Portfolio of ZHANG Pu An approach toward Event-provoking Design
An impromptu concert in a paper constructed shelter, first year studio Architecture provokes events
prologue
The relation of architecture and people lies in events and activities. They are like clues to reveal multiple faces of architecture. Exploring into this theme, I found a building’s potential to provoke events lies in many different architectural aspects, such as the context, in-between part, perception and so on. Rapid constructions dominated the urbanization of Chinese cities today ,and results in many lifeless spaces. It’s time to diagnose urban problems and update built environment from the aspect of activities . They are the key point to bring back vitality.
content
EVENT
site
in-between part 13 Overlap / Youth Palace forth-year competition
03 Inside out / Community Library third-year studio work
conflict
perception
social problem
37 Perceptual Layers/ Academic building Renovation forth-year studio work 25 Transprogramming / urban design & metro station forth-year studio work
51 Boundary Space/ walls of residential block forth-year competition
program | site
8-week 3rd year studio :Community Library Site: Quyang community, Shanghai Building area: 3000 mm2 Instructor : Chen Juan personal work
3
This huge (80ha) dwelling community dates back to 1970s, public life here is confined to linear streets, but still has the potential to expand: In the survey, it’s common to find three or four people meet up and chat, standing on the sideway, and one chair placed in the middle of the road can gather massive people playing and watching chess. A library here could be used to facilitate this contribution to the residents’ daily life. Thus, in my proposal the library merges with the street to accommodate public events and provide open places for spontaneous activities
4
Site Analysis :
Programmatic Reclassification
street events & inside-out facades
lobby reading chess
housework
dinner
street events
reading waiting
pro-shopping
check in/out
kids
an inside-out library: as extension of street events
check in/out information index exhibition
lobby
reading stack
vege market
flower market
check in/out information index exhibition
reading
wander
walk the dog
reading
stack
inside-out facades
playing kids
The typical way of function assembly is a cluster of introvert boxes which has little interaction with streets. By reclassifying functions and rearrange the program, a library can merge with street life in an INSIDE-OUT mode.
store reading
kids
lobby
index,auto
info,exhibition
street accessible non-accessible store
cultural centre
accessible non-accessible store
stack
residence accessible
non-accessible
private
kids journal salon auto
the site is located in a typical Chinese residential block, where slabtype apartment houses aligned to each other formed linear street space. And these monolithic act as the main public space in this area. Daily events happen here such as kids playing, walking the dog, grandparents wandering, and even some small retails.
5
A kind of inside-out facades was observed: some dwellers take advantage of their front-door space, moving some personal activities to the semi public space, provoking interactions with streets event, in this way, the community’s vitality is way out of expectation.
kids
auto
journal
store
private kids journal salon auto
salon
reading
private reading
6
The INSIDE-OUT library not merely provide an extra open space to public life, but also rearrange the whole program in an inside-out pattern. In order to facilitate daily life, parts of the program are placed into open space, such as a self-help index and borrow system and the information section. Stepping from the street up to the entrance naturally and then experience a continues orientation, the whole library seems just a part of your daily promenade
7
Layout and Orientation
Walls extend functions INSIDE OUT to the open space reading space accessible stack
salon space
check in/out
reading space accessible stack
journal media wall:info,index, auto borrow
book stack offices book store
kids reading room These walls are support for the vitality and event provocation of the open space. The 600mm thick walls along the grand steps not only envelope the the load-bearing columns, and also undertake functions like information display for pedestrian along the street, exhibition for people get in and nearby the open space under roof, and auto borrow and index checking before they enter the indoor space.
9
10
Roof and envoloped Spaces
salon
reading reading check
salon
journal journal auto
check
auto
the spirally ascend orientation affect the roof’s undulation, the roof is cut and folded to fit the activities below. The height of the ceilings define the private or collective atmosphere of the space, and the inclinations lead the directions. 11
Reading Spaces & Accessible Stack under the roof 12
events | in-between part
overlap of different activities In the typology of youth center commonly found in China, the playground and classrooms are normally separated due to their dynamic and quiet characters respectively, these strictly defined spaces are confines to children. By introducing an in-between part of courtyards and terraces to make these two parts interactive, the Youth Center became an amicable place appealing to children.
4-week competition :Youth Center Site: Fuyang, Hangzhou Building area:20000mm2 Instructor : Wang Fang ji Cooperator: Bao Yu, Li Yizhe
Dynamic and Quiet parts of an Youth Palace
OVERLAP of the dynamic and quiet systems
? no in-between part
vertically connected
proposal
current situation
In the research, an youth palace in China is very much the same as a school, where the classrooms and playground are strictly defined and separated. But programmatic analysis shows that an youth palace is where kids discover and develop their interest, where more flexible layout, more collective atmosphere distinguish it from schools
15
introduce an in-between part
An Youth Palace should have different atmosphere from a school, because spaces and activities can be overlapped to make it an amicable place on weekends
16
By introducing courtyards and terraces as the IN-BETWEEN part to connect these two parts activities on the playground and in the classrooms can intersect with each other and sometimes share the same space. When pushing the floors to get the terraces, different cantilevers formed at the same time to provide shelter from sun and rain for pedestrians as well as activities in the park downstairs.
