Eindhoven University of Technology
MASTER
A podium for architecture students by learning from Swiss architect Peter Märkli
van der Steen, T.J.J.
Award date: 2019
Link to publication
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• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain A PODIUM FOR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS by learning from Swiss architect Peter Märkli
by T.J.J. (Tim) van der steen (0726484)
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY EINDHOVEN Department of the Built Environment Architecture Building and Planning
July 12th 2019
Tutors: J.P.A. Schevers J.C.T. Voorthuis J.J.P.M. van Hoof for my parents and grandparents† 7XX37 Graduation Project July 12th 2019, T.J.J. (Tim) van der Steen University of Technology Studentnr. 0726484 Eindhoven Department of the Built Under supervision of: Environment ir. J.P.A. (Jan) Schevers dr. J.C.T. (Jacob) Voorthuis J.J.P.M. (Sjef) van Hoof Architecture, Building and Planning SUMMARY
Th is graduation report is part of the architecture design studio ‘Masterly Apprenticeship’ focusing on the general research question: how to master the art of being an apprentice? How should architecture students master being an apprentice of a role model? In this report, this role model is the well known Swiss architect Peter Märkli.
After an Introduction in Part I containing the graduation motivation, methodology and an introduction of the Swiss architect, Peter Märkli then functions as a Case Study in Part II to investigate what attitude the Swiss architect has towards the past. Here, history itself is assumed to be a role model for Peter Märkli. How does Märkli learn from historic architectural buildings? To answer this question, the ‘history’ is divided in six topics: plan & facade, proportion & scale, order & disorder, material, color and ornament & detail. Märkli’s attitude towards these historic rules and principles mentioned in the six paragraphs is measured by categorizing Peter Märkli on a scale having a conservative, creative or a progressive attitude towards the historic principles of the paragraph. Last, this knowledge is then used in Part III Design to design a school for architecture students in Mendrisio, Switzerland. Th e goal here is to complete the graduation design with a creative attitude towards the learned historic principles in order to master the apprenticeship. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It has been quite a ride, starting my graduation year in September Last but not least, I want to thank my parents Koos & An, my 2015, but here we are. Nevertheless, I am thankful that - despite sister Charlotte, my grandmother Riet and grandfather Koos the complications - I have been given the chance to fi nish my senior who, each in their own way, always supported me and master’s degree in Architecture Building and Planning. I am stood by me. In particular, I want to thank my lovely father proud of the design and the fact that I can hand to you the Koos van der Steen who suddenly lost both his parents - Koos report in front of you. Th e ride taught me more than I expected and Riet van der Steen - these last years and to whom I owe and - seen through that lens - I am grateful that it went the way more than anything I could ever possibly give back in return. it did. Th e theme of the graduation studio is, after all, about learning as you will discover later on. And that, I sure did. I wished my grandfather could be here when I present to you my last words at the university; because he would be most proud. First off all, I want to thank my graduation tutors Jacob Voorthuis, Jan Schevers and Sjef van Hoof who helped me design the project with their professional guidance and patience throughout my graduation project. I also want thank all the other tutors at the university for the inspiring lectures they presented to me throughout my student years for which I feel very grateful and privileged.
Secondly, I want to thank my lovely girlfriend Alice Carolyn Bowe who stood by me during my graduation years and supporting me in numerous ways with her kind, thoughtful presence and advice and with the physical presentation of the design. Furthermore, I want to thank one of my oldest known friend Maikel Csik, who also studied at the University of Technology and who made it possible for me to live in Eindhoven when I needed to and reached out to me when I needed his help the most. I also want to thank Boaz van der Wal for his architectural guidance throughout the years, including these last ones. vii PREFACE
Supposing that architecture is a language, what then? If that were true, what would it mean? To begin with, it would mean that we could speak ‘in architecture’ just as we can speak ‘in English’. But how would that language sound like? I can speak a tiny bit of German but it would sound quite awful. In order for it to sound good I would have to study and practice the language a lot. I would need to understand the language in all its complexities. But then, were do I start? Let us suppose architecture is indeed a language; and that the sound of that language is the way we perceive the buildings around us with our senses. Since we - hypothetically speaking - could speak in architecture, it should mean we could write it as well, right? It would also mean that if I were to write you a novel in this language, I would need a whole lot of practice, let alone I could write any sentences or a complete novel! Even if I could, would it be a good story for you to read?
“Th is graduation report Th is graduation report explores the idea that architecture could explores the idea that indeed be perceived as a language by starting where anyone architecture could indeed would start when he or she would learn any spoken language: be perceived as a language the letters, the most important words and the underlying by starting where anyone structure of the grammar. Since learning to write a whole new language can take me years (probably even a life time), I will would start when he only explore the most basic grammar principles. Lucky for or she would learn any me, I could already recognize some of the language because I spoken language: the have been studying it without even fully realizing it could be letters, the most important learned and understood as a language; I just had to change my words and the underlying perspective. By starting with the basics, I am hopefully able to structure of the grammar.” understand some basic principles to - by the end of this report - write you a little short story myself. With a role model on my side who has already mastered the language, the short novel in front of you is hopefully a pleasant read for you.
viii TABLE OF CONTENT
SUMMARY ...... V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... VI PREFACE ...... VIII
TABLE OF CONTENT ...... IX
PART I: INTRODUCTION 1 GRADUATION MOTIVATION ...... 3 GRADUATION STUDIO...... 6 METHODOLOGY ...... 8
PART II: CASE STUDY PETER MÄRKLI 11 INTRODUCING SWISS ARCHITECT PETER MÄRKLI ...... 13
2.1 PLAN & FACADE ...... 22 2.2 PROPORTION & SCALE ...... 38 2.3 ORDER & DISORDER ...... 52 2.4 MATERIALS ...... 60 2.5 COLOR ...... 68 2.6 ORNAMENT & DETAIL ...... 74
CONCLUSION ...... 84
ix APPENDIX I 90 A1: GRADUATION STUDIO BRIEF ...... 91 A2: LEARNING THROUGH MODEL MAKING ...... 94 A3: INTERVIEW 1 ELLI MOSAYEBI ...... 96 A4: INTERVIEW 2 ALEX HERTER ...... 108
PART III 127
DESIGN 127 I. LOCATION ...... 129 II. URBAN ANALYSIS & CONCEPT ...... 133 III. PLAN CONCEPT ...... 135 IV. FACADE CONCEPT ...... 142
PLAN & FACADE ...... 148 PROPORTION & SCALE ...... 176 MATERIAL & COLOR ...... 187 ORDER & DISORDER ...... 200 DETAILLING ...... 209
CONCLUSION ...... 214
LIST OF FIGURES ...... 216
x
GRADUATION INTRODUCTION MASTERLY APPRENTICESHIP
§1.1 GRADUATION MOTIVATION §1.2 GRADUATION STUDIO §1.3 METHODOLOGY “My question is more; how long do I exist in the present? Because my education is in the past and my thoughts are in the future; and the future I do not know. Sometimes I think we have only a little time in the present.”[1]
architect Peter Märkli
“But during the smallest or largest moment of happiness there is always one thing why happiness becomes happiness: the fact that we can forget, or to put it more scientifically, the ability to - during this moment of happiness - feel non- historical”[2]
philosopher Friedrich W. Nietzsche
1 Märkli, P., & Roth, S. (2012) 2 Nietzsche, F. W. (2012), p.13
2 GRADUATION MOTIVATION
HOW SHOULD ARCHITECTS LEARN FROM THE PAST? THREE ATTITUDES TOWARDS HISTORY
To answer the above research question, I was reminded of a Without diving too deep into the book, Nietzsche prefers a way book I ones read called “On the Advantage and Disadvantage of where history serves life instead of life serving history. Th erefore, History for Life” by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. he ‘designed’ three attitudes we humans deal with history in Th e book fascinated because it reminded me of how architects our lives and argues in favour of the creative approach: to use “How should architects and architect students have to deal with history is their designs; history as an inspirator, a teacher so to speak, where we are it’s deal with history? actual physical history. An old building to built next to for apprentices. Th e things they learn example. by looking at other In architecture, we have similar debates of how we should deal buildings, reading about It did however trigger the question Nietzsche tried to answer: with history and the three attitudes below often refl ect those how should architects deal with history? Th e things they learn by debates. During my time as an architecture student, the creative architectural history or looking at other buildings, reading about architectural history attitude always made the most sense to me but at the same time the things they learn from or the things they learn from their masters? it was the hardest position to get a grip on. Th is research report their masters?” In sum: how should architects learn from the past? attempts to clarify what this approach actually means and how architecture students like me, can apply this.
CONSERVATIVE CREATIVE PROGRESSIVE
Th e conservative or, antiquarian way as Th e creative approach, or monumental Th e progressive intercourse with history, Nietzsche put it, comes down to the conservative approach means to worship the past, but without results in the ‘everything needs to be diff erent’-mentality. standpoint where ‘all the old is worth to maintain’. preserving every detail; only certain aspects. According to Nietzsche, this basically means that all In this perspective, architecture becomes a sort of Nietzsche claims that we need to have a “heartfelt history is relative to it’s context and thus worthless for museum, storing all the historical data but the people aversion of knowledge that does not inspire [...] of us to use in the present. are merely spectators of facts which have lost all history as expensive and perfl uous knowledge of meaning without their original context. luxury”[1]
1 Nietzsche, 2012, p. 6
3 INTERMEZZO: EXTENDED GRADUATION MOTIVATION “[...] which elements in BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT NIETZSCHE’S BOOK strengthen the old. “Stubborn as I was (and architectural history are Although the last option sounds as the best option, these still am), I naturally had In the book On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for “inspiring” for my acting discussions seemed quite arbitrary; for all three perspectives more aff ection towards Life, Nietzsche critically refl ects on the way we use history one could come up with pro’s and con’s. At least, that was my and which are merely in life and basically argues that the 19th century historicism experience as an architecture student. Often wondered: architects where I had “expensive and perfl uous is becoming too dominant - a sickness even - negatively more in common with; knowledge of luxury”. infl uencing our daily life, our thinking and especially our “But.. is it really arbitrary? Why doesn’t it matter whether one’s architects who believed And most important, acting in the present. design contrasts with the old building or blends in and still that architecture was not why?” According to Nietzsche, we human animals get so hung up on containing something contemporary? Doesn’t it matter whether if arbitrary; that there are the past, that we sometimes cannot eff ectively move forwards we erase the old building and make something new?”. Of course, it certain rules; that there is into the future. Th at made me wonder, what is the right had to matter! I though. It just had to.” amount of history we should take in and how do we determine in fact a language to learn which parts are worth it? I remember that moment to be a very disappointing moment in architecture [...]” during my studies. THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF ARBITRARINESS Th e realization that, based on a lot real-life examples, apparently “Why doesn’t it matter it did not matter which of the three perspectives I chose. Th at, whether one’s design For me as a future architect, then the question became: which at some point, architecture became arbitrary. Something less elements in architectural history are “inspiring” for my acting contrasts with the old scientifi c but ‘merely’ a form of art. A personal preference of and which are merely “expensive and perfl uous knowledge of form. “Vormwil” as we would say in Dutch. Just a matter of building or blends in and luxury”. And most important, why? taste. still containing something contemporary? Doesn’t Th e above three positions are familiar terms in the architectural Stubborn as I was (and still am), I naturally had more aff ection it matter whether if we debate. We can all recall architectural projects involving towards architects where I had more in common with; erase the old building a redesign of an old building where the above three ways of architects who believed that architecture was not arbitrary; that ‘dealing’ are commonly used by architects to design ‘with’ the and make something there are certain rules; that there is in fact a language to learn past. Th ey often result in obvious decision making: should in architecture, a grammar to ‘write’ architecture, so to speak. new?”. Of course, it had we preserve the past and make our new design inferior to the to matter! I though. It current building? Or should we destroy the old building and SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH build something completely new and thus rebel against it? A Figure 1: Interior by Aldo van Eyck: just had to. I remember gathering place with a column at its center that moment to be a very last option is to use the past as an inspiration for the current One of the fi rst images that did convince me, were the images design with an eye on the future. In other words, preserve some of the ORPHANAGE, build by the Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck disappointing moment Figure 2: Exterior by Aldo van Eyck: of the best qualities of the old design and add new parts which (fi gure 1 & 2). Seeing this image luckily made me doubt the exterior gathering place and pool with during my studies” column at its center
4 assumption that there was no language in architecture. I was became a guideline for me during this graduation project. His amazed by the thoughtful dialogue between the construction of name is Peter Märkli. the building and - something which I considered as something completely diff erent at the time - the use of the building. How can a column be used so powerful, so layered, I wondered? As one can see in the image, children can gather around the column and play in a lowered circular area. When it rains, the area fi lls itself with water and transforms in a nice little pool. But there was more going on; what amazed me even more, was the logic, the pure language of the elements themselves.
Th e start of a long adventure
After Aldo van Eyck, I started looking for more architects who similarly had their own way of looking at architecture as more than just an artistic expression. I created an eye for designs which in a certain way were more scientifi c in the sense that they were better explainable to me, containing less ‘loose ends’, so to speak. Buildings which could almost be mathematically ‘solved’ according to a set of rules. Like 1+1 is always 2 and can never be 3 or something else. It was this period when I discovered the works of Louis Kahn for example, but also the architect and urban planner Leon Krier who explained my rather conservative “I was lucky to have Figure 3: Provocative hand sketch by approach in a graphical manner as a plea against modernism Leon Krier. (fi gure 3). found another architect who made this search So then, my adventure started: the search for the grammar of his life’s work and his architecture to learn architecture’s language. Although I know thoughts and works it will probably will be a search of a lifetime, I am glad to give became a guideline for me it a little boost during this graduation thesis. As you will later during this graduation read in this report, I was lucky to have found another architect who made this search his life’s work and his thoughts and works project. His name is Peter Märkli”
5 GRADUATION STUDIO
1.1.1 ATELIER “MASTERLY APPRENTICESHIP” group- and individual interviews with known Swiss architects “Th e personal research or their (former) apprentices. Th e result should represent a very into the Swiss architect, How do you learn from a role model? Th is is the over specifi c and critical approach to learn from a Master instead combined with the group arching question of this graduation studio named “Masterly of merely copying his work without understand the ‘what’, the Apprenticeship”. Th e studio began with a group research ‘how’ and the ‘wherefore’. Th us, one must become masterly to research forms the basis focused on the phenomenon of Swiss architecture and its make a building one’s own[3]. for the students design peculiar educational structure it is a product of. A group of for an extension of the sixteen students - under the supervision of Jan Schevers and 1.1.3 ARCHITECT MOTIVATION Academy of Architecture Jacob Voorthuis - explored the idea of ‘learning from’ being the in Mendrisio (CH)” “Th e group of students central theme of the group research[1]. Th e group of students Although the underlying reason for choosing architect Peter explored the theme of explored the theme of the Master-Apprentice relationship in Märkli is already described in my motivation for this graduation the Master-Apprentice Swiss architecture within four topics: thesis, I do want to mention some additional notes regarding “Th e result should relationship in Swiss the things that attracted me to the Swiss architect since it was represent a very specifi c (1) the Swiss architectural education system, not his architectural projects which grabbed my attention in architecture.” (2) the Swiss architectural context[2], the fi rst place. and critical approach (3) the theory of Mimesis and, Instead, it was the variety of topics Märkli discussed when he to learn from a Master (4) the genealogy of Swiss architects. talked about architecture; from art, literature, sculpturing and instead of merely copying music to one’s position towards society, Märkli could interrelate his work without 1.1.2 DESIGN ASSIGNMENT them as if they had always belonged together. Furthermore, I understand the ‘what’, the was really touched by his charismatic way of speaking about Next, each student then was asked to research the work of one ‘how’ and the ‘wherefore’. “[...]each student then his profession, which was especially noticeable in Märkli’s specifi c Swiss architect and took on the role of an enthusiastic interview[4] with my tutor Jan Schevers and apparently, I was Th us, one must become was asked to research the but also critical apprentice. Th e architect discussed in this report not the only one. masterly to make a work of one specifi c Swiss is Peter Märkli, who will be introduced in the next chapter. One of Peter Märkli’s apprentices Alex Herter, who I later building one’s own.” architect and took on the Th e personal research into the Swiss architect, combined with interviewed together with two fellow students, described a role of an enthusiastic but the group research forms the basis for the students design for similar experience to us when he fi rst met Peter Märkli during also critical apprentice. an extension to the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio. In his time at the university: addition, the students can use their experience and inspirations of Th e architect discussed their study trip(s) to Switzerland to construct a critical approach “He was the only one who was able to talk about in this report is Peter to the design. During this trip, the students conducted several architecture in a much larger context and suddenly Märkli” 1 Bouwhuis et. al. 2015 3 Text is based on project description, see appendix 2 I personally was involved in group 2 4 Märkli, 2011
6 it covered everything for me; from your personal feelings to painting, to music. It wasn’t just about construction and how you make things which is how many other architectural education works. Th at was really a revelation for me.”[5]
I therefore decided to devote myself to Peter Märkli as a virtual apprentice for this graduation project. I had only seen his rather famous museum LA CONGIUNTA at that time, but that was about it. Nevertheless, there was no way that a person who could speak about architecture in such a complete way would not be able to make great architecture as well. Th us, my graduation journey started.
5 Herter, 2016)
7 METHODOLOGY “What is Peter Märkli’s attitude towards History?”
1.2.1 RESEARCH AIM research since I got more familiar with the work of Märkli. In the end, I distilled 6 most important grammar elements in Architect Caruso St. John ones described Märkli as a “maverick” the work of architect Peter Märkli: because Märkli experiences his role as an architect as if it is“a 2,500-year-old conversation with history”[1]. Th is research aims 1. THE PLAN to reveal this age-old conversation with the goal to later use 2. SCALE & PROPORTION this information for the design of the workshop for architecture 3. ORDER & DISORDER students in Mendrisio. 4. MATERIAL 5. COLOR I will apply the above research question to the Swiss architect 6. ORNAMENT & DETAIL Peter Märkli, who will function as my case study. Relating questions are; How does Peter Märkli incorporate the things he learned from the past and his Masters into his designs? How Defi ning ‘Attitude’ did Peter Märkli’s attitude develop over time? Since Märkli has Secondly, how do we defi ne Peter Märkli’s “attitude”? After learned from a wide variation of disciplines this information of defi ning Märkli’s main source of information regarding one of the past is not necessarily architectural as we will discover. the six topics, I will try to clarify Märkli’s position within these “In order for me to topics. Here, I come back to my initial graduation motivation; 1.2.2 REPORT STRUCTURE I will be using the three common ways to deal with history, discover Peter Märkli’s taken from Nietzsche’s “On the Advantage and Disadvantage of attitude towards history, I Defi ning ‘History’ History for Life”; conservative, creative or progressive described decided to fi rst investigate Which parts of history do we take in consideration? To answer on page xii. which ‘grammar’ is this question I used Peter Märkli’s ‘language’ metaphor: Märkli’s way of learning architecture has a lot to do with going most important to get back to ‘the basics’ of architecture, the absolute beginning. He familiar with the works describes this as if one has to learn a completely new, spoken of Peter Märkli. Th ese language. topics changed or became more specifi c during the In order for me to discover Peter Märkli’s attitude towards research since I got more history, I decided to fi rst investigate which ‘grammar’ is most important to get familiar with the works of Peter Märkli. Th ese familiar with the work of topics changed over time or became more specifi c during the Markli.” 1 Galilee, B. (2008, May)
8 GRADUATION MOTIVATION HOW SHOULD ARCHITECTS LEARN FROM THE PAST?
CASE STUDY: PETER MARKLI
WHAT IS PETER MARKLI’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS HISTORY?
HOW DO WE DEFINE ATTITUDE ? HOW DO WE DEFINE HISTORY ?
USING NIETZSCHE’S WE DETERMINE MARKLI’S SOURCE OF INFORMATION “On the Advantage and REGARDING THE 8 ‘GRAMMAR’ PRINCIPLES THAT WE Disadvantage of History for Life” DISTILLED FROM MARKLI’S WORK AND THOUGHTS
ARCHITECTURE’S GRAMMAE CONSERVATIVE “All the old is worth to maintain!” 2.1 PLAN 2.2 SCALE & PROPORTION CREATIVE 2.3 ORDER & DISORDER “worship the past, without preserving 2.4 COLOR every little detail” 2.5 MATERIAL 2.6 ORNAMENT & DETAIL Figure 4: Overview of Methodology PROGRESSIVE “Everything needs to be different!”
WHAT IS MARKLI’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THESE PRINCIPALS?
WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT PETER MARKLI’S WAY OF LEARNING?
9
PART I: CASE STUDY PETER MÄRKLI WHAT IS PETER MÄRKLI’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS HISTORY?
INTRO INTRODUCING SWISS ARCHITECT PETER MÄRKLI
§2.1 PLAN & FACADE §2.2 PROPORTION & SCALE §2.3 ORDER & DISORDER §2.4 MATERIAL §2.5 COLOR §2.6 ORNAMENT & DETAIL “Architects form themselves only by buildings. But I learn so much from painting and from sculpturing that I can transfer to buildings”[1]
1 Markli, P. (2011), 19m20s
Figure 5: Portrait of Peter Märkli
12 INTRODUCING SWISS ARCHITECT PETER MÄRKLI
PETER MÄRKLI: THE APPRENTICE to understand a simple house: a rectangle on the ground plan, the openings, an orientation in the Architecture as a Language house, and how a certain tension develops in the fi rst When Peter Märkli speaks in public or in interview, he often place”[3] mentiones he is interested in the ‘language of architecture’, as if our profession were comparable with a spoken language. He is Märkli had a lot of interest in the architectural expression of a convinced that architecture has a language of its own and that it building but this was not taught either at the university back “[...]the ETH forgot can - and must - be learned from the beginning. in the seventies. In a conversation with Marcel Meili, Märkli that architecture was Märkli already developed this view during his years as a agrees that - back then - the ETH forgot that architecture was above all a question of architecture student. After learning the language of the spoken above all a question of form[4]. Instead, the school’s focus was on form. Instead, the school’s [5] word for years as a child, he now had to understand the language social- and political theory . In addition, the ETH was mainly focus was on social- of a visual profession. It felt like he had to start all over again, [6] concerned with modernism , while Märkli’s interest lied in and political theory. being in primary school and starting from zero. How does this early cultures such as the Greek antiquity, early Christianity, visual language work? Romanesque, African and Mexican Art[7]. In addition, the ETH Märkli recalls one of his student projects in 1968 when he was mainly concerned Märkli thought that he would learn to understand the language started his studies, where he “a whole semester on a housing with modernism, while at the ETH (“Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule”) in scheme and didn’t have to design a façade”[8]. A last note on Märkli’s interest lied in “Märkli was lectured Zurich, but he was wrong. While the ETH did serve positively Märkli’s time at the ETH was the arrival of Aldo Rossi, an Italian early cultures such as the about the works and for Märkli as a “protective space”[1], he did not understand most architect who is now seen as one of the leading architects and Greek antiquity, early results of Mies van der of the information shown in architectural theory and history designers of the twentieth century. Peter Märkli however, was Christianity, Romanesque, Rohe and Corbusier, but lectures simply because he lacked understanding; Märkli was not much infl uenced by him, since he was already in the middle lectured about the works and results of Mies van der Rohe and African and Mexican Art” he could not grasp them of his degree. Märkli later refers to Rossi seemingly denigrating Corbusier, but he could not grasp them or understand what stating that “then someone [Aldo Rossi, red.] would come along or understand what they they meant[2]. He had to start much more with the basics. He who spoke about urban planning and such like again, and the meant.” later explains: others lapped it up […] I didn’t need it that much because I’d
“Classifying things historically is something intellectual and only the second step. I couldn’t 3 Märkli, March 2010, p. 260 even comprehend the appearance. Th e examples 4 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 48 shown were too specifi c for me. First of all, I had 5 Galilee, 2008 6 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012, p. 3 1 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012, p. 3 7 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 48 2 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 48 8 Woodman, 2007
13 INTERMEZZO: ELLI MOSAYEBI ON THE INFLUENCE OF ALDO ROSSI AT THE ETH
Elli Masayebi (EM): My generation of architects is very particular Fabio Reinhard and Miroslav Sik. maybe because we are very somehow much infl uenced by people like Peter Zumthor, Peter Markli and Pierre de Meuron. [...] And then of course what is also very important is what Th is previous generation was extremely important because they Rossi brought is the idea of architecture as a discipline of its restarted the architecture after Aldo Rossi. Secondly, they also own. Th is Autonomous Architecture. So there is a history criticised a lot what was taught when they were students. For of architecture that refers only to itself. Of course political, example, Marcel Meili is very important in this situation, as was geographical aspect of are important but it is also important to Miroslav Sik. We are the kind of architects that inherited that look at the architecture as a discipline and how this discipline what they developed a lot; we didn’t have to kill our fathers as has its auto referential system so you constantly refer yourself they had to. Th at is somehow the big diff erence between their to older architecture. Th at was also an important message. Th is generation and ours. We had somehow the advantage that we attention to history was very important, starting with Rossi could build on what they were teaching. [...] So the infl uence and later on with Analog Architecture. Th at is also what we of Aldo Rossi was somehow brought to us through them. [...] have learned this attention to history, and that history is very broad and we are able to look at history as a kind of space but In the lectures they mentioned Corbusier and Rossi, but as a also kind of a layout of diff erent possibilities for architects. And student you just start and you don’t know exactly, but I the history from our perspective is a horizontal. retrospective I can observe it in a diff erent way. Th e generation is kind of famous, when Aldo Rossi was brought to ETH by And what also played a role in our understanding was the Fabio Reinhardt, that was in the late 60’s, they invited him as context. Context and concepts are not overlapping: concept a professor that has actually built something. Th e story goes tries to be very formal, clear and abstract, context is always dirty that Aldo Rossi gave the “pencil back to the architects”, because and never ideal. You always have to put you concept in this place before architects were only discussing about sociological and where nothing matches and modify it so it becomes a project. political issues and they were writing instead of drawing. Aldo Going back to the question where this strong idea of concept Rossi was the guy who brought the pencil back to the architect comes from maybe look at this idea of rational architecture, the even though he was a theoretician. [...] Rossi left and then 10 typology and the idea of type as a clear idea of project. Palladio years later the other generations like Andre Deplazes, Quintus villa is a type, you have this 9 spaces in a symmetrical way. Th is Miller, Olgiati, the son of Rudolf, then they were students of idea of concepts has something to do with that.
14 “Märkli not only spend already gone through it”[9]. Th ere is a lot more to say about why these columns of Olgiati a lot of time in museums are build this exceptionally large way, but that will be discussed during his times at the To conclude, the university could not teach Märkli the basics later on in this research. of the architectural language so he found several ways to learn ETH, but also found two it elsewhere. Märkli not only spend a lot of time in museums A last note on Rudolf Olgiati relates to Märkli’s shared ideas on ‘role models’ who could during his times at the ETH, but also found two ‘role models’ our senses. Olgiati taught Märkli that architecture is perceived teach him the things the who could teach him the things the ETH could not. above all through the senses. Although this may seem very ETH could not.” obvious, to Märkli this is an essential aspect of our profession Rudolf Olgiati and the reason one has to “educate the eyes”[14]. A lot of Märkli’s Via his physics teacher, Peter Märkli arrived at architect Rudolf investigative drawings are occupied with the expression of the Olgiati (fi gure 6) at a relatively young age while he was still building, their facades, and need to have something to off er for studying at the ETH. During this social-political time at the eyes of the spectator+ a certain tension. Olgiati even uses a the ETH, Märkli obtained the political part of architecture system which he believed showed the eff ect of certain shapes on mostly through Olgiati who was “very outspoken and regarded people, independent of the vagaries of fashion or time[15]. We architecture as a political action”[10]. Moreover, Olgiati was a great will come back to this in paragraph 2.3 Order & Disorder. admirer of the Greeks[11] and led Märkli in the direction of the ancient architectural examples of the Greece and Romanesque period. Partly through those examples, Olgiati taught him to “notice certain fundamental things about architecture”[12]. Th e work of Rudolf Olgiati itself relates to the work of Corbusier in its plasticity, but then combined with the local architecture of Olgiati taught Märkli the important distinction between a column and a pillar for example and why a column is smaller at the top is named a pedestal (‘zuil’ Dutch. transl.) which is not thought at the university[13], Märkli mentions. At the ETH, every vertical load-bearing element was called ‘support’ and there was no vocabulary for describing architectural elements. Figure 6: Portrait of Rudolf Olgiati
9 Märkli, March 2010, p. 260 10 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 54 11 Johnston, 2017, p. 31 12 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012 14 Märkli, About drawings and references, 2014 13 Riederer, 2004, p. 11 15 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 11
15 INTERMEZZO: VISITING A PROJECT BY RUDOLF OLGIATI
During our group study trip in Switzerland I was lucky enough to experience Olgiati’s work when visiting Flims, in the canton of Graubünden. I was especially fond of CASA LAS CAGLIAS, also known as CASA RADULFF, one of Olgiati’s more widely known projects. I was quite impressed with the plasticity of the ceilings which gradually became higher as one moved to the light coming from the windows (fi gure 7). Märkli too was really amazed by this interior and later called the lounge above the café in this house “the nearest thing we have to a pure distillation of Corbusier interior space”[1].
