Component 1 Tayo. W
Viale Luigi Sturzo, Milan in Italy
Milan is a city in Italy which is renowned for its fashion and beautiful architecture. After the last world war Milan progressed the national reconstruction of the area after it was torn apart by Allied bombardments. The city, over time, had emerged as Italy’s major centre for commerce, finance, publishing. In most recent times, Milan has become Italy’s capital for fashion, design and media. I believe that it’s vital to make a contribution due to my admiration for fashion by constructing a piece of architecture that would aid the volume of visitors coming to the city. Building amongst the city landscape would be more challenging than developing a structure in a open space. We must consider how the structure can optimise the use of natural lighting adjacent to high rise buildings and how we can compliment the existing landscape through our designs. This location is most suitable for the scale of my proposed shopping centre as it’s large and doesn’t add any complications regarding high or low areas of relief. The area is accessible because its situated in the heart of the city and is also adjacent to a run way which means that cars pass regularly. By reducing the car park size and whilst prioritising the disabled and delivery trucks we will encourage those interested in visiting to walk or public transport. This way we can contribute towards a low carbon footprint for the city and low the Urban Heat Island effect which warms the metropolitan area.
Design Brief Given that Milan is renowned for its fashion industry, I wanted to provide a one of a kind shopping experience for end users where they’d encounter a large scale catwalk showcasing independent and big branded stores products. The location will be accessible for those travelling by city transport networks such as buses or by bikes or even by walking. My aim is to reduce the customers carbon footprints to the shopping centre which will demonstrate methods to reduce greenhouse gases released from customers visiting. When designing this shopping complex, there are a set of constraints I must to into consideration. Firstly is the amount of natural lighting used. This is important because nowadays, airports and shopping centres have learnt that when there are large spaces it can feel claustrophobic and enclosed when there is an absence of windows allowing natural light to enter in the areas. In addition to this thought it also increases the building’s sustainability as the large scale building will be less reliant on electricity generated by burning fossil fuels during the day time.
Sustainable Shopping Centre Concept by Joost Bakker
Viale Luigi Sturzo Tunnel neighbouring the proposed site
Versace Show Spring Collection - Milan Fashion Week (2018)
Depending on the solar study of the location, this will determine to what extent the building is in need of artificial lighting. My location does have high rise buildings adjacent and therefore this will alter how much lighting the shopping complex receives natural lighting. To optimise the amount of natural lighting received during the day time, I will explore window pane designs and test whether large scales glass designs will be more beneficial for a large scaled construct.
Tommy Hilfiger Spring/Summer – Milan Fashion Week (2018)
Specification
• • • • 1. 2. 3. 4. • • • • • • • • •
To build upon a greenfield location Needs to fit in with the surroundings of the landscape - that being a city Feature plenty of green spaces and plant life Create an environment that is accessible via various transport methods such as: Walking Bus Car Train Have a structure with duplicated shaft openings which allow people to see lower levels of the building Optimise the amount of natural lighting entering the building or location Create a big structure which can cater for large volumes of visitors Include social areas such as restaurants and cafés and orientate these facilities in a position that showcases the architecture of the shopping complex Have large green spaces which will create the illusion that the people have escaped from the outer city and have gone to a more rural destination Feature many trees throughout the location Install a department store adjacent to the main circulation pathways (ease of access) Allow either roofed structure or exposed structure if necessary Pay attention to curved and irregular shaped forms and shapes
Tod’s Omotesando Building
Visiting the TOD’s Omotesandō building inspired me to look further in how we can change the nature of windows in living spaces. The form of the window panes has sparked my curiosity to see whether I can integrate this style in to my shopping complex. Although the formation of windows have been assembled in an irregular flow, it’s formation has been structured in a manor that reflects a branch from a tree.
In this section I explored how the glass panes in the Tod’s Omotesando building changed the way the building was represented. The various sized polygon shaped windows created more of a connection with the outside as they acted as openings to the outside environment for the interior space.
