Arch Daily |
- Öjersjö-House / Bornstein Lyckefors Architects
- Learn to Pre-Dimension a Reinforced Concrete Structure
- Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design / Patrick Schweitzer & Associés
- Floating Hut / Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates
- BEN THANH Restaurant / NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS
- Washington Avenue Townhouses / Pandolfini Architects
- Woods Bagot Masterplan "The Next Generation of Mixed-Use Development" in Perth
- AIM STUDIO Proposes Airplane-Wing-Inspired Design for Krakow's New Science Center
- Trout Lake House / Olson Kundig
- 11 Works of Asian Architecture in Full Bloom
- Spotlight: Richard Neutra
- Tramuntana House / Perreta Arquitectura
- Foster + Partners' Roman Antiquities Museum in Narbonne Nears Completion
- Bataan Chapel by Swiss Artist Not Vital Questions the Boundaries Between Art and Architecture
| Öjersjö-House / Bornstein Lyckefors Architects Posted: 08 Apr 2018 10:00 PM PDT  © Bert Leandersson
 © Bert Leandersson Text description provided by the architects. Located east of Gothenburg, the Öjersjö-house is a modest dwelling overlooking the lake Stora Kåsjön. Designed by Swedish Bornstein Lyckefors Architects Villa Öjersjö is a contemporary black wooden house. The dwelling interweaves with the site in a concept where the program is swept under the "carpet" by lifting the landscape.  © Bert Leandersson  Floor Plan 1  © Bert Leandersson The leading architect behind the project, Andreas Lyckefors, describes the process: -"The main challenge was to fit program and volume into the complex context without compromising lake view and privacy issues for the dwelling and doing so in one draw with the pencil. Our client lived in a house behind the site of the new building. Adding their concerns to the regulations connected to the site created a small widow to place the house on site.  © Bert Leandersson Lyckefors continues: -"We introduced the idea of lifting the landscape and use it as a straight surface to frame the program of the building. That allowed us to create a balance between solitariness and interaction with the surrounding urban texture while it keeping the design together in one gesture. The house is closed towards the street and open to the west and the view. The tilted roof structure also creates a dynamic interior with different heights and levels.  Exploded Axonometric The Öjersö-house is a wooden house with a solid tree interior. The exterior is boarded with black calcimine color. The dark exterior is put in contrast to the solid wood interior. The roof has a smooth gradient, leading from the bottom floor containing the garage, towards the main point. The contours of the surrounding landscape are covered in 3 volumes, in cubic forms. The garage, living room and the remaining house acquire extra space because of the porch roof that ends 2,5 floors up into the highest point of the house.  © Bert Leandersson  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Learn to Pre-Dimension a Reinforced Concrete Structure Posted: 08 Apr 2018 09:00 PM PDT  Casa de fim de semana em São Paulo / spbr arquitetos. Image © Nelson Kon It's fundamental that architects know about structures, not only to bring their designs to reality but also to be able to discuss their projects with engineers in order to find the best solutions for construction. Structural pre-dimensioning is crucial to the initial design of the structural components, revealing the restrictions and the possibilities of the spaces. One of the main loads that a structure must support is its own weight, so it's essential to know this information so that the different parts of the building can be dimensioned. When starting a structural project, the engineer doesn't yet know the dimensions of the different pieces that make up the structure, and therefore, can't know their own weight. A paradox appears without a solution: to know the weight it's necessary to know the dimensions, but, to know the dimensions, it's necessary to know the weight. During the development of the project the architect finds himself in the curious situation of having to design without necessarily knowing the size of each of the parts of the building (such as the size of the pillars, for example). These important elements directly affect functionality and aesthetics of the project.  Casa e Estúdio na Vila Romana / MMBB Arquitetos. Image © Nelson Kon In order to resolve this impasse, rapid processes of pre-dimensioning were developed that, although they don't present exact results, are pretty accurate. Obviously, it's necessary to perform subsequent structural calculations with all the care and accuracy required by technical standards, but at least pre-dimensioning provides a starting point for the project to be carried out. The objective of this text is to present one of the methods of pre-dimensioning slabs, beams, and pillars of buildings built with reinforced concrete. There are several other methods, but this is probably one of the most common. All the spans cited in this text can be considered as the distance –center to center– between the supports.  Casa das duas vigas / Yuri Vital. Image © Nelson Kon Pre-dimensioning of slabsThe spans, length W1 and width W2, of the slabs, are determined by the beams that normally define the perimeter. The only dimension that is not known about the slab is its height H. To have an idea of the preliminary height alternatives in a solid slab, you can divide its smaller span by 40, avoiding slabs that are thinner than 7 cm (in common floor slabs) and 12 cm (in slabs that support vehicle traffic). In prefabricated and ribbed slabs, the initial height can be calculated by dividing the smaller span by 20.  © Matheus Pereira Pre-dimensioning of beamsIn beams, what is known a priori is its span W1 (in beams with two supports), or its spans W1, W2, ... , Wn (in the case of beams with multiple supports). If the beam is cantilevered, the length of the cantilever Wb is known. Beam thickness Bw, which must always be equal to or greater than 12 cm, can be considered as the thickness of the wall that the beam supports, without cladding. Similarly to the slab calculations, it is still necessary to determine the height h of the beams, which should not be less than 20 cm.  © Matheus Pereira In beams with 2 supports and without cantilevers at their ends, the height can be calculated by dividing the span W1 by 10, rounded to the multiple of 5 (higher).  © Matheus Pereira In beams with multiple supports, the height will be calculated by dividing the major span (W1, W2, or Wn) by 12, also rounding to the multiple of 5 (higher). This height H can be used on the whole beam, even in the smaller spans.  © Matheus Pereira The height of the cantilever beam can be estimated by dividing the cantilever length by 5.  © Matheus Pereira Pre-dimensioning of pillarsFor pillars, only the height is known, so it is necessary to determine the area of the pillar's cross-section (A x B). Brazilian technical standards, for example, recommend that dimensions A and B be equal to or greater than 19 cm, but in special cases, it can be 14 cm, provided that the area of the section is greater than or equal to 360 cm2. It's recommended that the largest dimension of the cross-section be not much greater than twice the smallest dimension: B ≤ 2A.  © Matheus Pereira The load of a pillar changes on each floor and can be estimated using 'influence areas,' which is determined by half the distance between neighboring pillars. Each m2 of influence area of each slab will contribute 1000 kgf of load to the pillar, including the weight of the slab, the weight of the walls and claddings, and the accidental loads. It's possible that the contribution of the first slab, which is in contact with the ground, and of the last slab, in the highest part of the building, is only 500 kgf/m2.  © Matheus Pereira Obviously, the load will accumulate in the pillars from the top down, so, the lower the pillar is located, the greater the area of its cross-section will be, depending on the load it's supporting on its top and the admissible tension of the concrete used (without taking into account its possible and probable flexo-compression). Only for the purposes of pre-dimensioning, a low resistance concrete is considered in the calculation of the initial area of the pillar, with allowable calculation tension, considering a safety factor of 10 mpa, or 100 kgf/m2, in favor of safety resulting in more robust pillars. Each pillar must be calculated individually. Below is an example of pre-dimensioning one of the pillars of a 5-story building. It is assumed that the influence area of the pillar was constant at all levels and equal to 40 m2.  © Matheus Pereira We clarify that what is presented in this article is only a pre-dimensioning process for auxiliary effects in the elaboration of an architectural project. It must never be adopted as a final structural project. All the calculations for the construction of the building must be rigorously tested for compliance with the technical norms.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design / Patrick Schweitzer & Associés Posted: 08 Apr 2018 08:00 PM PDT  © Jules Toulet
2.jpg?1522934986 "© Jules Toulet") © Jules Toulet Text description provided by the architects. The architecture Practice Patrick Schweitzer & Associés responded to the international call launched by the Government of Rwanda in March 2012 for the construction of the new Faculty of architecture in Kigali. This school covers an area of 5 600 square meters and has the capacity to accommodate 600 students. It is located in the University of Rwanda's College of Science and Technology campus in Nyarugenge District. The works started in early 2017 and were completed at the end of 2017.  © Jules Toulet  Kigali Plan  © Jules Toulet The building is the result of a global site analysis. Its architecture is inspired by the territory and by colors and shapes found in Nature. The four natural elements are represented in the conception of the building: Fire: orange color, Water: inner garden, Air: circulations, and Earth: lava rock and rammed earth. We created prisms inspired by Rwanda landscape and topography. We broke their volume down to create fault lines and canyons. A central fault line emerges: the outdoor living space. It opens the projectto the KIST entrance, to the valley and to the city.  © Jules Toulet The Practicewas determined to build a project which is by itself a pedagogic tool. Indeed, the architecture shows the building process to the students. It is also fundamental for the aspiring young architects to be encouraged to use local resources.  © Jules Toulet Carpentry and locksmith workshopswere installed on the site. Ceilings and joineries are made of local wood, slabs were cast-in-place and traditional removable formwork were also used, thus fostering local sectors. There have been up to 400 people working on the building's site.  Kigali Section 01  Kigali Section 02 Simple technical solutions to build and to maintain were favored. There is no elevator but a large and comfortable ramp to get to the second floor. There is no heating and air-conditioning equipment but an efficient natural ventilation system. The architecture is used for regulating thermal atmospheres. Properly designed daylighting provides healthier and more pleasant conditions. It also reduces demand for artificial lighting which can reduce running costs. The concrete walls are insulated, sealed and plastered from the outside with the aim of controlling the solar heat gain. The building is also fitted with rainwater harvesting and storage units.  © Jules Toulet The ground floor includes logistic and school facilities: administration, laboratories, workshops, seminar rooms and auditorium. On the first floor, thirteen prisms house architecture studios, classrooms and pin-up spaces. Each room has a distinct identity, reflected in its volume, color and view. The outdoor living space which includes stands and benches favors meetings, exchanges and performances. The two parts of the building are connected by several footbridges. On the one hand they allow a joint between the different parts of the project and on the other hand it gives a dynamic visual identity. .jpg?1522935034 "© Jules Toulet") © Jules Toulet The agency selected a strong design with complex shapes. Halfway between traditional and contemporary architecture, the building is based on a simple and didactic architecture in an African developing country where population is expected to double by 2050.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Floating Hut / Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates Posted: 08 Apr 2018 07:00 PM PDT  © Toshiyuki Yano
 © Toshiyuki Yano Text description provided by the architects. The construction takes place in a residential zone developed 30 years ago during the bubble period. Although this region used to be an idyllic countryside, following its development by a single developer to residential area as a city block, a rational subdivision into isolated houses surrounded by fences and distant from each other, have been applied to the zone. Additionally, as a result of a house builders' famous 80's and 90's marketing strategy in Japan using the symbol words "My Home" to reply to the increasing housing demand following the economical growth during the same period , these houses were provided a pitched roof.  Ground Floor Plan Over time, this urban layout and roof shape became an identity for the zone and dwellers began to protect it, at first, as a rule for every new building or modification of an existing one, then, finally, by turning it to a district plan law demanded to the government in 2015 by the "residents association" .  © Toshiyuki Yano Our position regarding this situation is to think a house that would create architectural meaning out of these rules as a way to give a clue for the upcoming development of the area. The "My Home" symbol resulting as a pitched roof:  © Toshiyuki Yano The outer wall's distance to site borders:  © Toshiyuki Yano By doing so, we create a terrace space rounding the house. We then positioned the 1st floor in a way that creates a big terrace on the southern side.  © Toshiyuki Yano Retaining walls:  © Toshiyuki Yano As a result to these manipulations, the house gets a scenic beautifully shaped gable, a floating terrace connecting interior and exterior and a canopy producing approach and parking. Following this scheme we were able to give some meaning to the existing rules and laws while creating a clue for the future developement of the zone.  © Toshiyuki Yano  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| BEN THANH Restaurant / NISHIZAWAARCHITECTS Posted: 08 Apr 2018 05:00 PM PDT .jpg?1522900322 "© Joshua Breidenbach") © Joshua Breidenbach
 © Nishizawaarchitects Text description provided by the architects. In the heart of Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City), stands the touristic landmark of Ben Thanh Market and, right next to it, the renovation project of a French colonial style building. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the edifice is a substantial piece of the city's heritage and participates in creating the distinctive ambience of Saigon.  © Hiroyuki Oki From a preservation perspective however, efforts to keep the architectural heritage consistent with its original form have reached a critical point in the young and tumultuous developing city. For example, the symbolic large tiles of the Market's roof have been replaced by thin red-colored metal panels, lowering its aesthetic quality at first glance. Likewise, the enclosing buildings, which were developed together with the Market, have been divided into striped plots. Over the years, several 7-to-8-storey hotels were erratically inserted in-between, breaking the homogeneity of the fabric.  Large Axonometric  Small Axonometric On the other hand, if we take a close look at the ordinary activities, we can notice that Saigonese happily take advantage of the city's development. In fact, people are confident that they can freely participate in the upgrade of their own urban environment, even if it is recognized as part of the local heritage. That particular feeling gives them further fondness for the city and creates lively urban spaces - naturally reinforcing Saigon's attaching humane atmosphere.  © Hiroyuki Oki We finally hypothesized that it is an "urban intelligence" specific to Saigon (and South East Asian cities in general, unlike many European cities) to intuitively manage to preserve its historical records and simultaneously adapt the urban form to contemporary functions or lifestyles. Most importantly, this is what, consciously or not, Saigon dwellers have been demanding for their city. And through this angle, we can somehow appreciate and find beauty in the new metal roof of the Ben Thanh Market.  Floor Plans Based on the above analysis, our design objective was to "update the space in a sensitive way, where both past and present times flow smoothly and continuously enrich the space". We understood it was essential to introduce a more dynamic conception of space, for different temporalities to inhabit the building without hindering each other.  © Hiroyuki Oki Firstly, in order to revert the structure back to its original components, we stripped down many partitioning layers, such as decoration walls and covers, which had totally concealed the building. Then, taking inspiration from the aesthetic qualities of old-days construction techniques, new materials were chosen for their compatibility with the original building and assembled in small-scale and portable-weight. To create a harmonious blend between old and new elements was our priority and we refused to use even and flat industrial materials. Instead, we chose to transfer the handcraft know-hows from old materials to new ones and let them permeate the space's spirit.  © Hiroyuki Oki Secondly, according to our intention to "update" the building in tone with the urban context, we added two new half-transparent filters. With one inside and another outside the original exterior wall, we transformed the space in-between the two layers into a "Loggia" that opens the inside to the surrounding townscape. As a result, the strong identity of the Ben Thanh Market area melts into the architecture and smoothly spreads into the interior spaces. The inside filter, inspired from the high-side windows of the Market, is a large glass-jalousie partition composed of about 1,000 pieces of tempered glass. It breaks the reflection image of the neighboring cityscape and changes its visual appearance with various conditions such as the glass angles, the sun direction, the weather or the seasons - inscribing the building in a slow rhythm. The outside filter, inspired from the steel fences that we can find everywhere in Saigon and re-composed of round steel bars of 4mm-diameter, is a very subtle fence that even swings with the wind. It not only enriches the space's experience, but also gives it a slightly abstract effect to differentiate the "Loggia" from the building facade and the surrounding scenery.  © Hiroyuki Oki Through this project, we realized that, in the context of the rapid modernization of Saigon, it is critical to be attentive to the city and its inhabitants, define what kind of "urban intelligence" we choose to highlight, and re-consider how to update our present and future times to flow in co-existence with its historical backgrounds.  © Nishizawaarchitects  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Washington Avenue Townhouses / Pandolfini Architects Posted: 08 Apr 2018 01:00 PM PDT  © Rory Gardiner
 © Derek Swalwell Text description provided by the architects. These homes tell the story of a family and examine how large suburban blocks can be adapted to deal with generational change and the rapid rise of property prices. The site was purchased in 1972 and was the long-time family home of our clients. 40 years on, the children had grown up, moved out and the original Californian bungalow had fallen into disrepair. Circumstances arose requiring one of the sons and his young family to move back to live with their father and the decision was made to build two homes on the site so they could all live together without… living together.  Ground Floor Plan The brief was simple; create two generous homes on the site which didn't feel like townhouses. There were several precedents along the leafy, eastern suburb street for subdividing a block of land; side by side townhouses with front facades dominated by garages and rooms accessed off a long corridor. We flipped this arrangement and located one dwelling behind the other, providing each home with large entry spaces, generous living areas and gardens oriented to the northern aspect.  © Derek Swalwell The front façade gives little away to the street with the new houses designed to read as a single residence, referencing the established rhythm of the streetscape. A simple material palette of black zinc cladding and stained black timber battens reinforce the sculptural form of the building. Patterned timber screens conceal the large front windows, providing privacy to the inhabitants and eroding the elements typically associated with a house. The two homes have been designed specifically for their inhabitants; a two-bedroom apartment at the front for the father and a larger, three-bedroom apartment for the son and his young family at the rear.  © Rory Gardiner  Front Elevation  © Rory Gardiner Elements typically associated with much larger houses have been used to provide a sense of space and in the tightly planned block. Entry to the back apartment is via a dramatic double height foyer space, lit from above by a large circular skylight and containing a solid steel staircase. Heavily textured concrete render and black timber are used on the internal walls which have been designed to slowly reveal and delineate the living spaces as one moves through the house.  © Derek Swalwell This development has successfully provided two generations with generous homes on the one site -affording them the associated social and financial benefits. The sculptural façade provides a counterpoint to the adjacent townhouses and a positive contribution to the streetscape and wider neighborhood.  © Derek Swalwell  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Woods Bagot Masterplan "The Next Generation of Mixed-Use Development" in Perth Posted: 08 Apr 2018 09:00 AM PDT  © Tom Nattrass International design studio Woods Bagot has generated a masterplan for what they are calling, "the next generation of mixed-use developments for Perth." The 17,469-square-meter island development, named Applecross Central, boasts three sides of storefront in the heart of the Canning Bridge Precinct, overlooking the Swan and Canning Rivers.  © Tom Nattrass Inspired by Perth's complex waterways and racing history, Applecross Central caters to diverse lifestyles. Towers of varying heights house six distinct zones: residential, senior living, education, workplace, hotel, and retail. Offices, medical suites, childcare facilities, supermarkets, specialty stores, a library, and cafe are all connected by covered, landscaped paths and raised pedestrian links.  © Tom Nattrass Applecross Central is open for expressions of interest sale, closing on Thursday, May 17th 2018.  © Tom Nattrass  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AIM STUDIO Proposes Airplane-Wing-Inspired Design for Krakow's New Science Center Posted: 08 Apr 2018 07:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of AIM STUDIO LTD London-based AIM STUDIO's entry for the Małopolska Science Center in Krakow, Poland, was recently awarded second place. Responding to the competition's call for an iconic design for the center, the team proposed a structure that creates a new landmark which blurs the boundaries between landscape and building, while also taking into consideration the important historical context of the site. Read about more their proposal after the break.  Courtesy of AIM STUDIO LTD Located on the site of the runway of the former Rakowice-Czyżyny airport, the building's form is designed to reference the two-and one-wing airplanes which used to be located in the airfield.  Courtesy of AIM STUDIO LTD The design of the building is seen as an extension of the existing landscape which "grows" from the ground plane up, further emphasized by a walkable green roof. The roof also allows for a panoramic view of the nearby runway, the city of Krakow, and the mountain ranges just beyond. AIM STUDIO's interpretation of the site allows the surrounding area to become a place of recreation and rest for visitors.  Courtesy of AIM STUDIO LTD One of the more striking features of the building is the perforated facade, which lends the building a glowing appearance at night. The pattern of the perforation can be read both as lines of binary code in reference to the Polish Mathematical Society, or a limestone cliff, referencing an iconic part of Małopolska geology.  Courtesy of AIM STUDIO LTD The program of the building is divided into two zones connected by a glass lobby. The first area holds the workshops, and the second is designed to hold the conference room and office spaces. Each visitor passes through both parts of the building when viewing the exhibit, so that each person has the same experience when visiting the center.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Trout Lake House / Olson Kundig Posted: 08 Apr 2018 06:00 AM PDT  © Jeremy Bittermann
 © Jeremy Bittermann "The buildings recall the agricultural forms of the local built environment, but as is our nature in our designs, we sought to take that context and evolve it to a more emphatic modern language. We sought to design something that was exquisitely proportioned in a quiet, agricultural way." –Tom Kundig, Design Principal  Ground Floor Plan This artist retreat is located on forty acres of rural agricultural property in Trout Lake, Washington just steps from White Salmon River. Both owners are artists who incorporate the natural landscape into their work – he is a painter and multimedia artist, and she is a textile artist, photographer and designer. A key directive in the design of their new home was that it connects them to the surrounding landscape and maximize opportunities for indoor/outdoor living. It was also important for them to have studio space that was separate from the house, but related in form and materiality. All four buildings recall the forms of vernacular agricultural structures, and incorporate tough and low-maintenance building materials with minimal finishes such as concrete, plywood and steel. Wood siding on the main house was milled locally and weathered by the owners themselves. Corrugated metal roofing was also rusted by the owners.  © Jeremy Bittermann  © Jeremy Bittermann The retreat contains four distinct buildings arranged in two groupings. The first grouping contains the main house, a woodworking shop, and a carport all contained under a single roof in a T-shape. A covered courtyard connects the three spaces in the middle of the "T". A separate, free-standing artist studio is located just northeast of the main house, with a covered patio that connects to a guest room. Here, the owners work on their own projects, and occasionally host retreats and community-based arts workshops. In all four buildings, large bi-folding doors and sliding barn doors open up the spaces completely to the outdoors, allowing for the movement of large artworks and equipment, as well as an intimate connection with the environment.  © Jeremy Bittermann The main house is minimal in form, consisting of a single double height volume with an open plan living, dining and kitchen area separated from a library by a double-sided fireplace. A set of hidden steel stairs nestled into the concrete fireplace lead to a loft above the library. The home's single bedroom is located above the bathroom and mudroom and is accessed via a set of open stairs in the entry foyer. Two sets of 30-foot-long bi-fold doors in the main living space allow the home to open completely on both sides, maximizing the home's sweeping views of the nearby river and Mount Adams.  © Jeremy Bittermann  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 11 Works of Asian Architecture in Full Bloom Posted: 08 Apr 2018 05:00 AM PDT  © Miho Museum This week, we present a selection of the best images of Asian architecture in bloom. These 11 projects from Japan and South Korea incorporate the springtime beauty of trees such as cherry and almond. Read on for a selection of images from prominent photographers such as Shigetomo Mizuno and Kai Nakamura. Joonhwan YoonTwo Courtyards House + Bridge 130 Cafe / Lee.haan.architects © Joonhwan Yoon Ken'ichi Suzuki"KITERASU" Model CLT Building at Kuse Station / ofa © Ken'ichi Suzuki Kikkawa architectsHouse in Atsugi / Masashi Kikkawa + Hisashi Ikeda © Kikkawa architects Shigetomo MizunoMirrors / bandesign © Shigetomo Mizuno Murai IsamuCourtyard House in Peach Garden / Takeru Shoji Architects © Murai Isamu Kai NakamuraHouse U / Atelier KUKKA Architects © Kai Nakamura Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects63.02° / Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects Cortesía de Jo Nagasaka / Schemata Architects - 63.02 Kaori IchikawaHouse in Suita / Horibe Naoko Architect Office © Kaori Ichikawa Tsukui TeruakiOriel Window House / Shinsuke Fujii Architects © Tsukui Teruaki Oren RozenHimeji Castle / Ikeda Terumasa.jpg?1522975909 "Cortesía de Wikimedia user Oren Rozen (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)") Cortesía de Wikimedia user Oren Rozen (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0) Miho MuseumMiho Museum / I.M. Pei © Miho Museum  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Apr 2018 04:00 AM PDT  Lovell House, 1929. Image © <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lovell_House,_Los_Angeles,_California.JPG'>Wikimedia user Los Angeles</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Though Modernism is sometimes criticized for imposing universal rules on different people and areas, it was Richard J. Neutra's (April 8, 1892 – April 16, 1970) intense client focus that won him acclaim. His personalized and flexible version of modernism created a series of private homes that were—and still are—highly sought after, making him one of the United States' most significant mid-century modernists. His architecture of simple geometry and airy steel and glass became the subject of the iconic photographs of Julius Schulman, and came to stand for an entire era of American design.  © Klaus Meier-Ude <a href='https://www.architonic.com/en/story/susanne-fritz-exhibition-richard-neutra-in-europe-1960-1970/7000507'>via architonic.com</a> Born in Vienna to a wealthy family, Neutra's early career is a who's who of European architecture: he studied under Adolf Loos at the Vienna University of Technology and took a job in the office of Erich Mendelsohn after briefly being the chief architect of the German town of Luckenwalde in 1921. After emigrating to America in 1923, Neutra continued to mingle with the biggest stars of architectural society, working under Frank Lloyd Wright before establishing himself as the West Coast architect by completing his Lovell House in 1929.  An original post card of the Cyclorama. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxto_dkp/2335537917'>Flickr user fauxto_dkp</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a> Neutra's classic mid-century houses proved incredibly popular both then and now; popularity that was aided by the prefabricated elements of his designs. The essential airy lightness of a Neutra house could be easily replicated across the West Coast, and then personalized by the attentive Neutra to create a house that fit the client and the landscape in a way that other mass-produced styles struggled to achieve. Though Neutra once tried to move to the Soviet Union to bring his prefabricated style to workers' housing, Neutra's homes perhaps ironically became emblems of the American Dream on the surging mid-century West Coast.  Lovell House, 1929. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/aseles/6149131597'>Flickr user aseles</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-ND 2.0</a> The famous Schulman photographs of Neutra's homes embodied American optimism, blending sales with art and showing a vision of a glamorous lifestyle that entered the public mind in a way that few modernists can claim to have achieved. The Objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand once lived in his now demolished von Sternberg house, something that Neutra himself might not have been too keen on. Given his enduring popularity, it is surprising that a large amount of Neutra's work has recently been demolished, but recent efforts by his son mean that his designs are now once again being built—it seems his vision of life is one that still holds currency.  Kaufmann House, 1947. Image © Barbara Alfors 2000 <a href='https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaufman_House_Palm_Springs.jpg'>via Wikimedia</a? licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en'>CC BY-SA 3.0</a> Find out more about Richard Neutra's most well-known projects via the thumbnails below, and more coverage of Neutra via the links below those: A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Unbuilt Case Study House #6, The Omega House A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Unbuilt Case Study House #13, The Alpha House A Virtual Look Into Richard Neutra's Case Study House #20, the Bailey House Monocle 24 Visit Richard Neutra's Residences in Los Angeles Farewell to Richard Neutra's Cyclorama Center in Gettysburg The Neutra Embassy Building in Karachi, Pakistan: A Petition to Save Modernism  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tramuntana House / Perreta Arquitectura Posted: 08 Apr 2018 02:00 AM PDT  © Alfonso Calza