Th e second striking appearance which really impressed me, were the enormous signature columns of Rudolf Olgiati. One of Peter Märkli’s fi rst experiences of really understanding the fundamentals of architecture’s language was with Rudolf Olgiati, discussing one these columns (image x):
“[...]And this column was built so directly. Th at I was possible to see it. Th at was the fi rst second of understanding our profession. I remember it very well. And from this point I went step by step, with a lot of time in between them. (…) Th at was the fi rst moment, I think, that I became [an] architect. It was quite nothing, but it was a very important Figure 7: Excursion: Interior space of Casa Radulff by Rudolf Olgiati. Plasticity moment. Because I understood it. Otherwise it was of the ceilings. only knowing and with only knowing you cannot do anything, you have to understand it.”[2]
1 Johnston, 2017, p. 31 2 Märkli, About drawings and references, 2014
16 Hans Josephson Another sources outside of the ETH, came from the sculptor Hans Josephson (fi gure 7). Märkli fi rst saw the work of Josephson in the newspaper and he ended up having a close relationship with the sculptor. Although it seemed that the two had a master- apprentice relationship, both Märkli and Josephson deny this[16].
Josephson was born in 1920 and has had studio in Zurich until he recently passed away. Like Märkli, Josephson was considered to be an outsider since his work has “remained essentially fi gurative, developing in a constant manner, independently of general artistic currents”[17]. Th e reliefs of Josephson are completely conceived from the imagination and usually consist of several fi gures. Th e full sculptures he makes are - in contrast - observations from a model. Both types of work are essentially about the confl ict between appearance and perception[18]. Figure 8: Portrait of Hans Josephson
Having worked for Josephson for a while in his early years, Drawings Märkli used Josephson’s advice from the beginning of his In sum, Märkli’s time on the architecture school did not learn architectural career. Although the sculptor could not understand him much. Märkli mostly developed his own language with the the architectural ground plan, he helped Märkli in designing his help of his role models and with his most authentic tool: his facades; telling him “if he had too much wall over a window”[19]. drawings. But it did not stop with solely giving advice; the sculptures Märkli started drawing because he had no language of his of Hans Josephson are incorporated in almost all of Märkli’s own yet. He sometimes had no idea what he was doing at the buildings. beginning but later gained confi dence because an established [20] Th e climax of this corporation with Josephson is the museum painter told him they were “very nice” . Nowadays, his LA CONGIUNTA, which is completely dedicated to the display of seemingly naive sketches are - next to his habit to make small Josephsohn’s sculptures; a building for art. scale models - the most central medium in Märkli’s work, leading him through the design process. 16 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 54 17 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 54 18 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p. 54 19 Woodman, 2007, p. 1 20 Märkli, About drawings and references, 2014)
17 Figure 9: Investigating sketches by Peter Märkli
18 PETER MÄRKLI: THE MASTER “In my experience our students, before they receive SINCE WE WILL DISCUSS THE WORK OF PETER MÄRKLI AS AN their diploma, look at a tree and call it a tree. Th ey ARCHITECT IN PART 2 OF THIS REPORT, I WANTED TO BRIEFLY don’t talk about the leaves, the way the light sits on END THE INTRODUCTION WITH MÄRKLI’S WORK AS A ROLE it, how it is proportioned and so on - it’s simply a MODEL HIMSELF. tree. So then when it comes to more abstract things like white or a square or a circle then it’s almost Märkli teaching at the ETH impossible for them to explain. But they have to It will be no surprise that Märkli’s teaching on the ETH focuses learn because this is our language. We have to ask on architecture of the past. As a student, the great Palladio “was what arises from all this. So again, I have to say that immersed in and surrounded by these kind of profane buildings, we just need to start from the beginning.” [24] these lessons.”[21], Märkli stresses which helped him to become a great architect. Students nowadays should therefore study these A Students Identity periods as well. One of the reason for this is because Märkli thinks the younger In the book Märkli: Chair of Architecture at the ETH Zurich generation of architects are less politically engaged. Märkli 2002-2015 made by one of his assistants[22] at the ETH who explains this saying “today, everything has become a lot more later worked for Märkli, we notice projects ranging from the homogenous, the parties adept their manifestos to keep voters”. temples of the ancient Greeks and Egypt, to projects alongside Th is generation must accomplish a lot more “to realize there are Canal Grande in Venice, relating to the works of Palladio. diff erent possibilities for life and social forms”[25]. Since borders are dissolving in a globalist world, Märkli’s last During his teaching studio, Märkli ask his students fundamental advice to students of architecture is to recognize that it is questions such as “[…]what is white, or red - and which red important to maintain one’s personal identity which is formed - and what does this red mean for your building?”[23] Th ese within a specifi c culture: questions are somewhere between fi ne art and architectural geometry and are concerned with the architectural expression of “I observe things but I am me, the way I am - and a building. According to Märkli, these basic abstract things are when I’m in Portugal I look around, but I’m still somewhat forgotten in contemporary architectural education me. I can’t be like those Dutch, who will analyse which is noticeable in graduation students nowadays he says: Spain in a week and then develop projects out of the data - insisting that it’s correct. For me that’s totally unacceptable. I have lived together with some people 21 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012 22 Imoberdorf, 2016 24 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012, pp. 6-7 23 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012, p. 6 25 Märkli, History, Typology, Invention - March 2010, pp. 274-275
19 for a long time and I still don’t know them precisely. Th ey still have secrets. Th is means that I have to assess the mood of the landscape in a more general way - and then I build something that is correct according to my judgement - but it will always come from me. I can never stand outside of myself.”[26]
So, if you are a in a graduation studio, with all these diff erent kinds of nationalities, it can never be that you build exactly the same as your fellow student, since you have been raised in diff erent cultures. Märkli advices students to start designing with these unique, personal emotions and to not to look in magazines too often and merely copy those things. Th at to me, seems like a great last piece of advice to start my graduation design.
26 Märkli, Architecture and Education - Interview 5, 2012, p. 7
20 INTERMEZZO: ALEX HERTER ON SCALE MODELS
MZ: Did you work with scale models in this project? If yes, was himself, but since we are with a lot of students now, we have a lot where I changed the structure on it, or the windows. Th at is not there anything Peter Markli really focused on? Do you still use any of man power to do this. Th ey then made big situation models, possible, you need a lot of employees if you want to do that, and of these techniques or approaches towards models? which was nice to have when you talk about the designs; it is I do not have that. better visible. AH: I can remember, indeed, that working with models was important but only for the volumetric situation, a small model. MZ: So later, in your own offi ce, and in his, you did not work on He was never much interested in interior models or fragments these large models? of a building where you can see the inside. And I can relate to that, because that takes a lot of work for something which is AH: Yes, we do make them. Th e bigger ones you see here, are quite small compared to the whole project. And as a student, for presentations or for when you are in a semester, you have to make sure that you have competitions instead of renderings. But to work with, in the the focus on the important things. To lose time, though it can process quite seldom. Mostly the effi ciency is the problem, it be good for someone of course, I also felt that you had to focus just takes too long; I therefore work with the small models only. on that what is important. Th e benefi t of small scale models is, For competitions here in Switzerland, we always have these that it does not take too much time and you can reduce to the white plaster models. When you enter a competition, fi rst thing important things. It is like an abstraction, not go into the details you get is the program and you get the model. And always, but make a disposition of the most important parts and then you have to turn one in. When you get it, the building site in you plus minus had it, in a way. But later, I was an assistant of the center is empty. When something stood there, it is already him, and I remember we had a similar topic on the mountain, taken out. And in the end, you have to turn one it. Th en the again with this ski lift and we made this huge plaster models. jury has these posters with the plans hanging and the model is Th ree of them. We made a large base, this socket, and then right below. And each contestant turns in a model so they can the mountain on top of this. And then the students worked compare. Th e model is very important in these projects because on this model, not just with cardboard, but with a sort of clay it is part of what they see. You cannot just make the project and or plastiline which does not dry out, so you could come back plans, and then in the end think, now I have to make a model. a few days later and adjust it. Th at was quite a good way to Th at’s too late. Having this model is sculpture their design. You have to imagine that the base model a good way to develop the project for the urban spatial they made was very dimensions. So I always work with these models and I try to large but their model was only 3 centimeters or so, and they make everything I put in there in such a state that I can turn could place it anywhere they wanted so you could see what all them in, in the end. I bring my version to the model maker, and these diff erent settings meant in a spatial way; you saw your he makes the same in plaster, since in the end, everything in this model in a sculptural way. We did also made big models in model needs to be made with this material. Apart from these the studio. Peter Markli always said that he did not do this for competitions, I can’t remember that I ever made a big model
21 2.1 PLAN & FACADE
IN THIS PARAGRAPH WE WILL 2.1.1 HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE DISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIERARCHY IN PETER MARKLI’S DESIGNS REGARDING THE FLOOR Rudolf Olgiati introduced the young student Peter Märkli to PLAN AND THE CORRESPONDING the antiquity and the Palladian renaissance. Th ese buildings FACADES. “HIERARCHY” HERE, express a clear hierarchy in their fl oor plan and corresponding IS THE ARTICULATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OR SIGNIFICANCE facades. Th e most representative facade was often that side OF SPACE BY ITS SIZE, SHAPE, OR of the building where one entered and it usually met the PLACEMENT RELATIVE TO THE classical standards: the entrance in the centre, imposing facade OTHER SPACES OF THE DESIGN. proportions and overall symmetry (fi gure 14). As a result, the aesthetic challenge seems to lie in how the architect connects the four facades of the volume while still reacting diff erently to the context on each side and without losing the sense unity in the design.
A similar challenge holds for the fl oor plan; which spaces are lower in the hierarchy ladder and how does this eff ect the organization of the plan? Aren’t all spaces imporant for the design to function? After all, renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti used to say that beauty “is the result of a beautiful shape and of the harmony between the whole and the parts, between the parts and then again between the parts and the whole as if “As we will see, the [1] the building is a complete, well functioning body [...]” unity of the block and I decided to take the historical reference to Palladio as a starting the hierarchy of facades point to look at Märkli’s early approach towards hierarchization. is an important theme As we will see, the unity of the block and the hierarchy of in Markli’s projects and facades is an important theme in Markli’s projects and clearly clearly developed over developed over time. time” 1 Wittkower 1996
22 INTERMEZZO: EXAMPLE BY ALEX HERTER
In our interview with an apprentice of Peter Märkli, Herter described a project in Pontresina (CH) (fi gure 13,14). Th e project was part of a master plan designed by Peter Märkli, but three of his employees were assigned to design diff erent housing projects within the master plan. Alex Herter was one of them.
Herter described his visitation to a project by Palladio; the PALAZZO THIENE BONIN LONGARE in Vicenza (fi gure 11,12). Here, the facades reacts quite diff erently to the context on each of the facades while still trying to maintain the unity of the whole. Th is Palladian design is one of the most extreme examples of hierarchization in facades; the facade on the public square-side is very ‘mural’ while the entrance facade at the back completely opens up to the visitor. One can doubt if the diff erence in facades might be too abrupt losing its overall unity. Th ere are Figure 10: Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare by Andrea Palladio, 1572, Sqaure facade however other building of Palladio where the unity of the block (left) might be more elegant. Figure 11: Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare by Andrea Palladio, 1572, entrance facade Herter applied a similar strategy in the Pontresina project. (right) Read more on this project in the transcription of the interview in the appendix.
Figure 12: Project in Pontresina by Alex Figure 13: Project in Pontresina by Alex Herter (side facade, left) Herter (main facade, right)
23 Figure 15: Analysis 2 - Schematic plan and facade of Markli’s project in Mels, Figure 14: Analysis 1 - Schematic diagram 1979 of Palladian Floor plans by project
24 INTERMEZZO: ELLI MOSAYEBI ON CONTEXT & CONCEPT
EM: [...] And what also played a role in our understanding was have a certain kind of openness to you. And Kolhoff was very the context. Context and concepts are not overlapping: concept famous at my time at least that he really want what he wants tries to be very formal, clear and abstract, context is always dirty and that is closed. It is not entirely true in retrospective but in and never ideal. You always have to put you concept in this place my perspective as a student I felt that way. where nothing matches and modify it so it becomes a project. Going back to the question where this strong idea of concept For example Peter Markli who was later not like that anymore, comes from maybe look at this idea of rational architecture, the it was his fi rst year as a professor there, so it was very interesting typology and the idea of type as a clear idea of project. Palladio and opened. He didn’t know what he want so he of was curious villa is a type, you have this 9 spaces in a symmetrical way. Th is to see how do you develop things. And of course he is a guy who idea of concepts has something to do with that. is extremely charismatic and he puts his students in hypnosis. He already had it at the beginning later on it even became stronger. Next to the concept is the idea how to deal with the context, Th e topics were already clear, there were topics of facade, the because you are very rarely in the situation where context is fl oor-plan as a layer which is extremely important. What we clear. Very often you are in situations where you don’t have do in the offi ce with the beauty of the fl oor plan is infl uenced anything, a periphery situation with few trees and you suff er by Peter Markli. Th ese teaching they were really present, also as an architect because you don’t know where you can get you Jacque Herzog and Pierre de Meuron they really came weekly images and your references from. to the studio. You wouldn’t talk to them really weekly but they were around so they were walking between the students and At the ETH it is still like that, you choose with whom you looking at plans if you wanted to. [...] would like to study. Th e fi rst year it was clear, we had Andre Deplazes and Marc Angélil, and in the second year we could TVDS: Could you remember what did you learn from those projects choose. A visiting proff er at that time was then Christoph with Peter Markli? Luchsinger only for a year, who was very much kind of the same generation as Meili, I think he also had studied Rossi. [...] EM: Yes it was very much about facade, about certain He was interested in urban questions and he studied context. materials he prefers. Also the beauty of the fl oor plan. But it was Th en we had the traineeship and I was in the offi ce of Barth very sort of banal in a certain way. It was not about lets the view and Deplazes and then I came back and I was studying with of architecture into your fl oor plan but about what solution Herzog de Meuron, Peter Markli and Dominique Perrault. In would be good. Sometimes the answer was very pragmatic and this semesters the studios were like you really follow his masters. sometimes we came with something which was very surprising. You enter the world of your master and fi nd out how would he But it was very open and it was a dialogue and as a student you design his things. It was very close but not so close at Kolhoff appreciate it very much [...]. at the same time here. It was my decision to go to teachers who
25 2.1.2 EARLY DESIGNS: SEARCHING FOR UNITY of the building. Th rough this massing, or “muralization” as Elli Mosayebi[3] from EMI architekten called it, we are reminded In the beginning, Märkli’s architectural means were still of the architecture of this teacher, Rudolf Olgiati (fi gure 19). limited[1]. He was mainly focused on the expression or Secondly, we can again see the resemblance with the Palladio representation of the building. For this research however, we are villas in the facade and corresponding plan. especially interested in these early designs since they can help us give an insight in the learning development of Peter Märkli.
Duplex house (Mels, 1979) 3 EMI Architekten, 2005 As a student, Peter Märkli got the chance to work on a duplex house in Mels (fi gure 16). Th e design shares many characteristics with Palladio’s fl oor plan designs. Th e DUPLEX HOUSE has a strict symmetrical structure, reminding us on the schemes of Palladio’s villas. Märkli cleverly uses the symmetric principle to order the shared entrance area for the two families. Th e stairs are only “Märkli cleverly uses accessible via the private dwellings and are conveniently pushed the symmetric principle inside both dwelling. Th ey are organizing the space just like in to order the shared Palladio’s villa’s but with a appropriate adjustment. In the corresponding facade, we recognize the columns. His entrance area for the two master Rudolf Olgiati uses a similar non-structural aesthetic, families. Th e stairs are designed to emphasize an important place of the duplex. More only accessible via the on this in paragraph 2.6 Ornament & Detail. private dwellings and are conveniently pushed inside Two Single Family Houses (Azmoos/Trubbach, 1982) both dwelling. Th ey are Th e TWO SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSES in Azmoos (fi gure 17,18), was Markli’s fi rst project as a architect. Like the Mels project the organizing the space just TWO SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSES are designed “premodern, almost in like in Palladio’s villa’s an archaic manner of building”[2], Märkli notes. He oriented the but with a appropriate buildings towards the garden whereas the ‘back facade’ is facing adjustment” the street. Th is is emphasized by both the color and the massing
1 Mostafavi 2002, p. 51 2 Mostafavi 2002, p. 12
Figure 16: Analysis 3 - Schematic plan and facade of Märkli’s project in Azmoos, 1982
26 Figure 17: Analysis 4 - Muralization and Hierarchy of facades, Peter Märkli in Azmoos (1987)
27 Figure 18: Analysis 5 - Muralization and Hierarchy of facades, project Haus Dr. Allemann by Rudolf Olgiati, 1968-69
28 INTERMEZZO: PETER MÄRKLI ON GEOMETRY
When studying Märkli’s work, it takes no brilliant observer to For the above reasons, Märkli rejected all the languages that see that Märkli only uses rectangular shapes for his buildings were too individual and formalistic. Th rough this way of with clear, readable proportions and hierarchy. Using an selecting, Markli learned which languages he should accept and other, round shape can be fulfi lling for a moment, “but in which he should not. And that is something Märkli wants to time, nobody is interested in that”[1], Märkli notes passionately teach the younger generation: that language is not arbitrary and irritated during his presentation on proportion. Märkli’s role that one should never privatized their personal language, since model Palladio reserved this shape exclusively for temples since “you then would just be doing something that nobody could it is the only geometrical shape which is singular, uniform, understand”[6] equal on all sides, closed and spatial.[2]. 6 Schevers en Herrenberg, 2012, 8m30s It is because of these characteristics, Märkli continues in his lecture, that he disgraces the fact that his Swiss colleague architect Mario Botta uses this shape to make a family house. According to Märkli it is “stupid in a higher sense”[3], to use the circular form for an individual house since all the societies who lived before us reserved that shape for very special social or religious occasions, such as the half circled apses around an altar in a Christian church.
To be able to explain and understand the characteristics of the circle so clear and to see what it meant for architecture is something Märkli learned from Olgiati who gave him “the key to the language”[4]; he taught Märkli the basics of geometry. Märkli learned that a buildings can never be too individual; meaning that it cannot limit the expression of its neighbouring buildings. For Märkli, it is important to understand that “in every period of time, it was possible to project an own feeling of life a still produce neighbourhoods”, he explains[5].
1 Video Märkli - Video lezione Peter Markli, 2007, 2m35s 2 Wittkower, 1996, p. 31 3 Video Märkli - Video lezione Peter Markli, 2007, 3m20s 4 Mostafavi 2002, p. 49 5 Märkli - Small Houses in Concrete, 2002, 7m30s
29 2.1.2 FACADE-SYSTEMS TO MAINTAIN THE WHOLE
Later on in Märkli’s projects, we can detect more uniform facades with regards to his private housing projects. An example of this is Märkli’s project in Azmoos, 2000 (fi gure 20) but started already in his project in Winterhur. Th e diff erences between the facades are much more refi ned while we can still detect a strict hierarchization of the fl oor plan; the intimate spaces of the house are located on the private, garden side of the house, protected as it where, by the service spaces.
One can still see the hierarchical diff erences between facades Figure 19: Analysis 6 - Hierarchy of but in a more subtle manner because of the overlayed color facades with uniting overlay-system, system. Other examples of this kind are the Single-family house Azmoos (2000) in Grabs (1995).
30 Public buildings: a relevant school design expression of being a public building which harmoniously is Last, I discuss a non-private building of Peter Märkli. In these part of the neighbourhood, while simultaneously repelling due projects, he prefers a more uniform appearance of the building to its public status. In (fi gure 21, 22, 23) you can see how - with due to it’s (semi-)public function. Th is was especially interesting the same system- Märkli achieves to create diff erent facades for me since in the second part this graduation, I will design a and thus reacting diff erently to the context without losing the school myself. expression of the whole, similar to his private housing projects. Th is overlay by the same system is something that is also present In the SCHOOL PROJECT IN OERLIKON (2000), Märkli has put all in his later housing projects will have seen. the public spaces on the ground fl oor on all facades resulting in a feeling of “both neutrality and uniformity, [and] the sense To conclude, Markli realized that with his strict view regarding of a public space”[1]. By treating all sides equally, the building hierarchization in the plan, his facades are losing their unity. acquires an independent quality where “the city does not As a counter balance again the interior hierachization, he uses encroach upon it”[2], Märkli notes. Th e building creates a dual a unifying system for the facades. Although Märkli let go of the very strict hierarchization, it never disappeared. He just Figure 20: Analysis 7 - Beams of Im Birch Schule, Oerlikon, Zurich by Peter Märkli 1 Mostafavi, 2002, p. 180 creatively refi ned it. (2000) 2 Mostafavi, 2002, p. 180
31 Figure 21: Analysis 8 - Different fill-in “A building has its own logic and stands in a town or in the of Im Birch Schule, Oerlikon, Zurich by Peter Märkli (2000) countryside. Depending on its site and orientation one side of the building will be its main side. Today’s generation are obsessed with creating buildings that are equal on all sides, all sides are equally important, but that’s not right. This only exists in special buildings like a baptistery for instance. In profane/ordinary buildings this simply isn’t the case.” [3]
3 Märkli, 2012, p.5
32
Figure 22: Excursion - Project visitation: Im Birch Schule by Peter Märkli, Zurich (CH)
Figure 23: Summary sketch: Azmoos 1982 (left), Sargans 1986 (middle), Trubbach 1988 (right)
36 SUMMARY
• It is important to understand what side of your building is considered the front-, side- and back of the building. Th is is true even for (semi-)public buildings which are often accessible from more than one side. • Th e treatment of these facades can be diff erent but one should not lose the sense of unity and the whole. • A good way to do this is e.g is using the same system for each facade with a diff erent fi ll-in. Each facade can thus be diff erent while using the same formwork, color pattern or facade construction e.g. • In housing projects privacy is very important and the fl oorplan of the house and its facades should represent this. One tends to make the relation with the public street to imporant in these type of buildings. • Ways to emphasize the boundary between the public and the private are hight diff erences and ‘muralization’ of the facade facing the street to create a subtile border between the two zones.
All the above is related to the design and placement of the service spaces. At all times, these spaces should be an integral part of the design instead of problems. Th ey can even be use to ‘solve’ the order within the plan. See paragraph 2.3 Order & Disorder
• Try to understand the meaning and characteristics of certain shapes and what these fi ndings mean for architectural design. • It is helpful to start the design with a rectangular shape and only adjust it when you have a good reason to do so. Don’t be to individual. • Special shapes, such as the circle should be avoided since these (historically speaking) are only used for buildings with an important social or religious purpose. • Breaking up shapes without losing the sense of the whole may have a positive eff ect on the perception of it, creating a tension for the eyes. (related to 2.3 Order & Disorder) • If the building has a rectangular shape, there is more room for disorder via other architectural means. Th e reverse also holds; when there is already an irregular shape (due to the context for example) it is usually a good idea to counter-balance it with ‘order’ on other characteristics of the building.
• Do not lose too much time with scale models. Only for the basic shape of your building on a small scale. Th ese models can be rough, fast and don´t have to be precise.
