UAL LEVEL 3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA in ART and DESIGN
UNIT 13 - "SHAPES" RESEARCH PROJECT
26 / 01 / 18
Day 1 :
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We start writing ideas before we started the project to consider our strengths and weaknesses in relation to the course.
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Having this done, I take some of the most important ones to do the Rationale (section 1) which consists of writing what I have learnt untill now in the course and what am I good at.
RATIONALE (section 1)
The variety of the structure of the course has enabled me to realise that my largest strengths as set are my multidisciplinary approach to my work, the unexpected directions I take with my responses to problems and my use of media / materials.
I have learnt that I have literal and abstract responses to themes and I work better when I utilise both.
I would say another of my strengths are the brainstorming and the creativity I have, either when I am given a theme and have to think of ideas, to create logos, or to shoot some photos.
In this course I have learnt to develop a theme to obtain a final piece and I have also learnt its meaning.
To conclude, I have also learnt to print in several ways such as screen printing and I have used it in many ways.
The variety of the structure of the course has enabled me to realise that my largest strengths as set are my multidisciplinary approach to my work, the unexpected directions I take with my responses to problems and my use of media / materials.
I have learnt that I have literal and abstract responses to themes and I work better when I utilise both.
I would say another of my strengths are the brainstorming and the creativity I have, either when I am given a theme and have to think of ideas, to create logos, or to shoot some photos.
In this course I have learnt to develop a theme to obtain a final piece and I have also learnt its meaning.
To conclude, I have also learnt to print in several ways such as screen printing and I have used it in many ways.
After this, we are given the word "shapes", which will be our main theme for the final project.
I started thinking about the theme that we chose for the FMP in relation with shapes This is a hard step as it involves all the work we are going to do. All our work and all of our art pieces will have to be related to this. There will be focused on that theme so we need to choose something interesting that we like.
I started thinking about the theme that we chose for the FMP in relation with shapes This is a hard step as it involves all the work we are going to do. All our work and all of our art pieces will have to be related to this. There will be focused on that theme so we need to choose something interesting that we like.
Then, we wrote the project proposal.
PROJECT PROPOSAL
This is the last and most important project so I will be exploring and changing directions a few times but I will start working on shapes in architecture, looking for simple geometric shapes in urban spaces such as buildings, cars, houses, bridges...
My main focus on the project will be the question : How would you design a city from scratch?
I think this is a very good question to be looking at, as it is really interesting.
The ideal city model nowadays would be completely different to a model made 100 years ago, which would also be really different to a model 500 years ago or 2000 years ago.
Nowadays, the only impediment to construct a city anywhere is money.
Right now, humans can build in either the dessert or the poles. That would have been impossible in the past. They needed to be close to a river, a lake, on top of a mountain.
It happens the same with the setup of a city. In the actuality, the city centre is composed of skyscrapers from big companies and banks while in the past was composed by the church, and the whole city centre needed to be covered by a castle.
As well as the past, cities will be completely different in the future, so I will be exploring futuristic cities and I will try to design a whole city, taking into account all the factors that will affect a city in the future.
At last, I will say what I will try to use to make all these work. I would like to explore and make various pieces of art, make them in different styles.
I would like to work on my comfort zone but also try and push my limits to other processes I don't usually work with to have different pieces, and a wider variety between my work as photoshop and realistic drawings.
This is the last and most important project so I will be exploring and changing directions a few times but I will start working on shapes in architecture, looking for simple geometric shapes in urban spaces such as buildings, cars, houses, bridges...
My main focus on the project will be the question : How would you design a city from scratch?
I think this is a very good question to be looking at, as it is really interesting.
The ideal city model nowadays would be completely different to a model made 100 years ago, which would also be really different to a model 500 years ago or 2000 years ago.
Nowadays, the only impediment to construct a city anywhere is money.
Right now, humans can build in either the dessert or the poles. That would have been impossible in the past. They needed to be close to a river, a lake, on top of a mountain.
It happens the same with the setup of a city. In the actuality, the city centre is composed of skyscrapers from big companies and banks while in the past was composed by the church, and the whole city centre needed to be covered by a castle.
As well as the past, cities will be completely different in the future, so I will be exploring futuristic cities and I will try to design a whole city, taking into account all the factors that will affect a city in the future.
At last, I will say what I will try to use to make all these work. I would like to explore and make various pieces of art, make them in different styles.
I would like to work on my comfort zone but also try and push my limits to other processes I don't usually work with to have different pieces, and a wider variety between my work as photoshop and realistic drawings.
START OF THE PROJECT
Day 2 :
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Now is when I really start the project, and the first thing I think I need to do is to research the word "shapes" as it´s
the basis and the centre of the whole project. I think it should be the first thing to do, so you initially get a clear idea, and maybe take something of it. |
SHAPES RESEARCH
A shape is the form of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface, as opposed to other properties such as color, texture or material composition.
Psychologsits have theorized that humans mentally break down images into simple geometric shapes called "geons".
Examples of geons include cones and spheres.
Clasification of simple shapes :
Some simple shapes can be put into broad categories. For instance, polygons are classified according to their number of edges as triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, etc. Each of these is divided into smaller categories, triangles can be equilaterals, isosceles, obtuse, acute, scalene, etc. while quadrilaterals can be rectangles, rhombi, trapezoids, squares, etc.
Other common shapes are points, lines, planes, and conic sections such as ellipses, circles, and parabolas.
Among the most common 3 dimensional shapes are polyhedra, which are shapes with flat faces, ellipsoids, which are egg-shaped or sphere-shaped objects, cylinders, and cones.
If an object falls into one of these categories exactly or even approximately, we can use it to describe the shape of the object. Thus, we say that the shape of a manhole cover is a disk, because it is approximately the same geometric object as an actual geometric disk.
Shape in geometry :
There are several ways to compare the shapes of two objects:
Simple shapes can often be classified into basic geometric objects such as a point, a line, a curve, a plane, a plane figure (e.g. squares or circle), or a solid figure (e.g. cube or sphere). However, most shapes occurring in the physical world are complex. Some, such as plant structures and coastlines.
Psychologsits have theorized that humans mentally break down images into simple geometric shapes called "geons".
Examples of geons include cones and spheres.
Clasification of simple shapes :
Some simple shapes can be put into broad categories. For instance, polygons are classified according to their number of edges as triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, etc. Each of these is divided into smaller categories, triangles can be equilaterals, isosceles, obtuse, acute, scalene, etc. while quadrilaterals can be rectangles, rhombi, trapezoids, squares, etc.
Other common shapes are points, lines, planes, and conic sections such as ellipses, circles, and parabolas.
Among the most common 3 dimensional shapes are polyhedra, which are shapes with flat faces, ellipsoids, which are egg-shaped or sphere-shaped objects, cylinders, and cones.
If an object falls into one of these categories exactly or even approximately, we can use it to describe the shape of the object. Thus, we say that the shape of a manhole cover is a disk, because it is approximately the same geometric object as an actual geometric disk.
Shape in geometry :
There are several ways to compare the shapes of two objects:
- Congruence : Two objects are congruent if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of rotations, translations, and/or reflections.
- Similarity : Two objects are similar if one can be transformed into the other by a uniform scaling, together with a sequence of rotations, translations, and/or reflections.
- Isotopy : Two objects are isotopic if one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of deformations that do not tear the object or put holes in it. Sometimes, two similar or congruent objects may be regarded as having a different shape if a reflection is required to transform one into the other. For instance, the letters "b" and "d" are a reflection of each other, and hence they are congruent and similar.
Simple shapes can often be classified into basic geometric objects such as a point, a line, a curve, a plane, a plane figure (e.g. squares or circle), or a solid figure (e.g. cube or sphere). However, most shapes occurring in the physical world are complex. Some, such as plant structures and coastlines.
When I found the isotopy, I realised it was just the meaning for the drawings I was going to do.
I think that is good because it makes me focus on that theme, and work on a certain theme which is Isotopy between buildings and geometric shapes.
Then I made a selection of the geometric shapes I was going to use more likely. I think I will use these geometric shapes because they can be easily seen in buildings or around the urbex.
I think that is good because it makes me focus on that theme, and work on a certain theme which is Isotopy between buildings and geometric shapes.
Then I made a selection of the geometric shapes I was going to use more likely. I think I will use these geometric shapes because they can be easily seen in buildings or around the urbex.
Day 3 :
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Today I will start drawing. I will try to transform buildings and structures to geometric shapes.
The first thing I do is to draw some famous and very characteristic buildings around the World from memory. I think this is quite good. You may be thinking memory was one of my weaknesses, but it I have a great photographic memory. I have also been in some of them so it is easier to remember the details. |
Then I made a selection. I took some of the most difficult structures and two of the easiest ones.
I searched the photos in internet and tried to draw them as similar as possible, and I can say it went really well.
I searched the photos in internet and tried to draw them as similar as possible, and I can say it went really well.
After this, I took those drawings to discompose them into simple geometric shapes.
As I said before, except for two of them which were easy, the other ones were really complicated to discompose.
The One Angel Square and the Atomium were the most difficult ones because of their complicated structures.
I think this is a good idea because it clearly shows how buildings are composed of simple geometric shapes such as cubes, cuboids, spheres, pyramids... but in the other hand, difficult structures can escape from geometry. They are always composed of geometry, for example the Atomium could have been discomposed into spheres and cylinders but it makes it much more complex.
As I said before, except for two of them which were easy, the other ones were really complicated to discompose.
The One Angel Square and the Atomium were the most difficult ones because of their complicated structures.
I think this is a good idea because it clearly shows how buildings are composed of simple geometric shapes such as cubes, cuboids, spheres, pyramids... but in the other hand, difficult structures can escape from geometry. They are always composed of geometry, for example the Atomium could have been discomposed into spheres and cylinders but it makes it much more complex.
Day 4 :
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Then I needed to do it with normal houses, the typical flats so I went out to take some photographs of my environment and the houses in my surroundings. Hopefully everything was covered with snow and the photos were much nicer.
I think it is a very good thing to take photos of an snowed house because roofs get unnoticed with the sky, and walls are clearly marked by contrast. |
The snow over the rooftops made me think about how to draw the houses simplifying them, but in an unusual way.
The fading of the snow into the sky gave me the idea of drawing all the houses without the rooftops to make a strange and unusual vision of shapes in a building taking just the most simple geometric shapes.
The fading of the snow into the sky gave me the idea of drawing all the houses without the rooftops to make a strange and unusual vision of shapes in a building taking just the most simple geometric shapes.
As I converted all the houses and buildings into geometric shapes, I was thinking how easy would it be to transform a whole place of a house, like a corner, a wardrove...into shapes, so I did a pair of drawings. I think I have catched some very good shapes in the first one. The second drawing is not as good as the first one, because of the place I took. I shouldn't have drawn the stairs because they are already geometric shapes and it doesn't look to what I am trying.
Day 5 :
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After all these I bought some simple geometrical wooden pieces and started playing with them, making simple figures and getting used to the shapes and how to combine them.
The only shapes I had were: cubes, cuboids, cylinders and triangular prisms. I had to adapt just to these figures, which was also a challenge because I had already previewed other shapes. When I was already used to them I started representing the buildings I draw and I think they weren't so bad. I thought it would be much complicated. |
Then I was thinking a way of starting a city but there were very few blocks. So I tried to recreate a very famous street. Here I tried to recreate in shapes the Gran Via ( The Mayor Avenue ), presided by the Carrion building which I draw before.
I think this is effective in the way that you perfectly understand its meaning. It is a nice composition mixing basically the primary colours and funny because we aren't used to see this very often.
I think it looks very good by just painting the basic traffic lines to represent the streets.
I think this is effective in the way that you perfectly understand its meaning. It is a nice composition mixing basically the primary colours and funny because we aren't used to see this very often.
I think it looks very good by just painting the basic traffic lines to represent the streets.
This is the point where I start designing a city. The first thing I do is to search some artists related and similar to what I am going to do. In this case the first artist is Le Corbusier, known for designing a whole city in India, with a very futurist idea.
LE CORBUSIER RESEARCH
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, was a pioneer of modern architecture and a leader of the International Style. The prominent and largely self-taught architect was also an accomplished painter and writer. Le Corbusier’s most celebrated buildings include the Villa Savoye outside Paris, Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France, and the Unité d’Habitation in Marseille.
He is also known for his work in urban planning, which included the design of Chandigarh, India, in the 1950s. Among his sleek furniture designs are the LC2 chair and the LC5 chaise longue, which, which are still produced and popular today.
He is also known for his work in urban planning, which included the design of Chandigarh, India, in the 1950s. Among his sleek furniture designs are the LC2 chair and the LC5 chaise longue, which, which are still produced and popular today.
The "Radiant City"
This is the design that Le Corbusier considered as the utopia.
In this architectural idea, blighted landscapes where low-income communities lived should be destroyed and replaced with towers surrounded by parkland. Cars were to be separated from pedestrians and businesses were to be strictly separated from homes. Though radical, strict and nearly totalitarian in its order, symmetry and standardization, Le Corbusier’s proposed principles had an extensive influence on modern urban planning and led to the development of new high-density housing typologies.
The combination of towers and parkland gained a reputation for being closed off from the street, which instead of becoming a gated utopia, led to vandalism and crime. At the same time, the strict focus on zoning that shaped the Radiant City was a strong departure from the mixed-use communities that it replaced.
In this architectural idea, blighted landscapes where low-income communities lived should be destroyed and replaced with towers surrounded by parkland. Cars were to be separated from pedestrians and businesses were to be strictly separated from homes. Though radical, strict and nearly totalitarian in its order, symmetry and standardization, Le Corbusier’s proposed principles had an extensive influence on modern urban planning and led to the development of new high-density housing typologies.
The combination of towers and parkland gained a reputation for being closed off from the street, which instead of becoming a gated utopia, led to vandalism and crime. At the same time, the strict focus on zoning that shaped the Radiant City was a strong departure from the mixed-use communities that it replaced.
After designing this, Le Corbusier was given the opportunity to design a whole city in India called Chandighar. I personally don't like very much the look of the city because of the materials he used.
Le Corbusier used mainly concrete to build all the city, but that wasn't the problem. Concrete is very used for building houses, parks, flat land, but he didn't cover it. The architect left all the concrete in sight.
In my opinion concrete is a very depressive material to build anything and he built a whole city without colour. He just put some colours over the whole tray landscape.
Le Corbusier used mainly concrete to build all the city, but that wasn't the problem. Concrete is very used for building houses, parks, flat land, but he didn't cover it. The architect left all the concrete in sight.
In my opinion concrete is a very depressive material to build anything and he built a whole city without colour. He just put some colours over the whole tray landscape.
This city, Chandighar, was a very controversial project. Many people liked the city because it was clean, it had very wide streets, and buildings were creative and innovative but everything has a negative side. In this case, it was that people claimed their common cities, their customs, traditions... This included more parks, common areas and simply their way of life...
Many people were against this city, and probably the strongest recrimination to the architect was : An only architect can't have the election to design a whole city. A city needs to be made by many architects, where each of them design the required functions for the people around it.
Many people were against this city, and probably the strongest recrimination to the architect was : An only architect can't have the election to design a whole city. A city needs to be made by many architects, where each of them design the required functions for the people around it.
END OF LE CORBUSIER RESEARCH
Day 6 :
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My personal opinion about Le Corbusier´s critics is the same. A city needs to be different, that is what makes a city alive. Imagine having the same streets, the same exact buildings, the same parks all over the city. It would be so depressing. You would be just another pearson, living in a building that looks exactly the same as all your friends.
As the idea I have now is contradicting the initial idea of designing a whole city from scratch. I have got another idea which consists of designing a general plan, and a trace of the city streets, the main roads and some important buildings. The difference is that I am leaving some urban places, buildings and parks, for other architects that may have a different vision including other ways and satisfying another sector of people. The similarity of the buildings made me remember when I came to England. The huge difference between buildings in Spain and England. Not in the bad way, but British living places have a very similar housing scheme. It is mainly based on semidetached, detached and terrace houses while in Spain consists more on flats and detached houses but with different shapes between them. This has obviously its negative part in many cases in the interiors but I will be looking for shapes in the exterior facades. I think this is very good. Countries being so different between them. Traveling would be so boring if they were all the same. While I was thinking about this I had a great idea. I will be taking evidence of such differences by capturing shots of both cities from Google Earth. These are two shots I took above Manchester and Madrid. I took both pictures of the inner outskirts of the city because in the city centre there are less living places and every single building is different. I just wanted to compare both and see their city schemes. As Google Earth has an aerial view it is perfect for this task. With this comparison I am not saying which one is better. |
MANCHESTER
MADRID
As you can see, there is an important number of variations in the shapes of buildings in Madrid while not so many differences in Manchester. Obviously this happens because of several reasons :
- Madrid was recognised as a city in the year 1561, while Manchester became a city just 165 years ago in 1853.
- Madrid has a wide variety of influences in its architecture due to the different cultures, empires and conquers it has suffered. Some of them lasted for hundreds of years such as the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the French...