Toyo Ito, Tod’s Omotesando structure study and manipulation
Tod’s Omotesando structure is an interesting secondary source to study. It is an example of how the modern style of architecture can develop into a contemporary form of architecture. I have noticed that the building derives from tree branches and within those spaces, angular windows have been filled. In addition to this, the vertical formation of glass works well with the six storey building as it gives the impression that the glass is climbing up the wall.
Experimenting with this building allowed me to create a structure that is low-lying, showcasing angular glass in a horizontal formation. This works well as much of the wider spaces, can now be accommodated with natural lighting.
Physical Model 1
This model was crafted by folding acetate and then filling it with plaster. It was useful as I successfully created a form that wasn’t hollow inside. From then onwards I began to sketch the outlines and study how the form could be developed. Moreover, window designs for this model had derived from Toyo Ito’s Omotesando structure. Adding this gave the building an added flare a uniqueness. And all the windows were tinted in a turquoise colour which dilutes the interior white floor and walls into a green and blue colour depending on the time of day and the direction of sunlight.
This is a perspective illustration from the bottom of model 1’s inversed structure. Here it has a small pond with vegetation wrapped around it. In addition to this we see vegetation planted on the edges of the contoured levels. This is just an example of how we can connect a community shopping mall with nature.
Underground spaces in my opinion can be challenging to develop. This is due to the idea of having a space that doesn’t feature large amounts of natural lighting as you move further away from the surface. When I researched the solar study of the location (in Milan) it did show that there were interferences with the existing skyline. This meant that high rise structure nearby did in fact have an impact on the volume of lighting entering. However when we develop quarrying sites we can manipulate the structure of the curves as shown in the illustration. This helps us divert the structure nearer to gaps in which two buildings may be next to. This is one solution to working with the blockading high rise structures to allow nature light to seep in. Furthermore, if we want a thriving biodiversity of plant life we must have as much solar energy as possible. Therefore, adapting the nature of the curves to fit in between these tall buildings will result in more solar energy reaching lower levels of the structure
Inversing Physical Model 1’s Design
Perspective view: looking down from the top of the underground space
In this new model we have essential found an image on the internet which best represents model 1’s outlines of the form. By doing this we were able to explore the idea of have a roofless shopping complex where it didn’t require roofing. This is great as we can maximise the volume of lighting throughout various times of day however if it rains then this will deter those from entering the location. In terms of connecting with the environment I believe this is a great way to go as the place feels exposed to the atmosphere. The quarrying site was an interesting source that I developed. Instantaneously, the illustration, found on the internet, had highlighted the contour lines found within this location. In my mind, I could visualise the contour lines being developed into levels below the surface which was very useful as it determined the depth of the building. This was a great example of how certain destinations in the world can ignite ideas in architecture.
Fusing Ideas Together
In this section, I have combined the outlines of the quarrying site for a potential interior space with the horizontal shaped glass. Shopping centres have varying scales. In this scenario we a have a shopping centre that has three storeys and is low-lying. From the illustrations, the space is large and with this in mind, lighting would be key for illuminating the interior spaces. Using artificial lights such as LEDs are great, however, they do not provide people with a sense of time. The intensity of natural lighting can communicate the time of day which is useful for people to know sub-consciously. It can indirectly tell them when they should eat or when they should leave a place. These factors are important as a shopping centre should have the ability to accommodate these thoughts.
Woha Architects Parkroyal Hotel, Structure Study and Manipulation I admire this hotel purely for its efforts in integrating rooftop gardens. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing for tourists and for people visiting the hotel but is also a great sustainable feature. In this age, many green sites in Singapore are being replaced with impervious surfaces due to population growth and urbanisation. It has now become a necessity to recover green spaces in order to maintain environmental quality. The benefits include its ability to mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce air pollution and most importantly increase urban biodiversity. Providing inhabitable spaces for plants and animals means that these spaces can cater for a broader spectrum of living things.
The building has inspired me to explore how we could add or remove the number of building blocks existing which will consequently have an effect on the way we add more rooftop spaces in between these building blocks. I plan to add another building block to enable there to be more green space. It has a nice affect on making the building more connected to nature.