37 2.2 PROPORTION & SCALE
PROPORTION IS AN IMPORTANT 2.2.1 ELIMINATING THE ARBITRARY of the sides of the square with one of the perpendicular lines, “I researched Märkli´s PRINCIPLE IN ARCHITECTURE needed to construct the circle. WHICH CONNECTS proportion system quite It is no secret that one of Märkli’s role models in architecture MATHEMATICS WITH ART. excessively. In the end I IN SHORT, IT IS THE VISUAL was Andrea Palladio. What both architects have in common is I researched Märkli´s proportion system quite excessively (fi gure EFFECT OF MATHEMATICAL their shared interest in ancient architecture and their attempt came to the conclusion RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 24, 25, 26). In the end I came to the conclusion that it does not CERTAIN PARTS OR SPACES OF to revive, and transform ancient architectural aesthetics into a really matter which proportion system one uses, as long as all that it does not really THE BUILDING, EACH OTHER timeless quality and value. Th e basis to achieve this timelessness the parts use the same system. I reached this conclusion after my matter which proportion AND THE WHOLE seems to lie in the study of the use of proportion in architecture. conversations with Alex Herter. He really helped me to simplify system one uses, as long the concept of proportion systems. as all the parts use the Märkli studied proportion largely in his free time next to his In the end, the most important thing about proportion systems same system. I reached architecture studies. One of the reasons to use proportion is that they limit your measurements opties and therefore help system for Märkli is to eliminate the arbitrariness in the design you in giving exact dimensions to your building. this conclusion after my process. Secondly, using a proportion system makes sure that Simultaneously it makes sure that building parts are related to conversations with Alex the building parts relate to one another and to the whole since one another and to the whole. Herter [...]” all the parts share the same numerical principles of the system in use. “I did not know how to create the measure ... One of the answers was that you simply had to take 2.2.2 MASTERING PROPORTIONS a brick and not break it, then I said what kind of morale is that? Th at does not interest me , you can Märkli not only studied these proportion tools, but literally just make them smaller. Anyhow I did not get an made them his own. In his proportion lecture[1], Märkli graphically explains his own proportion system that is based on answer and I decided to study proportion next to my Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian man with that diff erence that in education. Because it always made me nervous when Märkli’s diagram, the two upper corners of the square touch the you had to make arbitrary decisions as if there were circle and not only the centre of the bottom side of the square[2]. endless variations. I looked for the exact values.” [3] Consequently, he achieves to bring both the golden section and 3 Schevers en Herrenberg, 2012 the Triangulum together in one diagram. Th e centre of the circle is exactly fi ve-eights above the downside of the square, approximating the golden section. A seven-eights proportion, equal to the Triangulum, is found on the intersection of one
1 Märkli, z.d. 2 Mostafavi 2002, p. 50
38 Figure 24: Analysis 9 - Self study to Figure 25: Analysis 10 - Study of Märkli’s understand Markli’s proportion system. proportion system on his facade in Left: the system. Right: Markli’s Azmoos Azmoos project 1982 INTERMEZZO: ALEX HERTER ON PROPORTION MZ: About that, I read that he said that, if you have something, for think, not at all so diffi cult. instance a proportion system, something strong, where you base your project on; when you give that to a contractor, to build this projects, Th e thing is, I think it is not really important which proportional something always goes wrong, someone will always do something system you use; the Golden Rule, or whatever. More important wrong. But because of the proportion system Peter Markli uses, this is that you realize that is a help for you in the way that is like a.. building will still be his project, the idea still stands. there are not so much possibilities anymore, it limits you. For me, I always connect it with music. When you have a guitar Yes that’s true. I think it is important to have ‘hierarchy’, I call and the string can we touched down every millimeter, but then it. You have a main idea.. it is like in these steps, you get always the sounds are bad. So, you have divisions where the sounds are closer to a certain detail. In the small thing it is possible to right. Th at is how geometry works too. I mean, of course you change, but the main idea remains the same. can’t compare it one to one, but it is a link you can make and What you said about proportions, is one thing I think which when you look at the history of architecture, like Palladio or so, is really a good way of keeping the main idea outside of what the geometry always tend to be basic and simple. And then you material means, or all these things which can change or are part take a fi rst start with a simple […] and then you add, or make of the ones for whom the project is, let’s say a one family house, a little shift in al way, but always in relation to the other thing. the owner. Th at maybe changes, but the proportions; it’s so simple in a way but if you keep hanging on to this, the main Th e word ‘relation’ here is actually the most important here, idea is safe. So you can always hold on to this. because with this ‘system’, or whatever you want to call it, ‘proportions’, ‘divisions’, this let’s you keep everything in TS: In an interview, Peter Markli mentions the importance of relation. I think that is the most important thing, and that is proportion and states that everyone who starts working at the offi ce something which is bigger than your project. I think that that needs, at some time, learn this proportion system he invented for is the basis of architecture; that everything has to be related in a himself, where everything ends up as a multiply of ‘eights’. Was this way. It is actually what life, or a city should be. Th ings should be also the case when you started to work for Peter Markli? Do you still in relation with each other. And how do you achieve this? Th ere use it for example? are many ways, but when you have plans to make, then you need measurements. Of course one can says that in the decimal AH: Yes, I still use it, very much. But it is not like you come in system everything is related to and then you have to make a sort of test and then you can start each other but the steps are so, so small, that it would take for working there. No. When he makes projects, he comes with every to fi nd the right plans he did himself and the main dimensions are already set in position. So you make it easier in a way, to just pick out certain his plans. So then you just go fi ner, but the main proportions basic […], I don’t like the word but, ‘grid’, is a way to look at are set by his numbers. And with this proportion system it is I it even though it has been used sometimes in a negative way
40 because in the end it should not be what comes to your mind. very orthogonal, rectangular. Also in you work, this seems the case. engineer-like it is somehow possible. Why do you think he chooses for this form? I mean, architecture is always related to geometry and systems and so, that is nothing new or special. It is more that you fi nd, AH: Yes. It is the normal case, the standard […] it is the like a way to work with this, that is the important thing. It is beginning, the most basic thing. Everything what diff ers from not a means of expressing in a technical or in an esthetical way it, is special or needs explanation, a reason for it. And of course to show, I don’t know, this ‘rationalism’. It is not at all that. there are many sites in the city, there are always reason why the city looks like it is. If you look at it historically why this is, the TS: Peter Markli have often mentioned that has always searched for topography, or older structures. Th ere is always a reason for it. the ‘grammatik’ of architecture and proportional systems are often It is never a free idea of someone. related to fi nd a sort of ‘universal language’, since a circle is a circle So it is the starting point, and often there is no need to go further everywhere. So for you, is it also about fi nding a universal language because it is just all it takes. Which does not mean that it is not in some way? Or even true ‘beauty’, like the Golden Ration implies? possible to, sometimes […]. Sometimes you need to search for Do you believe in the use of proportions in this kind of way? a other direction or shape, but that is not the beginning. It is something which needs to evolve. AH: I think so, yes. I do. Th ere was this time where people thought that the whole universe was based on mathematical BW: It also seems to have to do with the signature of an architect in proportions. I mean, it is a way to look at it. It is not so bad some cases. On our way to this place, we stopped at the Stadelhofen I think. It can explain many things in a way, or give sense to railway station, designed by Calatrava. many things. But the problem with it is, one should not look AH: Well, that is an interesting example for me. Because in that at it as an expression of a technical or rationalized society or case, it is harmonious and it is, it has it’s right, I think. In many whatever. It is more like a tool, a tool that you use. When you other cases you look at it and you think it is more formalistic but make music, you don’t think about these things anymore, but in this case, the basic structure of this railway station was given. you should know where it comes from, what the laws behind Th e slight curve was given from the site and how he developed it are. In the best case, they actually disappear. But they are this. Of course he is also an engineer and he likes this sort of, behind it, they are like the bones which hold the thing together organic fl ow. But in that case, I think it is really, I must say, well in a way. done. It looks somehow, natural in a way, when you look at the site. It is not a building, in a way, it is a structure which is built Boaz van der Wal: In the last couple decades, these universal rules or into this hill side, this terrace thing. He did the same thing systems are often being questioned in architecture. Internationally, with this pillar for a row house, a single family houses that was you see a lot of free form architecture for example. I don’t know Peter terrible. It has no justifi cation, except for formalistic reasons. Markli’s work as good as you guys do, but he makes his buildings Th at is, what I think is sad. But in many cases, when it is more
41 SCALE IN THIS PARAGRAPH IS DEFINED AS THE SIZING OF ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS (E.G. A COLUMN IN A FACADE) DEPENDENT ON THE LEVEL OF EXPOSURE TO THE CONTEXT
2.2.3 SCALE: URBAN PROPORTIONS Th us, the column is used as a visual densifi er. Th is is the reason “Th is is the reason why why Olgiati argues to use a “gender-column” in areas where the Th e issue here is, how to react with your building on the Olgiati argues to use a environment has a strong infl uence on the building; the more “gender-column” in areas transition between the public and (semi-)private sphere. Th is open or exposed the house lies in its environment, the thicker has to do with privacy, visual perception and the making of the column must be. To further clear the idea of scale, Peter where the environment ‘place’ as we will later understand. In this paragraph we will use has a strong infl uence on Märkli himself explains it through the exmaple of the GREEK the column, the building block and the transition between the the building; the more TEMPLE (fi gure 29): public and the private to explain the use of scale. open or exposed the house As mentioned in the introduction, Märkli mainly learned the “Columns are not possible when the house for the God is in the lies in its environment, essence of the column through his conversations with Olgiati. middle of the city. The idea of the column is to orient the temple the thicker the column According to Olgiati the shaft (dutch transl. ‘zuil’), is an optical in an enormous room”[2] must be” tool in his architecture; something for the eye - where the whole Greek-Classic architecture is based upon. To explain to us that 2 Johnston, 2017, p.11 in this period, the columns did not exclusively had a structural function, Olgiati uses the example of the ERECHTHEION in Athens:
“If the columns here only had to function as structural, then they would not have used the figure of a women”`[1]
1 (Riederer 2004)
42 INTERMEZZO: ALEX HERTER ON SCALE
TS: When you say he made you focus on certain topics when you talked about your project, can you give an example of such a topic in the project you attended with Peter Markli?
AH: In that semester, the project was on the mountain top, where you arrive at a certain station with a hotel and restaurant, in the canton of Valais in the south of Switzerland. Th erefore, the landscape was the main theme. Th e building was alone in this landscape and how do you react on this. You have this typography of the mountain which was given, but then you have this much bigger context and what does your little building have to do with this whole mountain? Th at was quite new for me. At that time, I was never able to look at a context like that. And then, he encouraged you, spatially, to look at your roject; that was one of the main topics, I remember. And of course the volume of the building. In this project it was quit special because you had this outside terrace with the restaurant and it was rather diffi cult to place the building here since you nearly had no horizontal plain and the volume for the station was relatively big. Another topic was of course the proportions. How do you make a window? Th e building was in the landscape, not in an urban environment, so what is your façade? What does it have to do with the surroundings? And the window, how Figure 26: Sketch: Explanatory sketch does it sit in the volume? What are its dimensions? Th is was about the scaling principle completely new thinking for me in a way at the time.
Figure 27: Sketch: “Gender columns” by Olgiati and Märkli. from left to right: Erechtheion, olgiati’s columns at casa radulff, peter märkli’s column at im gut housing, märkli’s column at the winary in Cave Bec
43 INTERMEZZO: ELLI MOSAYEBI ON PROPORTION & PETER MÄRKLI MZ: How was working with Peter Markli? How was it to fi rst have really interesting young offi ces because they learn how to think. really is an own character with an own charisma and it’s great him as teacher and then work with him, how does what he teaches that we have him. I really appreciate his architecture and his at university diff ers from his practice? MZ: Could you point out any particular thing that you learned language a lot nevertheless its not repetitive, its something that from Peter Markli and you use in everyday work? stands for itself. EM: He has his separate atelier and he visits the offi ce and when he comes everyone puts his belief in him. So he visits the offi ce EM: Th e beauty of the fl oor plan that was something that started and you have this discussions and he always knows what is good with him as a teacher. I remember things like the beauty of the or what is bad in architecture so being an employee you are fl oor plan and the beauty of the sketch. Th e way he sketched exposed to that and you always work out his ideas. out something. Th is things that stick into your head. Going away from a strong concept into a beautiful space, that’s also TVDS: We have heard for example that when you work for him something he gave us. Or the proportions of the facade, and the fi rst thing to know is to learn the proportion system. Did you how classical the facade could be with the sickle and the middle experience this? and so on. Th ese are very general topics, and in the end he just mentioned them and developed in his own offi ce. EM: For me he didn’t explain any proportional system, of course I knew them before but I didn’t use them in the drawings. I TVDS: What do you think about his architecture? remember the moment the other employees realised then nothing that I drew was in the proportional system and the EM: I think its extremely important. He claims that he brought shock in their eyes.. I didn’t know it was mandatory because he language back to the architecture and I can understand it to didn’t tell me. Valerio Olgiati, Peter Zumthor and Peter Markli a certain point, but to some point you also think that he is are those 3 big names who don’t let you free yourself from their just to heavy sometimes. He would never make fun of his own methods and you became a small copy of them. And you are project. Even Zumthor is more funny, Peter is another league. not taken seriously because you are never as good as the master. He is not really self ironic. Even Zumthor laughs sometimes, not Peter. Privately he is a funny guy, the funnies is Olgiati. But If you look at offi ces like Meili Peter, which are similarly he suff ered in his life, he started from nothing, he only had his important but maybe not that obvious, those are the offi ces ideas and his pencil and he invented himself. He really is an which bring young architects to be successful on they own artist, a true artist. He sees himself as an artist. He invented his therms. Th ats because they have this kind of intellectual own fi gure and didn’t inherit anything. He had his two master approach, their thinking is very broad, whereas this masters in persons of Rudolf Olgiati and Hans Josepsohn and they were think for themselves but intellectually they don’t discuss with extremely formative on his person but he invented himself there employees and that is the reason you cannot be part of the though them. He always wanted to be out of the system, he discourse. On the contrary the offi ce of Meili Peter, they bring never was in the system. He refuses to do certain things, he
44 2.2.4 SCALING THE COLUMN
Th at these discussions between Olgiati and Märkli about the scale of the columns had an large impact on the student Märkli is an understatement. In Märkli’s fi rst project, when he still was a student, Märkli designed a DUPLEX HOUSE in Mels (1979) Figure 28: Excusion: Im Gut Housing by Peter Märkli. where he used the column of his ‘role model’ Olgiati (fi gure 16); “they are still his columns”[1], Märkli recalls later. Six years later, Märkli was stunned when he saw Villa Valmerana of Palladio on a study trip, seeing that this Villa had a lot of similarities with his design. Figure 29: Winery Cave Bec by Peter Märkli Th e setting of the temple, placed in “an enormous room”, is similar to the setting of Märkli’s design of the WINERY in Cave Bec (fi gure 30,31,32) in Switzerland. Th e columns are meant to be seen from a great, great distance and are of at least a meter wide. An interesting comparison between the dimensions of these columns I noticed when visiting his APARTMENTS IM GUT, Zurich (fi gure 29). Here, the environment has a much smaller impact on the buildings entrance and thus the column can have smaller dimensions.
1 About Drawings and References, 2014
45 Figure 30: Analysis 11 - Situation plan, Winary Fin Bec by Peter Markli
46 Figure 31: Analaysis 12 - Front Facade column width in ‘big room’, Winary Fin Bec by Peter Markli
47 2.2.4 SCALING THE VOLUME
Another type of scaling, apart from columns, we can detect when we look at the building block as a whole. As with the column, the principle works the same.
Th is is especially noticeable in the IM GUT apartments I visited “Like the Greek Temple, in 2016. Here Märkli pulled of a smart little trick with the fl oor the block - as a whole - plan of the apartments: the living room is given an opening operates in a large room, in the facade from wall to wall as is the room next to it that and its rhythmic scale is is pushed out in of the block. A similar thing happens on the given by the push-outs, street side, next to the kitchen. Like the GREEK TEMPLE, the block - as a whole - operates in a large room, and its rhythmic scale the enormous columns so is given by the push-outs, the enormous columns so to speak. to speak.” A similar thing happens in Märkli’s headquarters for SYNTHESIS in Solothurn.
Figure 33: Analysis 14 - Im Gut Housing. 3D scaling scheme of the volume through Figure 32: Analaysis 13 - Im Gut floor plan design. Dark red rooms are Housing. 3D scaling scheme of the mirrored and repeated along the length of volume through floor plan design. the building
Figure 34: Summary - Vitruvian man (left), proportion system by Peter Märkli, without proprtion system (right)
50 SUMMARY
• Th e proportion of a building might be considered as the most important tool for the architect. Th e idea is that measurements of diff erent architectural elements need to related to each other in order to maintain a certain sense of ‘wholeness’ or unity. Th is can - in a sense - be any tool. • To determine the basic module of the Markli’s proportion system, one (simply put) roughly determines the height of the building and divide this by 8 to approximate the Golden Setion. Th at number will be the grid module. • Since these proportion have a lot to do with the experienced dimensions of the building, one should start with the section of the building and apply the proportions one determined earlier.
• Columns need to be scaled according to their context. In general: the greater the impact of the context on the building, the thicker the columns need to be. Th is correlates to privacy and therefore is not only is the case for the column, but also the size of openings. • Columns can also serve an aesthetic purpose instead of an structural one. A column can e.g. emphasize a “place” with a special relation between the inside and the outside. • Th e transition from the public scale to the private scale needs to be a gradual experience - guiding the visitor. Th is has its consequences on the design of the area where on enters the building in sense of proportion and materialization.
51 2.3 ORDER & DISORDER
ORDER AS USED IN THIS Now this is by far the most interesting topic of the research in Disorder of the volume PARAGRAPH MEANS AN IDEAL MATHEMATICAL FORMS IN 2D my opinion that really changed my mind on the principle of A relatively easy example to understand the balance between (E.G. A LINE, A CIRCLE) AND order in architecture. Th rough the work of Märkli, I especially order and disorder is present in Märkli’s apartment building in IDEAL RELATIONSHIPS (E.G. was surprised by the apparent necessity of disorder. Brig (fi gure X). Because the context did not allow a rectangular SYMMETRY, PERPENDICULARITY, RHYTHM ETC.) DISORDER IN THIS We have already seen that order is a important aspect of Märkli’s shape, Märkli chose to balance the irregular shape of the volume PARAGRAPH IS THE DISRUPTION projects but the more I understood his methods, the more I with a orderly facade grid. “To off set the complexity of the THEREOF. discovered that disorder is just as important as the ordering form”[1], Märkli only used one type of window except for the principle - if not more important. balcony. Even at the entrance area of the apartments (where one might have a good reason to choose a diff erent shape for Apart from connecting the various parts with the whole the window) Märkli continued the window grid, choosing order (harmony) or ascetically connecting the wing aisle of the church above disorder. “We have already seen to the middle aisle of the church e.g., order was dominating in that order is a important classical architecture; as far as my knowledge goes, deliberate A similar example of this scale would be the PROJECT IN GRABS. disorder was hardly present. Here, Märkli designed a rectangular volume where two of the aspect of Märkli’s projects corners are less that ninety degree, dismantling the overall square but the more I understood Th rough Rudolf Olgiati, Märkli learned the importance of and “correspondingly, the terrace is not a consistent width his methods, the more I disorder, representing something interesting for the eye of the around its two sides”. Although he does not exactly explain he discovered that disorder observer. Th e balance between order and disorder is perhaps did this, I am sure it is because of the same underlying idea; is just as important as the best described by Mohsen Mostafavi, the editor of his Märkli’s tension between the (platonic) ideal and the imperfection. ordering principle - if not fi rst book called “Approximations”: (fi gure X). more important.” [...]the way in which Peter Märkli works is always, in a sense, trying to approach some version, if you 1 Mostafavi, 2002, p.135 like, of the concept of the ideal, of ideality, and deliberately not achieving it. Not to try and do things that essentially are perfect.”[1]
In this paragraph we will discuss three types of disorder present in Märkli’s work. Disorder of the volume, in the facade and in the plan.
1 Märkli, 2018
52 Disorder in the facade More deliberate examples of implementing disorder in Märkli’s design is his entrance facade of the FAMILY HOUSE IN WINTERHUR
Figure 35: Analysis 15 - Plan and facade (Figure 36). Here, the artwork of good friend and tutor Hans of the Brig Apartments by Peter Märkli Josephson ‘completes’ the facade. Th e relief counter balances the window on the other side of the door, and “without the relief, the facade would work”[1]. A related example of dissymmetry is applied in the passway of LA CONGIUNTA, the building Märkli designed for the sculptures of Hans Josephson. Figure 36: Analysis 16 - Floor plan of the Family house Grabs by Peter wMarkli A diff erent type of disorder one can recognize in Markli’s NOVARTIS building where he deliberately leaves out the centre column of the entrance facade to leave open the ‘exact middle’ (Figure 37). A similar tactic we have seen in one of Märkli’s fi rst PROJECT IN AZMOOS with the columns of the garden facade.
1 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p.89
53 Figure 37: Analysis 17 -Example of Order & Disorder by Peter Markli. Entrance facade of familyhouse Winterhur
Figure 38: Analysis 18 - Redraw of the entrance facade of Markli’s Novartis building in Basel, Switzerland to understand the proportion system.
54 Disorder in the plan While I cannot discuss all examples, I do want to mention a similar tactics Märkli uses during his interior designs process. “..it seems Märkli realizes Studying his projects, it seems Märkli realizes that his strict that his strict geometrical geometrical fl oor plans and facades, embedded in strict proportional systems, call for a counterbalance in some sort, fl oor plans and facades, certain tension between the ordered and the disordered. For the embedded in strict interior, Märkli mostly uses three ways to accomplish this: by proportional systems, call color, furniture or through materials. for a counterbalance in some sort, certain tension A good example to explain the above three methods is the between the ordered and SYNTHESIS OFFICE BUILDING in Solothurn. Here, Markli organizes the offi ces by using the service spaces as a ordering and dividing the disordered.” element while connecting them by placing them along side a long interior avenue. To counter balance this simple but practical design, Märkli designed a carpet pattern that crosses the space diagonally with several colours and geometrical shapes. On top Figure 39: Analysis 19 - The role of of that, he places the furniture in an slight organic manner, disorder in Synthesis Headquaters detaching the interior from the ordering structure of the plan.
Another example I encountered in the HOTELFACHSCHULE where Märkli used a oval, wooden bar as the balancing object in the voyer.
55 56
Figure 40: Summary 2.3 Doorsketch in relation to formwork: door in formwork pattern (left), doorsketch based on Peter Märkli’s Museo La Congiunta (middle), no relation to formwork (right)
58 SUMMARY
• Start designing with an orderly approach on the largest scale. How can your building bring order in the urban environment? • If the volume - due to circumstances - is too disordered, try to balance this disorder with ordering elements. Balance is the key. • You can use service spaces to order the plan of the building instead of seeing them as a problem. Don’t design them in the last stages but let them be an integral part of the plan. • After applying the ordering systems on a building scale, see if you can balance this (often strict) ordering system with disordering elements on other levels of the design. Of course without losing the order. • Disorder on a building scale is usually not a good idea. Th us, proportion and construction are often the backbone of the design. • Disordering elements in the design thus can (and should) be ‘secondary’ (volumes) and can detached themselves from the overall ordering grid or proportion . Continue this approach of disordering on the scale of materialization and ornament until the correct balance is found.
59 2.4 MATERIALS
In this paragraph I tried to create an overall image of Märkli’s thoughts on materiality through an essay describing my project visit of Markli’s HOTELFACHSCHULE in Zurich. Important themes in Markli’s work regarding materials seem to be concerned with a thematized repetition of the same material throughout the building in diff erent manners and the layering; exposing the true nature of the material and how they are attached. Th ese are all seen in the HOTELFACHSCHULE. spacial boundaries: the overlap of wall- and fl oor surface.
I want to end this paragraph with the theme public and private by have a closer look to the NOVARTIS building.
60 INTERMEZZO: A SHORT ESSAY ON MARKLI’S HOTELFACHSCHULE
PROJECT VISIT: Th e sober geometry of the exterior continues onwards and Hard stone black cladding is not only applied on walls and HOTELFACHSCHULE ZURICH manifests itself in the interior. Besides the form work, tiles, columns surrounding the hallway but also on the balusters of plating and cladding; combinations of squares and rectangles the spacious stairs making them feel as one. Märkli could have can be found in small details like armatures, wall-plugs and chosen for black plating, paint or stucco however he managed pieces of furniture. to use expensive black hard stone tiles with diff erent widths and patterns which gives the hallway a roughness and distinctiveness Spacious central hallways on the diff erent fl oors give access to that could otherwise have not been achieved. On other places, various class rooms. Th e concrete structure with all its edges, with less importance, the hard stone is only functioning as a ridges and supporting beams is painted white. For mostly plinth. Not covering the whole wall from top to bottom. functional and some cases aesthetic purposes this naked concrete body is covered with materials to defi ne space: chic Red carpet Additionally acoustic plates are mounted on the ceiling and on the fl oors, costly black slated hard stone for important walls have a similar roughness and speak the same language: Th e and neatly detailed wooden pieces of furniture gives the interior language of ‘textured layeredness’ one could say. Th e fl oors are meaning with a touch of durability and classiness. covered with red carpet, that not only works acoustically well but also adds a soft and comfortable colored layer which is able to break the white and black of all that is not ‘fl oor’. Th e only curved lines can be seen in pieces of furniture however more prominent are their exposed layers of wood, which can also be seen in the timber fl oors in the basements restaurant.
Märkli seems to be looking to expose materials and their textures: the hard stone black tiles, de ceiling plates, the timber fl oor, the lightning armatures and the pieces of furniture. All of them expose their origins, their ‘natureness’, their imperfections, their roughness. By ordering them in the way he does he seems to expose the ongoing war between architecture and its pursuit of abstraction and perfection. On the white painted naked concrete structure he adds a layer of nakedness, of honesty, of temporality.
Figure 41: Excusion: - Hotelfachschule, Zurich by Peter Markli
61 Figure 42: Excursion: Hotelfachschule, Zurich by Peter Markli, exterior
62 Spacial boundaries When it comes to color and material, Märkli does not shy away from learning from other professions. Th e overlap of wall and ceiling or fl oor and wall mentioned in the essay, Märkli picked up from Frence artist Henri Matisse: Figure 43: Painting by Henri Matisse Le Peintre dans son atelier, 1917 “He applies the color black all over - over the walls, over the fl oor, independent of the room construction - so the colour becomes two-dimensional. Th is element of black struck me as so radical. When I sa it I understood that we are also free to do this in our profession: we can carry the material over “One could say that these diff erent surfaces to make a space in which the the traditional way of ceiling is not only ceiling, the wall is not only a wall, applying this principle of the fl oor is not only a fl oor.” materiality would be to conform to the boundaries Th is technique is applied in the HOTELFACHSCHULE I visited, but of the space, while the also in the SYNTHESIS building in Solothurn in a more radical progressive attitude way. One could say that the traditional way of applying this principle of materiality would be to conform to the boundaries would be to dismiss these of the space, while the progressive attitude would be to dismiss boundaries” these boundaries.
63 Public & Private
Märkli rarely chooses a material for a specifi c structural reason. Mostly, materials are chosen with a certain theme in mind; a concept that is applied throughout the whole building as written in the HOTELFACHSCHULE essay.
I want to briefl y continue on this theme by highlighting diff erence in the public and the private zone in Märkli’s NOVARTIS building in Basel. Here, Märkli gives the offi ce a warm, formal appearance choosing wood as the main interior material for the columns and ceilings, while the offi ce fl oors have a black “Gradually, the visitor is Figure 46: Schemetic images of the carpet fi nish. On the entrance fl oor however, Markli applies an stylobate, the third step of the crepidoma guided from the public to where the columns of a greek temple are expensive marble on the fl oors and columns. placed upon. Furthermore, it is interesting that the whole building is slightly the private.” lifted on a one-step podium of a grey-ish stone. Th is material continues underneath the colonnade and changes into the marble fi nish when one enters the building. Gradually, the visitor is guided from the public to the private.
Figure 44: Analysis 20 - Section of Figure 45: Analysis 21 - Section of Novartis office building. Disfferences in Novartis office building. Difference in materials applied on ceilig and columns on atrium size entrance floor and office floors entrance level and offices. (top)
64 Th e Stylobate
Last, I want to mention the idea of the Greek stylobate that Th e other application of this concept of the stylobate can be interest Peter Märkli (Figure 48). Märkli translated the idea of found in his more recent NOVARTIS building. Here, the expensive the Greek temple most clearly in his apartment in his family entrance fl oor is supposed to ‘mentally’ raise the visitor - house in ERLENBACH (1997) (Figure 47) which is a mixture of according to Märkli - due to its materiality, the white marble. the platform method and the regular wall-method. Th ereof he (Figure 46) says the following:
“When you build a house I think that the primary task is to define a special element in relation to the environment, whether it is in the city or the landscape. You can do this by building an enclosure and saying, herein lies the ‘treasure’ the heart of the house. But the other possibility, perhaps the more refined approach, is to define the element with platforms.”[1]
1 Brändle, Märkli, Meili, & Mohsen, 2002, p.143 Figure 47: Family house, Erlenbach by Figure 48: Family house, Erlenbach by Peter Markli (1997). 3D view Peter Markli (1997). Front view
“Märkli translated the idea of the Greek temple most clearly in his apartment in his family house in ERLENBACH which is a mixture of the platform method and the regular wall-method.”
65 Figure 49: Summary 2.5 - Floor, wall, ceiling materials: tradditional (left), Peter Markli’s synthesis building (middle, left), Peter Markli’s HotelFachschule (middle, right), modern museum (top,right), modern stripped coffee bar (right, bottom)
66 SUMMARY
• It is important to not only determine the material depending on what is locally available, but also look at what material fi ts the surroundings of the building. • One tends to use separate materials for the fl oor and walls in a building. It is possible merge these two by overlapping them. Investigate if this can be useful for your design. Again, balance is key. • Material is something which is also important in other professions or languages such as painting or interior design. One should learn from disciplines. • One should try to achieve an overall unity in the materials and color of the whole building. • Th is unity can be achieved by using the same material which diff erent fi nishes and by making a material and color ‘palette’ so to speak - as a concept for the whole building. • Be ‘honest’ in applying the material. Show (to the visitor) how the material is attached to the underlaying surface. In this way it is clearly readable for the eye and the experience. • Special elements in the room (e.g. furniture) can stand out by giving them a diff erent material, of course without disrupting the overall unity.
67 2.5 COLOR
COLOUR APPLIED IN ARCHITECTURAL IS HERE MEANT AS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER ONTO A CERTAIN BUILDING MATERIAL.
Understanding color As we know by now, Peter Märkli learns the architectural language from a variety of sources. With regards to color, he learns a lot from painters who are - after all - masters when it comes to working with colour. Märkli thinks architects can (and “Märkli thinks architects should) learn from them by studying paintings from great artist can (and should) learn or artist you like. At least try fi gure out and defi ne why you are from them by studying attracted to a certain painting. Compared to these painters, we often “speak like Barbarians”, Märkli: paintings from great artist or artist you like. At least “White, red, blue. Th at’s nothing. If one doesn’t see try fi gure out and defi ne the diff erences between a cold white and a warm why you are attracted to a white then we have to talk about this - we have to certain painting.” engage at this basic level somewhere between fi ne art and architectural geometry.”[1]
In this paragraph I will solely discuss the color white and red since they relate most to Märkli’s work. I will also make some remarks on colours that are neutral according to Märkli. In sum, Märkli wants us to be more precise in our use of color by thinking in color shades and why that type of shade should be used in a specifi c situations.
