A3 PANEL - ESQUISSE 2

A3 PANEL - ESQUISSE 1 + STUDIO NOMINATION

A Day out of the Realm of Architecture - Post Esquisse Day

YOUTUBE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2011 - SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Woooshhhhh !! I had quite a tough day on Friday - the Esquisse 1 presentation. I have actually forgotten that the submission should be in an A3 PDF format. Sigh ~~ but I was lucky enough to get a chance to present my design proposal to the class without complying the submission requirement. Phew ~~ if not I will be in deep shit for not getting any grade for it .. lol. 

Hence, after a tough day, I have decided to do something to ease my mind - something out of the realm of architecture. Thus, I booked myself a ticket [ well, actually my friend sold it to me because he can't attend the show for some reasons ] for the Youtube Symphony Orchestra 2011 matinée show on Saturday. I was quite excited because it was quite some time since my last visit to an orchestral concert. Secondly, I have never step in to the hall in Sydney Opera House yet [ just stroll around the exterior of it ]. Thirdly - the emotional one, I missed playing trumpet and all my high school marching band memories flashed back since I took a sneak peek on UNSW wind orchestra rehearsal on last Tuesday. 

Flat White + Peary & Honey Tart before the Concert

MUSIC IS QUITE SENSATIONAL BUT PEOPLE ARE QUITE TERRIBLE

It is a matinée show - a less serious show but usually you still need to be dressed in smart casual for it. Apparently in Australia [ got this info from the box office ] there is no strict dresscode for the shows and I'm quite surprise. People come in slippers, sandals, short pants, singlet and big bags. DSLR and video camera, young babies and kiddos; and drinks  are somehow allowed to bring into the hall. Babies crying and kids yelling [ MOMMY !! I wanna go home !!~~ .. Hell Yeah, just go home you little kid .. lol ] in the hall spoiled the sensational music experience. Nevertheless, people who are not punctual are still allowed to walk into the hall after the concert had started. To be honest, I am annoyed with all these because it seems that people are not following the rules which were printed the back of the ticket and not respecting the function. Ugh ... it was ... quite terrible. 

They are here for a movie at the cinema or an orchestral concert in a prestigious concert hall ?? 

I've tried to deposit my umbrella at the locker but the girl said : "you can take the umbrella with you into the hall'. =/ 

Decided to take a picture of the hall since photo shooting is allowed. LOL [ excuse the picture quality, taken with phone's camera .. damn I should get an Iphone =( ]

Overall, it was quite good and delightful to see talented musicians around to world auditioned through youtube and finally the winners gathered in Sydney Opera House as Youtube Symphony Orchestra. The repertoire was not heavy, the numbers were 'ear approachable' and the organ player was fantastic. 

My personal favourites :

1) Igor Stravinsky - Firebird

2) Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 Finale [ Allegro non Troppo - Allegro molto vivace ]

3) Strauss -  Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare

In conclusion, a good day for me after the tough days. LOL ... quite happy lah !! =D ... planned to attend the upcoming shows - an opera maybe Carmen or the Madamma Butterfly but damn the dates ~~ either falls in between design studio or on studio's day .. LOL .. ... 

ESQUISSE 1(D) - [ DIGITAL CONCEPT MODEL + PROPOSAL ]

Corridors are the major element [ the parti ] - in which corridors of all directions diverge into the central courtyard [ the node ] - gathering place. Hence, the retail space/ lots are confined by the linear corridors. 

Perspective View

Retail lots are arrange along corridors and also circumference the circular central courtyard. 

Translucent 3D Model 

Plan View

Section

The 3D Circle sits 2 levels below ground to avoid the overall massing to be overdone on the current site. 

On Site

ESQUISSE 1(C) - [ IDEA + MASSING ]

3D - INTERSECTION NODES

From the Esquisse 1(A) - Analaysis on the circulation patterns [ the language ] of Versailles and Samayaike Museum, it is visible that both project convey on nodes - main intersecting point within the overall circulation pattern. However, the circulation is merely put emphasis on horizontally [ 2-Dimensional ] but not verticality and oblique. Thus, I would like to test pattern in a 3-Dimensional manner in which pathways or corridor shall meet at one major intersecting nodes in all direction.

3D - Intersection Node and Routes

Before I pursuit my initial idea, I personally think that the rectangular shaped open courtyard in World Square does not signifies a sense of gathering and a little 'lifelessness' and with retail stores located on both side, the courtyard somehow transformed into a linear spinal space - arcade arrangement. 

Original Massing to Possible Massings

ESQUISSE 1(B) - [ STUDY + ANALYSIS ]

WORLD SQUARE

World Square - Location

World Square - Courtyards and Corridors

ESQUISSE 1(A) - [ STUDY + ANALYSIS ]

VERSAILLES

Versailles - Circulation Pattern

SAMAYAIKE MUSEUM

Samayaike Museum - Circulation Pattern

WEEK 2 - ESQUISSE 1 [ SITE - WORLD SQUARE : SYDNEY CBD ]

SITE - WORLD SQUARE, SYDNEY CBD 

World Square - Look up from the Central Courtyard

World Square - the Central Open Courtyard view 1

World Square - the Central Open Courtyard view 2

WEEK 2 - THREE FRAMEWORKS

WEEK 1(C) - WOZOCO APARTMENT, NETHERLANDS.

Wozoco Apartment for the Elders, Amsterdam-Osdrop, Netherlands

ARCHITECT - MVRDV
YEAR OF COMPLETION - 1997

Plan of Wozoco Apartment

WEEK 1(B) - SAMAYAIKE MUSEUM, JAPAN

Samayaike Museum, Osaka-fu, Japan.

