What Makes a Pavilion Successful?

by Tyler Norton

What makes a pavilion successful? This is a question that has been on my mind as we work on our projects in studio. In class, we studied pavilions as a form of temporary architecture. However, my group members and I are including a permanent pavilion at the top of one of our structures. I feel that since our pavilion will be permanent, there is more pressure for it to be well designed. Therefore, I wanted to utilize this post to study a few good examples of successful pavilions.

            To me, a pavilion represents a gathering space above all else. Whether it hosts seating, an event, a restaurant, a gallery, or in the case of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, no function at all, a pavilion will always provide a space for people to congregate. If for nothing else, these three pavilions are successful because they shape space in a way that is interesting, inviting, and innovative. This attracts people to gather there to appreciate the space.

            The 2009 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion by SANAA was meant to amplify the way people experience things, be it through sound, sight, or feeling. The concept and form was based on summer and nature since it was to host the annual summer party. SANAA strove for it to be a light and airy structure and I think that it was very successful because it accomplished the preset goal and it blended the boundaries between outdoors and in, which is another prominent theme in SANAA’s designs. Another project that focused on summer was Zaha Hadid’s 2007 Serpentine Pavilion, which was only there for a week to host the summer party. The main goal of the pavilion was to provide shelter to the party. It serves to shelter the pavilion from sun during the day and at night it provides light from lights that are underneath and travel up the veins of the fabric. Air, light, and fabric are all able to travel through the three structures and the light that travels through is meant to “highlight the geometric intricacy of the pavilion” with it’s light play. I think that this pavilion was very successful because it provided an interesting gathering place, which was its function. The final pavilion that I’d like to talk about it is Mies Van Der Rohe’s German Pavilion. The concept behind this project was to “give voice to the spirit of a new era” in Germany. In other words it was intended to be a self-portrait of the new Germany. It’s a very simple form with extravagant materials create an open plan that serve to suggest a “floating form.” I find this very successful because its openness perfectly symbolizes what was intended.

            All in all, I have come to the conclusion that each pavilion is different. These are all successful but in different ways.  Each one sets out to accomplish something different and each one does. As long as a pavilion accomplished the pre defined goal it can be very successful and interesting. 

Nemausus Housing Project

“Housing in the Mass City” was a lecture in which we studied different examples of social housing, condominiums, high-density residential compounds, etc. We looked at many models, good and bad, of what a housing complex should be. This lecture helped me form my own opinions on what should be included in an apartment complex and what is important in a good design. One example that stood out to me in particular was Jean Nouvel’s Nemausus Social Housing project. This compound contained many of the aspects that I think are important and I therefore find it very successful as well as interesting.

           

            Among the most important things that every social housing project should be is sustainable. Nouvel’s project was sustainable in a few different aspects. Probably the most prominent of these was the way that Nouvel cut construction costs. He used simple, industrial materials and minimal interior finishes. This technique is efficient because it does not use as many materials and they are more readily available so it does not waste fuel trying to transport them a long way to the site. He used a simple structure, which was easy and efficient to build. Nouvel also placed his structures on the site in accordance with sun angles to maximize their heat intake.

            The second thing that I think is very important in a housing compound is an open plan and flexibility, which was one of the main concepts of Nouvel’s project. He organized the plans of each unit to have one main core but with no other dividing walls. This leaves the rooms up to the tenant. I think that this is effective because it serves to leave the space convertible. Another way that Nouvel makes the space flexible is the large wall made of all windows that can also convert into a large sliding glass door. You are able to make the unit even larger by utilizing the outside spaces. Nouvel uses this blending of outdoors and indoors in more than one place within his design. All of the corridors are located outside on the balcony. This gives the whole building a pleasant atmosphere where the line between indoors and out is indistinct.

            A few other amenities that Nouvel included in his design, which I think are very important and effective are: the parking garage located beneath the apartments, the green spaces for each unit and the common spaces through the building. This space includes a small park located in between the two buildings as well as the balconies with seating all along them. Each unit is larger than a standard apartment complex, which Nouvel accomplished by keeping open plans and adding the “back porch” balcony. 

            All of these things together add up to make a very successful housing complex. Not only does it include many wonderful aspects, but also each unit is unique, interesting, and tastefully designed. This complex would be a place that I, as an architect would love to live and I really appreciate the design aspects.

Symbolism within the Vitra Campus

It has been said that architecture is the science of everything. In our profession, we must know a little bit of everything to do our jobs correctly. In addition to knowing about technical drawings and structural elements, we must also know a great deal about each site, culture, history, art, and much more. Because of this, architects have the ability to impact the public and use their designs as much more than just architecture. The lecture about Structure and Identity was about how architects use a building to identify with the public and to symbolize something such as power or wealth. Architects are able to send any message they want by utilizing their knowledge when designing. An example of this that, having visited the site I find very interesting, is the Vitra Campus located in Weil am Rhein, Germany. 