1 Märkli, 2012
68 INTERMEZZO: THE COLOR WHITE
Th e color white in the modernist sense has a wide meaning. It has the purpose of representing health and hygiene[1] and also traces back to religious architecture where it relates to the idea that the “purity and simplicity of the color […] pleased God the most”[2]. Palladio elaborated on this by mentioning that nothing in the temple “should distract the human spirit in the beholding of the divine”[3]. Th e color white does precisely that by it’s absence or lack of color one could say.
Our person of interest Peter Märkli touches upon the color white in discussing artist Pierre Bonnard in his interview with Samuel Penn:
“For instance, here in Switzerland I always need to use red instead of ochre - ochre is always too weak for our light. And white, if you know the paintings of Pierre Bonnard which show these interiors with women bathing there are infi nite sum of whites, and this is all crucial”[4]
Another example which relates to Märkli’s work is the work of French artist Paul Cezanne. In his APPLES, he seems to merge the fore and background by using a restricted palette. How can architects learn from his?
1 Mostafavi 2002, p. 14 2 Wittkower, 1996, p. 15 3 Wittkower, 1996, p. 31 4 Märkli, 2012
Figure 50: Painting - ‘Nude against the Figure 51: Painting - Apples by Cezanne, Light’, Pierre Bonnard, 1919-20 c. 1878
69 Approximating nature mentions in Märkli’s fi rst book Approximations. Th e building Looking at Märkli’s FAMILY HOUSE IN AZMOOS (2002) (fi gure 52) merges with the background in the sense of color and texture, or his project in HUNENBERG (1999) we can observe Märkli’s initiated by Markli himself by emphasizing these qualities in interest in merging the architectural object with the surrounding his own building. Th e greyish-green color also responds to the nature. Märkli approximates nature but certainly not copies specifi c light- and landscape conditions of Switzerland, Märkli it[1]. Instead of a white Corbusierian object in the landscape mentions. A similar eff ect I noticed during my visit to Märkli’s revealing its “objective truth in the brightness of daylight”, HOTELFACHSCHULE in Zurich where a similar shade of green/blue [2] Figure 52: Analysis 22 - Artistic Markli’s buildings “work best in a fainther light” , Mostafavi is used for the exterior facade (fi gure 41). impression attempting to show the merging of foreground and background in 1 Mostafavi, 2002, p. 11 Märkli’s family house in Azmoos (2002) 2 Mostafavi, 2002, p. 15
70 Neutrality of Gold Last, I want to discuss Märkli’s NOVARTIS project in Basel. In this project, Märkli had the opportunity to use more expensive material. I especially want to elaborate on the choice Märkli made for the facade material. Märkli faced a small challenge how to embed his building into the square of the campus:
“On the exterior, the question was ho to build next to our neighbours on the main square. Th e Diener building has a complex multicoloured facade. Th e original headquarters building , on the other hand, is clad in travertine and has a very regular fenestration. So what do you do? If you built in stone then Diener is alone. If you make something with panels the old building is alone.”[1] ? At the previously discussed projects in HUENENBERG and AZMOOS, Märkli had the surrounding nature to approximate, but what to do in this an urban environment? Märkli decided in this case to be more or less neutral and made something in gold, because gold, he says “is not a color as such, it is more of a quality, a metallic sheen that refl ects each color in the paintings”[2].
1 Johnston, 2017, p.73 Figure 53: Artistic situation plan of Figure 54: Analysis 23 - Artistic Novartis campus, Basel impression (collage) attempting to show 2 ibid. the thought process of Märkli’s Novartis exterior facade in sense of color
71 Figure 55: Summary 2.5 - Summary 2.5 - Materials provide color in Villa Rotanda by Palladio (left), Märkli’s family house Azmoos 2002 (middle), Märkli’s family house Azmoos 1982 as a progressive attitude for color (top, right), absence of color in Corbusier’s villa Savoye 72 SUMMARY
• One should carefully study which material fi ts the conditions of these surroundings. What specifi c type of color fi ts the specifi c light conditions of the country? • Exactly hat shade of red fi ts these light conditions for example and why? • Which material or color makes sure the building easily blend in?
• Try to learn from various artists from diff erent professions. Painter know a lot about color for example. • Try looking at a painting defi ne what you like and why? Th e art of seeing and describing is underestimated in universities.
• Th e ‘color’ gold e.g. is more a quality then it is a color. In a way it is a neutral color; in some environments, adding a neutral material might be a good solution instead of adding color. • In each design make a colour scheme or collage, involving materials and color you want to use and think fi t the surroundings and or interior. Often, 2 or 3 colours work fi ne in combination with materials.
73 2.6 ORNAMENT & DETAIL
Th is paragraph is concerned with Märkli’s attention to Windows ornament & detail. More specifi c, again, to Märkli’s obsession As for the windows (fi gure 57, 58), Märkli has a tendency to to continue architectural history in contemporary architecture. search for ways in which he can apply subtile ornamentations Since I cannot include everything in the short time span, I which do not take up to much time compared to the rich detail “Using diff erent textures decided to focus on the most notable aspects of Märkli’s work of the renaissance architecture for example. Using diff erent or fi nishes on concrete, when it comes to ornamentation and decoration; joints and textures or fi nishes on (mostly) concrete, Märkli fi nds ways Märkli fi nds ways to knots, window ornamentation, ‘base-middle-top’ ornamentation to decorate the area around the window with little eff ort, yet decorate the area around and the design of water drainage. resulting in a modern richness. the window with little eff ort, yet resulting in a modern richness.” Joints and Knots “Not that long ago, a Not that long ago, a lot of time went into the design of the Base, Middle, Top lot of time went into the part where the horizontal met the vertical. Th e outcome of this We can observe another attempt of Märkli to continue design of the part where became what is now know as the ‘capital’ and the ‘base’; the architectural history in his project in the APPARTMENTS IN SARGANS beginning and end of the vertical. Often these places where (fi gure 59,62,63). Here, we should pay special attention to the horizontal met the emphasized with sculptural elements. the materialization of the plinth, hinting at the rustica base of vertical. Th e outcome of earlier architectural examples. Similarily, Märkli seems even to this became what is now With this in mind, I thought it was a good idea to look at Märkli’s notice the space between the columns and the ballusters where SYNTHES building in Solothurn (fi gure 56). Th e horizontal and know as the ‘capital’ and the base meets tje fi rst columns. Again, Märkli tries to design vertical facade elements are cast in concrete. Th e elements are the ‘base’; the beginning with architectural history, fi nding a creative way to continue designed to interlock: the vertical elements are left ‘open’ in and end of the vertical” history by rethinking old principles for contemporary use. order for the horizontal elements to complete the knot. An even more subtle variant we notice in the entrance face of his APARTMENTS IN TRUBBACH (1988) (fi gure 60,61). Here, the Th e PICASSOPLATZ offi ce building, in contrast, is heavily glazed formwork of the concrete volume is intelligently designed to and detailed with a net of mullions that go down all the way to give a similar reference to the principle of a base, middle and the ground. With the PICASSOHAUS we can note that the knot is top hierarchy in the facade. monolithically welded. Th e vertical element is in front while the horizontal elements ‘slide’ underneath the knot.
74 Figure 56: Analysis 24 - 3D model of Synthes facade ‘knot’ - construction detail
Figure 57: Analysis 25 - Window ornamentation of a selection of Märkli’s projects: Hotelfachschule (top row, right), facade renovarion Zurich (middle row, left), Hotelfachschule (bottom row, left).
Figure 58: Analysis 26 - Palladio’s Palazzo Porte, Vicenza (top row, left), ancient roman window design (middle row, left of two), Palladio window design (middle row, right of two), Venetian window (bottom row, right)
75 Figure 59: Analysis 27 - Ornaments on facade (left). Palazzo Porte by Palladio (left), Apartment building in Sargans by Peter Markli, 1986 (right)
Figure 60: Analysis 27 - Ornaments on facade: sketch on concrete formwork of Peter Markli’s entrance facade apartments Trubbach, 1988 (right)
Figure 62: Photo - Palazzo Porte by Figure 63: Photo - Sargans apartments by Andrea Palladio Peter Märkli, 1986
Figure 61: Photo - Entrance volume project Trubbach 1988 by Peter Märkli (right)
76 Figure 64: Excursion - Apartments Gutstrasse, Peter Markli,
77 INTERMEZZO: ALEX HERTER ON PETER MARKLI
Tim van der Steen (TS): [...] How did Peter Märkli made you see architecture as an art?
AH: Th at is diffi cult to explain. Of course the work of Peter Markli was already there, but that is his work; as a student that is unreachable in a way. He had, and still has, a way to talk and look about things. Th e fi rst thing I did with him, was to visit the museum of London on a study trip. You had to apply to join his class and only a few students could register. Unfortunately I couldn’t get in that class, but luckily I was able to go on that trip. So I met him and we talked, and the next semester, I was able to study in this course. Th at was already my last semester, and since he didn’t made diploma’s at the time because he was a guest lecturer, I made my diploma with another professor who was also a great architect, but diff erent from Peter Markli.
Th at is how I met him. He was the only one who was able to talk about architecture in a much larger context and suddenly it covered everything for me; from your personal feelings to painting, to music. It wasn’t just about construction and how you make things how many other architectural education works and that was really a revelation for me.
78 INTERMEZZO: ALEX HERTER ON ORNAMENT
BW: Is it normal for you, or even in Switzerland, to make detailed I was able to do was the biggest one and there we were lucky drawings? In the Netherlands you have offi ces who make drawings that we really could make everything, all the details ourselves. of where every lamp, every fi tting, until the last screw; everything But with Peter Markli, when I worked there, that was often the is detailed. Th ey work with a contractor, you go to the building discussion, you know. Do they give the plans to […] do they site and you watch what the contractor makes and if it is made make it all by themselves. But he always was very much focused according to your drawings. Is that also your working method? Do to keep the work in the architects’ hands. And in actually was you go all the way? always possible for him.
AH: If you can, yes. Th at is defi nitely also what I like to do and what I am interested in otherwise it seems like you don’t do the whole thing. I think architecture goes all the way. Otherwise, a project scale 1:100, when you give that to someone, that can turn into something completely diff erent which you never intended it to be. Knowing that, yes, certainly, You have to be aware of all..[those things, details]. But it is not possible in every project. Each project has diff erent boundaries in a way. But if the people who give you the assignment, if they like you; it also has to do with the relationship with the client. How well is the relationship and how much do they trust the architect or whatever. But it is the best if you can do everything. And then you need a good fi rm on the construction site to make it […].
BW: Ok. I asked this, because I worked at a couple of offi ces in theNetherlands and it is often the case that it is hard for the architect to have control over his work. Companies are looking for an ‘aesthetic advisor’, instead of an architect. But since most fi rms in the Netherlands are desperate for work, the architects agrees. But they don’t have as much control as they would like to have. So I was wondering if you have encountered that problem?
AH: Well, personally not so much for my own projects because I haven’t done really big projects yet. Th is school building that
79 FigureFigure 65:65: Sketches:Sketches: investigativeinvestigative sketchessketches ooff ddetailsetails ddesignedesigned bbyy Peter MärMärklikli anandd RuRudolfdolf OlgiatiOlgiati
80 Figure 66: Excursion: Rudolf Olgiati’s Casa Radulff Figure 67: Summary 2.6 - Palazzo Porte by Andrea Palladio (left), Projects in Sargans by Peter Marli (middle), fictional modern building with glass street facade (right)
82 • Th e integration of art and architecture is a lost art. One should try to incorporate art in the design by carefully place them on places in/on the building but only if they play an integral part of the design or a part of the design such as a facade. • Th e placement of these objects (art, furniture or even vegetation) should be thought of very precise and can, like furniture, play a role in the balance between order and disorder • Facade elements such as windows, doors, balconies or roof edges etc. can be emphasized by adding ornamentation onto them. Th is ornamentation can be useful to highlight the base, middle or top of a building e.g. and in this way can help make the building more readable. • • Detailing • • Th ese ornamentations should not stand on itself. Make sure they are serving the overall design. • Hoe does or should a window (or door etc.) sit in a wall and why? What are the consequences in the detailing of this window? • Carefully think of where to place a window or other specifi c elements in a facade • Detailing can have an important role on the use of a space. Th ink of a curtain e.g. or a sliding panel in front of a window. • As a general rule, a detail should be clear, simple and readable. • Installation should an integral part of the design.
83 CONCLUSION Graduation Motivation Th ere are an endless amount of things I have learned during very illuminating to discover, I think the most important message How should architects this research, most of them included in this report. I think it of Märkli’s work should be found in the present. While history learn from the past? is best to let the upcoming graduation design show how I dealt should layout the basis for architects to learn our profession, with the gained knowledge and for now to use this concluding the other end of the conversation should be occupied with the paragraph to focus on the overall research question. contemporary culture we live in now. Designing buildings is Research Question after all building in a given socio-cultural context. What is Peter Märkli’s Th e Language of Architecture attitude towards History According to Peter Märkli architecture is a constant conversation What makes Märkli a remarkable architect in my opinion, and how did it develop with the past. Märkli seems to believe that architecture can and is his sophisticated attempt to merge the knowledge of past over time? should be understood as a ‘language’ which has been developed with the present (limitations). Th is touches the Nietzschian over thousands and thousands of years and that carries within notion I mentioned at the very beginning of this report, in “What makes Märkli it a certain timeless element, independent of cultural change. my graduation motivation. What the German philosopher a remarkable architect Märkli often refers to this element of architecture as the suggested in a nutshell is that the past should not stand in the grammar of the architectural language. Th e concept of ‘being way of ones acting (read: designing) in the present, claiming in my opinion, is his in conversation with the past’ seems very similar to what Elli that we need to have a sophisticated attempt to Mosayebi told us in our fi rst interview as part of this research. merge the past with the As a student of Märkli, Mosayebi mentioned that Aldo Rossi “heartfelt aversion of knowledge that does not inspire [...] of present.” brought the idea of architecture as a discipline of its own when history as expensive and perfluous knowledge of luxury”[2]. teaching at the ETH in Zurich. Th e idea was ‘autonomous architecture’: Th is approach Nietzsche called the creative or monumental approach, meaning to worship the past, but without preserving “[…] of course political, geographical aspect of are important but every detail. Th erefore, learning from the past should by all it is also important to look at the architecture as a discipline and means be from that part of history that inspires the architect in how this discipline has its auto referential system so you constantly his creative acting. refer yourself to older architecture. That was also important message.”[1]
It is important to understand that a conversation with history in Märkli’s case by no means should be interpreted by the idea that our minds should be fully occupied with the past. Quite the opposite; although the historical part nested Märkli’s work was
1 Mosayebi, 2016 2 Nietzsche, 2012
84 Dealing with History updating it to the current state of architecture, culture and most How exactly architects should use this knowledge for the important of all to my own language. present is the question that occupied us and the reason why I took Peter Märkli as a case study. Th is balancing between Creating my own language for the design in Mendrisio “Th e execution of this the past and present and choosing what element of the past is As we have seen, it took an established architect as Peter “Th us, by studying the method is by far the most worth to preserve is by no means easy and demands expertise Märkli years to master this advanced technique of designing grammar of architecture and experience. Th e key to master this process – to make the in collaboration with the past and Märkli certainly does not inspiring lesson I learned past your master and being a good apprentice of it - means, fi rst of hide the fact that he was still searching for his own personal through the past, the from Peter Märkli, a all, to carefully study these historic examples. Next, one should language in his fi rst projects in Azmoos/Trubbach or his duplex architect’s goal should ‘tool’, a ‘way of looking’ extract their core principles and distil the why of these principles house in Vels for example. Herein lays an important message always be to transform at the past which I can with the goal to create a way to (1) incorporate the principle (not for the upcoming second part of this report: the design of a that knowledge into apply to any other historic the exact copy) in contemporary architecture or (2) let the past architecture university building in Mendrisio, Switzerland. something new, something examples and therefore inspire you to formulate a new principle, based on the historic adapted to the current example. Namely, I noticed that Märkli’s term language does not only a tool with endless apply to the language of architecture itself but also to the culture and its future, possibilities during endless Th e execution of this method is by far the most inspiring lesson development of Märkli’s own language as an architect. Th us, making that knowledge learning experiences.” I learned from Peter Märkli; a tool, a way of looking at the past by studying the grammar of architecture through the past, the your own” which I can apply to any other historic examples and therefore architect’s goal should always be to transform that knowledge a tool with endless possibilities in endless learning experiences. into something new, something adapted to the current culture In a way, Märkli opened my eyes in how to ‘read’ ancient and its future, making that knowledge your own. With this architectural examples and gave me examples of how to let the solid historical foundation, an architect only needs a few last past inspire you as an architect and to create a personal language ingredients in addition to create his own language. “Markli’s work seems to out of it, based on the ‘best of the past’, the monumental. I even First, Märkli mentions that in order to create a personal language “Th at completes the would go so far by thinking that that is the most important we fi rst of all need to maintain our individuality and embrace have an emphasis on the message Märkli tries to tell us; Markli’s work seems to have an our personal background, use that uniqueness to develop our conversation: learn from past at fi rst, but I am of emphasis on the past at fi rst, but I am of the opinion that it is personal expression. Secondly, an architect needs an vision of the past, use it for the the opinion that it is in in fact on the present, on the very act of creating itself; creating in the future. Th at completes the conversation: learn from the now, with an idea for the fact on the present, on the light of the past, in conversation with the past. Märkli’s work is past, use it for the now, with an idea for the future. What do you future” very act of creating itself; the embodiment of the monumental, full of reference to other think the future should look like as an architect? Th is opens the creating in light of the time periods but at the same time representing the present. perspective of the political and cultural aspects of the architect Märkli showed me how to learn from the past in a creative way, and highlights the responsibility we have in society, but we leave past, in conversation with adjusting the past and extend it to the present, while similarly that aside for now. the past.”
85 Do architects have to refer to the past? that type of architecture would indeed vanish over time, but I want to end this research with the question of the necessity during that time, people could certainly enjoy it, no doubt. of the past. Do we need the past as architects or can we design Th e diff erence with fashionable clothing however, is that without it? Do architects even have to refer to the past or can buildings don’t change every season and they can’t wear a new they also (only) represent the time we live in now? jacket every summer. So if we agree on making architecture If it is up to Peter Märkli, the past defi nitely should form the subject to fashion, let’s at least make sure the trend lasts a period basis of contemporary design. He would also agree on the of 50 years or so. After that, another fashionable building can position that architects should represent the time we live in walk over the architectural catwalk if you ask me. now in their buildings. However, the point Märkli makes is that contemporary architecture should not completely detach Last, with our contemporary concerns regarding sustainability, itself from the past and still conform to the grammatical part of we rightfully should be critical and ask whether we can really this visual language. We can easily represent the present Märkli aff ord to build fashionable buildings; to build or make things would say, just based on our knowledge of the past. that do not last for a long time, especially buildings. In light I tend to agree with Märkli here and the best argument for it of this view, Peter Märkli’s method - to carefully try to expand seems to be that while time and culture changes, human nature and continue on architectural history and avoiding to build did not. And if it did, it did so in a very marginal way over something we don’t like anymore in ten years - is a sustainable millions of years. Th erefore it seems perfectly plausible that there one. An critical attitude to learn from the past, creatively is such a thing as a universal or shared architectural grammar converting it for the now; with an eye on the future. exists where architects just should not defer from completely. Th e rest of the architectural language (the part that does change with culture) might change over time, but (our response or perception to) the grammar stays the same. Tim van der Steen, But then, what is wrong with architecture that is not embedded may 2019 in the past? With architecture that does not incorporates past architectural principles in its design? Let’s assume that it is even possible to (in theory) completely detach oneself from the past as an architect; what would be wrong with that? Maybe there is nothing wrong with it at all as long as if you accept that, in that case, architecture would be regarded as fashion and we know from Märkli that “in time, nobody is interested in that”. And he might be right. Maybe over time,
86 87 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Boret, M. (2014). Judging Architecture: On the Role of Beauty in Describing & Representing Nietzsche, F. (Friedrich W., & Historische Uitgeverij (Groningen). Vertalerscollectief. (2006). Architecture. Gent. Over nut en nadeel van geschiedenis voor het leven : tweede traktaat tegen de keer.
Bouwhuis, R., van der Steen, T., Claus, N., Cucu, S., Cui, J., van Ginkel, R., & Gołuszka, K. Riederer, U. (2004). Rudolf Olgiati : Bauen mit den Sinnen. HTW Chur. (2015). Masterly Apprenticeship. Eindhoven: University of Technology Eindhoven. Schevers, J. (2012). Peter Märkli on Education Research and Practice in Architecture (H. Bü rkle, J. C. (2011). Peter Märkli: History, Typology, Invention. In Architecture dialogues : Herrenberg, Trans.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdcU8ZGKZkk positions, concepts, visions (pp. 256–275). Retrieved from http://www.niggli.ch/en_ch/ architecture-dialogues.html van der Steen, T. (2019). Interview with Alex Herter. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven.
Galilee, B. (2008). Interview with Zurich-based architect Peter Märkli - Icon Magazine. ICON van der Steen, T. (2019). Interview with Elli Mosayebi. Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. Eye, 059(May). Retrieved from https://www.iconeye.com/component/k2/item/3453-peter- maerkli Wittkower, R. (1996). Grondslagen van de architectuur in het tijdperk van het humanisme (K. van Dooren, Trans.). Boom Uitgevers Den Haag. Märkli, P. (n.d.). Proportion: Vortrag von Peter Märkli, Bildmaterial (FS11). Woodman, E. (2007). Beyond Babel: the work of Swiss architect Peter Märkli. BD Online. Märkli, P. (2019). Peter Märkli, “My Profession, Th e Art of Building” - YouTube. Retrieved from Retrieved from https://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/beyond-babel-the-work-of-swiss- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsWDjicc-K4 architect-peter-märkli/3092111.article
Märkli, P. (2014). BETTS PROJECT. Retrieved from https://www.bettsproject.com/peter-mrkli
Märkli, P. (2012). Biennale Architettura 2012 - Peter Märkli - Steve Roth. Retrieved from https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoBIkVKllLY
Märkli, P. (2012). Peter Märkli. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://aefoundation.co.uk/ architecture-and-education-peter-markli/
Märkli, P. (2007). Video Markli. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvzX8498xp8
Märkli, P. (2002). Peter Märkli - Small Houses in Concrete. Retrieved from https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Y_75iz2BAYk&t=3s
Mä rkli, P., & Johnston, P. (n.d.). Everything one invents is true : the architecture of Peter Märkli.
Mosayebi, E., & Edelaar, R. (2005). Robuste Schönheit: Uber Peter Märkli’s Architektur. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from Zürichsee-Zeitung website: http://www.emi-architekten.ch/ publikation/robuste-schoenheit/ LIST OF FIGURES
THE IMAGE BELOW CONTAIN COPYRIGHT BY THIIRD PARTIES, ALL OTHER CONTENT IS OWNED BY THE AUTHOR
1. Photo - Interior by Aldo van Eyck ©Strauven, ‘87 4 2. Photo - Exterior by Aldo van Eyck ©Strauven, ‘87 4 3. Sketch - Sketch by Leon Krier © Leon Krier, Choice of Fate, 2008 5
5. Photo - Portrait of Peter Märkli ©ArchiTravel 12 6. Photo - Portrait of Rudolf Olgiati ©Archiweb.cz 15
8. Photo - Portrait of Hans Josephson ©Hauser & Wirth 17 9. Sketch - Investigating sketches by Peter Märkli ©BettsProjects 18 10. Photo - Palazzo Th iene Bonin Longare ©gagan chhabra via Pinterest 23 11. Photo - Palazzo Th iene Bonin Longare ©aiddavtaa.it 23 12. Photo - Project in Pontresina by Alex Herter ©Alex Herter 23 13. Photo - Project in Pontresina by Alex Herter ©Alex Herter 23 29. Photo - Winery Cave Bec by Peter Märkli © Finbec.ch 45
43. Image - by Henri Matisse Le Peintre dans son atelier, 1917 © Centre Pompidou 63 50. Image - ‘Nude against the Light’, Pierre Bonnard, 1919-20 © AlPainter.com 69 51. Image - Apples by Cezanne, c. 1878 © 1st-art-gallery.com 69 59. Photo - Palazzo Porte by Andrea Palladio © chestofbooks.com 76 60. Photo - Sargans apartments by Peter Märkli, 1986 © Stefan W, architects archive 76 63. Photo - Trubbach 1988 by Peter Märkli © archipicture.eu 76 APPENDIX I A1: GRADUATION STUDIO BRIEF
How do you learn from a role model? Why are some people reaching back to Aldo Rossi, Fabio Reinhart, Bruno Reichlin, within this newly adopted set of rules, you will each design a better at learning than others? How can you in fact tell that Luigi Snozzi and Miroslav Šik. Th e Analoge Architektur studios new faculty building for the school of architecture at Mendrisio. someone has learnt something valuable? What makes a good of Miroslav Šik, for example, have directly formed the ideas teacher? Th ese are very generic questions, far too broad to deal and theories of most well-known contemporary Swiss architects During the project research and design will be of equal with within the scope of this graduation studio. However by such as Valerio Olgiati, Andrea Deplazes and Christian Kerez. importance from the beginning to end. Both parts of the limiting ourselves to the phenomenon of Swiss architecture and academic process will interact and infl uence each other. the peculiar educational structure it is a product of, we might Th is clear genealogy of great architectural minds might be one get some valuable answers to at least some of these questions of the reasons why Swiss architecture has evolved into such Design and learn something useful about architecture in the process. a coherent whole, a style perhaps, exploring ideas of realism At the Preliminary Colloquium, at the end of your M3, you will Th is Studio investigates the idea of ‘learning from’ by learning context and cultural history. present the design strategy as formulated by the master architect from Swiss Architecture and Education. of your choice. Th e Master-Apprentice system Swiss Architecture In this studio we will explore the impact of the Master- At the second presentation (Th e mid-term Colloquium) you Th roughout the world, contemporary architecture in Apprentice system on contemporary Swiss architecture. will present Switzerland is held in high regard. People in the know, praise its Researching diff erent case studies we will trace the infl uence of a fi nished sketch design as well as a refl ection on your role as focus on tradition, culture and materiality. Whether this high the individual masters of architecture in Switzerland. apprentice. level of architectural achievement can be wholly attributed to the country’s educational institutions remains to be seen, but Literature studies together with an architectural analysis At your Final Colloquium the research will be presented there seems to be something special about these prestigious through scale models and in-depth interviews with the together with your design. Th ere we will look for and judge Swiss schools of architecture. architects involved, will result in a joint book and exhibition your project on the basis of the following criteria: Much more than in other countries, the education of architects at the end of the M3 phase of the project. Field research is a in Switzerland is shaped by a small number of highly infl uential vital part of this project. Th erefore a two week study trip to • Your ability to analyze the assignment and your role as teachers.1 Th ese architects, teaching at ETH, Mendrisio and Switzerland will form part of this studio. During this trip you apprentice Lausanne, have often form a school within a school, spreading will visit the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture and talk to • Th e conceptual force of your response their ideologies amongst younger generations and thereby several architects and teachers familiar with the subject matter. • Th e spatial and contextual quality of the design greatly infl uencing Swiss architectural discourse. Franz Fallavollita, practicing architect and teacher at • Th e tectonic quality of the design Typically, these individual architects are brought into the Mendrisio, is involved in this studio as a visiting critic. • Th e way you have responded to the demands of the studio and educational system having accomplished careers as practicing your project architects. In a way reminiscent of the medieval master- 1 Forms of Practice, Irina Davidovici, gta Verlag, 2012 • Th e account you give of all this in the form of written work, apprentice system, they have set up self-suffi cient studios within During the M4 phase of the project, you will enter into a models and drawings the school. systematic negotiation with the teachings and ideologies of the In this way coherent strands of thought can be discerned Swiss master-architects studied during the M3 phase. Working Research
91 Th e research part will be made up of at least three elements: Results As a group: • Overarching theme: Modelling the idea of a Master- A book about Masterly ApprenticeshipAn exhibition about the Apprentice relationship: what makes a good same theme apprentice and what makes a good teacher? • Primary theme: Making Sense and exploring the meaning: An Individually: analysis of the vision of your chosen Essay as part of the book and exhibition panels master-architect. Th e goal will be to familiarize yourself with Detailed building design: embodying your internalized vision the network of concepts developed and used of the master-architect by that person and explain their meaning using both words and images. • Secondary theme: Th e formal analysis of the chosen location, program and approach • Synthesis: A refl ective account of your own design design and a justifi cation of your design decisions as well as a refl ection upon the interaction of the design and the theoretical research.
