MORPHOGENESIS Architectural Icons from Europe vol.1, part 2
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MORPHOGENESIS Architectural Icons from Europe vol.1, part 2
Pygmalion Karatzas
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This collection is part of an integral / AQAL photographic vision, studying and exploring various styles and approaches to architectural photography, aiming to combine a respectful representation of exterior realities with a meaningful expression of our interiority, and to bridge fine art and commercial photography. Photography has always been as much about discovering the personal and transpersonal vision of the artist, as much as it has been about mastering the technical aspects of each photographic genre. Morphogenesis is an openended journey that started with my architectural and urban design studies and got regenerated with my love with photography. Volume one of the Morphogenesis series started in February 2013 with a road trip from Rome to Basel to Frankfurt. Visiting and capturing contemporary architecture and urban scenes in both an artistic and editorial manner. It has been an exploration of the architecture itself as much as the photographic medium, as the buildings were visited for the first time and the capturing and processing techniques were new. The title is a tribute and reference to the mysterious and fascinating process of morphogenesis as postulated by biologist Rupert Sheldrake. Joseph Rosa, chief curator at the US National Building Museum, noted that photography has become the lens through which we observe and analyze the evolution of architecture. My work aims to inspire people to not only view it as a two dimensional image representation but to motivate and inspire them to experience it more comprehensively. Both long exposure photography and a fine art approach, and commercial / editorial architectural photography, make people slow down, observe buildings closer, do research and field survey, revisit locations under different light and weather conditions, and by doing so enriching their understanding and awareness of the built environment. A second road trip in Europe, starting from Scotland then Germany and then Italy took place in July 2014, which gave me the opportunity to visit more buildings in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Modena. In the first edition of vol.3 the work from the second trip was published separately. In this revised edition I have combined the material from the two trips in Europe in one volume. Part 1 consists of artistic impresssions and part 2 of editorial work. Pygmalion Karatzas Architectural & Fine Art Photographer B.Sc. Architecture M.Sc. Urban Design
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EDITORIAL
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1. CASA ENZO FERRARI, Modena. Jan Kaplicky & Shiro Studio
10. BMW WELT MUSEUM, Munich. Coop Himmelb(i)au
2. SANTO VOLTO DI GESU, Rome. Sartogo & Grenon
11. MYZEIL SHOPPING CENTER, Frankfurt. Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas
3. PARCO DELLA MUSICA, Rome. Renzo Piano Building Workshop
12. RIVERSIDE MUSEUM, Glasgow. Zaha Hadid
4. MAXXI MUSEUM, Rome. Zaha Hadid
13. THE CHAPEL OF ST ALBERT, Edinburgh. Simpson & Brown
5. ARA PACIS MUSEUM, Rome. Richard Meier & Partners
14. QUARTERMILE, Edinburgh. Foster & Partners
6. JUBILEE CHURCH, Rome. Richard Meier & Partners
15. USHER HALL EXTENSION, Edinburgh. LDN
7. VITRAHAUS MUSEUM, Basel. Herzog & de Meuron
16. SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, Edinburgh. Enric Miralles & Benedetta Tagliabue
8. ACTELION HEADQUARTERS, Basel. Herzog & de Meuron
17. FONDAZIONE PRADA, Milan. OMA / Rem Koolhaas
9. PORSCHE MUSEUM, Stuttgart. Delugan Meissl
18. ITALIAN PAVILION EXPO 2015, Milan. Nemesi Studio
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CASA ENZO FERRARI
Modena, Italy | Jan Kaplicky & Shiro Studio architects
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The Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena Italy is designed by Jan Kaplicky of Future Systems, after winning the competition in 2004. After the passing of Jan Kaplicky in 2009, Andrea Morgante, a former associate of Future Systems and now director of Shiro Studio, was appointed to complete the interiors and oversee the construction, which began in April 2009. The Museum comprises of two buildings: the Enzo Ferrari birthplace, an early 19th century house, restored to its original condition, and a new Gallery that houses a collection of racing cars built in Modena, displaying the extraordinary makers Ferrari and Maserati. It covers 5,200 sq.m., with a budget of 16 million euros, opened on 10 of March 2012 and aims to attract 200,000 visitors per year. The new Gallery features innovative construction technologies including a three-dimensional curved aluminium roof and an inclined, double-curved structural glass façade. It is also designed to adopt a wide array of energysaving solutions such as free-cooling and geothermal energy, applied to such a large public building in Italy for the first time. With its 3,300 square metres of double-curved aluminium, the roof is the first application of aluminium in this way on such a large scale. Working together with boat builders whose familiarity with organic sculpted forms and waterproofing made them the ideal partner, and cladding specialists, the form is constructed from aluminium sheets fitted together using a patented tongue and groove system. Andrea Morgante explains at the project description: “Kaplický wanted to create a sensitive dialogue between the two exhibition buildings that showed consideration for Ferrari’s early home and underscored the importance of the museum as a unified complex made up of several elements. The views out of the new exhibition building dramatically frame the house and workshop, while views from outside the house and workshop immediately reveal the function and content of the new exhibition building. The height of the new exhibition building reaches a maximum of 12 metres – the same height as the house – with its volume expanding below ground level. In addition, the new building gently curves around the house in a symbolic gesture of appreciation.” The photo shoot took place on the 30th of July 2014. The dialogue between the old and the new as intended by Kaplicky, both in form and texture, was one of the subjects to explore photographically. Emphasis was also given on the entrance foyer, another key elements of the design, as it provides the visual link between the new gallery space and the old Ferrari residence and its concave shape allows for multiple vistas and diminishes the indoor-outdoor threshold. The gallery itself being a single fluid space where the different levels, walls and partitions merge, presents unobstracted points of view and the desired pedestals to showcase the extraordinary designs.
