Parasitic Architecture: Defying an Illegal Connotation
by Joel Pominville
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| Legal/Illegal, Manuel Herz Architects, Cologne, Germany |
Parasite [par-uh-sahyt],
an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the
host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment. In biology, this can mean
anything from harmful parasites like cestodes, the common tape worm, to non-harmful
parasites such a the cowbird who simply lay their eggs in other species nests
for them to be cared for by the host bird. The definition of a parasite can be
translated into an architectural language as well. In the same way, a structure
is designed to be in, on, or around a preexisting structure that acts as its
host. The word parasite definitely carries a negative connotation in biological
conversations, and this can be true in architecture as well. However, by
studying a project such as Legal/Illegal by Manuel Herz Architects, one can see
how parasitic architecture can be used as a piece of complimentary architecture
and not just as an opposition to the host structure.
For many years after the Second World War, Cologne was in a bit of an
urban planning crisis, and more specifically, Bayenthal, a suburban housing
district in Cologne. The crisis was the families of the city were moving in
exponential amounts to the countryside, no longer content with the living
conditions within the suburban fabric of the city. The proposal sent forth by
the Bayenthal district was to instead bring the countryside inward. The way in
which this would be exectuted was to bring countryside living conditions to the
city. They planned to expand city streets and allow for more pedestrian
traffic. However, financially, this was not feasible in such a low-density
area. There was only one more solution to the problem: architecture.
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| Section Perpendicular to Street |
This is how the project by Manuel Herz comes into the discussion. If
architecture is the solution to the housing crisis, then there needs to be more
than what was there before. However, because the monetary funds are not there
to completely demolish and rebuild, there needs to be a connect between the
existing and the newly created. When discussing such complementary
architecture, the idea of ‘parasite’ comes to mind. To use an existing
structure as a host to create a new structure in, on, or around that host. I
see Legal/Illegal as a sensitive but innovative creation of parasite. First, it
is necessary to discuss how law created the form of the volume seen in the
section. In an area dominated by housing regulations, the volume conforms to
all the setbacks, heights, and entrance rules. However, the sheer volume of the
structure contains more floor area then is allowed in that area, the volumes
extruding from the surface cause harsh shadows on the nearby buildings, and
even the fire regulations are slightly overlooked. There in lies the
Legal/Illegal title of the project. Looking at the project in elevation with
the adjacent buildings give you an image of a building that is initially seen
as a violent, opposing parasite. However taking another look at the form was
all I needed to convince me this work of architecture fits in very well in an
abstract sort of way.
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| Diagram Showing Continuities Between Existing and New, by Joel |
If you take a look at the main elements of the buildings adjacent to the Herz design, you start to notice some sort of continuity between Legal/Illegal and the two buildings beside it. First of all, the two buildings only have two floors above the height of the arch. The Herz building has a reading of only two floors, or window openings if you will, above the arch. The openings are also very similar in size. In fact, the Herz entrance seems to be an average of the entrances of the adjoining buildings. The depth expressed on the façade seems to be just a less subdued depth than on the adjoining facades. Of the parasitic architecture studied in class, I believe the Legal/Illegal building designed by Manuel Herz found a way to address the ‘host’ site while still pushing the suburban area ahead with its innovative and maybe disruptive design. Bravo Manuel Herz.
References:
Architect Pages
Dictionary Entry
Pictures
http://www.archdaily.com/133678/legal-illegal-manuel-herz-architects/
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