Wednesday, October 29, 2008
What Have I Done!?
Utzons original design for the Silkeborg museum is an instant masterpiece, however the impracticalities of an underground museum of that scale with a high water-table in the area has forced a redesign.
I believe that the above-ground structure should stay as true to the original design as possible but, re-organise it to accommodate one of the floors to allow the building to brought up a level.
The Light-wells have been re-modelled into usable gallery space that follows a sweeping path through the new cave-like rooms that end at a spiral ramp - reminiscent of largely scaled down Wrights Guggenheim museum.
The other entrance to the lower level is a ramp on the right hand-side of the structure that runs under the pergola structure. This ramp runs down the edge of the lower level, there-by opening up the lower gallery and giving the visitor a much grander impression.
To allow light into the lower level, a path of strengthened frosted-glass meanders through the upper level of the building. Additionally, to keep part of Utzons light-well plan in-tact the centre well of the spiral staircase has been kept as a funnel of light.
The lower level has been condensed in height - which is unfortunate, but necessary for the building to be structurally sound. The lower area of the museum will lose 1 floor from the original design but still keep Utzons design as closely as possible.
Ultimately I have tried to copy Utzons plan but modify it as cleanly as possible
I believe that the above-ground structure should stay as true to the original design as possible but, re-organise it to accommodate one of the floors to allow the building to brought up a level.
The Light-wells have been re-modelled into usable gallery space that follows a sweeping path through the new cave-like rooms that end at a spiral ramp - reminiscent of largely scaled down Wrights Guggenheim museum.
The other entrance to the lower level is a ramp on the right hand-side of the structure that runs under the pergola structure. This ramp runs down the edge of the lower level, there-by opening up the lower gallery and giving the visitor a much grander impression.
To allow light into the lower level, a path of strengthened frosted-glass meanders through the upper level of the building. Additionally, to keep part of Utzons light-well plan in-tact the centre well of the spiral staircase has been kept as a funnel of light.
The lower level has been condensed in height - which is unfortunate, but necessary for the building to be structurally sound. The lower area of the museum will lose 1 floor from the original design but still keep Utzons design as closely as possible.
Ultimately I have tried to copy Utzons plan but modify it as cleanly as possible
Today were going to go through the round-window....
Okay, so its only Sketchup - I actually have Vray for sketchup and 3Ds Max with Vray - but i dont really like photorealism, unless its done exceptionally well - which i cant be bothered doing - far too much effort for a result that doesnt always work. From what ive seen only about 3 people in the course have done it really well - and unless its done well it looks crap - because its "trying too hard" to be something its not. The good thing about sketchup is it can get away with not being photo-real. I work at an architecure office and they never want photo-real as clients dont never seem to request it - its a high profile office too with 3 stadiums under its belt...
Anyway - this is all just a round-about way of giving an excuse for the model not being as detailed as others...
I think i got away with it...
Anyway - this is all just a round-about way of giving an excuse for the model not being as detailed as others...
I think i got away with it...
The Research
Frampton, K 1995, "Studies in Tectonic Culture: The poetics of Construction in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Architecture", Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Chicago.
Weston, R 2002, "Utzon: inspiration, vision, architecture", Hellerup, Denmark.
Arcspace.com 2002, accessed 10th October 2008, http://www.arcspace.com/architects/utzon/silkeborg.htm
Fores, J 2006 'Jorn Utzon, Works and Projects', GG, Barcelona.
M Keiding et al 2005, Utzon and the New Tradition, Danish Architectural Press
+ Random peoples blogs who i cant be bothered to mention...
Every source seems to have exactly the same information - just reworded (slightly - if at all)
I find it strange that so few people have tried to model it or draw it - and how little information there is on it. Why didnt Utzon ever do quick perspective sketches (or at least release them)?
The 'Artist's Statement' from Utzon was the most helpful. It explained almost everything i wanted to know about the building - something that the books themsevlves really didnt achieve as well.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Yet another 250 words... THE CONCEPT (its more of a rant actually...)
I find it a bit odd that 1st year 'architectural substitutes' are expected to take one of the gods-of-architecture's buildings and re-design them to what can only be a sub-standard level. - i imagine that everything that ive seen criticesed or redesigned on the other blogs, utzon has a good explanation for. In fact in quite a few cases, i know he does.
nonetheless, I would like to see the ramps down the middle of the space disappear - i think a ramp around the outside would be more dramatic and would strengthen utzons quote that [to enter the building] "it will be with a sense of suprise and a desire to ...[see]... the three storey building open up beneath [you]." One of the many things i dislike about the Red Centre is the stupid ramp in the middle of the gallery space that ruins what would have otherwise been a nice open space.
Also having 2 ramps in the Silkeborg is a bit ridiculous - and very cluttering. As nice as it may be to say that it suggests 'freedom' - i personally have never walked into a building and felt imprisoned by the single ramp. - if only there was one that spiralled in the oposite direction... Also it seems to contradict Utzons claim that the ramps are unconcerning and undisturbing. A choice od two different ramps that lead to different areas spiraling down 7m into an underground 'cave-like' museum sounds somewhat disturbing and concerning.
