Daylight & Architecture

AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 ISSUE 2005 AUTUMN DAYLIGHT & ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE BY VARIETIES VELUX 10 EURO 10 Diversity is not the same as abundance, which can indeed be very DISCOURSE arbitrary. Diversity implies more: it also comprises unity. And unity implies more than restriction to a single unit. Unity can only be perceived in diversity; without it diversity BY cannot exist. The many folds of a single garment are an image that gives visual expression to this concept. GÜNTER The world we live in is monotonous? This is hard to believe. It is more likely that the way it is perceived is monotonous and that BEHNISCH it is made monotonous. Diversity is obscured by a single consid- eration or a small number of them: for example, returns on money invested, or quite simply the way the system works. The architect who allows himself to be influenced primarily by these considerations and who disregards the many other aspects will produce monotonous work. Such interests which are indeed powerful, and often monumental, hardly need much promotion from us: their claims are powerfully represented by other parties. There are other considerations that are in need of our commitment: ecology, for example; our fellow-men, children, people, working methods, communal living and many others. We can uncover and investigate as many as possible of the almost unlimited number of facets of a brief – that we receive in the deceptive guise of a single concept, such as a hospital – facets that otherwise remain unrepresented. We are in a position to enable hidden forces, neglected in the reality of our society, to find expression and to assume their visible form. The more such aspects we can identify, the more richness we will recognise in the brief and the greater the diversity of the resultant architectural form. Additional techniques of harmonisation – be they mathematical, geometrical, formal or of any other type – become superfluous. Architecture assumes a special quality if it is constantly new, different and many-sided, or if it can never be definitively understood or interpreted: architecture as the mirror of the diversity inherent in our environment and as the reflection of our concern for it.

Read more about Günter Behnisch’s architecture in Daylighting: Berlin Academy of Arts, starting on page 18.

1 VELUX EDITORIAL The focus on daylight in architecture is high and concept and the products. By doing this, he laid the DAYLIGHTING rising. In this respect, VELUX wants to play a role cornerstone of the strategy that we pursue today: BERLIN ACADEMY by contributing and stimulating issues that lead to engage in have dedicated dialogue with profes- WELCOME TO to better living environments. As an international sionals about daylight, and to seek and strengthen OF ARTS DAYLIGHT & ARCHITECTURE manufacturer of roof windows and skylight sys- the architectural relevance of our products. We see MAGAZINE BY VELUX tems, it is important for us constantly to seek our daily business as being closely linked to build- and strengthen the relevance of our products in ing design, with the overall objective of focussing architecture. We would like to enhance and en- on daylight and fresh air as providers of better liv- courage the role of daylight in design prioritising. ing conditions in people’s everyday lives. Great art behind a plain glass façade: for a long This focus is our platform for building and nurtur- This objective is the platform from which we time, no building has been so controversely dis- ing relations with the building sector – not least present “Daylight & Architecture”. cussed in Germany as the new Berlin Academy of with architects. In this magazine – and in the issues to come – Arts designed by Günter Behnisch. Now the scaf- Our founder, Villum Kann Rasmussen invented we will strive to raise topics and present views and folding has gone, the virtuoso daylight design of the roof window in 1942. He called his company angles about the past, present and future of archi- the German master is revealed, as well as the spa- by the short name of VELUX, an acronym of VEn- tecture with daylight and fresh air. This will pro- 14 tial diversity of the building which originates in his tilation and the Latin word for light, LUX. Part of vide a platform for dialogue between professionals averseness to anything that is monumental. Villum Kann Rasmussen’s original vision was to in which we will raise questions rather than give create good cheap square metres of living space standard answers and statements and thereby in- under pitched roofs by letting light into the attic spire and facilitate the discourse on architecture, REFLECTIONS at a time when living space was in shortage. In the especially daylight. SEEING early years of VELUX much time was spent with Enjoy the read and please visit www.VELUX. YOURSELF architects and other trendsetters to present the com/DA for further inspiration and information. SEEING

Olafur Eliasson is often labelled a light artist, but the Dane, born in 1967, seeks to go further than the AUTUMN 2005 CONTENTS interplay of daylight and artificial light, light col- ISSUE 01 ours and reflections. In his multifaceted installa- 26 tions, he invites the observer to question his own perceptions and ‘to see himself seeing’.

1 Discourse by Günter Behnisch NOW VELUX INSIGHT 2 VELUX Editorial TOWARDS THE SUN 3 Contents 4 Now ARMADA 8 Mankind and architecture Glass in architecture 14 Daylighting Berlin Academy of Arts 26 Reflections Four reasons to praise the residential build- Seeing yourself seeing Variations of daylight: Olafur Eliasson has de- ing project realised by British architectural firm 32 European Light signed three light sculptures for the new opera Building Design Partnership in s’Hertogenbosch: Österlen, Sweden house in Copenhagen. An exhibition of Peter Ei- it gives the city back its former industrial quar- 36 Daylighting details senman’s work is on display at the MAK E xhibition ter, provides living space for a wide range of uses, Glass as a structural material Hall in Vienna and Berlin is hosting an event for Eu- combines public and private areas in close proxim- 40 VELUX Insight 4 ropean lighting designers . Also: t ables that glow in 40 ity and creates a feeling of identification for resi- Towards the sun the dark – without electricity. dents with its diversified form. 48 VELUX Panorama Light catcher Houses by the village green MANKIND VELUX PANORAMA Black and slender AND ARCHITECTURE Building with nature GLASS IN 57 VELUX Dialogue ARCHITECTURE Claes Cho Heske Ekornås 60 Books Reviews Recommendations 64 Preview A narrow tower house in the Swiss Alps. A house Glass was once a sign of luxury, a medium for Chris- with a panoramic view at the foot of the Pyrenees. tian teachings, a symbol of progress and proof of And an estate of terraced houses in Denmark in a democratic attitude. It has fascinated artists which children were not really wanted – but then and architects alike for more than 3,500 years. moved in. What do they have in common? Their 8 Michael Wigginton chronicles the history of a manifold relations to the exterior and the fantastic 48 50 material that is as diverse as architecture itself. daylighting of the interiors via roof windows.

2 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 3 VELUX EDITORIAL The focus on daylight in architecture is high and concept and the products. By doing this, he laid the DAYLIGHTING rising. In this respect, VELUX wants to play a role cornerstone of the strategy that we pursue today: BERLIN ACADEMY by contributing and stimulating issues that lead to engage in have dedicated dialogue with profes- WELCOME TO to better living environments. As an international sionals about daylight, and to seek and strengthen OF ARTS DAYLIGHT & ARCHITECTURE manufacturer of roof windows and skylight sys- the architectural relevance of our products. We see MAGAZINE BY VELUX tems, it is important for us constantly to seek our daily business as being closely linked to build- and strengthen the relevance of our products in ing design, with the overall objective of focussing architecture. We would like to enhance and en- on daylight and fresh air as providers of better liv- courage the role of daylight in design prioritising. ing conditions in people’s everyday lives. Great art behind a plain glass façade: for a long This focus is our platform for building and nurtur- This objective is the platform from which we time, no building has been so controversely dis- ing relations with the building sector – not least present “Daylight & Architecture”. cussed in Germany as the new Berlin Academy of with architects. In this magazine – and in the issues to come – Arts designed by Günter Behnisch. Now the scaf- Our founder, Villum Kann Rasmussen invented we will strive to raise topics and present views and folding has gone, the virtuoso daylight design of the roof window in 1942. He called his company angles about the past, present and future of archi- the German master is revealed, as well as the spa- by the short name of VELUX, an acronym of VEn- tecture with daylight and fresh air. This will pro- 14 tial diversity of the building which originates in his tilation and the Latin word for light, LUX. Part of vide a platform for dialogue between professionals averseness to anything that is monumental. Villum Kann Rasmussen’s original vision was to in which we will raise questions rather than give create good cheap square metres of living space standard answers and statements and thereby in- under pitched roofs by letting light into the attic spire and facilitate the discourse on architecture, REFLECTIONS at a time when living space was in shortage. In the especially daylight. SEEING early years of VELUX much time was spent with Enjoy the read and please visit www.VELUX. YOURSELF architects and other trendsetters to present the com/DA for further inspiration and information. SEEING

2 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 3 The things that make architecture tick: NOW events, competitions and selected new developments from the world of daylighting.

LIGHT SCULPTURES “BAREFOOT ON IN THE COPENHAGEN WHITE-HOT WALLS” OPERA HOUSE PETER EISENMAN IN MAK IN VIENNA

Danish Olafur Eliasson (born 1967) The Museum for Applied Arts (MAK) has made his own imitable mark on in Vienna fosters a special kind of co- his former home city Copenhagen operation with contemporary art- with a very special art work: in the ists: it initiates exhibitions, which foyer of the new Opera House de- are more than a mere presentation signed by Henning Larsen, three vo- of works, but constitute tempo- luminous light sculptures hang some rary changes of the museum’s build- three metres above the heads of the ing structure. For the second time visitors. Each of the three crystal (after Zaha Hadid in 2003) an archi- spheres has a diameter of 285 cen- tect has left his marks in the MAK timetres and comprises 1430 pieces exhibition hall: Peter Eisenman, the of special colour-effect filter glass. In thinker and critic amongst the archi- the daylight, the light spheres spar- “... the voided volumes are also the tects, overlaid the historic architec- kle in the colour spectrum between only source of light, extending up ture of the space with thirty small blue and violet. At night, lit up by 330 through the lowered ceiling to exhibition cubicles, referred to as 20-watt halogen lamps each, they catch the light from the skylights “columns”, and an inserted ceiling at themselves become the light source a height of only 2.55 m. “A transform- adding a touch of glamour to the above. The columns also reveal ing exhibition, sparse and hard hit- wide reaches of the foyer. their lack of structural necessity ting”, Eisenman characterised the Olafur Eliasson has been working by being lifted two centimeters MAK show. As always he aimed to systematically with crystal structu- off the floor to allow light to seep irritate the visitor: the hall itself is res for many years. The multi-faceted dark; single sources of light are the surface of a chandelier, a jigsaw of out from underneath.” columns (the “white-hot walls“ in the convex and concave rhombi, is re- exhibition title), which penetrate the flected in Eliasson’s second current Peter Eisenman in the exhibition catalogue inserted ceiling and capture the light opera project: for the foyer of the new entering from above. In each cube Ei- opera house in Oslo (due for comple- senman presents one of his works in tion by 2007), he designed cladding form of a three-dimensional “dia- for the walls made from rhombic gram”. The majority of these con- wooden panels. Eliasson intends for ceptional sculptures are especially the rhombic structure to represent made for the MAK exhibition. Only the growth pattern of ice crystals, four projects are presented with ripples on the surface of water or traditional models: the “Ciudad de sound waves triggered by cracking la Cultura de Galicia” in Santiago ice. The artist is not making a fixed de Compostela (under construction statement here – instead of sending since 1999) and the designs for the a message to the observer, he sees his Musée du Quai Branly in Paris (1999), work as an opportunity to form your the FSM Towers in New York (2001), own perceptions and surround your- and the high-speed train station in self in a sensory experience. Naples (2003).

Read more about Olafur Eliasson’s work in Reflections: Seeing yourself seeing, starting on page 14. PHOTO BY ADAM MØRK ADAM BY PHOTO PHOTOS BY WOLFGANG WÖSSNER/MAK. PORTRAIT BY EISENMAN ARCHITECTS

4 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 5 PHOTO BY DERIX GLASSTUDIOS LUKAS ROTH BY PHOTOS PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN RICHTERS

NEW WINDOW FOR CRYSTAL DOME GROUND ZERO IN NEW LIGHT AFTERGLOWING GLASS WINDOW TO PORTO

Is it an exotic flower – or an explo- traditional painting technique, with Bright stars burn out quickly: Bruno free interpretation as the designers The German designers gruppe RE almost without limits: it is suitable for An extraordinary look – and unique gency exit route in the space in be- sion? Perhaps either interpretation a layer of clear glass being glued over Taut’s glass pavilion at the exhibi- emphasise: the original consisted of and the Austrian glass-refining firm furniture making, as wall cladding, views: the ‘Casa da Música’, the new tween; the glass for the outside panel is partly true of the new coloured the window panels at the end to pro- tion of the Deutsche Werkbund in an iron and concrete skeleton with Glas-Eckelt have developed a spe- partition walls or façades. The glass, concert hall in Porto, offers both. is 2 x 10 millimetres thick and 2 x 6 window that American artist Guy vide stability. Cologne in 1914 had only been open framed sections made of “Luxfer” cial glass, which afterglows in the which was patented by gruppe RE all The ‘meteorite’, as people have millimetres thick for the inside panel. Kemper designed for St. Joseph’s for a few weeks when the start of the glass prisms which “transformed darkness. The reason for this is a over Europe, is distributed by Glas- nicknamed the new building con- Suspended horizontal lattice girders Chapel in New York. First World War compelled the exhi- incoming daylight into a mild, shad- glass-ceramic coating, which is able Eckelt and available as sound-insulat- structed by the Rotterdam-based ar- bear the strain of the wind load, also Located right at Ground Zero, the bition to close. “The glass house has owless dispersed light”, said a con- to store artificial light and daylight. ing glass or compound safety glass. chitectural consultants OMA, opens forming joint profiles for the 1.2 x 4.5 chapel was used by the New York fire no other purpose than to be beauti- temporary newspaper report. The The glass was first applied for the onto the city through three unusual metre glass panels. brigade after 9/11, but has now re- ful”, wrote Taut about his building at copy has a wooden skeleton with glass table “floral”, for which gruppe windows – 14 x 9 metres, 22 x 12 verted to its original purpose. The the beginning of 1914. And the poet framed sections made of simple dark RE was awarded in the design com- metres and 22 x 15 metres, made not 6 x 2.6 metre window was manu- Paul Scheerbart wrote for him the glass and a silicon seal. Nevertheless, petition “Design for Europe” in Kort- from traditional glazing, but from factured by Derix Glasstudio in Tau- following much-quoted verse: “Ohne it gives an impression of how Taut’s rijk in 2004. corrugated glass panels. In these di- nusstein, Germany at a cost of around einen Glaspalast / ist das Leben eine glass pavilion changed its appear- The luminous glass, a single-pane mensions, they are a world first and 30,000 dollars. It is composed of in- Last” (“Without a glass palace, life ance over the course of the day. In safety glass, can be activated in two were developed by OMA together dividual blown glass panels, each is a burden”). bad weather, the reflecting facets of ways: by invisible ultraviolet light with ABT engineering consultants 60 x 80 centimetres in size and three More than 80 years later, the in- the dome assume a greenish-yellow and visible artificial light or daylight. and Robert Jan van Santen. to four millimetres thick. ventor Günther Kunz and the archi- tone, which was why the dome was When activated by ultraviolet light From a distance, the rippling The glass artists used red over- tect Anja Brüll have reawakened nicknamed “asparagus head” at the the glass reaches a homogeneous glass windows blur the view into lay glass to emphasise the brilliancy interest in the glass pavilion. In the time. In clear weather, they reflect luminance of approximately 60 can- the interior from outside, while con- of the red tones in the window and grounds of the “Chateau de Graaf” the pure blue of the sky. dela/m2 at a viewing distance of cert-goers standing directly in front provide greater variety, with the in Montzen, Belgium, they inaugu- The glass pavilion in the Chateau 50 centimetres. When activated by of the windows inside enjoy an un- top layer of the overlay glass par- rated a glass dome building which de Montzen can be visited only after artificial light or daylight, the glass interrupted view of the city. Two of tially etched away. In this way, they is based on the same geometric prin- an appointment has been made. Fur- glows for up to ten hours. The cera- the giant windows are at the front of created various different pinkish ciple as Bruno Taut’s masterpiece. ther information is obtainable on the mic baked finish can be applied with the large concert hall. They are con- tones or – where the top layer was Seen from the inside, the rhomboid Internet at: www.subvision.net/sub/ all common processing methods structed with double panes of glass entirely removed – clear glass. The dome with its narrow ribs is rem- chateau-graaf. such as rolling, spraying or printing. for the purposes of sound insulation other colours were added using the iniscent of a flower’s petals. It is a Design options for this new glass are and in order to integrate an emer-