Planning September 2015 Start project November 2015 Studytrip to Switzerland December 2015 BC: Strategy: what will your result be, how will you achieve this? March 2016 Intermediary Colloquium: Preliminary design and fi nalized structure for research June 2016 Greenlight: design is fi nished, drawings are largely fi nished, research is fi nished, model is largely fi nished, presentation needs still to be done July 2016 Final Colloquium
92 Image Several Swiss known architects. Image taken from introduction presentation by supervisor ©Jan Schevers
93 A2: LEARNING THROUGH MODEL MAKING
Colored panels, a concrete wall, a linoleum floor and large windows combined with 6 design lamps. But what do we see if we let our eyes dance along these surfaces?
Then, panels start to align with the columns and their sports colours are extending the wall and ceiling, reflecting in the floor’s surface. There, it merges with the sunlight which penetrates through the wooden grand stand, creating a pattern which magically holds hands with the ceiling.
Continuing our dance, the wall is divided in vertical lanes, where dots are orderly waltzing. Added domotica (ventilation, electricity, detector) follow the geometric rhythm of the room. Window frames are happily standing in the shadow of the concrete structure, maximizing the amount of light, making sure the colours keep on dancing with our eyes in the concrete disco.
To introduce the graduation studio to the topic of ‘learning from’, our fi rst graduation assignment was to learn through photography. By carefully studying a photograph of an interior of an architect of choice, the goal was to recreate that exact image.
At fi rst instance, one could say “well, isn’t that just copying the work of others?” Yes it is. But that does not mean that one cannot learn anything through copying, right? In order to recreate the space, the student had to examine the room intensively, inspect every line, every material, the sunlight, electricity. How does to room work? What are its qualities? What makes the shadow? How did the architect make it? and most importantly, why did the architect detail it like this?
94 95 A3: INTERVIEW 1 ELLI MOSAYEBI
Interview by Tim van der Steen, Michał Załuski and Katarzyna Gołuszka
January 11th , 2016, Zurich (CH) EMI Architekten
96 Elli Masayebi (EM): My generation of architects is very particular through them. maybe because we are very somehow much infl uenced by people like Peter Zumthor, Peter Markli and Pierre de Meuron. Tim van der Steen: Have you been aware of this at that time? “We are the kind of Th is previous generation was extremely important because they architects that inherited restarted the architecture after Aldo Rossi. Secondly, they also EM: No, no one was actually. Of course in the lectures they that what they [the criticised a lot what was taught when they were students. For mentioned Corbusier and Rossi, but as a student you just start generation of Peter example, Marcel Meili is very important in this situation, as was and you don’t know exactly, but i the retrospective I can observe it in a diff erent way. Th e generation is kind of famous, when Märkli, Miroslav Sik, Miroslav Sik. We are the kind of architects that inherited that what they developed a lot; we didn’t have to kill our fathers as Aldo Rossi was brought to ETH by Fabio Reinhardt, that was Marcel Meili red.] they had to. Th at is somehow the big diff erence between their in the late 60’s, they invited him as a professor that has actually developed a lot; we generation and ours. We had somehow the advantage that we built something. Which is in retrospective also a little bit didn’t have to kill our could build on what they were teaching. ridiculous because Rossi had built by then Gallaratese Quarter fathers as they had to. and he wasn’t kind of an architect who really built a lot. Th at is somehow the big Th at was one point, another is that architects 10 years older then Afterwards he did much more but a this point he was also the architect who has written very important book, Th e Architecture diff erence between their I am, when they graduated it was almost impossible for them to fi nd jobs. It was very hard situation. When I was starting of the City so he was this fi gure and he was invited to the ETH generation and ours. with architecture, everyone told me: don’t do that. But when I because he lost his job in Milano because he was too political. We had somehow the graduated the situation completely changed and we were in the Its is also weird and its the irony of the history that he then got “Th e story goes that Aldo advantage that we could kind of super luxury situation when we could aff ord starting this job at ETH as a visiting professor because people expected Rossi gave the “pencil build on what they were our offi ce, that was very important that it happened at this him to teach students how to build. An how to design and draw back to the architects”, teaching.” particular moment. I just want to give you the whole picture fl oorplans. Th e story goes that Aldo Rossi gave the “pencil back because the situation now is a result of many diff erent layers. to the architects”, because before architects were only discussing because before architects Of course we are infl uenced by Analoge Architecture, by Peter about sociological and political issues and they were writing were only discussing Markli, nevertheless I cannot be that precise that they taught instead of drawing. Aldo Rossi was the guy who brought the about sociological and us this and that and that was important, I can just give you pencil back to the architect even though he was a theoretician. political issues and they an overview. Context was always very important, what is the were writing instead of context giving you as an architect, what you want to do with the He taught at the ETH two times as a visiting professor. Once in context, is it a strong one or a weak one, how have you analysed ‘69 and another time ‘72, ‘73. And what is also very important drawing. Aldo Rossi was the context. And then of course all those instruments that they that Fabio Reinhardt and Bruno Reichlin brought him to the guy who brought have been taught by Rossi became important. Plus, we didn’t Switzerland with a short exhibition which took place here in the pencil back to the know that those were the instrument from Italian rationalism. Zurich. And throught that he was introduced in Switzerland. architect even though he So the infl uence of Aldo Rossi was somehow brought to us It is also very important that Rossi didn’t speak very well was a theoretician.”
97 German of course, he was an Italian and he could read it but city. Maybe in the second book of Rossi, his autobiography not speak it. And then there was a fi gure like Fabio Reinhardt there is more about atmosphere. I think this second book is and Bruno Reichlin who studied at ETH who knew very well much more clearing for what they did and how they understood German as well as Italian because they are from Ticino. Th ey not it and transformed it to the Analog Architecture. It is something only worked as an inviter of the fi gure but also as an interpreter of its own, it has relations to Rossi. which really worked great: Rossi was writing his lectures, taking notes in Italian, then the notes were brought together by Rossi left and then 10 years later the other generations like “So if you ask former Bruno Reichlin, then the real interpreter which was Heinrich Andre Deplazes, Quintus Miller, Olgiati, the son of Rudolf, students like Sik and Helfenstein who became afterwards a famous photographer, he then they were students of Fabio Reinhard and Miroslav Sik. Meili they would say actually translated it into German and then he read it, or Aldo So then did this extremely important drawing with wax and that Rossi didn’t say a Rossi read it for the students. Th e whole translation process is chock and what is important is that you have this perspective also important to know what actually happened there. Who on this particular hick paper and then you colour everything in lot. Th ere was his kind “And then of course what really is the author of what Rossi says? In this circumstances black and then you see a kind of textile and take away the black is also very important is of presence which was becomes a little bit blurry. Th erefore if you know this fi gures and then it becomes very grey and dark. And the dark and grey important, his charisma. as Reinhardt or Reinchlin who are really strong personalities is all about atmospheric architecture, heaviness of architecture. what Rossi brought is the It was not so much themselves you can really imagine that they also contributed a Th is was one of the important messages because they wanted idea of architecture as a about the rationality in lot.. So if you ask former students like Sik and Meili they would to. It was all about feeling and memory and how to develop discipline of its own. Th is architecture but it was a say that Rossi didn’t say a lot. Th ere was his kind of presence architecture with a language that is understood not by one Autonomous Architecture. which was important, his charisma. It was not so much about or two people but by many people. But of course it was very lot about atmospheres in So there is a history of the rationality in architecture but it was a lot about atmospheres analogistic. Th ey wanted to teach as many people as possible architecture that refers architecture.” in architecture. in their rhetorics but at the end it is also very closed approach. only to itself. Of course He had one student that he like very much, he is not very And then of course what is also very important is what Rossi political, geographical famous now, I forgot his name but he was very well known for brought is the idea of architecture as a discipline of its own. Th is aspect of are important his pathetic drawing of atmospheres they were not a all rational. Autonomous Architecture. So there is a history of architecture but it is also important And then you know that Fabio Reinhardt with Miroslav Sik they that refers only to itself. Of course political, geographical to look at the architecture invented this Analog Architecture which was all about kind of aspect of are important but it is also important to look at the as a discipline and how atmospheric architecture and bringing together diff erent layers architecture as a discipline and how this discipline has its auto of memory a kind of a new but yet also popular architecture. referential system so you constantly refer yourself to older this discipline has its auto Bringing those diff erent aspects of normality into new but not architecture. Th at was also an important message. Th is attention referential system so you really new image. Th ey were very much infl uenced by Aldo to history was very important, starting with Rossi and later on constantly refer yourself to Rossi’s approach but not so much about the architecture of the with Analog Architecture. Th at is also what we have learned older architecture.”
98 “Th at is also what this attention to history, and that history is very broad and we idea of concepts has something to do with that. we have learned this are able to look at history as a kind of space but also kind of a attention to history, and layout of diff erent possibilities for architects. And history from Next to the concept is the idea how to deal with the context, our perspective is a horizontal. because you are very rarely in the situation where context is that history is very broad clear. Very often you are in situations where you don’t have and we are able to look at So when we started studying, it was actually fi rst year of Andrea anything, a periphery situation with few trees and you suff er history as a kind of space Deplazes who was one of this famous students of Analog as an architect because you don’t know where you can get you but also kind of a layout Architecture movement, and of course not so clear about the images and your references from. of diff erent possibilities references. Andrea was very much interested in the questions At the ETH it is still like that, you choose with whom you for architects. And history of concepts and context, but he always look much more on the would like to study. Th e fi rst year it was clear, we had Andre idea of concepts. As you see this is not infl uenced by Analog Deplazes and Marc Angélil, and in the second year we could from our perspective is a Architecture at all I would say, but that’s maybe also the thing choose. A visiting proff er at that time was then Christoph horizontal.” which was important in 90’s when we were starting. Finding Luchsinger only for a year, who was very much kind of the a simple concept that solves everything. Th at was the case of same generation as Meili, I think he also had studied Rossi. Swiss architecture in the nineties, for example Gigon Guyer, He was interested in urban questions and he studied context. “In this semesters the Olgiati and Kerez, all they started for this and this was always Th en we had the traineeship and I was in the offi ce of Barth studios were like you like so. Also Peter Zumthor in Vals. Somehow if you look at the and Deplazes and then I came back and I was studying with really follow his masters. projects in 1 to 200 scale they are very simple spatial concepts Herzog de Meuron, Peter Markli and Dominique Perrault. In You enter the world of “And what also played a but very strong and then they get enriched by diff erent layers this semesters the studios were like you really follow his masters. your master and fi nd out role in our understanding of materiality and so on. I cant track that back to Analog You enter the world of your master and fi nd out how would he how would he design his was the context. Context Architecture, I don’t know where this comes from. But also the design his things. It was very close but not so close at Kolhoff things.” and concepts are not materiality and construction also played a role. at the same time here. It was my decision to go to teachers who overlapping: concept tries have a certain kind of openness to you. And Kolhoff was very And what also played a role in our understanding was the famous at my time at least that he really want what he wants to be very formal, clear context. Context and concepts are not overlapping: concept and that is closed. It is not entirely true in retrospective but in and abstract, context is tries to be very formal, clear and abstract, context is always dirty my perspective as a student I felt that way. always dirty and never and never ideal. You always have to put you concept in this place ideal. You always have where nothing matches and modify it so it becomes a project. For example Peter Markli who was later not like that anymore, to put you concept in Going back to the question where this strong idea of concept it was his fi rst year as a professor there, so it was very interesting this place where nothing comes from maybe look at this idea of rational architecture, the and opened. He didn’t know what he want so he of was curious typology and the idea of type as a clear idea of project. Palladio to see how do you develop things. And of course he is a guy who matches and modify it so villa is a type, you have this 9 spaces in a symmetrical way. Th is is extremely charismatic and he puts his students in hypnosis. He it becomes a project.”
99 “And of course he [Peter already had it at the beginning later on it even became stronger. he prefers. Also the beauty of the fl oor plan. But it was very “[With Märkli, red.] Märkli, red.] is a guy who Th e topics were already clear, there were topics of facade, the sort of banal in a certain way. It was not about lets the view it was very much about is extremely charismatic fl oor-plan as a layer which is extremely important. What we of architecture into your fl oor plan but about what solution facade, about certain do in the offi ce with the beauty of the fl oor plan is infl uenced would be good. Sometimes the answer was very pragmatic and and he puts his students by Peter Markli. Th ese teaching they were really present, also sometimes we came with something which was very surprising. materials he prefers. Also in hypnosis. He already Jacque Herzog and Pierre de Meuron they really came weekly But it was very open and it was a dialogue and as a student you the beauty of the fl oor had it at the beginning to the studio. You wouldn’t talk to them really weekly but they appreciate it very much. plan. [...] it was very open later on it even became were around so they were walking between the students and and it was a dialogue stronger. Th e topics were looking at plans if you wanted to. So as a professor I could not think diff erently as a teacher. Also and as a student you already clear, there were to sit next to students and discuss with them their projects appreciate it very much.” Michał Załuski (MZ): What we have heard is that now for instance because in this way I have to admit I see much more then when topics of facade, the fl oor- Herzog and de Meuron are not so present in the studios? they do this pin ups and we have to talk with a certain distance plan as a layer which from each other, everybody is listening. And its this kind of is extremely important. EM: Th ey lost their enthusiasm and they got old, that’s the master studio and I am this present professor and I really think What we do in the offi ce problem. Th ats true. I’m not a professor at ETH, I’m teaching that I learn a lot and the students learn a lot. Of course there are with the beauty of the in Darmstadt south of Frankfurt since 3 years now. An of students who don’t like that and they don’t take the studio, for fl oor plan is infl uenced course when I was thinking about myself as a teacher I could me its absolutely alright. Since in Germany there is not so much not think diff erently then of people like Peter Märkli who were this culture of this master apprentice system so it is strange that “in Germany, there is by Peter Markli. Th ese really there in the studio. All of the things I remember from my the professor is so present. So for example when I realised that not so much this culture teachings they were really studies, were when teachers or professors were sitting next to me half of the students didn’t show up I thought it cant be this way, of this master apprentice present [...]” and showing me something. Making a sketch how they would so I introduced to them kind of workshop to make sure that system so it is strange that design for example a bathroom. Of course its very simple but they come. I was not the fi rst swiss in Darmstadt, there were the professor is so present” you will never forget that, that’s true. Or how would you design already [no clear audio 30:25, red.] and they started with this. on a facade, which proportions and so on. Th ey hardly ever gave Th e teaching is very much depended on the professor, on the lectures, they don’t give lectures. Peter Markli has maybe one of presence and on the materials you bring, I could to it diff erently. two lectures and he repeats them every year, but what they do is Of course the students are maybe similar to employees in a that they sit next to you and design with you. certain way, because I sometimes even develop the fi rst idea but then I give it to the student and then they work on their TVDS: Could you remember what did you learn from those projects own and come back and discuss it. Also for me it gets more from Markli? interesting. Also as a professor you are some how limited, its not that everything interests me I have to admit that. I cannot talk EM: Yes it was very much about facade, about certain materials about everything and I am not willing to develop everything. I
100 think that the students that want to study with me they have to 10 other competitors competing with you. You have to push for be open for a dialogue but then they really get a lot, because we this fi rst step but once you have done this its easier. We still do are always there and we are extremely interested in the quality a lot of competitions its about 10 a year, its producing a lot of of the project. work which is also good but very demanding.
We have 3 offi ce partners, Ron, Christian and me. Christian is In Zurich particularly there is a big demand for housing because teaching this semester in EPFL in Lausanne and he is a visiting the city has grown in last 10 year a lot and what is also very “As a part of cooperative professor for one year, just fi nished his fi rst semester and next interesting in Zurich that there is a big number of cooperatives you are the owner of you February he is going to start another. He was there for the fi nal here. Th ey are very much interested in high quality apartments apartments. Th ese people “It is about going together reviews for the fi rst semester and it was very interesting for me for themselves. Its not subsidised housing, its not for poor its build for themselves. Its a for the project, it a kind to see him being present in the project of students as you would for the middle class but its for the rent that only covers the very good system because of a quality you want see me an the project of my students and I enjoyed it very much. living costs. As a part of cooperative you are the owner of you they are interested in He also had this kind of master system that he was extremely apartments. Th ese people build for themselves. Its a very good to reach in the project high quality architecture with the student, its only present developing project with the students. It is about going system because they are interested in high quality architecture together for the project, it a kind of a quality you want to reach that is for themselves and they are not going to sell it, that’s why that is for themselves and possible though a kind of in the project with the student, its only possible though a kind they are interested in a kind of sustainable architecture. Not they are not going to sell intimate dialogue.” of intimate dialogue. only in the energetic way but also in the aesthetic way. it, that’s why they are interested in a kind of MZ: What is the main focus of your university studio? So we did competitions and we wont for cooperatives. I can sustainable architecture. show you some projects. And then we did also competitions EM: Its a studio for housing. because in the offi ce we started for diff erent programs. Right after diploma we decided to have Not only in the energetic right after the diploma. Ron and I were for 9 months in the our own offi ce and we had to guarantee our income somehow way but also in the offi ce of Peter Markli and Christian was in the offi ce for the and Christian became assistant in Studio Basel with Roger aesthetic way.” same time of Meili Peter. Th en we decided very quickly after Diener and Marcel Meili and I become assistant with the chair the diploma to have an atelier with a studio and we started with of Ákos Moravánszky at the Institute of History and Th eory of really small projects. For 4 year we did a lot of competitions. It Architecture at ETH and that’s how we supported our expenses. is also very good in Switzerland because as a young offi ce you And we started and I have decided to do a Phd and it took me a are still invited to competitions. You don’t need like in Germany while but I have fi nished. I can show you what we did. to work in an offi ce for 3 year in order to became an architect. Th ere are open competitions with are opened for everyone, it’s very hard to win one, in our case it took us 4 years, but once you won one you are invited to invited competitions with only
101 **ELLI MOSEYEBI SHOWS THE PROJECT BOOK** house. Its very corporal and reminds you of doors.
EM: Yes. Th is is a housing competition on a very early stage. Th e enfi lade is very much bourgeoise, it comes from the 18th, Th e enfi lade is very much We did the competition in 2005 after the diploma in 2004. We 19th century where you can put several rooms into a series and bourgeoise, it comes from were dreaming about the houses in a star form, very interested connect them with doors. Th is comes from bourgeoise housing. the 18th, 19th century in this particular geometry and form and we won a small price You have diff erent spaces particularly designed but you can open for this. the doors and jump from one to another. And Le Corbusier is where you can put several very much into bourgeoise but he always takes the topic and rooms into a series and TVDS: I remember you saying before about the beauty of the fl oor transforms it and if you look at the Petit Maison he had done connect them with doors. plan and that you offi ce is working with it. at the Lake of Geneva, its very beautiful there he also comes up [...] Le Corbusier is very with this idea of en enfi lade but next to the facade. Th is idea much into bourgeoise but EM: Yes, that is the start of this investigation. Th e form and the is totally then taken over by Rogen Diener, Peter Markli, and he always takes the topic beauty and the quality of the fl oorplan as a image sometimes. everybody does it and we did it too. Th ere is also an aspect of But of course its all about spaces. We were interested in play in our works. Because of the pithed room the space are quite and transforms it and apartments that are not in just one angle of the star, that would high in the gardener house. And because of had a lot of space in if you look at the Petit be very boring. So we had to split home diff erently. Th at was the the height we thought it would be nice to invent something like Maison he had done at kind of a challenge not to heave an easy fl oor plan. that, which is a lamp but can be used for hanging clothes. We the Lake of Geneva, its like this idea of what we call Anekdotischer Funktionalismus, very beautiful. Th ere he **ELLI MOSEYEBI SHOWS THE PROJECT HOUSE so Anecdotical Functionalism and its not pure functionalism also comes up with this GARDNER** but you remember it as a kind of anecdote of usage. Th is kind of crossing of functions we are interested in. We did it also in idea of en enfi lade but Th at was our fi rst commission for a friend who is a gardener, he another project, Avellana. next to the facade.” had a small plot in the country side. As a gardner he also wanted to have an offi ce there. We like this normality. Of course it is infl uenced by the case study houses with steel frames. We didn’t want to colour the steel elements in red and black to make a point, we like the idea of colouring everything inside in shades of grey and white. Th is brings all the diff erent materials close together and form a kind of a plasticity. What we also liked very much is that door go directly under the frame and they are angled. We also like the heating in front of the window, the heating corpus is ready made and comes and a object to the
102 **SHOWING THE PROJECT AVELLANA ~49:00** TVDS: You rarely can see people on the pictures. “[...]we are very much interested in cities in a In our architecture we love to play with doors. In the bourgeoise EM: Because its about the space that you have created. kind of a of second row, understanding of the door you would place the doors in the centre and there is only one direction they can open. But since MZ: Is the focus on housing of your studio in Darmstadt is based not the metropolis like this is not about bourgeoise you can open the doors however on your personal interest? Paris or London but you want and this is this kind of play. So you can decide as places like Brussels, Oslo, a dweller which space is more important. Th e seminar about Th ere was a chair vacant for housing, and in Germany they have Zagreb, Porto, Athen, mimesis we did, it was much more about art. It was not so much particular chairs for housing design. I was asked to apply it, for Lion, because we say about the working with references. Ákos interestingly now did me it was a lucky situation. I didn’t think to became teacher that that they developed their a masters projects in architecture which tackled this subject but early. For me, I always go diff erent european cities, that is how I I wasn’t part of it. set up my programme by now, and we are very much interested debates in echoes of the in cities in a kind of a of second row, not the metropolis like international debates and **SHOWING THE PROJECT IN HOTTINGEN ~56:00** Paris or London but places like Brussels, Oslo, Zagreb, Porto, therefore they are much Athen, Lion, because we say that they developed their debates in more pragmatic and much “So you enter from a TVDS: Do you start every project with this kinds of references? echoes of the international debates and therefore they are much more contextual.” more pragmatic and much more contextual. And we think that staircase, and then the EM: Yes, very much. But as you can see its not only about maybe in this contextualism you have to really fi nd a way to space becomes more project but it can be also very abstract. So you enter from a solve a program and there is much innovation in fl oor plans. So narrow and then it opens staircase, and then the space becomes more narrow and then it this always changes, each semester we go to a diff erent european itself, again narrow and opens itself, again narrow and opens itself and at the end there city. Th e students receive a lot of fl oor plans and the images of opens itself and at the end is the fi replace, the pass ends. Th is is a kind of architectural the buildings, we always visit the city for a week and look at the there is the fi replace, the promenade. At the end of the pass there is always the fi re place. houses also from inside and then the studio chooses 3 sites in A nice thing is the loggia which is always in relation to the the city, each student has to choose which site is interesting for pass ends. Th is is a kind of kitchen and to the living room. them and then a student has to develop a housing project on architectural promenade.” their therms. So you have to be very mephitic and try to fi nd Katarzyna Gołuszka: Do you take pictures of your buildings after something that fi ts not only to the site but also the culture of you arrange the furniture by yourself? the city. I like this cities in a second row because they are not really researched, not really known from distance. EM: Yes, those are our furniture, from our apartments. You cant take the picture after someone moves in.. Furniture helps to I also do a research seminar on this cities in parallel. So we go give the scale, that why we use it. Its about giving the scale. back second time to the city and write small histories of certain
103 housing projects and we form a inventory of European housing, EM: We challenge very often the understanding of the fl oor “We challenge very often we have got by not around 80 projects and the book is going to plans with our contributions, we do it on purpose and sometime the understanding of published at one point. So this is something that i really enjoy. of course we don’t win because of that, sometimes we win thanks the fl oor plans with our to that. It happens that there is a jury member who really sees With my students I always have the 3 basic questions: one that and we have to possibility to win it. contributions, we do it “With my students I on purpose and sometime always have the 3 basic question is what does it mean to live in the city? People now prefer again to live in the city and in the 80’s the went to the **SHOWING THE PROJECT WITH CORSS of course we don’t win questions: one question countryside and now they went back and the question is what do APARTMENTS ~1:20:00** because of that, sometimes is what does it mean to you want you apartment to be like after having this experience we win thanks to that.” live in the city? [...]Th e of growing up in the country side with a garden. other question is what is Th e other question is what is innovation in the housing because innovation in the housing. we observe that housing compared to other programs tends to [...] Th e third question is be a little bit conservative and if you look at fl oor plans from 100 years ago of course they changed, but its always about similar the observation of limitless questions its always about intimacy so we are trying to come individuality. [...] Th ese 3 up with diff erent kinds of living. Its really strange that even question repeat themselves the fl oor plans in Asia imitate the european bourgeois housing throughout the series.” from the 19th century. So we try to question and challenge this normative in fl oor plans. Th e third question is the observation of limitless individuality. We as an offi ce build a house with 200 apartments we don’t know who is going to move in there. Th is is due to the fact that now we have more pluralistic ways of live, gay couples etc. So its surprising that the fl oor plans look like the always did before. So I ask my students how can we develop a fl oor plan that at one hand can inhabit diff erent ways of lives without being to generic. Th ese 3 question repeat themselves throughout the series.
TVDS: Is the conservatism of fl oor plans really present in the competitions that you take part in?
