Italy + Switzerland Observations
Fourth Year Studio 2014 Dublin School of Architecture, Dublin Institute of Technology. Contact Dublin School of Architecture Linenhall, Henrietta Place, Bolton Street, Dublin 1, Ireland. Tel: +353 1 4023690 www.dublinschoolofarchitecture.com www.dit.ie Editors Andrezza Alves Mark Callanan Shane Cleary Alex Devereux Deirdre Doyle James Drury Robert Kenny Chloe Marie Marcelo Monteiro Claudia Murray Étaín Neary Andrew Ó Murchú Katie Wolahan 4th Year Yearmaster Paul Kelly ©Dublin School of Architecture Press. All rights reserved. All information presented in this publication is deemed to be the copyright of the creator or the Dublin School of Architecture.
Italy + Switzerland Observations
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PAUL KELLY
This year’s combined class trip of 4th- and 5thyear students travelled to Milan, Turin, Venice and the Ticino region in Switzerland. With a full itinerary that included visits to a large number of historically important buildings, the pace was brisk. Despite this, the time alllocated to some buildings was limited. In our media-saturated world where buildings can be viewed on Google Street View or on any number of photo-sharing websites, the importance and value of direct experience can be underestimated. But architecture is not simply about appearance or image. It involves all of our senses. The acoustic quality of a space, or the scent of a place, can have a particular resonance and trigger poignant memories that further personalise the experience.
OBSERVATIONS
eschews any picturesque representation of the buildings featured but instead focuses on the direct experience of a material or a phenomenological moment. The hope is that it will inspire those who were unable to take the trip. An architect is shaped by the variety of experiences she or he has amassed in college and in practice. The memory of a place the real reference that is useful when thinking about the design of a new project, producing a personal viewpoint. Field trips are vital to developing this viewpoint.
A photograph of a memorable visit to a building can never translate to a colleague the totality of that experience. Moving through and encountering the space is fundamental to the experience of architecture. There is elaborating on both the physical and cultural context of architecture. This publication attempts to expose the limitations of the photographic image by documenting the variety of ways in which
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LOCARNO
AMANDINE DICIACCIO
Gymnasium Studio Vacchini
I was interested in the sequences and layering concept of the building. The sketch of the facade illustrates a series of layers from the external skin to the inside glazing and steel frame system . The entrance of the building seems to also be articulated around the concept of sequences / layers which bring you from an external sloping gymnasium hall.
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NIALL FITZGEARLD
TURIN
Fiat Factory Giacomo Matte-Trucco
With the theme of Working Life in mind, the former Fiat factory in Turin stood out as as example of the way in which the linear process architecture. This process is apparent in both section; the ramp, and plan; the rooftop testing track.
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TURIN
NIALL FITZGEARLD
The iconic rooftop track also conveys another the idea of the factory as an advertisement of its produce.
Fiat Factory Giacomo Matte-Trucco
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MICHELLE DIVER
MILAN
Roofscape in Milan Variies
Standing on the roof of the Duomo you look out over Milan and at this point you get a sense of the city as a whole. The building heights are relatively constant but a few individuals break above the rest creating landmarks in the sky line.
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TURIN
CRISTIAN WITTIG
The handrail - a representation of the building. Here the importance and age of the Palace is observed , a carved chunky smooth stone, with chips taken out.
Palazzo Madama Filippo Juvarra
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MILAN
CHLOE MARIE
Bocconi University Grafton Architects I like this detail for its simplicity. The glass looks strong even though it’s thin. No additional structure seems to be used above the ground, the glass stands independently.
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TURIN
ROBBIE KENNY
Span. Structure. Light. The uniformity and order of complex structure broken in stark contrast by bands of light. cloaked in a light opague vail. The play of light and structure.
Palazzo del Lavoro Pier Luigi Nervi
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MILAN
CARL LAFFAN
Milano Centrale Train Station / The Cathedral of Movement Ulisse Stacchini
Large span study. Structural investigation.
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LOCARNO
CLAUDIA MURRAY
Livio Vacchini
A black steel curtain wall draws our eye upwards to where it hangs from the building and drops down to land at street level to rest on concrete blocks. We walk in under it to enter.
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ROBBIE KENNY
TURIN
The expansive main volume of Nervi’s Palazzo della Moda, the Turin exposition centre is a free span arched lightweight prefabricated roof creating a rhythm through the space and
Palazzo della Moda Pier Luigi Nervi
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VENICE
KATE RUSHE
Architecture of the sea, 14 stories rising from the water. It is interesting to see how; as it docks it becomes part of the city’s architectural landscape. Traveling from one destination to the next it is a set piece of each city.
