Firefly Dreams at Sea
From Primitive Hut to Skyscraper / Deutsches Architekturmuseum / Frankfurt
Paleolithic Hut
DWELLING OF HOMO ERECTUS BY THE SHORE AT NICE (FRANCE) / C. 400,000 B.C.
The first known human dwelling consisted of branches closely set to form a roof which may have leant against a log supported by two forked branches. These pitched roofs were probably covered in leaves and animal skins. Stones at the sides stopped the structure from slipping. The hut is reconstructed from the findings of an archaeological excavation.
DWELLING OF HOMO ERECTUS BY THE SHORE AT NICE (FRANCE) / C. 400,000 B.C.
The first known human dwelling consisted of branches closely set to form a roof which may have leant against a log supported by two forked branches. These pitched roofs were probably covered in leaves and animal skins. Stones at the sides stopped the structure from slipping. The hut is reconstructed from the findings of an archaeological excavation.
Primitive Architecture
ROOF-SHELTER OF THE YANOAMA-INDIANS (UPPER ORINOCO, VENEZUELA, AND NORTHERN BRAZIL)
Large, pitched roofs of logs covered in greenery form the dwellings of the Yanoama families in the jungles of Northern Brazil. There are no dividing walls between the individual families. The roofs frame a large space in which tribal rituals are carried out.
ROOF-SHELTER OF THE YANOAMA-INDIANS (UPPER ORINOCO, VENEZUELA, AND NORTHERN BRAZIL)
Large, pitched roofs of logs covered in greenery form the dwellings of the Yanoama families in the jungles of Northern Brazil. There are no dividing walls between the individual families. The roofs frame a large space in which tribal rituals are carried out.
Mesolithic Settlement
TERRACED HILL DWELLINGS AT CATAL HUYUK (TURKEY) C. 6500 B.C.
The excavation of this Stone Age "town" in Southern Turkey revealed a dense network of rectangular houses covering an area of some 13 hectares. The one-room houses are built of timber-frame and brick. Catal Huyuk is one of the earliest known urban settlements, built long before the cities of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The larger-scale model of Catal Huyuk shows two interiors depicting Stone Age life (on the right a burial ceremony). The wall paintings suggest that both of these rooms are cult rooms. With the exception of the wall decoration, they do not differ either structurally or in terms of fittings from the usual living quarters.
TERRACED HILL DWELLINGS AT CATAL HUYUK (TURKEY) C. 6500 B.C.
The excavation of this Stone Age "town" in Southern Turkey revealed a dense network of rectangular houses covering an area of some 13 hectares. The one-room houses are built of timber-frame and brick. Catal Huyuk is one of the earliest known urban settlements, built long before the cities of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The larger-scale model of Catal Huyuk shows two interiors depicting Stone Age life (on the right a burial ceremony). The wall paintings suggest that both of these rooms are cult rooms. With the exception of the wall decoration, they do not differ either structurally or in terms of fittings from the usual living quarters.
Mesolithic Village
ROUND HOUSES AT KHIROKITIA (CYPRUS) C. 5500 B.C.
The village of Khirokitia on Cyprus is a classic example of a Stone Age settlement of round houses. The earliest stone houses to be excavated were circular. Our model does not reconstruct the village, but "preserves" it as an example of modern archaeological excavation.
ROUND HOUSES AT KHIROKITIA (CYPRUS) C. 5500 B.C.
The village of Khirokitia on Cyprus is a classic example of a Stone Age settlement of round houses. The earliest stone houses to be excavated were circular. Our model does not reconstruct the village, but "preserves" it as an example of modern archaeological excavation.
Sumerian Civilisation
TERRACED TEMPLE AT KHAFAJE (IRAQ) C. 2700 B.C.
The Mesopotamian city of Khafaje blossomed as a centre of Sumerian urban culture during the first half of the 3rd millenium B.C.. Built on a tributary of the Tigris, it was one of the prehistoric cities of Mesopotamia which marked the beginning of Mesopotamian civilisation. These first urban centres brought the development of outstanding, monumental architecture of which the temple in the centre of the city is an early example.
TERRACED TEMPLE AT KHAFAJE (IRAQ) C. 2700 B.C.
The Mesopotamian city of Khafaje blossomed as a centre of Sumerian urban culture during the first half of the 3rd millenium B.C.. Built on a tributary of the Tigris, it was one of the prehistoric cities of Mesopotamia which marked the beginning of Mesopotamian civilisation. These first urban centres brought the development of outstanding, monumental architecture of which the temple in the centre of the city is an early example.
Egyptian Civilisation
TERRACED TEMPLE OF THE PHARAOHS AT DER EL-BAHARI (EGYPT) C. 1400 B.C.
