Expression of Interior Detail in Adaptive Re-use Approaches

Expressions of Interior Detail in Adaptive re-use approaches The meeting of the old and new through case-studies Shikha Mehta Faculty of Design, CEPT University

ABSTRACT Every built form being reused is to be a palimpsest, having its own story, layers of history and relevance in time. An adaptive reuse intervention being introduced develops a language based on the original built and its history, the new function and the design stand taken by the designer. These stands can be for the interventions to either be in complete contrast to the original or blend and fuse with it, to respect its history and not touch it or pierce into it, to celebrate it or to destroy it.

The expression of the details between the old and the new, however minute, is critical in defining them - either as individualistic entities or as subtly different beings and it affects the spatial perception of space monumentally. The case-studies of Phantom Restaurant, Opera Garnier (Paris), S(ch)austall(Germany) and the Selexys Dominica Library (Holland) are projects where the built form has been re-used without damage or breaking of the built-form inspite of different design approaches.

The paper is to be a study into these designed gaps and junctions where the built and the intervention meet for the new design stands to be expressed impactfully in the reused space.

This is to be done with an analysis of the interior detail and expression, in multiple case studies studying why the built form has been retained, how the details come into being without destroying the built-form and how the design approach has been conveyed. The case-studies are studied with an idea of materials, colours, fixtures, junction details, aesthetical expression and conveyance of design stand.

Keywords: Detail, Expression, Interior, Adaptive re-use, History

1. INTRODUCTION Some buildings prior to becoming defunct have a historic value, some notional and nostalgic ones. They now have layers of history, time, value and memories on them, making them stand after many years, still in time. Any such building being re-used would evoke design sensibilities and responsibilities, generating a response on how to treat them. “The building already has a story; all you have to do is add the interesting next chapter”1

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Bruner Jerome, “ Past and Present as Narrative Constructions,” in Narration, Identity, and Historical Consciousness

This next chapter, as time goes by has become critical with the development of technology and modern materials. It becomes important for a designer to choose behind maintaining the aesthetics of the historic buildings or bringing it to the 21st century. As this new function forms another added layer to the story of the building, does the conversation between the built form and the addition communicate to us how relevant the built form is – perhaps to the area or in a particular time? What then becomes important is understanding the built to understand which aspects of it are important to retain and how to make them seen and felt after the re-use.

2. APPROACHES OF ADAPTIVE RE-USE AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO HISTORY: With the evolution of time and technology, it is understandable that many historically relevant built forms like fortresses, palaces, etc. built in earlier centuries have become defunct. The list would go on to include largely, Industrial Era buildings, at their limelight in Pre and PostWorld War time. More recent additions would be the comparatively modern buildings having outlived their functions or due to less longevity of its materials. Re-using all of these typologies, regardless of their new functions would mainly be through vastly different approaches based on the built form‟s historical relevance.

Many historical buildings are protected by laws of their respective countries, constraining destruction or hampering the built-form. The new interventions are then designed and structured accordingly. For example, Fondaco dei Tedeschi, built in the 16th Century famed to be „ the most recognisable building of Venice', was first a German trade post, then a customs house under the rule of Napolean, later a post-office under Mussolini. It has layers of history attached. It was granted legal status banning any structural interventions to the built (designed re-use by OMA architects to DFS Retail store in 2016).

Even without the constraint of legality protecting the built form, it is on the designer‟s sensibilities to not break or cover a relevant built-form. Instead, design subtle interventions or interventions that „ blend‟ with the aesthetics of the original form or shy away from the structure as a sign of respect to it. This situation might change if the built form is not very relevant in its time or to the people. In case of many Industrial Era buildings the designers have chosen to mould the built-form according to the new function categorising the elements important to the characteristic of the built and retaining them. The new intervention has the power to immortalise the built‟s architecture and history associated by livening the space with a new function with an appropriate design approach.

