The architectural review (2002-2005)-part 2

[Architecture.Ebook] The Architectural Review - Sellection(2002-2005)
cippall@yahoo.com
- 64 -

cippall@yahoo.com
- 65 -

cippall@yahoo.com
- 66 -

cippall@yahoo.com
- 67 -

cippall@yahoo.com
- 68 -

cippall@yahoo.com
- 69 -

70 |6
HOUSIN G, IN N SBRUCK, AUSTRIA
ARCHITECT
BAUMSCHLAGER & EBERLE
SHUTTERED ROOMS
Distinguished by formal rigour and a concern for energy use, thiscomplex of compactly planned, mixed tenure
housing blockson the edge of Innsbruck isanimated by an external skin of folding shutters.
1
Mid-rise blocks are arranged around
communal spaces. Car parking is
relegated underground, freeing up the
exterior for semi-formal gardens.
2
Framed by alpine peaks, the blocks
have a geometric rigour and precision.
Copper-clad folding shutters animate
the exterior (although in reality
perhaps to a more random pattern
than shown here).
Housing(of boththe state
subsidedandprivate sector
fundedkind) accountsfor over a
thirdof constructionwork in
Austria. Regulatedbyplanning
lawsandcost constraints,
opportunitiesfor innovationare
limited, withthe result that towns
andcitiestendto be dominated
bydull residential developments.
Inthisapparentlyreductivist area
of architectural activity,
Baumschlager &Eberle have
appliedthemselvesto researching
andevolvingasuccessful housing
type basedonacompact,
doughnut-shapedplanwithan
inner ringof servant spacesand
anouter ringof servedrooms.
The buildingenvelope isusually
formedfrombalconiesand
loggias, creatingasemi-public
layer enclosedbyanexternal skin
of foldingor slidingshutters. By
adaptingandmodifyingthisbasic
type to variousconditions,
Baumschlager &Eberle have
graduallydevelopedit intermsof
architectural form, constructional
compositionandecological
performance. The particular
character of thisapproachisnot
to seek the outlandishlyspecial,
but rather to aspire to the highest
standardsfor what isnormal.
The latest inthisseriesof
housingprojectsisfor asite on
the westernedge of Innsbruck.
Dramaticallyframedbyalpine
peaks, it extendsanexisting
residential area. The complex
contains298 flatsof varyingsizes
(fromone to three bedrooms)
dividedmore or lessevenly
betweenrental andownership.
Apartmentsare organizedinsix
identical blocksbetweenfive and
sevenstoreyshigh. Carsare
relegatedto asubterraneanpark,
so freeingupthe areasbetween
the blocksfor gardensand
communal social spaces.
1
2
cippall@yahoo.com
- 70 -

73 |6ground floor plan (scale approx 1:300)site plan
typical upper level plancross section outlining principles of environmental control
longitudinal sectioncross section
a solar collection
panels
b water tanksfor
heat storage
c car park
d ventilationoutlets
e heat pump&boiler
f livingroom/
bedroom
g wc/bathroom/
kitchen
a mainentrance
b lightwell courtyard
c lift
d stairs
e flats
f accessgalleries
g balconies
72 |6
Pollarded lime treesmark the
edgesof pathsand will mature to
provide enclavesof shade.
Each of the blocksfollowsthe
same compact arrangement of
flatstightly planned around a
central lightwell and service
core. Each hasasingle communal
entrance that penetrates
through the block to the central
space; from here you either take
the lift or stairsto communal
gallerieson each level that lead
to individual apartments. Flats
are simply and economically
planned with anarrow strip of
kitchensand bathroomson the
lightwell side servinglarger living
spacesfacingout to viewsand
light. Each flat hasaccessto a
balcony that runscontinuously
around each floor. Inner facesof
the blocksare clad in vertical
stripsof cherry. Foldingshutters
made of copper and balustrades
of translucent toughened glass
give protection from the
elementsand provide privacy.
The changingconcertina
rhythmsgenerated by the
shutters(which will surely have a
much greater degree of lyrical
randomnessthan the regimented
patternsshown here) animate
the geometrically stern facades.
Aswith Baumschlager &
Eberle’spreviousprojects(AR
January 2000), the Innsbruck
housingischaracterized by a
thoughtful degree of energy
consciousenvironmental
control. The highly compact plan
reducesthe surface areato
volume ratio. Wallsare highly
insulated and windowsare triple
glazed, in order to minimize heat
loss. Each apartment isequipped
with acompact ventilation unit
with heat recovery, aswell asa
small heat pump for air heating
and aboiler for hot water. The
controlled air ventilation system
providesaconstant, comfortable
supply of fresh air aswell as
3
Lushness of the landscape tempers the
formal abstraction.
4
Balconies run around the edge of each
block, enclosed by the shutters and
translucent glass balustrades.
HOUSING, INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA
ARCHITECT
3
4
cippall@yahoo.com
- 71 -

74 |6
optimizingspace heatingand
minimizingventilation losses. It
also maintainsabalance of
relative humidity, reducing
problemsof building
deterioration due to pollution,
humidity or mould.
Around 70 per cent of the
annual hot water demand is
covered by asolar powered
system. Solar collectorswith a
surface areaof 140-190sqm per
block heat water in storage
tankslocated around the
perimeter of the underground
car park. Duringthe summer,
domestic hot water iswarmed in
the solar tanksand supplied to
individual flats. Any extra
heatingiscarried out by the heat
pumps. In winter, solar energy is
used to preheat fresh air in the
controlled ventilation system.
Rainwater iscollected from the
roofsand used to flush the
lavatories, accountingfor over
half the annual demand.
Thisconflation of energy
savingmeasuresgivesrise to a
very low annual heating
requirement, compared with
more conventional housing
developments, with consequent
cost savingsand reductionsin
carbon dioxide emissions.
Combiningformal precision with
ecological inventiveness,
Baumschlager & Eberle’s
architecture showswhat can be
achieved even in the most
unpromisingof programmes.
CLAUDIA KUGEL
Architect
Baumschlager & Eberle, Lochau, Austria
Project team
Carlo Baumschlager, Dietmar Eberle,
Gerhard Zweier, Herwig Bachmann
Structural engineers
Mac Wallnöfer, Fritzer & Saurwein
Environmental engineer
GMI Ingenieure
Landscape architect
Kienast Vogt
Photographs
Eduard Hueber/Arch Photo
5
At the heart of each block isa lightwell.
6
Galleries give access to individual flats.
HOUSING, INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA
ARCHITECT
5
6
cippall@yahoo.com
- 72 -

82 |6
The LondonContemporary
Dance School isto be found at
The Place inaquiet backwater
off busyEustonRoad. Established
in1969 byphilanthropist Robin
Howard, The Place hasbecome
one of the world’sfamousdance
centres. Itstheatre wascreated
out of the old Drill Hall of the
Artists’ Rifles, constructed in
1889 and listed byEnglish
Heritage. A landmark inthe
King’sCrossPartnershiparea, it
opensonto the tinyGeorgian
oasisof Duke’sRoad (built with
the adjoiningWoburnWalk in
the 1820sbyThomasCubitt as
part of the Bedford Estate).
Behind, and to the east of, the
theatre, dressingroomsand
ancillaryspaces, isthe dance
centre, housed for most of itslife
inatriangular warrenof buildings
converted at varioustimesinto
studios, classroomsand offices.
Equipped with money from the
National Lottery (through the
ArtsCouncil) and agrant from
King’sCrossPartnership, The
Place hasbeen undergoing
much-needed improvementsby
Alliesand Morrison. Pressure on
space and facilitieshad become
acute. The centre, open seven
daysaweek from early morning
until late in the evening, isused
by great numbersof students
and professional performers,
and hasto house around 80 staff.
Work isbeingcarried out in
two phases. The first, now
completed, hasprovided anew
buildingto the north and east of
the triangle. Entrance isthrough
athree-storey glassfronted stair
tower, facingeast and visible
from adistance – particularly at
night when illuminated. Glass
balconiesbetween landingsact
asstretchingzonesso from the
street you see silhouetted
dancersin motion, figures
superimposed one above the
other. Thistower isthe centre’s
shop window, advertisingits
presence to the neighbourhood.
Landingslead to new studios
contained inabuildingto the
northhard upagainst the back
wall of ahotel block running
DAN CE SCHOOL,
KIN G’S CROSS, LON DON
ARCHITECT
ALLIES AN D MORRISON
ARCHITECTS
1
Glazed stair tower with stretching
areas, gives access to studios, right.
2
Lower ground floor studios
combined by folding central dividing
screen away.
3
Interior skylit stair tower: landings
and glass balconies are used by
students for meetings and exercise.
4
Stair tower onto street. Dividing
screen of metal mesh from gkd.
Leadingthedance
A new extension to a famousdance centre in the King’sCrossdistrict of London rationalizesa rather
difficult site, addsspaciousnew studios, and providesa shop window that establishesitspresence locally.
1
2
3 4
cippall@yahoo.com
- 73 -