104 MZ: How was working with Peter Markli? How was it to fi rst have really interesting young offi ces because they learn how to think. “I remember things like him as teacher and then work with him, how does what he teaches the beauty of the fl oor at university diff ers from his practice? MZ: Could you point out any particular thing that you learned plan and the beauty of from Peter Markli and you use in everyday work? EM: He has his separate atelier and he visits the offi ce and when the sketch. Th e way he he comes everyone puts his belief in him. So he visits the offi ce EM: Th e beauty of the fl oor plan that was something that started sketched out something. and you have this discussions and he always knows what is good with him as a teacher. I remember things like the beauty of the [...] Going away from or what is bad in architecture so being an employee you are fl oor plan and the beauty of the sketch. Th e way he sketched a strong concept into a exposed to that and you always work out his ideas. out something. Th is things that stick into your head. Going beautiful space, that’s also away from a strong concept into a beautiful space, that’s also something he gave us. TVDS: We have heard for example that when you work for him something he gave us. Or the proportions of the facade, and Or the proportions of the “Valerio Olgiati, Peter the fi rst thing to know is to learn the proportion system. Did you how classical the facade could be with the sickle and the middle facade..[...]” Zumthor and Peter encouraged that? and so on. Th ese are very general topics, and in the end he just mentioned them and developed in his own offi ce. Markli are those 3 big EM: For me he didn’t explain any proportional system, of course names who don’t let you I knew them before but I didn’t use them in the drawings. I TVDS: What do you think about his architecture? free yourself from their remember the moment the other employees realised then “He [Markli] claims methods and you became nothing that I drew was in the proportional system and the EM: I think its extremely important. He claims that he brought that he brought language a small copy of them. And shock in their eyes.. I didn’t know it was mandatory because he language back to the architecture and I can understand it to back to the architecture you are not taken seriously didn’t tell me. Valerio Olgiati, Peter Zumthor and Peter Markli a certain point, but to some point you also think that he is and I can understand it are those 3 big names who don’t let you free yourself from their just to heavy sometimes. He would never make fun of his own because you are never as methods and you became a small copy of them. And you are project. Even Zumthor is more funny, Peter is another league. to a certain point, but good as the master. [...] not taken seriously because you are never as good as the master. He is not really self ironic. Even Zumthor laughs sometimes, to some point you also If you look at offi ces like not Peter. Privately he is a funny guy, the funnies is Olgiati. But think that he is just to Meili Peter, which are If you look at offi ces like Meili Peter, which are similarly he suff ered in his life, he started from nothing, he only had his heavy sometimes. [...] But similarly important but important but maybe not that obvious, those are the offi ces ideas and his pencil and he invented himself. He really is an he suff ered in his life, he maybe not that obvious, which bring young architects to be successful on they own artist, a true artist. He sees himself as an artist. He invented his started from nothing, he therms. Th ats because they have this kind of intellectual own fi gure and didn’t inherit anything. He had his two master those are the offi ces which approach, their thinking is very broad, whereas this masters in persons of Rudolf Olgiati and Hans Josepsohn and they were only had his ideas and his bring young architects to think for themselves but intellectually they don’t discuss with extremely formative on his person but he invented himself pencil and he invented be successful on they own there employees and that is the reason you cannot be part of the though them. He always wanted to be out of the system, he himself. He really is an therms.” discourse. On the contrary the offi ce of Meili Peter, they bring never was in the system. He refuses to do certain things, he artist, a true artist”
105 “He had his two masters really is an own character with an own charisma and it’s great KG: Why do you think there is not so many female architects in the in persons of Rudolf that we have him. I really appreciate his architecture and his business? Olgiati and Hans language a lot nevertheless its not repetitive, its something that stands for itself. I think ten years ago, all the big offi ces were convinced that Josepsohn and they were once once you are a mother it is diffi cult to work 100 percent, extremely formative on TVDS: Is there a master for yourself? and if you only can do 60 percent its impossible to do really his person but he invented good job. So there was a kind of a split which was really bad. himself though them.” EM: Peter Markli is for sure very important for us. But since But then there was this few architects who imitated a kind of we didn’t work in any offi ce for several years, we started our a male career and they became heroes. Th ey decided once not offi ce straight away there was no somebody that formed us. to have any kids and have a career. Th at was how feminism was We invented little bit ourselves but starting and looking understood. around. I started to work as an assistant at the chair of Akos Now I think is has changed, I am not the only one who has of Architectural Th eory which was then somehow opening up an offi ce. Of course you know its few, not a lot, but I think the word because then it was about theories and positions and younger generations are changing. Now you have almost 50 per so on, it was not so much about fi gures and masters. I enjoyed cent females studying at ETH and the question is what does it very much because it was also free intellectually. You could those women do after studies. Many of them decide not to fi nd yourself and position yourself within the range of diff erent work because they can aff ord it. Th at is the other thing about positions. And I would say that is also true for Christian and Switzerland, because it was aff ordable that only one works. It for Ron. Maybe that is also the problem of distance, I cannot was aff ordable that man worked and woman stayed at home, so tell you now. you had to really want it. For instance if you have to put your In the end of course the ground in which you are raised also kid to daycare it also costs a lot, so sometimes you have the play a role, I admit that. My teachers, Andreas and so on. Th ere weird situation that the salary you get you spend on the daycare. is not one that is you master. KG: Do you feel that during your work are you treated equally? TVDS: You were born in Teheran, is there anything that you brought from there? EM: Yes I am, and if not I tell it. And there is also this strange high attention to female architects. So if someone is asked from EM: Of course my background also plays a role and I think it the offi ce its always me. makes everything even more relative. Th e perspectives are even more layered. But I am not going to use tiles because there ale a lot of tiles in Iran. Th ere is a book on Aldo Rossi in Switzerland based on seminar with Akos.
106 107 A4: INTERVIEW 2 ALEX HERTER
Interview by Tim van der Steen, Michał Załuski, Katarzyna Gołuszka and Boaz van der Wal
January 12th , 2016, Erlenbach (CH)
108 Tim van der Steen: How was your time studying architecture at I couldn’t get in that class, but luckily I was able to go on that “He [Peter Märkli] was the ETH? trip. So I met him and we talked, and the next semester, I was the only one who was able able to study in this course. Th at was already my last semester, to talk about architecture Alex Herter (AH): In the beginning, it was a normal study for and since he didn’t made diploma’s at the time because he was me; you were young, you didn’t really know all the diffi culties. a guest lecturer, I made my diploma with another professor in a much larger context Background is relevant here, because my father is an architect who was also a great architect, but diff erent from Peter Markli. and suddenly it covered and so was my grandfather, so in a way I was already ‘loaded’ Th at is how I met him. He was the only one who was able to everything for me..” with certain things. You get in touch and you see things, not talk about architecture in a much larger context and suddenly on a theoretical or artistic way, but more on an everyday base, it covered everything for me; from your personal feelings to family wise. You see what the life of an architect could be in a painting, to music. It wasn’t just about construction and how way. Th at was normal for me. Th e artistic side was more of a you make things how many other architectural education works personal investigation for me. At fi rst, I was more interested and that was really a revelation for me. in the artistic side of architecture and wanted to be become an artist. Unfortunately, in Switzerland that is very diffi cult Michal Zaluski (MZ): You said Peter Markli covered many other “Th e topics which came since there are no academies for this; there was no education topics in his courses such as music and art. In the semester when up when you talked if you want to become an artist. Th erefore, combined with my you attended the atelier of Peter Markli, how did this diff erent about your projects, family background, studying architecture was a more realistic approach expressed itself in the courses? Where the lectures diff erent, ‘the analogies when you focus at that time. When I started to do the study, many things or perhaps the discussions? compare things’, ‘what happened. I wasn’t really able to focus. And then, Peter Markli started to teach there and through him, I found a way to look at AH: Yes, the discussions, but in a certain way there was also is your inspiration’, all architecture as art, I found how I can combine these two things more freedom but combined with a focus on certain topics. these things. And what together. He was able to encourage you to go in a certain direction and impressed me, I was ten focus on those topics more, to dive deeper into them. Th e young, was that he knew Tim van der Steen (TS): Can you elaborate on this more? How did topics which came up when you talked about your projects, ‘the exactly how it should be. Peter Märkli made you see architecture as an art? analogies when you compare things’, ‘what is your inspiration’, Th at is very impressive, all these things. And what impressed me, I was young, was because other professors AH: Th at is diffi cult to explain. Of course the work of Peter that he knew exactly how it should be. Th at is very impressive, Markli was already there, but that is his work; as a student that because other professors let you do things and then comment let you do things and then is unreachable in a way. He had, and still has, a way to talk and “yes, it could be like this” and “try this, and try that”, “yes, that’s comment “yes, it could be look about things. Th e fi rst thing I did with him, was to visit fi ne”. I guess for some people this was a shock or they couldn’t like this” and “try this, the museum of London on a study trip. You had to apply to join handle this, but when you fi nd a way except what his critic was, and try that”, “yes, that’s his class and only a few students could register. Unfortunately and when you are able to make a creative output of that, then it fi ne”.”
109 “..when you fi nd a way is like a liberation in a way because it is so… strong. You then does it have to do with the surroundings? And the window, how except what his critic know, this is how it should be, and it cannot be diff erent. Just does it sit in the volume? What are its dimensions? Th is was was, and when you are for that position in the design, in that moment. completely new thinking for me in a way at the time. And it is almost like a contradiction, but it was always very able to make a creative brought in the stylistic way, and open. Compared to his critic MZ: Did you work with scale models in this project? If yes, was output of that, then it is could be, it is quite open in the sense that he always looked there anything Peter Markli really focused on? Do you still use any like a liberation in a way very closely to what that student wanted, what does he want to of these techniques or approaches towards models? because it is so… strong. express, what is his motivation? And then, as a teacher, he gave You then know, this is the best advice for that specifi c student. AH: I can remember, indeed, that working with models was “[...]working with how it should be, and it important but only for the volumetric situation, a small model. models was important but TS: When you say he made you focus on certain topics when you He was never much interested in interior models or fragments only for the volumetric cannot be diff erent. Just talked about your project, can you give an example of such a topic of a building where you can see the inside. And I can relate to for that position in the situation, a small model. in the project you attended with Peter Markli? that, because that takes a lot of work for something which is He was never much design, in that moment.” quite small compared to the whole project. And as a student, AH: In that semester, the project was on the mountain top, when you are in a semester, you have to make sure that you have interested in interior where you arrive at a certain station with a hotel and restaurant, the focus on the important things. To lose time, though it can models or fragments of a in the canton of Valais in the south of Switzerland. Th erefore, be good for someone of course, I also felt that you had to focus building where you can the landscape was the main theme. Th e building was alone on that what is important. see the inside. And I can “Th e building was in in this landscape and how do you react on this. You have relate to that, because that the landscape, not in an this typography of the mountain which was given, but then Th e benefi t of small scale models is, that it does not take too takes a lot of work for you have this much bigger context and what does your little much time and you can reduce to the important things. It is like urban environment, so building have to do with this whole mountain? Th at was quite an abstraction, not go into the details but make a disposition something which is quite what is your façade? What new for me. At that time, I was never able to look at a context of the most important parts and then you plus minus had it, small compared to the does it have to do with like that. And then, he encouraged you, spatially, to look at in a way. But later, I was an assistant of him, and I remember whole project.” the surroundings? And the your roject; that was one of the main topics, I remember. And we had a similar topic on the mountain, again with this ski window, how does it sit of course the volume of the building. In this project it was quit lift and we made this huge plaster models. Th ree of them. We in the volume? What are special because you had this outside terrace with the restaurant made a large base, this socket, and then the mountain on top and it was rather diffi cult to place the building here since you of this. And then the students worked on this model, not just its dimensions? Th is was nearly had no horizontal plain and the volume for the station with cardboard, but with a sort of clay or plastiline which does completely new thinking was relatively big. Another topic was of course the proportions. not dry out, so you could come back a few days later and adjust for me in a way at the How do you make a window? Th e building was in the landscape, it. Th at was quite a good way to sculpture their design. You time.” not in an urban environment, so what is your façade? What have to imagine that the base model they made was very large
110 but their model was only 3 centimeters or so, and they could them in, in the end. I bring my version to the model maker, and place it anywhere they wanted so you could see what all these he makes the same in plaster, since in the end, everything in this diff erent settings meant in a spatial way; you saw your model model needs to be made with this material. Apart from these in a sculptural way. We did also made big models in the studio. competitions, I can’t remember that I ever made a big model Peter Markli always said that he did not do this for himself, but where I changed the structure on it, or the windows. Th at is not since we are with a lot of students now, we have a lot of man possible, you need a lot of employees if you want to do that, and power to do this. Th ey then made big situation models, which I do not have that. was nice to have when you talk about the designs; it is better visible. Boaz van der Wal (BW): Does this mean that here in Switzerland you have standard regulations for the material you can hand-in in MZ: So later, in your own offi ce, and in his, you did not work on these competitions? In the Netherlands, it often becomes some sort “Th is rendering is also these large models? of Photoshop competition of who makes the nicest renders, so this something which is seems a good way of focusing on what you are actually designing AH: Yes, we do make them. Th e bigger ones you see here, are instead of how beautiful you can make your images. Would you happening here. Th ere is for presentations or for competitions instead of renderings. But agree on that? too much focus on this. to work with, in the process quite seldom. Mostly the effi ciency It always depends on is the problem, it just takes too long; I therefore work with AH:Yes, exactly. It is also regulated that the model has to be the jury, whether they the small models only. For competitions here in Switzerland, cubic and white. Not with nice materials, or something which go for it or know how we always have these white plaster models. When you enter a represents a sort of symbolic statement. So not a piece of coper to interpret things. In competition, fi rst thing you get is the program and you get the or something, that’s not allowed. In this regulated way, it is model. And always, you have to turn one in. When you get it, neutral and only about spatial relations. Th is rendering is also the competitions there is the building site in the center is empty. When something stood something which is happening here. Th ere is too much focus never explicitly asked for “Having this model is there, it is already taken out. And in the end, you have to turn on this. It always depends on the jury, whether they go for it renderings but everybody a good way to develop one it. Th en the jury has these posters with the plans hanging or know how to interpret things. In the competitions there is does it. If you do not do it, the project for the urban and the model is right below. And each contestant turns in a never explicitly asked for renderings but everybody does it. If it is almost like something spatial dimensions. So I model so they can compare. Th e model is very important in you do not do it, it is almost like something went wrong with went wrong with your these projects because it is part of what they see. You cannot your project. Th erefore, I make renderings as well but more like always work with these just make the project and plans, and then in the end think, now postcards, never big images. Hand drawings is very diffi cult, project. Th erefore, I make models and I try to make I have to make a model. Th at’s too late. Having this model is that’s very strange in a way that this is the case. I don’t know how renderings as well but everything I put in there a good way to develop the project for the urban spatial it is in the Netherlands, but here no one puts hand drawings more like postcards, never in such a state that I can dimensions. So I always work with these models and I try to on competition posters or plans. As a student, and also when big images” turn them in, in the end.” make everything I put in there in such a state that I can turn I was assistant with Peter Markli this was diff erent. Th ere, we
111 “I was assistant with Peter encouraged the students by actually asking for hand drawings. my own study in a parallel way. Th at way really good for me “[...] I didn’t want to Märkli this was diff erent. Th is is because drawing by hand is a studying method, to fi nd to actually fi nd what I wanted to do in an artistic way. I always go into a big offi ce yet, Th ere, we encouraged the out certain design options. Nevertheless, if the students did knew I wanted to do something in this area, but I didn’t want because I thought that I not wanted to, they didn’t have to. n a way, it also personal to to go into a big offi ce yet, because I thought that I wasn’t ready students by actually asking send in hand drawings. I actually did it a few times, but small for that; I had not fi nd my own way of expressing things. Th at is wasn’t ready for that; I for hand drawings. Th is is drawings and on the side of the plans. It may also have to do what interested me. Obviously, Peter Markli has this ability, to had not fi nd my own way because drawing by hand with the fact that it can be too express his feelings through his work and especially also through of expressing things. Th at is a studying method, to personal in a way. his drawings. Th at was very inspiring for me and has had a big is what interested me. fi nd out certain design infl uence on me but especially in painting, there are also many Obviously, Peter Markli options.” TS: When I observe your atelier, I clearly recognize this artistic other people who also infl uenced me. Th at is normal, to have has this ability, to express way of working as an architect, more as an artist like you said many diff erent infl uences. earlier. We also recognized this way of working in the atelier of his feelings through his Peter Markli. In your portfolio, I read that you for example use AH: Th e drawings here on the wall for example is a façade work and especially also these artistic drawings to study models or free architectonic and study. I wanted to have this quality of the pastel, instead of the through his drawings. geometric themes. Can you give us an example how you use these printing colours. By using these pastel pencils, you don’t have Th at was very inspiring drawings during your design process? this hard edges, for example, even though it is a geometrical for me [...]” pattern. It has a little bit of a imperfection. Th e elements I drew AH: As I have said, I always wanted to become an artist and here, could for example be painted plaster. Th is one is quite for me drawing and painting was always something what I did. large, but I often make smaller sketches which do not take a “You try out proportions. As a young kid, I started doing this, parallel to architecture. lot of time, so that I can tryout things more. In a way, they What does it mean when And again through Peter Markli, I found a way to bring these are abstract. You try out proportions. What does it mean when things together. I have to add here that after my study I did you have a rectangle which is standing upright and you add a you have a rectangle another study for art, a part-time education. As I have said, in pillar next to it, how far a way should it stand, there a endless which is standing upright Switserland you don’t have these academies and so. In Zurich you combinations to try and every time it means something else and you add a pillar now have the Hochschule der Kunsten, where I studied in from Th is step you can do with a pencil and then have color as an next to it, how far a way 1999 to 2003. I did this, because I wanted to dig deeper into additional meaning. Often, it is not should it stand, there this art side of architecture, because somehow I was not satisfi ed so clear what it is meant to be, it it not necessarily a façade. I a endless combinations by what was taught at the ETH in an artistic way. Th erefore, I often also think of them as sketches for paintings. It inspires worked part-time at Peter Markli, and at the same time did this to do things. Now for example I am thinking of these boxes, to try and every time it artist study. Peter Markli supported this very much. I was able just simple boxes; how do you treat the sides, with just simple means something else [...] to work on smaller project for him at the offi ce, like the organ divisions. It than is very diff erent if you put color here, or if you and then have color as an in Basel and because it was a small project, I had time to do put it here. Furthermore, you can think about buildings, but is additional meaning.”
112 “Some sketches of not necessarily one as I have said. Just the principle of painting MZ: And how often did he came to the offi ce? Ones a week, ones paintings take quite boxes like this. Some sketches of paintings take quite long to a day? long to evolve but it is evolve but it is interesting to see that some of these drawings suddenly fi nd their way into a project, though it may be in a AH: No every day. Yes. Of course there are days that he has to go interesting to see that diff erent way as you thought of in the beginning. Each project somewhere else, but on a regular day, always in the afternoon. some of these drawings has colors and proportions, so these productions you will in the suddenly fi nd their way end always use in one way or another. I just moved in here into TS: When he came to the offi ce, did he talk to everyone individually into a project, though a larger atelier and if fi nd it pleasing when they just sit, or hang or was there a group meeting as well? it may be in a diff erent next to each other. way as you thought of AH: Both. Yes. TS: Th is environment, this atelier where we are in now, was this in the beginning. Each also the environment in the offi ce of Peter Markli? MZ: I notice that with this way of working, you need a lot of space. “I like to leave things project has colours and sitting. So you can go and proportions, so these AH: In a way it was, but at the offi ce we were mostly working on AH: Yes, I know. It is terrible. I mean, I like it. Actually, I move from one thing to productions you will in projects which were in development already, in a further state, just moved here but this is the biggest atelier that I had so far. the other that is how I the end always use in one so that it always a little bit diff erent. Peter Markli has his own It was because places like this are really hard to fi nd in this work. I never work too way or another” offi ce and that place is very special. Th e place always inspired environment and then I saw this and I thought, “You have to me very much, but the offi ce is not so much like that. He does take the opportunity”. Probably I won’t need this much space long on one thing, I like not work there, he comes there, and he talks with people, and right now, but it is quite nice to have. I like to leave things to go to another thing he works on the projects but when he does his own work, he is sitting. So you can go and move from one thing to the other and then go back and so at his own place. that is how I work. I never work too long on one thing, I like to go to another thing and then go back and so forth. It helps forth. It helps actually to TS : And did you liked this way of collaboration at the offi ce, where actually to be more effi cient in a way because if you have to put be more effi cient in a way Peter Markli only now and then visits the offi ce to talk to you and everything in a drawer and then take the next project out, that because if you have to put your colleagues? makes you crazy after a while. But of course, it is a luxury to everything in a drawer have this place. and then take the next AH: Yes, that was good. I actually think it is better. In this way, project out, that makes you had time to work on it and you know that there is another time to discuss the project. It is not this constant dialogue. I TS: In light of our research, we have visited a lot of architects and you crazy after a while.” guess that is personal as well. Some people like to have constant offi ces by now and most of the time you enter such a place and it is feedback possibilities and others like to work more on their has the offi ce environment, with a lot of desks and computer screens. own. But for me this was good in this way. Th is is the fi rst time I enter a real atelier with a lot of models,
113 drawings and materials etcetera, when visiting an architect here in site and you watch what the contractor makes and if it is made Switzerland. according to your drawings. Is that also your working method? Do you go all the way? BW: Where I work at the moment as an architect in the Netherlands, at the end of the day, your desks has to be completely clean because AH: If you can, yes. Th at is defi nitely also what I like to do and every morning a cleaning team will enter at will put it away to what I am interested in otherwise it seems like you don’t do the “I think architecture goes clean the place but this here seems healthier, I can imagine. whole thing. I think architecture goes all the way. Otherwise, all the way. Otherwise, a project scale 1:100, when you give that to someone, that a project scale 1:100, AH: Of course there a many ways to work, but for me, I like it can turn into something completely diff erent which you never when you give that to this way. intended it to be. Knowing that, yes, certainly, You have to be someone, that can turn aware of all..[those things, details]. But it is not possible in TS: How many people are working in your offi ce at the moment? every project. Each project has diff erent boundaries in a way. into something completely But if the people who give you the assignment, if they like you; diff erent which you never AH: At the moment, there are only two but they are not here it also has to do with the relationship with the client. How well intended it to be.” right now. When I had this bigger project in Austria which is is the relationship and how much do they trust the architect or fi nished now, we at one time were with four people but now it whatever. But it is the best if you can do everything. And then is less. Th is place also gives me a certain fl exibility which is also you need a good fi rm on the construction site to make it […]. what I want. So if you need more people that I don’t have to go and fi nd or look for a place. It is diffi cult to fi nd something. In BW: Ok. I asked this, because I worked at a couple of offi ces in this way, I have more fl exibility. Another thing is, as an architect, the Netherlands and it is often the case that it is hard for the “But with Peter Märkli, you never do a project all by yourself. Th ere are many people architect to have control over his work. Companies are looking for when I worked there, that who work with you on a project; people from the electricity, an ‘aesthetic advisor’, instead of an architect. But since most fi rms was often the discussion, planning or whatever. I also work with other architects on in the Netherlands are desperate for work, the architects agrees. But you know. Do they give certain projects depending on the project. Each project they don’t have as much control as they would like to have. So I was the plans to X, do they has a diff erent setup and sometimes you share certain work. But wondering if you have encountered that problem? make it all by themselves. at the moment I use the place mostly myself. AH: Well, personally not so much for my own projects because But he always was very I haven’t done really big projects yet. Th is school building that much focused to keep the BW: Is it normal for you, or even in Switzerland, to make detailed I was able to do was the biggest one and there we were lucky work in the architects’ drawings? In the Netherlands you have offi ces who make drawings that we really could make everything, all the details ourselves. hands. And it actually of where every lamp, every fi tting, until the last screw; everything But with Peter Markli, when I worked there, that was often the was always possible for is detailed. Th ey work with a contractor, you go to the building discussion, you know. Do they give the plans to […] do they him.”
114 make it all by themselves. But he always was very much focused working there. No. When he makes projects, he comes with to keep the work in the architects’ hands. And in actually was plans he did himself and the main dimensions are already set in always possible for him. his plans. So then you just go fi ner, but the main proportions are set by his numbers. And with this proportion system it is I “Th e thing is, I think it MZ: About that, I read that he said that, if you have something, for think, not at all so diffi cult. is not really important instance a proportion system, something strong, where you base your which proportional system project on; when you give that to a contractor, to build this projects, Th e thing is, I think it is not really important which proportional you use; the Golden something always goes wrong, someone will always do something system you use; the Golden Rule, or whatever. More important Rule, or whatever. More wrong. But because of the proportion system Peter Markli uses, this is that you realize that is a help for you in the way that is like a.. important is that you building will still be his project, the idea still stands. there are not so much possibilities anymore, it limits you. For me, I always connect it with music. When you have a guitar realize that is a help for “I think that is really Yes that’s true. I think it is important to have ‘hierarchy’, I call and the string can we touched down every millimetre, but then you in the way that is like a good way of keeping it. You have a main idea.. it is like in these steps, you get always the sounds are bad. So, you have divisions where the sounds are a.. there are not so much closer to a certain detail. In the small thing it is possible to right. Th at is how geometry works too. I mean, of course you the main idea outside of possibilities anymore, it change, but the main idea remains the same. can’t compare it one to one, but it is a link you can make and limits you.” what material means, What you said about proportions, is one thing I think that is when you look at the history of architecture, like Palladio or so, or all these things which really a good way of keeping the main idea outside of what the geometry always tend to be basic and simple. And then you can change or are part material means, or all these things which can change or are part take a fi rst start with a simple […] and then you add, or make of the ones for whom the of the ones for whom the project is, let’s say a one family house, a little shift in al way, but always in relation to the other thing. project is, let’s say a one the owner. Th at changes, but the proportions; it’s so simple in a way but if you keep hanging on to this, the main idea is safe. So Th e word ‘relation’ here is actually the most important here, family house, the owner. you can always hold on to this. because with this ‘system’, or whatever you want to call it, Th at changes, but the ‘proportions’, ‘divisions’, this let’s you keep everything in proportions; it’s so simple TS: In an interview, Peter Markli mentions the importance of relation. I think that is the most important thing, and that is in a way but if you keep proportion and states that everyone who starts working at the offi ce something which is bigger than your project. I think that that hanging on to this, the needs, at some time, learn this proportion system he invented for is the basis of architecture; that everything has to be related in a main idea is safe” himself, where everything ends up as a multiply of ‘eights’. Was this way. It is actually what life, or a city should be. Th ings should be also the case when you started to work for Peter Markli? Do you still in relation with each other. And how do you achieve this? Th ere use it for example? are many ways, but when you have plans to make, then you need measurements. Of course one can says that in the decimal AH: Yes, I still use it, very much. But it is not like you come in system everything is related to and then you have to make a sort of test and then you can start each other but the steps are so, so small, that it would take for
115 “Th e word ‘relation’ every to fi nd the right Boaz van der Wal: In the last couple decades, these universal rules or here is actually the most position. So you make it easier in a way, to just pick out certain systems are often being questioned in architecture. Internationally, important here, because basic […], I don’t like the word but, ‘grid’, is a way to look at you see a lot of free form architecture for example. I don’t know Peter it even though it has been used sometimes in a negative way Markli’s work as good as you guys do, but he makes his buildings “[...]it [the rectangle, with this ‘system’, or because in the end it should not be what comes to your mind. very orthogonal, rectangular. Also in you work, this seems the case. red.] is the starting point, whatever you want to Why do you think he chooses for this form? and often there is no need call it, ‘proportions’, I mean, architecture is always related to geometry and systems to go further because it ‘divisions’, this let’s and so, that is nothing new or special. It is more that you fi nd, AH: Yes. It is the normal case, the standard […] it is the is just all it takes. Which you keep everything in like a way to work with this, that is the important thing. It is beginning, the most basic thing. Everything what diff ers from does not mean that it is relation. I think that is not a means of expressing in a technical or in an esthetical way it, is special or needs explanation, a reason for it. And of course to show, I don’t know, this ‘rationalism’. It is not at all that. there are many sites in the city, there are always reason why the not possible to, sometimes the most important thing, city looks like it is. If you look at it historically why this is, the […]. Sometimes you and that is something TS: Peter Markli have often mentioned that has always searched for topography, or older structures. Th ere is always a reason for it. need to search for a other which is bigger than your the ‘grammatik’ of architecture and proportional systems are often It is never a free idea of someone. So it is the starting point, and direction or shape, but project.” related to fi nd a sort of ‘universal language’, since a circle is a circle often there is no need to go further because it is just all it takes. that is not the beginning. everywhere. So for you, is it also about fi nding a universal language Which does not mean that it is not possible to, sometimes […]. It is something which in some way? Or even true ‘beauty’, like the Golden Ration implies? Sometimes you need to search for a other direction or shape, Do you believe in the use of proportions in this kind of way? but that is not the beginning. It is something which needs to needs to evolve.” evolve. AH: I think so, yes. I do. Th ere was this time where people thought that the whole universe was based on mathematical BW: It also seems to have to do with the signature of an architect in “It is more like a tool, a proportions. I mean, it is a way to look at it. It is not so bad some cases. On our way to this place, we stopped at the Stadelhofen tool that you use. When I think. It can explain many things in a way, or give sense to railway station, designed by Calatrava. you make music, you many things. But the problem with it is, one should not look don’t think about these at it as an expression of a technical or rationalized society or AH: Well, that is an interesting example for me. Because in that whatever. It is more like a tool, a tool that you use. When you case, it is harmonious and it is, it has it’s right, I think. In many things anymore, but you make music, you don’t think about these things anymore, but other cases you look at it and you think it is more formalistic but should know where it you should know where it comes from, what the laws behind in this case, the basic structure of this railway station was given. comes from, what the it are. In the best case, they actually disappear. But they are Th e slight curve was given from the site and how he developed laws behind it are. In the behind it, they are like the bones which hold the thing together this. Of course he is also an engineer and he likes this sort of, best case, they actually in a way. organic fl ow. But in that case, I think it is really, I must say, well disappear.” done. It looks somehow, natural in a way, when you look at the
116 site. It is not a building, in a way, it is a structure which is built into this hill side, this terrace thing. He did the same thing with this pillar for a row house, a single family houses that was terrible. It has no justifi cation, except for formalistic reasons. Th at is, what I think is sad. But in many cases, when it is more engineer-like it is somehow possible.