Here I have imagined what the spaces inside the hotel would look like. I added the bedrooms near the balcony space which provides the rooms with a rooftop view of the gardens in addition to the skyline view. When looking at the building from front elevation the construct doesn’t appear to be very creative. However, from this perspective the building highlights the areas where the vegetation is growing. To make this construct more appealing from this perspective we could have more greenery such as hanging vines. This illusion will make the building appear as taller than what it may seem due to the vertical strips of greenery which hang down from the balcony levels. In terms of structure we have used basic cubed forms and have attached them together. Creativity is seen when we look at the nature of the balcony areas. These irregular shaped forms makes the construct look less like a skyscraper and more connected to nature
The main purpose of building a shopping centre called ‘L'armadio della moda’ (The Fashion Closet) in Milan was to fuse a catwalk runway with retail stores. The runway would divide the shopping centre into fragments and create social events for people to visit even if their intention isn’t to purchase products. This concept would allow everybody to focus on one area (the catwalk) and provide independent stores with the spotlight to feature their new line of products. Whilst the high streets are dying, this destination is giving smaller businesses the chance to compete with large scale businesses such as Nike. Creating events like this with seating areas facing the runway will open up new doors for new customers to explore and get a feel for a smaller brands story and what they have to offer. This shopping centre can be viewed as an adaptation to the fading high streets of the 21st century.
Zaha Hadid’s Phaeno Science Centre, Structure Study and Manipulation
A source from The Architectural Review
This is an ArchiCAD Model of the Interior Space I plan to remove the walls and expose the interior walls making them exterior walls.
Plan
CAD Model
The Phaeno Science Centre, is a construct that is very impressive in terms of interior space. When I studied the ground floor I could see that there were several miniature walls acting as the foundations to support the first floor above. My cad model is a representation of the ground and first floor connected into one level to demonstrate that there are several hollow forms that enable the larger hollow form to rest upon on a horizontal plane.
Establishing Floorplans and Levels Adjacent to the Skyline The model was essentially; transformed, duplicated and translated which was all part of the experimenting process in order to develop the exposed community shopping centre. Some wall were complete removed and others were reduced in height to serve as a different purpose such as the island found in the heart of the red illustration. This was transformed into a raised platform which elevated the vegetation space from the walkway areas. I felt it was important to maintain this feature because removing it would have made the area empty and vast.
On the right, a rough sketch has highlighted how the area would appear in relative to a city skyline. These constructs have been a great tool for manoeuvring the interior wall to allow as much lighting to enter the community shopping centre. Towards the back of the image one island has been shifted to the right which has not only improved the overall design circulation but has also adjusted the solar study.
Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford
I studied my local shopping centre by taking a photograph from a typical perspective. I am stood in the heart of the public circulation where you can see a curved walkway space which is also containing a curtain roof design which runs parallel to the long walkway. This glass roof is an impressive addition to the shopping centres design however it did not evoke any feeling of nature whilst I was inside. This was due to the lack of vegetation featured inside the location. To rectify this, I’d plant life such as Marram grass adjacent to the shaft openings. My reasoning behind this is because the shaft opening are located in the centre of the area therefore adding vegetation to these ‘attention drawn’ locations will enable people to see that they are in a natural environment.
Plan Views of Existing Shopping Malls Meadowhall, Sheffield
Westfield, Stratford
Researching existing shopping malls gave me an insight on how people manoeuvre through open spaces. I found that the Westfield shopping centre was simplistic in comparison to the rest and I could visualise a catwalk running through the main circulation area leading to all of the stores.
Bluewater, Dartford
Nanyang technical university structure study and manipulation
The red areas are the places not available to the public. The green space is the entrance for the public. The blue is a potential cinema or entertainment zone. And the yellow is the main circulation for the public when moving to and from other stores.
Roof Garden of Beijing Centre, Andrew Bromberg Structure Study and Manipulation
A source from ArchDaily
Here I have illustrated the breakdown process of this destination. I was drawn to this project due to its objective being similar to my own. Instantly I could see that there were green roofs including green areas adjacent on the ground. The main attraction in the shopping area is located in the middle and there are several terraces on the edges where some overlook the attractor and others overlook the cityscape.