85 |6
ground floor plan (scale approx 1:950)
84 |6
alongEustonRoad. There are
two large airystudiosoneachof
the two levels, and another pair
excavated out of the ground.
Everypart of thisworkmanlike
scheme ispermeated bythe
quiet architectural intelligence
characteristicof thispractice.
Fromthe beginning, the
architectsworked closelywith
their professional clientsto work
out proportionsand details(like
the speciallydesigned studio
barres, insectionshaped like an
inverted eggto make themeasier
to graspcorrectly).
Studio wallsonthe north,
facingstraight onto the hotel, are
made of glassblockswhich
diffuse light while maintaining
privacy; and these translucent
wallsare supplemented
elsewhere by strategically placed
windowsadmittingthe exterior.
For the dancersthese studios
are introverted placesfor
south-north cross section
west-east long section
lower ground floor plan
second floor plan
first floor planisometric
1 entrance andstair tower
2 new studio
3 modernizedstudio
4 theatre
5 bar
6 theatre entrance
7 box office
8 backstage
9 dressingroom
10 changingroom
11 office
DAN CE SCHOOL, KIN G’S CROSS, LON DON
ARCHITECT
ALLIES AN D MORRISON ARCHITECTS
5
Upper studio with glass block wall
from Luxcrete to north, and
Junckers sprung floor.
intense concentration, but any
sense of claustrophobiais
dissipated by the subliminal
impression of light, air and
reflection off sprungfloorsand
mirrored walls.
Services– ventilationand
acousticseparation– are carried
bythe concrete structure. Onthe
lower groundfloor, it was
possible to eliminate the heavy
central wall andreplace it witha
foldingscreento create one
enormousspace. Thisphase also
includedrefurbishingand
generallytidyingupthe existing
building. Phase two consistsof
work to the theatre andisdue for
completionbythisautumn. P. M.
Architects
Allies and Morrison Architects, London
Project architects
Bob Allies, Graham Morrison, Eddie Taylor,
Paul Appleton, Jo Bacon, Ben Elsdon, Stuart
King, Adrian Morrow, Jane Parker, Oliver
Ralphs, Pauline Stockmans, Ria Summerhayes
Structural engineer
Price and Myers
Servicesengineer
Max Fordham & Partners
Photographs
Dennis Gilbert/VIEW
5
cippall@yahoo.com
- 74 -

43 |642 |6
Oslo isone of the largest citiesin the world
in termsof area. It stretchesfrom the neo-
Classical core far up into the surrounding
hills, where suburbsand forest increasingly
blend. In the worst areas, thisleadsto
slummification of the wild, but in the best
parts, the two interact, bringinghumanity
and nature into creative conjunction. Lund
Hagem’stwo attached housesat Furulund
are aprime example of such adialogue.
The site issquarish, slopingfrom north to
south, on acorner of two roadsin an area
where nineteenth- and twentieth-century
villasare scattered lightly through the
woods. The basic plan of the new houseswas
generated by the twin desire to preserve the
25 best treeson the plot, and to avoid
overlookingand overshadowingby existing
buildings. So the L-shaped housesare
arranged to open onto adouble garden court
which isdivided by athick (partly storage)
wall which givesthem adegree of privacy
from each other. The garden courtsface
south-west, into awooded gap between
existingbuildings.
The housesare completely different in
plan. The upper (more northerly) one is
based on acorridor that runsat garden level,
double and single sided, south-west from the
entrance to acovered belvedere at the far
end of the garden. En route, it passesthe
master bedroom on the left, and the main
family areawhich includeskitchen, diningand
sittingand isdominated by alarge fireplace.
Next to thisisasmall flight of stairswhich
leadsdown to alittle private study. Above is
the children’sarea, from where asecret stair
in the chimney breast goesup to aroof
terrace above the livingarea.
The other house isfundamentally
organized round the half levelsof itsstair. It
hasacar port tucked into itsvolume, and it
isentered from the same side asthe
northern house. To the left isadouble-
height study, and the stairsgo down to the
TW O HOUSES, FURULUN D,
OSLO, N ORW AY
ARCHITECT
LUN D HAGEM
IN NORW EGIAN W OODS
It may seem odd to start an issue on group housing with a pair of houses
in an Oslo suburb, but these are so responsive to landscape, that they
suggest many possibilitiesfor larger groupingsof houseswhich could pay
similar attention to nature and human response to it.
1
Entrance front: blank and rather
forbidding with windows hidden
behind thin natural oak strips. Car
port for southern house penetrates
from road to private gardens.
2
Entrance to upper (northern)
house: axial route to private
natural world.
3
Keeping as many trees as possible
was one of the key aims of design.
N orthern house in foreground.
4
Southern house: studio seen from
entrance.
5
Southern house: studio from
garden.
6
Garden side of southern house.
1
2
3
4 5 6
cippall@yahoo.com
- 75 -

45 |644 |6 lowest level (scale approx 1:370)
1 entrance
2 living/kitchen
3 mainbedroom
4 study
5 garage
6 studio
7 gallerymezzanine
8 children
9 childen’scommonroom
10 cellar
11 car port
OSLO, N ORW AY
ARCHITECT
LUN D HAGEM
entrance levels north-south cross section through houses
north-south section through north house garage and south house
upper level
cippall@yahoo.com
- 76 -

47 |646 |6
7
Fireplace in living room of
northern house.
8
Stair in southern house is
organizing device for spatial flow.
9
Kitchen in southern house.
10
Garden side, southern house.
11, 12
Sitting area, southern house, with
light washing over south wall, and
window which brings trees into
conversation.
OSLO, N ORW AY
ARCHITECT
LUN D HAGEM
children’slevel, where three sleeping
cabinswith slidingdoorsopen off the
communal area. They look out onto the
garden court, to which each hasaccess
through the glasswall. If, instead of going
down to the children’sfloor, you go up, you
arrive in the livingarea, which isthe spatial
tour de force of the whole affair. Tall and
long, it looksnorth towardsthe garden, but
gainsmuch of itsatmosphere from a
continuousrooflight which pours
luminance down the largely blank south
wall. A wide and generousbench follows
the light and turnsat the south end to form
the base of the fireplace which again
dominatesthe sittingarea. Just at the turn,
a large window issuddenly cut low into the
wall to look out point blank into the
branchesof a fine mature birch tree, which
givesthe space privacy from the road. A
further flight up from thislevel isthe main
bedroom, slungover the car port where
there isaccessto the mezzanine of the
study. Another short stair leadsto the
private roof terrace over the livingarea.
Construction islightweight concrete
block, rendered outside and in, with internal
surfaceslightly dragged to give them texture.
Upper floorson the entrance (east) side are
clad in thin natural oak stripsof varying
length and thickness; behind are small
windowswhich get some light and glimpses
of view through the slits. The effect from the
road isdark and alittle austere, but once the
wooden entrance doorsare open, the spaces
are welcoming, with floorsof solid oiled ash,
slate and oiled concrete, ash joinery and light
birch slatted ceilings.
Of course, such finisheswould be
impossible in lessexpensive houses, aswould
all the many subtle manoevresin plan and
section. But the thoughtfulnesswith which
site and family needshave been related do
repay study, and could inform housingon a
considerably larger scale. P.D.
Architect
Lund Hagem Arkitekter AS, Oslo
Project team
Svein Lund, Karine Denizou,
Arvid Pedersen, Andreas Poulsson
Photographs
Espen Grønli, Jiri Havran,
Morten Brun, Svein Lund
7 8
9
10
11 12
cippall@yahoo.com
- 77 -

47 |746 |7
TOUCHIN G N ATURE
Encased in a carapace of weathered steel, a retirement house in the spectacular
splendour of the Arizona desert appearspart of itsraw, elemental, landscape.
1
The gently angular peaks of the
roof mimic the topography of the
distant mountains.
2
Embedded in the slope, the house
presents a modest profile from the
approach road.
3
The shed-like volumesof the main
house and itssmaller guest wing
enclose an intermediate courtyard.
4
Courtyard is landscaped in a very
precise fashion, with cubic planters
and calm pools of water.
5
A weathered carapace of rusted
steel cladding envelops the house.
InsouthernArizona, close to the
Mexicanborder, landscape and
skycollide inanexhilarating
rushof space andlight. This
elevateddesert areaisknown
for itsawesome summer
lightningstormsandveryclear
night skies(accountingfor the
presence of several astronomical
observatories). Withinthis
extraordinarynatural arena, Rick
Joyhasbuilt ahouse, atautly
graphiccompositionof glassand
planesof hoary, rustedsteel that
sitslightlyandlow onthe ground,
like alizardbaskingonarock.
Hisclientswere acouple from
Ohio who hadspent their
holidaysinthe Southwest and
become seducedbyitsvast,
primeval landscapesto the point
of commissioningaretirement
home. Coveredwithscrub,
native mesquite treesandlow
wildgrasses, the desert site
slopesgentlydownto the south.
Inthe distance, snow-capped
mountainsdelicatelyframe the
horizon. Apart fromthe usual
livingandguest spaces, the clients
requestedtwo studies, areasfor
entertainment andanoptical
telescope platform(the husband
isaformer radio astronomer and
the site wasselectedasmuchfor
itsnight-time view of crystal clear
skiesasdaytime panoramas). All
thishadto be containedona
single floor.
Joy’sresponse wasto carve a
level shelf into the hill, definedby
two U-shapedretainingwalls
skewedtowardsone another.
Thisestablishesadatumfor the
house. The retainingwallsform
the endsof two shed-like
volumes(the maindwellinganda
smaller guest house) that gently
nudge into eachother, witha
linear courtyardoccupyingthe
intermediate space. Fromthe
approachroad, onlythe glazed
endsof the shedsare visible
above the ground;at night these
become glowingabstract forms,
apparentlyhoveringinspace. A
gravel-coveredgardenspiked
withplumpcacti flanksthe
entrance. To get in, youdescend
throughastair wedgedinthe
cleft betweenthe two retaining
walls, to emerge inthe
tranquillityof the courtyard
below. Poolsof water and
HOUSE, ARIZON A, USA
ARCHITECT
RICK JOY
1
2
3
4 5
cippall@yahoo.com
- 78 -