- Madrid has a population of 3,100,000 while Manchester population is of 530,000.
Also the climate is another important factor to take into account. I realised a very characteristic difference between Madrid and Manchester is the extra space outside the house.
Most of the British homes have at least a little garden at the back, while in Spain is changed with a swimming pool as the climate is hard to take it without a swimming pool. Also the whole summer in Madrid is based on the swimming pool.
Most of the British homes have at least a little garden at the back, while in Spain is changed with a swimming pool as the climate is hard to take it without a swimming pool. Also the whole summer in Madrid is based on the swimming pool.
MANCHESTER
MADRID
Another artist that looked deeply into constructing a whole city was Frank Lloyd Wright. But this one was never done, unless it was near.
Frank Lloyd´s dream was to build this imaginary city called "Ellis Island".
Frank Lloyd´s dream was to build this imaginary city called "Ellis Island".
Ellis Island was nearly transformed into a "city of the future," complete with a 500 room hotel, churches, schools, apartment buildings, and moving concreate instead of cars in 1959. The site of a failed immigration center sparked the bid that birthed this idea, but the project was shot down.
This Island is a clearly example of geometrical simple shapes into architecture. We can differentiate a rectangle as a base of the island, continued by a cut circle, lots of spheres all over the island and many other shapes.
This Island is a clearly example of geometrical simple shapes into architecture. We can differentiate a rectangle as a base of the island, continued by a cut circle, lots of spheres all over the island and many other shapes.
FRANK LLOYD
I like this because it is a completely different idea or concept of a city from Le Corbusier´s.
This city is completely separate from the rest, in the middle of the water, trying to be a self sufficient city I think.
I also like this city because unless it hasn't been built, it demonstrates and confirms my initial theory "now humans can construct a city everywhere".
But this is not a futuristic or difficult project comparing it with others. There is an even futuristic project designed by Archigram which consists of a moving city.
This city is completely separate from the rest, in the middle of the water, trying to be a self sufficient city I think.
I also like this city because unless it hasn't been built, it demonstrates and confirms my initial theory "now humans can construct a city everywhere".
But this is not a futuristic or difficult project comparing it with others. There is an even futuristic project designed by Archigram which consists of a moving city.
Day 7 :
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The majority of these utopian designs remained concepts, intended as suggestions for living and surviving at times of social upheaval. The space architecture by Archigram was created around the time of the Moon landing in an era shaped by new beginnings. By way of contrast, Future Systems designed its self-sufficient, machine-like living capsules for a gloomy world at the height of the Cold War.
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ARCHIGRAM
I don't really like this moving city because of the physical aspect it has. For me, a city needs to be likeable to its citizens and look clean and this is just the opposite.
Another reason why I don't like it is because there are no open spaces, parks... Every city is meant to have that. The lack of parks includes a lack of natural light, trees, animals, which are completely fundamental for the life of people.
This drawing took my attention instantly because it is the opposite to my idea of a futuristic city. Civilization over the World is extending every year and there is always less nature, less trees... Nature is absolutely important for the ecosystem so we can't destroy it all.
I think in the future we will need to include nature inside the cities to have them cleaner and healthier.
Another reason why I don't like it is because there are no open spaces, parks... Every city is meant to have that. The lack of parks includes a lack of natural light, trees, animals, which are completely fundamental for the life of people.
This drawing took my attention instantly because it is the opposite to my idea of a futuristic city. Civilization over the World is extending every year and there is always less nature, less trees... Nature is absolutely important for the ecosystem so we can't destroy it all.
I think in the future we will need to include nature inside the cities to have them cleaner and healthier.
Now that I have seen many different interpretations of "ideal cities" for some different artists, is time to create one. I will try to give my personal opinion of an ideal city and draw it.
The first and most important aspect to start is to know the actual meaning of ideal?.
The meaning of "ideal" is : A person, thing or situation that is considered to be perfect.
The first and most important aspect to start is to know the actual meaning of ideal?.
The meaning of "ideal" is : A person, thing or situation that is considered to be perfect.
I haven't mentioned it yet but I also draw my ideal city as a kid, I draw what I thought it would be perfect for me at that time. Well, it is more an ideal World.
I draw this "ideal World" nine years ago when I was 9 years old. This World was called Atalanta.
I named it Atalanta because it is the Greek Goddess of wild, nature and hunt.
This Goddess was lately converted onto a lion with her husband and the most characteristic symbol of Madrid is possibly the fountain of Cibeles, where the lions are carrying the coach.
These are some of the places I imagined as a kid. I think it is a good idea to look at children's imagination because it is pure. They don't think yet about negative points. They are not influenced by someone. Obviously it is impossible as there are many aspects they won't have into account, but I can try to mould to this original idea.
This drawings haven't got a strong relation with shapes because my visions were mainly based on natural landscapes. Nature has not as many simple shapes as architecture but I think it has an important relation to my path of the ideal city and it can help me.
I draw this "ideal World" nine years ago when I was 9 years old. This World was called Atalanta.
I named it Atalanta because it is the Greek Goddess of wild, nature and hunt.
This Goddess was lately converted onto a lion with her husband and the most characteristic symbol of Madrid is possibly the fountain of Cibeles, where the lions are carrying the coach.
These are some of the places I imagined as a kid. I think it is a good idea to look at children's imagination because it is pure. They don't think yet about negative points. They are not influenced by someone. Obviously it is impossible as there are many aspects they won't have into account, but I can try to mould to this original idea.
This drawings haven't got a strong relation with shapes because my visions were mainly based on natural landscapes. Nature has not as many simple shapes as architecture but I think it has an important relation to my path of the ideal city and it can help me.
ME AS 9 YEARS OLD
This is the drawing I like the most because of the beauty of the place when I imagine it. This landscape could resume the concept of the other drawings which would be water, nature and trees everywhere.
I think this drawings are quite good taking into account I was 9 years old when I did them.
I think this drawings are quite good taking into account I was 9 years old when I did them.
Till now, I have just been researching for futuristic visions of people in the actuality, but I think it should be also good to look at the visions people had about futurism in the past. It will be funny and it can maybe give me some ideas I haven't thinked about.
When I started researching I found Nazism and Fascism were really advanced, and Nazi futurism was one of the visions that is more similar to nowadays. Hopefully just in the technological aspect, hahaha.
The ones that gave more importance to this futuristic aspect were Italians.
When I started researching all the different kinds of futuristic movements the Italian was the one I liked the most because of the compositions they made. It is more creative, trying to mix art and nice paintings with their futuristic visions.
The Italians were also the ones who most used the simple shapes in their drawings. Basically Italian Futurism was composed of simple geometric shapes.
When I started researching I found Nazism and Fascism were really advanced, and Nazi futurism was one of the visions that is more similar to nowadays. Hopefully just in the technological aspect, hahaha.
The ones that gave more importance to this futuristic aspect were Italians.
When I started researching all the different kinds of futuristic movements the Italian was the one I liked the most because of the compositions they made. It is more creative, trying to mix art and nice paintings with their futuristic visions.
The Italians were also the ones who most used the simple shapes in their drawings. Basically Italian Futurism was composed of simple geometric shapes.
ITALIAN FUTURISM
Italian Futurism was officially launched in 1909 when Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, an Italian intellectual, published his “Founding and Manifesto of Futurism” in the French newspaper Le Figaro. Marinetti’s continuous leadership ensured the movement’s cohesion for three and half decades, until his death in 1944.
To be a Futurist in the Italy of the early 20th century was to be modern, young, and insurgent. Inspired by the markers of modernity, the industrial city, machines, speed, and flight. Futurism’s adherents exalted the new and the disruptive. They sought to revitalize what they determined to be a static, decaying culture and an impotent nation that looked to the past for its identity.
To be a Futurist in the Italy of the early 20th century was to be modern, young, and insurgent. Inspired by the markers of modernity, the industrial city, machines, speed, and flight. Futurism’s adherents exalted the new and the disruptive. They sought to revitalize what they determined to be a static, decaying culture and an impotent nation that looked to the past for its identity.
Italian futurist artists experimented with the fragmentation of form, the collapsing of time and space, the depiction of dynamic motion, and dizzying perspectives. Their style evolved from fractured elements in the 1910s to a mechanical language in the ’20s, and then to aerial imagery in the ’30s.
I do really like some of the paintings and drawings but I don't agree with their visions because it is just based on very high buildings and machines. They gave less importance to nature. There is not even a single plant, a tree or any water on most of their drawings and I think that is as depressing as Le Corbusier´s city.
On the other hand I think this drawings will be very similar to the city I will construct because buildings are based on simple geometrical shapes. In these drawings the buildings are all of the same colour so that will also be similar to what I will be making as I don't have many colour options.
On the other hand I think this drawings will be very similar to the city I will construct because buildings are based on simple geometrical shapes. In these drawings the buildings are all of the same colour so that will also be similar to what I will be making as I don't have many colour options.
NAZI PALEO FUTURISM
Most of the information of the Nazi Futurism is taken from posters and drawings from 1941.
All these posters are showing Third Reich images of the paleo-future. The poster was in a book called Durch die weite Welt vol. XIX, one in a series of books for boys.
All of the posters imagined how the future would be and most of them are now common things.
All these posters are showing Third Reich images of the paleo-future. The poster was in a book called Durch die weite Welt vol. XIX, one in a series of books for boys.
All of the posters imagined how the future would be and most of them are now common things.
Stratospheric airplane
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Motel
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Water airplane.
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Probably most of these examples would be included in a modern city. I think the underground train and the double decker bus would for sure be included, as they are both common public transports. Public transports will be more and more used in the future. If everybody has a car or a private vehicle, roads will collapse as there will be so many. This means public transports will need to have bigger capacities for citizens such as the double decker bus.
But public transports will also need to increment speed between stations and the "Driving torpedo" is a very feasible way to get faster and better.
But public transports will also need to increment speed between stations and the "Driving torpedo" is a very feasible way to get faster and better.
FRENCH FUTURISM
These incredible covers of the almost 100-year-old French newspaper 'Le Petit Journal' belong to the online collection of the National Library of France. The graphs show what were the most exciting innovations of the 1920s and how people in Europe imagined the future of technology and science.
I like very much all these illustrations because of several reasons. I do really like the drawings and the style they have used to illustrate their futuristic visions.
These drawings have nothing to do with last two, they are completely different. These illustrations are the ones I like the most because it is a mixture of the previous two futurisms.
The Italian Futurism is more artistic, more based on a nice composition while Nazi Futurism is just the opposite, based on machines and inventions. I think these French illustrations are mixing both because most of them include the futuristic illustrated visions and the machines and future inventions.
These drawings have nothing to do with last two, they are completely different. These illustrations are the ones I like the most because it is a mixture of the previous two futurisms.
The Italian Futurism is more artistic, more based on a nice composition while Nazi Futurism is just the opposite, based on machines and inventions. I think these French illustrations are mixing both because most of them include the futuristic illustrated visions and the machines and future inventions.
In the last picture, I found interesting to see a dinosaur or whatever specie it is. This made me think about how could dinosaurs appear again and I thought about the film Jurassic Park.
By taking the dinosaur's DNA from mosquitoes stuck in amber thousands of years ago and making genetic cloning, we could start creating all the species again.
This is obviously impossible or very far but an ideal World could be full of dinosaurs and exotic species such as my previous drawings.
By taking the dinosaur's DNA from mosquitoes stuck in amber thousands of years ago and making genetic cloning, we could start creating all the species again.
This is obviously impossible or very far but an ideal World could be full of dinosaurs and exotic species such as my previous drawings.
After this, I decided to start making the 3D city and before starting I searched for an artist that worked with blocks and I found one that I liked very much. This artist was Colin Booth.
This artist relates to my work in the way that he works with blocks of simple geometrical shapes. His work is about this and is just what the project aim is.
This artist relates to my work in the way that he works with blocks of simple geometrical shapes. His work is about this and is just what the project aim is.
COLIN BOOTH
Colin Booth comments that his life has come “full circle”. As the son of a Tyneside joiner, he remembers playing for hours with small blocks of oak parquet flooring which his dad brought home.
Fifty years later and Colin would also collect bits of wood from a factory to burn on the fire. He didn’t think much about the off-cuts until his partner’s son unwittingly alerted him to an alternative use.
The moment triggered a new direction for the painter, working with small reclaimed wooden blocks which would otherwise have been incinerated.
The blocks now form three sophisticated and elaborated installations called Institute of Play at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, where the Gateshead born artist is exhibiting for the first time.
Colin says “This process started when I brought some wooden off cuts home to burn on the fire. My partner’s 16-year-old played with the bag of wood for about three hours, which is something that teenagers don’t really do! I began to think, maybe I should look at this wood a bit more carefully.
“So I started collecting wood instead of burning it. These off-cuts of wood would just usually go straight in the skip from the furniture factory, but I began to keep them.”
As Colin began to reclaim bits of wood he stacked them into piles according to size, which naturally became towers, a bit like how children construct with wooden blocks.
The influence of kids on his work became more pronounced after the birth of his sons Reuben and Teddy.
Colin, who lives in East Sussex, says “We do a lot of block play. They come to the studio and build things and knock them down as children do. Some of the simple structures they make are quite beautiful in themselves.”
Fifty years later and Colin would also collect bits of wood from a factory to burn on the fire. He didn’t think much about the off-cuts until his partner’s son unwittingly alerted him to an alternative use.
The moment triggered a new direction for the painter, working with small reclaimed wooden blocks which would otherwise have been incinerated.
The blocks now form three sophisticated and elaborated installations called Institute of Play at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, where the Gateshead born artist is exhibiting for the first time.
Colin says “This process started when I brought some wooden off cuts home to burn on the fire. My partner’s 16-year-old played with the bag of wood for about three hours, which is something that teenagers don’t really do! I began to think, maybe I should look at this wood a bit more carefully.
“So I started collecting wood instead of burning it. These off-cuts of wood would just usually go straight in the skip from the furniture factory, but I began to keep them.”
As Colin began to reclaim bits of wood he stacked them into piles according to size, which naturally became towers, a bit like how children construct with wooden blocks.
The influence of kids on his work became more pronounced after the birth of his sons Reuben and Teddy.
Colin, who lives in East Sussex, says “We do a lot of block play. They come to the studio and build things and knock them down as children do. Some of the simple structures they make are quite beautiful in themselves.”
This was very helpful for me to see how he assimilated bricks to buildings. There are lots of ways to organise blocks so I would try to make it different.
I also liked how he made the buildings in the second picture just by levels, organising some pieces in order of height. I think it is really clever.
I also liked how he made the buildings in the second picture just by levels, organising some pieces in order of height. I think it is really clever.
END OF COLIN BOOTH
Now I was going to start making my own city so I started by putting some papers as the floor and drawing on them the streets and the squares.
This city would not have any natural river, lake, sea or anything similar. As I said before, this is trying to look as much as possible to a completely modern city. It would look more like Qatar or Abu Dhabi as they are completely new, without any kind of ancient influence.
This city would not have any natural river, lake, sea or anything similar. As I said before, this is trying to look as much as possible to a completely modern city. It would look more like Qatar or Abu Dhabi as they are completely new, without any kind of ancient influence.
Later on I would start cutting some wood to make my blocks. I utilised some college´s machines to cut the wood and make different types of blocks. It would be also very helpful to have several colours in it to maybe differentiate some districts or just break that similarity all over the city.
This are the blocks I will be starting with to make the city. |
But as soon as I started extending the city I realised there wasn't enough space over the tables so I took it all to the actual floor. I didn't put paper this time because I thought it would be better if the floor was the real floor, which looks more like concrete.
I started then constructing more and more and extending the city as it would be.
I started then constructing more and more and extending the city as it would be.
While making the city I was trying to construct and create the buildings as different as possible from the other ones. I think I did really well because any of the buildings is equal to another one and there are very strange constructions.
Now that I have created a whole modern city I need to be looking forward and try to make my own ideal city such as Frank Lloyd or Le Corbusier. I think this is a very good idea because it pushes my limits. It makes me think really deep about how would an ideal city be.
Probably the most difficult thing is to get completely acquitted of any type of influence from actual cities, and think about other ways a city could be. I have tried to think of a different city model in as many ways as possible, in the underground, covered cities, cities with no traffic roads...
In my way of an ideal city I have gone through a lot of different and creative ideas in my opinion.
One of my conclusions was that maybe in the future there will be cities created just for specific uses, such as fun cities, work cities... But then I thought there already existed, and lots of them. For example there are many cities that are based on the beach and vacations such as Benidorm. There are cities made for fun, attractions and parties such as Blackpool or Las Vegas for casinos, and betting. Obviously these cities are not just for that specific purposes but they were initially made for this.
Now I will be explaining the path I followed about my ideal city.
FIRST CONCLUSION
At first I started thinking about what, how and when is a city called "city". Is a city named "city" because of its dimensions?, its population?, because of its economic importance?, because of its antiquity and historical importance?... and, could a city loose the title of "city"?.