6 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 7 MANKIND Mankind as the focal point of architecture: Text by Michael Wigginton. AND ARCHITECTURE interior views of a corresponding relationship. Glass in architecture means light and life, power and spirituality, utopia and ideology. Michael Wigginton tells the story of a material whose potential has by no means been exhausted yet. GLASS IN ARCHITECTURE About 4000 years ago an extraordinary new material was the southern Romanesque, itself derived (as the name implies) discovered which was to change the nature of architecture. from the powerful precedents of Rome. When and how this discovery was made is a matter of pure Romanesque was an architecture of massive walls, great speculation, but we may imagine a craftsman sitting by a kiln vaults and small windows: an apparently inevitable result of on the shores of a river in Mesopotamia noticing a brilliant the need to create large rhetorical volumes in a warm climate. sparkle where the hot coals from the kiln had fallen on the Th e volumes provided the powerful statements concerning the sand beneath. From this discovery fl owed centuries of tech- importance of God and the technical prowess of man. Th e nical experiment from which has evolved one of the most structures stabilised the temperature. Th e small windows mod- important materials known to mankind: a material made ulated and controlled the often overwhelming light. from one of the most abundant materials in the Earth’s crust, silica, which has the remarkable property when melted and the first glass age: carefully cooled of transmitting the radiation from the plan- gothic cathedrals et’s giver of life, the sun. Th e material was glass. For the abbots and bishops of northern Europe at the turn Discovering the true nature of the material, and methods of the fi rst Christian millennium, this was not enough. Th ey of forming it, was an extremely slow process. From its earliest wanted to build bigger, both to accommodate more lay con- form as beads, the discovery that it was viscous when very hot gregations (an essential source of funds as well as of spiritual led to the development of the core method of making pots (in allegiance) and to exploit the glories of Gregorian chant. In a which threads of molten glass were wrapped round a core). By slow, empirical progress, ways of spanning space with stone, bc there was a glass industry in Egypt, which created ves- a material only structurally eff ective in compression, were sels, and decorative products of enormous richness and diver- evolved, and geometries developed which could generate space sity. Th is was consolidated by Alexander the Great in  bc free from the constraints of the Romanesque barrel vault. Th e when he founded the glass industry in Alexandria. development of the Gothic frame and the need to create walls By around bc it was found that glass could be blown to fi ll the huge resulting openings generated the need for light- using a pipe, and the real adventure began. Blowing glass meant providing, and lightweight, membranes. Th e fi rst glass archi- that it could be made very thin, and comparatively even in tecture in the history of the human race was born. thickness. Th e basic technique for making the modern win- Transparency in the sense of providing visibility was not dow was in place. Th is extraordinary material, hard, trans- a prime objective to the church and cathedral builders of the parent, and capable of being formed, could act as a material Middle Ages. Th eir idea was to give light to the interiors of to keep the weather out of buildings whilst at the same time their huge volumes, and to use the richness of colour which admitting light and view. glass had always been able to deliver. Stories from the Bible It is remarkable that the evolution of the window itself then were told with vast images, much greater and more powerful took nearly  years to mature. Th e Romans, who conquered than could be delivered by mere painting, lit from behind by Egypt and used glass as tribute, lived in the same Mediterranean the vast source of the sky.

PHOTO BY RUPERT TRUMAN RUPERT BY PHOTO climate as the Greeks and Egyptians before them. Although they From the rose windows of France, to the huge nave win- used glass in openings, and developed ways of growing plants dows of the English, the skills of the Roman empire and their Above The Palm House at the In the large greenhouses of the out of season using what are now called “cold frames” (rudimen- imported Mediterranean glass makers and glaziers evolved a Royal Botanical Gardens in 19th century, glasshouse archi- Kew/London was built between tecture took on a unique, engi- tary conservatories), the climate did not create the functional new form of architecture, characterised by enormous expanses 1845–1848 by Richard Turner neered style quite different from imperative needed to create what we call windows. of stained and painted glass. Th e east window of York Minster and Decimus Burton. classical archetypes. Th en, a thousand years ago, the need arose in France for a is the size of a tennis court, and comprises thousands of pieces new kind of architecture. European architecture up until this of glass producing, not transparency (there was no requirement time had been essentially derived from the massive forms of to see in or out), but a shining painting. Th e Sainte Chapelle

8 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 9 “Everyone knows the wonderful properties of glass: it is transparent, hard, colourless, indestructible by acids and most liquids, and at certain temperatures more ductile than wax, …”

Justus von Liebig, German chemist (1803–1873) PHOTO BY MARGHERITA SPILUTTINI MARGHERITA BY PHOTO in Paris, built between  and , represents an extra- poor in thermal performance, however, and wine and water Emmanuele II in Milan, built between  and ) and ordinary refi nement of the Gothic glaziers art, with stone froze on the dining table in the cold winter of . market halls were the building types which were demanded by mullions almost as thin as metal. It was an acknowledgement of the thermal performance the requirements of industry in the railway age. Railway sta- Medieval cathedral architecture was essentially a northern of glass in the late t century which led, by an accident of tions and the great central market buildings demanded large European adventure, and it is not surprising that it contin- history, to the development of the conservatory. Th e exotic open spaces with long spans to be protected from the rain, and ued to be built, and evolved, well after the inhabitants of the plants imported by the European explorers were recognised daylit at the same time. Th e great Victorian industrial build- sunnier climates to the south had created new architectural as requiring protection, and glass houses, including the great ings, able to rely on iron and steel, not stone, were the cathe- paradigms. In the t century, Proto-Renaissance architec- orangeries of the time, began to infi ltrate the world of archi- drals of their time. Th ese buildings had no basis in history, and ture was emerging in Florence at the same time as Gothic in tecture, albeit as adjuncts to the houses and institutions they defi ed t he ima ginat ions of contempora r y Eu ropea n a rchitect s, Northern Europe, and Bramante was working on St Peter’s served. It was the conservatory which, over the subsequent  leaving the challenge to be met by engineers. in Rome in the early t century at the same time as Henry years, was to form the basis of the evolution of the next great Th e usa did not carry the same sort of cultural “baggage” VII was building King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, and fl owering of glass architecture, the second glass age, growing as the Europeans, and it was in the usa that a new type of Westminster Abbey, two of the last great Gothic glazed struc- from utilitarian buildings serving horticulture into the sta- architecture emerged. Th e regeneration of Chicago after the tures in England. tus of a great architectural type. great fi re of  led to the evolution of the skyscraper, with As soon as the Renaissance arrived in northern Europe its steel or iron frame, and its glazed façade. Buildings such a new generation of clients saw a way of using glass to cele- the crystal palace and its predecessors as the Gage building by Holabird and Roche of  (with brate their wealth in architecture. Whilst transparency was By the t century glass conservatories had developed from Louis Sullivan creating a next door neighbour) were virtually not needed in most Gothic churches, the great houses of the unpretentious buildings built by gardeners into great pieces unthinkable by the “academic” architects of Europe. Th ese northern European aristocracy of the t century required of architecture. In England, the Palm House of  at Kew buildings used the potential of plate glass, invented in France view, and buildings such as Hardwick Hall (“more glass than by Richard Turner is one of the greatest of these, but fi ne and in , and the origin of a great French industry set up in the wall”), designed by Robert Smythson and built in the s, elegant conservatories were built all over Europe. Th e design- Chateau de St Gobain in . were the secular inheritors of the great Gothic glass archi- ers and their clients competed with each other to produce the tecture. Hardwick Hall, like most of the English “Prodigy biggest and the grandest, traversing the continent to look at the from industrial halls to public buildings Houses” of the Elizabethan period, was extremely uncomfort- work of predecessors and rivals. It was this rapid evolution in Although American architecture in the second half of the able to live in. Too cold in the winter, and far too hot in sum- the t century, and the travelling which fed it, which led to t century saw the creation of new building types, Europe mer on its south elevation, the only way the occupants could the design of what is undeniably the greatest glass building of was the home of the third great age of glass architecture, and

survive in such a building was by moving around the house the time, built in London in . It was a visit by Joseph Pax- PHOTO BY HENRI PARENT its theoretical basis. Otto Wagner’s Post Offi ce in Vienna from season to season. Th e aesthetic considerations of glass ton to Rohault de Fleurie’s Jardin des Plantes in  which of – demonstrated how to move the industrial tech- architecture were far more important than the environmen- was to plant one of the seeds for the Crystal Palace, home of Opposite With the construction Above Gothic style breaks up nology of the industrial halls into a public building, with its of the main hall of the Postspar- the formerly solid cathedral wall tal, which in any case were only vaguely understood. the Great Exhibition of . Hailed by Konrad Wachsmann, kasse (Post Office Savings Bank) into a ribbed framework, with wonderful glass roof and fl oor, but it was German architects How to make glass, and particularly how to make it strong, the great t century engineer, as the fi rst modern building, in Vienna between 1904–1912, the spaces in between filled by and theorists in the second decade of the t century whose was an abiding preoccupation for glass makers, and the t the Crystal Palace combined innovation in technology, man- Otto Wagner created one of the large glass windows. The large obsession with glass was to become the most signifi cant infl u- century saw an important new development in glass technol- ufacture and space to create a masterpiece, created by a gar- pioneering works of early Mod- rose window of the Cathedral of ence both on architecture as a whole, and of its relationship ernism, a model for modern office Strasbourg clearly illustrates how ogy. Blown glass had dominated the industry for centuries, dener, an engineer, and a fabrication company, constructed halls. Even the basement floor the windows were constructed: with glass in particular. Th e writings of Paul Scheerbart, the but the product was intrinsically thin and weak. Th e French off -site as a prefabricated structure, and then, when its orig- receives natural light, thanks to the precast lead-encased panes author of “Glasarchitektur” of , and the buildings by gvernment initiated the search for a new stronger glass in , inal use was complete, dismantled and moved to a diff erent glass blocks laid in the floor. were inserted into the stone Bruno Taut, and later by Walter Gropius and Mies van der and the result was plate glass, made by grinding and polish- location, all without an architect in sight. tracery as a complete unit. Rohe, changed the perception of the role glass could play in ing cast glass. Th is was very expensive, but provided the basis Th e Crystal Palace was one of an evolving type, growing architecture. Mies van der Rohe’s competition designs for for the extraordinary use of mirrors in the Palais of Versailles, out of the demands of the industrial revolution. If the Crys- Berlin in  and  represented a huge change in archi- completed in . Th e great windows in the Hall of Mirrors, tal Palace was the home of a celebration of the industrial rev- tecture, and he became one of the guiding fi gures in the mod- which the mirrors literally refl ected, were characteristically olution, railway stations, arcades (such as the Galleria Vittorio ern movement who adopted glass as “their material”; a group