Cruise ship Elevation
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MICHAEL SYKES
IVREA
“Typewriter town.” A hidden linear gem revealed upon exploration under and around the ICO workshops.
ICO Workshops Luigi Figini , Gino Pollini
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MILAN
BRENDAN SPIERAN
Palazzo Mondadori Oscar Niemeyer
The mystery of what happens inside the monumental structure is slightly undermined by the bridges accessing the adjoining tower. They give the project a human scale that makes the size of the building comprehensible.
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ALICE CLARKE
COMO
The school is designed by Giuseppe Terragni. The elevation proportions seem to connect with the scale of a child. The roof jutted out for the entrance hall then receded back to allow more light into the classrooms. This simple gesture wasn’t entirely obvious, before I began to sketch.
Sant’Elia School Giuseppe Terragni
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TURIN
DAVINA MOODY
Unexpected Beauty Street in Turin
Look up into the sky in Turin, Milan too and spanning from one side of the street to the next, converging on lampposts and buildings. Nothing special there you might say but look again and observe the patterns created against the clear blue Italian sky.
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ALEX DEVEREUX
TURIN
Exhibition Hall Pier Luigi Nervi
The true beauty of the structure is revealed in one shot. From the concrete column base leading up to the intricate umbrella like steel structure above. Each individual tower stand separated from each other. Allowing light to perculate through the gaps
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BELLINZONA
JAMES DRURY
Switzerland is well known for its epic landscape and the atmospheric mountain ranges that continue to inspire awe and imagination in equal measure. Embedded amongst the extruded bedrock are a number of impressive ‘castlescapes’. Some of these castlescapes have equally ingenious modern interventions in order to facilitate circulation throughout them.
Castlegrande Aurelio Galfetti
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LOCARNO
CLAUDIA MURRAY
Gymnasium Livio Vacchini We slope down beneath ground level to enter and rise back up by stairs to arrive at the gymnasium.
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MILAN
DEIRDRE DOYLE
Buildings are more than just static objects possibilities for self-expression.
Observations of expressions City centre Milan
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SHANE CLEARY
TURIN
Exhibition Hall Pier Luigi Nervi
‘’The building had been out of use for a number of years and due to lack of attention, the vegetation surrounding the stairways had grown wild. I enjoyed the subtle contrast created between an ordered and controlled structure against a natural and random environment.
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BELLINZONA
ANDREW Ă“ MURCHĂš
Square Luigi Snozzi
It would be interesting to witness a conversation between Olgiati and Snozzi. The former believing that the division of an idea creates perfect architecture, and the latter, creating a beautiful public space in Monte Carasso with the layering and adding of time.
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BELLINZONA
CORMAC MURRAY
Layering Castlegrande
Castelgrande, Bellizona. The distinction
rocky outcrop. The building is rooted to the landscape, through this the castle gains a sense of permanence and resilience.
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MILAN
JAREK ADAMCZUK
Flying buttresses Duomo di Milano
buttresses presents a high level of craftsmanship through an ornamental detail precision noticeable in pinnacles, of which a main role was to add overall weight to enhance stability.
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AILBHE CUNNINGHAM
TURIN
Fiat Factory Pier Luigi Nervi
The steep incline of the Fiat Factory’s roofscape is emphasised through human interaction. Given the views of the surrounding skyscape the experience of gravitational force is all the more extreme.
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BELLINZONA
ANDREW STERRITT
Castelgrande Varies
It is uncertain where the natural landscape ends as the Castello is embedded seamlessly in its this ambiguity that accounts for its enhanced presence and mass in the city. 28
DAVINA MOODY
MILAN
Walking alongside the Bocconi University building the scale of the structure against the city fabric becomes imperceptible. Instead, neighbouring buildings are doubled in scale, makes the pedestrian observe the city.
Bocconi University Grafton Architects
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MILAN
CLAUDIA MURRAY
Bocconi University Grafton Architects
Entrance is established by the shadow of programme above. A series of transitions are formed.
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DAVID LAWLESS
LOCARNO
Ticino Locarno Posta Livio Vacchini
Externally the building has an awful mirrored cladding.
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BELLINZONA
DAVID LAWLESS
Monte Carasso Luigi Snozzi
Here Snozzi rebuilds a third side to a square qith a community center. The existing buildings Snozzi’s concrete building irreverently launches neighbour to continue the route around at this level.
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DEIRDRE DOYLE
MILAN
Luigi Moretti
Respect the past but allow the integration of represents these ideas, the waving form breaks interrupting the classical architectural rhythm of the street.