There could be many reasons, for example the very famous city of Troya had the title of city, but is Troya still being a city. I thought it wouldn't because there has been literally nothing in that place for many years. It is basically a dessert where you can just appreciate some ruins.
But this is not the important thing, what I really wanted to know was : Could a really huge building be called a city?
I searched for information about city status and I found just what I wanted. Right now the status of "city" is only given by the Royalty with a previous application through the Lord Chancellor. For a town that wills the status of a "city" it is recommended to have a high population number, size and importance, and having a distinctive character and identity of their own.
Taking a look into all this subliminal requirements you may think that my idea is impossible but there are always exceptions, for example St Davids with less than 2,000 inhabitants has the status of "city" while there are towns with more than 200,000 that do not.
This is just a helpful and important data that is in my favour to make my own ideal city. It doesn't necessarily need to be really big, and with a huge population.
Having this in my favour I started drawing some buildings I imagined, but everything I draw gave me lots of ideas to develop it and continue it in another way.
These were the first ones, where you can perfectly see my ideas and how they developed.
Probably the most difficult thing is to get completely acquitted of any type of influence from actual cities, and think about other ways a city could be. I have tried to think of a different city model in as many ways as possible, in the underground, covered cities, cities with no traffic roads...
In my way of an ideal city I have gone through a lot of different and creative ideas in my opinion.
One of my conclusions was that maybe in the future there will be cities created just for specific uses, such as fun cities, work cities... But then I thought there already existed, and lots of them. For example there are many cities that are based on the beach and vacations such as Benidorm. There are cities made for fun, attractions and parties such as Blackpool or Las Vegas for casinos, and betting. Obviously these cities are not just for that specific purposes but they were initially made for this.
Now I will be explaining the path I followed about my ideal city.
FIRST CONCLUSION
At first I started thinking about what, how and when is a city called "city". Is a city named "city" because of its dimensions?, its population?, because of its economic importance?, because of its antiquity and historical importance?... and, could a city loose the title of "city"?.
There could be many reasons, for example the very famous city of Troya had the title of city, but is Troya still being a city. I thought it wouldn't because there has been literally nothing in that place for many years. It is basically a dessert where you can just appreciate some ruins.
But this is not the important thing, what I really wanted to know was : Could a really huge building be called a city?
I searched for information about city status and I found just what I wanted. Right now the status of "city" is only given by the Royalty with a previous application through the Lord Chancellor. For a town that wills the status of a "city" it is recommended to have a high population number, size and importance, and having a distinctive character and identity of their own.
Taking a look into all this subliminal requirements you may think that my idea is impossible but there are always exceptions, for example St Davids with less than 2,000 inhabitants has the status of "city" while there are towns with more than 200,000 that do not.
This is just a helpful and important data that is in my favour to make my own ideal city. It doesn't necessarily need to be really big, and with a huge population.
Having this in my favour I started drawing some buildings I imagined, but everything I draw gave me lots of ideas to develop it and continue it in another way.
These were the first ones, where you can perfectly see my ideas and how they developed.
But this was obviously too small to be called a city. I started thinking in bigger buildings and projects. The first drawing consists of two main parallel walls with a square in the middle making an interior patio. As the first drawing was very poor and it would be very dark I thought of opening the square and putting some life in it. Water is always a good thing to have in a city. It gives a lot of freshness and life to a city so I draw a building trespassing a river. This would also effect on green areas around the building.
In my opinion the drawings above stilled being very small so I designed an even bigger structure composed of two squares, one inside the other and connected between them by suspended gateways. But I was still thinking this wasn't big enough so I designed a structure that could be infinitely extended consisting of horizontal and vertical lines across the whole city.
These lines would have everything between the city. The lines could be distributed in many ways. I thought about having horizontal lines for living places and vertical lines for shops, gyms, interior activities. This city would have many underground installations to exploit the few space and transport will also consist in underground public transports travelling the city.
The spaces between the lines would be used for public spaces, parks, trees...
These lines would have everything between the city. The lines could be distributed in many ways. I thought about having horizontal lines for living places and vertical lines for shops, gyms, interior activities. This city would have many underground installations to exploit the few space and transport will also consist in underground public transports travelling the city.
The spaces between the lines would be used for public spaces, parks, trees...
I think this city as all the city models, would be good for some places rather than others but I think it is an interesting thing to think about. What I liked the most about this model was the public spaces in the centre of each four walls, without roads and with underground transports.
When I thought in this idea, was because of the development of the structures. I didn't take any ideas from anywhere, but I later thought the gateways between lines could be kind of similar to the arabian souks, where every street is covered and it is composed of gateways between the streets. One of the most well known souks is in Istanbul, where I went last year, and I can maybe imagine something similar taking out all the excessive amount of objects between the hallways.
When I thought in this idea, was because of the development of the structures. I didn't take any ideas from anywhere, but I later thought the gateways between lines could be kind of similar to the arabian souks, where every street is covered and it is composed of gateways between the streets. One of the most well known souks is in Istanbul, where I went last year, and I can maybe imagine something similar taking out all the excessive amount of objects between the hallways.
As you can see above the bazar is all composed of high hallways connecting themselves with other many hallways.
In the picture below you can observe the look of the bazar from an aerial view. In this picture I could say it doesn't relate to my model very well as there are no open spaces at all between the hallways. This also means there is no nature in all that massive construction. Trees provide oxygen and I think its not good to have such a big covered space without any kind of tree or bush.
In the picture below you can observe the look of the bazar from an aerial view. In this picture I could say it doesn't relate to my model very well as there are no open spaces at all between the hallways. This also means there is no nature in all that massive construction. Trees provide oxygen and I think its not good to have such a big covered space without any kind of tree or bush.
When I realised how far this bazar model was from my idea I completely changed my mind and thought of another model that in my opinion is more similar to what I had in mind. This related structures were the monasteries.
Just when I thought about the similarities of the monasteries with the idea I had about open corridors to big outdoor green spaces, I realised it was the perfect model to have into account to think about my idea.
Just when I thought about the similarities of the monasteries with the idea I had about open corridors to big outdoor green spaces, I realised it was the perfect model to have into account to think about my idea.
The similarities between both are so close, you just need to take out all the religious themes and designations in the monastery and extend the vertical and horizontal lines of the city´s structure to make it look to my idea.
There are many coincidences between them but probably the most characteristic and notable similarities of both are :
There are many coincidences between them but probably the most characteristic and notable similarities of both are :
- Structure´s design made by vertical and horizontal lines of hallways across the city.
- Covered and indoor corridors with open arches looking to the exterior to let more natural light in.
- Big green public spaces in the middle of each square.
- Ground floor used for corridors and upstairs used for living places and other utilities.
To conclude this I will say I thought this wouldn't obviously be the ideal city for most of English people as it has not an individual garden for each house. But I started thinking about how to recover that little private green space most English houses include. I personally like very much this idea because it makes more green spaces and it is very positive for everybody to have at least a little space.
After thinking for a bit I suddenly got the idea of maybe each house having its own little garden or whatever space at the top of the house. This would give the separate space everybody likes and more privacy to people. Also if private gardens were separated by bushes or plants as it is very common in England, there would be even more green spaces in the city.
The idea of going back to the architecture of monasteries was contradicting as I was looking for futuristic examples. This was changing my schemes by using classical architecture for a modern planning of a city. This made me think quite a bit and I thought, that is what Post-modernism is about so I researched about it.
After thinking for a bit I suddenly got the idea of maybe each house having its own little garden or whatever space at the top of the house. This would give the separate space everybody likes and more privacy to people. Also if private gardens were separated by bushes or plants as it is very common in England, there would be even more green spaces in the city.
The idea of going back to the architecture of monasteries was contradicting as I was looking for futuristic examples. This was changing my schemes by using classical architecture for a modern planning of a city. This made me think quite a bit and I thought, that is what Post-modernism is about so I researched about it.
POST-MODERNISM
Postmodern architecture is a style or movement which emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture, particularly in the international style advocated by Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The style flourished from the 1980s through the 1990s, particularly in the work of Venturi, Philip Johnson, Charles Moore and Michael Graves.
Postmodern architecture emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the lack on many issues of modern architecture, particularly its rigid doctrines, its uniformity, its lack of ornament, and its habit of ignoring the history and culture of the cities where it appeared.
This is just what I was explaining at the start of the project with Le Corbusier´s city called Chandigarh. I felt this was really interesting so I looked for the main values and characteristics of the movement.
In place of the functional doctrines of modernism, Venturi proposed giving primary emphasis to the facade, incorporating historical elements, a subtle use of unusual materials and historical allusions, and the use of fragmentation and modulations to make the building interesting.
He urged architects take into consideration and to celebrate the existing architecture in a place, rather than to try to impose a visionary utopia from their own fantasies. He argued that ornamental and decorative elements "accommodate existing needs for variety and communication".
The conclusion I took from this is that Postmodernism is against a single person's imposed utopia but while I was searching different postmodernist architects I found Ricardo Bofill. This architect had an important influence on Postmodernism but I will be looking at him because he also imposed his utopia over the people's needs.
The style flourished from the 1980s through the 1990s, particularly in the work of Venturi, Philip Johnson, Charles Moore and Michael Graves.
Postmodern architecture emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against the lack on many issues of modern architecture, particularly its rigid doctrines, its uniformity, its lack of ornament, and its habit of ignoring the history and culture of the cities where it appeared.
This is just what I was explaining at the start of the project with Le Corbusier´s city called Chandigarh. I felt this was really interesting so I looked for the main values and characteristics of the movement.
In place of the functional doctrines of modernism, Venturi proposed giving primary emphasis to the facade, incorporating historical elements, a subtle use of unusual materials and historical allusions, and the use of fragmentation and modulations to make the building interesting.
He urged architects take into consideration and to celebrate the existing architecture in a place, rather than to try to impose a visionary utopia from their own fantasies. He argued that ornamental and decorative elements "accommodate existing needs for variety and communication".
The conclusion I took from this is that Postmodernism is against a single person's imposed utopia but while I was searching different postmodernist architects I found Ricardo Bofill. This architect had an important influence on Postmodernism but I will be looking at him because he also imposed his utopia over the people's needs.
RICARDO BOFILL
During his adolescence, Ricardo Bofill spent much of his youth traveling throughout Spain, spending a significant amount of time in Andalusia, the south, where he discovered Spanish vernacular architecture.
Vernacular architecture is an architectural style that is designed based on local needs, availability of construction materials and reflecting local traditions.
This is just what Postmodernism is standing for to attend and care citizen´s needs, but I found some examples of the opposite.
Ricardo Bofill was a Postmodernist architect as he followed most of the basic rules of the movement, for example, he used many classical ornamental elements such as columns or friezes. He broke the modernist rules of maintaining clear walls with few ornaments. The building bellow is a perfect example of it but it had many critics because he constructed the exterior first and then the interior and that is just the opposite of Postmodernism.
I will research it as it is a perfect example of shapes within buildings and structures.
Vernacular architecture is an architectural style that is designed based on local needs, availability of construction materials and reflecting local traditions.
This is just what Postmodernism is standing for to attend and care citizen´s needs, but I found some examples of the opposite.
Ricardo Bofill was a Postmodernist architect as he followed most of the basic rules of the movement, for example, he used many classical ornamental elements such as columns or friezes. He broke the modernist rules of maintaining clear walls with few ornaments. The building bellow is a perfect example of it but it had many critics because he constructed the exterior first and then the interior and that is just the opposite of Postmodernism.
I will research it as it is a perfect example of shapes within buildings and structures.
LES ESPACES D´ABRAXAS
Completed in 1982, "Les espaces d´abraxas" remains the landmark building of Marne-la vallée, a new town built near Paris in the 1960s. It was built and conceived as an "urban monument" and Ricardo Bofill insisted that the housing development needed to have a ‘monumental and symbolic character’ to ensure that it formed a strong point of reference.
The scheme consists of three key elements : le palacio "the palace", le theatre "the théatre" and l´arc " the arch".
The largest structure, ‘le palacio’, is a 18-storey rent-subsidized apartment building that includes a total of 441 units. Internally, three vertical ‘communication cells and the apartments, some of which are duplexes, have between two and five rooms.
Opposite, "le théatre" is a semi circular structure, which comprises a series of reflective glass columns. The private building houses 130 apartments and also demarcates a communal outdoor plaza.
‘The open space is enveloped by the circularity of the building, whose convexity gives a sensation of protective shelter,’ explains the architect. ‘An impression of privacy flows from it, inverting the initial impression of monumentality.’
Finally, at the center of the scheme, ‘l’arc’ contains a smaller number of homes. The roofs of both ‘le théâtre’ and ‘l’arc’ are tree-planted, but remain inaccessible to residents.
The photos bellow show a general view of "Les espaces d´abraxas" which are the most common.
The scheme consists of three key elements : le palacio "the palace", le theatre "the théatre" and l´arc " the arch".
The largest structure, ‘le palacio’, is a 18-storey rent-subsidized apartment building that includes a total of 441 units. Internally, three vertical ‘communication cells and the apartments, some of which are duplexes, have between two and five rooms.
Opposite, "le théatre" is a semi circular structure, which comprises a series of reflective glass columns. The private building houses 130 apartments and also demarcates a communal outdoor plaza.
‘The open space is enveloped by the circularity of the building, whose convexity gives a sensation of protective shelter,’ explains the architect. ‘An impression of privacy flows from it, inverting the initial impression of monumentality.’
Finally, at the center of the scheme, ‘l’arc’ contains a smaller number of homes. The roofs of both ‘le théâtre’ and ‘l’arc’ are tree-planted, but remain inaccessible to residents.
The photos bellow show a general view of "Les espaces d´abraxas" which are the most common.
These photos are some examples of the views you don't see in the last pictures, which are really interesting because I would have never imagined such spaces inside these structure.
This photos are also showing how this building relates absolutely with my project because of the geometrical shapes all over the building. The walls are completely filled up with these geometrical patterns, just the opposite to the Modernists.
This photos are also showing how this building relates absolutely with my project because of the geometrical shapes all over the building. The walls are completely filled up with these geometrical patterns, just the opposite to the Modernists.
END OF LES ESPACES D´ABRAXAS
I still researching about Ricardo Bofill and his utopias and I found an interview to him the 30th of January of 2017 for El Pais, one of the best well known newspaper in Spain.
I read the whole interview and I took some important questions and answers related to my project.
What do you propose? We live in a generalized uncertainty and architecture can not turn its back on it. That said, what excites me about architecture is space, not the will to solve people's lives.
The architectural repair that you defend, should not lead to self-criticism? All the professions that advance repair. To cure one thing it is necessary to risk another. I'm stimulated by invention. It's the differences that save. All Europe like Germany would be an aberration. The same in architecture. Not everything that is done from a technological office in London has to be valid for all places in the world. Imposing a style on other cultures is crazy.
An architect can only be great if he is able to reinvent space? No. Foster what he creates is technology. And it is also great. He is a super designer, but in front of Bernini's plaza he does not know how to say the proportions that exist. There are many ways to be an architect. I like vintage creators.
Who are they today? Many. I call Richard Meier the Miró of architecture because he always does the same but very well. And that is a disciple of Le Corbusier, which I do not like.
To criticize Le Corbusier in his discipline is to deny the greatest. In France I am a recognized critic. His urban theory is a bad person.
You are a good person? No, I do not know. But he was bad. He did not like the city, that's why he divided it: a machine to live, another to work. He was a great creative with a nefarious ideology. I admire the talent of Frank Gehry. He is late, first he has to clarify personally going to the psychologist, but he has an impressive talent to create.
I read the whole interview and I took some important questions and answers related to my project.
What do you propose? We live in a generalized uncertainty and architecture can not turn its back on it. That said, what excites me about architecture is space, not the will to solve people's lives.
The architectural repair that you defend, should not lead to self-criticism? All the professions that advance repair. To cure one thing it is necessary to risk another. I'm stimulated by invention. It's the differences that save. All Europe like Germany would be an aberration. The same in architecture. Not everything that is done from a technological office in London has to be valid for all places in the world. Imposing a style on other cultures is crazy.
An architect can only be great if he is able to reinvent space? No. Foster what he creates is technology. And it is also great. He is a super designer, but in front of Bernini's plaza he does not know how to say the proportions that exist. There are many ways to be an architect. I like vintage creators.
Who are they today? Many. I call Richard Meier the Miró of architecture because he always does the same but very well. And that is a disciple of Le Corbusier, which I do not like.
To criticize Le Corbusier in his discipline is to deny the greatest. In France I am a recognized critic. His urban theory is a bad person.
You are a good person? No, I do not know. But he was bad. He did not like the city, that's why he divided it: a machine to live, another to work. He was a great creative with a nefarious ideology. I admire the talent of Frank Gehry. He is late, first he has to clarify personally going to the psychologist, but he has an impressive talent to create.
SECOND CONCLUSION
The second conclusion I got about an ideal city was to think about the most important aspect of it. I would probably say the climate and the weather. I know there are other many aspects but this is a very important one. I think anybody likes constant rain and bad weather, that is why so many people go to the south in vacations.