10 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 11 Below Unaffected by climatic Opposite The possibilities of building considerations, Walter modern glassmaking are dem- Gropius used single glazing to onstrated in the “Dichroic Light construct the minutely detailed Field” installation by engineer three-storey façade of the James Carpenter in New York. Dessau Bauhaus in 1926. The so- The light reflexions and shad- called ‘curtain walls’ are an ows which the dichroic glass exemplary realisation of the sep- “fins” cast onto the glass façade aration of the skeleton and change their colour according façade of a building, an ideal of to the position of the sun. classical modernism. PHOTO BY JAMES CARPENTER DESIGN ASSOCIATES PHOTO BY JAMES CARPENTER DESIGN ASSOCIATES

the Hallidie Building in San Francisco of  by Wills Jef- mental controlling systems including air conditioning, was built between  and . Here “water white” glass, with ferson Polk), and the work of architects such as Fred Keck in exported round the world to produce a generation of devalued most of the iron removed, produced glazing which did not the American mid-West in the s gave a hint of what was glass architecture, using the mass-market curtain wall, which distort the colour of the stone in the Cour de Napoleon when to come  years later, the evolution of the high-performance became one of the most despised aspects of postwar archi- viewed through it, and the use of silicon bonding permitted glazed façade, addressing issues such as energy conservation. tecture. It took the importing of another essentially Ameri- a completely fl ush exterior. Other work used the emerging Le Corbusier had tried to address these issues in his Cite de can invention, the passive solar glass wall, and the oil crisis of thin fi lm technologies. Gunnar Birkert’s Corning Museum Refuge in Paris of  (in the same year, and in the same city, the early s, to consign this sort of architecture to history. of  used thin fi lm coating, to transform the hard and as one of the greatest of all glass buildings, Chareau’s Mai- Th e idea of using the radiation transmission characteristics brittle visual nature of glass architecture into a soft appear- son de Verre). However, technology was not yet well enough of glass to capture solar energy had been studied in the usa ance, as smooth as satin. For the last  years glass has become developed to sustain this sort of experiment. in buildings such as the Peabody House by Maria Telkes in the favourite material for architectural essays in transparency, In the usa, Frank Lloyd Wright enunciated what he saw as , picking up ideas which were decades old. Th e Europe- ambiguity and energy. the theoretical and aesthetic problem related to glass and archi- ans followed with buildings like the Wallasey School in Eng- A fi fth age is now on the horizon, with new materials, and tecture in a lecture he gave at Princeton University in : land by a e Morgan of , and Michel and Trombe’s work new perceptions of use. Smart glass has been developed in the “Glass has now a perfect visibility, thin sheets of air crystallised in France of the mid-s. area known as “chromogenics” which change their perform- to keep air currents outside or inside...... Tradition left no orders ance at the fl ick of a switch. Insulating materials which pro- concerning this materia l a s a means of perfect visibilit y”. Work- environmental issues and intelligent skins duce U-values close to “0” have been developed using aerogels, ing with characteristic innovative individuality, he went on to Th us, although the curtain wall retains an unfortunate hold and stronger materials resisting fi re are all infi ltrating the cat- design the Johnson Wax Administration Building in . Th is across the planet, as a phenomenon which blights our cities, alogues. Dichroics and beam splitting glasses can deliver or building used a membrane constructed from borosilicate glass a new generation of architects, with diff erent priorities, pro- block tailored frequencies of the spectrum. Light bending tubing, creating a unique and wonderful translucency. duced a new fl ourishing of glass architecture in the s and glasses using Total Internal Refl ection, such as Serraglaze, are s, building (perhaps sometimes unconsciously) on the also coming on to the market. Th ese will transform the abil- a house without walls: theoretical principles of Wright, Mies van der Rohe and le ity of the window to draw in daylight, and enable solar shad- mies van der rohe and farnsworth Corbusier. What we might call the fourth age of glass archi- ing to operate using transparent materials. In the years after the Second World War, the enthusiasm for tecture draws together the strands of the previous  years, If one aspect of this fi fth age is clear, it is that we cannot the material remained, particularly in the usa, home of many liberated by the invention of the fl oat process by Pilkington ea si ly ima gine what it w i l l have delivered in  or e ven  yea rs’ European emigres, including Mies van der Rohe and Eero in the s, and the development of a large number of tech- time. We can be sure that it could be magical, beautiful and

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPH KOCH Saarinen. Mies van der Rohe designed what remains perhaps nologies related to coatings and treatments. Glass is now one wonderful. We can be equally sure that it is exploited prop- the greatest single example of the architecture Wright claimed of the predominant constituents of architecture across the erly, and not used to create universal blandness. We still suff er within the movement even took the work “Glass” as part of to be seeking in . Th e Farnsworth House, designed in world, from climate skins to wonderful displays of structural from all pervasive nature of the curtain wall, but the poten- their name (Die Glaserne Kette). Glass was the material of , is the classic paradigm of an architecture where the wall ingenuity. Structural glazing is exemplifi ed in t he work of Tim tial richness of the multifunctional intelligent skin, respond- socialism (with its transparency and openness), and was seen disappears. Postwar architecture in the usa saw the construc- McFarlane in the uk, of Mick Eekhout in the Netherlands, ing moment by moment, and season by season to the vagaries as the light and “modern” replacement for the weight and tion of some great glass architecture including Eero Saarinen’s and of the Paris fi rm rfr. Many of these are eff ective reali- of climate and the needs of the occupants has the potential pomposity of previous ages. masterpiece for General Motors of – (which remains sations of the visions of work produced  years or more pre- to give us the transient beauty of the butterfl y’s wing, with a Th e great Europeans were not the only architects who an exemplar of technical virtuosity in glass, with one of the viously. Willis Faber Dumas, product of Foster Associates in material as hard as steel. exploited the beauty and potential of glass. Frank Lloyd earliest uses of gasket technology), som’s Lever House of , the early s, makes real the idea of a suspended wall seen Wright’s passion for stained glass led to its incorporation in and the Seagram Building by Mies van der Rohe himself, built in Mies van der Rohe’s  competition entry. Th e Lloyd’s many of the important houses and other buildings which he between  and . building by Richard Rogers Partnership, built  years later, Michael Wigginton holds a chair in architecture and design designed at the run of the t century. It is a tragedy of architecture that the geometrical sim- saw the fi nal realisation of le Corbusier’s “mur neutralisant”. at the Plymouth School of Architecture in England. His main In the years between the two world wars, the enthusi- plicity of classic modern architecture proved so easily cheap- Architects became interested in refi ned chemistries and new research interests are intelligent façades, glazing systems and ecological studies. He has published several books on these asm for the material developed on both sides of the Atlantic. ened and copied. Th e technique of producing thin, bland, and ways of fi xing, exemplifi ed in the glazing of the Pyramides subjects, including Glass in Architecture (Phaidon, 1996) and America was the birthplace of the curtain wall (starting with poorly performing skins, with their huge need for environ- in the Louvre in Paris, by im Pei and Partners, designed and Intelligent Skins (Butterworth Architecture, 2002).

12 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 13 DAYLIGHTING The natural gift of daylight put to practice in architecture.

Text by Jakob Schoof. Photos by Adam Mørk.

Berlin, Pariser Platz. Right in the centre of the German capital, Günter Behnisch inserted a glass foreign body which, even before its opening, was a centre of contro- versy. The generous openness of the new BERLIN ACADEMY Academy of Arts stirred up feelings in Berlin and is now engaging the attention of the OF ARTS climate engineers once again.

14 15 Previous From the top floor of the Academy, visitors can enjoy an unlimited view over one of the top sites of Berlin architecture: the Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate. The Reichstag dome is visible in the background.

Left Behnisch’s Academy forms a glassy contrast to the stony mass of the Pariser Platz. The north façade resembles the front of the old Acad- emy building in proportion and out- line, but you will notice this only if you are familiar with the old building.

Opposite Despite the storm of criti- cism unleashed at the new building: Berlin has much more vulgar glass façades than this. The multi-layered profile of the façade offers striking light reflections in the late after- noon sun.

Berlin, the protestant stronghold of Prus- used to bring light into cathedrals, churches of the Hotel Adlon acts like a backdrop to sia, has hardly been considered a colourful and palaces.” Behnisch’s interior; especially to the cafe- city in our collective memory. Even today – The location of the new Academy could teria of the Academy. Two entirely differ- more than ever after the fall of the Wall – the hardly be more prominent: Pariser Platz is ent architectural styles thus meet in close streets seem as stonily grey and unyielding considered as the ‘living-room’ of the Berlin proximity: the hotel on one side, busy and as the image of the city itself. republic. It is dominated by the Brandenburg crammed with dimly lit rooms; the Acad- But there are exceptions. The buildings Gate, an undisputed symbol of the reunified emy on the other side, light, bright and filled created by the Berlin-based sauerbruch city. To the left of the Academy stands the with multi-purpose space. Behnisch delib- hutton architects are particularly worthy pseudo-historic Hotel Adlon, built in 1997, erately designed the building to continue of mention – as is a building that is one of while to the right is the DG Bank designed the so-called ‘Treppenreden’ or ‘stairway the most controversial in recent German by Frank Gehry; a highly unusual building for speech’ tradition from the old West Berlin architecture: Günter Behnisch’s Academy the Californian architect. With its civilised, Academy – or at least the possibility of mak- of Arts. Behind its conservative – some sandstone-coloured façade, only the over- ing such a speech. would say dull – façade, the new building is size tilted windows hint at the wild original- At first glance, the main Academy build- a torrent of creative disarray. Its roof shim- ity of the foyer beyond. ing to the north looks like a complicated mers like an icy sea of glass, frozen momen- The new Academy is divided into three internal maze of multi-purpose levels, jut- tarily before resuming motion once more. main areas: in the centre, as the historic ting out one on top of the other. Six criss- On the upper levels, only a symbolic leaf- heart of the Behnisch building, are the five crossing staircases, walkways and ramps, patterned roof – made from laminated glass restored exhibition halls of the old Ber- all in different styles, lead the visitor through with a pattern of autumn foliage printed lin Academy from 1904. The glass main the hall up to the top floor. New vistas and onto the separating film – separates the building is situated to the north overlook- light angles open up at every step. The path visitor from the Berlin sky. Günter Behnisch ing Pariser Platz, while to the west, a long leads back again to the north façade, the describes the phenomenon, made tangible side wing houses the section workshop and ‘chocolate box’ side of the building. Each and here, in his book On colour: “... the beauti- archives. A public pathway crosses below, every Academy member and visitor can par- ful light, colour floating freely in architec- running north to south. A second pathway take in the view over the square. tural space, a phenomenon known in the runs east of the exhibition halls via an ele- The reception and bookshops are located Middle Ages and the Baroque period, and vated walkway. Here, the inner courtyard on the ground floor, with the library and read-

16 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 17 Opposite The club room for Acad- emy members reaches along the entire front of the building under the patterned glass roof. Measuring 20 x 35 metres, the roof is suspended from a construction of steel girders. Each glass pane measures 1.60 x 5.25 metres.

Left The palace on the southern side of the site fits in with the Ber- lin façade regulations – unlike the north façade. The Academy archive was originally housed here. Today, it belongs to the Hotel Adlon.

ing room on the first floor and the Academy grey out side . This Janus- like conf iguration is stands out like an exponent of a contradic- the new building a ‘drunken boat’, after the If the climatic problems were to be solved, assembly hall on the second floor. Nearby, no accident – B ehnisch ha s ac tively sought to tory colourful counter-culture. poem by Rimbaud (‘Le Bateau Ivre’), alluding Berlin would nevertheless have gained: an a partially covered sculpture garden covers emphasise the extremes within the building, No wonder it caused such a fuss in the not so much to the stormy construction his- abstract architectural sculpture combining the roof of the front exhibition hall. Although in terms of the wide variety of spaces, mate- recent past. ‘Façade fight’ is perhaps the tory of the building as to the architecture of the various different qualities of Behnisch’s the ground floor seems rather gloomy, mainly rials and colours used. The visitor ascends right phrase; a Berlin speciality ostensi- the new building itself, dominated by expan- architecture. In 1998, before construction due to the anthracite-coloured cast asphalt from the cast asphalt of the ground floor via bly about façade cladding and window for- sive inclines and acute angles. Critics have began, the architect wrote “The emphasis floor, the interior really begins to ‘breathe’ concrete, parquet and linoleum floors; the mats, but really more about the different taken Behnisch to task for the fact that the is on the contrast with the historical site. from this point on, opening up to the day- walkway and stair handrails are made from perceptions of the European city. The city north façade often looks dark and empty Transparency, airiness and light colours will light flooding in from the south. steel, wood and concrete, or are surrounded authorities in Berlin came up with design during the day and that the architect has give the new building a more exhilarating, The third floor is used as office space by a reflective sheet metal layer. One colour regulations for Pariser Platz, with detailed treated the old building with little respect, friendly atmosphere. It should gleam by day for the Academy President and the press is not enough for the slanting supports of the specifications for façade design: “Matt min- simply plastering over wide areas in white and glow by night.’ The new building is cer- department. On the fourth floor, the club south façade either; halfway up, they change eral surfaces and colour shades ranging from or covering them with plasterboard. tainly exhilarating. It remains to be seen room runs along the entire building front. from light grey to white. pale ochre to grey”, with no more than 40 The greatest weakness of the new build- how it will hold up in terms of functionality It’s ‘members only’ – only Academy mem- Instead of suppressing them all into a percent being taken up by windows. ing however did not become apparent until and maintenance costs. The Academy now bers and their friends are allowed entry. They single whole, Behnisch gives the various ele- Given these specifications, Behnisch’s three months after the opening: large tem- faces the challenge of filling this extraordi- can enjoy one of the best views Berlin has to ments of his architecture space to unfold. If design naturally caused an uproar. It includes perature and humidity fluctuations in the nary building with life. offer: north to Pariser Platz, at eye-level with so inclined, you could take this as a meta- 100% windows, including the ‘fifth façade’ rooms forced the academy to cancel all exhi- the Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate and phor for the institution that will be using – the roof. In order to rescue his design, Beh- bitions until further notice. The causes are south to the icy sea of glass crowning the this building in the future. Supported by nisch made a slight compromise, blending currently being investigated but those in the Academy. The room is spectacular, even on the state, but not necessarily supporting the double-layered glass façade of the new know believe there is a simple reason for the dullest of days, with the daylight filter- the state, the Academy of Arts is a collec- building with the old pre-war façade ‘in the problem: Günter Behnisch had always ing in red and yellow through the patterned tive of the country’s leading writers, paint- structure and relief’. In practice, this means objected to a porch on the ground floor. In laminated glass. ers, sculptors, composers and actors. Today, a network of rods has been installed 40 cm summer, a gust of warm air rushes into the To the south, a slanting glass façade it is a kind of enclave for high culture in the (the thickness of the original façade) in front building whenever the door is opened. It is opens onto the inner courtyard, with its sole world of pop – even if its new home rep- of the glass front, to look like a line drawing therefore likely that the academy will have fixed point being the stair tower of the old resents the opposite: amidst the forbid- of the old Academy façade. to be made viable in practice by means of Academy. It is painted white inside and dark ding stony Berlin architecture of the 90s, it Academy President Adolf Muschg called extra building work.

18 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 19 Left At ground floor level, an inclined surface composed of mastic asphalt continues Pariser Platz into the building without any steps. The entrance area is comparatively low and gloomy. The building does not open itself up to the light until higher up.