117 PROJECTS ALEX HERTER Burgdorf. Th ey were both also assistant of Peter Markli. Th ere was a master plan, but of a small area, so it was more AH: Right now, I am working on my website. So I took like, how you developed the volume in this area. Th e site for everything off so I can’t really show you something online. the extension I designed was quite given. Also for the upper buildings, which are situated here, and this building also. Th is AH: Th is was a project in the Engadine, in the mountains, masterplan was done by Peter Markli. Th e urban planning in a which is a valley which is the closest to Italy. It is quite on a high way. level, meter wise. It is like a plane in a way, but still in a valley. We were able to this project, which adds to this main building, Th is was a really old house. I don’t know if you are familiar this wing if you want to call it that way. With two small with this really typical architecture of this valley. It are Engadine apartments here, which is only in the new part, and one big houses. Th e classical Engadine house is white. Le Corbusier, apartment in the top story, which has this fl oor, and this fl oor, he was also interested in these. It is still Graubunden. Rudolf which is quite high. And then here, you have a low area which Olgiati is very much infl uenced by Engadine, but the Engadine is quite nice contrast in a way. And then, this double story here, is only one valley. And you have St. Moritz, with the lake, remained in the family for their own apartment. And this is the Pontresina, Silvaplana. cellar already, which is visible from the street. In the beginning it was actually the idea to have three apartments, all connected “Peter Märkli was asked Th e site was for a family, who came from this town. I am looking old and new, which everybody liked in the beginning. But the it for a situation plan. Th is is a view of the town, the old center of turned out to be too diffi cult to make the new stair here, in the to do a project, and he the town and this yellow part is the old house of the family. Th e old building, because than you had to take out too much of the said that he couldn’t valley goes like this, and the river goes like this. And when you structure to put in an elevator. So then we developed it so that design several buildings. cross the mountains, you go towards Italy in this way. Th e site the elevator and the stair are in the new part, and then there is “What interested me, was I mean, he didn’t which belongs to them is bigger; there is a small barn here, and an entrance to a garage which actually is quite big, and how to make this addition wanted to design several there was one older building which had to be torn down which also connect the other two buildings. Th at is the top, that is on to the house, and not use buildings on his own, was standing here. And there was empty area here, and another the hill side, and that is the other one. Th ey are like a little town this cliché of contrasting buildings here. in the town. And there is a little square which they all share. but he wanted to give it Peter Markli was asked to do a project, and he said that he old and new but somehow to diff erent architects, couldn’t design several buildings. I mean, he didn’t wanted to What interested me, was how to make this addition to the try to make one whole of so that in the end it design several buildings on his own, but he wanted to give it to house, and not use this cliché of contrasting old and new but it all. But still in certain would be a conglomerate diff erent architects, so that in the end it would be a conglomerate somehow try to make one whole of it all. But still in certain areas, maybe use some of individual houses, of individual houses, but all with, maybe, a familiarity. So he areas, maybe use some abilities we have today to have more light abilities we have today but all with, maybe, a asked two, three architects, one of them a women, to do a and so on. Th is let me to this decision to treat these facades to have more light and so project. Th e other two names were Christof Ansorge and Ingrid here, all in same way as the existing building, except for this familiarity.” on.”
118 side, which opens to the light. AH: Yes, that’s true. And it is all painted. Th ere are no raw materials on the existing house. Or, almost none. All the main [Pointing to the model] Here you have the corner of the old parts are painted which was also nice thing to work with. I building. Th at is the old part, and here the new part. Th at is added this red, at the south façades, to give it a new aspect but from the rear angle. Th at is look from above to the existing still stay in this idea of having everything […] building and it is in the same color and the same material. TS: And why is there this explicit wall, between the new and the Michal Załuski: So the old building was also restored? old? It is higher than the other parts.
Yes, it has the original looks but it was not looking fresh before AH: Yes, that is something that I saw in a building by Palladio. “Yes, that is something the restoration. And inside little alterations; especially in the top He did this in a palazzo in Vinceza and it absolutely amazed that I saw in a building fl oor because this was sold as a unit to somebody who bought me when I fi rst saw it. It is a main square, and you see this by Palladio. He did this this apartment, and this was all newly done inside. big, volumetric building, very heavy cubic building. And then you walk around, and then you come to the rear corner, and in a palazzo in Vinceza Boaz van der Wal: So you used some characteristics of the existing you turn around and then it is completely opened up. And and it absolutely amazed building, like the proportions? this theme, it is like a double image or something. Th e volume me when I fi rst saw it. It is reduced to just a wall, just a wall. And then, further, you is a main square, and you Th at is a good question, because I talked about this Engadine have the structure. So when you look at it from this way, it see this big, volumetric houses but that is not at all what this old building is. Th at is a structural building and on the other side, we call it “loch building, very heavy was really surprising. When I fi rst heard about the project and façade”, a cubic façade. And that’s what helped me to have this the said that it was this 200-years-old building in Engadine, I classical façade, go together with the old building. On all these cubic building. And thought one of those typical houses. But it wasn’t. Th is is like sides. And only this side façade is diff erent. It is interesting how then you walk around, a classical palazzo type of Italy or so, so yes, this was a surprise do you make this shift from this side to this side. And how do and then you come to but it turned out to be a quite good starting point, to add the you use the elements. From here, it is a wall, and from the other the rear corner, and you new volume, to take up these principles of the quite rigid façade side, the wall is a pillar. I took these pictures myself. It was a turn around and then and also the interior. When you look at the interior, it has quite sunny day, which was not good for the pictures. It are not good it is completely opened similarities. pictures and the residents were gone. So always when I went up there, always the windows were closed, it is terrible. I asked up. And this theme, it is BW: Also the façade I see, the proportions of the windows, although someone who lives up there to go by and then I like a double image or the details of the window frame are diff erent. And these arches took the picture. When you look at it from here it is closed, cubic something. Th e volume is search for a relation with the old, and the chimneys.. and traditional in that sense, with this end. And still, I tried reduced to just a wall, just somehow to have it in the same language, not like something a wall.”
119 completely added. So try to use for the pillars the same color architecture, so that’s also.. Sometimes small projects can also and the same material, so that it is still in one piece, altogether. be in that sense the same, also interesting.
BW: In Holland, we are not often working with plaster because Last year I did two projects for a bar, a restaurant. I can show it gets dirty real soon. Th ey make practically everything in bricks. you this. Th is is bar, it is in Zurich. Th e building is quite […]. Th at is not the case here in Switzerland? It had this sign already, I knew this for a long time already, because you could see the sign from quite far away. And the Th e old building was not painted for 60 years. Th is [showing a new owners, they asked me, and I said “but it’s not the one with picture], was how it looked at the beginning. You see the dirty the sign right?” and they said “Yes, yes, it is!”. And I thought, part here a little bit, but it is also nice, you know, patina. But wow this is cool, because this is like a local bar from Zurich, in the end, we did some work on the windows and in the end you know. Th is street here, it is in the city but it is all residential they said, after 60 years you can just paint it anyway. For me, houses and they have a specialty that they have little gardens in you didn’t necessarily had to paint it, but they did it anyway. front, which is not so common in Switzerland. It is more like Here you see some detailed of the old part. It is over 200 years this English style. And these houses are protected by history, old. Th is is after the renovation. We took out the carpet and historical protection, so they wanted, when we do this outside the fl oor was still underneath it so, all we had to do was a little space for the bar, they wanted some kind of reference, some bit sanding on fl oor. Th e rest was already given, we added some kind idea to cope with these gardens. Th e idea was to make “What I said with these paint but basically not much at all. What you see here is the these very low pillars, in a way, which have these rhythms that drawings, you just have a original paint, it is blueish, in the inside. Here, this is on the comes from these other gardens, which goes around the corner. second fl oor and there is a new owner above, we took out the You have this horizontal plane for the terrace of course, because cube and it can also turn stairs and there was a wall there that we took out so now there it has to be on on level with the inside obviously. Here you have out to be furniture in a is a more open space on the second fl oor. So the third fl oor is always these little walls, and you have pillars and little gardens. “Th is [restaurant in way. I mean, like, a long separated from the others. Th is is what it looked like before, just a parking lot. Zurich, red.] project was time ago, furniture looked really nice, or interesting like architecture. [...]not Th en, which was also quite nice to do, was the furniture for that Th is project was really nice, or interesting because they wanted because they wanted to just a minimalistic cube project which was something what I found quite interesting and to have also furniture and also lighting. And so, we tried to do have also furniture and which is something what is also [..]. What I said with these this, sort of bistro style, in a way traditional, but still with a but it was almost like drawings [artistic drawings on the walls, red.], you just have a fresh approach. We reduced everything to this wood, and then also lighting. And so, architecture, so that’s also.. cube and it can also turn out to be furniture in a way. I mean, the plaster without paint. Which is actually really cheap, but we tried to do this, sort Sometimes small projects like, a long time ago, furniture looked like architecture. Th ese has this almost stucco-like look. Usually this is used to paint of bistro style, in a way can also be in that sense interior of 200 or so years ago, they had facades, you know, a afterwards right, or maybe you need to have this tapestries, this traditional, but still with the same, also interesting.” structure. Not just a minimalistic cube but it was almost like fl at plaster. But then, if you add just a transparent liquor, then a fresh approach.”
120 it really comes out more and this gives really this nice quality, it rent another place and they said, “Hey!, we have to do this, it’s add this texture to it. Th is was mainly interior design, but that perfect. It is right in the middle of the town near the railway doesn’t matter. It is also architecture. station”. I didn’t think I could do it, but they were really supportive and open to the ideas. So we managed to do this BW: And how did you came up with the fl oor pattern here? in four or fi ve months. Th is one was only interior, not like the other one with the outside.Th e structure was given, and also Th at is from a collection actually. We selected this and we added the ceiling was given. But the holes were empty, just nothing parts with wood. So it is like a combination of […]. Here you in it, just white. And some strange spotlights hanging down see, parts of it are wood, like a carpet in certain areas. It sort of from there. And the cost needed to be kept low, and we said make […], it gives areas inside the room for the furniture also. “we have to keep this ceiling”. But what do you do with this? Th en we thought it would be nice to take this pattern and make Th en I thought of this, baroque, the paintings on the ceilings. “Th en I thought of this, the lights with this. So these are two layers, and behind it is the You should look at it as paintings. But you can’t make it really baroque, the paintings on light because the owners said they didn’t want direct light. So big, because time is short. So, you can’t make a real painting. the ceilings. You should this was a way of making, like a, decoration, and still have light. So I found these tapestries, which are really cool. It is a really look at it as paintings. cool fi rm from London, Timorous Beasties it is called. Th ey But you can’t make it TS: So these drawings you make, where we talked about earlier, make really great designs. So we decided to do this. It is actually, really big, because time you use them for architecture, furniture but also for these kind of there is light from below which gives this space above more interior design elements? importance. And then we did the furniture, and just the inside. is short. So, you can’t “So here, it was really Th e fi rm often uses animals, or plants and so on. So I think it make a real painting. So important to have a good Yes, exactly. So here, it was really important to have a good fi rm is really nice. I found these tapestries, fi rm that did these works. that did these works. Th e bar, and a lot of the furniture and also which are really cool.” Th e bar, and a lot of the these lamps, are all made by the same fi rm. Th at was really a BW: And do you also pick the chairs yourself? perfect team, sort of, because you didn’t have a too many people. furniture and also these Th ey were able to make metal work, they had wood, and they No, not in this project. Th ese are all used chairs which we found lamps, are all made by the were able to [...] they made the kitchen, the cooling system, all on Ebay or something and we brought them to the carpenter same fi rm. Th at was really in one. Th ey were a special fi rm for bars and restaurants so that and we said to give them a little refreshment but the tables, they a perfect team, sort of, was perfect. You had only one person you talked to and he could are drawn, and the benches are drawn also. And of course the because you didn’t have a tell his workers; that was quite nice. bar. Maybe you know them, the chairs. Th ey are Swiss actually, too many people.” and quite famous chair. Th ey are called Horgenglarus. Th ey And maybe I can show you this other bar. Also by the same have been doing it for a long time, it is traditional but they owners. Th is one had to be done really quickly. We were doing still exist and they still make chairs. So these are projects that I this bar, and during that time, they had the opportunity to worked on. Do you like to see more?
121 Well, for me, this was before I was able to do bigger projects TS: Well, some of us are staying in Zurich for another day. We on my own. Th is was during, I think, when I was assistant at are going to visit some of Peter Markli’s buildings, but if there are the ETH working. No, that’s not true. I was already doing […] more projects of your offi ce in the neighborhood, we will defi nitely First I was doing a design for this house in Regensdorf and at visit them. Since you website was offl ine, which project would you the time, Peter Markli had this idea that he wanted other people “Th is [the Novartis recommend us? to do certain things. Th ere is also this banner by Jenny Holzer projects. red.] certainly on the front façade. And he asked me if I was interested to was a very special project. Well, I have one for you. Th is apartment block in Zurich. do a project inside the project. And of course this was a great I was able to do this. No so far from this railway station by opportunity. Th is certainly was a very special project. Of course Of course because of the Calatrava. It was done in 2010. It are all apartments. Th ere is because of the big company, but also because the Novartis big company, but also like a courtyard, sort of, an area. Th ere is a path leading through area is like a closed area. It used to be a industrial area and the because the Novartis area “I decided to treat these it. I decided to treat these sides like the urban facades and then regulations are diff erent from normal housing projects. So were is like a closed area. It sides like the urban this side is more of a [..]. Well, this one is more vertical, and had less restrictions on how to […] make banisters for example. used to be a industrial the other one is horizontal and looks to this courtyard. On the So were able to do a quite free interpretation. It turned out, we area and the regulations facades and then this side other side it is connected to this building. So they form like a used this [staircase] in more areas of the building. It was a really is more of a [..]. Well, this pair, in a way. fascinating process. First you had this shape, this volume, with a are diff erent from normal one is more vertical, and sculptural quality or so. And then you start to think about how housing projects. So the other one is horizontal TS: Th ank you. We will defi nitely visit it. to make it, how to realize it. It turned out that […], it is just were had less restrictions and looks to this one piece, which was this long. It is melted aluminum. It was on how to […] make courtyard. On the other Boaz van der Wal: Would you like to do an international project? done in a factory where they made aluminum parts for motors banisters for example. So You already said you worked in Austria. or whatever. You make a three dimensional model in were able to do a quite side it is connected to this the original scale, a mold. Th en you put this into sand, and then building. So they form Well, it is not a question of wanting or not. It is a matter of you have the negative. Th en they put it together and they poor free interpretation.” like a pair, in a way” interesting project. Whatever the possibilities are. Th ere is the aluminum inside. Th at was really an interesting process. nothing I would say no to at the moment. First it didn’t work and we had to change the model. And this was done somewhere in northern Germany and I had to visit TS: Before we leave, I see a fragment of the staircase you designed that factory. It was really a new process in a way. for the Novartis project you did with Peter Märkli. We’ve studied a lot of Peter Markli’s projects but this one really stood out. Th ere TS: Lastly, to come back at the whole ‘learning as an architect’; do also was a lot of money involved we read, since it was made for you have any advice for us, as students. Our graduation project in the pharmaceutical company. Can you tell us something about this the end, will be a campus building at the architecture University project? of Mendrisio, the AAM. And in sum, we are asked to dive into
122 the work of Peter Markli and use the knowledge we gain into the project. In a way we behave as the apprentice of Peter Markli. What would be your advice to start such a project?
AH: What is the use of the building?
MZ: It is another part of the campus where there a planning to make ateliers. It will probably host the master projects, to have them all together in this new building. Th ere is also a space to have a workshop for the students, and offi ces for the professors.
“Well, the site is very AH: So you do this project together? Or separate? important. So study TS: Well, fi rst we have this joined research, where this interview the local traditions I is part of. And in the second part, we use this knowledge for our would say. Th at is one individual design. thing that is unique about architecture. [...] AH: Ok. A more theoretical part, and a design part. Well, the And then, you have the site is very important. So study the local traditions I would say. program of what will be Th at is one thing that is unique about architecture. It is always located somewhere. Compared to a painting maybe, which is inside. Th e program is located in your mind, or you locate it somewhere, you place it like the…. When I do somewhere. But architecture has always something to do with a competition, you have the site. Th at’s one thing. to, really, internalize the And then, you have the program of what will be inside. Th e program. What spaces program is like the […]. When I do a competition, you have are need, so that you can to, really, internalize the program. What spaces are need, so that you can fi nd a way to put this all together. fi nd a way to put this all Tim van der Steen: Ok, well thank you for your time and the fact together” that we could visit your offi ce.
AH: It was a pleasure. I don’t get many visitors [laughing], so it was nice, yes.
123 DESIGN AIM RECAP
In PART II of this report, I will describe to you the design of a school building for architecture students on the campus of the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio (see §Graduation Studio and §Methodology). Th e goal during this design process was to master being an apprentice of the Swiss architect Peter Märkli. As I discovered during the research in PART I, being a good apprentice of Peter Märkli is closely related to how an architect (or an architecture student in my case) should learn form history.
In PART I, we defi ned a good attitude towards history to be a creative attitude. After understanding Märkli’s attitude regarding each of the six parts of the architectural language (§2.1-§2.6), it is now my turn design the school in Mendrisio, aiming for the same creative attitude towards history (and, in a way, towards the things I learned Peter Märkli). I’ll be tracking my attitude, again, for each of these six elements of the language (§3.1-§3.6). In the end, I will be able to judge whether my attitude during the design process aimed in the right creative direction. In other words, if I mastered being an apprentice.
124 @QA PODIUM FOR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS by learning from Swiss architect Peter Märkli
TIM VAN DER STEEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY EINDHOVEN, 2019
125 126 PART III DESIGN CAN I MASTER BEING AN APPRENTICE OF PETER MÄRKLI?
INTRO DESIGN LOCATION CONCEPT
§3.1 PLAN & FACADE §3.2 PROPORTION & SCALE §3.3 ORDER & DISORDER §3.4 MATERIAL §3.5 COLOR §3.6 ORNAMENT & DETAIL
127 Monte Generose
Monte San Giogio
SWITZERLAND
Poncione d’Arzo Mendrisio
1281 8 I. LOCATION
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION CAMPUS IDENTITY
Th e plot for the design is located in Mendrisio (Switzerland) Th e AAM is deeply rooted in the Ticino and serves as a bridge on the Architecture Academy (AAM). Mendrisio is part of the between the cultures of north and south, located at the edge of Swiss canton Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland in the south. Switzerland’s border. It is said that the canton greatly benefi ts What characterizes the landscape of Mendrisio is that is is from this unique linguistic and cultural condition. For the surrounded by three mountains, Monte Generoso, Monte San architecture academy, this advantage is noticeable through its Giorgio and Poncione d’Arzo (fi gure 65,66). As a result of international character[1]. this geographical character, the location for the design is to be placed inside a hill (fi gure 67), on the edge of the Mendrisio Campus. As you will see in the upcoming chapter, this will have 1 AAM. (n.d.). The Academy. a large impact on the design.
Figure 70: Drawing 1 - Map - location of Figure 71: Drawing 2 - Concept Map - Figure 72: Drawing 3 - Concept section Mendrisio (opposite page) location of Mendrisio (red dot), urban area of the design area and the context. In (yellow), mountain area (green) yellow the campus buildings, our design ought to be in front of the church (red)
129 CAMPUS BUILDINGS
Similar to American or English campuses, the AAM is located Th ree buildings (no.1 - no.3) are directly surrounding our plot in the middle of its village across several administrative, and are briefl y discussed on the next page. A short description educational, services, research and study buildings (fi gure of the other campus buildings (no.4 - no.7) is included in the 68,72). Th e various buildings, Villa Argentina (with the appendix. faculty board and offi ces), Palazzo Canavée and Palazzo Turconi (teaching facilities) are laid out around an urban park. Figure 73: Drawing 4 - Architecture Academy Campus Mendrisio (AAM) with the design area in red.
130 Figure 74: Excursion Photo - Palazzo Turconi (no.1, top left) - Patio
Designed in the mid- nineteenth century by Luigi
Fontana, this was originally Figure 75: Rendered image - Theatre of the location of the Hospital Architecture by Mario Botta (no. 2, top formerly named the ‘Blessed right) Virgin’. Today the ground Th e Th eater of Architecture fl oor houses the design was still under construction studios for the fi rst year of at the start of this graduation the Bachelor course, while project (november 2015). the upper fl oor contains the Nowadays it relatews more studios for Diploma projects. to the Palazzo Turconi due to its surprising change of color compared to the earlier design render. See §3.5 Color for the consequences of this.
Th e building, design by Swiss architect Mario Botta host the new museum of Figure 76: Excursion Photo - Local architecture, a workshop of Church (no.3, bottom ideas, experimentation and events. Th e Church next to the Palazzo Turconi is one of the oldest churches in Mendrisio and still frequently used by its local citizens. It used to be part of the old Hospital Figure 77: Completed design Theatre of of the Turconi building. Its Architecture by Mario Botta (no. 2, top diagonal placement makes right) it stand out from the other campus buildings.
131
II. URBAN ANALYSIS & CONCEPT
AN IDEA OF HOW A WORKSHOP FOR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS SHOULD BE
We can’t design a building without having an idea of how a workshop for architecture students should function and look like. In my opinion, a workshop for architecture students should be centred around one idea: the carpenter workshop itself. For me, the workshop symbolizes what architectural design is like: making things, buildings, trying things out, fail, re-design and so forth. Th e workshop represents the designing aspect of their education.
To illustrate this, it can best be seen as an scheme with all the other mandatory spaces around the ‘workshop center’. I therefore start off with the simple idea that the workshop should be the center of the design.
Figure 78: Excursion Photos - Bird view of the design area
Figure 79: Drawing 5 - Concept scheme
133 134 III. PLAN CONCEPT
URBAN ANALYSIS
Campus Structure Campus Fragmentation
When we examines the campus area, one can observe a shift Th is perpendicular grid is what ties the campus together as a in orientation and morphology on the border of the campus. whole, despite its fragmentation. Th e fragmented organization (Figure 72). Were the volumes of the housing area are oriented of a campus is one of the problems addressed in the design brief. facing the street - gradually moving with the curve of the road As a designer, we ought to create a vision to cope with this ‘Via Bolzani’ and ‘Via Franseco Borella (pink) - the campus urban problem. buildings detach themselves from the housing typology by orienting themselves to the central road of the campus ‘Via Alfonso Turconi’ in a perpendicular manner (red).
Figure 80: Drawing 6 - Morphology & Orientation of the Campus buildings and the local housing
Figure 81: Drawings 7 - Fragmentation of the campus. Seperated by the road ‘Via Turconi’. In grey, all the campus buildings. In yellow, the area the AAM campus wants to buy in the future to expand.
135 Design plot - two anomalies
Other characteristics of the design plot are given by the morphological characteristics of the surrounding buildings. When we have a closer look to the design area, we see two ‘anomalies’ to the campus grid. Figure 82: Drawings 8 - Plot anomaly I: Church Th e fi rst is the ‘Chiesa dei Cappuccini Church’. Th e church’s volume infi ltrates our local grid with its diff erent, diagonal orientation.
Th e second anomaly, is the relatively new Th eatre of Architecture Figure 83: Drawings 9 - Plot anomaly II: designed by Mario Botta. Th e building has a distinct circular Theater of Architecture form, hinting at the collective or social function it hosts as a theatre and a museum. Th e building is put on a large concrete block which does confi rm to campus grid.
136 PROCESS SKETCHES & IMAGES
Figure 84: Sketch - The Argument for start the design with a Square
137 Placing the Square
With the square in mind, we only need to place it within our design plot. To place it as far as possible from the Palazzo Turconi, creating a ‘place’ in between the buildings seemed the best option in my opinion.
In this way, a pleasant square would arise in between the four two buildings from which all buildings could profi t.
Figure 86: Drawing 10 - Final position of volume in the context
138 139 FLOOR PLAN: THE ARGUMENT FOR A PODIUM
From Concept to Podium a Podium against Fragmentation With the rectangle and the building concept in mind, came the Secondly, the idea of a podium could partly solve the problem of idea of a podium. Th is artifi cial platform[1], not only centralizing fragmentation of the campus. When designing with a concept, the architecture student as mentioned in the §BUILDING CONCEPT, I think one should always try to solve given problems with the but literally raising them, emphasizing the most important least amount of interventions, or even better - one intervention. room of the building. A gesture so to speak to defi ne a certain Our building cannot solve all the problems of the campus’ place. Th e idea of the podium relates to the Greek stylobate fragmented structure, that would be a miracle. mentioned in §2.4 MATERIALS. What we can do however, is to make the structure a little bit better by improving it with our building. A solution to fragmentation is in my opinion “doing the opposite”, that means connecting the campus buildings better.
1 Markli, 2002, p.52 In line with our urban analysis, I should make a connection with Palazzo Turconi, improving the connection to it, so that Figure 87: Drawing 11 - Section: the Figure 88: Drawing 12 - Morphological Figure 89: Drawing 13 - Podium podium (dark red) as an antidote to relation of our design with Palazzo visitors can easily access both building. I decided to use the continues underneath the space inbetween fragmentation, connecting buildings Turconi. Sequence of patio’s and atria’s same podium to solve this problem, to use it as an intermediate our design and Palazzo Turconi between the Palazzo Turconi and our building, the workshop.
140 PROCESS SKETCHES & Figure 90: Sketches: Process sketches of the podium concept. IMAGES
141 IV. FACADE CONCEPT
west side should therefore be considered the front. Th is is the side facing ‘Via Bolzani’ and should have a more prominent or representative appearance. Our building is the fi rst campus building a visitor of the campus would encounter when approaching the campus area from the station.
Back Facade Th e back side of the building is the side facing the backside
Figure 91: Sketches: Representative Figure 92: Drawing 14 - Representative front facade for the workshop (right) front side of both Palazzo Turconi and our with a podium plinth relating to the new student workshop (left). representative front side of Turconi
142 Palazzo Turconi. Th is Palazzo facade has a very calm, rhythmic and orderly facade at this side. Since we morphologically try to relate to this building, I chose to also relate to this facade aestheticly as well.
Side facades (west) - Serivce side & Goods delivary
Figure 94: Sketches: Calm rhytmic back Figure 93: Drawing 15 - Back facades facade to respond to the facade of Palazzo facing each other. Our new workshop Turconi should respond in a similar calm facade.
143 Figure 95: Sketches - Searching for a facade system and unity
144 PROCESS SKETCHES & IMAGES
Figure 96: Sketches - Searching for a facade system and unity
145 interior routing. Th ese both routes are laid out parallel to each other on the side where the church is located. Campus visitors who enter the campus but do not enter our workshop, will rise up via the exterior stair. Th e experience of entering this square with the presence of the old church is a good reason to place the routing on the east side.
Figure 97: Drawing 16 Service & routing sides of volume
Th e west facade, facing the hospital, is the service side in the design. Th is decision is partly made to relate to the service entrance of the hospital, which is opposite of our west facade. Since our workshop for architecture students needs an service entrance to deliver and enter with large models, machines and materials, it seems logical to make this entrance here. Side facades (east) - routing Th e east facade of the design, is used to create the exterior and
146 147 PLAN & FACADE
PROCESS SKETCHES & IMAGES
Figure 98: Sketch - Starting point of the Figure 99: Drawing 17 Location of the floor plan within the rectangle building in the design plot
148 1491414 PODIUM
Th e podium is to be seen as one solid mass. In and on this podium, the students can fi nd all their needs:
Th e wood-working area (carpentry) for simple wood-working, the toilets, the workshop-desk where they can buy materials and of course the vertical routing in the shape of (emergency) stairs and one elevator.