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LOCARNO
DONNACHA O CONNELL
Livio Vacchini
The facade of La Ferriera does not reveal the massive and heavy, an expression which follows the values Vacchini instills throughout his works, to novelty, a system that pursues its own internal coherence beyond the discernment of beauty.
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CORMAC MURRAY
TURIN
Interior of the Palazzo del Lavoro in Turin. Nervi’s masterpiece has been gutted for any material of value, in this case the hidden services tucked away under the suspended ceiling. It is a disgusting sight, the butchered ceiling spilling out its innards. It makes us question the way 20th century heritage is often undervalued and allowed to fall into disrepair. It also highlights the hidden complexities hidden in pure architectural buildings, out of sight out of mind. Palazzo del Lavoro Pier Luigi Nervi
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MILAN
CARL LAFFAN
Window in Venice Layers
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Giuseppe Mengoni
Enclosed space, a study in light and structure.
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DAVID LAWLESS
TURIN
Nice solution Morandi came up with here to get light in. The elaborate structure is so demanding it can’t accommodate a second order of windows. Morandi eliminated the lozenges between the structural webs and let’s light in through the perimeter.
Palazzo della Moda Ricardo Morandi
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VENICE
ANDREW Ă“ MURCHĂš
Framing particular moments brings us closer to understanding how we might begin to construct immersive space, beginning here with the contour modulations of stone set against a patterend iron window.
Window in Venice Layers
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HANNAH CREHAN
VENICE
Fundamentals Rem Koolhaas
A collection of window frames from the 17th Century onwards, each taken from their original architectural context and displayed as a demonstration of continuous evolution and development.
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TURIN
ZUNAIRAH ANSARI
The inlaid star pattern of the facade is created by the careful modulation of brick, the resulting rhythmic pattern is intriguing.
Teatro Regio
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JAMES KELLY
COMO
Sant Elia School Giuseppe Terragni
Subdivision of the windows subtly frames parts of the courtyard beyond. Here the children’s work placed within this framework is brought to the fore. This allows the courtyard behind to dissolve into the backdrop. 41
MILAN
CARL LAFFAN
Courtyard Study; horizontal circultion and vertical connection.
Bocconi University Grafton Architects
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AMANDINE DICIACCIO
LOCARNO
Life Assurance Building Studio Vacchini
I was interested in the corner details of these two buildings and their relationship to the city street. I observed very subtle details which can make a For instance the Swiss Life Assurance Buidling is constructed around the concept of the double skinned facade, which creates an interesting condition at street level.
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TURIN
JAMES DRURY
Exhibition Hall Pier Luigi Nervi
As architecture develops in scale, the tectonics necessary to achieve the associated increases in height and span usually develop too. Also, the greater the size of the structure, the greater the inventiveness of the necessary structural solution. This clear-span structure uses a spirograph-style arrangement of barrel-vault masonry ribs. 44
AILBHE CUNNINGHAM
TURIN
of structure and space is directly dependent on the intensity of natural light. The depth of view may be shortened or increased. The available internal view is always dependent on the conditions of the external world.
The Royal Church of San Lorenzo Guarino Guarini
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MILAN
JAREK ADAMCZUK
Bocconi University Grafton Architects
A combination of both, holistic approach and symbolic presence create a subtle transition between the university and a large exchange place enhancing its powerful role within the city.
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BRENDAN SPIERIN
LOCARNO
Studio Vacchini
glass acts to obscure what happens behind the faรงade. The building reads as one ambiguous volume in comparison to the easily understood vernacular architecture across the square. 47
VENICE
AMANDINE DICIACCIO
Campela Di Squelini
These sketches, created simultaneously, illustrate how each individual’s interpretation of a place varies. While mapping the same space, each image is the result of the personal interests of the individual, it illustrates their location within the square.
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AILBHE CUNNINGHAM
VENICE
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BELLINZONA
JAMES KELLY
Monte Carasso Luigi Snozzi
Desemination of light through elegant lattice iron allows for subtle inward control of light. It creates a careful control of interior and exterior.
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ANDREW STERRITT
BELLINZONA
Castelgrande Varies
The walls emphasise the weight, mass and interior, only through an absolute denial of exterior view does the landscape become more precious through punctured framed views and complete access at the summit. 51
BELLINZONA
KATE RUSHE
Castelgrande Path by Aurelio Galfetti
A series of slender paving stones are arranged to create a path. The texture of the track is both hard and soft; delicate and heavy.