Left The glass ‘roof of leaves’ crowns the south façade. A large sliding door leads to the outside. A separate construction has been placed in front of the slanting glass façade to provide sun protection.

Opposite For sun-worshippers: the view and the daylight are at their most intense immediately behind the south façade. It’s like standing outside – but protected from the weather.

20 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 21 Facts Location Berlin, D Building type Mixed-use for exhbitions and administration Client Land Berlin Architect Behnisch und Partner with Werner Durth, Stuttgart, D Completion 2005

Opposite The way up through Right (from top to bottom) the atrium leads from semi- Level 0 darkness to light: the ground Level +1 floor is dominated by the anthra- Level +2 cite-coloured cast asphalt floor, Level +3 while the sunlight from the Level +4 south floods in above. Longitudinal section north-south

Above Walkways and staircases Overleaf At night, the house wind up through the hall, all dif- and its north facade, which ferent in design. The higher the often appears gray and opaque visitor climbs, the lighter the during the day, become sources space becomes. of light. Diverse light moods and colors reflect the varied uses of the academy. DRAWINGS BY AND COPYRIGHT OF © BEHNISCH UND PARTNER

22 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 23 24 25 REFLECTIONS Different points of view: ideas beyond Text by Jakob Schoof. those of everyday architecture. Mist and light, water and mirror glass are the media of the Danish installation artist Olafur Eliasson. The wealth of experience in his works has made Eliasson popular. He teaches us what many have already for- gotten amidst the general overstimulation: the con- SEEING scious perception of our environment and ourselves. YOURSELF SEEING Outside, the sun set a long time ago. Here, inside the tur- To describe Eliasson as a kind of variety show artist who per- bine ha l l of t he Tate Modern in L ondon, it is st i l l shining. Th at forms magic with installations instead of a top hat and card is to say: it sets all day long. High above the heads of the visi- tricks would be to say he is not understood. Because after the OLAFUR tors, the enormous room is fi lled with glistening, golden yel- great amazement when looking at his work there always follows low light from the setting sun. A fi ne mist drifts through the the benefi t of discovery too. Four central themes are always ELIASSON hall, collects below the ceiling as clouds, and gets lost again. repeated: nature, light, architecture and – most important of Th e people stare at the unfamiliar light, meditate or lie on the all – the interaction of the onlooker. fl oor, stretched out, struck by its overwhelming presence. “Like worshippers to an unknown god“, as a lady visiting the exhi- nature bition said later on. Some of them have tears in their eyes. Th e experience of the four elements in Greek science – water, Th e cause of all the emotion is  monochrome spotlights, fi re, earth, air – and derived from them light, colour and tem-  square metres of refl ective fi lm on a metal construction perature is a central part of Eliasson’s art. He mediated an and a semi-circle made of a translucent membrane. Th e semi- extraordinary direct experience of nature to the visitor of the circle is doubled by the refl ecting ceiling of the hall and in this exhibition “Th e Mediated Motion”  in the Bregenz Art way becomes complete, a replica of the sun. Whoever takes a Gallery. Eliasson transformed the inner rooms of the Zumthor closer look can see all the technical components, which bring Building, together with the landscape architect Günther Vogt, the installation in the Tate to life – also the fog generators, the into a stri k ing ly myst ic a l la nd sc ape g a rden wa f ted by cloud s of weather machines for the “Weather Project”. mist. Th e visitors move through the landscape on gangplanks Who is the man who makes people cry, dream or meditate with an arsenal of technical equipment, but in any case brings about an intensive awareness? Olafur Eliasson, a Dane of Icelandic origin, was born in  in Copenhagen and studied there from  to  at the Royal Academy of Arts. He lives and works in Berlin. Th at is according to the dry facts in the artist’s offi cial cur- riculum vitae. Normally there follows a long list of exhibitions and museums where his works were to be seen and still are: for example, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Tate Gallery in London. At least three to four larger exhibitions dedicated entirely to his work take place each year throughout the world. In an interview with the magazine “Kunstforum Inter- national” Eliasson said, “I see myself as a mainstream artist, and across a suspension bridge, which consists largely of gen- which is why my work is easily accessible.” Th e fact that his uine natural materials: water, earth, wood and water lentils, work is often referred to as “Anthology of special eff ects” and a water plant. In addition, Eliasson changed the orthogonal is appreciated by the public for its entertainment value does structure of the exhibition rooms with sloping fl oor levels, so not bother him: “I like it that it can be entertaining, even if that the visitor perceives his movement through the room more the public could see through this entertainment construction. consciously. He wanted “to question the very static dominat- It is a matter of responsibility and ethics in connection with ing architecture, in order to put the association with the house

ALL IMAGES COURTESY BONAKDAR OF TANYA GALLERY/NEUGERRIEMSCHNEIDER, BERLIN. that which is said and that which is done.” into better perspective”, as he later reported in an interview.

26 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 27 In principle, Eliasson is not so much concerned in “Th e Medi- “I see myself as a mainstream artist, which is why Opposite and pages 30–31 The Below Seeing yourself seeing, ated Motion” about landscape gardening: the garden land- my work is easily accessible… I like it that it can mediated motion, Bregenz Art Museum of Modern Art, New scape used for the production serves as a tool with which he Gallery 2001: By bringing the York 2001: The title of this be entertaining, even if the public could see plays on the theme of human perception of space and nature. (human made) landscape inside installation is programmatic for through this entertainment construction. It is a the house, Olafur Eliasson lets all of Olafur Eliasson’s work. The In Elia sson’s opinion, nature is no “rea l ” and origina l categor y matter of responsibility and ethics in connection visitors experience the Zumthor visitor sees the outer world anymore, but a result of our view of the world: “[...] there is no with that which is said and that which is done.” building anew and differently. through the narrow mirrored truthful nature, there is only your and my construct of it.” The three exhibition levels con- strips of the panelled glass area – tain a water pool, a slanted level and at the same time sees Th is construct is made visible by Eliasson at two levels. At Olafur Eliasson made of contaminated earth, himself looking. the fi rst, the onlooker experiences clouds of mist, artifi cial gey- and finally a foggy valley with a sers, waterfalls and staged sunsets. For just a fl eeting moment suspension bridge. he can give in to the illusion that this is “real” nature. But as soon as he looks closer, he becomes aware of the things behind the vision: fog generators, pipes and tubes, steam jets and spotlights. Eliasson took the game to extremes with contrived natural phenomena in  with the installation “Double Sunset” turned off , only the machinery, which kept it going, remained room sculptures as purely wind and weather enclosures, but in Utrecht, in which real and artifi cia l sunsets appea r in direct visible. Generally speaking, Eliasson uses coloured light mostly lets them become part of his optical perception experiments. competition. A round disc of yellow corrugated iron measur- according to the principle “less is more”. Th e change of per- In the installation “La situazione antispettiva”, which he did for ing  metres was attached to the façade of a high industrial ception that monochromatic light causes is most distinct in the biennial art festival  in Venice, he placed a “gigantic building and was illuminated by the fl ood lights from the sta- the installation “Your inverted veto”: the exhibition room is polished spaceship, which has just landed from a foreign gal- dium opposite. Th e artifi cial sun disc stood out far enough separated from the entrance area by ceiling-high blue plas- axy” (according to curator Gitte Ørskou) in the middle of the over the silhouette of the town, so that in the evening an actual tic tarpaulin. Yellow spotlights plunge it into an unreal light; Danish pavilion. Th e “spaceship” consists of  conical kalei- picture puzzle was created: Which is the real sun, which is the inside the blue fi lm appears black. At intervals of three and doscopes made of polished stainless steel, which turn inward tin sun? Has nature become exchangeable? a half minutes, white light superimposes on the yellow light and to the outside in an alternating fashion. From the outside and the visitor returns for a moment to his usual perceptive the viewer sees a prickly, space-fi lling object; from the inside light world. Th en the cycle begins anew. he sees himself and the other visitors, refl ected and refracted In Eliasson’s game of sensual perception, light plays a central Th e fact that Eliasson’s installations are not only a mat- a thousand-fold in the midst of the semi-darkness. role. Holger Broeker counted a total of  works of the art- ter of light phenomena, but also a matter of our perception Eliasson’s installations can be described as a kind of pre- ist in the  exhibition catalogue “Your Lighthouse” which in particular, becomes more apparent with an optical appara- liminary stage to architecture: they move in an original, “pure” were to do wit h light. In t his respect, light shou ld by no mea ns tus which he has designed. Since , the “Camera obscura” stage of the architectural idea, which is not yet distorted by be interpreted in the case of Eliasson as metaphoric in the emerges repeatedly in Eliasson’s work; the most prominent room programs, user wishes, regulations and the structural sense of “enlightenment”. For him light is not so much a car- one was located as the central element of the “blind pavilion”, environment. Eliasson proceeds with the highest precision: By rier of signifi cance as of atmosphere – and naturally a means Eliasson’s contribution to the Biennale  in Venice. dispensing with anecdotes and redundant messages, he creates to form spaces. Also, since the end of the s Eliasson is occupied with the possibility for the viewer to perceive his environment and Eliasson’s works of art using light refl ections follow the tra- kaleidoscopes, which in his case can reach lengths of up to himself more intensively. By this escalation Eliasson breaks dition that was created by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy’s “light-room eight metres. One of the fi rst was the work “Well” in the gar- open apparently fi xed images and routines. He sharpens our modulators” and the kinetic light sculptures of Nicolas Sch- den of the villa Medici (): here the viewer looks down into view of space, which is so often “produced” in everyday life oeff er. Even when they are impressively eff ective with their a mirrored tube of two metres, which is buried in the soil. In architecture with great carelessness and more likely tolerated spotlights, colour fi lters and rotational mirrors, they are never “Your now is my surroundings” (), in the Tanya Bonakdar by the user than experienced. primarily just a construction, but produce their eff ect by numer- Gallery in New York, the look is in another direction. A high ous refl ections, refractions and superimpositions of light. narrow room with a glass roof is panelled with glass mirrors the viewer In the case of “Sun Refl ector“ from the year , an from head level upwards, the glazing of the ceiling has been “In a certain respect, it might be asserted that Olafur Eliasson installation at the institute of physics of the University of removed. Th e viewer has his head in a kind of enormous, ver- is not creating works of art. He is creating situations “, writes Stock holm, Elia sson ut i lises rotat ing mirrors placed above t he tical kaleidoscope. He can see himself, the roof structure and as Buckminster Fuller, as well as the garden architects of the Gitte Ørskou in the exhibition catalogue “Minding the World”. upper lights of the atrium to produce light refl ections inside the outside world refl ected a hundred-fold without being able t and t century with their “follies” and waterworks. Eliasson almost never confronts the viewer with his work head- the building. On sunny days they refl ect a wave-like band of to really orientate himself in the room. Th e borders between Th e most obvious formal parallels to Eliasson’s work are on. He invites to go around or to go in and thereby makes light onto the white plastered atrium wall, which, due to the in front of and behind, inside and outside disappear in this to be found not so much in “architects’ architecture” as in the viewer nolens volens a part of the work of art. In a text to movement of the mirrors in the wind, appears to ripple like fragmented picture. the frontier between civil engineering and utopia. Eliasson’s “Th e Mediated Motion” in the Bregenz Art Gallery () he a water surface. igloos made of regular pentagons and hexagons are small ver- addresses this to the visitor directly: “Th is exhibition depends In a second group of works, Eliasson works with “bodily” architecture sions of Buckminster Fuller’s geodetic domes – in other words, on your movement, your involvement to become a part of it, light, combining light sources with water or fog. Th e instal- Are Eliasson’s installations “architectural”? Carsten Th au, phi- a type of building which was infl uenced by the greatest pos- to allow yourself to experience it.” For this reason, with Eli- lation “Th oka” at the Hamburg Arts Centre (), his fi rst losopher and professor at the Royal Academy of Arts in Copen- sible material effi ciency and which cast a spell over the indi- asson one will always be looking in vain to trace a message by larger appearance in Germany, is a good example: between hagen, at which Eliasson also studied, writes in the exhibition vidual with its boldness and mathematical beauty alike. the artist, which art critics attempt to do again and again. His the close of the exhibition and midnight, the area behind the catalogue “Minding the world”: “Eliasson carries architecture With his domes, Buckminster Fuller created functionally request to the visitor is: Find your own message. I can help glass façade of the building was fi lled with artifi cial fog and into the world of the art.” Th au sees Eliasson in the tradition of neutral coverings for exhibition areas, motorcar garages or you at the most to notice things more consciously. lit up by yellow spotlights. During the day the work of art was the Russian constructivists and utopian engineer architects such greenhouses. On the other hand, Eliasson never designs his Almost programmatic for Eliasson’s work are the titles of

28 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 29 people into the museum with partly supermarket-like aesthet- Left La situazione antispet- Below The Weather Project, ics, who have never been in a museum before. I have my prob- tiva, Art Biennale Venice 2003: Tate Gallery, London 2004: lems with this, because the whole thing becomes too much This “sensory perception Eliasson’s strategy to “con- like an assembly line”, he admitted in the magazine “Kunst- cocoon” was the centre piece struct” natural phenomena of the “blind pavilion”, the Dan- reached its climax in this forum International”. And on another occasion: “Th e muse- ish contribution to the Biennale. installation. The monochrome ums, in particular the large museums, market the experience 250 kaleidoscope-like openings spotlight reduces the sense of of art and the feelings of the visitors. I see that as extremely channel, break up and multi- perception of the room to two problematic.” Th e “Weather Project” is by no means a head- ply the view into and out of the colours: yellow and black. on attack of modern art marketing. On the contrary, Eliasson “room in a room”. wanted to make the context behind the exhibition “transparent” – a term which he willingly uses when it concerns reveal- ing his means.

