the entire site leisure, meditation, and educational functions. We set up a small hard-paved square in the center of the site, then use green space as the boundary to separate the people from the parking lot and the back side of the building. Then we used very geometrical element, the circualrs platform, to connect the different paving sites, and provided a space for people to stay here for a long time with some benches and small seats.
MASTERPLANBy realizing a dynamic indoor-outdoor relationship, the internal living spcae can fully interact with the landscape and outdoor space while achieving the indoor autonomy and compactivity. In order to achieve the integration of the two different aspects, we chose the rotation wall as the particular design element of our project to realize a dynamic combination space through the rotating wall. Artists can adjust the state of the wall according to their different needs at different times. Like, if they want to fully interact with the landscape and nature,they can choose to open the wall for creating. If they need to rest, they can close the wall. The space function of the interior will also change according to the state of the wall
STATE 1: CLOSED STATE 2: OPEN 1 1
PLANS: OPEN&CLOSED 2 2
3 3
The space function of the interior will also change according to the state of the wall. Moreover, the interior furniture is also fully and flexibly designed according to this minimum size and dynamic space. The shape of the furniture can be fully folded and changed according to the different needs of the artist. In the choice of indoor space materials, we choose wood and concrete as the main materials to increase the gentle and livable nature of the living space.
Black pine flooring
Insulation layer
Pipelines and wires
ConsulSteel_PGC 90X0.89
ConsulSteel_PGU 90X0.89
ConsulSteel_PGU 90X0.89
DWELLING INSTALLATION FACTORY
Assembly by trained professional workers can guarantee longer and stability
Snow reflective board
Weather resistant barrier
In the structure, we conducted an in-depth study on how to realize prefabricated houses. We chose reinforced keels and lightweight precast concrete slabs as our main structure, and designed nodes that meet the requirements for rapid construction. This structure is not only very fast to build, but also the overall building weight will be very low, so that we can not only build on the site, but also can choose to build it in the factory and then transport it to the site by truck. Different possibilities are proposed for the assembly type.
Fiber cement board
Metal joint
STICK WEATHER RESISTANT BARRIER AND INSTALL EXTERIOR NICHIHA PANEL SYSTEM SET INTERIOR WALL AND CHECK THE FINAL RESULT
Basic prefabricated components
TIPS:
Although we recommend a professional to install and transport it as a whole to avoid timeconsuming and ensure stability, the housing system can be assembled and disassembled, which is convenient for multiple cycles.
Although we recommend a professional to install and transport it as a whole to avoid timeconsuming and ensure stability, the housing system can be assembled and disassembled, which is convenient for multiple cycles.
DWELLING INSTALLATION AT FACTORY
DWELLING INSTALLATION AT FACTORY
DWELLING INSTALLATION AT FACTORY
Assembly by trained professional workers can guarantee longer life and stability
DWELLING INSTALLATION
Assembly by trained professional workers can guarantee longer life and stability
Assembly by trained professional workers can guarantee longer life and stability
AT FACTORY
Assembly by trained professional workers can guarantee longer life and stability
LONG-DISTANCE TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
LONG-DISTANCE TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
CARNE PLACEMENT
CARNE PLACEMENT
LONG-DISTANCE TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
The demension of dwelling is 6.46x2.76x3.10m, which can be easily transported by conventional truck.
The demension of dwelling is 6.46x2.76x3.10m, which can be easily transported by conventional truck.
The demension of dwelling is 6.46x2.76x3.10m, which can be easily transported by conventional truck.
LONG-DISTANCE TRUCK TRANSPORTATION
The demension of dwelling is 6.46x2.76x3.10m, which can be easily transported by conventional truck.
Precise location and direction.
The demension of dwelling is 6.46x2.76x3.10m, which can be easily transported by conventional truck.
Precise location and direction.
Precise location and direction.
FINAL RESULT AT VILLA PANZA Closely integrated with landscape and can be used directly by artists
FINAL RESULT AT VILLA PANZA
Closely integrated with landscape and can be used directly by artists
FINAL RESULT AT VILLA PANZA
Closely integrated with landscape and can be used directly by artists
PROFESSORS | INGRID PAOLETTI, ANDREA REBECCHI COLLABORATORS | MILAH CANNON, XINYU KOU
With the emergence of highly dynamic and complex functional requirements, how to better meet the nature of the space from the structure and material is a problem worthy of our consideration. This project mainly started with light and transparent materials and designed a highly interactive space. The project is mainly located in Piazza Sant’ Agostino in Milan. The space had two distinct states due to the markets held there twice a week. On market day the space became a crowded and bustling area yet once they were packed up the Piazza seemed like a desolate carpark spot with frequent traffic flowing through the area but no one stopping to enjoy the space. It was further identified that the area had a large number of education buildings close by, was a common route for commuters to pass by on their way to work and had a high number of elderly residents in the area, encouraging a healthy mix of children, adults and senior citizens to pass through the Piazza. The main challenge was to design a pavilion that could adapt to the Piazza’s constant change of state, which is where the idea of ‘Saltation’ became the founding concept for the design proposal.