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SANTO VOLTO DI GESU
Rome, Italy | Sartogo & Grenon architects
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In 1998, the architects Piero Sartogo and Nathalie Grenon were commissioned to design the church of the Santo Volto di Gesù, a new church in the Magliana neighborhood of Rome, a highly populat- ed area with a long history of social struggle as well as unauthorized building, property speculation, and urban violence. A context as stimulating and complex as the strip of land allocated for the building, a small, narrow corner plot between the broad Via della Magliana and one of its side streets. The architects’ thinking was based from the start on awareness of the relationship between public space and religious space, two spheres brought together in the project. Indeed, the church parvis became a piazza, the public square that the neighborhood—lacking in social spaces—had never had. The building develops starting from a cross located outside, in the vanishing point where all of the lines, in both plan and elevation, converge, articulating the volume of the architecture in two parts: the Aula Ecclesiale and the Parrocchia. Lacking a bell tower but boasting a large half-dome, the church, built between 2003 and 2006, hosts a group of highly evocative artworks by a number of leading figures in Italian art: Carla Accardi, Chiara Dynys, Eliseo Mattiacci, Mimmo Paladino, Piero Ruffo, Marco Tirelli, and Giuseppe Uncini. The project, based on a direct relationship between art and architectural space, explores the links between religious and artistic expression, as well as between ethics and aesthetics. As described by Achille Bonito Oliva, “it is a miracle of architecture, the fruit of an interweaving wrought by a contemporary who chooses the language of crossing borders to talk about our destiny in the form of a new humanism.” The church of the Magliana cites the great tradition of medieval cathedral worksites and creates an ideal link between two themes of 20th-century art and architecture: on the one hand, the synthesis of the arts (integration between the visual arts and architecture) and on the other, art sacré, the early 20th-century French movement for the modernization of religious art that was revived in the postwar period in works such as Matisse’s Vence Chapel and the churches of Assy and Audin- court. [text by Nivola Museum and bmiaa.com]
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PARCO DELLA MUSICA
Rome, Italy | Renzo Piano Building Workshop architects
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Il Parco della Musica Auditorium enabled to offer Rome a classical music venue that could reflect the city’s importance and size. This new auditorium filled the gap by providing three halls of differing sizes and acoustic quality, among which a concert hall seating 2,800 people. The semi-circular layout of the halls creates a fourth space in the centre, an open-air amphitheater. The discovery of the remains of a Roman villa on the site has made it possible to strengthen the relationship with the place. The vegetation that surrounds the buildings is an extension of the Villa Glori park. For two reasons, it was decided to locate the new auditorium outside the center. First, there was no room for such a huge complex in the historic centre of Rome. Also, it made sense to locate it in an area of structures created to handle large flows of people, between the village built to house the athletes for the 1960 Olympics and Pier Luigi Nervi’s Palazzetto dello Sport and Flaminio Stadium. When starting digging on the site, something incredible was found: the foundations of a large Roman villa dating back 2,600 years. It was then necessary not only to preserve them but also making them part of the complex. Therefore, the position of the buildings was redefined and an important part of the project was revised. The project followed a concept that was not first stipulated in the original terms of the competition: the studio decided not to place the three halls in a single building, but to make them three independent structures. Thus, each hall is set in a container resembling a giant soundbox, and the three boxes are arranged symmetrically around an empty space. This central space became the fourth auditorium. The three halls are the followings: The 750-seat Sala Petrassi is a very versatile space, using some of the solutions adopted in the IRCAM hall in Paris: a movable floor and ceiling, and the characteristics of the walls can also be altered to obtain the best possible acoustics. The Sala Sinopoli, with a 1,200 seat capacity, also has flexible elements, with a mobile stage and adjustable ceiling – features that recall the large hall of the Lingotto and make it particularly suited to chamber music and dance performances. The main hall, Sala Santa Cecilia, seats 2,800 people and is reserved for symphonic concerts. The various parts of the auditorium call to mind a functional analogy with musical instruments, which is inspired by the form and use of wood. A second analogy derives from the site and the arrangement of the buildings. There is something archaeological about these atypical constructions, surrounded by greenery: they would be among Piranesi’s ruins, a metaphor for classical antiquity. [text by the architects]
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MAXXI MUSEUM
Rome, Italy | Zaha Hadid architects
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Opening the website of Zaha Hadid Architects, the home page shows the various links of the practice on a schematic plan; it is the plan of MAXXI, Museum of Arts of the XXI century, in Rome. This side-fact indicates the importance of MAXXI among the projects made by Zaha Hadid. The museum was recently completed, after ten years, and opened on preview to the public. Archdaily was invited to the preview, so it was possible to experience the spaces while empty – the art collection will be installed during winter, the official opening will take place on April 2010 – and have a direct impression of the building. As declared by the architect, the museum is ‘not a objectcontainer, but rather a campus for art’, where flows and pathways overlap and connect in order to create a dynamic and interactive space. Although the program is clear and organized in plan, flexibility of use is the main goal of the project. Continuity of spaces makes it a suitable place for any kind of moving and temporary exhibition, without redundant wall divisions or interruptions. Entering the atrium, the main elements of the project are evident: concrete curved walls, suspended black staircases, open ceiling catching natural light. By these elements Zaha Hadid intended ‘a new fluid kind of spatiality of multiple perspective points and fragmented geometry, designed to embody the chaotic fluidity of modern life’. This statement of the architect, as usual of hers, brought out the question if the concept of de-constructed fluidity matched with the identity of a “static” city as Rome, and with its classical heritage. The response of critics and public has been positive. Especially in this context, in the relation with the existing fabrics, the curved smooth walls dialogue with the neo-classical symmetrical facades. The new organism includes in its developing the front- side building, by clean and blind surfaces at the side, thus declaring the feasibility and the need of coexistence. The museum is well inserted in the urban block situation, taking from it its guidelines, and opening its cutend wings as panoramic viewpoints. Particular attention has been given to the natural lighting, by the thin concrete beams on the ceiling, together with glass covering and filtering systems. The same beams have a bottom rail from which art pieces are going to be suspended. The beams, the staircases and the linear lighting system guide the visitors through the interior walkway, which ends in the large space on third level. From here, a large window offers a view back to the city, though obstructed by a massive core. The museum participates actively to the location – Rome, and its first outskirt, not a part of the old centre, but still central. The Flaminio neighbourhood has been interested in the last years by a renovation program of public attraction, the latest being the Auditorium by Renzo Piano. The long MAXXI construction process completes the idea of a renewed city. Moreover, MAXXI is the first national museum of contemporary art in Italy. It will bring a lot of attentions, by public and media, together with economical activities, rendering this museum a central point for Rome, which is in constant look for its contemporary identity. [text by the architects and Andrea Giannotti from archdaily.com]
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ARA PACIS MUSEUM
Rome, Italy | Richard Meier & Partners architects