PHOTO BY GIORGIO BOATO GIORGIO BY PHOTO a school of seeing the two installations “Seeing yourself sensing” and “Seeing In many ways Olafur Eliasson teaches us to see again – and to yourself seeing” from . Strips of mirror are attached to a understand how we see. Our direct perception, often blunted pane of glass at regular intervals; the strips of glass between in everyday life by the incessant fl ood of irritations, is perma- them with the same width remain free. In this way, the viewer nently questioned by him. Th e look in the mirror, otherwise sees himself “when seeing” and he sees the outside world at the routine, wins a new meaning with him again. He opens up same time. Two persons, who are facing each other on both natural phenomena and cultural institutions to us and puts sides of the installation, can communicate at the same time them in a new light by reconstructing them and discloses with their mirror image and their opposite number. them at the same time as a reconstruction. Because, accord- Although Eliasson’s installations are planned in minute ing to Eliasson: “Without memory there would be no recog- detail, their surprise nevertheless always depends on the vigi- nition – no value systems – no sense of time – and fi nally, no lance and frame of mind of the onlooker. For this reason, a sci- expectations. Such a thing as a primordial sensation doesn’t entifi cally objective “truth” is out of the question. Gitte Ørskou exist, only culture.” explains this opinion in the exhibition catalogue “Minding the World”: “,Das Ding an Sich’, which was the German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s locution for the utopian idea about things in the world existing independently of the individual human being – that is to say, independently of the subject – is replaced in Eliasson’s grasp by what Kant himself called ,Das Ding für Uns’ – that is to say, the idea that things in the world only exist by virtue of our sensing of them. “Th e “Your” is characteristic in this connection, which emerges in the title of many works. In an interview for the installation “Your denudation inverted” (), an artifi cial geyser in the inner court of the Carnegie museum of art in Pittsburgh, he said: “I decided to say “Your natural denudation inverted”. Pointing out that “your” experience is central

rather than my ideas about it”. Th is strategy also belongs to PHOTO BY TACITA DEAN Eliasson’s work: Let the things happen and watch how the viewers deal with it. In Pittsburgh, for example, the onset of Top left Ice pavillion, 1998: winter transformed the trees, which were “shrouded in fog” Pavilions and other small pieces of architecture are repeated from the geyser, into bizarre ice sculptures. Th ey were simi- continuously in Olafur Eliasson’s larly part of the work, according to Eliasson, and it became work. Here he uses water as a more understandable, when he said: “I did this specially for building material and nature as the courtyard of the Carnegie, and installing it elsewhere is a “construction worker”. And nevertheless: the planning is the possible but then it is another piece for me.” work of man. Subliminally, Eliasson addresses in many works the question: how do museums mediate the reception of art? When Above Olafur Eliasson. preparing for the “Weather Project”, Eliasson concerned himself according to his own statement intensively with the structure of the institution Tate. “Th e house is oriented towards

drawing numbers of the public and brings to some extent ZIEHE JENS BY PHOTO

30 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 31 13° N 56° E 06.2002 04.00

33 13° N 56° E Österlen, SwedenPhotographed by The Half-Finished Heaven 06.2002 Per Magnus Persson by Tomas Tranströmer 04.00 Despondency breaks off its course. Anguish breaks off its course. The vulture breaks off its flight. The eager light streams out, even the ghosts take a draught. And our paintings see daylight, our red beasts of the ice-age studios. Everything begins to look around. We walk in the sun in hundreds. Each man is a half-open door leading to a room for everyone. The endless ground under us. The water is shining among the trees. The lake is a window into the earth.

SOURCE: TOMAS TRANSTRÖMER, SAMLADE DIKTER, 1954–1996. ALBERT BONNIERS FÖRLAG. ENGLISH TRANSLATION: TOMAS TRANSTRÖMER, NEW COLLECTED 34 POEMS, TRANSLATED BY ROBIN FULTON. BLOODAXE BOOKS. 35 DAYLIGHTING Taking a closer look: how daylighting Text by Rob Nijsse. DETAILS is brought into buildings Building at the limits of the possible: In the last 20 years, load-bearing glass constructions have triumphed in architecture. One of their pioneers, Rob Nijsse from the Netherlands engineering office ABT, explains the achievements on the way towards the new age of glass architecture.

GLASS Below On top of the ruins of an 18th Glass is a fascinating material. It combines remarkable and tion takes place under pressure in an autoclave at a temper- AS A STRUCTURAL century tea pavilion, Rotterdam even contradictory properties. You can look through it, and ature of around ºc. Th e glass sheets and the foils or plies architect Dirk Jan Postel erected a pavilion with glazed walls, which yet water, which penetrates almost everything, cannot pass are rolled together under considerable pressure. Th e result at the same time supported the through it. On the one hand it is strong and almost unbreak- is a perfect, transparent piece of glass, composed of two, or MATERIAL strongly cantilevered roof. The walls able, on the other hand one scratch lets it break easily. even up to ten individual layers of glass. In this way, safe glass consisted of 2 x 10 mm laminated Th e quest to introduce this material into the world of struc- beams are produced not by making one beam but by gluing glass and were fixed to the block work and the underside of the roof tural engineering has only been going on for a few decades, two or more beams together. If a malevolent person throws a by bolts and steel angles. but it is my sincere conviction that in another few decades stone at your precious glass beam, he can only break the out- people will regard structural glass to be as trustworthy as for side glass layers. Th ese broken layers keep on sticking to the instance steel and reinforced concrete. One should not forget central ones and therefore protect them. that steel/iron as building material is only about  years old For these reasons, the concept of a glass beam was “up in and concrete even only about  years. the air” in the s. Various members of the international community of structural engineers carried out studies. But glass beams who would dare to put the fi rst glass beam in a real building? Glass for windows and even fl oors has been used for a long Th e psychological barrier was enormous, because we know time, although in small measurements. Glass beams, however, from everyday practice that glass breaks easily. Clients and are one essential step ahead from the early days of the Roman contractors have a tendency to avoid risky experiments. Th e Empire. Th e idea of a glass beam is in itself very tempting but building industry is one of the most conservative industries. also dangerous: if glass breaks, it breaks completely, because New developments need an enthusiastic client willing to take the cohesion of the material is lost. An overload or a stone a certain risk. Th e engineer naturally has to assume the obli- thrown at it results in a total and sudden failure of the beam. gation to analyse all possibilities of unwelcome eff ects of the Th is is also unacceptable because we like to have some kind of proposed innovation. Th e introduction of glass beams is a warning mechanism in our structures that will be activated good example of a cautiously accepted innovation. when there is a problem. A steel beam, for instance, warns by excessive deformation or plastic yield. glass floors Glass in itself gives no such “warning” sign. It is only the Glass panels in the fl oor of a room have been known for quite invisible gluing together of individual panes, a process called some time but only in small sizes. However, it was the intro- laminating, which enables us to make a safe beam. Laminat- duction of a disco dancing fl oor with coloured lights from ing of glass was invented in the early s when – so the story underneath in the s movie “Saturday Night Fever” which goes – a scientist accidentally dropped a glass bottle fi lled with gave the glass fl oor a real impulse. Architects began think- glue and as a result found two glass fragments glued together ing about integrating glass fl oors into buildings. Th is implied, invisibly on the fl oor, a few days later. In the evening papers of course, that they had to be transparent. Walking on a big on the same day, he read about a girl who died in a car because transparent fl oor is exciting but also a frightening thought she had been injured by a broken windscreen which smashed to many. Besides, in the case of an abnormal fear of heights when hit by a piece of gravel. He realised that if the windscreen (acrophobia), people are afraid because our logical thought pro- had been built of two layers of glass, glued together invisibly, cesses cannot accept the fact that something transparent will this tragic accident might never have happened. Th is idea was carry our weight safely. Th ere was a fi lm made in the s an initial impulse for the industrial production of laminated by a big glass company in which a mother places her baby on glass. Another major impulse came when the chemical fi rm a table where half the table top is made of glass. She walks DuPont de Nemours invented a transparent foil called pvb around the table and calls to her baby to crawl to her over the

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN RICHTERS (polyvinylbutyrate), which glues glass sheets together. Produc- glass section of the table top. Despite the fact that his mother,

36 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 37 a person he loves, calls him, the baby refuses to crawl across reduce the span of beams and fl oors, and make structures sought to make the walls of their churches as transparent as solid closed wall. Especially in the colder regions in the world, this surface. Th is behaviour is typical of people who have to less complicated. So how do we overcome this aversion by possible. Th ey were only familiar with blockwork walls with this is an essential aspect. Houses and offi ces can be kept com- walk over a glass fl oor. Even if the engineer proves that it is architects? I like to quote from a text by Le Corbusier on his windows in, but with stone and glass they achieved almost fortable much more easily without having to give up the pos- ten times safer than a wooden fl oor, people simply don’t trust Villa Savoye: “Proudly they stand a-straight the columns; the immaterial walls with colourful stained-glass windows. Th e sibility of looking outside. But the introduction of glass into it. And, admittedly, even I have to take a deep breath before soldiers of architecture, carrying their load.” Th is goes a lit- invention of the kinked high-rise arch, the fl ying buttress the façade has opened up the building not only from inside to stepping on a transparent fl oor. Th erefore, it is wise to make tle way to help as no one would dare contradict so great an and the pier buttress led to enormous heights. Starting with outside but also from outside to inside. Certainly in modern at least part of a glass fl oor translucent rather than transpar- architect as Le Corbusier. a maximum height of  m, in Beauvais () they reached architecture there is a tendency to open up buildings by using ent. People feel safer although the diff erence between a trans- But engineers should make columns more attractive, too. the enormous height of  m. very large façades that are as transparent as possible. Th e vis- lucent and a transparent glass panel consists in no more than One way to do this is to make their shape more expressive, But Beauvais marked the end of this development: in , ual borderline of what is inside or outside of a building cleverly a translucent foil that is only . mm thick! which I tried for instance in a study on the shape of columns during a heavy storm, the straight parts of the vaults collapsed. merges into one. However, creating complete glass walls leads Architects and many users are excited at the possibility of for the restaurant of the Educatorium project. As a starting- It is amazing that those light-weight structures were built in to new problems concerning the comfort inside the buildings. ‘walking on air’ and experiencing a building in three dimen- point for the structural design of these columns, we asked the a time when there was no theoretical understanding of how In winter, warmth passes easily through the glass façade, and sions. Since safety is a major design criterion, it will be clear architect to look into how columns collapse. arches of beams or plates work and no computer programs in summer the heat of the sun is absorbed inside leading to that all glass fl oors have to be made f rom la minated g la ss. A lso, Th ere are three ways in which this can happen. Th e fi rst existed which were able to deal with such spatially complicated excessive temperatures. we have to be aware of the fact that walking on the glass will one is under pressure by crumbling, slowly yielding under too structures. People t hen simply used t heir common sense. Th ey A single glass panel is not a good insulator, warmth trav- create scratches on the surface due to sand or gravel stuck to big a compression load. Th e second is by buckling under pres- learned from failures (which we do not see any more because els easily through it. Th e introduction of double glass was a t he soles of shoes. So we have to ensure t hat t his scratched zone sure, and suddenly breaking in the middle. In most cases, this only the successful solutions have survived) and tried each time major improvement. Th e closed-up small gap fi lled with air is not in a tensile loaded area, for then the scratches would is critical. Th e third is by breaking due to shear force . I made to make things a little higher and a little more slender. in between the two glass layers provides good heat insulation. act as a stress concentration point resulting in further stresses a number of column designs relating to each type of problem. Today, that method of working is no longer acceptable. Double glass improves the comfort in the building, avoids con- in the glass. Often people think of glass as being slippery to Th e intention was to choose a typical column for each loca- Most of all, we have to erect safe structures with no chance densation in winter and reduces the amount of energy required wa lk on. In fact, in dr y conditions it is not slipper y at a ll. Tests tion and thereby give the space around the column identifi - of collapse. Fortunately, we now have a sound theoretical to heat the building. Nowadays, double glazing is improved have shown that the surface conditions of glass are more or cation. Unfortunately, the cold wind of fi nancial constraints knowledge about structures and we do have computers that even more by fi lling the gap in the insulated panel not with less comparable to natural stone or tiles. However, when wet, only led to a variation in size and in a round or square cross- can calculate the stresses and deformations of very compli- air but with inert gases such as argon and by vaporising thin glass becomes a potentially slippery surface. One of the ways section with an identical cross-shaped column (the so-called cated spatial structures. layers of precious metals on the glass surface. to avoid this danger is to use a special type of glass that has Mies van der Rohe quotation). For sa fet y rea sons, nowad ays we a lways u se la minated g la ss Th e heat insulation rate has been improved to a degree been given the following treatment: a glass panel is heated to Another way to make columns more attractive and less for structural elements. Th e critical collapse criteria for a wall that a new danger is now present: in summer, the heat can- the point where the surface melts and becomes slightly syrupy. repulsive to architects would be to make them out of glass. will be buckling or plying. Th erefore, a glass wall must have a not escape! Air-conditioning is not a good solution to this Th en grains of sand or small parts of broken glass are scattered Although glass performs well under compression, there is the considerable thickness and hence quite a few layers. We could problem. Architects and engineers need to be more critical of onto it. Because of the slightly molten glass surface, they sink danger of buckling, which makes it hard to conceive a safe improve on this aspect by making a corrugated glass wall, but automatically constructing façades with insulated glass pan- halfway into the surface. After cooling down and rehardening, glass column. Buckling will result in tensile stresses and mini- this t ype of glass has only recently become available. Th e Casa els, as they have been doing for decades now. the result is a super-rough surface even when wet. Th e advan- ature cracks in the surface will spoil the construction. Th ere- da Musica in Porto is the fi rst building to have these walls. tage with this treatment is that the surface does not wear eas- fore, safe structural glass elements have to be double or triple Another critical point is how to get the loads from the struc- ily; the scattered sand or grains adhere well to the glass and layer or more. If one part fails for whatever reason, the remain- ture resting on top of the glass wall into the glass wall without protect the original glass surface. ing parts must still be able to carry the load so that the dam- causing too many concentrated stresses. Th e support should Th is process of melting and rehardening reminds me of aged element can be replaced. But will a glass column not be be as centralised as possible and an elastic material (neoprene) an old but unfortunately invented story told in Arab chron- the utmost achievement in a structural application? Imagine should be incorporated. Also, the detail at the bottom of the icles about the structure of one of the Seven Wonders of the high-rise buildings resting on mysteriously shining beams of wall, where the forces have to go into the foundation, has to ancient world, the Pharos of Alexandria. Th is very tall and light (bear in mind the immense potential bearing force of be designed with these starting-points in mind. big lighthouse was said to have its foundations connected to glass); a dream would have come true. Th e journey on the the rocks by “claws of glass”. On second thoughts, this is not road to realise this has, however, only just begun. glass façades entirely out of the question. Glass could be melted easily and A façade is a special type of wall. It separates the inside from poured into cracks in the rocks. Once solidifi ed, it could take glass walls the outside. Th e diff erence in position implies that this specia l enormous pressure so it is worthwhile considering a new appli- Walls separate areas in a very physical way. Glass material off ers type of wall has to satisfy substantial requirements in terms cation of this old construction method. the possibility of creating a real physical separation between of building physics. Also, the wind force on façades pulling two spaces, while at the same time allowing full insight into and pushing against them, as well as temperature-induced glass columns what happens beyond. In principle, walls have two diff erent movement and water-tightness, play an important role. Th ese W hile we have been able to make glass fl oors, glass roofs, glass functions: inside buildings they chiefl y serve acoustical and requirements make the design and building of façades a dif- walls and glass beams, the last structural element still resist- optical requirements. As part of the façade, they protect the fi cult but challenging task – which, however, off ers engineers ing its transformation into glass is the column. inside of the building from the outside climate. the opportunity to devise appealing structures: “Every disad- Rob Nijsse is a director of ABT Consultancy for Construc- In general, a column is a diffi cult element in a structure. Regarding the structural aspects, a wall is just a special vantage has an advantage,” to quote the famous Dutch soc- tion Engineering in Arnhem. He has specialised in experimen- Architects and clients do not like columns; they stand in the type of column. It is only far wider than thick. Th erefore, the cer player Johan Cruijff . tal structures in glass, concrete and steel, collaborating with way and they block the view. If it is impossible to reduce remarks we made concerning columns could be repeated here. Glass plays an essential role in the façade. With its trans- architects such as MVRDV or Rem Koolhaas for the Dutch them in number, architects ask for them to be made as small Instead we will concentrate on the question of how glass walls parent property, it opens up our buildings to the outside world. EXPO pavillion in 2000, the Educatorium in Utrecht and the Casa da Música in Porto. Since 2003, Rob Nijsse has been a as possible. may be designed. Basically, we are following in the footsteps Th is psychological eff ect is very valuable. People may enjoy part-time professor at the University of Gent. In the same year, Structural engineers, by contrast, love columns: they of the builders of gothic cathedrals. For the glory of God, they the view of the outside world and are not divided from it by a his book Glass in Structures was published by Birkhäuser.