I've also decided to go all Jamie Durie on its ass - and include a water feature... The main reason the building didnt go ahead was concerns for the building being so close to the river... so somehow - (yet to be decided) i will address that and somehow collect the water that seeps through and channel it through and out the building...
I would like to bring the building up a level. I find it pointless that it needs to be dug 7m into the ground. As i stated in my other 250 word thingo, the main building at the silkeborg museum is a stately 2/3 storey manor. I would like the first level to be above ground - but without disturbing the current above-ground presence too much as it works quite nicely.
The style of the building from above ground is quite nice - and after 40 years, still appears modern, in that it could quite convincingly have been designed last year. So I am reluctant to do too much more - maybe tweak some of the shapes - but other than that - why take it further? (no its not an excuse to do less work....to a degree)
TO BE CONTINUED... maybe
nonetheless, I would like to see the ramps down the middle of the space disappear - i think a ramp around the outside would be more dramatic and would strengthen utzons quote that [to enter the building] "it will be with a sense of suprise and a desire to ...[see]... the three storey building open up beneath [you]." One of the many things i dislike about the Red Centre is the stupid ramp in the middle of the gallery space that ruins what would have otherwise been a nice open space.
Also having 2 ramps in the Silkeborg is a bit ridiculous - and very cluttering. As nice as it may be to say that it suggests 'freedom' - i personally have never walked into a building and felt imprisoned by the single ramp. - if only there was one that spiralled in the oposite direction... Also it seems to contradict Utzons claim that the ramps are unconcerning and undisturbing. A choice od two different ramps that lead to different areas spiraling down 7m into an underground 'cave-like' museum sounds somewhat disturbing and concerning.
I've also decided to go all Jamie Durie on its ass - and include a water feature... The main reason the building didnt go ahead was concerns for the building being so close to the river... so somehow - (yet to be decided) i will address that and somehow collect the water that seeps through and channel it through and out the building...
I would like to bring the building up a level. I find it pointless that it needs to be dug 7m into the ground. As i stated in my other 250 word thingo, the main building at the silkeborg museum is a stately 2/3 storey manor. I would like the first level to be above ground - but without disturbing the current above-ground presence too much as it works quite nicely.
The style of the building from above ground is quite nice - and after 40 years, still appears modern, in that it could quite convincingly have been designed last year. So I am reluctant to do too much more - maybe tweak some of the shapes - but other than that - why take it further? (no its not an excuse to do less work....to a degree)
TO BE CONTINUED... maybe
The Quote
"The visible curved external surfaces are to be clad with ceramics in strong colours so that the parts of the building emerge like shining ceramic sculptures, and inside the museum will be kept in white."
Jorn Utzon talking about the Silkeborg
Weston, R 2002, "Utzon: inspiration, vision, architecture", Hellerup, Denmark.
Jorn Utzon talking about the Silkeborg
Weston, R 2002, "Utzon: inspiration, vision, architecture", Hellerup, Denmark.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
10 Textures...
The colour palate is quite restricted in my selection of textures. I personally dont like too much colour. Generally a nice cool grey (like the titanium from Gehry's guggenheim below) with a highlight colour like an acid green/yelow or the brushed purple aluminium below used selectively over/throughout the building. I would like to use this style with my redesign of the Silkeborg as i believe its limited colours will contrast nicely with asger Jorns almost over-use of colours in his artworks.
When focusing on the artworks the building will blend into the background - and yet is very arresting and exciting when focus is on the building itself as it uses a contemporary colour scheme with prominent highlights... or so i believe...
When focusing on the artworks the building will blend into the background - and yet is very arresting and exciting when focus is on the building itself as it uses a contemporary colour scheme with prominent highlights... or so i believe...
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
3 Words to form the basis of my re-representation
ORGANIC
DRAMATIC
FLOWING
So, if you read the 250 words, you will have noted that i dont like the "organicness" (as i eloquntly put it) of the building - which is kind of a main part of it - but nonetheless, so u will find it odd that i have chosen words like orgainic and flowing... well... yes - but i dont want to stray too far from Utzons design because anything that he's done will be much better and more thought out than anything i come up with - so im not going to change it drastically. I am getting away with the words organic and flowing by combinging them with 'dramatic' - as i said in the 250 words, i can accept it if the walls and shapes end abruptly - or 'Dramatically' - ooh see, it comes together..
so yer... thats what im doing...
10 Emotive words
- Organic
- Smooth
- Sculptural
- Cavernous
- Carved
- enclosed
- harmonious
- effortless (the 'feel' not the work gone into the design!)
- dramatic
- flowing
- Smooth
- Sculptural
- Cavernous
- Carved
- enclosed
- harmonious
- effortless (the 'feel' not the work gone into the design!)
- dramatic
- flowing
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