This time I had added five levels to this design which was similar to the structure that I was studying. I place emphasis on what was accessible to the public and the places that were not. Whilst this was being brainstormed I attempted to create as many pockets of spaces that would be accessible to the public which would allow them to experience more perspectives of the structure. In my opinion I’d say the ration to public space to non-public space is 6:4 which is something that appears to be acceptable.
To the right, I have broken down how green roof mechanisms are composed. It highlights the important areas that make the green roof function correctly such as the waterproofing system that prevents mould from seeping below into the interior spaces and the plant level, which cools the surface and reduces heat via evapotranspiration.
Roof Garden Design This design relates back to when I was developing underground spaces. This was achieved by looking at locations on the ground floor that would be suitable for a stairway. The Red line on the left highlights the public flow and the location of the stairway leading to the underground spaces
This has been done similarly with the development on the right. Doing this again helped establish whereabouts the entry point would be for those who travelled via vehicles. Notice how the cars are hidden underground because we are trying to eliminate vehicles from the natural scenery we are trying to create by using various plant species throughout the structure.
The interior of the roof garden design incorporates curved walls with the circular exterior walls.
I plan to develop this model further. It reminds me of an uneven tower block.
Physical Model 2
Physical Model
CAD Model
These handy penny forms were really fun to play with. I created so many differently looking structures but when I stumbled upon this design I thought I need to test whether it would be suitable for a community shopping centre. Whilst the initial physical design did prove to be appropriate for a shopping centre it didn’t however feel appropriate for it to be a ‘community’ shopping centre. This was due to the sheer quantity of the pennies used. So I took the initiative to reduce the number of pennies which did make the structure less overwhelming.
Adding a Gardens to the Rooftop
Niterรณi Arts Centre Study Structure and Manipulation The most stunning location for a Niemeyer building is this promontory in Niterรณi, overlooking Guanabara Bay in Rio. He designed the Niterรณi Arts Centre 1996 at the age of 89. Niemeyer gave Brazil a visual voice and a fresh language of new architecture. This particular structure I assumed in the beginning was a spacecraft design for a set in a movie however after reviewing its legitimacy I was wowed by individuality present by the coast in Brazil.
Irregular Forms and Shapes
This is the stairway of an interior space I have studied. Its angular but yet irregular form, has made the stairway appear to unevenly climb up the building. Moreover, the stairway features a hollow form that can be seen to the left which cuts out the space until it reaches the ground. This effect makes the stairway look as though it is spiralling down each level which I admire a lot. This has provided me with the idea of creating an irregular shape one that can be found on Tod’s Omotesando facades and create a stairway or shaft, around the shape. This will allow people to see multiple levels above or below just like shopping centres such as Westfield or Lakeside.
Physical Model 2 Development
The Spiral found at the Niterรณi Arts Centre was something that gave me the inspiration to test whether such bridges or walkways could be used within interior spaces. I used the pennies form and tested using two pennies the several ways I could connect each floor to make it accessible for the visitors. By following the rules of geometry I was able to create a plan view on whereabouts the two walkways were to be orientated. Moreover, irregular shafts created seen in orange that were to cut through the form like the inspired staircase gave me direction on good location for the gently inclining interior bridges.
Renderings
The render successfully gave me a visual of what the pennies form would look like at the correct scale with respect to the trees and people on the ground surface.
Physical Model 3
Reassembling a Ceiling Design This beach house found along the coast includes wooden fins which act as the ceiling. I tried to extract this and create a model that highlights the area I had chosen to develop. Dividing the model into various shapes and orientating it so then half of it would overhang and the rest would be attached to the ceiling. This would act as a shading instalment hanging from the edge of the glass. This resembles the Westfield Shopping Centre as it acts like a natural rooflight where structural outlines are seen whilst natural lighting can still enter the interior of the building.