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This museum on the bank of the Tiber River has been designed as a renewed setting for the Ara Pacis, a sacrificial altar dating to 9 B.C. and now located on the western edge of the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. Planned as part of an effort to protect Rome’s cultural legacy, the new structure replaces the monument’s previous enclosure, which was in a state of advanced decay. The structure consists of a long, single-story glazed loggia elevated above a shallow podium providing a transparent barrier between the embankment of the Tiber and the existing circular perimeter of the mausoleum of Augustus, built circa 28 B.C. The altar was relocated from the Campo Marzio in 1938 during the Mussolini era, and a system of regulating lines was applied to the project to relate the altar’s present position to its original site. Bisecting the distance between the present center of the mausoleum and the original site yielded a four-square urban grid that was used as a proportional frame to reorganize the piazza and its surroundings. An artificial obelisk is used as a historical reference on the north-south axis through the altar. The clarity of the volumes and the building’s proportions relate in scale to Rome’s ancient structures. A predominating feature of the new building is a glass curtain wall measuring 150 feet long and 40 feet high. The asymmetrical entry hall, defined by seven slender columns in reinforced concrete finished with white waxed marble plaster, leads to the main hall, which houses the Ara Pacis. The contrast between the subdued lighting of the entrance space and the expansive top-lit and rigorously symmetrical main hall encourages a naturally progressive circulation. The roof over the main hall rests on four columns with skylights to maximize natural lighting and to eliminate “false shadows.” Outside the main structure, a low travertine wall extending from within the main hall traces the ancient shore of the Tiber River. Building materials include glass and concrete and an indigenous fine beige Roman travertine. Although housing and protecting the ancient altar was the main focus of this museum, the building also provides space for temporary exhibitions and installations dedicated to archaeological themes and a state-of-theart digital library of Augustan culture. An outdoor roof terrace above the auditorium functions as an essential part of the circulation of the museum and includes a contiguous bar and café with views over the Mausoleum of Augustus to the east and the Tiber River to the west. [text by the architects]
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JUBILEE CHURCH
Rome, Italy | Richard Meier & Partners architects
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Located in the eastern suburban area of Rome, the Church of 2000 “Dives in Misericordia” by architect Richard Meier is the first realized work of the American architect in the Italian capital, followed by the Ara Pacis Museum (2005). The importance of this project is to give value and attraction to the deepest and most far suburbs in Rome; the occasion came with the beginning of the new Millennium. The Vicariato of Rome (diocese of Rome’s Bishop, the Pope) committed this work to show and highlight the basic role that architecture plays in holy and religious spaces, and to demonstrate that the connection with contemporary architecture is the key to improve quality of life in suburban areas. These were the goals that the project had to face. Richard Meier’s project won the international competition in 1996. The Church of 2000 is conceived as a composition of basic elements, clearly referred to the purity of the cube and the sphere, and the in-between spaces and connections. Approaching the Church by the side-road, first the three enormous shells show their presence. They give a feeling of lightness – given by the small thickness of the shells (about ... cm) and the mounting waves movement it suggests - and, at the same time, heavy - due to the absence of openings on large white concrete surfaces. The shells are made by prefabricated self-substainig concrete panels, double curved, (dimensions 400 x 400 x 80 cm) and assembled dry. Italcementi developed and patented a new type of white self-cleaning cement, called Bianco TX Millennium. The cantilever reached is impressive, related to the thickness and extension of the “sails”. On the interior, it is evident the work on natural lighting, which comes through the gaps between the solid elements and brightens the whole space: main source of diffused light is the glass roof between the shells, but in early morning and late afternoon the sunlight penetrates the entrance facade and the altar facade, giving spectacular atmospheric effects. The only varieties out off white tone is given by a suspended wood-frames wall, vertical and facing the most internal shell; while the importance of sacred furnishings is underlined by sculpted travertine blocks. All of the sacred furnishings and religious spaces are included in the composition through the continuity and dialogue of forms, and it contributes to the elegance of the project. The distribution of different spaces is made clear by physical separations: the ferial chapel is at the side of the main hall, slightly separated by the foot of the last shell; the entrance is provided with a buffer space and a second door, on top of which is the organ, integrated in a sculpted cubic element. The whole design concept is based on the contrast between cube and sphere, and the clear division -or connection point- is the main space of the Church. The parish complex at the opposite side of the main hall is accessible both from the church (the wood-framed screen hides some balconies) and from the exterior. Some squared patios and green terraces make it part of the general design, as the bell tower, on the right side of the church. The exterior plaza (sagrato) completes the plot’s design: the yellowish and polished travertine tiles dialogue with the white elevations. The Church has the chance to be in a relatively open area of recent roman expansions, then the park on background and the stone floor give it the feeling of a water pool containing the “floating sail-ship” church. [text by the architects] Pygmalion Karatzas 87
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VITRAHAUS
Basel, Switzerland | Herzog & de Meuron architects Over the years the Vitra Campus has become an architecture museum, featuring works by the most renowned architects: Frank Ghery, Zaha Hadid, Alvaro Siza, Tadao Ando, Jean Pruvé, Nicholas Grimshaw, Buckminster Fuller and SANAA (under construction). The latest addition to the complex is the VitraHaus building, a series of stacked pitched-roof boxed, designed by Herzog & de Meuron for Vitra’s Home Collection. In January 2004, Vitra launched its Home Collection, which includes design classics as well as re-editions and products by contemporary designers. As a company whose previous activity was primarily focused on office furnishings and business clients, Vitra created the Home Collection with a new target group in mind: individual customers with an interest in design. Since no interior space was available for the presentation of the Home Collection on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, the company commissioned Basel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron in 2006 to design the VitraHaus. Thanks to its exposed location and striking appearance, it not only enhances the already outstanding ensemble of Vitra architecture, but assumes the important role of marking the Vitra Campus. Stand-
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ing on the northern side of the grounds in front of the fenced perimeter of the production premises, the VitraHaus joins two other buildings in this area, the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry (1989) and the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando (1993). The ample size of the plot made it possible to position the new structure a good distance away from the Vitra Design Museum and adjacent gatehouse, making room for an extension of the orchard meadow in front of the buildings, a typical feature of the local landscape. The concept of the VitraHaus connects two themes that appear repeatedly in the oeuvre of Herzog & de Meuron: the theme of the archetypal house and the theme of stacked volumes. In Weil am Rhein, it was especially appropriate to return to the idea of the ur-house, since the primary purpose of the five-storey building is to present furnishings and objects for the home. Due to the proportions and dimensions of the interior spaces – the architects use the term ‘domestic scale’ – the showrooms are reminiscent of familiar residential settings. The individual ‘houses’, which have the general characteristics of a display space, are conceived as abstract elements. With just a few exceptions, only the gable ends are glazed, and the structural volumes seem to have been shaped with an extrusion press. Stacked into a total of five stories and breathtakingly cantilevered up to 49 feet in some places, the twelve houses, whose floor slabs intersect the underlying gables, create a three-dimensional assemblage – a pile of houses that, at first glance, has an almost chaotic appearance. The charcoal color of the exterior stucco skin unifies the structure, ‘earths’ it and connects it to the surrounding landscape. Like a small, vertically layered city, the VitraHaus functions as an entryway to the Campus. A wooden plank floor defines an open central area, around which five buildings are grouped: a conference area, an exhibition space for the chair collection of the Vitra Design Museum and a conglomerate comprising the Vitra Design Museum Shop, the lobby with a reception area and cloakroom, and a café with an outdoor terrace for summer use. A lift takes visitors to the fourth storey, where the circular tour begins. Upon exiting the lift, the glazed northern end of the room offers a spectacular view of the Tüllinger Hill. The opposite end – where the glass front is recessed to create an exterior terrace – opens to a panorama