49 |748 |7
1 courtyard
2 entrance
3 living
4 kitchen
5 pantry
6 bedroom
7 study
8 workshop
9 garage
10 porch
11 pool
12 guest house
cross section
mesquite treesprovide cooling
shade and the fragrant vegetation
attractshummingbirdsand
butterflies. The veryprecise
detailingof the courtyard –
concrete paving, crisply
rectilinear plantersand cubic
volumesof water – expresses
the controlled, man-made
character of the house against
the rawnessand unpredictability
of nature. At the west end of the
courtyard, aswimmingpool
extendsthe vistatowardsthe far
distant horizon.
The house’sorganization
emphasizesthe connectionwith
the exterior, asinternal and
external spacesmeldfluidlywith
one other. Flankedbythe
courtyard, the mainlivingspace is
alongbar withacoveredporch
at itsfar endoverlookingthe
swimmingpool. To the rear isthe
master bedroomandbathroom
andtwinstudies, whichface the
courtyardbut also overlook a
smaller private patio andpool,
enclosedbythe retainingwall.
Eachwindow exactlyfocusesand
framesaparticular view;some
windowsare set flushwiththe
steel surface, some are box-like
protrusions, some unglazedcut-
outs. The smaller guest wingalso
housesagarage andaplatform
for anoptical telescope.
Joylikensthe house to ageode,
the coarsenessof the roughsteel
exterior contrastingwiththe
refinement of the interior. Used
extensivelyinfarmbuildingsand
structures, rustedsteel isa
commonsight inthe Arizona
countryside. Because of the
intenselydryclimate, steel
weathersquicklybut doesnot
rust through, so it wasnot
necessaryto use costly
proprietarytypesof oxydized
steel cladding. Fromadistance,
the rough, redcarapace of the
house isastrongyet familiar
presence, resonatingwiththe
huesof the desert. Inside, white
plaster wallsandblack polished
concrete floorsimpart asimple,
understatedelegance. Pale maple,
sandblastedglassandstainless
steel complete the interior
palette. Slidingglasspanels
heightenthe connectionwiththe
exterior andassist incross
ventilation, althoughthe dwelling
isalso air conditioned. Joy’s
house extendsthe Modernist
traditionof domesticatingnature,
yet powerfullyrootedinthe
landscape, it isalso sensitive to
nuancesof aremarkable place.
C. S.
Architect
Rick Joy, Tucson, USA
Project team
Rick Joy, Andy Tinucci, Franz Buhler,
Chelsea Grassinger
Structural engineer
Southwest Structural Engineers
Mechanical engineer
Otterbein Engineering
Photography
Jeff Goldberg/Esto
HOUSE, ARIZON A, USA
ARCHITECT
RICK JOY
6
Carefully placed openings frame,
focus and edit views of the vast
landscape beyond.
7
Main living and dining spaces.
8
An enclosed terrace and sensuous
pool terminate the west end of the
main house.
7
8
6
cippall@yahoo.com
- 79 -

35 |734 |7
Todaymore thanever the small
house servesasatestingground
for architectural ideas. Infew
placesisthe groundso testing, so
expensive, crowded, andprone to
tremors, ascentral Tokyo.
Andinfew societiesare ideas
and, it might be added, trendsso
tenaciouslypursuedasin
contemporaryJapan. Kazuyo
Sejima’sSmall House iseasily
foundat the endof ashort cul-de-
sacinTokyo’saffluent Aoyama
district. It’saminiature tower
containing77 square metresof
floor areaonanallowable imprint
of 36 (the site measures60
square metresinitsentirety).
The house iswrappedin
opalescent glassandgalvanized
steel withavein-like standing
seam. Fromthe lane, there are
onlyglimpsesof life throughthe
house’swesterntranslucent zone
andoccasional small transparent
panels. Furthermore, the clients
claimtheydidnot want expansive
viewsout, asthe house overlooks
the Sonyestablishment where the
husbandworksasaproduct
designer. A vertical pavilion
almost touchingitseasterly
neighbour, the house bulgesin
the middle, thentapersin
towardsthe roof (aspace-age
mansard?) anddowntowardsthe
entrance. There the slope inward
accommodates– to the
centimetre – the family’ssilver-
greyHondavan.
To southandeast, the skinis
mostlyopaque andhidesseveral
service hatches. It ismade almost
entirelyof glass;however, to the
back andto the west, a
landlockedlot belongingto an
adjacent temple providesSejima’s
clientswithviewsof greenery
and, metaphoricallyat least, some
breathingspace. The buildingis
structuredabout anopensteel
shaft withinner spiral stairs;both
are paintedwhite. Eachfloor
spreadsfromthistrunk to rest on
thinsteel tubesslantedat varying
URBAN HOUSE, TOKYO, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
KAZUYO SEJIMA & ASSOCIATES
JAPAN ESE MIN IATURE
W ith extraordinary invention and ingenuity, Kazuyo Sejima fitsthistiny house
into the densely woven, indifferent texture of downtown Tokyo. Curiously, for
all itsapparent wilfulness, it drawsitsoriginsfrom itsvery tight site.
1
A space-age mansard?
2
Form of house is generated by
rights of light regulations.
3
House becomes transparent at the
back, overlooking temple grounds.
4
Constant interplay between
translucency and transparency.
5
Open steel shaft core.1
2 3 4
5
cippall@yahoo.com
- 80 -

36 |7
anglesabout the perimeter. The
outer skinissimplylaidagainst
thiscage. Groundlevel entry
stepsare formedfromafolded
plane of concrete;external metal
rungsprovide service accessto
the roof above.
The architect hasdividedthe
programme into four distinct
elements. Inasemi-basement is
the parents’ roomwithstorage
recessedbeneaththe clerestorey
fenestrationandatinylavatory.
Raisedslightlyabove street level
isthe hall andguest bedroom. On
the piano nobile – the broadest
andtallest space – are kitchen,
diningandlivingquarters(one
shelf hasaneye-catchingdisplay
of recent Sonyproducts). The
house terminatesinabipartite
zone withacomparativelygrand
bathroomandanenclosedroof
terrace that looksacrossthe
emptylot to the towersof
Shinjukuinthe middle distance.
The chamfered formof the
Small House resultspartially
fromneighbourhood zoningand
sunlight demands:it’sa
miniature cousinto Hugh
Ferriss’s1920simagesof
metropolitanmassing. The
canted sidesare however
determined more bySejima’s
strategyof stacking, astrategy
shared bysuchcurrent vanguard
projectsasMVRDV’sDutch
Pavilionat the Hanover EXPO
(ARSeptember 2000). InSejima’s
work, the envelope becomes
fabricstretchingbetween
differently-sized slabs. The floors
themselvesare concrete, held
betweenaningeniously
engineered steel cage.
basement (scale approx 1:120)
ground floor plan
north section south section
1 parking
2 entrance
3 guest
4 kitchen
5 living/dining
6 mainbath
7 enclosedterrace
8 mainbed
9 light court
6
House terminates in bipartite zone
with grand bathroom and enclosed
roof terrace.
7
Fundamentally, house is an
inhabited flue.
URBAN HOUSE, TOKYO, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
KAZUYO SEJIMA & ASSOCIATES
Inaclimate prone to chilly
wintersandwarm, rainy
summers, the Small House has
onlyafew operable windows,
mostlyto the east. It isexpected
to act asaninhabitedflue, warm
air risingto be expelledupstairs.
Floor-to-ceilingexpansesof glass
are screenedbythinslipsof white
curtain. Sejima’sindependent
work, andthat inassociationwith
Ryue Nishizawa, ismarkedby
ostensiblycontradictory
characteristics:it appearsboth
functionalist andnatural,
machine-like yet so delicate asto
be almost ephemeral. Withthe
large glasspanelstiltinginboth
horizontal andvertical directions,
the Small House seemslesslike a
tree house andmore like atree
itself, aweepingwillow perhaps.
RAYMUND RYAN
first floor plan
second floor plan
Architect
Kazuyo Sejima & Associates, Tokyo
Project team
Kazuyo Sejima, Yoshitaka Tanase, Shoko Fukuya
Structural engineer
Sasaki Structural Consultants
Photographs
Courtesy of Shinkenchiku-Sha
6
7
cippall@yahoo.com
- 81 -

42 |8 43 |8
Honeycomb, flies’ eyes, frogspawn, cuckoo-
spit – choose your organic simile. Built to
contain biological specimens, the biomesof
the Eden Project look like giant biological
specimensthemselves, some kind of fungus
from outer space, perhaps, fruitingweirdly
in thisworked out Cornish chinaclay-pit.
The design seemsto have been inspired by
natural and/or science fiction imagesbut,
though some Grimshaw buildingsare indeed
image-inspired, in thiscase the impression is
misleading. The inspiration wasnot what
nature lookslike but how it works, its
processesand structures. The fact that the
Eden Project isaready-made set for
Quatermassandthe Pit hasbeen useful in the
marketingof the whole enterprise, but it
wasaby-product rather than the starting
point of the design.
The greenhouseshad to be sited in the
unshaded strip at the foot of the cliffson the
north side of the pit. The first ideawasfor a
linear, lean-to structure rather like
Grimshaw’sInternational Terminal at
Waterloo station (AR September 1993). This
form posed anumber of problems, however.
For one thingthe three-dimensional profile
of the site, far more complicated than the
level curve of Waterloo, meant that it was
difficult to use cheap, standardized
components. To make mattersworse, the
ground profile wasconstantly changing
duringthe development of the design,
because the site had not yet been taken over
by the client and wasstill beingquarried. A
long-span, arched structure would have been
heavy, bulky and difficult to carry down into
the pit. It would also have cast unwanted
EDEN PROJECT, CORNW ALL, ENGLAND
ARCHITECT
NICHOLAS GRIMSHAW & PARTNERS
1
The bug-eyed geodesic domes of the Humid
Tropics Biome appear to engulf the grass
roof of the café housed in the link building.
2
Like huge soap bubbles in the Cornish
landscape, the interlinked domes have a
beguiling (but deceptive) fragility.
EDEN REGAIN ED
Spectacularly colonizing a Cornish china clay-pit, the Eden Project isa monumental palm house for the
twenty-first century, itsingeniously engineered biomesinspired by natural processesand structures. comparative drawing showing section through the Humid Tropics Biome and Kew Palm House
1
2
cippall@yahoo.com
- 82 -