The form and function of the pavilion was realised through the concept of Saltation. This building would transform not only in its physical state but also adopt the notion of transformation through its function as a plastic recycling centre.
The idea of Saltation was further explored through the form of the pavilion itself. In order to accomodate for the two different states of the Piazza, the structure would contain moveable parts that could be pulled out to fill the space on an empty day and pushed back in to make room for the market, encouraging this sense of ‘transformation’. In terms of aesthetics, the pavilion was designed with the intent of creating a contrast between lightweight and dense, transparent and opaque and linear verses organic line.
The biggest difficulty with this design was the challenge of how to create physical barriers such as walls, etc. for security and weather protection without disturbing the free atmosphere of the open-planned structure. All facilities that needed security would be located within the organic structure on the second floor, which would have the appropriate facilities to lock up and keep secure.
With little room on the second floor amongst the workshop it was deemed impossible to also fit washroom amenities as well. This enticed the decision to create an external toilet block outside on the Piazza that mimicked the design of the original pavilion. This also opened up the idea to add further elements throughout the Piazza under the same design in order to maintain a sense of unity within the overall masterplan. Like some rest and leisure spaces which depicts the inclusion of rest spaces, recycling collection points, children’s play areas and exhibition spaces.
The choice of material and structure was decided to pursue the possibilities of textile architecture for the organic shape as it provided the suitable flexibility to create such a complex structure and also added transparency to the building. Through the careful study of textile manufacturers such as Serge Ferrai, an idea of what type of membrane were to be used and its capabilities were developed. By using the light membrane and combining a glass facade facing the Piazza Sant’ Agostino, we create a space that highly interacted with light and surrounding public space.
SECTIONS 1:100 9m 9m
The structural and technological elements of this project required great thought and consideration. The biggest challenge was to create a structure that seemed as if it was floating in the air yet fully capable of supporting the structural loads of the workshop and human interaction. The structural details were designed to create one holistic structure that used the columns embedded in the grid as the main support system for the concrete slab. An understanding of how the grid structure could be connected at each interval was made possible by studying the connection joints found in Sou Fujimoto’s Serpentine Pavilion.
Fabric connection joint diagram
Movable structure in pavilion
Movable panels can be pulled out to create extra seating space.
The design also required a strategy for the movable panels within the grid structure. As seen in Figure the technology was created on a similar basis to how drawers move along tracks in order to open and close. Through this system the panels can slide out to become extra seating and rest space or slide in to make room for the market.
After modern society enters the “Internet” era, change is the normal state of things. Data, information and energy gain meaning and value due to changes in flow. Social forms, organizational order, and economic models draw strength due to changes. Mind consciousness and behavior movement are placed in a state of continuous change that is accidental, random, discontinuous, uncertain, and unpredictable. People’s needs and demands in space are constantly changing, and spatial events are nonlinearly connected. The nature, form, content, and temperament of space must be constantly changing to adapt to changing external conditions.
At the same time, as the volume of cities and buildings gradually become larger, architectural forms are becoming more complex, and traditional architectural spaces are redefined in a post-modern context. In such a situation, autonomy is an interesting topic worthy of discussion in the present, whether in the internal space of the building or in the relationship between the building and the city.
Autonomy originally meant the exploration of modernity in politics. It shows the self-management and self-renewal characteristics of an organization or individual with a rational will. Kant regards “autonomy” as a moral code. In Critique of Pure Reason, he uses reason as a prerequisite for obtaining “self knowledge”, emphasizing that an independent entity does not pass “ The creed of authority” (despotic decrees), and the ability to achieve justice based solely on the eternal and unchanging law of freedom.
image.02. Eisenman’s analytical drawings
autonomy of architecture, and regarded Corbusier’s practice a hundred years later as a critique of eclecticism and the revival of Kantianism. Kaufman does not oppose that architecture is rooted in social conditions. On the contrary, he believes that the architectural form should reflect the objective society. Wolfflin, the theorist of the same era as Kaufman, emphasized the disciplinary autonomy of architecture. He argued that Baroque architecture is not an “autonomous” architecture, because Baroque’s form is subject to the prevailing conditions. Counterrevolutionary political propaganda, not from the aesthetic concerns that should have behind its form. He also affirmed the autonomy of pre-Baroque Renaissance architecture, because the external form of Renaissance architecture is completely determined by its internal paradigm. The form of Renaissance cannot be reduced to any style, but its own. Will exist.
