More inspiration

(Re)Making _city by Paul Durcan

Part 2 Project 2009, University College Dublin Dublin Ireland

click here for high Res images on Presidents Medal website

"Remaking a piece of found ground in Dublin City through subtraction. To excavate and take advantage of existing site conditions and pieces of the city’s history which have been left behind in the wake of new developments. The idea that a building is not a static object but that it has a life of its own and that this could be conveyed through its form, skin or use. "

"To retain the old theatre entrance on Longford Street and to stitch it back into the fabric of both the place and the city. To fold the existing boundary wall on Stephen Street back into the site, allowing the fold to act as both an entrance and more importantly to address the Georgian Townhouse opposite. This move provides new breathing space to both the house and the street, and also creates new public ground in the city, partly sheltered by the overhanging studios and the foliage of the red birch trees contained within the sunken garden.

The programme is a bronze foundry consisting of a large courtyard and a series of different scale workshops. This poche space contained at the centre of the block acts as a workyard for the foundry and also provides breathing space for the programme and the city."

"This Thesis project was generated from a passionate interest in the evolution of Dublin City. His work method involved an almost forensic investigation of a disused site bounded by two city streets. He examined this ‘lost place’ in great detail through historical analysis and through a range of drawn media in order to understand its context and significance.

... he wished to show how a piece of unused ground – previously intended for a private gated development – might be repossessed for the community . 

His process of ‘remaking’ involved the creation of a public place, route and garden supported by a building of artistic craft and employment – a bronze casting foundry. In his urban (re)searches he discovered such a building and through observation and conversation developed his understanding of the process, the craftsmen and the artists. From this the design brief evolved for a building which would have all the spatial and environmental qualities to support such an endeavour."

  

"In his design method he worked not only through crafted drawings but also through abstract and figurative models at a range of scales. These models were the most carefully made of any I have ever seen. They captured the essence of Pauls design intentions not only conveying the sense of the light and space of the whole but also the materiality and tactility of the part. It was possible to imagine the (re) inhabitation of this abandoned urban site and to delight in the sensation."

Inspiration

Mining Cenotaph by Alexis Quinteros Salazar, University of Chile. 

For more information and for other amazing projects check out the RIBA Presidents Medal archive

In Salazar's words, this would be a "building that captures the history and symbolism behind mining, enhancing and revitalizing a memory that is currently disaggregated and ignored and has a very high touristic potential."

Renzo Piano City Gate and Parliament, Valletta, Malta

Whilst in Malta I had a chance to check out the progress on the works being done to the Valletta city gate, Opera House and new Parliament building all designed by Renzo Piano. The project bears some striking similarities to Unit H work! 

As you can see from the photo above the parliament building is clad in stone panels that are not too dissimilar to some of your 1:1 elements which you designed in Portugal. Large stone panels have been cut from the local limestone. There are 4 types of panel and these are repeated over the whole facade in what appears to be a random pattern that when viewed from afar resembles the weathered stone found in the bastion walls close-by. 

The city gate, see photos below, consists of an infilled section of the old city walls. As you can see the old walls are not built up but cut into the bedrock, the extracted stone used to build parts of the city. So in many ways this resembles the quarry walls in Estremos, except that the stone is of a very different quality - softer and therefore very eroded. 

The new infilled stone is clean and smooth, purposely contrasting with the old - with a 'shadow gap' of powder coated grey steel a gesture that further accentuates the contrast between old and new. 

Below are photos of the Opera House, originally a neoclassical building that was bombed in WW2 and left as a ruin until this project. Piano has kept the remains of the bombed building and added steel masts, translucent screens, stands and seating so that it is now used as an outdoor theatre. 

One of the most loved elements are the public steps shown in the image below, a generous public gesture where previously the public steps that led to an upper level road were creepy and smelly.

P04: CIVIC INSTITUTION Design a community integrated institution

Year 2: Local scale
Year 3: London scale both including key building + public realm proposal

Introduction
Project 4 is the final building design project of the year in which you will design a civic institute, drawing on the themes you investigated through P01, P02 and P03. We will return to West Kensington with the unique background research developed in P02 and with an outside perspective gained through our Portugal trip and P03. Use this project to architecturally question the notion of civic in this changing part of the city. What can we do architecturally to activate the area and contribute to existing and new neighborhoods?

Design argument
Draw together the work of semester 1 and distil a design thesis/ brief for the final project. Use site analysis, technology and precedent studies to articulate a drawn ‘Civic’ design argument. Position your argument in relation to the Earl’s Court development time line and express how your proposal contributes to the neighbourhood while the development is underway. What is important about that? What does it activate/trigger/contribute to? Can it link old & new neighbourhoods? Also position your argument in relation to the use of stone waste materials and exploring new material (re-)uses. Research your position architecturally.

Design method
Develop a creative iterative process, which explores and tests ideas in sketch models, sketches & 1:1. Use film, photography and perspective frames/views as critical design tools. Use them for abstract qualities as well as literal spaces and sequences. Continue to develop your building component prototypes and material tests as an integral part of your design process and test their spatial applications. Engage with people, places & local culture relevant to your site and proposal and let it inform your design development.

Architectural design resolution
Develop a full set of architectural drawings well resolved externally and internally, which express a complete proposal including all elevations, floors, key spaces, interior and exterior details & context in 2d & 3d. Develop a distinct and competent representation language that highlights key design qualities and ideas through out. Describe your design argument and design response in context in a 3min film. Alongside your portfolio make books of your photographs, stills from films, sketches, technology, research and give them each a purpose related to aspects of your design development.
Present portfolio and books graphically as a collection and refer to your books in your portfolio pages.


Reference projects:
Casa Del Musica, Porto,
Gulbenkien Foundation, Lisbon
Casa de historias, Cascai
National Theatre, London
The Museum of Art, Sao Paolo,
Petrol Station, Skovshoved Arne Jacobsen Havnebadet, Sluseholmen