ARCHITECT - TADAO ANDO
YEAR OF COMPLETION - 2001

The Waterfall Journey to the Central Courtyard

Floor Plan of Samayaike Museum

WEEK 1(A) - VERSAILLES, FRANCE

Versailles - is a fine archetype of urbanisation of the French Baroque period during the 17th - 18th Century and it was the de facto capital under the reign of King Louis XIII to King Louis XVI. Versailles consisted of four main sections - Château de Versailles [ The Palace ], The Garden, The Grand Trianon and Marie's Antoinette's Estate [ The Queen's Hamlet ]. 

 Versailles [ Oil on Canvas ] - Bird's Eye View

The planning and architecture of Versailles emphasis on the power of the French absolute monarchy. Strong axis extruded from the back the château [ The King's Hall of Mirror ] gives a strong axial vista to the end of the royal garden. Hence, the axial grammar of Versailles is different from Forbidden City in Beijing. The axial extrusion of the Forbidden City is different in which the axial grammar is sequential - the space and barricades by three main halls arranged along the axis but not giving a strong clear axial vista.

Plan of Versailles 

The Clear Axial Vista - View from the Latone Ornamental Pool

From the plan of Versailles [ above ], the pathways play a major role in the spatial sequences and circulation pattern within the garden - a very typical garden arrangement of the French Baroque. Thus, it is very different from the 18th Century English Gardens which coined as "Picturesque" [ which it means a peculiar kind of beauty in which it is as beautiful as a a picture ] wherein the spatial sequence or the journey in the English Gardens are informed by follies - less formal notation whereas the Garden of Versailles put strong emphasis forceful rigid spatial sequence and rigid direction with the aid of pavements - pathways and highly embellished fountains in the garden. 

Node and Route - Circulation Anatomy in Versailles

I have came up with an analytical diagram on "node and route" [ above ] after looking into the plan of Versailles. Fountains act as intersection nodes in the garden with the grand highly embellished fountains denote the main intersection nodes and the small scale fountains connote secondary nodes in the circulation pattern of the garden. From the diagram above, the red arrows indicate the main pathways - primary routes in the garden and the primary routes radiate in certain angles or directions to secondary or even tertiary routes when the primary routes meet the main and secondary intersection nodes [ fountains ]. 

Pathways - Spatial Confinement

From the diagram above, pathways define the spaces in the garden. Hence, the dimensions and geometries of spaces are confined by the intersecting pathways [ lines ]. Geometries of spaces - rectangular, square, trapezium and triangle are apparent from the confinement and I conceived [ though I am not sure this is a mere assertion of mine ] that the whole planning of Versailles initiated from pathways only then preceded by spatial planning and sequence. Thus, it almost reminiscing the sequence of drawing in which you start with a point/ dot [ fountain - intersection nodes ] and dots extruded become lines [ pathways - circulation routes ]; then multiple lines connect and intersect one and another transformed into shapes/ geometries [ confined space - gardens ]. 

The Château

The Plan of the Château

From the plan of the château, there three parti visible from the plan of the château - room matrix, corridor and courtyard. The dominating parti are room matrix and corridor but not courtyards because the courtyards before the château do not signify sense of gathering. The parti - room matrix and corridor are the major parti which define the spatial sequence, arrangment and confinement within the château. 

JUXTAPOSITION 
[ PERFECTION & IMPERFECTION ] - [ RIGID & LENIENT ] - [ CONTROL & FREEDOM ]


Although Versailles conveys absolutism [ control ] and perfection of royal lifestyle but there is always an imperfection within perfection. Imperfection I meant here is not about ugliness but the truth of beauty. Perfection and precision are factitious and artificial, and they deemed to be 'lifelessness'. Whereas, imperfection expresses flawlessness in a truthful manner and simplicity. Thus, within the 'perfect' Versailles, the Marie's Antoinette's Estate is the 'imperfection' portion in which the Queen's Hamlet portrays the tiredness of humanity to be stranded within the pomp of perfection - royalty and luxury. This also signifies the humanity's contemporary juxtaposition of city, suburbia and country life. Besides that, the King also has his own private retreat from royalty and diplomacy which is the Grand Trianon which is situated beside the Queen's Hamlet.

The Topiary Garden in Versailles [ Perfection & Precision - Control ]

Marie's Antoinette's Estate [ Freedom ] 

WHY VERSAILLES IS ONE OF MY FAVOURABLE URBAN & ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT ?


1) The juxtaposition of perfection and imperfection.
2) The juxtaposition of rigidness and lenient.
3) The juxtaposition of control and freedom.
4) The juxtaposition of intricateness of geometries and organic.
   
Versailles tells you the human hunger for perfection but yet when perfection is achieved, the pursuit of imperfection contravenes satisfaction of perfection. 




REFERENCE 
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/marie-antoinettes-estate
http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Western_Europe/France/france6.htm

WEEK 1 - The Three Architectural Projects

I was asked by my professor to select my three most favourable architectural projects in which one of the three has to be an architectural project of pre-19th Century - the era before the emergence of modern science and the other two projects of the contemporary period. The process of selection was quite an arduous task and crucial as the three selected architectural projects are ought to share at least one continuum notion between them in order to evoke and to embrace my personal world view in architecture.

The selected architectural projects :

1) Versailles, France [ Residence of King Louis XIII - XVI in the 17th - 18th Century ]

2) Samayaike Museum, Osaka-fu, Japan [ Tadao Ando - 2001 ]

3) Wozoco Apartment for the Elders, Amsterdam-Osdrop, Netherlands [ MVRDV - 1997 ]