So, if the pursuit of “autonomy” is an inevitable internal response of a certain art form to its own crisis, it is a self-renewal behavior to deal with challenges, clean up its own body and redefine the boundaries of professional knowledge and discourse. .Autonomy has the meaning of getting rid of the hegemony of the industry under the rule of style, and it also resists the erosion and even annexation of other related professional fields. So naturally, the requirements for “autonomy” are different in each era.
Emil Kaufmann was the first to systematically apply the concept of “autonomy” to the construction of architecture’s own discourse. He regarded the French Enlightenment architect Ledoux at the beginning of the 19th century as the first person to practice the
image.03. Helsinki Central Library Oodi
In the information age, the current definition of “autonomy” in architecture can be a reconstruction of the principle of “sturdiness, applicability, and beauty” in traditional architectural spaces. Especially after the COVID, the internet virtual community has become the main tool of people’s daily life. How to attract people to participate in spatial interaction, and meet people’s complicated needs for function, comfort, interactivity, etc. in increasingly large
image.01. C McEwan 2013 School-Cemetery [montage] Left: Fagnano Olona School, Right San Cataldo Cemetery, Both drawings by Rossi.and complex buildings scales can be a topic worth exploring.
As the American architect Peter Eisenman put it, “In the information society, the changes in architecture are that buildings no longer need to resemble a certain kind of architecture like the original architecture”, and the architectural design at this time is not Regardless of the processing of physical entities, it is necessary to repeatedly traverse and coordinate interactions between the entity and the virtual. This high degree of interactivity and penetration has become a high degree of dynamic autonomy in function and space.
From a design point of view, a fully dynamic and spatial continuity design approach may be able to meet this functional requirement to some extent. Especially to achieve the interaction between architecture and environment on different scales. For example, from the perspective of site and building, through the treatment of material and structure, we can fully guide people across the boundary of site and building to achieve a dynamic continuity in terms of visual and spatial experience. There is no deliberate separation between space and the city and nature. People can walk freely in internal and external spaces, free from constraints and constraints, and expand the possibilities of life. From the perspective of the activity space, the blur and variation of the internal definition of the space is also a challenge to the traditional architectural space. Transparent or translucent skin materials can create ambiguous boundaries, integrate light and sensing devices, and become an interface that can be intelligently controlled. : The opening depth and direction of the interface, the color, light, temperature and humidity of the interface, the fragmentation and reorganization of the interface, etc. work together, and the space interface is placed in a silent and noisy continuous change.
The lifestyle of the Internet age is like the renewal of electronic products, which is rapidly accelerating. The corresponding
function and space, “Temporality” begin to replace “Eternity/ Sturdiness”. When Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas accepted the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2005, he pointed out: “...We are still immersed in the Dead Sea of mortar. If we cannot liberate ourselves from’eternity’, we will turn to Thinking about more urgent and current new issues, architecture will not last until 2050.”
Japanese architect Toyo Ito once used the action of “squeezing the can and then throwing it away” as a metaphor for the “temporary nature” of architecture in the era of media consumption. He adopts fabricated lightweight structure, metal and various transparent and semi-transparent materials, structure, form, and space integrated blanking structural components. The spatial order is not divided into primary and secondary but homogenized flow processing (Super-flat), etc. Various methods are used to pursue the lightness and floating sense of the shape and space, and oppose the monumental sense of eternity. Its essence is still the “temporary” characteristics of life in the Internet age at the level of style aesthetics and space experience, and a kind of inspirational refinement and materialization of traditional architectural colors.
Today’s architecture faces the impact of a whole set of new technological discourses and concepts, especially the great revolution of electronic technology represented by media technology. Under the challenge of generative technology, complex science and new morphology, how architecture will face the two lingering topics of history and style. If the historical style is still an arsenal where the building extracts energy and power before the media technology has matured, the emergence of the theory and technology of Emergence has allowed architecture to at least not rely on history in methodology, but only rely on media technology. Strong generative power to improve your hormone levels and excitement.
image.04 transparency of space for temporary image.05 light and color interaction with people in space1.Medium. 2012. Ledoux, Kaufmann & Le Corbusier — the Beginnings of Modern Architecture. [online] Available at: <https://medium.com/archaesthetics/ledoux-kaufmann-lecorbusier-the-beginnings-of-modern-architecturecf3f797dfa07> [Accessed 6 September 2021].
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7.Peter Eisenman / Giuseppe Terragni / Manfredo Tafuri, Giuseppe Terragni: Transformations, Decompositions, Critiques, The Monacelli Press , 2003
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IMAGES:
1.https://cameronmcewan.wordpress.com/2013/06/22/notes-on-theautonomy-of-architecture/
2.https://architizer.com/blog/practice/tools/peter-versus-peter/
3.https://www.archiposition.com/items/cbd1c7a068
4.https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/375725659
5.https://travel.mdpr.jp/photo/detail/7092167