2.1 Approach: Contrast In many adaptive reuse examples where the intervention is in contrast to the original built the approach is to destroy parts of the building and let the intervention pierce in. This is termed as a 'parasitic contrast'. In the Contemporary Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskin, the museum is housed In 1906 PowerHouse, which though relevant in its time is completely broken, retaining only one façade with Neo-classical Elements .The intervention is inserted as a parasite breaking through the built.

The old and the new meet in a proper joint wherein the contemporary blue-glass cladded metal structure cuts through the red-bricked shell unapologetically. The reason for this contrast is to bring the Jewish culture into the 21 st century.

Intervention Retained facade

Intervention Retained facade 

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Contemporary Jewish Museum – Intervention cutting through the built-form

2.2 Approach: Blending Preservation and renovation of many historical buildings are approached with an idea of replicating the original built. Decorative elements like cornices, pediments, friezes, etc are retained because of their historical value.

In terms of adaptive re-use of historical buildings, as a means to not let the built form and its elements lose importance, subtle interventions are added that visually blend with the original built. Materials chosen fuse with the original materials. In the case of Museo di Castelvecchio by Carlo Scarpa, famed for its idea of layering and stratification of the old layers of materials in the building, Scarpa says, “to allow it ( the old fragment) to maintain its own identity, its own history … you increase the tension between the old and the new.”2 Here, new materials are added, leaving a gap between the original elements and the new creative interventions- they appear separate such that it is a celebration of the old and existing. The design aims to immortalise the acentuate the memory of the layers of history associated with the built with an elaborate understanding of it which also results in the decision on how to go about the demolition of the built-form where required.”

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Rab, S. 1998. Pg448

WALL

Defined edge gap Intervention FLOOR

Floor and wall Junction : Gap between the wall and floor

Treatment to arched entrances, floor

2.3 Approach: Juxtapose Juxtapose, defined as „to put things that are not similar next to each other, generally for a contrasting effectâ€&#x; 3 is used in adaptive re-use to imply the placement of new and old side-byside. It is a mix of the approach of Blending and Contrast, either doing a bit of the both or a little more of one.

In the project by OMA Architects, converting the 16th century building Fondaco dei Tedeschi to a retail store mentioned before, the new interventions of modern materials of gold coated metal, bright red paint, concrete, terrazzo, glass, white coated metal are added, placed in parts against the old bricks of the original built. The added interventions like the staircases are added at a gap from the built, while the added brass strips, concrete inserts are placed next to the old bricks making for interesting visuals of juxtapose. The geometry of the added interventions is designed according to the geometry of the existing built-form.

[Image 1] Materials and elements juxtaposed ( Fondaco dei Tedeschi, by OMA Architects)

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https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/juxtapose [Accessed 24th September 2019]

3. Impact of Design Approach on Interior Detailing As seen from the examples above, the design approach taken for adaptive re-use projects have an impact on the congregation of the old and the new and the details that merge them.

The following case-studies are examples of the different design approaches used in adaptive re-use. The study covers the relevance of the built-form and the design decisions and details that were governed by it.

3.1 CASE-STUDY: Phantom Restaurant, Opera Garnier,Paris Architects: Studio Odile Decq Built in: 1861 Adaptive re-use in: 2011 Area: 11,00 sq m Original Function: Opera House New function: Restaurant (a part of entire built)

Image 2 : Façade of Palais Garnier

Image 3 : Added glass at entrance

In the project of Phantom Restaurant, Opera Garnier by Studio Odile (Case Study 1), the restrictions as put forth by the architects was " Creating a new space in the Opera Garnier meant following strict guidelines concerning the historical character of the monument: in order to ensure the possibility of completely removing the project without damage to the existing structure, we were not allowed to touch any of the walls, the pillars, or the ceiling.â€&#x;4 The Palais Garnier is an Opera House, constructed between 1861 to 1875 and is known as a masterpiece of Neo-Baroque style theatre architecture of its time.

Design approach - Contrast The approach for the project was to respect but not mimic the aesthetics of the monument, while designing a restaurant space that establishes its own contemporary identity.