I won't say a sunny climate is perfect because there is also the opposite, many people from the south move to the north in vacation to escape from their warm weather.
But as a general idea most people prefer a sunny and warm climate so I was going to try and think of a way to eliminate and change that. I started thinking about it and these are the sketches of my first ideas.
I won't say a sunny climate is perfect because there is also the opposite, many people from the south move to the north in vacation to escape from their warm weather.
But as a general idea most people prefer a sunny and warm climate so I was going to try and think of a way to eliminate and change that. I started thinking about it and these are the sketches of my first ideas.
This are some sketches I draw about what I imagined to be a solution to bad weather. It is really simple. In the first sketch I just draw what it could be an anti-reflective glass or plastic envelope for the whole city.
In this way the citizens wouldn't notice the envelope and clouds wouldn't go above the city.
As a city needs rain and water, the idea was to have some sprinklers at the top of the envelope that simulated rain certain times a week. For example at night, to then have all day clear and sunny.
I didn't stay too long till I realised the previous idea had a huge fault, clouds would create inside the envelope so in the second sketch I draw some kind of water-purifier at the top of the envelope. By this we would be still eliminating the clouds and taking advantage of the drinkable water to use it as rain with the sprinklers.
After this I tried to find anything similar over the Earth to my idea. I wasn't really expecting much for this research I don't know why, because I have later thought of other examples but I found this, which is the perfect example of my idea being done. It is the Biosphere 2.
In this way the citizens wouldn't notice the envelope and clouds wouldn't go above the city.
As a city needs rain and water, the idea was to have some sprinklers at the top of the envelope that simulated rain certain times a week. For example at night, to then have all day clear and sunny.
I didn't stay too long till I realised the previous idea had a huge fault, clouds would create inside the envelope so in the second sketch I draw some kind of water-purifier at the top of the envelope. By this we would be still eliminating the clouds and taking advantage of the drinkable water to use it as rain with the sprinklers.
After this I tried to find anything similar over the Earth to my idea. I wasn't really expecting much for this research I don't know why, because I have later thought of other examples but I found this, which is the perfect example of my idea being done. It is the Biosphere 2.
BIOSPHERE 2
Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona.
Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe.
The structure is a 3.14-acre (1.27-hectare) structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system, or vivarium. It remains the largest closed system ever created.
Biosphere 2 was originally meant to demonstrate the viability of closed ecological systems to support and maintain human life in outer space.
This structure is proving that my idea could be perfectly possible. My idea of living and and the possibility of an ecosystem under the protection of a giant structure designed to modify temperature, climate, humidity...
These massive structure containers have inside many different types of ecosystems such as the savannah, the tropical rainforest, the fog dessert or the ocean. I think it is even more incredible that all of them are completely different between them. These are some photos to see the huge difference between them and make an idea of how big the place is.
Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe.
The structure is a 3.14-acre (1.27-hectare) structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system, or vivarium. It remains the largest closed system ever created.
Biosphere 2 was originally meant to demonstrate the viability of closed ecological systems to support and maintain human life in outer space.
This structure is proving that my idea could be perfectly possible. My idea of living and and the possibility of an ecosystem under the protection of a giant structure designed to modify temperature, climate, humidity...
These massive structure containers have inside many different types of ecosystems such as the savannah, the tropical rainforest, the fog dessert or the ocean. I think it is even more incredible that all of them are completely different between them. These are some photos to see the huge difference between them and make an idea of how big the place is.
This is the third sketch. This model is trying not to make a border between the inside and the outside of the envelope. In this I am trying to not close the whole thing down. I will let wind follow its flow and be more natural.
I thought this could be a good idea if it was well developed so I searched about the Biosphere 2 which is very similar to this idea to get informed about how it works and what positives and negatives it has. If this model could be possible with a whole city. |
This is the fourth sketch.I am trying to think of another different ways so here I completely changed the path I was following more or less for the covering of a city.
I wasn't really pleased with the idea of a covered city. I didn't like them because I thought it is important for a place that it rains naturally. This model would just consist of some really giant fans pushing the clouds out of the city. This could be regulated as needed in each place, and I thought the big problem was the waste of so much energy. My idea was to put some wind turbines in the other side to receive the wind, transform the wind in energy and then use the energy to make the other turbines work. It would be a circle to not waste energy. |
THIRD CONCLUSION
My third conclusion consisted basically on taking the dream-worlds I did as a kid and remodel them. It would be just an update of what I think my dream city is, so we could say it is the purest idea of my dream city.
I really like this idea because I think it looks more like the other ideal cities I have searched. This model is obviously the most surrealist idea of all my models till now. The other artist´s visions were also very surrealist such as the "moving cities" but they are still more close to this fiction idea.
I also liked to draw this because I just needed to sketch what I already visualised and it was very entertaining. I also had to think about how I imagined the landscapes as a kid and try to make them more realistic, sophisticated and attractive but being loyal to my original ideas.
In the way of developing the landscapes I saw that some of my ideas were really close and were basically the same so I just took the most relevant and interesting scenes.
I really like this idea because I think it looks more like the other ideal cities I have searched. This model is obviously the most surrealist idea of all my models till now. The other artist´s visions were also very surrealist such as the "moving cities" but they are still more close to this fiction idea.
I also liked to draw this because I just needed to sketch what I already visualised and it was very entertaining. I also had to think about how I imagined the landscapes as a kid and try to make them more realistic, sophisticated and attractive but being loyal to my original ideas.
In the way of developing the landscapes I saw that some of my ideas were really close and were basically the same so I just took the most relevant and interesting scenes.
I took this landscape as the first one because I think it is very iconic, completely different to the normal models I was sketching and very creative.
I like from this drawing the idea of the "floating islands" connected by large ladders crossing between them of stairways in the air, and caves in the heart of the floating islands to take advantage of the scarce land space on the island. Taking a leap backwards to my concern over rain, this city would be in the air. This means it would be in my opinion a very foggy and sunny city. |
This was the first sketch I did of the "floating islands" and in my opinion is really good.
I like how the city needs to be distributed into small little parts as the islands are very small. I also like how they are connected between them with that tunnels or hallways going straight from one to another. This idea reminds me to the train or underground stops. Each island is a stop, the difference is that there is no other way to go through. This city is perfect for representing one of the ideas I proposed at the start of the project, which was to completely divide a city into the different utilities it is going to have such as the sports place, the housing place, the public green space... Each floating island could have a different utility. |
This is the second landscape I chose to develop it. In my opinion this drawing, composed of two mountains or cliffs with a turret in each side separated by water and connected by a small and light bridge.
I thought this was another iconic landscape because of the characteristic structure and composition of the castle. It is also very iconic because of the colours of the castle and the green cliffs. |
This was the first sketch I draw about the landscape and I think it is very accomplished as it gathers most of the original characteristics.
I like very much the view I am giving in this first sketch. The angle position from where I have drawn the landscape. I think another good point of this drawing is how I have represented the water, the visual impact it makes with that crushing waves on the cliff´s borders. It is very easy to mentally visualise the scene. I have sketched the rest of the water by just smooth pencil irregular lines. |
This was the second sketch I did about this landscape as I felt the first one was incomplete as it wasn't showing the whole castle.
I tried to give it a second point of view in this sketch but I didn't like it. I think this drawing hasn't got the strength of the other one. The castle has been poorly drawn, the sea has loosen its spectacle, the bridge looks much worst and it doesn't look as real as the first one. Basically I was choosing the first sketch as the favourite. |
The third landscape is a sketch I did mixing three of the original drawings. In all the years I have been looking this landscapes and I have never realised how similar these three landscapes are between them.
They all consist of the water flow. Wide and narrow waterfalls going down the wildness and nature creating beautiful scenes.
They all consist of the water flow. Wide and narrow waterfalls going down the wildness and nature creating beautiful scenes.
In this drawing I sketched an alike landscape of all the originals and I think it had a really good result. It transmits the wildness and dense nature I wanted to show.
Another improvement in this drawing are the trees, how I have sketched them because they look very real without loosing the essence of the irregular lines of the trees of my original drawings that I like very much.
Water does also look very realistic in this drawing just by using pencil.
The most difficult part of drawing this landscape was the land and the changes of levels in it, where the lakes are . This is a very hard thing to imagine.
Another improvement in this drawing are the trees, how I have sketched them because they look very real without loosing the essence of the irregular lines of the trees of my original drawings that I like very much.
Water does also look very realistic in this drawing just by using pencil.
The most difficult part of drawing this landscape was the land and the changes of levels in it, where the lakes are . This is a very hard thing to imagine.
After this I stopped with these sketches. This was the last landscape I draw.
If I had to define a general concept for all of my dream city landscapes, it would consist of wildness, nature, trees and water. All of them contain all these characteristics and I have been thinking about these landscapes for many years but I realised they are just concepts that have been very influenced by movies and cartoons I saw as a child. That could be also why I draw all that characters in the original drawings.
As I was trying to design a city without a clear influence I decided to change my path. I left these surrealist landscapes apart and continue but in another way.
If I had to define a general concept for all of my dream city landscapes, it would consist of wildness, nature, trees and water. All of them contain all these characteristics and I have been thinking about these landscapes for many years but I realised they are just concepts that have been very influenced by movies and cartoons I saw as a child. That could be also why I draw all that characters in the original drawings.
As I was trying to design a city without a clear influence I decided to change my path. I left these surrealist landscapes apart and continue but in another way.
FOURTH CONCLUSION
This conclusion consists in a change of direction from surrealist landscapes to realistic cities, but still using the same general concept to design the cities. I will have the principal idea of nature and water to design anything.
The World is running out of trees and green percentage over it every year. That´s a fact and there is always less so I started thinking that in the future, cities will need to include many green spaces inside the city to avoid that lack of green over the city's brick and cement soil.
Trees produce oxygen and they are completely fundamental for the ecosystem. If we take them away we will have grey polluted cities and toxic air.
Many cities over the World are aware of this and have some huge green public spaces in the middle of their cities. Obviously bigger cities are in need of bigger parks and there are some really famous parks such as Central Park in Manhattan, the Hyde Park in London or the Retiro in Madrid.
My idea consists of filling the cities with green spaces, water parks and trees all along the streets.
The World is running out of trees and green percentage over it every year. That´s a fact and there is always less so I started thinking that in the future, cities will need to include many green spaces inside the city to avoid that lack of green over the city's brick and cement soil.
Trees produce oxygen and they are completely fundamental for the ecosystem. If we take them away we will have grey polluted cities and toxic air.
Many cities over the World are aware of this and have some huge green public spaces in the middle of their cities. Obviously bigger cities are in need of bigger parks and there are some really famous parks such as Central Park in Manhattan, the Hyde Park in London or the Retiro in Madrid.
My idea consists of filling the cities with green spaces, water parks and trees all along the streets.
These green public spaces are where people go to walk, run, do exercise... because it is healthy. But they are also good places to practise some different activities as they are calm and open spaces, for example yoga, photography or go for a picnic. And sometimes you are able to do other activities that you wouldn't practice outside the park, for example in the Retiro Park in Madrid you can go rowing in the middle of the lake which is very relaxing.
EL RETIRO PARK
As I liked this and I thought it will be an important aspect of cities in the future, I started searching about this. I started looking in Google for the cities in the World with more urban trees and this was the list :
I should admit I was shocked with this results. If I was guessing it, I would have never said an Asian city. Probably because it is a very unknown place for me and I had another concept of around there.
After this I started searching about Singapore and I discovered how beautiful it is.
I found that Singapore has not got this title for nothing. Singapore has followed a program since 1963, when the prime minister Lee Kuan Yew started and promoted an ecological campaign that consisted of making vegetation a common landscape of the city. This project was called "The city in a garden".
The green city of Singapore today is the result of a deliberate policy of 30 years that, according to the SM, requires "political will and a sustained effort".
There are two main reasons for SM's passion for gardens:
Singapore was already far ahead in the conception of "sustainable development" because at that time the term was not known and was only given political legitimacy in 1987, in the Brundtland Report.
Post vision policies and plans: Subsequently, strategies were developed within the framework of the Singapore Green Plan (1992) and six working groups were established to develop strategies for the Plan.
- Singapore 29,3 %
- Sidney 25,9 %
- Vancouver 25,9 %
- Cambridge 25,3 %
- Durban 23,7 %
I should admit I was shocked with this results. If I was guessing it, I would have never said an Asian city. Probably because it is a very unknown place for me and I had another concept of around there.
After this I started searching about Singapore and I discovered how beautiful it is.
I found that Singapore has not got this title for nothing. Singapore has followed a program since 1963, when the prime minister Lee Kuan Yew started and promoted an ecological campaign that consisted of making vegetation a common landscape of the city. This project was called "The city in a garden".
The green city of Singapore today is the result of a deliberate policy of 30 years that, according to the SM, requires "political will and a sustained effort".
There are two main reasons for SM's passion for gardens:
- To soften the harshness of life: a deteriorated urban landscape, a concrete jungle destroys the human spirit, we need the greenery of nature to lift our spirits.
- To attract investors: trees and gardens were a subtle way of convincing potential investors in the crucial early years that Singapore was an efficient and effective place.
Singapore was already far ahead in the conception of "sustainable development" because at that time the term was not known and was only given political legitimacy in 1987, in the Brundtland Report.
Post vision policies and plans: Subsequently, strategies were developed within the framework of the Singapore Green Plan (1992) and six working groups were established to develop strategies for the Plan.
After this I thought, we "the society", should try to add as much nature as possible to the actual buildings. The first example that came to my mind were the very famous "Hanging Gardens of Babylon". One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a mythical mixture between both green and construction. I decided to look a bit about it. The photos bellow are different interpretations of the gardens as they don't exist any more. I chose these four images because I think they caught very well the importance of green and the monumentality of the building.
HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON
HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as listed by Hellenic culture, described as a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens containing a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and vines, resembling a large green mountain constructed of mud bricks, and said to have been built in the ancient city of Babylon, near present day Hillah, Babil province, in Iraq.
The Hanging Gardens are the only one of the Seven Wonders for which the location has not been definitively established. There are no extant Babylonian texts which mention the gardens, and no definitive archaeological evidence has been found in Babylon.
The Hanging Gardens are the only one of the Seven Wonders for which the location has not been definitively established. There are no extant Babylonian texts which mention the gardens, and no definitive archaeological evidence has been found in Babylon.
I like very much these examples because if you try to imagine any of these pictures without a plant it would change completely. In a negative way in my opinion. So it helps you to realise how much can the vegetation influence on a landscape of a city.
Now you try to imagine this landscape more or less, over Manchester´s landscape or London's... I think that would be a landscape most people would like, in England, in Spain or in Australia, it doesn't matter the place. And another good point of it, is that nature doesn't get old fashioned. It is not a movement like Modernism, Postmodernism or Baroque. People appreciated nature in Babylonian times and they will in the future. |
END OF BABYLON HANGING GARDENS
Having this as an example of an ancient mixture of vegetation and buildings, I needed to look for actual examples so I looked in Internet and I found some really interesting constructions.
These are some good examples of buildings and architects I found.
Having this as an example of an ancient mixture of vegetation and buildings, I needed to look for actual examples so I looked in Internet and I found some really interesting constructions.
These are some good examples of buildings and architects I found.
TADAO ANDO
Ando was raised in Japan where the religion and style of life strongly influenced his architecture and design. Ando's architectural style is said to create a "haiku" effect, emphasizing nothingness and empty space to represent the beauty of simplicity. He favors designing complex (yet beautifully simple) spatial circulation while maintaining the appearance of simplicity.
A self taught architect, he keeps his Japanese culture and language in mind while he travels around Europe for research.
The simplicity of his architecture emphasizes the concept of sensation and physical experiences, mainly influenced by Japanese culture. The religious term Zen, focuses on the concept of simplicity and concentrates on inner feeling rather than outward appearance. Zen influences vividly show in Ando’s work and became its distinguishing mark. In order to practice the idea of simplicity, Ando's architecture is mostly constructed with concrete, providing a sense of cleanliness and weightlessness (even though concrete is a heavy material) at the same time.
Ando emphasises the importance in the association between nature and architecture. He intends for people to easily experience the spirit and beauty of nature through architecture. He believes architecture is responsible for performing the attitude of the site and makes it visible.
I am going to focus on this project Tadao did in Japan. Tadao Ando was very well known as a landscaper and you can appreciate it with the photos bellow. It is called Awaji Yumebutai.
A self taught architect, he keeps his Japanese culture and language in mind while he travels around Europe for research.
The simplicity of his architecture emphasizes the concept of sensation and physical experiences, mainly influenced by Japanese culture. The religious term Zen, focuses on the concept of simplicity and concentrates on inner feeling rather than outward appearance. Zen influences vividly show in Ando’s work and became its distinguishing mark. In order to practice the idea of simplicity, Ando's architecture is mostly constructed with concrete, providing a sense of cleanliness and weightlessness (even though concrete is a heavy material) at the same time.