45 |844 |8
shadowson the plantsinside. A more
promisingalternative wasamuch lighter and
more economical geodesic dome, but it had
the wrongplan-form and would have been
impossible to divide up into different zones.
The ideaof aline of smaller, intersecting
geodesic domeswasarrived at late in the
day, but it solved all the problemsat once
and made the project possible.
It workslike this: take arow of spheresof
different sizes, made like footballsout of
two-dimensional hexagonsand pentagons,
and squash them into one another, forming
perfect circleswhere they intersect. Then
squash the whole row into the site, in the
angle between the cliff and the quarry
bottom. Circlesbecome arches, and the
hexagonsand pentagonsare removed as
necessary around the perimeter to
accommodate the irregular ground profile.
Structural components, mainly of tubular
steel joined by spherical nodes, are identical
in each dome and small enough to be easily
handled. These are not conventional domes
in that they exhibit tensile aswell as
compressive structural behaviour. The
outer compressive grid islinked by
tetrahedronsto an inner tensile grid. The
double grid isnecessary because the lattice
steel archesbreak the continuity of the
structure. For the same reason, the domes
were not self-supportingduringerection but
had to be assembled from atemporary
scaffold so bigthat it hasentered The
GuinnessBook of Records. Thisisaslight
disappointment for techno-organicists
raised on Buckminster Fuller (nature does
not use scaffolding), but there isnothing
heavy or awkward about the finished
structure. The geodesic grid isscaled
accordingto the size of each dome and
except in the smallest dome, where it
becomesrather dense, the effect is
amazingly light for such enormousspans. At
the junctionswith the arches, the grid is
adapted ad hoc, creatingirregular
geometrical shapes. Architecturally, this
may seem aworryinginconsistency, but it is
exactly what happensin nature when, for
example, the hexagonal grid of veinsin a
dragonfly’swingmeetsaleadingedge or a
structural spar.
The largest hexagonsare 11m acrossand
therefore impossible to span with asingle
sheet of glass, especially since it would have
to be double glazed and toughened. The
lightnessof the structural grid ismade
possible by anew high tech material –
ethyltetrafluorethylene foil (ETFE). This
light, transparent, flexible film formstriple-
membrane cushionswhich are kept inflated
by aconstant low pressure air supply.
Because they were formed and fitted on site,
the ETFEcushionscould adapt easily to
geometrical variationswithout any need for
complicated schedulingor production
planning. The biomesare beautiful
structuresbecause they are efficient
structures– akind of beauty common in
nature but rare in architecture.
Like their humbler horticultural cousins,
however, they also have arugged
practicality. The branchingnetwork of
flexible air-supply pipes, for example, is
clipped to the structural steel memberswith
no attempt at concealment. The heatingand
ventilatingsystem simply consistsof free-
standingair handlersin ordinary metal
boxesplaced at intervalsaround the
perimeter, pokingtheir twin circular ducts
straight through the wallsof the domes.
Such artlessfunctionalism iseasy to accept,
though the heavy duty adjustable glass
louvresassociated with the ductsare
perhapsalittle too clumsy, their insistent
linearity stubbornly at oddswith the fluidity
of the geodesic grid.
3
Open ventilation panels form a jagged
line along the biomes’ curved profile.
4
Café terrace and link building, with
W arm Temperate Biome beyond.
5
Detail of biome roof structure, with
quarry cliffs behind. The building
occupies a worked-out china clay-pit.
6, 7
The smaller W arm Temperate Biome.
EDEN PROJECT, CORN W ALL, EN GLAN D
ARCHITECT
N ICHOLAS GRIMSHAW & PARTN ERS
3 5
4
76
cippall@yahoo.com
- 83 -

47 |846 |8
site plan
ARCHITECT
8
Hexagonal roof structure under
construction, giving some sense of the
enormity of the scale.
longitudinal section
roof plan (scale approx 1:1500)
A site accessroad
B parking
C coachparking
D disabledparking
E HumidTropicsBiome
F linkbuilding/café
G WarmTemperate Biome
H visitors’centre
1 HumidTropicsBiome
2 air handlingunits
3 linkbuilding/café
4 roof lightsabove plant
holdingarea
5 WarmTemperate Biome
typical roof node detail 8
cippall@yahoo.com
- 84 -

49 |848 |8
But once inside the enormousbubblesof
the Humid TropicsBiome, such detailsare
insignificant. A windinggravel path climbsup
through what will be adense forest (the
plantingisstill immature) to abig, noisy
waterfall. Though we can never quite
imagine that thisisareal rainforest, it is
neverthelessaunique spatial experience,
certainly more like nature than architecture.
The sheer size of the enclosure, the word
‘biome’ and the very name ‘Eden Project’ all
lead you to expect acomplete ecosystem,
or at least an approximation of one, but it
soon becomesclear that thisisreally just a
botanical garden, the Palm House at Kew
writ large. There are no animals, apart from
the crowdsof people. The neighbouring
Warm Temperate Biome issmaller and
more comfortable, not just because it is
relatively cool and dry, but because the
structure of the domesisclose enough to
give it scale. It feelsmore human, more like
architecture, though the technology is
exactly the same.
In early versionsof the design, the
entrance to the biomeswashoused in a
chain of very small domes. Thisproved to be
too fussy and expensive, but it washard to
imagine any kind of conventional building
that would look comfortable between the
bigdomes. The answer wasto bury the
buildingin the ground, reducingit to afew
simple planes– acurved, grass-covered
roof, aglasscurtain wall and an entrance
bridge leadingto afirst floor concourse
overlookingrestaurantsbelow. Another
curved, linear, earthbound buildingformsan
artificial crest high on the opposite ledge of
the pit. Visitorsarrive at the back of this
buildingfrom the cascade of car parks
beyond, pay their entrance feesand emerge
onto aterrace, camerasat the ready for
their first view of the whole site. From here
they make their way down to the entrance
bridge through arichly cultivated open air
theatre – the ‘rooflessbiome’. Compared
with the biomes, which expressacompelling
engineeringlogic, the ancillary structures
seem rather sketchy and artificial. The
arrival building(AR August 2000), for
example, which housesshops, cafésand
offices, iselegant and well planned but its
use of materialslike shingles, rammed earth
(taken from the clay-pit) and gabions, seems
more like asymbol of green construction
than the real thing.
But then the Eden Project isnot an
architectural expo: it isatheatre in which
humankind’srelationship with the plant
world isdramatized. The specimen plants
are magnificent, the garden arrangements
are imaginative and the scale isbreathtaking.
The crowdsin the biomessoon forget about
the delicate net archinghigh over their
heads. They have come to look at the plants,
not the greenhouses. COLIN DAVIES
Architect
Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners, London
Project team
Nicholas Grimshaw, Andrew Whalley, Jolyon Brewis,
Vincent Chang, David Kirkland, Michael Pawlyn, Jason
Ahmed, Vanessa Bartulovic, Dean Boston, Chris Brieger,
Antje Bulthaup, Amanda Davis, Florian Eckardt, Alex Haw,
Perry Hooper, Bill Horgan, Oliver Konrath, Angelika
Kovacic, Quintin Lake, Richard Morrell, Tim Narey, Monica
Niggemeyer, Killian O’Sullivan, Debra Penn, Martin Pirnie,
Juan Porral-Hermida, Mustafa Salman, Tan Su Ling
Structural engineer
Anthony Hunt Associates
Services engineer
Ove Arup & Partners
Landscaping
Land Use Consultants
Glass louvres
M&V
Photographs
All photographs were by Peter Cook/VIEW except no 7 by
Chris Gascoigne/VIEW
ARCHITECT
9
Filled with luxuriant vegetation, the
interior of the Humid Tropics Biome
is a lush expanse of greenery.
10
The delicate net of the roof gracefully
encloses the planting.
11
Like a heroically-engineered set out of
a science fiction film, the Eden Project
isboth surreal and breathtaking.
9
10
11
cippall@yahoo.com
- 85 -

83 |7
MEWSHOUSEEXTENSION,
SOUTHKENSINGTON,LONDON
ARCHITECT
ZIGGURAT
Modernistmews
AdiminutivemewshouseinLondonbuiltinthe1970shasbeenenlarged,
transformedwitheleganceandagreatdealofingenuity.
1
Toplitdiningroomandtablefixed
toslidingdoortocourtyard.
1
cippall@yahoo.com
- 86 -