of Basel with the industrial facilities of the pharmaceutical sector. As one discovers on the path through the VitraHaus, the directional orientation of the houses is hardly arbitrary, but is determined by the views of the surrounding landscape. The complexity of the interior space arises not only from the angular intersection of the individual houses but also from the integration of a second geometrical concept. All of the staircases are integrated into expansive, winding organic volumes that figuratively eat their way through the various levels of the building like a worm, sometimes revealing fascinating visual relationships between the various houses, at other times blocking the view. The interior walls are finished in white in order to give priority to the furniture displays. With maximum dimensions of 187 feet in length, 177 feet in width and 69.8 feet in height, the VitraHaus rises above the other buildings on the Vitra Campus. The deliberate intention was not to create a horizontal building, the common type for production facilities, but rather a vertically oriented structure with a small footprint, which grants an overview in multiple senses: an overview of the surrounding landscape and the factory premises, but also an overview of the Home Collection. Just as interior and exterior spaces interpenetrate, so do two types of forms: the orthogonal-polygonal, as perceived from the exterior, and the organic, which produces a series of spatial surprises in the interior – a ‘secret world’ (in the words of Herzog & Pygmalion Karatzas 103
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de Meuron) with a suggestive, almost labyrinthine character. On their path through the five stories, visitors traverse the Vitra Home cosmos, ultimately returning to their starting point. The VitraHaus has a daytime view and a night time view. In the evening, the perspective is reversed. During the day, one gazes out of the VitraHaus into the landscape, but when darkness falls, the illuminated interior of the building glows from within, while its physical structure seems to dissipate. The rooms open up; the glazed gable ends turn into display cases that shine across the Vitra Campus and into the surrounding countryside. [text by the architects] Morphogenesis vol.1, part 2 106
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ACTELION HEADQUARTERS
Basel, Switzerland | Herzog & de Meuron architects
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In contrast to the densely built-up surroundings with rigidly defined shapes, the new Actelion Business Center building is an open structure comprising beam-like elements, stacked on top of one another, which change their appearance depending on the angle from which they are viewed. The spaces between the beam structures allow for visual connections inward and outward to the adjacent laboratories, nearby office buildings and sports fields. The apparently random arrangement of the office beams not only provides unusual views within and to the outside, but also generates terraces and courtyards in many different sizes and qualities for employees to work, take breaks, and gather to meet formally or informally. The office workplaces are arranged in linear pods, exposed to a plentiful supply of daylight in the upper storeys. The modular layout and columnfree areas satisfy the needs of various office typologies and differently sized offices. Meeting rooms and lounge-style areas are situated at the intersections of beams to increase inter-departmental communication within the company. Additional functions such as a restaurant, cafĂŠ, auditorium, service facilities and outdoor areas on the ground floor are accessible to the public. A clearly defined development principle and a clear structural concept define and organise the layout of the office pods simplifying accessibility and orientation in what appears to be a complex space. All employees and visitors access the ground floor by a central foyer so that controlled admission to the offices on the upper floors is ensured. Four vertical access cores with stairways and lifts serve the office floors as well as offer safe escape routes in the event of fire. [text by the architects]
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PORSCHE MUSEUM
Stuttgart, Germany | Delugan Meissl Architects The Idea The successful record of Stuttgart’s sports-car manufacturer – Porsche is both the smallest independent German automaker and the world’s most profitable automaker – is based on decades of experience in automotive manufacturing and in motorsports. The history of Porsche sports cars begins in 1948 with the legendary Type 356 “No. 1,” but the conceptual basis of the brand is the result of the lifelong work of Professor Ferdinand Porsche (1875–1951), which was continued by his son Ferry (1909–1998). By establishing an independent engineering office in Stuttgart in 1931, Ferdinand Porsche laid the foundations for the House of Porsche, and he made automotive history by pioneering developments for his client companies. During the past six decades, Porsche has experienced many high points as well as low ones. But thanks to efficient production methods, distinctive positioning of its brand, and innovative models such as the 356, 911, 914, 924, 944, 928, and the Boxster and the Cayenne, the former sports-car specialist has developed into one of the world’s most successful automobile manufacturers.
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This unique history is both an honor and an obligation. Porsche customers, shareholders, and Porsche fans had often expressed their wish for an inspiring place in which to display the corporate history, and in July 2004 Porsche’s Management Board responded by approving the construction of a new museum at Zuffenhausen’s Porscheplatz. Since October 2005, construction has been underway on a museum that will be an architectural emblem of the Porsche brand and make history as the most spectacular building project ever undertaken by the company. The elaborate new museum will be completed near the end of 2008 and will become the central repository where the Porsche tradition will be preserved and displayed. The Location Auto fans around the world know that the traditional site of Porsche AG is in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Seventy years ago the erstwhile Porsche engineering office relocated from downtown Stuttgart to the first, newly built Porsche plant in Zuffenhausen. This is where the trial series of what became the “VW Beetle” was built in 1938, as was the forefather of all Porsche sports cars, the Type 64 “Berlin–Rome Car,” in 1939. In 1950 this Stuttgart suburb became the birthplace of the sports cars bearing the Porsche logo. Today, the 911 model series and all Porsche engines are produced in Zuffenhausen. And Porsche’s new museum will be located here, on Porscheplatz. At this historic location, it will join the Porsche plant and the Porsche Center as the new emblem of the company. The Architecture There’s no doubt about it, even now: the new edifice by Vienna’s Delugan Meissl is an eye-catcher. Although the building isn’t quite finished yet, the fascinating impact of the monolithic, virtually floating exhibition hall can already be felt. This bold and dynamic architecture reflects the company’s philosophy and provides a foretaste of the experience that awaits visitors to the future museum. It is designed to convey a sense of arrival and approachability, and to guide the visitors smoothly from the basement level into the superstructure. In their design, the architects at Delugan Meissl set out to create a place of sensuous experience that reflects the authenticity of Porsche products and services as well as the company’s character, while also reshaping Porscheplatz with an unmistakable appearance. The Exhibits About 80 vehicles and many small exhibits will be on display at the new Porsche Museum in a unique ambience. In addition to world-famous, iconic vehicles such as the 356, 550, 911, and 917, the exhibits include some of the outstanding technical achievements of Professor Ferdinand Porsche from the early 20th century. Even then, the name of Porsche stood for the commitment never to be satisfied with a technical solution that fails to fully meet or exceed all of its requirements, including opportunities for further improvement. From the lobby, visitors ascend a spectacular ramp to the entrance of the spacious exhibition area, where they can gain an initial overview of the impressive collection. Here the visitor is free to choose whether to start chronologically with the company history before 1948, or to head directly into the main area of the exhibition, which contains a chronological history of Porsche products and thematic islands. Both areas are interlinked by the “Porsche Idea” section, which forms the backbone of the exhibition. The Idea section explains what makes the various themes and exhibits so unique. It tells of the spirit and the passion that motivate the work at Porsche, and pays tribute to the company as well as the people behind the product. Pygmalion Karatzas 133