Daniel Libeskind’s Poetic Projection Elevation Study
I used my physical model to continue creating another model
Daniel Libeskind famously designs buildings that juxtaposes the style of Zaha Hadid’s style of architecture. However, I like to use both architecture in combination with one another especially when I initially develop and polygon type shape or structure. Once it is created and can adjust the design using the computer to add arcs which eliminates the vertices found in the initial design. This means the form can now look more like Zaha’s architecture because it feature curves like a parametric design. CAD Model
Zaha Hadid Heydar Aliyev Centre
This structure follows the style of Parametric architecture which is found in most of Zaha Hadid’s Designs. It seamlessly flows and not an edge is found in sight. It’s white themed exterior is an attractive feature than reflects the sunlight during the day and during the night, it is illuminated by the LED lighting found in the interior. Some may argue that his building is simplistic due to it lack of materials and simplistic nature however this is a very complex design which is mathematically calculated using a computer. This makes it easier to design forms that require curves.
Physical Model Adaptation and Manipulation After studying the Heydar Aliyev Centre the facility breakdown comprised of three facilities of various sizes. I took this on board and attempted to breakdown my structure into three compartments; • Workers zones (A) • Retail public space (B) • Entertainment public space (C)
Here I had removed the vertices which was an important process within the design of making a similar construct to the Heydar Aliyev Centre. This smoothed out the structure and from that point I added volume to the form by integrating Zaha Hadid’s window pattern. I really like it because its not too complex to the extent where it draws our attention away from the main structure.
Breaking down the form into three forms allowed me to focus on what each facility could provide. B was the form I really wanted to work on due to its gentle rise from the floor space till it reached the peak which was at the ceiling. In terms of circulation, as people exit the elevator, for those that intended to reach the opposite end of the structure requires them to pass through a plethora of shops. This is just a psychological tactic for the retail economy which will aid them to draw in customers along their journey to the curtain wall which features the view overlooking the community shopping centre.
Multipurpose Walkway Design
I tried to be smart when it came down to designing the multipurpose walkway because it needed to wrap around the structure whilst sensibly providing a route for train lines to follow. Having a spiral pathway wouldn’t have been sensible for the train lines because people want to get to places quickly and efficiently. Circulating around one space would have been unnecessary. I decided to develop the bottom right design because it allows people to walk into the place adjacent to the road in Milan and features a simple one curve design which has an extension that runs parallel to the curve.
Planning Final Model – Incorporating Design Ideas When I was creating the skyline of building in which the structure would be positioned next to, I decided that the apartment would also adopt the vegetation feature by installing green balconies on every level. Although I was unable to represent what type vegetation was seen on the balconies, I wanted there to be moss planted there. This is a great plant that provides a cooling effect for urban cities whilst it absorbs solar radiation via photosynthesis.
I didn’t want visitors entering the location to be greeted with just an escalator and a disabled lift so I planned to a add a modern roof with perpendicular faces to act as a roof for the entrance.
For the first time, I have added the train on to the platform which enables us to visualise the types of transport that could be used for the proposed location.
Shaft Design and Floor Plan
Flooring Design = Large scale shafts with angular shape inspired by Tod’s Omotesando structure = Second floor = First floor
Here we can see that I’ve looked at how I can use the pennies design idea to assist me with the large shaft design idea. Doing this has allowed large volumes of natural lighting to enter the construct during various times of day. This was very important as it was mentioned in the specification. The orientation and scale of the shafts seen in plan view and other perspectives have been designed in a unique way that follows the flow of the exterior walls and seamlessly flows in conjunction with the shopping mall space. Notice how the shape or outline of the shaft has been inspired by Tod’s Omotesando building in addition to the turquoise tinted glass railings that provide protection from the large drop down to the lower levels.
Department Store
The Woha Parkroyal structure has inspired me to add the three levels of greenery which will overlook the shopping centre. It gives the building a individuality that contrasts the other tall structures within the community area in Milan. The orange is a section view of the department stores on the inside. There’s a large air circulation found near the ground floor due to the high ceilings. This was intentional as it provides the entrance with air flow that is suitable for a large quantities of customers entering the facility.
This is the floor plan of the department store. Each floor features a similar floor plan with respect to the dimensions of the main form.