17
18
Courtyards and Terraces as the IN-BETWEEN part
Assembly of these in-between spaces
activities on terraces
flowing courtyards and separated terraces 19
activities on the fround
push layers to provide multiple faces of courtyards
20
Assembly of Functions
Multiple Scenes along the orientation on the ground
With a multiplicity of views into courtyards and playgrounds along the orientation, children can gather in the park, rollerskate on the track, enter the courtyards, while children on the upper terraces can read, attend to gardening or participate in crafts. They can easily observe each other, meet up for a chat and merge into cheerful groups.
handcraft dance&music sports painting exhibition lobby cafe theatre tutorial class offices
21
lecture
22
Loops of the indoor space three concentric loops defining every floor, with a courtyard in the center: - classrooms shaping the outline of each level to enable classes to be assigned into relatively isolated compartments; - a big workshop stand in the middle loop accommodating activities in an open-space, where children could step in, wander, observe and immediately participate in whatever interests them; - turn the inner loop into the outdoor terrace where sunshine would greet them during playtime.
tutorial class
exhibition
"in-between" terrace
high spaces as dance
studios as handcraft 23
24
conflict | events
Around this traffic node, a football stadium, a shopping mall and a park attract various activities around, especially sports. Conflicts arise between the activity and traffic system: an arterial road under the railway separates the site into two parts. I connect them by taking advantage of the space left above the arterial road and under the railway , thus a combination of sporting area and rail station. This unusual combination could provide the possibility of flexible space shared by both station pedestrians and sporting groups; more people will be inspired to participate in different activities under these conditions.
8-week fourth year studio: Metro Station & Urban Design Site: Hongkou, Shanghai Building area: 8000 mm2 District area: 12ha Instructor : Wei Wei Cooperator: Zheng Pan
25
Conflict between traffic and activity systems
Site Analysis : traffic node & event-provoking attractions commercial housing
office
college
housing
M
college
m 00 10 R=
B housing
college housing
B
stadium
park
office
R=5 0
0m
housing
M office
housing
office
housing
metro lines
housing
small
Landmarks on the site brings vitality and conflicts at the same time 27
A shopping mall, a football stadium, a park make the site an especially active spot of Shanghai, supported a traffic transfer stop bringing flows of people. All kinds of sports club, fashionable snack shop spring up here. However, conflicts arise between the activity network and the traffic system, because the traffic flow cut the site into to parts, making this network not so accessible. 28
Rearrange systems & space
rearrange traffic system
arranged activity systems on space
rearrange activity system on time schedule
swimming shopping dining snack drink
basketball
big event
comcert
baseball
football
football match
swimming
skate
dance
basketball
bicycle
jogging
bicycle
jogging
rail way
rearrange daily activities and provide suitable places for them
station activity cars
shopping
drink
bicycle comcert
football
hip-hop dining joggingsnack swimming baseball skidding dining drink shopping football match bicycle basketball dining jogging
29
program proposed to activate daily activities
30
Metro station: the node connecting two systems two brands interlocking with each other, as extending parts of the Stadium and the shopping mall
lift up the ridge as the form of section, to make good views towards surrounding buildings
move the top point of the two brands, to make a exact alignment with surrounding buildings
M
add a platform to flow away large pedestrian from the football stadium
set the main entrance according to investigation about the pedestrian
add an activity brand in the space left under the high-erected railway 31
Metro station: the node connecting two systems master plan 1:2000
32
Transprogramming : sports space + rail station
rail way station activity
1
2
3
4
5
6
cars
pedestrian for traffic sports group big events: flows of people from the station
sports groups daily
33
density map at different time
34
scenes along the orientation to take the train
sporting and retail spaces connect the activity system up to the station facade, and down to the playground and the park. The stadium and the shopping mall share a big platform above the ground. Both sport groups and pedestrian for train experience exciting scenes along the orientation and possibly join some unexpected activity in the next minute.
35
36
perception | events
This academic building of college of architecture and urban planning undertake studio classes and finals, big lectures, faculty offices and a college library. But few students feel it’s an amicable and appealing place to stay in spare time. Even though there were diverse activities happening in this building, people only headed towards their own areas without noticing them. My proposal was to introduce a series of perceptual layers to rearrange the interaction of activities and orientation, thus revealing the hidden vitality.