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Concept The new museum enlightens the visitor in an impressive, clear, and interesting manner about the entire history of what is now Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Production cars have been just as important to the name recognition of the Porsche brand as many vehicles designed specifically for racing. Porsche designs have had an impact on individual mobility even in the early years of motorization. The exhibition layout provides separate exhibit areas for the two periods before and after 1948. “Porsche Idea,” “Product History,” and “Thematic Islands” are the three core elements of the museum concept. Visitors making their way through the exhibition will often find these three main elements thematically interlinked. The “Porsche Idea“ section focuses on specific, trailblazing technical solutions for interesting challenges from nearly all areas of mobility. Visitors can learn about the values, motivation, and philosophy driving the company throughout its history and to its ultimate success. The “Product History” section is a chronologically arranged presentation of the history of Porsche sports cars from its beginnings in 1948 to the latest models with all their technological diversity and stylistic individuality. “Thematic Islands” focus on particular, especially important aspects of Porsche history. Some of them, like “Evolution 911,” are dedicated to specific model series. Others bring together vehicles from different eras, for example in the splendid motorsport history of “Le Mans.” The Racing Cars Unlike many other museums, the new Porsche Museum stands for joie de vivre and variety. It will continue to remain committed to the long-established philosophy of the “Museum on Wheels” and will utilize, enhance, and expand the newly assembled collection in Zuffenhausen. Morphogenesis vol.1, part 2 136
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Next year, for instance, the 550 A Spyder will participate in the Mille Miglia, and the 356 Carrera Abarth GT will travel all the way to Australia for the Classic Adelaide. Instead of a conventional, static exhibition, newly arranged object combinations will create an ever-changing display that reflects the self-image of a company that incorporates both a great tradition and great innovations. With the “Museum on Wheels” Porsche is taking a route no one else has traveled. Even the classic vehicles in the museum’s collection are serving the purpose for which they were built in the first place: driving! The Porsche Archive A central repository is being created in the new museum where all of the historical and contemporary knowledge about the subject “Porsche” is being consolidated. The historical archive of Porsche AG is also moving into the new edifice, where portions of it are visible through glass walls from the lobby. As the company’s “memory,” the Porsche Archive collects all important information concerning business, technical, social, or cultural matters relating to Porsche AG and its subsidiary companies. The archived items include anything worth saving about the unparalleled Porsche success story, from the beginnings of Ferdinand Porsche as an automobile designer to the engineering office established in 1931 all the way to today’s Porsche AG. The present files of the Porsche Archive cover 2,000 meters of shelf space, including bookshelves, display cases, steel cabinets, and safes. The Historical Archive with its accumulated knowledge is available not only to internal departments but also to external users, such as journalists and scientists. Many thousands of inquiries annually are handled here in a professional manner by the Porsche archivists. [text by Porsche]
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BMW WELT MUSEUM
Munich, Germany | Coop Himmelb(i)au architects Conception: The realization of the technical building facilities within the scope of the architecture led to a planning model with five thematic blocks: Hall, Premiere, Forum, Gastronomy. Hall: A low-tech concept optimized ecologically using high-tech methods. The technical solution here is based on previous experience with large halls. All of the necessary features were realized successfully according to a low-tech concept. The interrelations of daylight and artificial light with ambient climate and acoustics influence people’s feeling of well-being in the Hall. The concept for the technological building systems takes up these relationships and integrates them in an interdependent manner, adapting their range of influence by modifying their dimensions or building in appropriate control mechanisms. A major goal in designing the systems was to save energy. This aim is achieved by minimizing the mechanical apparatus for ventilation, heating and cooling. The gigantic Hall is thus conceived as a solar-heated, naturally ventilated sub-climatic area, a multifunctional space that does not follow the otherwise customary requirements for heating and ventilation.
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A natural air supply is generated by thermal currents, wind pressure and turbulences when air accumulates in the area of the facade and roof projection. Air intake and outflow take place through automatically controlled vents. The “natural aeration” system provides sufficient fresh air to the Hall. The Hall’s roof system has special significance for the complex made up of heat, cold and air. A 3D simulation of thermal currents and air streams was conducted in order to investigate the spread of exhaust fumes from the cars driven on the Premiere level. Iterative calculations were then carried out to optimize the arrangement of air intake and outflow vents for natural air exchange in such a way that it was possible to remain below the permitted threshold value of around ten percent. Premiere: Exhaust gas diffusion prevented through negative pressure. The key task of the new BMW Welt is to deliver cars - in the Premiere section - with all concepts geared toward enhancing the experience of delivery. Because of the exhaust gases that this task involves, special considerations and calculations had to be made in terms of the ventilation plan, since the Premiere is open to the Hall - the major space in this world of experience. Beyond merely fine-tuning the volume of air intake and outflow currents, it was also important to extract the exhaust fumes directly and pump in fresh air. Planning here was based on an assumed turnover of 40 cars per hour, or 250 cars per day. Forum: A room-in-a-room for maximum flexibility. The Forum is a separate event area for up to 1,200 persons, equipped to meet all the specifications for a full-fledged theater or conference room. The ventilation technology fulfills the high demands on comfort and soundproofing placed on such a sensitive area when it is situated in the middle of other function areas. The technical facilities for this special area were conceived independently, including a plan for integrating them into the architecture. Air is supplied laterally via air jets and is extracted through the ceiling as exhaust air. Based on the number of people in the room, infinite adjustment of the required air volume is possible. Tower: Island solutions place high demands on building systems to ensure well-being. The technical equipment discreetly supports the gastronomic functions. In places where guests spend longer periods of time, air sources are placed near the floor. In order to ensure pleasant air quality even near the glass facades, the vertical facade support profiles are heated to prevent the cold downdrafts typical for this kind of construction. Double Cone: An event space offering all the options of a public assembly place. The Double Cone is used as an exhibition space and for special events. Air is brought in by means of a low-induction system along the base of the facade and streams into the roof through the opening at the top of the cone. Floor air conditioning and air circulation coolers in the wall and floor areas ensure the necessary comfort level. In the in-between seasons, natural ventilation via facade shutters is used. The structural design of BMW Welt represents a special challenge when determining how to conduct supply lines. Because of the vast support-free space, which is borne by only 11 columns plus the elevator shafts, the supply cross-sections for the Lounge floors and the Tower had to be integrated into the few supporting core cross-sections. This situation necessitated close coordination at a very early project phase between those responsible for structural engineering, the routing of facility services and building technology. [text by the architects]
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MYZEIL SHOPPING CENTER
Frankfurt, Germany | Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas architects
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MyZeil Shopping Mall is a project designed by Studio Fuksas in Frankfurt, Germany in 2009. The sculptural glass facade creates impressive and dynamic spaces within the public atriums, creating a unique environment for a common activity. The 77,000 square meter structure includes shops, leisure spaces, kids areas, restaurants, fitness center and parking. The design is inspired by geography and topography. The facade is conceived as a river that has different depths reaching into the Earth. The structure is inspired by the historical context of the site. The fluid shape comes from the connection of the Zeil, the shopping boulevard in the heart of Frankfurt, and the Thurn and Taxis palace. The two facades on opposite ends of the building are designed to evoke the two distinct senses of the city. The modern city on the facade running along the Zeil expresses leisure, entertainment and relaxation. The historic-facing facade maintains a formal appearance. On the side of the Zeil the building has an internalizing quality. The facade challenges the exterior-interior distinction with a void that is pulled into the atrium of the mall, looking very much like a vortex. The facade is designed with alternating panels of the glass and steel. Mostly transparent, it floods all levels of the mall with natural sunlight. The shopping mall is spread over six floors and includes a square and meeting place that also has a fitness area and restaurants. It is an interior public plaza that is absorbed into the program of the building. [text by Irina Vinnitskaya]