85 |784 |7
MEW S HOUSE EX TEN SION ,
SOUTH KEN SIN GTON , LON DON
ARCHITECT
ZIGGURAT
1 entrance
2 bedroom
3 bathroom
4 kitchen
5 living
6 dining
7 study
8 courtyard
gallery plan
south-north long section
ground floor plan and internal elevation (scale approx 1:100)
Aningeniousscheme, byZiggurat,
for extendingatinymewshouse
inSouthKensington, enlargesthe
vertical dimensionanduseslight
to draw out the horizontal.
The original house wasbuilt as
one ofapair inthe 1970s, on
derelict land. Stuccoedexternally
to accordwithitsVictorian
neighbours, the house wasone
storeyhighwithfour roomsand
verylittle natural light. The front
ofthe building, withbedroom,
bathroom, entrance lobbyand
hall, wasretainedwithsome
remodelling;the remainder ofthe
buildingwasvirtuallydemolished.
Behindthe existingremnant,
Ziggurat excavatedandlowered
2
Dining room, stairs to gallery
bedroom and television recessed
into wall under stairs.
3, 5
Dining table and sliding door to
courtyard is one assembly.
4
Dining room under curved ceiling.
Bedroom gallery above.
the floor level several feet, and
createdadouble-height volume
witharoofthat curvesawayfrom
the street, so that externallythe
buildingseemsunchanged. A glass
wall marksdivisionbetweenthe
house andatinycourtyard,
paintedwhite to become an
exterior roomdiffusingluminance
back into the house. Ziggurat has
cleverlyestablishedashifting
diagonal axisthroughthe plan,
fromthe entrance andhall onthe
south-west side ofthe buildingto
the radiant white courtyard. The
progressionthroughthe house is
one fromdimnessto bright light,
fromenclosedspace to itssudden
dramaticexpansionandcolour.
At the front ofthe new volume,
the architectsinstalledagallery
containingsleepingquarters. The
bedroomispartlyenclosedbya
cut-out wall, paintedmint green,
andlooksonto adouble-height
diningroomset under the
reflective curve ofthe new roof.
Beneaththe galleryisaliving
roomandsmall kitchen;andfitted
under the stairsto the bedroomis
acurveddesk formingatinystudy.
To have insertedso muchdrama
anddelight into suchasmall space
isanachievement, andthe scheme
hasbeenexecutedwithagreat
deal ofelegance. Materialsare
simple – paintedwallsandabeech
floor flowinginto concrete asit
approachesthe courtyard– and
the composition, whichhasthe
clarityofanearlyModernist work,
issharpenedbyuse ofcolour here
andthere. Detailsare constantly
intriguing:the diningtable that is
part ofaslidingdoor to the
courtyard, the sinuousconcrete
bench, like apiece ofsculpture,
liningandseemingpart ofthe
courtyardwall, andthe rotating
door to the kitchen, which
simultaneouslyturnsout to be a
cupboard.
Architect
Ziggurat, London
Project architects
Andrei Bowbelski, James Davis with
Laurence Guerrini, Areti Theofanopoulou
Whitby Bird and Partners – Special Projects
Photographs
James Morris
2
3 5
4
5
cippall@yahoo.com
- 87 -

51 |850 |8
Immediatelybehindthe BrandenburgGate lies
Pariser Platz (ARJanuary1999), the great
urbanpiazzathat terminatesthe triumphal
axisof Unter denLinden. Before the War, it
wasthe grandest square inBerlin, site of the
AmericanandFrenchembassies, the Adlon
Hotel, the Akademie der Künste andblocksof
luxuriousflatsandoffices. After the War and
the Wall, it waslaidwaste andbecame part of
Berlin’sdeadlyno-man’sland. Since German
reunificationit hasbeenrebuilt inanattempt
to emulate the spirit of itsgrandurbanpast,
withnew embassies, hotels, andoffice blocks
slottedback into the original street pattern.
The rulesof reconstruction, whichstipulate
constraintssuchaseavesheights, proportions
andmaterials(obligatorystone cladding), do
not allow muchscope for formal experiment.
The result isthat Pariser Platz’snew
occupantsresemble acollectionof rather
bland, expensivelydressedguestsmingling
politelyat anupmarket cocktail party. The
introductionof Frank Gehryinto the mix
might intheorybe calculatedto induce an
element of racinessandunpredictability, but
he too hasbeenobligedto conformto the
dresscode. BeingGehryhowever, he hasstill
managedto springafew surprises.
The genesisof the project datesback to
1995, whenGehry’scompetitionentryfor
Berlin’shistoricMuseumIslandwasunder
consideration. At that time, the DG Bank
invitedhimandsix othersto produce a
proposal for the bank’snew Berlin
headquarters. The brief includedfinancial
offices, apartmentsandsemi-autonomous
conference spacesthat couldbe hiredout to
corporate clients. Gehrydidnot prevail inthe
museumcompetition, but hisdesignfor the
DG Bank wonunanimousapproval.
The site liesonthe southside of the square,
inthe middle of Pariser Platz’sevolvingurban
jigsaw. The rectangular block ishemmedinon
itslongsidesbyBehnisch’snew Akademie der
Künste andMoore Ruble Yudell’sAmerican
Embassy, withthe short endsoverlooking
Pariser Platz andBehrenstrasse. The
organizationof the new buildingisalogical
response to the constraintsof site andbrief.
A necklace of office spacesextendsaround
three sidesof the perimeter, enclosingahuge
atriumspace (of whichmore later). The
residential annexe, whichhasitsownseparate
entrance, isplacedonthe fourthside
overlookingBehrenstrasse andasite that will
eventuallyhouse the Memorial to the
MurderedJewsof Europe. Flatsrange insize
1
N ew DG Bank headquarters in the
shadow of the Brandenburg Gate.
2
Massive bank facade exudes an
austere monumentality that
conveys little sense of life within.
3
Breathtaking main atrium.
GEHRY’S GEODE
The new DG Bank headquartersin Berlin formspart of the wider and
ongoing reconstruction of Pariser Platz – but itsurban sobriety hidesa
rich inner life, animated by the interplay of light, form and materials.
BANK OFFICES & FLATS, BERLIN, GERMANY
ARCHITECT
FRANK O. GEHRY
3location plan
1
2
cippall@yahoo.com
- 88 -

53 |852 |8
fromstudiosto larger maisonettesandare
separatedfromthe officesbyanelliptical void
enclosedbyaswirling, shimmeringglasswall
suspendedfromthe roof that cascadesdown
to apool below. Two glazedliftsglide upand
downthroughthe voidlike air bubbles.
Gehryhasclearlytakenthe Pariser Platz
dresscode to heart;bothbank andapartment
facadesare modelsof sobrietyandseverity.
The apartment block ismarginallyless
austere, steppingback asit risesover 10
storeyswithfacetedbaywindowslike
concertinasanimatingthe wall plane. But the
mainbank facade overlookingPariser Platz is
anutterlyplain, utterlystrippeddown
compositionof creamybuff limestone (to
matchthe BrandenburgGate) andglass.
Openingsare punchedinto the stone to
create deeplyrecessedwindowsthat slide
back at the touchof abuttonto reveal
terracesenclosedbyblade-like glass
balustrades. Cladin4 inchthick stone, the
bank facade isalmost asshockinginitssolid,
rationalist monumentalityasGehry’s
signature sinuousnessanditsextreme weight
andabstractiononlyserve to show upthe
flimsinessof the surroundingpastiche.
Ironically, inBerlin’straumatizedcityscape,
suchsolidityalso embodiesareassuringsense
of permanence andinstitutional stability,
doubtlessimportant concernsfor Gehry’s
banker clients. (‘The bank guyslovedit’, he
observed, ‘althoughit cost themalot of
moneyto do it’.)
Sadly, most Berlinerswill never see beyond
thismassive stone wall to the real dramaand
spatial pyrotechnicswithin. Radically
upturninghisexpressive gestural vocabulary
andrelocatingit to the interior, Gehryhas
hadto pour hisdesigninto the cavityof the
perimeter block. Here, Californianad-hocism
meetsthe Europeanmasterplan. The inside is
scoopedout to formanimmense atrium–
allegedlyone of the largest inthe world–
enclosedbyadelicate steel andglasslattice,
improbablymorphedandwarpedto forma
barrel-vaultedroof canopythat curvesintwo
directions. Withinthe atriumisafree-
standingstructure like agiant horse’shead
rearingandwrithingthroughthe space.
Encasedinathinskinof stainlesssteel, this
extraordinaryobject containsaconference
chamber. The inner surface islinedwithstrips
of redoak (finelyperforatedfor acoustic
reasons), so beinginside the chamber islike
beingcocoonedinside acontortedship’shull.
The regimentedorthogonalityof the exterior
extendsto the perimeter offices, whichare
edgedbyaseriesof arcadeslinedwithred-
oak veneer. Fromthese vantage points, the
squirmingbiological specimenof the
conference chamber canbe fullyappreciated.
Beneaththe shell of the chamber isa
basement level containingalecture theatre,
alongwiththe bank’scafeteriaandalarge
foyer;these canbe combinedto create a
BAN K OFFICES AN D FLATS, BERLIN ,
GERMAN Y
ARCHITECT
FRAN K O. GEHRY
7
Officesare arranged around perimeter,
overlooking a writhing horse’shead
conference chamber and glassroof enclosing
staff cafeteria at lower ground level.
8
Staff cafeteria, which can also be used as a
banqueting and meeting space.
9
Clad in a thin skin of burnished steel, the
conference chamber appears to float in
the vast space.
10
Seductive play of form and materials.
ARCHITECT
FRANK O. GEHRY
4
Rippling concertina facade of the apartment
block steps back as it rises.
5
W indows are punched deep into the bank wall.
Blade-like glass balustrades enclose terraces.
6
Atrium is framed by a gridded arcade.
4 5 6
7 9
8 10
cippall@yahoo.com
- 89 -