Neighbouring Towers
Vegetation is also featured at the balconies which adds to the escape from the city and fuses with the environment located at the shopping complex
Elevations
Key: Entrance
Car Park Exposed Shopping Centre (Roof Absent)
Left
Underground Shopping Centre Recreational Area/Park
Front
Right
Back
Renderings
Evaluation Initially, I knew that the project was going to be a great challenge due to the scale that was required for the structure. Exposing the rooftop removed the creativity seen in my final outcome but did however force me to demonstrate how my creativity could be displayed in other departments of the building such as the floor plan or the balcony spaces. In terms of my final design, I believe I had created an appropriate design for the community shopping centre because I correctly research the site constraints beforehand which allowed me to create a structure that would be suited in real life. The floor plan areas were harder to design because I felt as though I didn’t want too many of the walls to be in the way for the public when the circulate around the premises. Using SketchUp allowed me to really visualise how the design would appear. Using perspective tools, elevations and sections views allowed me to display my work in various viewing locations. It would have been a great addition if I could have used the rendering software because the lighting effects would have highlighted the areas where there was a deficit of sunlight and the areas with a surplus amount of sunlight throughout the day. In terms of my theme of irregularity and curved forms, I felt like I had used this theme throughout. I felt like I paid attention to artists that adopted a certain style of architecture and how I could initially start to develop a design inspired by one artist and transform the design to appear more like another persons style of architecture. I would have loved to have explored more work by Toyo Ito because I enjoyed looking at how he develops his forms into futuristic types of architecture by manipulating the shapes of architectural glass. I do believe creating a model would have been necessary for this artist because it would have demonstrated my understanding of mimicking the silhouette of tree branches. Furthermore, I paid great attention to the exterior design rather than the interior design. I did this on purpose because the interior didn’t have the wow factor that was seen with the exterior space in my opinion. The inside reminded me of a similar shopping interior that can be found in many locations with the exception on the top floor which could be held for multipurpose events. I appreciated the detailed design that was found at a quarrying sector and how it was transitioned into a constructional format. This showed me that I could use natural forms to aid my design ideas which I wasn’t really into in the past. After my development of the site, I felt confident that this style of architecture was going to be suited for my exposed underground community centre. Soon after I integrated the Toyo Ito’s Omotesando window panes which allowed me to add it to the quarrying sector design where it appeared above the ground level. It was a great addition to the community centre floor plan that illustrated the three-level below the surface. To improve upon this area I could have developed the interior of these spaces but I avoided this because I felt as though it was too time consuming and I didn’t really want to generalise my interior stores with the same plan views. Later on, I came across Woha Architects. This particular firm inspired me greatly in terms of how they integrate natural spaces such as gardens with tall skyscrapers. I used this idea to manipulate my own structure and design and add a balcony that had its on free form style. This resembled the free growth of the plants that travel around spaces without a fixed direction. Once I felt confident with my design approach I progressed my project on to exploring floor plans of the entire site. I used the Zaha Hadid’s Phaeno Science Centre to aid my design adjustment for the exterior wall that interacted with the floorplan. While I was doing this, I thought it would be great if I could incorporate the cities skyline to gain a feel for the location. Although my sketch was not an accurate representation I was still able to consider the thought due to it being a requirement on my specification. Sometimes I tend to have clear visions in my mind. It really aided my thought process on how a potential place can be structured. When it got to the point where I needed to plan my final design much of it was showcased on the final model itself. In theory, I should have created a few more illustrations to communicate that they were the steps forward for my design. Although the method could have taken this pathway my method in planning and designing at the same time did not prove to be an issue on my final outcome. I believe this project would be very useful for urban planners and architects working closely with the government of Milan or other external bodies because this proposed location is resting upon a greenfield site. Therefore, there is so much potential that can be made by filling this space with a community centre with patches of vegetation and rare plant life. This will essentially connect people with one another by providing a sociable location and most importantly connect people with nature by escaping the city environment.
“I try to give people a different way of looking at their surroundings. That's art to me.� Maya L