Ando emphasises the importance in the association between nature and architecture. He intends for people to easily experience the spirit and beauty of nature through architecture. He believes architecture is responsible for performing the attitude of the site and makes it visible.
I am going to focus on this project Tadao did in Japan. Tadao Ando was very well known as a landscaper and you can appreciate it with the photos bellow. It is called Awaji Yumebutai.
AWAJI YUMEBUTAI
Awaji Yumebutai is an intricate complex of mixed-use buildings where visitors are surrounded by nature. Each building has its own distinctive geometric shape, which lends itself to a curious iconography where steps and ponds, waterfalls, fountains and other aquatic elements play a very important role.
Yumebutai means "theater of dreams" in Japanese, a place designed to serve as a stage to build the dreams of a new life. The project not only served to restore the landscape, but also serves as a monument to the thousands of people who lost their lives in the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. It is a project that speaks of resilience and reminds us that devastation can be transformed by Design and art in a celebration of beauty and life.
The Garden of the 100 Stairs is one of the most important elements that Ando changed after the earthquake, adding a large grid of square terraces on an inclined surface and full of flowers during the four seasons. It is located behind the hotel and serves as a "symbol to calm the souls of those who lost their lives in the disaster".
The garden is a geometric pattern of 100 square parterres, 5x5m, which follow the inclination of the land, linked by an intricate labyrinth of stairs whose sections always have 7 or 14 steps. This cascading arrangement of planters displays an intriguing combination of rigorous geometric design and encloses plots with a variety of plants and flowers.
Yumebutai means "theater of dreams" in Japanese, a place designed to serve as a stage to build the dreams of a new life. The project not only served to restore the landscape, but also serves as a monument to the thousands of people who lost their lives in the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. It is a project that speaks of resilience and reminds us that devastation can be transformed by Design and art in a celebration of beauty and life.
The Garden of the 100 Stairs is one of the most important elements that Ando changed after the earthquake, adding a large grid of square terraces on an inclined surface and full of flowers during the four seasons. It is located behind the hotel and serves as a "symbol to calm the souls of those who lost their lives in the disaster".
The garden is a geometric pattern of 100 square parterres, 5x5m, which follow the inclination of the land, linked by an intricate labyrinth of stairs whose sections always have 7 or 14 steps. This cascading arrangement of planters displays an intriguing combination of rigorous geometric design and encloses plots with a variety of plants and flowers.
I think this artist has been influential for my work because of several reasons. It matches absolutely with my ideas. I am working with landscapes, with nature and geometric shapes and he has also got them all.
I really liked the first photo, the landscape with loads of squares going down.
I also needed to look for the mythical Frank Lloyd´s Fallingwater, another perfect example of a mixture between nature and buildings.
I really liked the first photo, the landscape with loads of squares going down.
I also needed to look for the mythical Frank Lloyd´s Fallingwater, another perfect example of a mixture between nature and buildings.
FALLINGWATER
Fallingwater is a house designed in 1935 by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house was designed as a private residence and weekend home for the family of Pittsburgh.
Fallingwater is one of Wright’s most widely acclaimed works and best exemplifies his philosophy of organic architecture, the harmonious union of art and nature.
Fallingwater is located in the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Wright designed Fallingwater to rise above the waterfall over which it is built. Completed with a guest house and service wing in 1939, Fallingwater was constructed of native sandstone and other materials quarried from the property. Fallingwater was built by local craftsman from Fayette County.
As I said, Fallingwater stands as one of Wright's greatest masterpieces both for its dynamism and for its integration with its natural surroundings and it has been described as an architectural tour de force of Wright's organic architecture.
But I found an important point of this house which relates very well to the last example. Wright's passion for Japanese architecture was strong and it was reflected in the design of Fallingwater, particularly in the importance of interpenetrating exterior and interior spaces and the strong emphasis placed on harmony between man and nature.
The relation wasn't just the use of Japanese architecture in the house. The Japanese architect I was looking before, Tadao Ando said of the house:
Fallingwater is one of Wright’s most widely acclaimed works and best exemplifies his philosophy of organic architecture, the harmonious union of art and nature.
Fallingwater is located in the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Wright designed Fallingwater to rise above the waterfall over which it is built. Completed with a guest house and service wing in 1939, Fallingwater was constructed of native sandstone and other materials quarried from the property. Fallingwater was built by local craftsman from Fayette County.
As I said, Fallingwater stands as one of Wright's greatest masterpieces both for its dynamism and for its integration with its natural surroundings and it has been described as an architectural tour de force of Wright's organic architecture.
But I found an important point of this house which relates very well to the last example. Wright's passion for Japanese architecture was strong and it was reflected in the design of Fallingwater, particularly in the importance of interpenetrating exterior and interior spaces and the strong emphasis placed on harmony between man and nature.
The relation wasn't just the use of Japanese architecture in the house. The Japanese architect I was looking before, Tadao Ando said of the house:
- I think Wright learned the most important aspect of architecture, the treatment of space, from Japanese architecture. When I visited Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, I found that same sensibility of space. But there was the additional sounds of nature that appealed to me.
That information was helpful for me to understand the big relation between both Tadao Ando and Frank Lloyd, which are apparently very different styled architects.
The Fallingwater is so special because of two main characteristics. The most important feature is the Wildness of the building and the other characteristic is the vertical and horizontal structure of the house, basing it on geometrical shapes.
This is another perfect example of my idea, mixing nature with geometric shapes buildings.
Now I am going to show another example I liked very much, but this one is different. I have already looked at this artist and unless I don't normally like his works, this one is for me one of his greatest projects. I refer to Ricardo Bofill and his Architecture Studio. I will be looking at this project because it is a case of deconstruction to then apply nature.
I think this example does also relate very well because of the excessive nature on it and the original shapes of the building, being reduced to cylinders.
The Fallingwater is so special because of two main characteristics. The most important feature is the Wildness of the building and the other characteristic is the vertical and horizontal structure of the house, basing it on geometrical shapes.
This is another perfect example of my idea, mixing nature with geometric shapes buildings.
Now I am going to show another example I liked very much, but this one is different. I have already looked at this artist and unless I don't normally like his works, this one is for me one of his greatest projects. I refer to Ricardo Bofill and his Architecture Studio. I will be looking at this project because it is a case of deconstruction to then apply nature.
I think this example does also relate very well because of the excessive nature on it and the original shapes of the building, being reduced to cylinders.
LA FÁBRICA ( THE FACTORY )
When Ricardo Bofill found an abandoned cement factory in 1973, he immediately saw a world of possibilities. The factory was born and almost 45 years later, the structure has been completely transformed into a unique and spectacular home.
It was built during the years of World War I and as it was very polluting it was closed for many years.
After years of being partially destroyed, Bofill proceeded to surround the exterior of the property with vegetation, and to transform the interior into very simple and attractive work and housing spaces. This took a long time. The first step began with partial destruction with dynamite and jack hammers.
The following phase was the greening and planting. It was necessary to provide a green plinth to these volumes. Plants would climb walls and hang from the roofs.
The last phase was the annulment of functionalism, where Ricardo Bofill gave the factory new structures and different uses.
Even today La Fábrica is still a work in progress, in constant evolution. The industrial chimneys that used to fill the air with black smoke now overflow with greenery, an excellent example of a positive transformation carried out by the renowned architect.
The photos bellow are the example of the factory's condition at first and the second greening phase.
It was built during the years of World War I and as it was very polluting it was closed for many years.
After years of being partially destroyed, Bofill proceeded to surround the exterior of the property with vegetation, and to transform the interior into very simple and attractive work and housing spaces. This took a long time. The first step began with partial destruction with dynamite and jack hammers.
The following phase was the greening and planting. It was necessary to provide a green plinth to these volumes. Plants would climb walls and hang from the roofs.
The last phase was the annulment of functionalism, where Ricardo Bofill gave the factory new structures and different uses.
Even today La Fábrica is still a work in progress, in constant evolution. The industrial chimneys that used to fill the air with black smoke now overflow with greenery, an excellent example of a positive transformation carried out by the renowned architect.
The photos bellow are the example of the factory's condition at first and the second greening phase.
Now, these are some photos of the recent building.
This research has been crucial for me to see how influential can the nature be over a building. The last examples I researched were more based on inserting the building in the nature while this one consisted of adding nature to the actual building. This was more accurate to my idea, adding nature to the city. I like how Bofill has introduced so much green to the deteriorated structure and how beautiful the result is.
I continued researching and I found a key point for these project. This point was the Biophilia. This is very related to the Singapore ecological movement I explained before.
BIOPHILIA
The biophilia hypothesis also called BET suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Edward O. Wilson defines biophilia as "the urge to affiliate with other forms of life".
Because of our technological advancements and more time spent inside buildings and cars, it is argued that the lack of biophilic activities and time spent in nature may be strengthening the disconnect of humans from nature. Although, it also has shown strong urges among people to reconnect with nature. The concern for a lack of connection with the rest of nature outside of us, is that a stronger disregard for other plants, animals and less appealing wild areas could lead to further ecosystem degradation and species loss.
Therefore, reestablishing a connection with nature has become more important in the field of conservation. Examples would be, more available green spaces in and around cities, more classes that revolve around nature and implementing smart design for greener cities that integrate ecosystems into them such as biophilic cities. These cities can also become part of wildlife corridors to help with migrational and territorial needs of other animals.
Here I started thinking different possibilities to add nature to the cities. I tried to think and imagine a whole city with the use of nature such as the one in Bofill´s Studio.
Biophilia was perfect for the project, it is confirming the idea I had at the start of the project of the actual need of cities to include green in them.
I continued with the research of Biophilia used for architecture.
In architecture, biophilic design is a sustainable design strategy that incorporates reconnecting people with the natural environment. It may be seen as a necessary complement to green architecture, which decreases the environmental impact of the built world but does not address human reconnection with the natural world. Caperna and Serafini define biophilic as that kind of architecture, which is able to supply our inborn need of connection to life and to the vital processes.
Unless I tried to find where did this idea started I couldn't find it, but Singapore is the city with more Biophilic examples in buildings, this innovative buildings can be seen all over the city.
These are some examples of the Biophilic architecture in Singapore. I can say I really like them all. Each of them is beautiful and I think every building ,and that use of nature in them, is a good model to follow.
I continued researching and I found a key point for these project. This point was the Biophilia. This is very related to the Singapore ecological movement I explained before.
BIOPHILIA
The biophilia hypothesis also called BET suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Edward O. Wilson defines biophilia as "the urge to affiliate with other forms of life".
Because of our technological advancements and more time spent inside buildings and cars, it is argued that the lack of biophilic activities and time spent in nature may be strengthening the disconnect of humans from nature. Although, it also has shown strong urges among people to reconnect with nature. The concern for a lack of connection with the rest of nature outside of us, is that a stronger disregard for other plants, animals and less appealing wild areas could lead to further ecosystem degradation and species loss.
Therefore, reestablishing a connection with nature has become more important in the field of conservation. Examples would be, more available green spaces in and around cities, more classes that revolve around nature and implementing smart design for greener cities that integrate ecosystems into them such as biophilic cities. These cities can also become part of wildlife corridors to help with migrational and territorial needs of other animals.
Here I started thinking different possibilities to add nature to the cities. I tried to think and imagine a whole city with the use of nature such as the one in Bofill´s Studio.
Biophilia was perfect for the project, it is confirming the idea I had at the start of the project of the actual need of cities to include green in them.
I continued with the research of Biophilia used for architecture.
In architecture, biophilic design is a sustainable design strategy that incorporates reconnecting people with the natural environment. It may be seen as a necessary complement to green architecture, which decreases the environmental impact of the built world but does not address human reconnection with the natural world. Caperna and Serafini define biophilic as that kind of architecture, which is able to supply our inborn need of connection to life and to the vital processes.
Unless I tried to find where did this idea started I couldn't find it, but Singapore is the city with more Biophilic examples in buildings, this innovative buildings can be seen all over the city.
These are some examples of the Biophilic architecture in Singapore. I can say I really like them all. Each of them is beautiful and I think every building ,and that use of nature in them, is a good model to follow.
These are just some examples of how Singapore is transforming the city into a forrest. But now I am going to explain some of the biggest biophilic projects that have been made in Singapore in recent years. Probably, the most important and famous project is the Gardens by the Bay.
GARDENS BY THE BAY
GARDENS BY THE BAY
Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares of reclaimed land in central Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens, Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The largest of the gardens is Bay South Garden at 54 hectares.
Gardens by the Bay is part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city. |
The most iconic part of this park is the Supertree Grove.
These supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Garden´s landscape with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft). They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.
The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic plants and flowers such as orchids or ferns. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize, and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatorie´s cooling systems.
There is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a panoramic aerial view of the Gardens.
I have put another photo bellow because it shows clearly the Supertrees, how massive they are in comparison with normal natural trees, and how they are covered with plants all over them. In this photo you can also see very well the elevated walkway and how relaxing it would be to walk through it.
These supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Garden´s landscape with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft). They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens.
The Supertrees are home to enclaves of unique and exotic plants and flowers such as orchids or ferns. They are fitted with environmental technologies that mimic the ecological function of trees photovoltaic cells that harness solar energy which can be used for some of the functions of the Supertrees, such as lighting, just like how trees photosynthesize, and collection of rainwater for use in irrigation and fountain displays, exactly like how trees absorb rainwater for growth. The Supertrees also serve air intake and exhaust functions as part of the conservatorie´s cooling systems.
There is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees for visitors to enjoy a panoramic aerial view of the Gardens.
I have put another photo bellow because it shows clearly the Supertrees, how massive they are in comparison with normal natural trees, and how they are covered with plants all over them. In this photo you can also see very well the elevated walkway and how relaxing it would be to walk through it.
The other important part of this park are the conservatories. These two conservatories are just like the Biosphere 2, I researched before.
These two conservatories consist of the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.
The Flower Dome is the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares. It replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions.
The Cloud Forest is higher but slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares. It replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 metres and 3,000 metres above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Middle and South America. It features a 42-metre "Cloud Mountain", accessible by an elevator. Visitors are able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air.
These two conservatories consist of the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.
The Flower Dome is the lower but larger of the two, at 1.2 hectares. It replicates a mild, dry climate and features plants found in the Mediterranean and other semi-arid tropical regions.
The Cloud Forest is higher but slightly smaller at 0.8 hectares. It replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 metres and 3,000 metres above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Middle and South America. It features a 42-metre "Cloud Mountain", accessible by an elevator. Visitors are able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air.
END OF GARDENS BY THE BAY
Another project or building that took my attention while looking for Singapore green buildings was this University. I like how the building is composed with those two body lines interlacing themselves with a beautiful green roof top.
I decided to look for it .
Another project or building that took my attention while looking for Singapore green buildings was this University. I like how the building is composed with those two body lines interlacing themselves with a beautiful green roof top.
I decided to look for it .
NANYANG TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
I didn´t find much relevant information about this University. Just basic information about its importance.
The Nanyang Technological University, is an autonomous research university in Singapore. NTU is consistently ranked amongst the world's best universities in all of the major college and university rankings and is regarded as one of the top universities in the world.
Unless I couldn't find much about it I really liked the idea and it reminded me to the Hobbit living places because of its view as an inclusion in the land. It looks more or less like a rabbit's burrow and I liked how it difuminated in the distance with the green on its top, so I looked about it. I wansn´t expecting many information about these living places as they are just an icon of the film but I would try.
HOBBIT HOUSE
The Nanyang Technological University, is an autonomous research university in Singapore. NTU is consistently ranked amongst the world's best universities in all of the major college and university rankings and is regarded as one of the top universities in the world.
Unless I couldn't find much about it I really liked the idea and it reminded me to the Hobbit living places because of its view as an inclusion in the land. It looks more or less like a rabbit's burrow and I liked how it difuminated in the distance with the green on its top, so I looked about it. I wansn´t expecting many information about these living places as they are just an icon of the film but I would try.
HOBBIT HOUSE
The photos above are the only practical evidence I took from the Hobbit. The thing I liked the most from these houses and their characteristic involvement with their environment is the aerial view. This houses relate very well with the project because they get really close to my idea of trying to make houses invisible to nature.
As I was already expecting before, I didn't find any kind of information about the Hobbit living place but I found so many similar kinds of housings. These other types were very helpful for the project.
The next type of houses bellow, have a very similar idea to the Hobbit house but upgraded and improved. I found these houses in an article.
As I was already expecting before, I didn't find any kind of information about the Hobbit living place but I found so many similar kinds of housings. These other types were very helpful for the project.
The next type of houses bellow, have a very similar idea to the Hobbit house but upgraded and improved. I found these houses in an article.
As I said, I found these houses in an article. It explained how these houses are built. The new perspective of a living place these houses where giving to people.
These houses are all made by the company Green Magic Home and it explains how easy it is to construct them. The article also explained where these homes can be placed, and the answer was everywhere.