The considerable remains of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut rise on three colonnaded terraces. The red cliffs form an impressive backdrop to this complex by the Nile. In addition to the tomb of Hatshepsut, the complex also includes the tombs of Mentuhotep and Thutmosis III. Colonnades and hypostyles, ramps and open spaces adorn the funerary buildings of the Pharaohs.
TERRACED TEMPLE OF THE PHARAOHS AT DER EL-BAHARI (EGYPT) C. 1400 B.C.
The considerable remains of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut rise on three colonnaded terraces. The red cliffs form an impressive backdrop to this complex by the Nile. In addition to the tomb of Hatshepsut, the complex also includes the tombs of Mentuhotep and Thutmosis III. Colonnades and hypostyles, ramps and open spaces adorn the funerary buildings of the Pharaohs.
Ancient Greek City
MYCENAE (GREECE) C. 1500 - 1100 B.C.
The citadel of Mycenae, excavated by Heinrich Schliemann, was the scene of Homer's epic, the Iliad. This place of European prehistory, an Achaean strong-hold surrounded by cyclopean walls, is linked with the names of Atreus, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The focal point is the circular burial area, separated as an area of special significance.
MYCENAE (GREECE) C. 1500 - 1100 B.C.
The citadel of Mycenae, excavated by Heinrich Schliemann, was the scene of Homer's epic, the Iliad. This place of European prehistory, an Achaean strong-hold surrounded by cyclopean walls, is linked with the names of Atreus, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The focal point is the circular burial area, separated as an area of special significance.
Ancient Roman City
THE FORUM, POMPEII (ITALY) 79 A.D.
The centre of the city of Pompeii, at the foot of Vesuvius, is typical of a Roman urban complex. The public facilities are concentrated around the forum, while the private homes and shopping streets extend well beyond the boundaries of our model, which is only a reconstruction of the forum destroyed in 79 A.D. by the eruption of Vesuvius and later excavated.
THE FORUM, POMPEII (ITALY) 79 A.D.
The centre of the city of Pompeii, at the foot of Vesuvius, is typical of a Roman urban complex. The public facilities are concentrated around the forum, while the private homes and shopping streets extend well beyond the boundaries of our model, which is only a reconstruction of the forum destroyed in 79 A.D. by the eruption of Vesuvius and later excavated.
Late Medieval City
BUEDINGEN (GERMANY) C. 1390
Buedingen is a medieval town of half-timbered houses in Hesse. Its essential feature is the juxtaposition of a moated castle of the Staufen dynasty alongside the urban settlement which grew up around it in the course of the centuries. The formation of these two poles of castle and urban settlement, so typical of many European cities in the Middle Ages, has survived here as an excellent example of its kind.
BUEDINGEN (GERMANY) C. 1390
Buedingen is a medieval town of half-timbered houses in Hesse. Its essential feature is the juxtaposition of a moated castle of the Staufen dynasty alongside the urban settlement which grew up around it in the course of the centuries. The formation of these two poles of castle and urban settlement, so typical of many European cities in the Middle Ages, has survived here as an excellent example of its kind.
Renaissance Country House
VILLA BADOER, FRATTA POLESINE (ITALY) 1556
Andrea Palladio's villas for the Venetian aristocracy were bult in the midst of the reclaimed marshes of the Po Valley. They were the centre of huge, new country estates; with their temple facades, the villas dominated the wide expanses of the flat countryside. Right up to the 18th and 19th centuries, future generations of architects looked at Palladian villas for their standards in building palaces and houses.
VILLA BADOER, FRATTA POLESINE (ITALY) 1556
Andrea Palladio's villas for the Venetian aristocracy were bult in the midst of the reclaimed marshes of the Po Valley. They were the centre of huge, new country estates; with their temple facades, the villas dominated the wide expanses of the flat countryside. Right up to the 18th and 19th centuries, future generations of architects looked at Palladian villas for their standards in building palaces and houses.
19th Century Civil Engineering
CRYSTAL PALACE, LONDON (ENGLAND) 1851
The exhibition hall built in London by Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851 became the flagship of a "modern" architecture. The new materials, iron and glass, replaced the traditional wood and stone. All the parts were prefabricated and could be assembled on site within a short time. The era of "glass architecture" and "metal frame building" had begun.
CRYSTAL PALACE, LONDON (ENGLAND) 1851
The exhibition hall built in London by Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851 became the flagship of a "modern" architecture. The new materials, iron and glass, replaced the traditional wood and stone. All the parts were prefabricated and could be assembled on site within a short time. The era of "glass architecture" and "metal frame building" had begun.