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RIVERSIDE MUSEUM
Glasgow, Scotland | Zaha Hadid architects
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The historical development of the Clyde and the city is a unique legacy; with the site situated where the Kelvin flows into the Clyde the building can flow from the city to the river. In doing so it can symbolise a dynamic relationship where the museum is the voice of both, linking the two sides and allowing the museum to be the transition from one to the other. By doing so the museum places itself in the very context of its origin and encourages connectivity between its exhibits and their wider context. The building would be a tunnel-like shed, which is open at opposite ends to the city and the Clyde. In doing so it becomes porous to its context on either side. However, the connection from one to the other is where the building diverts to create a journey away from the external context into the world of the exhibits. Here the interior path becomes a mediator between the city and the river which can either be hermetic or porous depending on the exhibition layout. Thus the museum positions itself symbolically and functionally as open and fluid with its engagement of context and content. [text by the architects]
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THE CHAPEL OF SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT Edinburgh, Scotland | Simpson & Brown architects
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St Albert’s Catholic Chaplaincy serves the students and staff of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University. It is situated in the Old Twon at 23-24 George Square. The new chapel is placed in the garden of one of the townhouses, replacing the old chapel which was located on the upper floor of the adjoining houses in order to provide ground floor and disabled access from Middle Meadow Walk. The material and building form were chosen to achieve a peaceful space and to connect it to its natural setting. The architects explain: “Four tree-like Corten Steel columns support a curved, oak-lined timber roof over the altar and sanctuary spaces. A thick masonry wall, constructed out of large clay blocks clad with sandstone, interprets the historic boundary between the townhouses and provides a solid mass and weight to the building form. Angled windows are formed within this wall to allow light in and also to maintain the focus towards the sanctuary, providing only oblique views of the garden. A combination of clerestory glazing, ventilator windows and a lightwell with opening rooflights provides both natural light and ventilation. Daylight is introduced by mirrors and filtered through continuous oak slats along the length of the chapel. The west wall behind the sanctuary is glazed and connects the chapel with the garden and the changing seasons, which plays an important part in the worship calendar. The external finish on the roof is sedum, again connecting the building to its garden setting, and minimising its visual impact from above.” The Middle Meadow Walk is a busy pedestrian road connecting the Old Town with the popular Meadows Park and the surrounding universities. The new Quartermile development on the site of the old Royal Infirmary campus has made the location even more lively and yet entering the chapel’s garden from George Square lane immediately gives a tranquil feeling. With its lush and cocooned garden we feel like entering into a protective oasis in the midst of this urban bustle. The cantilever wooden roof is welcoming and the path towards the chapel entrance gives us the time to enjoy the features of this building from various points of view, far and close-up. Special detail has been given to the glazing of the altar, making it almost invisible / open to the garden. The cocooned garden feeling is repeated inside the chapel with its small scale and height and yet the minimal and continous interior counterbalance it with a sense of spaciousness. No matter if one is Catholic or not, the chapel inspires us to contemplate on our universal spirituality. The building received the RIBA National Award 2013, the Scottish Design Award 2013, and EAA Building of the Year and Wood Award 2013. Location: George Square, Edinburgh Scotland Completion year: 2013 Client: The Dominican Council as Trustees of the English Province of the Order of Preachers Architects: Simpson & Brown Structural Engineer: Elliott & Company Services Engineer: Irons Foulner Collaborators: George Berry & Partners Links: Architects: http://www.simpsonandbrown.co.uk St Albert’s Catholic Chaplaincy Edinburgh: http://keepingthedooropen. op.org/ Pygmalion Karatzas 203
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QUARTERMILE DEVELOPMENT
Edinburgh, Scotland | Norman Foster & Partners architects This scheme involves the regeneration of the historic Edinburgh Royal Infirmary 8-hectare site creating a sustainable, mixed-use urban community located within a Conservation Area designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. It has won numerous awards including: RICS Scotland Regeneration Award 2008, Saltire Housing Design Award, British Council for Offices Scotland Commercial Workplace Award, Scottish Design Awards (Commendation, Residential, Regeneration). Quartermile is the mixed use redevelopment of the former Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh site between Lauriston and The Meadows. The project is a joint venture between Gladedale Group and the Bank of Scotland. The scheme comprises a mixture of new build apartments, apartments converted from the existing hospital buildings, new offices, housing and retail/leisure uses. Foster and Partners were in charge of the masterplan and the new build apartments and offices. CDA (Comprehensive Design Architects) and Richard Murphy have also designed some of the buildings of this development. Once complete, Quartermile will provide over 900 apartments, 30,000 sq.m. of Grade A office accommodation, 10,000 sq.m. of retail and leisure space and 7 acres (2.8Â ha) of open landscaping.
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The Royal Infirmary, a collection of Victorian-era buildings, was once considered the largest hospital in the British Empire. It is a pavilion-style building, with several wings extending from the central surgical building. In was designed in 1872 by David Bryce in a Scots baronial style following Florence Nightingale’s advice on the arrangement of wards. Later additions were made by Sydney Mitchell, another notable Scottish architect. The site is overlooking The Meadows, a large park in the central city. The park marks the edge of the old city wall and separates the Old Town from Marchmont, a Victorian-era neighborhood on the city’s south side. Both The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt’s University are located near the Royal Infirmary site. Foster and Partners describe the project and their approach: “Quartermile is one of the largest and most comprehensive regeneration schemes in Scotland. Formerly the home of the historic Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the 8-hectare site is located within a conservation area on Edinburgh’s Victorian fringes and includes nine listed buildings. It lies between the heart of the city and the parkland of the Meadows and falls within a central area of Edinburgh that was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. This scheme for its renewal extends the practice’s investigations into the creation of sustainable, mixed-use urban communities, continuing themes first explored in schemes such as the King’s Cross and Duisburg Inner Harbour masterplans The Royal Infirmary hospital campus was originally open and accessible, but a cumulative series of additions had the effect of rendering it impenetrable, isolating it physically and visually from the surrounding city. The starting point for the Quartermile scheme, therefore, was to open the site up, creating a network of pedestrian routes and landscaped public spaces that draw the park directly into its heart, creating a strong sense of place and reinforcing pedestrian connections to the centre, allowing it to become an integral part of the city once again. New construction is combined with the selective refurbishment of the historic buildings, with the new woven carefully into the grain of the old. The development provides housing, office space, a five-star hotel, restaurants, cafés and shops. The apartment buildings are located at the quieter edges of the site, while offices and shops are concentrated in the centre. The commercial buildings frame a new piazza, shaded on three sides by colonnades and animated by the exposed glass lifts of Quartermile Two, a seven-storey office building. The first phases of the development include seven residential buildings, a hotel, an underground car park, and Number One Quartermile, a new office building with dramatic views of Edinburgh Castle that provides the striking gateway to the development.”
