Fritz van Dongen's "The Whale"

The “Whale” apartment complex located on Amsterdam’s Sporenburg Peninsula was designed by Dutch architect, Fritz van Dongen and completed in 2000.  The unique design generates diversity in an area of predominately traditional architecture. The idea behind the sloping rooflines and hollow center was to capitalize on natural sunlight throughout the entire building. The exterior façade is a combination of zinc plates and glass windows that cantilever up on two ends allowing for open passage underneath. The elevated floor also allows for natural light to cast through the ground and carry through to the private garden within the structure. The 170-unit complex utilizes all views from the interior private garden to the exterior views of water and public life below.

At first glance the building looks like a traditional square with excess of windows, but upon further investigation I really became intrigued with the shape that was formed with the sloping roof and ground lines.  I also found the placement of the non-uniform windows an interesting feature. Generally buildings with predominately glass facades have standard, uniform windows but this approach adds more uniqueness and complexity to the structure. By having so many windows placed throughout the entire structure it really does optimize the natural light and creates a nice solid and void.

I wanted to show how much of an impact the windows had on the rest of the building and to do so I cut out a model of one side of the Whale. The pictures below show the impact of solid and void and how when natural light penetrates the windows it floods through most of the apartment complex.  When standing in the center of the complex I imagine that the shadows casted create a nice composition when reflected on one another.  The model also shows the sloped roofline that comes together to create a hollow center.

Another intriguing aspect of the building is its unique resemblance to the surrounding waters. The zinc plates and glass windows share a similar color and reflectiveness that bounce off one another. The materials used are just another way that Fritz van Dongen created a monumental, inhabitable and functional sculpture that defines itself against the traditional surrounding neighborhoods. 

Terminal Hoenheim

Zaha Hadid’s 2001 Terminal Hoenheim is located in the suburbs of east France in the city of Strasbourg. Hadid’s idea behind the design was to encourage people to leave their cars outside of the city to help alleviate the congestion and pollution within the city.  The design included a train station and a car parking area for 700 cars. She wanted to create an energetic space that defined its function and purpose to the users while maintaining open circulation that optimizes natural light.  Part of Hadid’s design was to give the space an ever changing identity and to do this she created a contrast between black tarmac and white lines. This was to give the illusion of an  “imaginary shadow” which would link the train station to the parking lot.

 Hadid wanted to create a three dimensional space that was enhanced by its playful use of light. She uses lines that overlap one another to show the continuous movement. Whether they are painted on lines or light lines that come together to create an attractive space that defines the programs spaces of waiting, storage, toilets, shops and parking.

To create the ever-changing space Hadid divided the parking lot into two parts known as magnetic fields. The magnetic fields are the white lines that define the spaces where cars are constantly coming and going.  She placed a light post on the line of each parking space that was opposite of the color of the ground and line in order to give the “imaginary shadow.

The model shown shows the over hang structure and how when light is casted through the openings it reflect the lines of the parking spaces. I think Hadid was successful in showing three-dimensional movement through this approach but the approach she used outside is not as strong. It is hard to understand the concept she wanted to achieve in daylight. Instead it looks like a bunch of stationary light posts that do not reflect the constant movement of cars and light.

The cutout shows how the lines in the roof create the lines of the parking spaces on the plain concrete ground. I think this a great way to show how light changes a space at different times of the day.   

The Rolex Learning Center

The Rolex Learning Center located in Lausanne Switzerland was designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. Construction on the center began in 2005 and was not completed until 2009. The massive center features a library, a center for language studies, offices, cafeteria, a restaurant and a lobby. Sejima and Nishizawa’s idea behind the unique design was to create a space that featured multiple different indoor/outdoor spaces within one structure. To do so they designed the roof and the floor to have a curving effect, which allowed for seven distinct interior courtyards. By giving the roof and floor an undulating shape it allows for the interior spaces to have an open and varying feel. In addition the Center receives more natural light and better circulation of the learning and office spaces. The design was inspired by pieces of sculpture and is often recognized more as a landscape than an actual building.  From above it is hard to see how the curves of the roof continue down to the ground, but it is very obvious when approaching the building. The Center is accessible on all four sides and was designed so that visitors have to walk under the actual building.