55 |8longitudinal section
ARCHITECT
FRANK O. GEHRY
11
Inside warped hull of conference chamber.
cross section54 |8 lower ground floor plan ground floor plan (scale approx 1:1000) first floor plan
fourth floor plan fifth floor plan ninth floor plan
1 staff cafeteria
2 executive dining
3 kitchen
4 foyer
5 lecture theatre
6 rampto parkingbelow
7 bankentrance
8 bankoffices
9 conference chamber
10 apartmentsentrance
11 lift lobby
12 apartments
11
cippall@yahoo.com
- 90 -

56 |8
generousspace suitable for banquetsand
meetings. Another warpedglasscanopy,
smaller cousinto the mainroof, encloses
these spacesallowinglight to percolate down
to the lower levels. (Duringthe course of site
excavationsAlbert Speer’sbunker was
discovered, but no trace of it now remains.)
AswithGehry’sother projects, the
translationof initial ideasto built formis
achievedthroughadesignandconstruction
processthat combinessophisticated
computer software programswithacraft
approachto building. Initial generative
sketches, whichdefyconventional logicand
geometry, must be painstakinglyinterpreted
asaprecise systemof co-ordinatesand
knownstructural andmaterial properties.
Gehrydevelopshisideasslowly, fromrough
drawingsthroughanexhaustive seriesof
handmade models. Usingthe Catiaprogram
to represent complex three-dimensional
objects, these crude woodandcardboard
mock-upsare scannedinto the computer and
digitallytranslatedback into workingmodels
anddrawings. Employedasaninstrument of
translationrather thangenerative device, the
computer enablesthe representationand
manipulationof that whichcannot otherwise
be drawn. Inthiscase, unusually, the exterior
presentedno suchchallenges, but the glass
roofsandconference chamber provedtestsof
designandmanufacturingingenuity. The
triangulatedspace frame of the roof ismade
upof solidstainlesssteel rodsthat formsix
pointedstarsscrewedinto nodal connectors.
The complex geometryof the roof meant that
the rodsmeet at different angles, so to match
themprecisely, the nodal connectorswere
cut from70mm-thick stainlesssteel plate by
computer-controlledmillingmachines. The
frame isinfilledby1500 triangular glazing
panelsbeddedonneoprene gaskets. The
conference chamber iscladina2mmskinof
brushedstainlesssteel plates(basic
dimensions2mx 4m) stretchedandfashioned
byskilledboatbuildersto accommodate the
conflationof complex, bulbousforms.
Superficially, thismight well appear a
conservative building, but clearlyit isanything
but. Inthe extreme andstartlingcontrast
betweenitsouter andinner life, it resembles
some kindof weirdrock or geode that, split
open, revealsaspectacular mineral formation.
It istemptingto see the entire exercise asa
metaphor for Berlin– beneaththe haughty
Prussianexterior liesdecadence and
debauchery– but after all it isonlyabank and
the morphological conspicuousnessof the
conference spacesisperhapsasmuchto do
withcommercial viabilityasbeingvehiclesof
architectural imagination. Yet inthe decorous
context of Pariser Platz, it isdefinitelyone of
the more unorthodox andwelcome guests.
CATHERINESLESSOR
Architect
Gehry Partners, Santa Monica, USA
Project team
Frank O. Gehry, Randy Jefferson, CraigWebb, Marc Salette,
Tensho Takemori, Laurence Tighe, Eva Sobesky,
George Metzger, Jim Dayton, John Goldsmith, JorgRuegemer,
Scott Uriu, Jeff Guga, Michael Jobes, Kirk Blaschke,
Nida Chesonis, Tom Cody, Leigh Jerrard, Tadao Shimizu,
Rick Smith, Bruce Shepard
Associate architect
PlanungsAG – Neufert Mittmann Graf
Ingenieur Büro Müller Marl
Schlaich Bergermann & Partner
Servicesengineer
Brandi Ingenieure
Facade consultant
Planungsbüro für Ingenieurleistungen
Photographs
All photographsby Christian Richtersapart from 1 and 5
which are by Waltraud Krase
12
Glazed wall of conference chamber.
13
Curving steel and glass lattice of barrel-
vaulted roof gracefully encloses atrium.
14
Apartment block is arranged around an
elliptical void.
ARCHITECT
FRANK O. GEHRY
12 13 14
cippall@yahoo.com
- 91 -

75 |8
m at er ialit y
Makino Museumof Plantsand
People isspread over the gentle
slopesof Mt Godai above Kochi
Cityonthe island of Shikoku.
Designed byNaito Architect &
Associates, the place isdedicated
to the memoryof Tomitaro
Makino, eminent scholar and
father of Japanese botany. This
inspiration, the museum’s
botanical purpose, and the fact
that Kochi Prefecture isan
important timber-producing
region, suggested wood asthe
mainmaterial for construction,
and Naito’smanipulationof it has
produced structuresof
extraordinarypoeticpower.
Because of complex land
ownershipthe museumwassplit
into two parts:amuseumwith
researchfacilitiesand an
exhibitionhall;withthe two
linked bya170mcorridor.
To disturbthe landscape as
little aspossible, bothbuildings
are low and sinuous, their
organicformshuggingthe
mountaincontoursso that they
seemalmost apart of the
topography. Suchformspresent
little resistance to the salt-laden
windsto whichthe site is
exposed and constructiontakes
account of the region’s
occasionallysevere storms.
Neither buildingistaller than
surroundingtrees.
The site, anangular S-shape,
stretchesacrossthe mountain
fromthe museumonthe west to
the laboratoryonthe east. Both
Doublecurvature
A museum on the island of Shikoku, Japan, hugsthe contoursof itsmountain
site and celebratesthe organic through form, materialsand contents.
1
Upper deck of main museum
building with central well. Deck of
local silvery cypress responds to
silver roof of zinc and stainless
steel.
2
Exterior of exhibition hall.
3
Exhibition room of exhibition
building.
MUSEUM, SHIKOKU, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
NAITO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES
site plan: museum to left, exhibition hall to right
1
2 3
cippall@yahoo.com
- 92 -

76 |8
buildings, eachonplanlooking
like afossil, wrapround acentral
courtyard and are covered with
continuouslycurvingroofs. Spun
round the courtyardsare
galleries, cafés, meetingrooms,
officesand so on. The museumis
equipped withalaboratory,
libraryand studies.
Enclosingthe buildingswith
sinuouswallsof reinforced
concrete, hollow steel sections
formridges, eavesand columns,
spanningbetweenridgesand
eaveswithlaminated wooden
beamsof Douglasfir. The roofs’
complex geometrymeant that
eachbeamisdifferent,
connected at the ridge bycast
metal jointswhichallow for
variationsinangle. During
design, wind-tunnel tests,
simulatingthe effectsof asevere
typhoon, were carried out,
exertingapressure of over aton
per square metre onpartsof the
roofsand buildingframes
adjusted accordingly. Roofsare
typhoon-proof withlaminated
panelsof zincand stainlesssteel,
their unique dimensionsand
formsachieved bycomputer-
aided design. Asafurther
precautionagainst Kochi’swinds
and rain, the architectsdevised a
special gutteringsystembetween
eachpanel.
Sensuallythe interiorsand
exteriorsof the buildingsare
distinct. Externally, the smooth
silveryformsof the roofsemerge
fromvegetationinserpentine
manner. Internally, the
wonderful scale and articulations
of the sweepingroof dominate.
Unlike itscool external carapace,
itsunderside iswarmand red,
sheathed inthe inner surfacesof
Kochi-grownJapanese cedar
(sugi). The upper level of the
mainmuseumbuildingextends
out onto adeck where the wood
changesinresponse to the roof
covering, to local silvery
Japanese cypress(hinoki). P. M.
Architect
Naito Architect & Associates, Tokyo
Project architects
Hiroshi Naito, Nobuharu Kawamura,
Tetsuya Kambayashi, Daijirou Takakusa,
Taku Yoshikawa
Structural engineer
Kunio Watanabe, Structural Design Group
Photographs
Kazunori Hiruta/Naito Architect &
Associates
museum section
exhibition hall section
upper level plan of museum
exhibition hall plan
museum ground floor plan (scale approx 1:750)
1 mainentrance
2 deck
3 shop-restaurant
4 audio-visual hall
5 meetingroom
6 gallery
7 studio
8 study
9 machine room
10 Japanese room
11 office
12 laboratory
13 library
14 bookstacks
15 storage
16 courtyard
17 lecture hall
MUSEUM, SHIKOKU, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
NAITO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES
4
Interiors are dominated by
sweeping wooden roof.
cippall@yahoo.com
- 93 -