Malcolm Wells, the pioneer of earth sheltered housing found an easy and cheap way to construct these houses. He said how ecological these houses are because they use the same method as most of the animals. The positives of burrows are a lot and one of the most important ones is the constant temperatures. It is warm in winter and cool on summer.
Malcolm Wells said "A building should consume its own waste, maintain itself, match nature's pace, provide wildlife habitat, moderate climate and weather and be beautiful. That's a series of pass/fail evaluation criteria".
This is a further step to my idea, even more puritan. This is the ideal concept for housing.
The photos bellow are some examples of how the structure design of the home is without being covered, and the second one shows the already houses in nature and its low environmental impact.
The photos bellow are some examples of similar housing schemes, green rooftops or houses with a few environmental impact I found while searching for this. I do like most of it.
These houses are all made by the company Green Magic Home and it explains how easy it is to construct them. The article also explained where these homes can be placed, and the answer was everywhere.
Malcolm Wells, the pioneer of earth sheltered housing found an easy and cheap way to construct these houses. He said how ecological these houses are because they use the same method as most of the animals. The positives of burrows are a lot and one of the most important ones is the constant temperatures. It is warm in winter and cool on summer.
Malcolm Wells said "A building should consume its own waste, maintain itself, match nature's pace, provide wildlife habitat, moderate climate and weather and be beautiful. That's a series of pass/fail evaluation criteria".
This is a further step to my idea, even more puritan. This is the ideal concept for housing.
The photos bellow are some examples of how the structure design of the home is without being covered, and the second one shows the already houses in nature and its low environmental impact.
The photos bellow are some examples of similar housing schemes, green rooftops or houses with a few environmental impact I found while searching for this. I do like most of it.
I think most people agree that is grateful to see a landscape based on green roofs rather that a typical flat roof. This is the debate that Biophilia explained. Is good and healthy to be surrounded by green or other living things. Green rooftops are in my opinion a really easy step forward, because it doesn't involve much dedication. It has many positive aspects apart from the landscape such as saving energy, decrease loss of species...
The pictures bellow are an example of how much can a landscape change just by the influence of roofs.
The pictures bellow are an example of how much can a landscape change just by the influence of roofs.
Apart from roofs, there are other aspects of a building that could make a huge change to the aesthetic of one place by adding nature to it. These are a basic part of a building, the walls.
The walls of a building could be covered very easily but there are many ways to cover them, some ways take more work than others obviously.
I am going to explain first, probably the most difficult way to maintain a green covered wall, but also the nicest way. These are called vertical gardens and I think one of the most famous and biggest vertical gardens, is the Caixa Forum in Madrid.
When I lived in Madrid I used to go there often and I saw the constant change in the garden. It is always being changed and it is a very useful way of the museum to attract visitors.
CAIXA FORUM MUSEUM
The most significant example of this type of garden in Spain is found in the Paseo del Prado, in Madrid. It is a vertical garden that occupies more than 480 square meters and 24 meters high.
This work, which covers one of the facades of the Caixa Forum Cultural Center, was inaugurated in 2008.
The Frenchman Patrick Blanc, the creator of this technique, was in charge of the project. His work was so successful that after the Caixa Forum project the artist has been hired 250 times to carry out similar projects in other parts of the world.
It consists of more than 15,000 plants and 250 different species. The vertical carpet allows to reduce the energy consumption of the building and also contributes to clean the air of the busy city of Madrid.
The picture bellow is the Caixa Forum.
The walls of a building could be covered very easily but there are many ways to cover them, some ways take more work than others obviously.
I am going to explain first, probably the most difficult way to maintain a green covered wall, but also the nicest way. These are called vertical gardens and I think one of the most famous and biggest vertical gardens, is the Caixa Forum in Madrid.
When I lived in Madrid I used to go there often and I saw the constant change in the garden. It is always being changed and it is a very useful way of the museum to attract visitors.
CAIXA FORUM MUSEUM
The most significant example of this type of garden in Spain is found in the Paseo del Prado, in Madrid. It is a vertical garden that occupies more than 480 square meters and 24 meters high.
This work, which covers one of the facades of the Caixa Forum Cultural Center, was inaugurated in 2008.
The Frenchman Patrick Blanc, the creator of this technique, was in charge of the project. His work was so successful that after the Caixa Forum project the artist has been hired 250 times to carry out similar projects in other parts of the world.
It consists of more than 15,000 plants and 250 different species. The vertical carpet allows to reduce the energy consumption of the building and also contributes to clean the air of the busy city of Madrid.
The picture bellow is the Caixa Forum.
As I already said, the green faced of this museum often changes of aspect and the pictures bellow are some examples of the difference between them.
I personally prefer when the bushes and plants make a more irregular view. It is also beautiful when it is flatter but it doesn't transmit the wildness of the other ones. It looks more like a mural.
I personally prefer when the bushes and plants make a more irregular view. It is also beautiful when it is flatter but it doesn't transmit the wildness of the other ones. It looks more like a mural.
I explained at first the example of the Caixa Forum, because in my opinion, is more spectacular than other of the biggest vertical gardens over the World. Now I am going to explain the biggest example of a vertical garden.
SANTALAIA
The largest vertical garden in the World is in a building known as "Santalaia", in the city of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. This impressive work covers more than 3,100 square meters and is composed of more than 100,000 native plants. This project was born with the objective of mitigating climate change and embellishing, in addition, the city of Bogotá. This vertical garden is able to compensate for the carbon footprint left by around 750 cars in circulation per day.
Ignacio Solano, a Spanish expert in vertical gardens, was in charge of the project. Between planning and execution of the work, it took 16 months to complete it, without counting on the construction of the building. This block of houses with vertical garden was inaugurated in 2015 and revalued this neighborhood of Bogotá. Until today, hundreds of tourists come every day to contemplate the building and the garden.
This building is just what my intention is. To use plants for many reasons. First of all and the most important, is to stop and fight against pollution, global warming, climate change...
The second intention of plants is to break that concrete and brick similarity all over the cites, that in my opinion, is quite a boring landscape to see everyday.
There are many other reasons but not as relevant as these two. For example as I said before, a save of energy, maintains the building warm in winter and cool in summer. It also helps to create green places and stops the loss of many species...
SANTALAIA
The largest vertical garden in the World is in a building known as "Santalaia", in the city of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. This impressive work covers more than 3,100 square meters and is composed of more than 100,000 native plants. This project was born with the objective of mitigating climate change and embellishing, in addition, the city of Bogotá. This vertical garden is able to compensate for the carbon footprint left by around 750 cars in circulation per day.
Ignacio Solano, a Spanish expert in vertical gardens, was in charge of the project. Between planning and execution of the work, it took 16 months to complete it, without counting on the construction of the building. This block of houses with vertical garden was inaugurated in 2015 and revalued this neighborhood of Bogotá. Until today, hundreds of tourists come every day to contemplate the building and the garden.
This building is just what my intention is. To use plants for many reasons. First of all and the most important, is to stop and fight against pollution, global warming, climate change...
The second intention of plants is to break that concrete and brick similarity all over the cites, that in my opinion, is quite a boring landscape to see everyday.
There are many other reasons but not as relevant as these two. For example as I said before, a save of energy, maintains the building warm in winter and cool in summer. It also helps to create green places and stops the loss of many species...
Before this I gave a thought to all the reasons I explained before and I got a new idea. The second reason took my attention and gave me ideas to accomplish it in another ways.
I had obviously been thinking about this reason before, but this time something different came to my mind. How if we use camouflage instead of real plants to break this brick pattern over the city. This idea had many positives, it is obviously cheaper and easier to maintain some painted walls rather than a planted wall.
I had a vision of a whole building painted with camouflage and as soon as I imagined it I drew it on a paper. I don't like how this building looks like because of the materials, but I drew it with the materials I had at the moment, which were just some colour pencils and a pen.
I had obviously been thinking about this reason before, but this time something different came to my mind. How if we use camouflage instead of real plants to break this brick pattern over the city. This idea had many positives, it is obviously cheaper and easier to maintain some painted walls rather than a planted wall.
I had a vision of a whole building painted with camouflage and as soon as I imagined it I drew it on a paper. I don't like how this building looks like because of the materials, but I drew it with the materials I had at the moment, which were just some colour pencils and a pen.
Later, when I had already drawn the building, I would start realising the problems of it.
I didn't really like that camouflage pattern for a whole building. It could maybe be, because of the materials I used, it would look better with uniform paint.
I searched in Internet to see other buildings painted in camouflage. I thought there would be some examples of it, something that has been as used as camouflage should have some examples of it. Well, I didn't find many relevant examples about it.
Most of the examples were private houses and here are some examples. The nicest example I have seen is this first image, the Casa Lapo ( Lapo House ).
CASA LAPO ( LAPO HOUSE )
Casa Lapo is a project by Florent Lesaulnier, a young French architect, imagined for and ispired by Lapo Elkann, an Italian industrial creator.
This was the only information I found about this house. I tried to find where is this house located but it was impossible. There is no more information about it and these are the only images I found.
I don't like very much how the camouflage looks in the house but it is probably because of the camo pattern used. I would probably like it more if the pattern proportion were bigger.
I didn't really like that camouflage pattern for a whole building. It could maybe be, because of the materials I used, it would look better with uniform paint.
I searched in Internet to see other buildings painted in camouflage. I thought there would be some examples of it, something that has been as used as camouflage should have some examples of it. Well, I didn't find many relevant examples about it.
Most of the examples were private houses and here are some examples. The nicest example I have seen is this first image, the Casa Lapo ( Lapo House ).
CASA LAPO ( LAPO HOUSE )
Casa Lapo is a project by Florent Lesaulnier, a young French architect, imagined for and ispired by Lapo Elkann, an Italian industrial creator.
This was the only information I found about this house. I tried to find where is this house located but it was impossible. There is no more information about it and these are the only images I found.
I don't like very much how the camouflage looks in the house but it is probably because of the camo pattern used. I would probably like it more if the pattern proportion were bigger.
These are other examples I found about camouflage painted houses, they are all private houses. I just like the examples on the right. The pictures on the left are both horrible in my opinion. I think that is interesting because the main characteristic that changes between them, is the proportion of the camouflage pattern as I said before with Casa Lapo.
The example I am going to show now is the biggest project I have seen with no doubt, about camouflage used for buildings. This project is called the Tours Aillaud.
TOURS AILLAUD
The Tours Aillaud ( also known as Tours Nuages ) is a group of residential buildings located in Nanterre, in the inner suburbs of Paris, France.
Built in 1977 at the outskirts of La Défense business district, the Tours Aillaud are named after their main architect, Emile Aillaud. The housing project represents 18 towers including 1,607 apartments all together. The tallest of those are the Tours 1 and 2 with 39 floors and a height of 105 meters. The Tours 3 to 10 have 20 floors and the Tours 11 to 18 have 13 floors.
Despite the differences in height, the towers share the same shape, consisting of the superposition of several cylinders. Their cladding is made of frescos representing clouds in the sky ( nuages in French ), which is the origin of their nickname.
The frescos in "pate de verre" were designed by Fabio Rieti, son in law of Emile Aillaud, while his daughter Laurence Rieti designed the large snake shaped sculpture that constitutes a large part of the playground area near the highest towers. Emile Aillaud noticeably looked after the outdoor area so that there would be one tree per apartment, and so that each apartment would have a designated tree (there were more than 1600 of them).
The landscape of all these buildings is amazing unless I don't like them. It looks completely surreal seeing so many skycrapers all painted the same way, all with really few ornaments on its facade. They are all very flat and they all have those little windows, which I think residents won't like very much because of the few light that goes in.
I think this has been interesting to see it, but having seen all this, I must say this is an example of how to not decorate a building.
TOURS AILLAUD
The Tours Aillaud ( also known as Tours Nuages ) is a group of residential buildings located in Nanterre, in the inner suburbs of Paris, France.
Built in 1977 at the outskirts of La Défense business district, the Tours Aillaud are named after their main architect, Emile Aillaud. The housing project represents 18 towers including 1,607 apartments all together. The tallest of those are the Tours 1 and 2 with 39 floors and a height of 105 meters. The Tours 3 to 10 have 20 floors and the Tours 11 to 18 have 13 floors.
Despite the differences in height, the towers share the same shape, consisting of the superposition of several cylinders. Their cladding is made of frescos representing clouds in the sky ( nuages in French ), which is the origin of their nickname.
The frescos in "pate de verre" were designed by Fabio Rieti, son in law of Emile Aillaud, while his daughter Laurence Rieti designed the large snake shaped sculpture that constitutes a large part of the playground area near the highest towers. Emile Aillaud noticeably looked after the outdoor area so that there would be one tree per apartment, and so that each apartment would have a designated tree (there were more than 1600 of them).
The landscape of all these buildings is amazing unless I don't like them. It looks completely surreal seeing so many skycrapers all painted the same way, all with really few ornaments on its facade. They are all very flat and they all have those little windows, which I think residents won't like very much because of the few light that goes in.
I think this has been interesting to see it, but having seen all this, I must say this is an example of how to not decorate a building.
The examples I have already explained were a complete disaster. I didn't like any of the examples I found. As I said before the main reason could be probably the type of camouflage pattern used over them, or the proportion of the pattern, I decided to look for some different patterns and see which ones I like.
CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS
The camouflage patterns are meant to be used to distract, to invisivilize or to confuse animals or people about the location of something in an specific place. There are so many different camouflage patterns for any type of location, that it is impossible to get caught wherever you are, if you paint or use the right pattern.
This are some of the different patterns :
CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS
The camouflage patterns are meant to be used to distract, to invisivilize or to confuse animals or people about the location of something in an specific place. There are so many different camouflage patterns for any type of location, that it is impossible to get caught wherever you are, if you paint or use the right pattern.
This are some of the different patterns :
Just when I finished looking for this, I remembered one kinder garden school I pass through everyday so I decided to go walking and take some photographs. This primary research was very helpful for me.
This school is very significant for the project because I think it is kind of a camouflage pattern I do really like. I would cover a building with this pattern. The school is already painted and I really like this example. I absolutely coincide with the colours used for the pattern and the shapes of it.
This example is useful and relates very well to my project in two ways. First of all, the pattern is based on simple geometrical shapes and not the typical camouflage shapes.
In second place it is following the path of camouflage used for buildings.
The picture bellow is the school I am explaining. I tried to find the architect but I couldn't. I suppose as it is not famous it is harder to find but there wasn't any reference even in the school website.
This school is very significant for the project because I think it is kind of a camouflage pattern I do really like. I would cover a building with this pattern. The school is already painted and I really like this example. I absolutely coincide with the colours used for the pattern and the shapes of it.
This example is useful and relates very well to my project in two ways. First of all, the pattern is based on simple geometrical shapes and not the typical camouflage shapes.
In second place it is following the path of camouflage used for buildings.
The picture bellow is the school I am explaining. I tried to find the architect but I couldn't. I suppose as it is not famous it is harder to find but there wasn't any reference even in the school website.
After all these primary and secondary research, I decided to start designing the city for this fourth conclusion, which I haven´t started yet.
I didn´t know very well how to design the buildings so I started to think about it and my first ideas were a cubic shaped city, with different volumes going up and down.
These were some of my first sketches. Obviously I haven't include yet all the nature, the paint, the camouflage patterns...But it is the basis.
I didn´t know very well how to design the buildings so I started to think about it and my first ideas were a cubic shaped city, with different volumes going up and down.
These were some of my first sketches. Obviously I haven't include yet all the nature, the paint, the camouflage patterns...But it is the basis.
In the second image, the tallest shapes are representing some skyscrapers. I started the project talking about the similarity between simple geometrical shapes and buildings. I later found the name for that specific term, it is called isotopy. Well, this is just what I talked at the start of the project.
Before seeing this, I thought it would be a good idea to design a building trying to adjust to what I am just explaining.
I first started trying to design some buildings, a series of apartments or business offices.
I was trying to always design the buildings with the idea of shapes and I think it works well.
Before seeing this, I thought it would be a good idea to design a building trying to adjust to what I am just explaining.
I first started trying to design some buildings, a series of apartments or business offices.
I was trying to always design the buildings with the idea of shapes and I think it works well.
After drawing these sketches I was going to start drawing the skyscrapers as in the first sketches.
I decided to research something about them after designing them. It would be good to see some skyscrapers that have been already done and take some ideas from some of them.
I decided to research something about them after designing them. It would be good to see some skyscrapers that have been already done and take some ideas from some of them.
SKY-SCRAPERS RESEARCH
As I discovered how entertaining it was to make and create different types of buildings with blocks, I thought I needed to invent and design my own building. As I am not an architect I will have errors, but I will try to take into account the basic aspects an architect needs to think about which are space, light, materials and ventilation.
Probably the most important thing to take into account when constructing a building is to know its future utility. I think right now the most iconic modern buildings on Earth are sky-crapers which most of the times are office buildings.
Now I will be looking at some important and characteristic sky-scrapers around the World.