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MATTHEW THORNTON
TURIN
Torre Vitoria Armando Melis
The travertine marble cladding has an interesting natural texture. The swirling pattern of the stone lends it simultaneously both a rough and a delicate quality.
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BELLINZONA
DAVID LAWLESS
Monte Carasso Luigi Snozzi
What was interesting here was the cafe, illustrated here on the left. The cafe service space occupies the body of the building with people opting to
They have a connection to the cafe inside and exploiting shelter from the arcade.
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BELLINZONA
ROBBIE KENNY
The entrance into the Castlegrande created by Galfetti is a solid concrete mass carved into the rock face creating a deep sense of enclosure while drawing the visitor in and up. The light creates strong silhouettes. Castlegrande Aurelio Galfetti
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MILAN
ZUNAIRAH ANSARI
The dark metal structure against the tinted glass curtain walling contrasts and compliments each
Palazzo Campari Ermenegildo and Eugenio Soncini
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ALICE CLARKE
BELLINZONA
Federal Court of Justice Bearth & Deplazes/ Durisch & Nolli
The simplicity and beauty of the elevation was something that struck me. Subtle details; the drains jut out in delicate brass pipes and the blinds sit within the wall of the window frame. At the same time there was a duality between this stark faรงade and the elaborate triangulated Tree of Justice hall within the building.
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MILAN
CRISTIAN WITTIG
A radical response to modernism in the heart of Milan.
Torre Velasca BBPR
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MATTHEW THORNTON
MILAN
Duomo di Milano Milan
away and up close. From far away you see it as the sum of it’s parts, but when you get closer you start to see the intricate detail of the statues and carvings that make up the texture of the façade.
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MILAN
ALEX DEVEREUX
The large open space, drowned in light, utilises play and interact with the light. This stairway carves itself deep into the solid structural massing. It seams almost like the stairway is
Bocconi Universtiy Grafton Architects
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HANNAH CREHAN
The expression of building levels, window proportion and repetition are all based on that of the original neoclassical faรงade. This use of proportion and repetition coupled with the use of muted colour and smooth white concrete creates a logical and calm faรงade contrasted with the ornamentation of the internal court rooms.
BELLINZONA
The Federal Criminal Court Durisch + Nolli Architetti Bearth + Deplazes Architekten
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TURIN
MATTHEW THORTON
The Church of San Lorenzo in Turin has an impressive domed space. The roof seems to be stacked in layers of domes and arches. Similarly,
The Royal Church of San Lorenzo Guarino Guarini
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ALICE CLARKE
TURIN
The Church of San Lorenzo sits on Piazza on entering the church was the way the light bounced around the room creating a heavenly atmosphere with a jewel-like dome. The architect Guarino Guarini developed a complex with dramatic contrasts of light and shade.
The Royal Church of San Lorenzo Guarino Guarini
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VENICE
AILBHE WALSH
Doge’s Palace Filippo Calendario, Bartolomeo Bon, Antonio Abbondi, Andrea Bregno & Giovanni Bon
The columns follow a strict rhythmic pattern broken only by the two red columns. Symmetry of the façade is broken only by texture and materiality while ornamentation and structure are unobstructed.
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TURIN
CORMAC MURRAY
A layering of history: two regimes evidenced in Turin. The statue of Prince Emanuele Filiberto Duca d’Aosta - an Italian War commander, 1937, in front of the Palazzo Madama, once a fourteenth century castle.
A layering of history Palazzo Madama
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STUDY TRIP 2014
4th Year Students Jaroslaw Adamczuk Zunairah Ansari Alice Clarke Shane Cleary Hannah Crehan Alex Devereux Michelle Diver Deirdre Doyle James Drury David Gondry James Kelly Robert Kenny Aaron Kirk Ronan Lonergan Chloe Marie Elsa Maquet Jonathan Meyer Daniel Mc Fadden Claudia Murray Donnacha O Connell Andrew Ó Murchú Darryl O Neill Kate Rushe Andrew Sterritt Michael Sykes Matthew Thornton Cristian Wittig
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5th Year Students Mark Bailey-Smith Conor Bourke Andries Burger Cora Carbajo Melon Aoife Cunningham Ailbhe Cunningham Brendan Daly Amandine Di Ciaccio Niall Fitzgerald John Hanrahan Peter Hogan Celine Jamin Ronan Keane Daire Kelly Oksana Lastovetsky David Lawless Craig Leavy Fiona Muldowney Caren Finnegan Mark McCormack Julie Molloy Davina Moody Cormac Murray Vincent O’Byrne Eoin O’Donnell Donal Ryan Ciarán Sheridan Brendan Speirin
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