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USHER HALL EXTENSION
Edinburgh, Scotland | LDN architects
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‘Usher Hall’ is a concert venue situated on lothian road in the west end of edinburgh, scotland. it has hosted multiple events since its construction in 1914 and can hold approximately 2,200 people. for these reasons, historic scotland has registered the site with category an A-listed building status. LDN architects was commissioned by the city council to propose an extension that would resolve the practical shortcomings of this icon for the performing arts. The designers explain their approach: ‘in true beaux arts tradition, geometry defines the extent of the work – a podium providing level access to all entrances, and a three-storey expansion accommodating the required additional space. the old and new doors acknowledge each other as belonging to the same institution but the new entrance, carefully angled to be visible without being obtrusive, does not detract from the significance of the three main doors.’ The contrasting relationship between these two eras is further exhibited by windows in the new wing on grindlay street that display not only the public space within, but also the stone architecture of the central elements of the existing façade. the resulting composition ensures that there is no confusion between old and new, revealing the strengths of the original aesthetic. Speirs + Major were in charge of re-lighting the building. one of the challenges was finding a solution to illuminate the spiral stairwell that links the hall with its contemporary extension. they developed the idea of a chandelier – a single shaft of light that forms the central axis of the circulation. the 13.8 m. installation uses lengths of fluorescent tubes encased within double acrylic cylinders, the inner layer is frosted to soften the vibrance, while the outer layer is etched with a ringed pattern that catches the beams.
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SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
Edinburgh, Scotland UK | Enric Miralles & Benedetta Tagliabue architects
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Ten years after its completion, the reputation of the Scottish Parliament Building is finally being redefined. Among architects and the academic elite, it has long been heralded as a masterpiece of abstract modernism and perhaps the finest work of Enric Miralles’ all-too-short career. For the general public, however, it was initially known mainly in infamy for being overdue, over budget, and for having its commission awarded to a non-Scottish architect. Only now is it beginning to receive the public acceptance it deserves, as the genius of the architecture emerges from the shadow cast by its mired construction process. The desire for a Scottish parliamentary home emerged with the political resurgence of Scottish nationalism in the latter half of the twentieth century. Its mere existence was controversial, as it represented a move toward autonomous government within the United Kingdom that was not and is still not universally accepted. In 1997, a popular referendum approved the project, and a year later, a widely publicized competition was held for the job. The designs of five shortlisted architects were released to the public for their approval, and while a concept put forward by Rafael Viñoly actually won a greater share of the public support, the selection committee awarded the commission to the Spanish-Catalan architect Enric Miralles, whose design had finished in a close second. Much of the appeal of Miralles’ proposal was his articulate incorporation of Scottish heritage into a radically adventurous design. Drawing inspiration from the Scottish landscape, he borrowed the forms of upturned boats from a nearby shoreline, as well as motifs from the flower paintings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scotland’s architect-turned-national hero. These became the basis for the massing of the building, as well as the form of the iconic canoe-shaped skylight apertures in the Garden Lobby. In addition, Miralles keenly invoked allusions to the Saltire, or the Scottish cross, in ceiling impressions and other details. More than a single structure, the Parliament is actually an entire campus of interconnected spaces. The debating chamber—the heart of the complex—is physically separated from the other programmatic areas, which include an office building for the MSPs, a press tower, administrative areas, and a restaurant and dining area. Tying these separate buildings together is a spectacular, sky-lit ground floor that provides continuous circulation around the site. As a work of architecture, the Parliament is an almost overwhelming sensory experience of complex shapes, materials, and structural devices. Every feature of the building is uniquely detailed, with certain themes and clear sightlines unifying the highly abstracted and seemingly random design. Soaring spaces are juxtaposed with intimate, human-sized niches that create an exciting and unpredictable maze of architectural stimuli. There are simply no afterthoughts in the design, and the attention given to every surface, joint, and opening is remarkable, as one can tell from the inventive structures of the debating chamber ceiling or the custom-made furnishings built for nearly every room. This universal level of detail, while unfortunately the cause of high construction costs and many delays, serves to emphatically reject the establishment of spatial hierarchies; each room is as thoughtful, unique, and important as every other. The effect is striking, and the whimsical expressions of the architect achieve an impossibly difficult formal clarity amid dazzling complexity. While the demanding architectural specifications had unfortunate scheduling and financial side effects, many of the other controversies around the construction were undeserved. An often quoted starting estimate of £40 million, used mainly by opponents of the project to disparage the £414 million final bill, was merely the estimate of a consultant for a siteless, shapeless office block of approximately the requested size. The first estimate of the Miralles-designed building began at £109 million, and many of the further cost increases were the result of the ever-increasing spatial and programmatic demands of the clients. Requested office capacity more than doubled during the design phase of the project, and extravagant ameniPygmalion Karatzas 245
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ties, such as the multi-million pound media spaces, were added later as well. Unfortunately, little of this mattered in the ensuing public outcry that shrouded the building in disdain and made the Parliament into a symbol of government excess, mismanagement, and irresponsibility. For some members of the media and the public, the unconventional and shocking design only made matters worse. Upon its opening, it was derided by some as an architectural travesty, eventually being ranked fourth on a poll of UK buildings the public most wanted to see demolished. Interestingly, though perhaps not too surprisingly, the building’s reception in the architectural community was markedly different. Most critics instantly recognized the brilliance of the design and attempted to defend the groundbreaking project against the extreme costs and delays that threatened to overshadow it. This professional reception showed clearly in the series of major architectural awards that quickly came to the building, perhaps most notably the 2005 RIBA Stirling Prize. Charles Jencks, then serving as a judge on the Stirling Prize committee, analyzed the project’s site-sensitive design glowingly: “In the era of the iconic building, [the Scottish Parliament Building] creates an iconology of references to nature and the locale, using complex messages as a substitute for the one-liner. Instead of being a monumental building, as is the usual capital landmark, it nestles its way into the environment, an icon of organic resolution, of knitting together nature and culture into a complex union.” The rift in perceptions between the architectural elite and the general public has somewhat narrowed over the years as it becomes easier to appreciate the building’s successes outside of the disastrous back story that dominated its early days. For Miralles, who tragically died of a brain tumor in 2000 without seeing its completion, the Parliament has emerged as his magnum opus. The whimsical and impulsive design remains uniquely unparalleled in the world today, and the building continues to exert tremendous influence onto the field of architecture. [text by David Langdon] Pygmalion Karatzas 247
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FONDAZIONE PRADA
Milan, Italy | OMA architects, Rem Koolhaas