Below (or inside) the podium, students are allowed to do heavy wood-working on supervision. Here, the bigger machines are located. Th is area can be reached via the ‘ hole’ inside the podium in the center of the podium and via an elevating platform next to to workshop desk oin the corner of the west face.
Although this podium was carefully thought of in a conceptual manner with the students having a central role, inspiration for this ‘ raised fl oor’ was defi nitely Peter Markli’s notion of the Greek stylobate used in his design in Erlenbach or in a more conceptual manner in the marble Novartis entrance fl oor.
Note: On the opposite page, the 3D model of the podium mass. Th is image is considered to be the most important image of the design.
150 Figure 100: Drawing 18 Location of the building in the design plot
151 MATERIALS
Learning from Peter Markli
I think I understood Märkli’s thoughts on materials relatively well. I used his notion on continuing the fl oor material on the walls, but not literally copied it. No, instead, I used it with good reasons, in order for my concept to improve. By doing this, the mass of the podium is clearly visible en continues throughout the whole building with the vertical shafts.
152 153 Figure 102: Drawing 19 The podium explained in schemes
154 155 Figure 103: Drawing 20: Floorplan P0 Podium, scale 1:300
156 Figure 104: Drawing 21 - 3D visualization of the podium (dark red) for architecture students
157157 Figure 105: Drawing 29: Length section Podium, scale 1:300
158158 Figure 106: Drawing 28: Routing of entrance floor, scale 1:200
159 FACADES Figure 107: Sketches - Starting point for the facades of the volume. Emphasizing the central space We’ve learned from Märkli to carefully take notice in what are the front-, side, and back facades of the design depending on the context (see §2.1). Since we are designing a semi-public building, the treatments of the facade can be diff erent but the main rule should be that they need to be tied by the fame system PROCESS SKETCHES & for the building to maintain it’s unity. IMAGES Front Facade Our building is located on the edge of the campus. Th e north-
160 Figure 108: Drawing 22: North facade in context, scale 1:200
161 Figure 109: Drawing 23 - Scheme of the facade system of the building
162 Figure 110: Sketch: Detaile scheme of the THE FACADES facade columns on the corners Th e main concept behind the facades is the column grid which detaches on the east and south facade. On these sides are the exterior route, leading to the rest of the campus and a collonade to sit under alngside our building, facing the square and Turconi.
Th e south facade facing the back-side of Turconi is a calm rhytmic facade, while the north (main) facade have more grandeur.
Th e facade facing the hospital is the service side of our building and is used for the delivery of goods and hosting the toilet units on each fl oor.
Figure 111: Sketch: Study of facade composition regarding the main facade and entrance
163 Figure 112: Drawing 26: North facade in relation to its openings.
Figure 113: Impression of the north facade view
164
Figure 114: Impression of the south facade view
166 Figure 115: Drawing 27: South facade in relation to its openings, scale 1:200
167 Figure 116: Drawing 36: West facade in relation to its openings, sclae 1:200
168 169 Figure 117: Drawing 40 - West facade in relation to its openings, scale 1:200
170 171 Figure 118: Impression podium to North (entrance) facade
172 Figure 119: Impression main entrace P=0 towards the upper workshop floor P=1
173 174 PLAN&FACADE
Learning from Peter Markli
While this topic seems relatively simple, I learned more about I think the process around hierarchy of the facades was one on morphology than ever before. Th e idea of the rectangle really the most interesting parts of the design. Where I started with helped me to keep things as simple as possible, especially when the very clear distinction between the front and back facades, combining it with a relatively complex idea of a podium, a lifted the design slowly obtained a more and more unifying character. central fl oor. It became a united whole, bound by the same system on all sides On a building level I played with the tension between ‘perfect while still reacting diff erently to each part of the context. rectangular volume’ and deliberately not achieved it by taking out two volume to create balconies. Th e system of columns and beams merges a representative front with a service and routing side-façades and a back façade facing Secondly, the very basic and ordered shape of the design allowed a public square; each façade reacting diff erently without losing for a little playfulness in the arrangement of the windows and a the whole. relatively clear plan structure.
175 PROPORTION & SCALE
For the proportion, I mainly focused on the dimension of all the Th e workshop (our building) is designed using a measurement facades and its elements. Moreover I carefully emphasized the system based on the method Märkli used in his Novartis strong grid of the building via the ceiling beams and column. building. Our building is 16 meter high and divided by 8, this I let go of a proportion system and preferred to carefully make gives a module of 2 meter. Th e structural grid of the building is sure everything is in ‘ relation’ with each other in sense of set on twice that size, 4 meters. dimension. All the other elements of the building are designed as a multiple of 800 mm.
Figure 120: Drawing 24: Proportion scheme
176 Scale I therefore decided through testing (and proportion) that As explained by Märkli, the width of the openings (or the the columns had to be 800 mm. I investigated a smaller size, reverse; the thickness of the columns), is dependent on the 600mm, but that was too small as one can see in process impact of the environment on the building. Th e context of our drawings. building is fairly dualistic in this sense. of nature. It is not as nearly similar to Märkli’s winery in Quebec, where the context demands temple-like columns, but is not an urban context either.
Figure 121: Drawing 25: Proportions of facade elements
177 PROCESS SKETCHES & IMAGES
178 PROCESS SKETCHES & IMAGES
179 180 Conclusions Conclusions
SCALE PROPORTION
Learning from Peter Markli Learning from Peter Markli
Th e scale principles I learned through Markli were completely Th e proportion aspect of the architectural language was quite new for me but felt quit natural and easy to understand. Th e diffi cult. It took me quite a while to understand and I ended idea of the ‘big room’ really made sense in historical context. up simplifying the proportions. Similar to Markli’s façade I started with several diff erent sizes of pilasters for my design dimensions for the Novartis building, I divided the height by and ended up to go from 500 mm width to 800 mm for the 8, resulting in 4 meters for the building grid which turned out ground fl oor façade columns to get the right scale. Every other really well for the student’s working area. facade element is in turn base on this column size. Other than that, I used all dimensions as a multiple of 400 mm, ranging from window and door sizes to stairs and façade elements. Doing all this, the façade basically has resulted fi ne proportions. In the end, the conversation with Markli’s student and collegue Alex Herter really helped me to get a deeper understanding of the why behind proportion systems and provide me a more modern view of these systems.
181 Figure 122: Drawing 30: Material plan, Figure 123: Drawing 31: Section width, P=0 Entrance floor sclae 1:300
182 183 Figure 124: Drawing 32: Machinary level, P=-1, 3D model
184 Figure 125: Drawing 33: Machinary level, P=-1
185185 Figure 126: Drawing 35: Material floor plan P=-1 Machinary
186 MATERIAL & COLOR
STARTING POINT MATERIALS
Th e material scheme is simple: for the outside I have chosen an absence of color. Th e idea is, that our building is neutral within the the colorfull context. Th erefore the color of the building is chosen to be inside the building.
To contrast the cold concrete of the exterior, wood is used on the inside: from the tables to ceilings and, most importantly in the windows.
Te windows represent the sharp contrast between inside and outside: a black metal window frame on the outside, a wooden frame on the inside.
Figure 127: Drawing 34: Starting point Figure 128: (Next page) Impression patio Figure 129: (Next page) Impression patio materials interior underneath the square area class rooms
187 188 189 190 Figure 130: Drawing 39: Material floorplan P=1 workshop, sclae 1:300
191 Figure 131: Drawing 37: 3D model P=1 workshop
192 Figure 132: Drawing 38: Floor plan P=1 workshop
193 Learning from Peter Markli
Th e colour scheme for the building is made as clear as possible. I have stated from the beginning that the colour is on the inside of the building, a choice made due to the over-present color in the context. Th e choice to distance myself from these colours instead of going along with it, might be a subjective choice but in my opinion a good one, made in light of the research.
For the inside, I used red, gold, black and added yellowish- white paint and light-grey to the concrete.
Th e inspiration for the simplicity of the colour scheme I got from Markli’s Hotel Fachschule which I visited in a second excursion to Zurich. Markli defi nitely raised my awareness when it comes to colour for the outside as well as the inside of the building. I could have done more experiments with the colouring on the concrete to fi gure out exactly which shade of red would be appropriate (like Märkli does) but I ended up doing this live, at the time of making the fi nal model.
194 195 Figure 133: Impression of workshop floor P=1
196 Figure 134: Impression of workshop floor P=1, entrance from south square
197 Figure 135: Drawing 41 - Lunch and office floorplan P=2
198 Figure 136: Drawing 42 - 3D model of Plaza, P=2
199 ORDER & DISORDER
EXTERIOR INTERIOR
Th e theme of order and disorder is all over the building. For one On the interior the contrast of order and disorder can fi rst of thing, it is in subtle manner to be found in the facades. all be found in the relation of the functions (or rooms) and the grid. On the south facade, I used the colonnade to contain a slight shift in the interior column grid. I learned this partly from On one side of the podium, the ‘rooms’ are placed withing the Markli’s apartment building in Sargans. A similar ‘extra’ column grid of the columns, and on the other side (the service side) the in used on the north facade on one of the balconies. volumes are placed ‘ outside’ of the column grid, as furniture elements. I learned this partly from Markli’s offi ce building In the other facades, the disoder is to be found more easily in in Solothurn. Other disordering elements are e.g. in the fl oor the window ordering. patterns of the offi ce area.
200 Figure 137: Drawing 43,44 - Order & disorder in North and East facade, scale 1:200
201 Figure 138: Drawing 45 Order and disorder in South and West facade, scale 1:200
202 Figure 139: Drawing 46: Material plan P=2 and disorder in materialization, scale 1:300
203 Figure 140: Impression offices floor P=2
204 Figure 141: Impression Office and lunch area, P=2
205 206 SUMMARY 2.3
Learning from Peter Markli
As said before, this might have been the most interesting and important part of the research. Since I designed a relatively simple, rhythmic and ordered building, the counter balancing element of disorder became even more important. I applied this tension on a few occasions and even removed some the disorder because it disrupted the balance.
207 Figure 142: Drawing 47: Facade detail detail 47: Facade 142: Drawing Figure section, scale 1:100 208 DETAILLING
Figure 143: Drawing 48: Detail V.1 Podium floor, scale 1:10
209 Figure 144: Drawing 49: Detail V.2, scale 1:10
210 Figure 145: Drawing 50: Detail V.3, scale 1:10
211 212 SUMMARY 2.6
Learning from Peter Märkli
I have to admit that I did very little time on analysing the detailing of Märkli’s work on a small scale. I did rarely go beyond the scale of the facade system. I was interested in his heating system in front of windows, the why behind the curtains he often uses, the coloring of the frames and how deep the window sits into the facade for example. For the smaller scale, I only relied on my visits to his buildings and photos. Th erefore, I have to conclude that there is probably a lot still to learn there.
213 CONCLUSION
After a long, hard but fulfi lling graduation project, the question Since I already explained myself on the six research topics during remains if I have become masterly in being an apprentice? Did the report I want to end with answering the questions below: I master the process of learning from, instead of simply copying the solutions of my so called role model Peter Märkli? Does the Did the fi nal design become an original “Tim van der Steen” ? project represent me? Did I master being an apprentice?
Th e design process had a very confused beginning. I found Well, I think it did. I think I have been a decent apprentice of it quite hard to concentrate solely on Peter Märkli without Peter Märkli in trying to understand what he meant in the six expressing myself. Th erefore, in the beginning - when I did ‘elements of the architectural language’ I chose to research. I not fully understood Märkli yet - I started the design just by detached myself from my master in at least 4 of the 6 topics expressing my own ideas on the plot. and accomplished a creative attitude towards my role model in It took me a while to understand Märkli, which probably has to those areas. do with my character which tends to be a little bit stubborn. I did not know where and how to look. I mean this in the sense Th ere is still some a lot to learn from this Swiss architect, but that I fi rst had to research Märkli a little more before I could that it something I can study on the side during the next period integrate his thoughts into my work. of my life: I am proud of and happy with the fi nal design and excited to enter the beautiful architecture profession to, However, from the moment I got a grip on Märkli, it really hopefully, become a master of architecture myself. paid off . With the interior concept of the podium in mind, I started to combine the works of Märkli with my own. I began Th ank you for reading, to understand his urban concepts and applied Märkli’s other thoughtful principals in the building. Sincerely yours,
TIM VAN DER STEEN
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY EINDHOVEN JULY 2019
214 215 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 29: Winery Cave Bec by Peter Märkli ...... 45 Figure 30: Analysis 11 - Situation plan, Winary Fin Bec by Peter Markli ...... 46 Figure 1: Interior by Aldo van Eyck: gathering place with a column at its center ...... 4 Figure 31: Analaysis 12 - Front Facade column width in ‘big room’, Winary Fin Bec by Peter Markli . . . 47 Figure 2: Exterior by Aldo van Eyck: exterior gathering place and pool with column at its center ...... 4 Figure 32: Analaysis 13 - Im Gut Housing. 3D scaling scheme of the volume through floor plan design. 48 Figure 3: Provocative hand sketch by Leon Krier...... 5 Figure 33: Analysis 14 - Im Gut Housing. 3D scaling scheme of the volume through floor plan design. Dark red Figure 4: Overview of Methodology ...... 9 rooms are mirrored and repeated along the length of the building ...... 48 Figure 5: Portrait of Peter Märkli ...... 12 Figure 34: Summary - Vitruvian man (left), proportion system by Peter Märkli, without proprtion system (right) Figure 6: Portrait of Rudolf Olgiati ...... 15 50 Figure 7: Excursion: Interior space of Casa Radulff by Rudolf Olgiati. Plasticity of the ceilings...... 16 Figure 35: Analysis 15 - Plan and facade of the Brig Apartments by Peter Märkli ...... 53 Figure 8: Portrait of Hans Josephson ...... 17 Figure 36: Analysis 16 - Floor plan of the Family house Grabs by Peter wMarkli ...... 53 Figure 9: Investigating sketches by Peter Märkli ...... 18 Figure 37: Analysis 17 -Example of Order & Disorder by Peter Markli. Entrance facade of familyhouse Winterhur Figure 10: Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare by Andrea Palladio, 1572, Sqaure facade (left) ...... 23 54 Figure 11: Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare by Andrea Palladio, 1572, entrance facade (right) ...... 23 Figure 38: Analysis 18 - Redraw of the entrance facade of Markli’s Novartis building in Basel, Switzerland to Figure 12: Project in Pontresina by Alex Herter (side facade, left) ...... 23 understand the proportion system...... 54 Figure 13: Project in Pontresina by Alex Herter (main facade, right) ...... 23 Figure 39: Analysis 19 - The role of disorder in Synthesis Headquaters ...... 55 Figure 14: Analysis 1 - Schematic diagram of Palladian Floor plans by project ...... 24 Figure 40: Summary 2.3 Doorsketch in relation to formwork: door in formwork pattern (left), doorsketch based on Figure 15: Analysis 2 - Schematic plan and facade of Markli’s project in Mels, 1979 ...... 24 Peter Märkli’s Museo La Congiunta (middle), no relation to formwork (right) ...... 58 Figure 16: Analysis 3 - Schematic plan and facade of Märkli’s project in Azmoos, 1982 ...... 26 Figure 41: Excusion: - Hotelfachschule, Zurich by Peter Markli ...... 61 Figure 17: Analysis 4 - Muralization and Hierarchy of facades, Peter Märkli in Azmoos (1987) ...... 27 Figure 42: Excursion: Hotelfachschule, Zurich by Peter Markli, exterior ...... 62 Figure 18: Analysis 5 - Muralization and Hierarchy of facades, project Haus Dr. Allemann by Rudolf Olgiati, 1968-69 Figure 43: Painting by Henri Matisse Le Peintre dans son atelier, 1917 ...... 63 28 Figure 44: Analysis 20 - Section of Novartis office building. Disfferences in materials applied on ceilig and columns on Figure 19: Analysis 6 - Hierarchy of facades with uniting overlay-system, Azmoos (2000) ...... 30 entrance level and offices. (top) ...... 64 Figure 20: Analysis 7 - Beams of Im Birch Schule, Oerlikon, Zurich by Peter Märkli (2000) ...... 31 Figure 45: Schemetic images of the stylobate, the third step of the crepidoma where the columns of a greek temple are Figure 21: Analysis 8 - Different fill-in of Im Birch Schule, Oerlikon, Zurich by Peter Märkli (2000) . . 32 placed upon...... 64 Figure 22: Excursion - Project visitation: Im Birch Schule by Peter Märkli, Zurich (CH) ...... 34 Figure 46: Analysis 21 - Section of Novartis office building. Difference in atrium size entrance floor and office floors Figure 23: Summary sketch: Azmoos 1982 (left), Sargans 1986 (middle), Trubbach 1988 (right) ...... 36 64 Figure 24: Analysis 9 - Self study to understand Markli’s proportion system. Left: the system. Right: Markli’s Azmoos Figure 47: Family house, Erlenbach by Peter Markli (1997). 3D view ...... 65 project 1982 ...... 39 Figure 48: Family house, Erlenbach by Peter Markli (1997). Front view ...... 65 Figure 25: Analysis 10 - Study of Märkli’s proportion system on his facade in Azmoos ...... 39 Figure 49: Summary 2.5 - Floor, wall, ceiling materials: tradditional (left), Peter Markli’s synthesis building (middle, Figure 26: Sketch: Explanatory sketch about the scaling principle ...... 43 left), Peter Markli’s HotelFachschule (middle, right), modern museum (top,right), modern stripped coffee bar (right, Figure 27: Sketch: “Gender columns” by Olgiati and Märkli. from left to right: Erechtheion, olgiati’s columns at casa bottom) ...... 66 radulff, peter märkli’s column at im gut housing, märkli’s column at the winary in Cave Bec ...... 43 Figure 50: Painting - ‘Nude against the Light’, Pierre Bonnard, 1919-20 ...... 69 Figure 28: Excusion: Im Gut Housing by Peter Märkli...... 45 Figure 51: Painting - Apples by Cezanne, c. 1878 ...... 69
216 Figure 52: Analysis 22 - Artistic impression attempting to show the merging of foreground and background in Märkli’s Figure 74: Rendered image - Theatre of Architecture by Mario Botta (no. 2, top right) ...... 131 family house in Azmoos (2002) ...... 70 Figure 75: Completed design Theatre of Architecture by Mario Botta (no. 2, top right) ...... 131 Figure 53: Artistic situation plan of Novartis campus, Basel ...... 71 Figure 76: Excursion Photos - Bird view of the design area ...... 133 Figure 54: Analysis 23 - Artistic impression (collage) attempting to show the thought process of Märkli’s Novartis Figure 77: Drawing 5 - Concept scheme ...... 133 exterior facade in sense of color ...... 71 Figure 78: Drawing 6 - Morphology & Orientation of the Campus buildings and the local housing . . . 135 Figure 55: Summary 2.5 - Summary 2.5 - Materials provide color in Villa Rotanda by Palladio (left), Märkli’s family Figure 79: Drawings 7 - Fragmentation of the campus. Seperated by the road ‘Via Turconi’. In grey, all the campus house Azmoos 2002 (middle), Märkli’s family house Azmoos 1982 as a progressive attitude for color (top, right), buildings. In yellow, the area the AAM campus wants to buy in the future to expand...... 135 absence of color in Corbusier’s villa Savoye ...... 72 Figure 80: Drawings 8 - Plot anomaly I: Church ...... 136 Figure 56: Analysis 24 - 3D model of Synthes facade ‘knot’ - construction detail ...... 75 Figure 81: Drawings 9 - Plot anomaly II: Theater of Architecture ...... 136 Figure 57: Analysis 25 - Window ornamentation of a selection of Märkli’s projects: Hotelfachschule (top row, right), Figure 82: Sketch - The Argument for start the design with a Square ...... 137 facade renovarion Zurich (middle row, left), Hotelfachschule (bottom row, left)...... 75 Figure 83: Drawing 10 - Final position of volume in the context ...... 138 Figure 58: Analysis 26 - Palladio’s Palazzo Porte, Vicenza (top row, left), ancient roman window design (middle row, Figure 84: Drawing 11 - Section: the podium (dark red) as an antidote to fragmentation, connecting buildings 140 left of two), Palladio window design (middle row, right of two), Venetian window (bottom row, right) . . 75 Figure 85: Drawing 12 - Morphological relation of our design with Palazzo Turconi. Sequence of patio’s and atria’s Figure 59: Photo - Palazzo Porte by Andrea Palladio ...... 76 140 Figure 60: Photo - Sargans apartments by Peter Märkli, 1986 ...... 76 Figure 86: Drawing 13 - Podium continues underneath the space inbetween our design and Palazzo Turconi 140 Figure 61: Analysis 27 - Ornaments on facade (left). Palazzo Porte by Palladio (left), Apartment building in Sargans by Figure 87: Sketches: Process sketches of the podium concept...... 141 Peter Markli, 1986 (right) ...... 76 Figure 88: Sketches: Representative front facade for the workshop (right) with a podium plinth relating to the Figure 62: Analysis 27 - Ornaments on facade: sketch on concrete formwork of Peter Markli’s entrance facade representative front side of Turconi ...... 142 apartments Trubbach, 1988 (right) ...... 76 Figure 89: Drawing 14 - Representative front side of both Palazzo Turconi and our new student workshop (left). 142 Figure 63: Photo - Entrance volume project Trubbach 1988 by Peter Märkli (right) ...... 76 Figure 90: Drawing 15 - Back facades facing each other. Our new workshop should respond in a similar calm facade. Figure 64: Excursion - Apartments Gutstrasse, Peter Markli, ...... 77 143 Figure 65: Sketches: investigative sketches of details designed by Peter Märkli and Rudolf Olgiati ...... 80 Figure 91: Sketches: Calm rhytmic back facade to respond to the facade of Palazzo Turconi ...... 143 Figure 66: Excursion: Rudolf Olgiati’s Casa Radulff ...... 81 Figure 92: Sketches - Searching for a facade system and unity ...... 144 Figure 67: Summary 2.6 - Palazzo Porte by Andrea Palladio (left), Projects in Sargans by Peter Marli (middle), fictional Figure 93: Sketches - Searching for a facade system and unity ...... 145 modern building with glass street facade (right) ...... 82 Figure 94: Drawing 16 Service & routing sides of volume ...... 146 Figure 68: Drawing 1 - Map - location of Mendrisio (opposite page) ...... 129 Figure 95: Sketch - Starting point of the floor plan within the rectangle ...... 148 Figure 69: Drawing 2 - Concept Map - location of Mendrisio (red dot), urban area (yellow), mountain area (green) Figure 96: Drawing 17 Location of the building in the design plot ...... 148 129 Figure 97: Drawing 18 Location of the building in the design plot ...... 151 Figure 70: Drawing 3 - Concept section of the design area and the context. In yellow the campus buildings, our design Figure 98: Drawing 19 The podium explained in schemes ...... 154 ought to be in front of the church (red) ...... 129 Figure 99: Drawing 20: Floorplan P0 Podium, scale 1:300 ...... 156 Figure 71: Drawing 4 - Architecture Academy Campus Mendrisio (AAM) with the design area in red. . . 130 Figure 100: Drawing 21 - 3D visualization of the podium (dark red) for architecture students ...... 157 Figure 72: Excursion Photo - Palazzo Turconi (no.1, top left) - Patio ...... 131 Figure 101: Drawing 29: Length section Podium, scale 1:300 ...... 158 Figure 73: Excursion Photo - Local Church (no.3, bottom ...... 131
217 Figure 102: Drawing 28: Routing of entrance floor, scale 1:200 ...... 159 Figure 139: Drawing 48: Detail V.1 Podium floor, scale 1:10 ...... 209 Figure 103: Sketches - Starting point for the facades of the volume. Emphasizing the central space . . . . . 160 Figure 140: Drawing 49: Detail V.2, scale 1:10 ...... 210 Figure 104: Drawing 22: North facade in context, scale 1:200 ...... 161 Figure 141: Drawing 50: Detail V.3, scale 1:10 ...... 211 Figure 105: Drawing 23 - Scheme of the facade system of the building ...... 162 Figure 106: Sketch: Detaile scheme of the facade columns on the corners ...... 163 Figure 107: Sketch: Study of facade composition regarding the main facade and entrance ...... 163 Figure 108: Drawing 26: North facade in relation to its openings...... 164 Figure 109: Impression of the north facade view ...... 164 Figure 110: Impression of the south facade view ...... 166 Figure 111: Drawing 27: South facade in relation to its openings, scale 1:200 ...... 167 Figure 112: Drawing 36: West facade in relation to its openings, sclae 1:200 ...... 168 Figure 113: Drawing 40 - West facade in relation to its openings, scale 1:200 ...... 170 Figure 114: Impression podium to North (entrance) facade ...... 172 Figure 115: Impression main entrace P=0 towards the upper workshop floor P=1 ...... 173 Figure 116: Drawing 24: Proportion scheme ...... 176 Figure 117: Drawing 25: Proportions of facade elements ...... 177 Figure 118: Drawing 30: Material plan, P=0 Entrance floor ...... 182 Figure 119: Drawing 31: Section width, sclae 1:300 ...... 182 Figure 120: Drawing 32: Machinary level, P=-1, 3D model ...... 184 Figure 121: Drawing 33: Machinary level, P=-1 ...... 185 Figure 122: Drawing 35: Material floor plan P=-1 Machinary ...... 186 Figure 123: Drawing 34: Starting point materials interior ...... 187 Figure 124: (Next page) Impression patio underneath the square ...... 187 Figure 125: (Next page) Impression patio area class rooms ...... 187 Figure 126: Drawing 39: Material floorplan P=1 workshop, sclae 1:300 ...... 191 Figure 127: Drawing 37: 3D model P=1 workshop...... 192 Figure 128: Drawing 38: Floor plan P=1 workshop ...... 193 Figure 129: Impression of workshop floor P=1 ...... 196 Figure 130: Impression of workshop floor P=1, entrance from south square ...... 197 Figure 131: Drawing 41 - Lunch and office floorplan P=2 ...... 198 Figure 132: Drawing 42 - 3D model of Plaza, P=2 ...... 199 Figure 133: Drawing 43,44 - Order & disorder in North and East facade, scale 1:200 ...... 201 Figure 134: Drawing 45 Order and disorder in South and West facade, scale 1:200 ...... 202 Figure 135: Drawing 46: Material plan P=2 and disorder in materialization, scale 1:300 ...... 203 Figure 136: Impression offices floor P=2 ...... 204 Figure 137: Impression Office and lunch area, P=2...... 205 Figure 138: Drawing 47: Facade detail section, scale 1:100 ...... 208
218
A Podium for Architecture students by learning from Swiss architect Peter Märkli
Th is graduation report is part of the design studio ‘Masterly Apprenticeship’ which focuses on ‘how to master the art of being an apprentice’. How should students learn of a role model? In this report, this role model is well known Swiss architect Peter Märkli.
After an Introduction in Part I, Peter Märkli functions as a Case Study in Part II in order to investigate what attitude the Swiss architect has towards the past. How does Märkli learn from history? Th is is done by researching six topics: plan & facade, proportion & scale, order & disorder, material, color and ornament & detail. Th is knowledge is then used in Part III Design to design a school for architecture students in Mendrisio, Switzerland.
7XX37 Graduation Project Under supervision of: T.J.J.(Tim) van der Steen ir. J.P.A. (Jan) Schevers Studentnr. 0726484 dr. J.C.T. (Jacob) Voorthuis J.J.P.M. (Sjef) van Hoof
Department of the Built July 12th 2019, Environment University of Technology Architecture, Building and Eindhoven Planning