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https://www.archdaily.com/476883/the-opera-garnier-restaurant-studio-odile-decq th ( Accessed 9 September, 2019)

For this design stand to come through in the space while not touching the original monument, in the façade glass has been used as a means to not have any visible structure.

The glass which undulates through the columns without touching it is supported by a strip of bent steel that is attached along the arched ceiling with stainless steel connecting rods. The detail is minimal with the glass being transparent and the joinery material of steel being thin and establishing an undulating expression of its own. ( Image 5)

 Image 4: Suspended feel of the mezzanine

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Image 5: Detail, expression of junction

Interior Details With a requirement of 90 seats for dining, floor space has been created by a mezzanine level wherein this integrated structure has a soft, curved feel in contrast to the edges of the original built. The level as a singular element runs continuously in the space, and wraps around the existing columns maintaining a gap. To support the mezzanine, narrow columns rise from the ground. The insertion reads as a parasitic entity that moulds its form as it moves through the space while not touching any vertical element of the original built form it is now residing in. The visual gap between the old and the new along with the dramatic red and white of the insert against the muted tone of the old stone further emphasizes the design stand of the insert having its own contemporary identity.

Image 6: Bold red insert wrapping around column

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 Image 7: Detail of inserted structure

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The addition of the insert as a mezzanine also emphasizes the importance of the dome of the original Opera House by placing the customers closer to observe the ceiling and carving the floor to make the keystone of the dome visible from the lower level.

Interior additions of bright red sofas as well as a bar placed at one end follow a designed gap from the built‟s columns. The project observes a visible and palpable contrast in its form, material, colour, structure and makes its design stand felt through the gap along all vertical elements in the space as a means of establishing its identity while respecting the site and not touching it.

4.2 CASE-STUDY 2: S(ch)austall, Germany Architects : FNP Architekten Built in : 1780 Adaptive re-use in : 2004 Original Function : Pigshed New function : Showroom The built-form located in Southern Germany, is an inspiring example of a derelict pig-shed converted to a showroom. The structure was partially destroyed during the World War II and later used for a variery of functions before the current owners purchased the pig-shed (Saustall) to a Showroom, hence naming it Schaustall.

 Image 8: Adaptive re-use as a component inserted

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Image 9: Placement of insert

Design approach - Juxtapose Famous and close to the hearts of the locals, the architects could not touch the structure in the fear that it would crumble. The resultant idea formulated was to insert a „Box‟ in the box with the insertion being an exact off-set replica of the original. The wooden replica box of the shell is assembled and then placed on-site (Image 5), without touching the shell and hence preserving it intelligently. The approach of juxta-pose places the new and old material sideby-side with neither a strong visual contrast nor blend, but a visually correct proportion of both. The relevance of the built has been taken into consideration in the design process resulting in the nature of the output.

Interior detail The insert, complete with new flooring and glass windows, touches the outer structure without leaving a gap and is free-standing on the ground. The design is a single, fast, convenient solution to integrating a possible new function in the derelict untouchable builtform to completely preserve it without breaking a single brick.

Image 10: The old and new

Image 11: Juxtaposition of materials

4.3 CASE-STUDY 3: Selexys Dominica Library, Holland Architects: Merkx+Girod Architecten Built in: 1294 Area: 750 sq m Adaptive re-use in: 2004 Original Function: Church New function: Library New Area : 1200 sq m Creating a continuous dialogue between history and modernity, this Gothic Church has an insert of a book library through levels of bookshelves added to the right nave of the built with an idea to retain and highlight the impactful height of the original structure and the rhythmic flow of the columns on the left. The floor space lacking in the built has been achieved by the levels incorporated.

A series of stairs lead visitors up the black steel walk-in bookcase, providing an up close and personal view of the vaults of the nave, enthralling them with a near-sighted view of the frescoes and revealing an unknown perspective.5

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http://nationaltraveller.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=251:selexyz-dominicanen-bookstore th (Accessed 18 September 2019)

The modern scheme of the library has been added while maintaining churchâ€&#x;s architectural structure and definitive design attributes Design approach - Blending Weaving in an industrial insert to the Gothic style of the church with a subtlety so as to preserve the old building and its important characteristics such that the insert and the built blend in a way that neither gains more attention than the other is observed in the adaptive re-use project.