It is common knowledge that the Vitra Campus was reconstructed after a large fire destroyed a lot of the production factories. The campus contains a diverse variety of buildings from an array of world-renowned architects. The VitraHaus is the newest and probably most important addition to the campus. Since it contains the reception and ticket offices, the café, the gift shop, and the production gallery, it assumes the unofficial role of entryway into the campus. Due to this, it has also gained the role of marking the campus. Herzog & de Meuron took this into account when designing their building. They have a multi-layered concept that is innovative as well as an aesthetically pleasing facade. This was due to the fact that it houses a design store and a design museum. The point of the design is to show the public that the design of the building reflects the design showcased inside. Similarly, Frank Gehry’s Vitra Design Museum has a very expressive form that is all about suggesting movement within the facade.  The museum has been described as sculpturesque which is fitting for a design museum. It is said to be a “surprising re-interpretation of the ‘white box’” by the Vitra website and it can be argued that Gehry is symbolizing the creativity of the design within as well as thinking outside of the said “white box” with his organic forms. In stark contrast to Gehry’s building is Tadao Ando’s Vitra Conference Pavilion. Ando wanted to contrast with the wild form of Gehry and strove for a “low profile” design that is meant to show a seriousness, preciseness and dedication. He does this with simple, elegant forms and polished and austere materials. Continuing further into the campus you find Nicholas Grimshaw’s factory building. This final example is to show how Grimshaw designed his factory in a specific manner that is very different to the other architect’s symbolism. The large, block-like and monumental building is very structural, practical and functional. These aspects were all carefully delineated for specific reasons. The practicality is meant to show that the factory is separate from the more elaborate designs because it is a serious workspace. The monumentality of the design can also be meant to suggest the power of the company in contrast to the other buildings, which are meant to highlight the genius of their designs.

In conclusion, studying this campus has shown me a great deal about how architects can use their designs to identify with their target audience. Each building was designed with a specific message in mind and I think that each one contributes to the general message that the Vitra Campus is trying to send. The Vitra Campus was meant to symbolize the undeniable power of design. Although each building contributes in different ways to this image, they were all designed by the architects to contribute to the overall message. 

Complementing by Completing

            According to Cedric Price, there are six strategies that can be used to modify existing buildings. These consist of: reduction, addition, insertion, connection, demolition, and expansion. After studying many examples in class, I came to the conclusion that in my opinion, reduction and demolition are not as effective strategies as the rest of the six. The point of complementary architecture is to take an existing structure, and complete it by modifying it. In the cases of reduction and demolition, you are not completing a design but taking away from it. The remaining four strategies really stood out to me because they are the most effective of the group. There is an example of each strategy that really interested me, which is what I’d like to talk about in this post.

            The first example that I’d like to talk about is an example of addition, which is Eberstadt’s Rucksack House. This structure is a 9 square meter room that can be added to any existing residential building. The point of the design is to add extra space to cramped apartments. It is classified as an addition because there in an existing structure and the Rucksack House can be attached or added with no other modifications to the existing design. There are a few reasons that make the design a good one. It provides not only extra space, but a lot of natural light as well. It has built in furniture for further space saving and it is practical as well as cost efficient and sustainable. This is a great instance of how addition technique can be a simple yet exemplary way to modify a building.

            The next example that I’d like to talk about is Wendt’s Wohlfahrt-Laymann House, which is an example of expansion. The design for this modification was based off of a need for a permanent expansion to a cottage. However, the owners did not want to do extensive renovations. The resulting design was a sort of shell that was built completely around the existing house with minimal renovations to it. The shell completely transforms the building on all sides by adding more space. This example is particularly interesting to me and I find it very effective. The point of complementary architecture is to complete a building. The first building was too small, and the second structure completes the building by adding more space, and complementing the programmatic design as well as the aesthetic appeal.

          

  

Selective Insulation is a project by Davidson and Rafailidis and it is a perfect example of insertion. The design process began because of a need for insulation within the larger existing structure. It is a large drafty building with little insulation so smaller pockets of warm workspace were inserted in order to fix the problem. It is a very sustainable design because you save energy by not heating the entire room or renovating in order to re-insulate the building as well as using minimal materials. The structures created also serve to organize the space.  In my opinion, the project is effective because it completes the original building by solving the issue that was being taken into consideration and making the design better.

          

  The final example that I would like to talk about is the Spiral House by Powerhouse Company. This renovation is an example of connection. This structure connects the existing farmhouse to the site, and connects the public and private spaces. Originally the owners wanted more space as well as guest rooms. Beforehand, the farmhouse was a classic design and the new design is extremely innovative, yet simple. On their own, neither would be anything special but they work extremely well together to create a programmatic spiral with a patio in the middle. This complementary relationship is very effective in addition to reaching the predetermined goal.

            Each of these new designs completes the overall design, which is what makes them complementary architecture. I chose these examples because to me, they exemplify beautifully the four most important ways that you can modify a building. I think that each of these is well designed and innovative. I learned from studying these examples that there are many techniques to modify buildings and that some work better than others.