 © Alfonso Calza Text description provided by the architects. The house is located in Torre en Conill, Bétera, it is a house completely open to east orientation, where the fields of the golf club are located, on the ground floor the house is distributed in two areas, on the one hand two rooms with their respective bathrooms and on the other side a large space where the large living room and kitchen is located, this large space is flanked on one side by a cantilevered staircase, supported by a concrete wall and on the other side in the large windows that open the space towards the garden.  © Alfonso Calza  Ground Floor  © Alfonso Calza On the upper floor is the suite room with the same scheme as the day area on the ground floor, a large space where the bathroom and the bedroom are located in a open space, always overlooking the golf club.  © Alfonso Calza The house is defined by concrete planes that fold forming the roof and the wall also of concrete that defines the west facade, the worst orientation in the Mediterranean climate. The east facade that opens onto the views of the golf fields is formed by large carpentries that form a large glass wall.  © Alfonso Calza From the outside, the vertices formed by the concrete planes that form the enclosure of the west facade and the roof that forms the terraces next to the pool are accentuated. The house acquires a singular personality as much by the form as by the simplicity of the used materials.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Foster + Partners' Roman Antiquities Museum in Narbonne Nears Completion Posted: 08 Apr 2018 01:00 AM PDT  Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners Foster + Partner's Musée de la Romanité Narbonne (Roman Museum of Narbonne) has moved closer to completion, with the scheme's building envelope now fully constructed. The museum seeks to become one of the most significant cultural attractions in the Southern French region, hosting more than 1000 Roman artifacts. The scheme's progress was celebrated at a topping out ceremony on 30th January 2018, with the installation of VELUX Modular Skylights marking the completion of the building envelope. Once a major Roman port, the city of Narbonne has amassed an abundance of ancient buildings, relics, and archaeological sites. The Foster + Partners scheme, designed in collaboration with museum specialist Studio Adrien Gardere, centers on the prime exhibit for the museum: a collection of over 1000 Roman funerary stones recovered from the city's medieval walls in the 19th century. The stones are to be placed at the heart of a simple rectilinear structure, separating the public galleries from private research spaces.  Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners  Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners The single-story museum features a precast concrete roof canopy inspired by Roman building techniques, providing thermal mass and contributing towards a considered environmental strategy. The canopy is supported by load-bearing SIREWALLs (Structural Insulated Rammed Earth) with a terracotta hue to reflect the natural earth of the region. While many exhibits need protection from sunlight, communal and recreational spaces within the museum are bathed in natural light from 150 skylight modules above.  Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners
 Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners  Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners Further north from the museum, Foster + Partners has created a masterplan for a public square to enhance the new cultural quarter. Named NARBO VIA, the scheme seeks to form a new landmark for the city, with gardens and landscaping taking inspiration from Roman courtyards. The scheme will feature an open-air amphitheater for events and displays, and a strengthened connection between the museum and adjacent Canal de la Robine via a new pedestrianized ramp.  Museum Narbonne. Image Courtesy of Nigel Young / Foster + Partners The Musée de la Romanité Narbonne is scheduled to open in 2019. News via: Foster + Partners  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bataan Chapel by Swiss Artist Not Vital Questions the Boundaries Between Art and Architecture Posted: 08 Apr 2018 12:45 AM PDT .jpg?1520689109 "Interior of the Chapel, lit by the opening above \"The Last Supper.\" Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Interior of the Chapel, lit by the opening above "The Last Supper." Image © Eric Gregory Powell Art, in general, is produced to be seen or experienced by another, an interlocutor, who, in turn, establishes various relationships with the work. However, this does not appear to be the case with the Bataan Chapel, built by the Swiss artist Not Vital in the Philippines. Punished by constant winds, the work rises on a hill in rural Bagac, a town of just under 30,000 inhabitants located about 50 kilometers west of Manilla. The remote location of the installation makes it difficult to access and makes the journey a task that takes on the air of pilgrimage—part of its grace lies precisely in its inaccessibility. .jpg?1520689201 "Chapel on top of a hill. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Chapel on top of a hill. Image © Eric Gregory Powell Built under the patronage of the non-profit artistic foundation Bellas Artes Projects, which was created by Jam Acuzar in 2013 and is directed from the Las Casas de Acuzar resort in Bagac, the Chapel at Bataan is not, despite its name, a work dedicated to Christianity. Although it houses a porcelain sculpture entitled The Last Supper—reproduced by Vital from a painting of the same name that he completed in 2015—the presence of a sculpture dedicated to the Philippine rice goddess Bulol, carved by the Ifugao tribe and affixed to one of the inner walls of the chapel, deprives the installation of any Christian meaning. .jpg?1520689075 "\"The Last Supper\" mural in ceramic. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") "The Last Supper" mural in ceramic. Image © Eric Gregory Powell Vital considers the project in Bataan the latest in a series of surrealist works built on remote sites around the planet, which includes works in Tschlin, Switzerland, and Agadez, Nigeria. [1] Obviously architectural, the Chapel in the Philippines is one of those pieces produced in the contemporary art world that are located not within a precise disciplinary field, but in a kind of limbo between the fields of art and architecture. .jpg?1520689053 "Changes in light change the colors and textures of the exposed concrete. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Changes in light change the colors and textures of the exposed concrete. Image © Eric Gregory Powell "Is it art? Is it sculpture? Is it architecture? I don’t know. I'm not an architect, I never went to architecture school. That's why I'm so free to do this," commented the artist in response to the attempt to categorize his work. [2] It is tempting to put this and other works of Vital in a category of buildings alongside such works as the San Bernardo Chapel by Nicolás Campodonico (2015, La Playosa, Argentina) and Peter Zumthor's Bruder Klaus Field Chapel (2007, Mechernich, Germany). The work in Bataan shares with Zumthor's design not only the "chapel" designation, but materiality, physical isolation, a dramatic interaction with the landscape, its narrow point of access and, ultimately, the mystical atmosphere created by the amalgamation of these factors. .jpg?1520689189 "Not Vital and the Chapel in the background. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Not Vital and the Chapel in the background. Image © Eric Gregory Powell As in the design of the Swiss architect, Vital's building was built in exposed concrete and presents a non-archetypal yet strong geometry that makes it a highlight against the natural backdrop. Visible from miles away, its volume is composed by the combination of a trapezoidal and a stepped prism; at top of the first, a longitudinal slit brings a dramatic beam of sunlight into the interior, while on the opposite side, a door—just large enough to fit one person at a time—is the only entrance to the Chapel. .jpg?1520689063 "Form composed by the addition of a trapezoidal volume and another stepped volume. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Form composed by the addition of a trapezoidal volume and another stepped volume. Image © Eric Gregory Powell The interior should, according to the original design, be softened with a layer of plaster, but the impression left on the raw material by the shapes of coconut trunks convinced Vital to give up the idea. [3] The interior of the Chapel could be compared to other so-called brutalist spaces, if indeed there was a consensus to call the work of Vital "architecture" at all. .jpg?1520689132 "The chapel entrance is large enough for only one person at a time. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") The chapel entrance is large enough for only one person at a time. Image © Eric Gregory Powell As you pass through the door, the viewer sees, on the opposite wall, a large white ceramic mural measuring 12 x 5 meters with thirteen black stains—The Last Supper. Between the work and those who contemplates it, a shallow layer of water that begins 20 centimeters from the door pays homage to the rice fields of the Philippines; to the right, Bulol leans a few feet above water level, while the left wall remains untouched. The experience is completed by the light changes made possible by the cut in the concrete above The Last Supper. Depending on the time of day and the weather conditions, the luminosity changes from a soft, diffuse light to a sharp contrast, roughly altering the perception of the internal space and the elements that constitute it. .jpg?1520689098 "Depending on the time of day, the sun projects a sharp line of light inside the Chapel. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Depending on the time of day, the sun projects a sharp line of light inside the Chapel. Image © Eric Gregory Powell Although he’s not an architect by training, Vital's intention to create an atmosphere through the design of space is noticeable in this work. Everything in the Bataan Chapel—from the material to massing of volumes, from location to texture—is evidence that there is, in the work of art, architectural design. .jpg?1520689178 "Through the opening it is possible to see the concrete texture of the ceiling lit by the reflection of natural light in the mirror of water. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Through the opening it is possible to see the concrete texture of the ceiling lit by the reflection of natural light in the mirror of water. Image © Eric Gregory Powell Defining precisely what this piece is may not be so easy, then. Art? Sculpture? Architecture? Maybe all of them? The artist himself is reluctant to commit to a specific category and, to tell the truth, this is not relevant. Perhaps the most relevant question is how a disciplinary field can be benefitted and enriched by works of this type, which are embedded in the undefined territory between fields. In that sense, what is it that architecture can learn from the Bataan Chapel of Not Vital, and other works that deal with perception, sensitivity, tact, beliefs and, ultimately, a dose of mysticism? .jpg?1520689224 "Not Vital and the Chapel in the background. Image © Eric Gregory Powell") Not Vital and the Chapel in the background. Image © Eric Gregory Powell References 1. "Holy orders: Not Vital’s installation in a remote Filipino province is worth a pilgrimage", por Daven Wu, publicado na Wallpaper. Available at https://www.wallpaper.com/art/not-vital-chapel-installation-filipino-province-bataan in March 10, 2018.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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