38 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 39 VELUX INSIGHT Architecture for people – building with VELUX.

Text by Thomas Geuder. TOWARDS THE SUN Photos by Torben Eskerod. Land is in short supply in the Netherlands, ARMADA and not for nothing have the Dutch become masters in the spatial organisation of cities and entire swathes of land. In ’s-Hertogen- bosch, ten apartment blocks were built on a former industrial area, uniquely identifiable buildings offering the residents a highly diverse living space.

40 41 Previous Like the sails of a Facts great fleet, the façades of the Location ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL ‘Armada’ residential develop- Building type Multi-family housing ment line up along the water Funder BV Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij basin. Their external form is Developer Credo Integrale striking, not only from a creative Planontwikkeling BV point of view, but also due to the Architect Building Design Partnership, sophisticated design concept London, GB that takes account of the effect Completion 2003 of the wind and sun.

Left Site plan.

Opposite In order to ventilate the relatively deep rooms well, the air is sucked in via the individual storeys and sucked upwards by the chimney effect. This effect is reinforced by the small additional “sail” on the roof. DRAWING BY AND COPYRIGHT OF © BUILDING DESIGN PARTNERSHIP DRAWING BY AND COPYRIGHT OF © BUILDING DESIGN PARTNERSHIP

The main part of the car journey from Maas- tre of the new city quarter. Here, Khandekar but it is worth a look behind the scenes – it’s ing the light of the Dutch sky. Cut-out holes Alongside the striking architectural form, tricht to Amsterdam runs through the decided to deviate from his block building not just a question of simply copying a some- in the ‘sail’ have been made at regular inter- the secret of the success of the Armada southern Dutch province of North Brabant. scheme and planned construction along the what clichéd image. Behind the eye-catch- vals on the façades, fitted with VELUX roof project is the social concept of the design. Approximately 30 kilometres from Eind- basin with ‘houses that contrast in a delicate ing form lies a technological design concept windows in the upper part of the façade. The residents have plenty of opportunity hoven lies the province capital ’s-Hertogen- way with the perimeter blocks around the that not only makes the residential blocks Reflected by the wide balconies, the sunlight to meet one another. Designed as pedes- bosch, which, amongst other things, forms a park and will continue to radiate warmth visually appealing but also gives them an streams through these openings deep into trian-friendly, as the master plan intended useful traffic intersection between the coun- and quality over the years’. ecological purpose. the interiors, bathing them in natural light. At for the entire quarter, the area is linked via try’s railway lines. The historic city centre is In 1998, a restricted competition was ‘Microclimate’ was the key concept the same time the solar energy is captured a footbridge to the centre, which is located worth a visit – not least for St. John’s Cathe- held for the construction of these houses. and inspiration for the architects in their and used to provide natural heating for the just behind the railway tracks. Semi-public dral, dating back to the 14th century, or the The winner was Building Design Partner- designs. The aim was to create an ideal ‘cli- interiors on days that are cold but sunny. spaces, such as the richly planted gardens ‘Oeteldonksgemintemuzejum’, the only car- ship (BDP) from London. They designed five mate of well-being’ for the residents both The north sides of the buildings speak a between buildings and the ‘winter gardens’ nival museum in the Netherlands. pairs of buildings, positioned at the water- indoors and outside. It starts with the different architectural language: here you on the north side of the blocks, protected Upon entering the city, your attention side at an angle slightly off ninety degrees. urban development itself: wind turbulence will find the entrances to the individual apart- from the wind and weather, are ideal loca- is drawn by the new ‘Paleiskwartier’ (‘Pal- It is the cutting-edge look of the buildings gusting between the individual houses has ments. However, this area is far more than tions for meeting and communication. The ace Quarter’) of the city, lying directly next that really catches the eye: like the sails of a been reduced by positioning the buildings just a stairway for the residents. Protected in balconies and terraces also provide plenty to the railway tracks in a former industrial great fleet, the metallic façades line up along at angles to one another. The buildings are an enclosed glass façade, the galleries can be of opportunity for interaction. The stunning area. In the mid-nineties, a major project the basin, further emphasised by the gabled also positioned in such a way as to prevent seen as an extension of the living area. Within look and communication-promoting atmos- was started here to provide a model for the sides partly jutting out into the water – an them overshadowing one another, so that the ‘winter garden’ atmosphere, people can phere created by the architecture give the future for new buildings in the region. The allegory that soon gave the project its name all south-facing façades capture the sun. meet for a chat or display their flowers and residents an immediate sense of identifi- master plan for the area, developed by city ‘Armada’. When describing his designs, archi- The water in the long basin, with the under- orange trees, a feature of almost every Dutch cation with their homes – no wonder that planner Shyam Khandekar from Benthuizen tect Tony McGuirk from BDP talked about ground car park for the residential blocks household. This mid-space between outside the ‘Armada’ residential development in in The Hague, mainly set out the division of ‘longhouses’ and ‘tallhouses’ along the ‘long- below it is used to pre-heat the houses in the and inside also makes a fantastic play area s’Hertogenbosch was given the ‘Best Loved the area into squares with urban blocks of water’, marking the centre and the heart of winter and to cool them in the summer. for children. The areas between the buildings Building’ award by the Society of Architects buildings surrounding them. A long, narrow the new residential quarter. Obviously the The south façades act like a climate possess similar qualities: green garden areas in the Netherlands at the start of 2004. water basin was created in the centre of look is a play on the ever- pre sent element s of shield, making optimum use of the sun and run down to the water and are a favourite this area, providing relief from the auster- wind and water in the Netherlands, chosen daylight: stainless steel panels curve out and meeting place for the Armada residents dur- ity of the master plan and marking the cen- deliberately as the main theme of the design, down from the roof over the façade, reflecting the summer months.

42 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 43 Below (left) Wide balconies Below (right) Clad in stainless Bottom Daylight streams Below (left) The flowing form of Below (right) The south façades Bottom The areas between the spring out into the sun from the steel, the south façade curves through wide openings in the the building is continued in many act like a climate shield, mak- ‘sails’ are laid out as gardens, south façades. They capture the out beyond the gabled sides, façade deep into the rooms, ren- of the architectural details: the ing optimum use of the sun and running down to the water’s sunlight, carrying it far into the enhancing their sail-like look. dering the use of artificial light emergency exit stairs wind up daylight. Sunlight reflects off edge. These semi-public spaces interior and bathing the rooms in The façades of the lower ‘long- almost obsolete. The sun can from the ground like the threads the stainless steel panels, light- provide the Armada residents natural light. The balconies are houses’ are clad in horizontal also be put to efficient use to of a screw; even the streetlights ing up the north side of the with a leisure area they can also a favourite place for commu- cedarwood panels, while the heat the interiors. follow the curve of the façade. neighbouring block. The light enjoy together. nication amongst the residents. high ‘tallhouses’ are brick-faced pours into the building interiors on the gabled sides. through the cut-out holes in the ‘sail’, which are fitted with various types of window. DRAWING BY AND COPYRIGHT OF © BUILDING DESIGN PARTNERSHIP

44 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 45 Below (clockwise from lower left): Roof window (horizontal section), roof window (vertical section), facade section, floor/facade detail.

Opposite The evening light is reflected not only in the convex stainless-steel façades of the residential buildings but also in the water of the artificial basin. DRAWING BY AND COPYRIGHT OF © DE BONTH HULTEN VAN B.V.

46 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 VELUX PANORAMA Architecture with VELUX 1. From the exterior, the pano- 2. Towards the valley, the living 3. A staircase located in the 4. The façade of the house con- from all over the world. rama window of the living area room façade consists completely middle of the building provides sists of vertical wood siding with seems like a supersized picture of glass, providing the inhabit- access to the living floors, organ- dark varnish in three different frame, catching the far view ants with a panorama view of ized as split-levels. At the top widths. These were assembled into the landscape. But the inte- the landscape of Graubünden. of the staircase, a roof window into elements and especially pro- rior also becomes a “picture” for opens the view towards the sur- vide those parts of the façade those viewing from the outside. rounding panorama of the Alps. without windows with a unique and non-conventional design.

LIGHT CATCHER HAUS WILLIMANN-LÖTSCHER IN SEVGEIN

Facts Location Sevgein, Graubünden, CH Building type Single-family residence Owner Willimann-Lötscher family Architect Bearth & Deplazes Architekten AG, Chur, CH Completion 1998

A clearing at the edge of Sevgein, a mantic valley of the Vorderrhein. It is towards the valley has a single un- but according to the exact plans of village with 220 inhabitants in the not until the observer walks around divided pane of glass, providing the the architect. Altogether, three plank Swiss canton Graubünden, became the building that its whole length be- occupiers with a breathtaking pan- widths were used, which lend struc- the site of the new home for the five- comes apparent. Each room has ex- oramic view. To keep construction ture to the outside of the building and member Willimann-Lötscher fam- actly one window, which allows the costs low, the house was built as a give the house its own unique and ily. Seen from the side of the hill, the light to enter the house at a certain wooden-frame structure made of special character. house, designed by architects Bearth angle and, in the other direction, al- prefabricated elements, in which & Deplazes, is narrow and tall like a lows a framed view of the outside the windows were already fitted. tower. Further downhill, it becomes surroundings. In the living room, the The owners attached the wooden wider, opening up to the wild and ro- whole façade window wall facing planking of the façades themselves, 3 4

Far left (clockwise from top left) North façade East façade West façade South façade

Left (top to bottom) Floor 3 Floor 2 Floor 1 Ground floor 2 3 DRAWINGS BY AND COPYRIGHT OF © BEARTH & DEPLAZES ARCHITEKTEN AG

48 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 49 1. The residence “La Cerdanya” lies in the heart of the Pyrenees, bordering the small town of Das. From here, a far view extends towards the idyllic mountain panorama.

2. A natural stone wall consti- tutes the “backbone” of the building. The loads of the slanted roof are supported here. The BUILDING WITH NATURE transition from access corri- dor to the lower level of the liv- CUBINA-MARCO HOUSE ing room is accented by the roof IN DAS, CERDANYA windows, integrated immediately below the ridge beam. Skylight detail

Facts Location Das, Cerdanya, E Building type Single-family residence Owner Cubina-Marco family Architect Carles Gelpi Arroyo, Barcelona, E Completion June 2004

Longitudinal section

Cold and snowy winters as well as “backbone”. It divides the residence shutters. The parents’ suite with bed- servants. The sports room is quite hot and dry summers are character- into a building volume oriented room, dressing room and bathroom is narrow and has direct access to the istic of the natural landscape of Das towards the south and two differ- located in the west, a guest room and swimming pool on the outside. in the Comarca Cerdanya, in the heart ently sized auxiliary tracts with a two graciously sized children’s rooms Slate and wood as choice of ma- of the Pyrenees. Bordering the town shared interior courtyard, the patio, with one bathroom each in the east. terials reflect the rough mountain with a population of 165, at an ele- in the north. Even if the areas for parents and chil- climate. All the more astonishing is vation of 1200 meters, is where the The building is accessed along- dren/guests are divided strictly, the that one finds here a very light and residence “La Cerdanya”, designed by side the wall: in the south, the “day interior courtyard adjoins both and open building. The continuous slate Architect Gelpi Arroyo, is located. zones” with a living and dining area is accessed and used by both. Thus, flooring, the light provided by the in- A slanted roof with large eaves with transparency towards the gar- all inhabitants may profit from the terior courtyard bordering the wall, is typical for this region. This way of den, kitchen and library. The two spectacular view of the mountain as well as the equally distributed building, determined by the climate, northern building volumes house panorama offered here. light from above enable a strong was also utilised for this house – next the “night zones”, where the façades, One floor below, built into the connection to the exterior. The roof- to another important element: a dry also clad in slate to a large extent, re- landscape slope, are the service areas, ing consists of slate as well. Slanted masonry wall of natural stone con- main closed, with the exception of a such as garage, heating and storage towards the exterior, it is visible as Cross-section stitutes the visual and functional few ceiling-high openings with wood as well as the apartment of the house a slim edge from the patio.