Probably the most important thing to take into account when constructing a building is to know its future utility. I think right now the most iconic modern buildings on Earth are sky-crapers which most of the times are office buildings.
Now I will be looking at some important and characteristic sky-scrapers around the World.
The term skyscraper became popular in the late 19th century as a result of public amazement at the tall buildings being built in Chicago and New York City. Today, skyscrapers are an increasingly common sight in large cities because they provide a favorable ratio of rentable floor space per unit area of land. But they are built not just for economy of space.
Like temples and towers of the past, skyscrapers are considered symbols of a city’s economic power. Not only do they define the skyline, they help to define the city’s identity.
I looked at several pages and more or less these are the most known and characteristic towers over the World in the actuality :
Like temples and towers of the past, skyscrapers are considered symbols of a city’s economic power. Not only do they define the skyline, they help to define the city’s identity.
I looked at several pages and more or less these are the most known and characteristic towers over the World in the actuality :
GHERKIN TOWER
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TAIPEI 101
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BURJ DUBAI
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PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS
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SEARS TOWER
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BANK OF CHINA TOWER
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CHRYSLER TOWER
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BURJ AL ARAB
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The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat defines "skyscrapers" as those buildings which reach or exceed 150 m (490 ft) in height. Others in the United States and Europe also draw the lower limit of a skyscraper at 150 m (490 ft).
The word "skyscraper" often carries a connotation of pride and achievement. The skyscraper, in name and social function, is a modern expression of the age-old symbol of the world center or axis mundi, a pillar that connects earth to heaven and the four compass directions to one another.
The tallest building in ancient times was the 146 m (479 ft) Great Pyramid of Giza in ancient Egypt, built in the 26th century BC. It was not surpassed in height for thousands of years, the 160 m (520 ft) Lincoln Cathedral having exceeded it in 1311–1549, before its central spire collapsed. The latter in turn was not surpassed until the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument in 1884. However, being uninhabited, none of these structures actually comply with the modern definition of a skyscraper.
Modern skyscrapers are built with steel or reinforced concrete frameworks and curtain walls of glass or polished stone. They use mechanical equipment such as water pumps and elevators.
From the 1930s onwards, skyscrapers began to appear around the world such as in Latin America and in Asia.
The word "skyscraper" often carries a connotation of pride and achievement. The skyscraper, in name and social function, is a modern expression of the age-old symbol of the world center or axis mundi, a pillar that connects earth to heaven and the four compass directions to one another.
The tallest building in ancient times was the 146 m (479 ft) Great Pyramid of Giza in ancient Egypt, built in the 26th century BC. It was not surpassed in height for thousands of years, the 160 m (520 ft) Lincoln Cathedral having exceeded it in 1311–1549, before its central spire collapsed. The latter in turn was not surpassed until the 555-foot (169 m) Washington Monument in 1884. However, being uninhabited, none of these structures actually comply with the modern definition of a skyscraper.
Modern skyscrapers are built with steel or reinforced concrete frameworks and curtain walls of glass or polished stone. They use mechanical equipment such as water pumps and elevators.
From the 1930s onwards, skyscrapers began to appear around the world such as in Latin America and in Asia.
END OF SKY-CRAPERS RESEARCH.
Now I will start designing some skyscrapers taking into account all the research I have done until now. This means Biophilia of course, shapes and I will try to design and invent an original building.
These were my first sketches.
These were my first sketches.
The image on the left was the first sketch I did. The idea of the top part and the holes on the middle, was to give the building some irregularity, trying to differentiate this from the other buildings. Then, that holes could be filled with plants. The irregularity of the blocks at the top with all the plants would make a really beautiful view in my opinion.
The second image, is just an sketch for to correct some mistakes from the previous and for me to make an idea of how would the building be without plants on it.
This second sketch is enlarging the irregularity on the building, but it is also supposed to be filled with plants such as the first one. I thought it would be more clear to understand it in this way and I still think so.
I didn't know exactly how much should I enlarge the blocks, and where did the holes should start? Should they start all the way from the bottom?
I stayed quite a few time thinking about this. I reach the conclusion that I liked this structure, but not only for a skyscraper, I wanted it for a whole city. Do you remember the first conclusion? It consisted of making a whole city in one structure, and the idea I got now coincided with it.
This idea consisted of blocks, which keep enlarging as they come to the center. This would kind of assimilate to a mountain or a valley. It just needed to be filled with plants and nature, and be painted with camouflage all over it.
I started it and this was my first sketch.
The second image, is just an sketch for to correct some mistakes from the previous and for me to make an idea of how would the building be without plants on it.
This second sketch is enlarging the irregularity on the building, but it is also supposed to be filled with plants such as the first one. I thought it would be more clear to understand it in this way and I still think so.
I didn't know exactly how much should I enlarge the blocks, and where did the holes should start? Should they start all the way from the bottom?
I stayed quite a few time thinking about this. I reach the conclusion that I liked this structure, but not only for a skyscraper, I wanted it for a whole city. Do you remember the first conclusion? It consisted of making a whole city in one structure, and the idea I got now coincided with it.
This idea consisted of blocks, which keep enlarging as they come to the center. This would kind of assimilate to a mountain or a valley. It just needed to be filled with plants and nature, and be painted with camouflage all over it.
I started it and this was my first sketch.
When I finished this and I looked at it I started realising its failures. For example I should let some space between each building. But I also liked very much the few colours I included to the camouflage colours.
Colour is another element, such as plants and vegetation, that can deviate your vision of anything, to focus on colour. A good use of colour can completely change a place to whatever.
In my opinion cities do also need colour in them, such as nature, to make a better and nicer everyday landscape.
As I was going to be using colour from now on I started to research about it.
COLOUR RESEARCH
The first thing I looked for, was the exact definition of "colour" in the Oxford Dictionaries. This is the correct definition for colour :
The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.
After this I researched in other websites for the most used and common colours.
The most common colour names are:
I wanted to look for the most common colours because of one simple reason. I didn't want to be using some of the most used colours to represent a new city. I would be choosing some other colours to include in the buildings but it would be difficult as I named most colours.
Some of the colours I chose were :
Colour is another element, such as plants and vegetation, that can deviate your vision of anything, to focus on colour. A good use of colour can completely change a place to whatever.
In my opinion cities do also need colour in them, such as nature, to make a better and nicer everyday landscape.
As I was going to be using colour from now on I started to research about it.
COLOUR RESEARCH
The first thing I looked for, was the exact definition of "colour" in the Oxford Dictionaries. This is the correct definition for colour :
The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.
After this I researched in other websites for the most used and common colours.
The most common colour names are:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
- Brown
- Magenta
- Cyan
- Maroon
- Aquamarine
- Silver
- Indigo
- Violet
- Pink
- Black
- White
- Gray
I wanted to look for the most common colours because of one simple reason. I didn't want to be using some of the most used colours to represent a new city. I would be choosing some other colours to include in the buildings but it would be difficult as I named most colours.
Some of the colours I chose were :
- Teal
- Lime
- Turquoise
- Neon yellow
- Fuchsia
- Lapis lazuli
- Hex
LAPIS LAZULI
|
NEON YELLOW
|
TEAL
|
TURQUOISE
|
FUCHSIA
|
ELECTRIC LIME
|
As I was going to be using colour in big scale, to decotate buildings, I started looking for other examples over the World. I wanted to know what changes supposed colour to the city. Were the changes positive or negative? Did people and residents like the change?
After this I must say all the actions of cities adding colour to them were mostly positive. The first example I looked at, was the colour movement in the Favelas in Rio De Janeiro.
FAVELAS IN RIO
Bare brick houses stacked one on top of another cling to the hills of Rio de Janeiro.
The shanty towns are resented and feared by the rest of the city. But residents in the Santa Marta slum have transformed their community into a living, breathing canvas.
With the help of two Dutch artists and a pioneering paint firm, the main square is now a kaleidoscope of color.
After this I must say all the actions of cities adding colour to them were mostly positive. The first example I looked at, was the colour movement in the Favelas in Rio De Janeiro.
FAVELAS IN RIO
Bare brick houses stacked one on top of another cling to the hills of Rio de Janeiro.
The shanty towns are resented and feared by the rest of the city. But residents in the Santa Marta slum have transformed their community into a living, breathing canvas.
With the help of two Dutch artists and a pioneering paint firm, the main square is now a kaleidoscope of color.
"It gives the community life!" said Edimar Marcelinho, who helped paint the 34 buildings and walked away with a professional painting title.
"People who come to the favela today say, 'Wow, how pretty.' It doesn't have that image of an ugly favela," he said.
The project is the brainchild of Dutch artists Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas, who visited Rio's favelas for the first time in 2005 to shoot hip hop videos.
They rented rooms in one of the city's most dangerous slums, Vila Cruzeiro, and worked with local youths.
"We suddenly had this clear vision that it would actually be great to transform their living environment together with them into something artistic that would install pride in their life," said Urhahn.
They created the Favela Painting project.
"We wanted to do something that would give them an opportunity to become painters and that would call attention to the outside world to their situation," he said.
They first painted "Boy Flying a Kite," an enormous mural covering the sides of three buildings.
Then residents painted a cement hillside with fish leaping in a river, which caught the eye of the local media.
"If you are able to get a positive message out about this place in the newspaper, then your project is a success. And we did. So that was very inspiring," Urhahn said.
While crime hasn't abated, the project put Vila Cruzeiro on the map for something other than drug trafficking.
Next, Urhahn and Koolhaas put Santa Marta on the drawing board.
They found residents excited about the idea of a facelift for their community, a slum tamed by police and showing signs of a newly acquired purchasing power.
Now, these favelas are a very important touristic point in Rio de Janeiro, where thousands of visitors go around each year.
"People who come to the favela today say, 'Wow, how pretty.' It doesn't have that image of an ugly favela," he said.
The project is the brainchild of Dutch artists Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas, who visited Rio's favelas for the first time in 2005 to shoot hip hop videos.
They rented rooms in one of the city's most dangerous slums, Vila Cruzeiro, and worked with local youths.
"We suddenly had this clear vision that it would actually be great to transform their living environment together with them into something artistic that would install pride in their life," said Urhahn.
They created the Favela Painting project.
"We wanted to do something that would give them an opportunity to become painters and that would call attention to the outside world to their situation," he said.
They first painted "Boy Flying a Kite," an enormous mural covering the sides of three buildings.
Then residents painted a cement hillside with fish leaping in a river, which caught the eye of the local media.
"If you are able to get a positive message out about this place in the newspaper, then your project is a success. And we did. So that was very inspiring," Urhahn said.
While crime hasn't abated, the project put Vila Cruzeiro on the map for something other than drug trafficking.
Next, Urhahn and Koolhaas put Santa Marta on the drawing board.
They found residents excited about the idea of a facelift for their community, a slum tamed by police and showing signs of a newly acquired purchasing power.
Now, these favelas are a very important touristic point in Rio de Janeiro, where thousands of visitors go around each year.
This two Dutch artists transformed the Slums into works of art just by adding colour. This is the most important aspect I wanted to take out from this movement. The change for the city was absolute. It switched from a place nobody wanted to go, to a nice place where tourists want to go in Rio.
Another important point I wanted to take as a conclusion, was that all the residents liked the change and people loved it. They were really happy and they even contributed to paint them.
This pair of artists didn't just make it a touristic point, but they convert the favelas into an artistic place, loads of people go there and try to reflect in paper all these colourful bricks. Here are some examples.
Another important point I wanted to take as a conclusion, was that all the residents liked the change and people loved it. They were really happy and they even contributed to paint them.
This pair of artists didn't just make it a touristic point, but they convert the favelas into an artistic place, loads of people go there and try to reflect in paper all these colourful bricks. Here are some examples.
A very good example, which is in England and it has been a success, is Brighton. I went to Brighton to see how they used colours to decorate their facades and I really liked it. There are long rows of houses, where each facade of a house is painted in a singular colour.
I put this as an example because it doesn't use just the typical British soft and creamy colours, which is usual in the coast. The colours used in Brighton are brighter and more daring.
These are some photos I took.
I put this as an example because it doesn't use just the typical British soft and creamy colours, which is usual in the coast. The colours used in Brighton are brighter and more daring.
These are some photos I took.
After this, I understood this was too much colour. For me, the examples of the favelas and Brighton are an exaggeration of colour in my opinion. It would be something very nice to see as a tourist, but not as a resident.
I am really in favour of adding colour to cities, but in a reduced scale so anybody gets tired of them. some colours over the city to gladden the everyday route of people in the cement landscape.
The first example that came to my mind about these few points of colour were the Scottish doors.
Itried to look why these front doors are painted but I didn't find a clearly statement why. These were some of the reasons I found more reliable :
Feng Shui tradition.
In Feng Shui, a red front door simply means “welcome.” How appropriate for the very first touchpoint with visitors! I can’t think of a better message to broadcast, which has the potential to speak louder than an actual “welcome” mat. One of the best qualities that a house can possess is to be welcoming, to make guests feel at home and like there is no deadline for their departure. Just looking at the color red emits those very feelings, it is warm, comfortable and inviting.
The Scottish tradition.
More recently, some homeowners, particularly in Scotland, paint their front door in order to signify that they have paid off their mortgage. This mortgage free announcement is of course exciting to homeowners.
Even if the public doesn’t know about this hidden meaning, at least it will make the homeowners smile whenever they see their front door.
These are some front doors painted with different colours. These doors are very iconic from Scotland and they have been used in design.
I am really in favour of adding colour to cities, but in a reduced scale so anybody gets tired of them. some colours over the city to gladden the everyday route of people in the cement landscape.
The first example that came to my mind about these few points of colour were the Scottish doors.
Itried to look why these front doors are painted but I didn't find a clearly statement why. These were some of the reasons I found more reliable :
Feng Shui tradition.
In Feng Shui, a red front door simply means “welcome.” How appropriate for the very first touchpoint with visitors! I can’t think of a better message to broadcast, which has the potential to speak louder than an actual “welcome” mat. One of the best qualities that a house can possess is to be welcoming, to make guests feel at home and like there is no deadline for their departure. Just looking at the color red emits those very feelings, it is warm, comfortable and inviting.
The Scottish tradition.
More recently, some homeowners, particularly in Scotland, paint their front door in order to signify that they have paid off their mortgage. This mortgage free announcement is of course exciting to homeowners.
Even if the public doesn’t know about this hidden meaning, at least it will make the homeowners smile whenever they see their front door.
These are some front doors painted with different colours. These doors are very iconic from Scotland and they have been used in design.
I do really like the idea of painting the doors because it is just what I was supporting before. Just some little coloured details to differentiate from other places is enough. This is my personal opinion and obviously there is people with different mentalities, that may not think as me. But I think people is sometimes closed to new ideas, new opportunities and experiences, and when it is already done they like it.
That is not something strange. For example my father which is an architect, once told me, sometimes great architects don't need the support of people to carry out their ideas. Sometimes citizens don't understand the architect´s idea and we should let them carry it out.
My father has of course always listen to his clients and he finds it something basic, but there are sometimes exceptions for genius. Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet... weren't understood by people at their time and most of the movements that tried to break the rules had the public against them.
One of the most famous cases I know, is the Guggenheim and its surroundings. This action was in Bilbao, in Spain, and it was constructed between 1992 - 1997.
Before this, Bilbao was a city with a really closed mentality, residents didn't like tourists and the project of Guggenheim was a complete madness for them. They opposed all the way through the construction and when the building was finished, residents loved it.
The Guggenheim project didn't just change people's opinion about the building. It changed a fishing city and its mentality, the way of thinking of a whole city. Bilbao is now known worldwide because of its culture and its aperture to new people. It is considered a very modern city and it is one of the most visited cities in Spain.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO
The Guggenheim museum, a modern and contemporary art museum was designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.
The museum was the building most frequently named as one of the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey among architecture experts.
While I was researching about the Guggenheim I found that what I was saying before about the Bilbao mentality change had a name.
The Wall Street Journal suggested that the Bilbao effect should be called the Bilbao anomaly, "for the iconic chemistry between the design of building, its image and the public turns out to be rather rare."
These are some photos of the museum, but what I like to take as a conclusion from this, are the colours around the museum and the modern impact on the city. The first image shows the change perfectly.
Another aspect I want to highlight, is the use of colour in it. In my opinion it is the example I coincide more with. It has just three colours all over the place but two of them clearly visible and the other just as a subtle accompaniment. It is not an excess and not scarce.
This research has been crucial for the evolution of my project because of the use of colour and the use of green areas which are a lot around the museum.
That is not something strange. For example my father which is an architect, once told me, sometimes great architects don't need the support of people to carry out their ideas. Sometimes citizens don't understand the architect´s idea and we should let them carry it out.
My father has of course always listen to his clients and he finds it something basic, but there are sometimes exceptions for genius. Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet... weren't understood by people at their time and most of the movements that tried to break the rules had the public against them.
One of the most famous cases I know, is the Guggenheim and its surroundings. This action was in Bilbao, in Spain, and it was constructed between 1992 - 1997.