8-week fourth year studio: Academic building Renovation Site: Tongji Campus, Shanghai Building area: 8000 mm2 Instructor : Li Bin Cooperator: Bao Yu
Building Diagnosis
offices administrative affairs
halls & lectureroom exhibition open finals
library reading
officer
guest
grade 5,gradute
atelier classes for junior
professor
classrooms
studio work of juniors
grade 1,2
A diagnosis of why people do not like this building :
current paths are contained in staircases , they confine passengers’ perception, thus various activities in this building can not be noticed. You come to see the same face every and feel boring because you do not expect events to happen.
39
classrooms studio work of seniors
grade 3,4
everyone has his/her routine in this building, directly and exclusively. They do not expect events to happen or even feel boring, because each group of users get no idea of diversity in this building, even though there are various events happening nearby. 40
at riu m
Layers of PERCEPTION
Rearrange spaces to evoke potential events offices
private work space halls & lectureroom
changeable classrooms ex
hi
model studio open for passers-by
bi
n
ga rd en
layer of transparent paths stu
layer of transparent paths
ex h ro ibit om i o n
tio
dio
library
atelier
fin
classrooms
als
classrooms re
st
classrooms sp
ac
e
classrooms
facade penetrated by square outside
To change users’ routine in this building, is to evoke potential relations between spots and groups of users, thus unexpected events. After survey and interviews about different groups’ preference and desire about the orientate and functional spaces, I introduced a series of perceptual layers to rearrange the interaction of activities and orientation, reveal the hidden vitality, making it accessible visually and physically.
41
ac ce ss ib ilit y
lib
ra
ry
42
Transparent layer: open stairs flanking the atrium:
the adjacency of orientation and activities provide possibilities for events out of routine.
lecture
library
The original atrium and the exhibition hall are combine to a main central space, where big events happen and appeals to all students through the transparent surrounding facade. The first layer of these facades is a pair of stairs, visually deviate and converge at times.
library central
study hall 43
44
Make a transparent and interactive face towards the square
Reduce half number of classrooms
classrooms attributed to each class is of low usage: except studio hours, few students stay here. different class schedules make it possible to share a single classroom unit every two classes: a big compartment for studio time, with two small ones for personal use after class
45
46
Perceptual layers of Classroom
different perceptual desires
I want to see the studio works
positive
passers-by negtive
I do not want to be disturbed students students’ preference to classrooms
not care
private communitive
not all activities in the classrooms refuse to be observed
not care
classify activities according to their privacy requirement corridor
model making
class
personal work
three perpetual layers of classrooms, provide suitable space for every kind of activities inside and provide opportunity for passers-by to see certain part of the class personal work
class
model making
Two classes of different schedules share an unit. Each unit consist of a large room for class time, and two small and private room distributed to two class are for personal working time 47
combine units according to different patterns, and the gap space between is for model making and displaying,where more classes will emerge together
corridor 48
Variability of units
final days
studio days
working days
Variability in the assembly of units: With changeable partitions, it can provide undisturbed environment for classes, and also combine units into large space for studio finals. Students and professors can adjust these partitions according to their needs.
0 1m 49
5m 50
social problem | events
An unpleasant truth in our current situation- walls are confining typical Chinese residential blocks. These walls not only result in monolithic street faces and less convenient daily life, but also isolation between social classes. However they are inevitable because of the community’s self-responsible security style. We proposed to redefine them by activity, convert the walls from a symbol of isolation into spaces where events happen. People inside and outside can exchange objects and do small business in the ’wall space‘. They are no longer a method of separating people, but a place where everyone feels conformable and social classes merge together.
4-week fourth year competition: Old Community Renovation Site: Yangpu District, Shanghai Instructor : Wang Fangji Cooperator: Wang Weiqiao, Wang Ruofan, Zheng Pan 51
Urban problems brought by walls
isolation of social classes
negative street spaces
Wall space: Exchange life
inconvenient daily life
security system in China: different from other countries Shanghai self-responsible security system in China result in big closed block, and less attention is paid to streets
current situation
Infeasible in China
convert linear walls to spacial walls to accommodate activities currently not allowed inside the communities
Rome police-responsible system in other countries lead to complete street system 53
54
Potential functions in the Wall Space
A
bus
B
bus stop | dwellers: news paper
C
pedlars | dwellers goods
A A
B
C
D
D
scavengers | dwellers recyclables
B
E
college students | dwellers graffiti
kids | kids toys
C
D
E
E proposal
current walls
55
56
GRAPHIC DESIGN
PUBLICATIONS
PAINTINGS
INTERN in Standard Architecture
ZHANG Pu Bachelor of Architecture, Tongji University Address: RM1403, BD7, NO28, Tieling RD, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China Email: poohz083051@gmail.com Mobile: 86-13585957216
assay: Interpretation of the universal planof traditional Chinese architecture publication date: NOV. 2014 ISSN 1008-0422 Chinses & Overseas 2014(11) P61-P63 57
58