50 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 51 BLACK AND SLENDER 1. Vertically applied siding consisting BLACK HOUSE of corrugated cement-based fibreboard underscores the slimness of the build- IN PRICKWILLOW ing. The horizontals are highlighted by the mullion covering the butt joints of the fibreboard panels. Facts Location Kingdon Ave., Prickwillow, 2. Alltogether, six roof windows – Cambridgeshire, GB three in each roof surface – provide the Building type Single-family residence rooms in the upper level with daylight. Architect Mole Architects, Prickwillow, GB Intensely patterned wall covering, an Completion 2003 exception in the house, provides visual coherence of the staircase.

3. The Black Housestands out from the rest of the village. However, the architecture of the building is nevertheless inspried by regional examples, most notably the country barns of the Cam- bridgeshire Fens.

Roof window detail 12 The region of Ely in the English County roof windows, which adapt to the of Cambridgeshire north of London dark building exterior. The building is characterised by the drained moor interiors present themselves as unex- landscape of the “Cambridgeshire pectedly light, illuminated with nat- Fens” and many old country barns ural light in abundance through the with dark cement-based fiber board windows, arranged according to the exteriors, which all seem as if a giant movement of the sun and the view of had rolled the dice on a flat surface. the exterior. A central core consist- Their exterior has been adapted by ing of kitchen, bathrooms and stair- architect Meredith Bowles for his de- ca se is surrounded by living room and sign of the “Black House” in Prickwil- bedrooms as well as Meredith Bow- low: the entire façade and the roof les’ architectural office “Mole Archi- are clad in black corrugated cement- tects”. Colour accentuations in green based fibreboard siding. The verti- and pink continue the ideas present in cally applied siding makes the slender the façade into the interior. The build- proportions of the house seem yet ing, having received the RIBA Award more slender and tall, emphasised 2004, among other awards, consists by the fact that the house is built on to a large part of recyclable materials stilts. The dominant colour black of and is equipped with a heat exchange the façade is interrupted by windows unit, using the warm air vented from and doors in varying sizes, the col- the interiors to pre-heat the fresh air ours of which provide a playful ac- intake and hot water. centuation. Only exceptions are the

52 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 53 HOUSES BY THE VILLAGE GREEN NY MOESGÅRD IN SKÅDE

Facts 1. The buildings with their pale yellow stucco Location Skåde, Århus, DK exterior are arranged to follow the steep Building type Townhouses slope. Between the three rows of houses, Owner Tryg-Baltica Ejendomme grass covered areas create the green centre Architect C. F. Møller of the residential development. Completion 1999 2. The houses appear as to have been cut from a single slab. The gutters are hidden and all windows are flush with the stucco façade.

The houses of the residential devel- school had reached its capacity. The opment Ny Moesgård in Skåde follow architecture derived benefit from the steep slope in three rows. They this: the building interiors are ample, are arranged in a way that allows al- lofty and light, double-storey interi- most all of them to enjoy the view to- ors are frequent. wards the surrounding forest and the The masonry buildings with pale not-too-distant sea. At the bottom yellow stucco exterior are unusu- of the slope, a small meadow, which ally deep at 12 metres and separate has been left in its natural condition, themselves distinctly from the sur- 3&(*45&3 has become the “village green” as a rounding forest and meadow land- shared free space for all the houses scape. The window frames and doors #&'03& of the development. The manifold of the buildings are made of dark '&# shape of the development with its wood and contrast with the light many level changes is continued into coloured façades; the zinc roofing re- 8887&-69$0." the interiors of the houses: from sin- flects the sunlight. Prominent “light gle -storey to four-storey, ever y thing chimneys” take over the position of is present in Ny Moesgård. However, the chimneys of traditional iconogra- even the largest houses with 124 phy. They are located directly above square metres area do not have more the roof ridge and introduce day- than three rooms. The reason was light into the open, central staircase. a regulation by the local authorities Openings in the interior walls literally with the intent to avoid the settling direct the light into the most remote of families with many children, due corners of the houses. to the fact that the local elementary

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1 2 '03456%&/540'"3$)*5&$563& PHOTOS BY TORBEN ESKEROD TORBEN BY PHOTOS

8887&-69$0." 54 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01

V6124_IVA_ad_210x285.indd 1 12-10-2005 13:38:10 VELUX DIALOGUE Architectects in a dialogue with VELUX. LOOKING FOR A PLACE WHERE OTHERS CAN SEE YOU? WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM? AND WHERE YOU CAN SHARE IDEAS, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHER ARCHITECT STUDENTS LIKE YOU ALL OVER THE WORLD?

architectstudent.net Left Claes Cho Heske Ekornås CLAES CHO won the International VELUX Award 2004 for his final-year design, a museum for the Korean HESKE EKORNÅS artist Nam June Paik. Besides architecture, his interests are Winner of International VELUX Award 2004 photography, film and art, phi- for Students of Architecture losophy and technology.

less of grades, there was about a 3-year design. On the surface my works are often waiting list to apply for a masters in psy- referred to as being slightly ’crazy and wild’. BE SEEN ! chology that gave you a license to practice. If that is the case, it is just a product of my I ended up with a bachelor’s degree in cul- ‘own’ academic approach. My concepts have tural and science studies. gone through a systematic and methodical ARCHITECTSTUDENT.NET IS AN ONLINE analysis, and are linked with both visually CAMPUS WHERE YOU CAN PUBLISH YOUR D&A What made you choose to study archi- graphical and physical models. PORTFOLIOS, GET INSPIRATION FROM tecture in the end? OTHERS, FIND OUT ABOUT UPCOMING D&A What is your opinion about recent CCHE Throughout my childhood I always Norwegian architecture? Is there a lot of EVENTS, OR EXCHANGE NEWS AND VIEWS liked to draw, paint and build things. In exchange with other countries? IN THE DIALOGUE FORUM. between my high school years I went to the USA as an exchange student where CCHE Compared to Denmark, Finland and THE NEW VERSION IS NOW ONLINE. AND IT’S I got total freedom in the art class. The Sweden we have a lot of catching up to do STILL EVOLVING WITH A NUMBER OF NEW thought of working within a creative pro- within the architectural field. They have a fession came to mind again, and by chance history to refer to, and present, while we AND EXCITING FEATURES ON THE DRAWING I picked up an application for the architec- in Norway only have 1000 year-old stave BOARD! ture school in Oslo right before the deadline. churches (which I do like) to refer to. I actually finished the work I had to submit Only in the last few years have the words GO THERE NOW AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT D&A Before you started at the Oslo School at the post office… design and architecture become public work of Architecture, you studied astronomy, and something which is on the agenda in A GLOBAL ARCHITECT STUDENT COMMUNITY math, chemistry, psychology and social sci- D&A Do you feel that your multidisciplinar y Norway. If one could name a common fac- WITH MORE THAN 10,000 UNIQUE VISITORS ence for four years. This is quite a broad background gives you a specific approach tor, I would say that elements such as light EVERY MONTH. JOIN THEM AND HELP BUILD A academic background. What were your towards architecture? and weather and a close adherence to nature UNIQUE SITE DEDICATED TO YOU AND OTHERS interests in all these subjects? have a strong influence on the architecture. CCHE I have drawn many lines from my uni- We have been restricted to small windows LIKE YOU! CCHE I have always been interested in sci- versity studies to my studies of architecture, and thick walls and tilted roofs due to cli- ence and biology and wanted to continue especially many elements from my social mate and tradition. studying these at university. Before being studies. Within every field of specialisation But we are up and coming. Technology allowed to study biology it was necessary there is a danger of becoming narrow and and exposure to the international scene has to take 1.5 years of pre-courses. Therefore single-minded. It’s important to be open to carved a way for new possibilities, demon- I changed institute and started to study other fields outside of your specialisation in strating that not everything has to look like social courses like psychology and social order to put things into perspective. a wooden hut. Right now there is a record in science. I might have become a shrink had My approach to architecture has been building activity in Norway. Larger projects it not been for yet another obstacle in my case-related, trying to understand and also have a new-found international inter- path to academic ‘enlightenment’: regard- decipher the programme of each building I est, such as the new opera to be built by

Sponsored by D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 57 Snøhetta architects. Renowned foreign cross style borders and social perceptions D&A What fascinates you most besides art are not many awards for students and young architects are participating in the compe- are those that I find interesting. Instead of and architecture? architects that deal with conceptual “school” tition for projects in Norway. For example, being content with doing the safe thing, you projects in this way. OMA, together with Space Group, won the should at least try to test things out and be CCHE Besides being a techno and science design for a new district at the harbour in visionary in order to meet the social devel- freak, I have a fascination with movies and D&A What are your plans in the near future – Oslo, and next to it Renzo Piano is going to opment in societ y. By that I don’ t nece s s arily animated films. If I had more free time I both from a personal and professional point build a museum in collaboration with the refer to social building. Programmes should would spend it on photography and draw- of view? Danish Louisiana Art Foundation. sometimes be challenged. As architects we ing/painting. In the future I would also like to must hope that we can in some way contrib - do something within furniture design. CCHE I have now started working for Jar- D&A What effects does all this have on the ute and be part of social development, and mund/Vigsnæs Architects (www.jva.no). In labour market for young architects in Norway? not be lagging behind it. D&A Your birth parents are from Korea. Do Norway at least they have a reputation for you still have personal links to the country? being a ’breath of fresh air’ on the architec- CCHE Fortunately I had a job to go to after D&A For the international VELUX Award, tural scene. So far, I have been given engaging finishing my diploma, but that was not the you designed a museum for the famous CCHE At 4 years old I got adopted by my tasks and feel I will learn a lot from this prac- case for many others at the time. Nowa- Korean artist Nam June Paik. Were there Norwegian parents. Apart from visiting tice. For the time being, I am quite happy to Opposite Landscape – Lightscape: the days, only 1.5 years later, it is easier to get any links to the ’real’ competition for the Korea together with my parents in 1998 have the opportunity to work here, as there museum is completely integrated into the hilly terraced environment. Claes Cho Heske employment. Nam June Paik Museum which was held I don’t feel particularly attached to Korea. will be many interesting projects coming Ekornås sees the light penetrating to the about one and a half years ago? What fascinated me was that much of the from this company. They are the only com- outside through the façade as a built-up D&A Have you ever studied abroad? If so, old architecture was comparable with old pany from Norway represented at the Archi- landscape, landscape as built-up light. did you feel that there is a different approach CCHE Parts of my work for the international Norwegian handcraft architecture. Both tectural Biennale in Argentina. Above In the preliminary drafts, Claes Cho to architecture in your host country? VELUX Award were actually taken from the countries have a strong tradition of adher- In the future I would want to have my Heske Ekornås delved into the design aspects diploma I did six months earlier. That’s why I ing closely to nature and this is reflected in own practice with some fellow partners. of borders, structure, fading and duality. CCHE I had intentions to study architecture didn’t give winning the award much thought, the architecture. Maybe work abroad? It is hard for me to abroad, but it never came to be. I think we since it was originally not designed for the even predict one year ahead, and therefore Below With numerous free-hand sketches, Claes Cho Heske Ekornås defined the muse- are privileged at AHO (Oslo School of Archi- competition. D&A What did winning the International it is only possible to follow one criteria, and um’s setting in the hilly landscape. tecture and Design), compared to foreign VELUX Award mean to you? that is to enjoy what I do. If ‘enjoy’ means schools. In some courses there are up to four D&A In the project you establish a multi- 24-hour working days or working in Siberia teachers for a class of 30 students. disciplinary fusion between art, architec- CCHE For this competition, I sent in an edit- then so be it, I’m open-minded to whatever My impression of some of the foreign ture and the human being. Have you already ed version of my diploma project. I was quite the future brings! schools is that they are probably more tech- worked on a real project together with art- surprised to receive a phone call from Mr. nical and pragmatic in their approach. While ists or scientists? What experience do you Glenn Murcutt, the jury leader, who told me some of the foreign exchange students in expect from this collaboration? that I had been awarded first prize. To be my class had a ‘finished’ project after two given this award has really boosted my self- weeks, some of us were still dwelling at the CCHE I haven’t had the opportunity to do confidence, in view of the number of partici- concept stage. so yet, but I would like to do more work pants, and the outstanding selection of jury with video and films, since it is a media members. It also confirms that what I have D&A Which architects do you favour? that is related in many ways to architec- been working on throughout my studies is ture, e.g. perceptions, light, staging etc. For valid beyond the local setting. Aside from CCHE I respect architects that don’t my diploma I had some discussion with my winning this award, I would like to empha- approach the project programme from aunt Marianne Heske, who is also an artist sise the seriousness of the VELUX competi- the given face value. The ones that try to and knew Nam June Paik personally. tion and the work the jury put into it. There