Before this, Bilbao was a city with a really closed mentality, residents didn't like tourists and the project of Guggenheim was a complete madness for them. They opposed all the way through the construction and when the building was finished, residents loved it.
The Guggenheim project didn't just change people's opinion about the building. It changed a fishing city and its mentality, the way of thinking of a whole city. Bilbao is now known worldwide because of its culture and its aperture to new people. It is considered a very modern city and it is one of the most visited cities in Spain.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO
The Guggenheim museum, a modern and contemporary art museum was designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.
The museum was the building most frequently named as one of the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey among architecture experts.
While I was researching about the Guggenheim I found that what I was saying before about the Bilbao mentality change had a name.
The Wall Street Journal suggested that the Bilbao effect should be called the Bilbao anomaly, "for the iconic chemistry between the design of building, its image and the public turns out to be rather rare."
These are some photos of the museum, but what I like to take as a conclusion from this, are the colours around the museum and the modern impact on the city. The first image shows the change perfectly.
Another aspect I want to highlight, is the use of colour in it. In my opinion it is the example I coincide more with. It has just three colours all over the place but two of them clearly visible and the other just as a subtle accompaniment. It is not an excess and not scarce.
This research has been crucial for the evolution of my project because of the use of colour and the use of green areas which are a lot around the museum.
RICARDO BOFILL
Inspired by the Mediterranean tradition of the Arab castle (kashbah), Ricardo Bofill built a fortified enclosure that emerges from the rocks of the cliff of the Valencian coast. It composes the project with a set of stairs, patios and bridges, making clear the division between public and private, as well as working with a clear palette of colors to generate contrast with nature, or complement its purity.
The architect is again Ricardo Bofill. I must say I am not looking all the time for Bofill. It is pure coincidence. I didn't know about Ricardo Bofill before this project and I think now I am an expert.
At this point, my dad told me from Spain that he was welcoming ten teenagers for a two-week exchange. One of my cousins in Madrid went to India and then the others came back and my father was hosting them.
It was such a big coincidence but these Indians were from Chandighar. My father told me and I prepared some questions to ask them about their home city.
I talked with three of them and every single one told me the same answers. These were the questions.
What is your personal opinion about the city?
- They answered they liked it and they were very comfortable in the city.
Do you know about the influence of Le Corbusier, such a great and important architect, in your city?
- They all answered very secure they of course knew it. Everybody knows him there.
Do you feel specially proud for living in a city entirely designed by this architect?
- Two of them answered really proud yes, of course, he is one of the biggest architects ever. The other answered with a yes explaining he wasn't very interested in architecture.
What differences are there between Chandighar and a common Indian city?
- This was a clear answer. Everything is different, the best aspect is traffic. There is never traffic there while it is a mess in most Indian cities. They also said they liked how he designed the buildings. It was also very different and the plans of parks. Public green spaces were also a positive in the city.
I thought Chandighar didn't have many green, even so, do you feel the need of more trees in the city?
- They all answered very clearly, there is no place in the city you are not seeing any green. There is green everywhere. Other one said it is always good to have more green, but it was perfect like this.
These questions really helped me to change a wrong idea I had about Chandighar. This also meant that residents are very happy with their city and this meant it is not bad at all to have a design of a whole city by one only architect. I could continue and my piece would be an invitation to architects to follow my idea for designing future cities.
After this, while I was researching I found an artist I already looked at. This artist is Colin Booth. Looking at him I discovered another different facet of him.
COLIN BOOTH
What I would be seeing now from this artist would be the use of colour in the wooden bricks he uses for his pieces. Colin Booth imitates rows of houses with wooden bricks and then colours some of them, making a mixture of a housing layout and a mural. In Booth´s pieces there is only the use of two colours, red and blue.
Colin Booth´s models don't look very much like houses at the end. He adds so much colour that you focus most of the attention on colour. The artist also paints just the front walls, which then get divided into two halfs. By this, Booth creates some colourful compositions, where wooden models loose its importance and pass to a background.
I do really like his artistic ideas and this one gave me a really important idea for the project. This idea consisted of the final piece.
These are some examples of his works.
It was such a big coincidence but these Indians were from Chandighar. My father told me and I prepared some questions to ask them about their home city.
I talked with three of them and every single one told me the same answers. These were the questions.
What is your personal opinion about the city?
- They answered they liked it and they were very comfortable in the city.
Do you know about the influence of Le Corbusier, such a great and important architect, in your city?
- They all answered very secure they of course knew it. Everybody knows him there.
Do you feel specially proud for living in a city entirely designed by this architect?
- Two of them answered really proud yes, of course, he is one of the biggest architects ever. The other answered with a yes explaining he wasn't very interested in architecture.
What differences are there between Chandighar and a common Indian city?
- This was a clear answer. Everything is different, the best aspect is traffic. There is never traffic there while it is a mess in most Indian cities. They also said they liked how he designed the buildings. It was also very different and the plans of parks. Public green spaces were also a positive in the city.
I thought Chandighar didn't have many green, even so, do you feel the need of more trees in the city?
- They all answered very clearly, there is no place in the city you are not seeing any green. There is green everywhere. Other one said it is always good to have more green, but it was perfect like this.
These questions really helped me to change a wrong idea I had about Chandighar. This also meant that residents are very happy with their city and this meant it is not bad at all to have a design of a whole city by one only architect. I could continue and my piece would be an invitation to architects to follow my idea for designing future cities.
After this, while I was researching I found an artist I already looked at. This artist is Colin Booth. Looking at him I discovered another different facet of him.
COLIN BOOTH
What I would be seeing now from this artist would be the use of colour in the wooden bricks he uses for his pieces. Colin Booth imitates rows of houses with wooden bricks and then colours some of them, making a mixture of a housing layout and a mural. In Booth´s pieces there is only the use of two colours, red and blue.
Colin Booth´s models don't look very much like houses at the end. He adds so much colour that you focus most of the attention on colour. The artist also paints just the front walls, which then get divided into two halfs. By this, Booth creates some colourful compositions, where wooden models loose its importance and pass to a background.
I do really like his artistic ideas and this one gave me a really important idea for the project. This idea consisted of the final piece.
These are some examples of his works.
When I finished with this, as I liked it, I showed it to my mother which is an interior designer and she gave me some advices about this artist I didn't know. She told me it would be impossible to have such a big amount of red in a single street. She advised me about the effects of colour and its importance. How we react to different colours.
After this I thought it was too important and I decided to look about it. I found some gold information for the project. It was just what my mother told me, the importance of colours in the street was key.
COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
There are four psychological primary colours, red, blue, yellow and green. They relate respectively to the body, the mind, the emotions and the essential balance between these three. The psychological properties of the eleven basic colours are as follows :
RED. Physical
Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.
Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Its effect is physical, it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can activate the "fight or flight" instinct.
Red is strong, and very basic. Pure red is the simplest colour, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly. At the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive.
BLUE. Intellectual.
Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.
Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.
Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing, it affects us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. It is the colour of clear communication. Blue objects do not appear to be as close to us as red ones. Blue is the world's favourite colour. However, it can be perceived as cold, unemotional and unfriendly.
YELLOW. Emotional
Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity.
Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.
The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self esteem, it is the colour of confidence and optimism. Too much of it, or the wrong tone in relation to the other tones in a colour scheme, can cause self esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Our "yellow streak" can surface.
GREEN. Balance
Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.
Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.
Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance, a more important concept than many people realise. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level. Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be perceived as being too bland.
After this I thought it was too important and I decided to look about it. I found some gold information for the project. It was just what my mother told me, the importance of colours in the street was key.
COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
There are four psychological primary colours, red, blue, yellow and green. They relate respectively to the body, the mind, the emotions and the essential balance between these three. The psychological properties of the eleven basic colours are as follows :
RED. Physical
Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.
Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Its effect is physical, it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can activate the "fight or flight" instinct.
Red is strong, and very basic. Pure red is the simplest colour, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly. At the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive.
BLUE. Intellectual.
Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.
Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.
Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing, it affects us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. It is the colour of clear communication. Blue objects do not appear to be as close to us as red ones. Blue is the world's favourite colour. However, it can be perceived as cold, unemotional and unfriendly.
YELLOW. Emotional
Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity.
Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.
The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self esteem, it is the colour of confidence and optimism. Too much of it, or the wrong tone in relation to the other tones in a colour scheme, can cause self esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Our "yellow streak" can surface.
GREEN. Balance
Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.
Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.
Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance, a more important concept than many people realise. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level. Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be perceived as being too bland.
Now I would be starting what it would be the final piece. With this final piece I wanted to transmit and include in it, everything I have been working during the project.
This piece would include everything and the perfect way to transmit this idea was a Layout of a city, including all the themes I have spoken through the project. The different themes throughout the project have been :
Now, in my final outcome you can see I included them all. The pictures bellow are the finished final piece and I am going to explain later the steps I followed to reach this.
This piece would include everything and the perfect way to transmit this idea was a Layout of a city, including all the themes I have spoken through the project. The different themes throughout the project have been :
- Nature
- Camouflage
- Vertical gardens
- Colour
- Public spaces and green parks
- Architecture difference
Now, in my final outcome you can see I included them all. The pictures bellow are the finished final piece and I am going to explain later the steps I followed to reach this.
As I already had the wooden blocks ordered in squares, the first thing I did was to cut a wooden board with the size I needed. Then I started passing the blocks to the board. As the blocks weren't glued between them, it was a step that took me a really long time.
I also liked how the city looked going from the board to the outside making a line.
I also liked how the city looked going from the board to the outside making a line.
FINAL EVALUATION FMP
In this project I have achieved, in my opinion, a good outcome for the final piece. I think the model worked very well as a final piece because it includes and represents very clearly, all my intentions throughout the project. These intention are the ones I mentioned through the project as key points.
These key points were The biophilia, the isotopy of buildings into blocks, Colour and its psychology,...
With this project I have understood the importance of green spaces in cities, and why we need trees around us. To assimilate greenery as a modern and futurist characteristic of cities. In this project I have also understood the importance of colour while decorating, by taking into account each colour's influence on the human eye. I think this was one of the most important aspects I learned here and I didn't even knew it before.
I have also liked looking out some artists I didn't know about, such as Ricardo Bofill or Tadao Ando, and broaden my knowledge about other artists such as Frank Lloyd or Le Corbusier.
Apart from all this, I have also learnt a lot about architecture, and not just in Europe but all over the World. I didn't also know much about Singapore before this project and now I am in love.
To look for information and for taking research I normally look in different books and websites to see and contrast if the general information is similar. I find this way very effective because it lets me retain more information but I write the information I have seen in most of them. In many cases I also appeal to the Oxford Dictionaries sometimes or the official websites.
Through this project I have been using a wide variety of materials and equipment. I have worked with the most basic such as pencils, pens and markers, but I have also been using photoshop, 3D blocks, photography, I have taken shots from Google Maps and drawn over printed photos.
The most difficult part of the project was probably the entire construction of the final piece. I have been working on it for more than four weeks. Four weeks which I was completely focused at the model.
Every single step took several hours and some steps even days. For example the drilling of the tree's holes or the making of the more of a thousand trees. This stressed me out so much as I needed to concentrate for hours doing the exact same thing.
Other hard parts were to be looking for information about some buildings for loads of time, and don't find anything relevant.
One thing I would change about my project, would be to continue working on the third conclusion. The third conclusion was the idea of renewing my ideas I had as a child.
I liked how I followed a different path, but that would have been also very interesting for me.
I have worked on most of the topics I wrote on my project proposal. I tried to follow and go through them at some point. Some very good example I didn't reach to make, was Madrid. I didn't go to Madrid in between and El Prado.
I completed most of the other examples I put. Between this project I went to London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Nottingham, Brighton, Oxford...
Apart from cities, I also went to the Whitworth museum, the Tate modern in London, the Tate in Liverpool, the Manchester Art Gallery...
One of my weaknesses in this project has been time, I would have like to have one or two more weeks to explain more clearly my ideas. Time as a weakness does not mean I should have made a time plan. I have been basically working at daylight and wrighting at night. I always stayed in college working till it closed at 18:30. When I got home I started working making everyday some hundreds of trees to sometimes even 2:30 in the morning.
I followed my plan very effectively for the first seven days more or less, but I then left it because of the way I organised my blog. I preferred to order the blog not in chronological order but how my ideas begin to link between them. In this way, I was more organised and the blog looked more organised. It is also easier to read as a continuous blog.
For me a time plan is a waste of time. I just worked as much as I could. I don't normally like to have a time plan and this wasn't the exception. When I put myself a time plan, I know I will be working well until I finish the plan for the day. I didn't like it.
I haven't worked with the sketchbook in the whole year. I prefer to work on the blog and keep constantly updating it. I also like the blog because I work much quicker with it, and I don't have any time to loose.
Another positive of the blog is that I can access it from every single electronic device. Unless this, I haven't uploaded everything I have done to the blog. I have done so many different things and I have looked at so many artists that many of them haven't been uploaded. This is a pity but I had no time for everything. This is why I changed so much of ideas.
I must say all the work I have done has been improvised along the project. I hadn't anything prepared, which I think it is very positive, because I have learnt much more than I would have learnt the other way.
Something really unexpected for me was the final piece. I never thought of using the model for the final piece and when I had the idea it was a boom for me. All the changes I wanted to apply to it took so long and just when I had the idea I started working and planning the model.
If I had one week or two more I would fill the city with more frayed scourer. Making the city look more wild and cover it into a hanging garden city.
I would also try to simulate or recreate a part of Manchester and send it to people as a proposal for natural change in Manchester.
Right now, Manchester is a very exciting city. It is changing absolutely and there are many movements trying to make Manchester a better city and this would be an offer to that change.
I have really enjoyed this project and it has really met my expectations. I think one of the most important aspects of a city is the message it gives. What the piece transmit to the public.
I wanted my final piece to have a message and I really liked mine.
My final piece has several meanings that in my opinion, they are all engaged between them.
It is my vision of how cities will look like in the future. They will need plants in the cities and these are good examples.
My model is an example for people to realise how much can vegetation change the landscape of a city, and transform it into an ecological modern city.
Finally, my piece has also another meaning. It is a call for artists to paint and colour the streets, the facades, creating a more entertaining view for residents on a cement landscape.
These are some of the book references I looked and reviewed during the project.
Lindemann, A. (2010). Collecting design. 85th ed. Köln: Taschen.
Powell, K. (2007). Richard Rogers. 55th ed. London: Phaidon.
Schaewen, D., Taschen, A. and Maizels, J. (2007). Fantasy worlds. 18th ed. Hong Kong: Taschen.
Jones, W. and Sagoo, N. (2011). Architect's sketchbooks. 83rd ed. London: Thames & Hudson.
Pfeiffer, B. (1985). Frank Lloyd Wright. 70th ed. London: Thames and Hudson.
Coates, N. and Glancey, J. (1999). Nigel Coates. 97th ed. London: Thames and Hudson.
Dupré, J. (2001). Skyscrapers. 79th ed. New York: Black Dog.
Moore, R. (1999). Vertigo. 62nd ed. Glasgow: Lawrence King.
Blueprint. (2002). 85th ed. Singapore: Ethos Books.
Monet, C. (2006). Monet. 82nd ed. Köln: Könemann.
Lindemann, A. (2010). Collecting design. 85th ed. Köln: Taschen. Powell, K. (2007). Richard Rogers. 55th ed. London: Phaidon.
Schaewen, D., Taschen, A. and Maizels, J. (2007). Fantasy worlds. 18th ed.
Hong Kong: Taschen.
Jones, W. and Sagoo, N. (2011). Architect's sketchbooks. 83rd ed. London:
Thames & Hudson.
Pfeiffer, B. (1985). Frank Lloyd Wright. 70th ed. London: Thames and Hudson.
Coates, N. and Glancey, J. (1999). Nigel Coates. 97th ed. London:
Thames and Hudson.
Dupré, J. (2001). Skyscrapers. 79th ed. New York: Black Dog.
Moore, R. (1999). Vertigo. 62nd ed. Glasgow: Lawrence King.
Blueprint. (2002). 85th ed. Singapore: Ethos Books.
Monet, C. (2006). Monet. 82nd ed. Köln: Könemann.
Schaewen, D., Taschen, A. and Maizels, J. (2007). Fantasy worlds. 18th ed.
Hong Kong: Taschen.
Jones, W. and Sagoo, N. (2011). Architect's sketchbooks. 83rd ed. London:
Thames & Hudson.
Pfeiffer, B. (1985). Frank Lloyd Wright. 70th ed. London: Thames and Hudson.
Coates, N. and Glancey, J. (1999). Nigel Coates. 97th ed. London:
Thames and Hudson.
Dupré, J. (2001). Skyscrapers. 79th ed. New York: Black Dog.
Moore, R. (1999). Vertigo. 62nd ed. Glasgow: Lawrence King.
Blueprint. (2002). 85th ed. Singapore: Ethos Books.
Monet, C. (2006). Monet. 82nd ed. Köln: Könemann.