39 |7
One of the few Modernistsof
the postwar generation to
continue workingin the Heroic
tradition, Harry Seidler isbest
known for hisinnovative and
sometimescontroversial urban
high-rise structures(see for
instance AR August 1991 and
June 2001).
At the other end of the scale,
Seidler also hasan outstanding
record of house designs, of
which thisrecently completed
holiday house in the Southern
Highlandsof New South Wales
isthe latest. He wasacquainted
asastudent in the USwith such
luminariesasGropius, Breuer,
Albersand Niemeyer. His
early career in Sydney was
distinguished by carefully sited
timber-framed houses, strongly
influenced by Breuer’sNew
England work; they fitted
surprisingly well with Australian
buildingtraditions.
Thishouse owesmore to
Niemeyer, with whom Seidler
worked in Brazil, and to Seidler’s
own later inclination asamature
architect towardssculpted and
bold forms. It standsin direct
opposition to the more modest
and restrained tradition of
contemporary Australian
residential architecture
established by Glenn Murcutt,
Philip Cox and Rex Addison,
whose sophistication and foreign
influencesare mostly concealed
by more obviousregional
elements. Situated in the midst
of wildernessand dramatically
poised on the crest of ared
sandstone escarpment
overlookingariver, Seidler’s
design assertsitself asaself-
consciously Modern work,
shaped asmuch by aglobal
culture and technology asby
the rugged landscape it inhabits
so forcefully.
Seidler achievesthissplendidly
confident result through a
number of classic Modernist
devices. A simple, ‘L’-shaped
plan accommodatesbedrooms,
bathroomsand other private
roomsin the shorter legalonga
north-south axisat the rear,
parallel with the cliff. Living,
diningand kitchen are grouped
in one large space in the other,
longer legpointingwestwards
over the cliff edge.
Functional and spatial division
into cellular and open plan
spacesisfurther marked by a
drop in floor level from east to
west which followsthe fall in the
rocky plateau. The north-south
axisisalso picked up again by a
1
Vertiginously poised on the crest of a
rocky escarpment, the house forcefully
inhabitsthe landscape.
2
The long leg of the L-shaped plan,
containing the main living, dining and
kitchen spaces, pointswestwardsover the
cliff edge.
3
Curved roof planesgracefully envelop the
house, like a gentle wave.
AUSTRALIAN CLIFFHANGER
Teetering on the edge of a cliff, Harry Seidler’slatest remarkable house isan assertive work in the tradition of
Heroic Modernism, shaped equally by global culture and technology and local influencesfrom site and place.
38 |7
1
2
3
HOUSE, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS,
NSW , AUSTRALIA
ARCHITECT
HARRY SEIDLER & ASSOCIATES
cippall@yahoo.com
- 94 -

41 |740 |7
swimmingpool cut out of the
rock to the north and by a
separate garage to the south, the
two beinglinked by acontinuous
sandstone retainingwall running
under the house, where it forms
part of the basement. A
differentiation of the structure
from heavy below (reinforced
concrete floors, random rubble
wallsand fireplaces) to
lightweight above (steel
superstructure) helpsto root
the house securely into itssite.
Thisclassic design iscombined
with more recent concernswith
energy efficiency, the isolated
house beingby necessity
relatively self-sufficient in
power, heat and water supply, as
well aswaste management and
bush fire sprinklers(which
are fed from the swimming
pool/reservoir).
What turnsthisessentially
straightforward and mostly
familiar configuration into
stunningspectacle, isSeidler’s
handlingof the curved,
overhanginglinesof the white
painted steel roof, which seems
to float above the rest of the
house and the yawningspace
beyond the cliff, defyinggravity.
Made from curved steel beams
with differingradii usingnew
industrial technologiesand
covered with corrugated steel
roofingbent to suit – alocal
touch there – the sculptured
roof shapesloudly proclaim an
artistic intent aswell asmodern
technique. A suspended steel
balcony thrustingitsway out
below the dippingroof line from
the livingspace invitesvisitors
(those who don’t suffer from
vertigo that is) to step out into
the void and reinforcesthe
generally assertive tone of the
design. Heroic Modernism is
dead?Not in Seidler’shands.
CHRISABEL
Architect
Harry Seidler & Associates, Milsons Point,
NSW, Australia
longitudinal section
4
Pool and terrace enclosed by a
random rubble wall.
5
Living space is a glazed eyrie with
breathtaking views. A suspended steel
balcony enhances the drama.
4
5
HOUSE, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS,
NSW , AUSTRALIA
ARCHITECT
HARRY SEIDLER & ASSOCIATES
cippall@yahoo.com
- 95 -

ar house
Asanarchitect, Werner Sobek is
informedbyhisconvictionthat,
informulatinganarchitecture
that istrulymodern, whichhasa
radical andpositive relationship
withthe natural environment and
inhabitants, architectsmust make
demandsonthe wealthof
technologies, materialsand
techniquesavailable, rather than
havingrecourse to tradition. (He
hasnever forgottenFrei Otto’s
heartfelt plea, made inaspeech
for the Schinkel celebrationsin
1977:‘Will youplease stop
buildingthe wayyouhave been
doing’).
Thishouse inRömerstrasse,
designedbySobek for himself and
hisfamily, isset onasteephillside
overlookingStuttgart. Risingfour
storeyshighout of light
woodland, it isapure crystalline
box whichat night becomesan
illuminatedbeacon. Inspite of
appearances, it isagreenbuilding,
made of recyclable components;
it isfree fromnoxiousemissions
andenergyefficient.
The slopingsite presented
problems, for aswell asbeingat
the edge of the hillside, it wasat
the end of, and some distance
from, asteep narrow road. It
contained adilapidated and
dangerousstructure datingfrom
the early ’20swhich had to be
demolished with light equipment
and agreat deal of manual
labour. But it provided a
footprint for new foundations–
aconcrete raft with built-in frost
apron over achannel for cables
and pipelines. Most of the
foundation work had to be done
by hand. There isno basement,
so the buildingdid not require
deep excavations.
HOUSE, STUTTGART, GERMANY
ARCHITECT
W ERNER SOBEK
PHOTOGRAPHS
ROLAND HALBE
1
Lowest floor opens onto deck, but
access …
2
… is by bridge to topmost level.
3
Modern glass and a sophisticated
environmental control system
make interior equable.
Crystalbox
Houseschart the continuing, century-old romance of architecture and
glass. Thisisan elegant, ecologically aware addition to the canon.1
2
3
cippall@yahoo.com
- 96 -

HOUSE, STUTTGART, GERMANY
ARCHITECT
W ERNER SOBEK
long sectionsite plan
Beingmodular, the buildingcould
be erectedquickly, (and, equally,
dismantledandrecycled). A steel
frame stiffenedbydiagonal
membersstandsonthe concrete
floor slab. The entire four-storey
frame wasassembledinfour days.
Floorsof prefabricatedwooden
panelswere thensimplyplaced
betweenbeams, againwithout
screwsor bolts. Beingmodular,
loadbearingandnon-loadbearing
elementsare heldtogether by
easilydetachable connections.
There isno plaster or screedso
no wet-trade waste. Andno
concealedinstallations– cabling
andpipelinesare containedin
sheet metal ductingalongwalls.
Insteadof light switches, fittings,
door or window handles, the
house isactivatedbytouchless
radar sensorsandvoice control.
The buildingisentirely
transparent for, inadditionto the
suspendedtriple-glazedskin,
there are no internal wallsand
space isdefinedbyafew,
strategicallyplacedpiecesof
furniture. Entrance isfroma
cross section
structural junction
bridge to the fourthfloor and
kitchenanddiningroom. Below,
are livingquarters, andbelow
again, mainbedroom, with
children’sandservice roomson
the lowest level. All floorsare
linkedbythe vertical stairwell.
To create suchahouse, the
architect hadto devise anew way
of managingenergywithout
compromisingaestheticideals
andcomponents, eachby
themselvesinnovatory, are
workedinto acoherent system.
Triple glazing, withcoatedpanels,
hasak-value of 0.4. Solar
radiationpassingthroughthe
facade isabsorbedbywater-
cooledceilingpanelsandthe
energytransportedthrougha
heat exchanger to aheat
accumulator whichhelpswarm
the house inwinter. Ceiling
panelsact asthermal radiators
and, saysSobek, there isno need
for additional heating. Bathrooms
are containedinacubicunit, two
storeyshigh;andall operations
like flushing, openingdoors,
water flow andtemperature, are
controlledbysensorslinkedto a
central computer.
Sobek saysthat the house was
never intendedto be auniversal
model – after all not everyone
wouldchoose to live inwhat
wouldappear to be anelegant
fishbowl. But it isanexperiment
that worksverywell onmany
levelsandwhichhasprovidedthe
practice withthe opportunityof
developingideasfor the future.
Asanexquisite architectural
essay, it isaverypersonal
manifestationof architectural,
artisticandsocial convictions.
V. G.
Architect
Werner Sobek, Stuttgart
Project architects
Zheng Fei, Robert Brixner
Structure and facade
Ingo Weiss
Photographs
Roland Halbe
Böhelmstrasse 45
70199 Stuttgart
Germany
Tel: 0711-607 40 73
Fax: 0711-607 41 78
Mobile: 0172-711 580
Email: roland.halbe@t-online.de
third floor: cooking and dining
second floor: living
first floor: sleeping
ground floor: workshops (scale 1:200)
4
Top floor – entrance from bridge is
to right of void.
5
Living floor: note bathroom, left.
6,7
House is a series of horizontal planes
in space: planes radiate heat in
winter and absorb it in summer.
Some glass wall panes can be opened
for direct ventilation.
4
5
6 7
cippall@yahoo.com
- 97 -

m at er ialit y 1
In Ginza, Tokyo’sprestigious
shopping area, Hermès’ calm
authority contrastswith more
strident traditional shopping.
2
Discreet entrance. Glassblocks
in the huge wall are intended to
show imperfectionsof craftwork.
3
At night, the building radiates
territory around itself, a new
public space determined by
event, not geometry.
With well-dressed bodies
sleepingrough on the street
outside, two daysbefore its
doorsopened to the public,
Hermès’ new Tokyo flagship
store can clearly disregard
Japan’scurrent economic
recession, the most serious
since the war.
Thisbuilding’sinspiration was
asmuch cultural ascommercial,
an expression of the principles
that have underlain Hermès
productsfor generations–
handmade craftsmanship and
quality materials– and the way
that these characteristicsare
consistent with the historic
architecture of Japan.
It iswithin thiscontext that
Renzo Piano established his
design. With amuseum, gallery
and cinema, thisiseffectively a
themed public buildingrather
than purely acommercial space.
By day, the curved planesof
the glass-block veil flicker and
glisten and transform the chaotic
streetsoutside into subtle
shadeswhen viewed from
within. By night, the building
becomeswhat Piano describes
as‘amagic lantern’ – avast
glowingcrystal that establishes,
by the light it radiates, a
territory around itself – anew
public space in acity that
conceivesof such thingsas
placesof event, rather than
urban geometry. Suspended
Japaneselantern
Tokyo’snew Hermèsbuilding isasmuch a cultural centre asa big shop,
and it isbecoming a significant moment in the city’splay. Piano’scombination
of high technology and handcraft humaniseslarge urban intervention.
SHOP, GIN ZA, TOKYO, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
REN ZO PIAN O BUILDIN G
W ORKSHOP
PHOTOGRAPHS
MICHEL DEN AN CÉ/ARCHIPRESS
1
2 3
cippall@yahoo.com
- 98 -