Image 12: Intervention and the built

Image 13: Placement of insert

Interior Detail The black metal inserts are wrapped around the original row of columns such that they are not touched. The insert is free-standing, attached and anchored to the ground, avoiding any support or anchoring from the columns or vaults off the structure. There is a designed gap between the old and the new. They appear to be in a dialogue of coalescence, inspite of being two separate entities. The insert attaching to only one side without taking over the built is an attempt to respect the structure with a strategically placed intervention with a nature of subtle blending.

5. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CASE-STUDIES: (i) Congregation of old and new Case-studies A and C, in ornate historical buildings have observed the policy to steer away from the vertical walls and columns in the built. The distance maintained defines the intervention through the form irrespective of the colour and material difference. In Casestudy A, through the soft curved flowing forms, the approach of contrast applied is clearly accentuated by the gap between the old and the new.

Case-study C, wherein the linearity is maintained in the intervention, through its sleeker members wrapping around the columns, the increased ratio of mass to void compared to the original built and its industrial look make it appear clearer as an intervention.

Case-study B, has a different approach of coalescence of the old and the new, yet the two appear as different elements through the finesse of the new insert against the dilapidation of the old. It however has in a clever way retained the exterior built as a shell-form into which the new has been placed.

(ii) Materials and Colour Case-study A is a great example to utilise colours as a medium to depict contrast. The bright red used in the interiors of the intervention and the shiny white on the outside create a successful contrast with the muted, matte ochre hues of the original Neo-classical built. The colours along with the curved forms represent modernity within the ancient adding to the feel of contrast as the design stand taken.

Case-study C, on the other hand, is where the intervention of black metal avoids being in clear contrast with the church.

Case-study B, uses the warm coloured fine plywood against the white-grey plaster of the built, accentuating the juxtapose between the two as they are placed side-by-side in the interiors. (iii) Aesthetical expression and conveyance of design stand Case-study A uses form, colour, material difference and a visual distance with the original built-form to appear as a contemporary separate entity and thereby making its stand of contrast.

Case-study B, preserves the built with negating it with a new built-form inserted into it. The relevance to the built-form is maintained by mimicking the exact form and cut-out of apertures of the old built. The back-to back joining of the old and the new and the colour and material difference accentuates the juxtapose.

Case-study C, appears to subtly insert the new intervention with its form, material and colour. With the strategic placement of the insert in one part on the built, it respects the builtform by not overtaking it and highlighting the height and decorative elements by exposing them.

CONCLUSION The relevance of history plays a monumental role in the design decisions adopted in an adaptive re-use project. Taking forth the idea of an adaptive re-use as a chapter in the builtâ€&#x;s life, it becomes possible to immortalise the built through the design. In the case-studies studied, the design approach was decided according to the history, nature, structure and physical condition of the built-form.

The design approaches of contrast, juxtapose and blend were all successful in retaining the original built. These approaches further decided the form of the intervention, colour, materials and the overall aesthetics.

An approach of contrast that retains the built saw a designed gap or a junction between the old and new along with a different language through opposing forms and colour. A blend saw a narrower gap between the two with a similar language of materials, colour, form and aesthetics. A juxtapose pushes the both together visually.

The case-studies represent the possibility of utilising history as an essential tool in the design process of adaptive re-use where the design approach can be executed successfully with the help of design tools of forms, materials, colour, etc. Through meaningful adaptive reuse designs, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to retain historical builtforms if possible while conveying design stands by other possible means.

Bibliography: 1. Lewis, R. (in press-b). Re-Architecture: Adaptive Reuse of Buildings – Focus on Interiors. Faculty of Architecture, Manipal University.

2. Kersting, J. (in press). Integrating Past and Present : Story of a building through Adaptive Re-use. University of Cincinnati, 2004.

3. Wallis, D. (in press). Museums: A beacon for change. School of Architecture, University of Hawaii.

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