I found it very interesting how Sejima and Nishizawa took a basic square and created a space with continuous movement that engages its visitors from the interior and the exterior. I wanted to reflect the movement and the effect that the courtyards had on the building as a whole.  The model above shows the basic design of the roof and how when layered it creates a space of many levels. I also wanted to look at the light and how when direct sunlight shines through the courtyards it also flows through the entire building. While trying to create the same effect it showed me how each curve had to be particularly executed in order to create a structurally sound building.  I also wanted to show how the building does not sit directly on the ground. The sketches show how the building allows for people to access it by walking under the first floor of the Center. The second sketch shows how the curves of the building correlate to the elevation of the site. 

Esprit Nouveau Pavilion

Esprit Nouveau Pavilion was designed for the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris France in 1925.  Le Corbusier’s idea behind the temporary construction was to showcase his ideas of architecture and urbanism through a provocative design.  During the time of construction, Le Corbusier’s ideas were regarded as being an unusual way to introduce domestic spaces. The building is composed of two different modules that were initially designed separately but later merged together to create the pavilion. The modules were designed so that they could easily be replicated and reconstructed all over European cities.

The style of the time was Art Nouveau and it was mostly a form of decorated art. Esprit Nouveau Pavilion received a lot of criticism upon its completion for the lack of detail and its use of space. Through the model below I wanted to show how powerful of an impact the minimalistic façade has on building as a whole. I chose to cut out the front elevation of the wall of windows and the pavilion, to show how the two come together to create a very open, yet private space. While there is no ornamentation to the building, its clean lines and sleek exterior create enough detail for the design to be powerful and inviting. 

Hotel Everland

Collaborative architecture is a combination of many different elements. Hotel Everland is a prime example of how change, alternative technologies and prefabrication can create a design that is unlike the standard designs today. Hotel Everland, designed by Swiss architects, Lang and Baumann was envisioned to create a space that could travel to the most spectacular places in the world.  The one room, multifunctional space represents architecture in a detailed and playful way. Everything from the interior to the exterior colors was chosen to reflect the whimsical concept of a traveling hotel. The hotel/exhibition is a piece of contemporary art that was originally installed in 2002 on the roof of the Palais De Tokyo in Paris France. Since then Everland has traveled to other locations and is referred to as the rooftop jewel.

Hotel Everland really caught my eye; apart from its prime location, its carefully created design is very intriguing. The unique curves of the space provide function and are overall very aesthetically pleasing. In the model and sketch shown below I decided to show how the prefabricated skeleton comes together to create the walls, roof and floor of the hotel. By using a prefabricated structural system it allowed for the architects to create a building that could really optimize its exterior views and interior space.  I also found it interesting how the curves of the structure mimic the curves of the exterior painted lines. The interior is also filled with vibrant colors and loose lines that allow for a long continuous feel of a very refined and structurally minimalistic space. 

Berlin Musikinstrumenten Museum

Hans Scharoun’s 1964 Kulturforum is a collection of multifunctional buildings that were designed to create engaging and multifunctional spaces that would interact with the existing architecture and landscape. One of the buildings in the collection that I found intriguing was the Berlin Musikinstrumenten Museum located behind the Philarmonie.  The Museum was completed in 1984 and the exterior was designed to show the influence of historical musical instruments. The facades combination of curves and sharp angles give depth to the design and allow light to enter in many different ways.  I particularly liked the right side of the building because of the different sized triangular peaks that contrast with the curves of the left side. The simplicity of the lines creates intriguing shadows against the rest of the building. Unlike many of the other traditional buildings I have seen throughout Italy, the museum incorporates many different shapes, which adds to the uniqueness of the interior but also the exterior space. 

The sketch and model cut out of the triangular peaks show how the multiple layers give more  depth and dimension to the front facade.