SHOP, GIN ZA, TOKYO, JAPAN
ARCHITECT
REN ZO PIAN O BUILDIN G
W ORKSHOP
PHOTOGRAPHS
MICHEL DEN AN CÉ/ARCHIPRESS
shop level plan (scale approx 1:250)
sketch detail of glass-block wall (scale approx 1:15)
from the top, the glassveil
expressesmassbut at the same
time defiesgravity – itssupport
system beingimperceptible.
And, on thislong, narrow site –
only 12m wide – the translucent
wall createsinterior spacesthat
are both intimate and infinite.
Thiswasnot easily done. The
glassblocksare the largest ever
made – 450mm square – cast in
Italy, then hungin Tokyo in a
steel frame transported from
Switzerland. It isamarriage of
handcraft and high-precision
engineering, each block being
unique – the glasspoured by
hand into single-sided moulds,
leavingdifferent flow-linesand
imperfections– adifferentiation
that iscrucial to Piano’svision
that thisproject be clearly the
work of artisans.
The large size of the blocks
wasdetermined by Piano’swish
that thisbe perceived asa
translucent wall, not asanet of
opaque horizontal and vertical
joints. For the same reason, he
rejected assemblingthe blocks
within asteel-frame super grid
that preventslower blocksbeing
crushed by those above. Instead,
each block issupported
individually between slender
steel barsthat are silvered on
each side face, renderingthem
all but invisible, and which allow
4mm movement at every joint, in
both directions, to cope with
seismic disturbances.
Integral to thisconcept isthe
revolutionary flexible design of
the building’slong, thin
structural steel frame. At 50m
tall and with amain structural
span of only 3.8m, the unusual
slendernessof the structure
resultsin high overturning
momentsduringan earthquake
and high levelsof tension in the
columns. The engineer, Ove
Arup & Partners, found
inspiration in the tall, thin
wooden Buddhist pagodasof
Japan. Recordsshow that, in the
past 1,400 years, only two have
collapsed – believed to be
because the columnsare
discontinuousfrom floor to
floor. In the Hermèsbuilding,
the same principle wasadopted,
with the columnson one side of
the frame beingheld in base
jointsthat allow uplift and
rotation simultaneously and
seismic energy to be absorbed
by viscoelastic dampers. Thisis
the first buildingof modern
timesto have columnsthat lift
off the ground in an earthquake.
One particularly fascinating
aspect of the interior spacesis
the way that, despite the
different palette of Piano and
RenaDumas– the interior
designer of Hermès’ shops
worldwide, includingthe lower
five floorsof the Ginzabuilding–
there isconvincingconsistency
between all parts, which Piano
describesasthe consistent
‘vibrationof work done byhand’.
Dumas’ spacesare elegant,
discretely lit arrangementsof
fine wooden furniture and
precioustactile materials,
generously spaced to reveal the
glass-block perimeter wall at all
times. Piano’supper levelsare
handcrafted in an entirely
different tradition, with precisely
detailed partition systems,
minimalistic steel-frame doors,
exposed light fittingsand electric
raceways– all rigorously
controlled, and meticulously
fabricated and assembled. These
different, but complementary,
approachesto spacemakingare
united, appropriately, by the
productsthey display, the works
of the painstakingHermès
craftsmen. TOM HENEGHAN
cross section
4,5
The glassveil givesAlice in
W onderland quality to spaces, in
which all elementsare detailed with
great precision.
6
Glassblocksare the largest ever
made, and are cast individually by
hand (standard blocks, left). W hole
glassveil issuspended, and can flex
in earthquakes.
4 6
5
1 shop
2 atelier
3 office
4 exhibition
5 plant
6 storage
Architect, landscape and interiors
Renzo Piano Building Workshop with Rena
Dumas Architecture Intérieure (Paris)
Design team (architecture)
P Vincent, L Couton, G Ducci, P Hendier,
SIshida, F La Rivière, C Kuntz, C Colson,
Y Kyrkos
Structure and servicesconsultant
Ove Arup & Partners
Photographs
Michel Denancé, Archipress,
16 rue de la Pierre Levée
75011 Paris
France
Tel: (1) 43 38 51 81
Fax: (1) 43 55 01 44
cippall@yahoo.com
- 99 -

51 |750 |7
1
Looking from patio to living area
with screen drawn back.
2
Pool in living area acts as
separation between formal and
more private parts of house, as
well as throwing light upwards.
3
Living area: combination of
Oriental and W estern formality.
SIN GAPORE SITE
A tall thin house in the Singapore suburbssuggestsnew patternsof
development which will increase density, much needed in a tightly-packed
island. But it drawson Chinese tradition and abstractsfrom it.
HOUSE, SIN GAPORE
ARCHITECT
SCDA ARCHITECTS
Land isat apremium in the
island state of Singapore, so
permitted densitieshave been
allowed to rise in the suburbs.
Asaresult, new individual
housescan be more tightly
packed together and made taller
than what wasallowed before.
So the Tengresidence, designed
for asingle professional man and
hismother, hasaparti which
almost totally coversthe plot,
leavingonly enough room for a
patio at the front of the house
and longthin gardensat side and
back. Such little stripsof open
land would seem very mean in
other latitudes, but at the
equator, where there isvertical
sun and luxuriant vegetation,
they can work and be pleasant
to look into, if not be in.
SCDA Architectswisely chose
to elaborate on an ancient
model for the basic design. The
traditional Chinese shop house
hasavery deep plan with
narrow frontages. To make it
bearable, atria(in the proper
sense) were often carved into
the middle of the footprint to
bringlight and air to most of the
inner rooms. At the Tenghouse,
the stratagem isabstracted and
used with finesse. Basically, it
hasathree-storey stack of
roomsat front and back with a
vertical circulation and light void
in the middle. Thisshaft of light
isirregularly linked to along
metre-wide slot between the
house proper and ablank wall
that risesbetween the house
and itsneighbour to the left.
1 2
3
cippall@yahoo.com
- 100 -

53 |752 |7
Only at ground floor level isthe
wall pierced, to allow viewsfrom
the livingroom to the thin
garden between the two houses.
So the livingroom, the first
space you come to after the
constrained entrance from the
car port, isfull of light both from
above (the central well) and the
side (the sliver of garden
between neighbour and shear
wall). Luminance isincreased by
white wallsand floor. And the
almost surreal device of along
Lshaped pool which reflects
light upwards, and actsalmost as
abarrier between formal and
informal worlds. Inner areasof
the house are suggested through
translucent glasspanels.
A stair iscantilevered over the
granite clad pool, drawingyou
up through the central well. At
first floor level, the straight flight
convertsto asculptural spiral,
almost hoveringin space, and
connectingfirst and second
floors. Honed steel and wood
bridgesconnect front and back
stacksof roomsacrossthe void.
Up at the top isone of the most
movingspacesof the house: the
studio that looksinto acalm
little patio where Typha
Angustifoliagrowsagainst the
white concrete shear wall, and
looksout through alouvred
screen over the more
conventional housesaround.
Externally, the louvred first
and second floorsmake an
elegant, veiled box hovering
over the virtually transparent
ground level, which can open at
the front to throw livingroom
and patio into one large space,
interior and exterior at the same
time. Structure islargely steel,
over aconcrete ground floor.
The upper floorshave, in effect,
adouble wall with the louvres
shadingaglassbox that has
movable panesso spacescan be
cooled naturally aswell asby air
conditioning. HELMUT GRÖTZ
Architects
SCDA Architects, Singapore
Design team
Chan Soo Khian, Rene Tan
Structural engineer
T.H. NgManagement & Consultancy Services
Services engineer
GKL Associates
Photographs
Peter Mealin
ground floor (scale approx 1:250) first floor roofsecond floor
4
Studio on top floor looks into
small patio with tall elegant
strands of Typha Angustifolia.
5
Upper stair is spiral object almost
floating in space.
cross section long section
HOUSE, SIN GAPORE
ARCHITECT
SCDA ARCHITECTS
1 carport
2 entrance
3 landscape
4 patio
5 living
6 kitchen
7 pool
8 maid
9 bridge
10 bed
11 altar room
12 void
13 studio
14 rooflight
4
5 6
6
Bedroom can have floor to ceiling
windows because louvres provide
privacy screen.
cippall@yahoo.com
- 101 -

The architectural review (2002-2005)-part 2

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Plus de Invisible Architect

Plus de Invisible Architect (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

The architectural review (2002-2005)-part 2