Worker Housing in the 19th Century
SLUMS IN LONDON (ENGLAND) C. 1870
By the end of the 18th century, the industrial revolution had already brought the emergence of working class slums in England's new centres of industry such as Manchester, Liverpool and London. The model, reconstructed from a drawing by the French illustrator Gustave Dore, shows a London slum, where workers coming from the countryside to the city had to eke out their existence in cramped and impoverished conditions. The slums of the new industrial towns were the product of ruthless exploitation and became places of sickness, hunger and degradation.
SLUMS IN LONDON (ENGLAND) C. 1870
By the end of the 18th century, the industrial revolution had already brought the emergence of working class slums in England's new centres of industry such as Manchester, Liverpool and London. The model, reconstructed from a drawing by the French illustrator Gustave Dore, shows a London slum, where workers coming from the countryside to the city had to eke out their existence in cramped and impoverished conditions. The slums of the new industrial towns were the product of ruthless exploitation and became places of sickness, hunger and degradation.
The European High-Rise Building
MAIN TOWER, FRANKFURT\M. (GERMANY) 1996-2000
High-rises gained sway in Europe as an important form of building that catered to the ever larger population of cities. Extending 200 meters the MAIN TOWER designed by Schweger & Partner may not be one of the highest towers in Frankfurt, but it is interesting in ecological terms. The unbridled faith in progress has given way to circumspect use of our limited material resources. State-of-the-art glass technology, a block-type heating/power station and a geodesic pendulum storage unit make for low energy consumption in the MAIN TOWER. All the offices are illuminated by daylight. In this, the Tower differs substaintially from its US counterparts. Without the assistance of a computer, it would not be possible to realize such a high-tech building.
MAIN TOWER, FRANKFURT\M. (GERMANY) 1996-2000
High-rises gained sway in Europe as an important form of building that catered to the ever larger population of cities. Extending 200 meters the MAIN TOWER designed by Schweger & Partner may not be one of the highest towers in Frankfurt, but it is interesting in ecological terms. The unbridled faith in progress has given way to circumspect use of our limited material resources. State-of-the-art glass technology, a block-type heating/power station and a geodesic pendulum storage unit make for low energy consumption in the MAIN TOWER. All the offices are illuminated by daylight. In this, the Tower differs substaintially from its US counterparts. Without the assistance of a computer, it would not be possible to realize such a high-tech building.
Sunday, February 5, 2012:
WOHA Breathing Architecture / Deutsches Architekturmuseum / Frankfurt
Parkroyal on Pickering / Singapore / Hotel and Office Building
The top level business hotel with offices set in a garden is situated in central Singapore, at Hong Lim Park, and demonstrates, how it is possible to not only conserve greenery in a city centre but multiply it vertically. A total of 15,000 square metres of skygardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planted terraces and green walls were designed; this is double the site area or equivalent to the footprint of the adjacent Hong Lim Park.
A contoured podium draws inspiration from a combination of landscaped bonsai arrangements that mimic natural landscapes and mountain rock formations as well as that of the contoured paddy fields of Asia. The top of the podium is a lush landscaped terrace for the development's recreational facilities, with infinity edge pools and birdcage cabanas perched over the waters.
The high-rise blocks rising up from the podium and housing the hotel rooms and offices are arranged in an open-sided courtyard configuration, with sky gardens every four storeys, which bring lush greenery directly to the rooms. Corridors, lobbies and common washrooms are designed as garden spaces with stepping-stones, planting and water features, which create an alluring resort ambience with natural light and fresh air.
These landscapes are designed to be self-sustaining and rely minimally on precious natural resources. This project has achieved Singapore's Green Mark Platinum score, the nation's highest environmental certification.
SST School of Science + Technology / Singapore
The School of Science + Technology is a competition scheme for a single iconic building. All the constituent elements are visually and spatially linked, to foster the exchange of ideas and knowledge and create a strong sense of community and identity. The school was organized into three strata, namely "The Marketplace of Ideas", "The Knowledge Laboratory" and "The Iconic Futurescape".
The Marketplace of Ideas is designed as a double volume space with internal streets that lead to a "market square" or agora. The square is designed as a tropical urban space, open yet fully covered. The streets that criss-cross the Marketplace provide direct cross ventilation, ensuring the space is always comfortable. Bridges and platforms are designed to overlook the main marketplace, with study pods acting as private "balconies". Indirect, natural light is provided by staggering the openings in the roof and in the "Knowledge Laboratory" overhead.
The "Knowledge Laboratory" is designed as a flexible floor of teaching spaces, for independent studies, team collaborations and large group work. An expanded aluminum mesh cladding provides shading for the "Knowledge Laboratory" while allowing ventilation.
The "Iconic Futurescpae" is designed as a roofscape of futuristic elements - Atomic Scale, Human Scale and Cosmic Scale - that forms a symbolic image and a protective umbrella over the school.