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It is surprising that the enormous expansion of the art system has taken place in a reduced number of typologies for art’s display. To apparently everybody’s satisfaction, the abandoned industrial space has become art’s default preference -- attractive because its predictable conditions do not challenge the artist’s intentions -- enlivened occasionally with exceptional architectural gestures. The new Fondazione Prada is projected in a former industrial complex too, but one with an unusual diversity of spatial environments. To this repertoire, we are adding three new buildings -- a large exhibition pavilion, a tower, and a cinema -- so that the new Fondazione Prada represents a genuine collection of architectural spaces in addition to its holdings in art. The Fondazione is not a preservation project and not a new architecture. Two conditions that are usually kept separate here confront each other in a state of permanent interaction – offering an ensemble of fragments that will not congeal into a single image, or allow any part to dominate the others. New, old, horizontal, vertical, wide, narrow, white, black, open, enclosed -- all these contrasts establish the range of oppositions that define the new Fondazione. By introducing so many spatial variables, the complexity of the architecture will promote an unstable, open programming, where art and architecture will benefit from each other’s challenges. [text by the architects]
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ITALIAN PAVILION, EXPO MILANO 2015 Milan, Italy | Nemesi Studio architects
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The design chosen for the Italy Pavilion is the result of an international design competition awarded by Expo 2015 SpA in May, 2013; among 68 participants Nemesi won the competition with Proger and BMS for the engineering and with Prof. Eng. Livio De Santoli for the sustainability. The Italy Pavilion consists of the permanent building Palazzo Italia (6 levels, built area 14,398 sqm) and the temporary buildings along the Cardo (2 levels, built area: 12,551 sqm). Palazzo Italia reaches a height of 35 meters, the highest peak within the Expo site. It’s the only permanently architecture at the Expo. Palazzo Italia will host institutional spaces in addition to the excellences of “Made in Italy”, while the Cardo temporary buildings will be representative of the Italian territory, in particular of the regions, and include a pavilion for the European Union placed in front of Palazzo Italia. Palazzo Italia, permanent building 60X60X34 mt (including branched façade and sail covering), includes: exhibition spaces, auditorium, delegations spaces, offices, events spaces, meeting spaces, restaurant. The Cardo temporary buildings contain: exhibition spaces, events spaces, offices, restaurant spaces and terraces events. Palazzo Italia is considered an architectural and constructive challenge for the complexity and innovation in design, materials and technologies used. The building is designed in a sustainable way thanks to the contribution of photovoltaic glass in the roof and the photocatalytic properties of the new concrete for the branched facade. 2,000 tons of i.active Biodynamic concrete over 700 branched panels all differents 4,000 sqm of sail covering - 400 tons of steel. Because of its architecture and its location, Palazzo Italia is a Landmark within the Expo site: located to the north, it is the scenic backdrop for Cardo avenue which runs right across the site. For Nemesi, the spark for Palazzo Italia was a concept of cohesion in which the force of attraction generates a rediscovered sense of community and belonging. The internal piazza represents the community’s energy. This space - the symbolic heart of the complex - is the starting point for the exhibition route, in the midst of the four volumes that make up Palazzo Italia. Palazzo Italia draws on the concept of an “urban forest” with the branched outer envelope designed by Nemesi. For the design of this “skin” Nemesi has created a unique and original geometric texture that evokes the intertwining random branches. The full external façade of Palazzo Italia will be clad in over 700 i.active BIODYNAMIC panels realized by Styl-Comp with Italcementi’s patented TX Active technology. When this material comes into contact with light, it can “capture” pollution in the air, transforming it into inert salts and reducing smog levels. The roof designed by Nemesi for Palazzo Italia is an innovative “sail” realized by Stahlbau Pichler. It’s an interpretation of a forest canopy, with photovoltaic glass and flat and curved geometric shapes (often squares). Together with the building’s envelope of branches, it will be a manifest expression of innovation in design and technology. The roof reaches its architectural height above the inner piazza, where a massive glazed conical skylight “hangs” over the square and the central steps, radiating natural light. [text by the architects]
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Pygmalion Karatzas studied Architecture at the Technical University of Budapest (1991-95), Urban Design at HeriotWatt University in Edinburgh (1995-97), and practiced architecture for 12 years. In 2006 he participated in the first ‘Ecovillage Design Education’ training-of-trainers course in Findhorn organized by the Global Ecovillage Network and endorsed by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. Since 2013 he is focusing systematically on architectural and fine art photography, producing a portfolio of 250+ architectural, commercial and artistic projects from Europe, USA and Middle East. His images are regularly featured in Greek and international media, have received 86 distinctions from leading global photographic competitions and the prestigious Fulbright Artist Scholarship award 2015-2016, and are part of private and public collections. Since 2014 he is the photo editor for the Danish Architecture Center and a contributing photographer to Arcaid Images London, iStock Getty Images, and Adobe Stock. Divisare Atlas of Architecture ranks him among the top 100 architectural photographers worldwide. He has participated in exhibitions and fundraising in Greece, Italy, France, UK and USA, and produced 10 book collections, with the ‘Integral Lens’ book receiving 3rd place at the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris 2018 and shortlisted at the Trieste Photo Days Book Award. ‘Nortigo architectural abstractions’ received 2nd place at the Moscow International Foto Awards 2019. In affiliation with the University of Tennessee Knoxville and professor Mark DeKay, their paper on a multi-perspectival approach to architectural photography was presented at the 3rd Integral European Conference; at the 5th Trieste Photo Days Festival and in 2019 became part of an academic mini-term / traveling workshop curriculum. Through photojournalistic reportages, collaborations with architectural firms, businesses and organisations, as well as selfinitiated projects, he exhibits his passion and dedication to the study, representation and dissemination of the built environment and its broader role as a cultural asset. www.pygmalionkaratzas.com
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Morphogenesis vol.1 part 2 - Architectural Icons from Europe by Pygmalion Karatzas Credits Publisher: Pygmalion Karatzas Photography Author & Editor: Pygmalion Karatzas Photography: Pygmalion Karatzas First edition: 2013, 2014 Second edition: 2020 Š 2020 Pygmalion Karatzas All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher and author of this book and all products related to this book have used their best efforts in creating this product. Neither the publisher nor the authors make any representation of warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this edition and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Image Licensing: High-resolution images are available for editorial and limited commercial use. Image Copyright: Rights-Managed Š Pygmalion Karatzas. Edition Type: Open edition print. Fine Art Prints: Images are available in gallery-quality fine art prints on various sizes, media and framing options. For further information on usage licensing and prints: pygmalionk@hotmail.com www.pygmalionkaratzas.com Pygmalion Karatzas 309
“Pygmalion Karatzas creates compelling fine art photographs that would appeal to architects and photography collectors alike. His graphic black and white images made with long exposures are sumptuous renditions of details, as well as whole buildings and vistas. His attention to composition reveal his experience as both architect and photographer.” - Julie Grahame, Editor / Curator “This is stunning imagery and certainly tests the viewer to look at architecture in a more dynamic way. Pygmalion’s use of long exposures and how he plays with perspective are innovative and his technical ability is excellent. Overall he surely has a distinct style and command of aesthetics and technique, excellent work!” - LensCulture.com “Very permanent structures juxtapose a transient, almost melting skyline. Yes, photographer and architect Pygmalion Karatzas work definitely has more than a touch of Salvador Dali - Sebastião Salgado’s about it, coupled with a crisp graphic quality.” - Ansel Neckles, Creative director of Let’s Be Brief Morphogenesis’ is the A+ Award Popular Choice Winner in the ‘Plus Categories | Architecture +Photography & Video’ category. This is an unparalleled honor. With entries from over 100 countries, your work truly represents the best of architecture worldwide. As an Architizer A+ Award recipient you have been identified as an industry leader for architecture and design worldwide.” - Marc Kushner, CEO Architizer, awards.architizer.com
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