Duxton Plain Public Housing / Singapore
WOHA explored strategies of high-density living in a high-rise tropical environment, and urban strategies unique to the site in Singapore's Chinatown. A central issue to the design was a development for the future of Sinaporean public housing.
The design facilitated several scales of interaction. At city level, a strong image on the skyline was proposed of the cluster of towers with hanging gardens. At the neighbourhood level, a strong street edge was made, based on the shophouse structural bay and form.
At village level, the "sky villages" were created - homes placed in a high-rise community, linked by "sky streets" and "sky parks". The covered sky streets led from the local village to the high-speed lifts. Sky parks were provided as places for recreation and socializing. Voids between the blocks were divided every 5 floors by sky gardens, relating to each sky village.
As the site faced east-west, and units facing this direction are unpopular in Singapore due to heat, the solution was a staggered honeycomb, where all units got either direct views, or views framed by the blocks opposite and the sky gardens.
Newton Suites / Singapore
The horizontal, metal expanded mesh sunshading screens the residential building against strong tropical sunlight. The cast shadows and interference patterns between the shadows and the mesh give the building a constantly shifting, blurred appearance.
Residential units are stacked four per floor. Ample cross-ventilation from the balcony front, through the services areas at the rear, coupled with the passive environmental facade features, ensures that the units are conducive for tropical living without depending on mechanical cooling. Common sky gardens create delight at every lift lobby, turning the wait for the lift into a brief contact with fresh air, trees and sky.
Creeper screens are applied to walls to absorb sunlight and carbon and create oxygen. Trees cover the carpark, project from the sky gardens at every fourth level and the penthouse roof decks. The carpark roof houses a substantial clubhouse with gym, steam room, party areas and a 25-metre-swimming pool.
This tropical residential high-rise achieves both Singapore's national vision for a green city and an improved living environment for its inhabitants.
Oasia Downtown / Singapore
With Oasia Downtown a tropical design showcases a perforated, permeable, furry, verdant tower of green in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District (CBD).
In response to the client's brief of having distinct SOHO (Small Offices Home Offices), Hotel and Club rooms, WOHA adapted a "club sandwich" approach by creating, with ground floor area and a roof trellis garden, a series of five different horizontal strata. Each of the three main segments has a dedicated sky terrace, treated as an urban scale verandah, open sided for formal and visual transparency, and cross-ventilation. These distinct layers of sky terraces serve as multiple elevated ground levels, creating generous public areas for recreation and social interaction.
Landscaping forms a major part of the development's material palette, achieving an overall Green Plot Ratio of 750 percent. The building form is softened by a facade of creepers and flowering plants, creating an alternative image distinct from the surrounding glassy towers of the CBD.
SOTA School of the Arts / Singapore
The building combines a high-density inner-city school with a professional performing arts venue - a large, dense, perforated urban object that achieves natural light and ventilation to all areas, despite its deep dimensions. Two horizontal strata are visually connected: a space for public communication below, and a space for safe, controlled interaction above. This design strategy solves the twin objectives of porosity and communication with the public on the one hand, and a secure and safe learning environment on the other.
The "Backdrop" is the podium that contains a concert hall, drama theatre, black box theatre and several small informal performing spaces. The naturally-ventilated informal spaces in between the performane spaces are designed around an urban short-cut.
The "Blank Canvas" is the secured school area in the floors above, a simple, flexible space. The metaphor suggests the open possibilities and focus on the educational content. Three long rectangular blocks are visually connected, from all the ciruclation spaces to the public areas below.
Classrooms, studios and circulation are all natually ventilated, with dynamic visual and physical links between blocks. The School of the Arts is a "Machine for Wind", designed to channel and intensify Singapore's very light breezes through shaded, sheltered gathering and social spaces. The green facades are environmental filters, cutting out glare and dust, keeping the rooms cool and, in combination with the acoustic ceilings, absorb traffic noise.
The rooftop is designed as a recreation park in the sky and incorporates a 400 metre running track.
OLDER >>
I tell you: one must have still chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: you still have chaos in yourself. Friedrich Nietzsche
They rode out on the high prarie and slowed the horeses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in that tenentless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was. They rode out on the round dias of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it. And which carried them and bore them up into the swarming stars so they rode, not under them, but among them. And they rode at once both jaunty and circumspect, like thieves newly loosed in that dark electric. Like young thieves in a glowing orchard, loosely jacketed against the cold and ten thousand worlds for the choosing.
Cormac McCarthy
Archives:
2012:
January
2011:
December
November
October
September
Themes:
art
architecture
photography
theory
philosophy
ecology
innovation
imagination