58 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 59 masters in the art of lending grandeur always been there.” The building’s pleasantly human despite the build- hall, with each of them containing a create a cross. “New Spiritual Archi- PROCEED AND The photographs by Timothy Hursley even to buildings of modest dimen- relative modesty (despite its exqui- ing’s official function. One or the other “diagram” (in Eisenman’s terminology tecture” not only documents the ver- BE BOLD document the students’ (sometimes BOOKS sions. But this volume, surprisingly site details) is also a reaction to the building detail remains without ex- a kind of spatial conceptual sketch) satile use of light with large-format excessive) wealth of ideas, which is handy despite its 190 pages, does still precarious social situation in the planation, but that only makes the en- of one of his buildings. His buildings photos, it also records the changing The Rural Studio after expressed in house walls from carpet REVIEWS m o re than d o cum e n t to p - cla s s archi - country: a palace, even a water ba- vironment of this architecture stand also form the focus of the catalogue, paradigms of spiritual culture. “Reli- Samuel Mockbee tiles or tyres filled with concrete. It is For further reading: tecture. Alongside Christian Richters’ sin in the garden initially suggested out even clearer. The publishers have which with its layout perfectly region is currently being redesigned”, hard to imagine a stronger contrast Recent books architectural pictures, photographs by Claus en Kaan (which could have even included a ten-page architec- flects Eisenman’s architecture: black- as expressed by the American Wall- Andrea Oppenheimer Dean, with between the European architectur- by Maarten Laupmann and Vincent been regarded as a waste of the val- tural city guide of Maputo at the end and-white, abstract, diagrammatic paper* magazine. Especially in west- photographs by Timothy Hursley al education, which is sometimes out presented by D&A. Panhuyzen provide a haunting record uable resource drinking water) was of the book. and additionally (with a format of ern countries traditional confessions Princeton Architectural Press of touch with practice, and the sym- of life on the streets of what is still a out of the question. 24 x 32 centimetres) extremely bulky. are replaced by new religious sects, 2005 biotic co-operation of teachers, stu- poverty-stricken metropolis with its The architects themselves de- The presented mixture includes the- or they open themselves up towards ISBN 1-56898-500-2 dents and the local society, which 1.24 million population: footprints in scribe the learning process, which is oretical papers by Eisenman, de- new liturgies and new forms of build- has taken shape in the work of the damp concrete, wall paintings with inherent to building in a foreign con- PETER EISENMAN scription of realised and imaginary ings. In her book Phyllis Richardson In 1992 Samuel Mockbee founded Rural Studio. It also becomes appar- advertisements for washing agents, text, in the subsequent essay. They projects as well as appraisals by crit- documents the new plurality of be- an institution in remote South Ala- ent, how far building in times of ar- street markets, beach scenes, and experienced the planning and con- Barefoot on white-hot walls ics. The book is primarily addressed liefs with 41 churches, synagogues, bama, which became renowned: crit- chitectural pride and joy has depart- again and again post-war-modern struction of the embassy as a six- to an insider circle of Eisenman-ex- mosques, and temples from all over ics have already compared the “Ru- ed from its original objectives: to give CLAUS EN KAAN concrete architecture. Maputo has year adventure, which started with Peter Noever (editor) perts and friends of profound theory. the world. Her selection is divided ral Studio” with Frank Lloyd Wright’s shelter to people. However, so the au- ARCHITECTEN a scarce but modern architectural the decision by the Dutch Ministry of Hatje Cantz 2004 It is normal that more questions are into five chapters according to size, Taliesin West. But Mockbee’s insti- thor concludes, in the meantime a heritage, which is presented by the Foreign Affairs to build five new em- ISBN 3-7757-1561-4 raised than answered. Peter Noever location and demand of the houses tution is different, more social: the change is noticeable in the planning The Royal Netherlands Embassy Portuguese architect José Forjaz at bassies in Africa, included more than shall be recited one last time in this of God: “New Traditions”, “Interven- students of the Rural Studio do not culture of the Rural Studio: the build- in Mozambique the beginning of the book. He traces 25 visits to Maputo and finally end- He is a “master of hesitation, a virtu- respect: “Whoever proffers Eisen- tions”, “Places of Refuge”, “Sublime only plan residential and community ings are adjusted to the mainstream, the history of a rapid rise, an equal- ed with the official opening in May oso in indecision and a magician who man cheap applause, naive approval Icons”, and “Modest Splendour”. This buildings for the poor, primarily col- are less improvised and principally NAi Publishers 2005 ly fast decline and a rebirth: in 1887 2005. The different building cultures keeps things in suspense”, writes or even an invitation to build in this is comprehensible, but rather mea- oured residents of the Hale Coun- larger. The latest example is a centre ISBN 90-5662-420-2 Maputo became a city and in 1898 in The Netherlands and Mozambique the director of the Viennese Muse- city has missed the point and severe- gre: in the endeavour to trace lat- ty, they also construct these hous- for the aged for more than one hun- the capital of the Portuguese colony became apparent in building toler- um for Applied Arts, Peter Noever, ly misunderstood the project.” est tendencies in spiritual architec- es themselves and raise funds. Over dred inhabitants, which was com- This book about the new Netherlands of Mozambique, which gained its in- ances sometimes measured in cen- on Peter Eisenman at the beginning ture, the author has limited herself the last 13 years they have repeat- pleted by the Rural Studio in Akron. Embassy in Mozambique’s capital dependence in 1975. This was when timetres and the surface finishing of the book “Barefoot on white-hot almost completely to architectural edly proved that it is possible to con- How will the development continue? Maputo is one of the few publica- the decay of architecture started: made by hand. walls”. The American, to whom the phenomena and seldom refers to re- struct functional and aesthetical- Stephen Freear doesn’t know the an- tions on architecture in which both el- ten years later only six architects Rob Gaunt of the South-African MAK, early in 2005, dedicated an ex- NEUE SAKRALE ligious contents. Depictions of his- ly appealing residential buildings swer. Not even Samuel Mockbee has ements coincide: a team of architects worked in the whole country. A re- partner practice EQF responsible for hibition and the catalogue reviewed ARCHITEKTUR torical models, which every design with 35,000 or 30,000, and some- ever had a “master plan” for the Ru- which has mastered the art of using vival began after the collapse of so- the realisation, and Jan Willem Smit, here, is in the centre of attention at for a religious building has to exam- times only 5,000 dollars. “Proceed ral Studio, he says. It is almost to be daylight and a photographer with cialism, when the first architectur- project manager of the Ministry of a time when other masterminds of ine, are restricted to individual cases. and be bold” documents the Studio’s hoped that despite this book and sev- the skill to produce a fitting pictori- al faculties were founded. Presently Foreign Affairs, picked up the nar- architecture increasingly turn to- Phyllis Richardson The historical models listed by the au- last four years since the death of its eral exhibitions lately presenting the al record of this ar tistic achievement. Mozambique is culturally (and ar- rative thread in their contributions. wards building and away from the- Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt 2004 thor in the introduction only go as far founder “Sambo” Mockbee. The only work of the Rural Studio, the public Christian Richters’ large-format pho- chitecturally) strongly dependent Smit writes about the first encounter orisation. But not Eisenman: during ISBN 3–421–03494–X back as Le Corbusier’s chapel “Notre- weak point of the book is the rath- interest keeps within bounds so that tos present the architecture of the on South Africa. of clients, architects and building site the 2004 Architecture Biennale in English: Dame-du-Haut” in Ronchamp (1955). er abrupt introduction: readers not this unique institution can peacefully Embassy in all its changing moods of Not earlier than on page 85 the as well as the approval procedure, (“a Venice he was awarded the Golden New Spiritual Architecture As a pure collection of projects “New aware of the Rural Studio and skip- continue to pursue its work. light: the glass façade giving onto the book approaches the embassy itself. sort of shop that sold building per- Lion for his life’s work, and probably, Abbeville Press 2004 Spiritual Architecture” is quite ac- ping the front blurb have difficul- street is set back behind the portico In a plain but knowledgeable man- mits as well as goods”). The reader that can be assumed, rather for his ISBN 0789208350) ceptable: the book illustrates excel- ties keeping up with the narrative to entice dazzle-free Southerly light ner Hans Ibelings explains the archi- learns astonishing and sometimes theory than his realised work. Possi- lent architecture and stimulates to speed. The book somehow clings to (we are in the Southern hemisphere, tecture of the embassy and its mani- amusing details of the daily building bly the last real deconstructivist “re- Daylight has always had a special role reflect on the theme “spirituality”. the openness of the people in Ameri- after all) deep into the office rooms, fold relations to the surroundings, a routine in a developing country; for moves space from its usual fictionali- to play in spiritual architecture: large- A second survey with a comparable ca’s South: without further ado And- the northerly façade with its multi- decaying villa district. Whilst Ibel- example the putative timber supplier sation and purpose in order to rethink ly divorced from functional necessity, worldwide and inter-confessional rea Oppenheimer Dean comes to the tude of vertical light slits create a ings often ascribes a “clichéd exot- who prided himself on being able to it without being able to reinvent it”, the hands of the architect turn light horizon is presently not available. present, the background story is ini- stark but playful contrast in the en- icism, an overly dutiful adjustment supply enormous amounts of tropical writes Noever in the introduction to into a means of lending significance tially of little interest. Repeatedly the trance hall, and the roof lights are dis- or, controversially, a lack of empa- wood and, when asked to show the the catalogue. Or in short: he places and effect to room design. An un- author lets the persons concerned tributed around the building to sup- thy to buildings in foreign countries customer his warehouse, pointed to- opinion above form. forgettable example is the “Church speak: Mockbee’s successor Andrew ply even the ancillary rooms with a (from the perspective of the archi- wards the jungle behind his hut. For the Viennese exhibition Ei- of Light” in Osaka, Japan, in whose Freear, the tutors, the students and generous helping of natural light. tect), he succinctly finds the opposite Anecdotes like these character- senman realised a field from 30 white altar wall architect Tadao Ando in- their clients, to whom they often de- Felix Claus and Kees Kaan are for the embassy: “It looks as if it has ise the book’s narrative style, which is cubes inside the museum’s exhibition scribed two light slits which join to velop intense personal relationships.

60 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 61 1 Paul de Ruiter 2 RCR ARQUITECTES Event Cities 3 L’architecture moderne 2 RCR Arquitectes RECOMMENDS Concept vs. Context vs. Content depuis 1900 BOOKS 3 Peter Ippolito Bernard Tschumi William J.R. Curtis The MIT Press 2005 Phaidon Publishers 2004 RECOMMENDATIONS ISBN 0262701103 ISBN 0714894184 European architects recommend El Croquis 123: Toyo Ito English: their favourite books in D&A. 2001/2005 Modern Architecture since 1900 El Croquis Publishers 2005 Phaidon Publishers 1996 1 Once again, the work of Japanese ar- Bernard Tschumi, the Swiss-born ar- One of the most significant works chitect Toyo Ito is the main subject chitect and author who has adopted on 20th century architecture is now of an edition of Spanish magazine El New York as his home, has published available in French. Richly packed Croquis. The focus this time is on his three books over the last five years, with 650 illustrations, the book not projects over the last five years, in- combining the presentation of his only looks at the modern protago- cluding the Sendai Mediatheque, the projects with discussions of architec- nists, such as Wright, Mies and Le Matsumoto Performing Arts Center tural theory. ‘Event Cities 3’ focuses Corbusier, but also traces their roots and the two pavilions that Ito con- on the triangulation of architectural right back to the 18th century. Spe- structed in Bruges and in the grounds concept, context and content, with cial emphasis is placed on ‘sub-loca- of the London Serpentine Gallery in the author concluding that a balance tions’ of modern architecture, such as London in 2002. between the three is not always nec- India, Brazil or Mexico, with the his- 23 essary. Projects documented include tory of ideas and ideals as expressed the new Acropolis Museum in Ath- through architecture also forming a ens (under construction), further crucial part of this classic. museum projects in Sao Paulo, New York and Antwerp, a campus athletic centre in Cincinnati and a speculative urban project in Beijing.

1 PAUL DE RUITER Superstudio Metamorph Content 3 PETER IPPOLITO Das Denken des Leibes und der The Wirtz Gardens The Terragni Atlas RECOMMENDS Life Without Objects K.W. Forster (Editor) Rem Koolhaas RECOMMENDS architektonische Raum Jacques Wirtz, Patrick Taylor, Daniel Libeskind, Attilio Terragni & Peter Lang, William Menking Rizzoli International Publications Taschen Verlag 2004 (Reflections on the Body and Marco Antonio Valdivia Paolo Rosselli Skira 2003 2004 ISBN 3-8228-30790-4 Architectural Space) Exhibitions International 2004 Skira 2005 Olafur Eliasson ISBN 88-8491-569-4 ISBN 0847826651 (3 Volumes) Xtreme Interiors Wolfgang Meisenheimer ISBN 90-7670-436-8 ISBN 8884917328 Madeleine Grynsztejn et al. Courtenay Smith, Annette Ferrara Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter Phaidon Press 2002 Prestel Verlag 2003 König 2004 ISBN 071484036X ISBN 3-7913-2970-7 ISBN 3-88375-841-8

The sculptor, installation artist and This ‘first great monograph’ (accord- The central theme of last year’s Ar- It’s cheap (only 9.99 in Europe), looks In 2002, the Prestel Verlag published Wolfgang Meisenheimer has follow- In 1950, Jacques Wirtz founded a Giuseppe Terragni (1904-1943) was photographer Olafur Eliasson is one ing to the publishers) on the Italian chitecture Biennale in Venice was like a store catalogue and is stuffed ‘Xtreme Houses’ – an anthology of ed the changing relation between landscape architecture firm in Scho - a pioneer in the Italian Rationalist of the stars of the contemporary art group of architects in Florence in ‘Metamorph’ – a concept used by full of facts and contentious visions exciting architectural experimenta- human perception and the urban ten, Belgium. Wirtz International has movement, producing some of Ita- scene. With his penchant for using in- 1966 appeared at the exhibition of Swiss architectural historian and cu- of the future: with his follow-up to tion, displaying the most radical and environment for 30 years. In this since developed into a thriving com- ly’s most significant 20th century dustrial materials such as steel and the same name in 2003, with the rator of the Biennale, Kurt W. For- ‘S.M.L.XL’ and ‘Shopping’, Rem Kool- unusual domestic architecture of the new book, he presents diverse an- pany, planning gardens in Europe, buildings. Celebrating the centenary plate glass, his works are perceptual two authors as curators. It combines ster, to examine the transformation haas has turned his attention to a present day and achieving high sales thropological expressions of archi- Japan and the USA. The empha- of his birth, Daniel Libeskind, Paolo representations of natural phenom- more than 200 projects and images of architectural forms in contem- wider audience than ever before, volumes due to its diversion away tecture and their ethical dimensions. sis is placed on harmonisation with Rosselli and Attilio Terragni present ena: the world will long remember produced by Superstudio in the 60s porary architecture. The three-vol- going way beyond mere architecture. from the architectural mainstream. This attractive little book is not an the surrounding architecture, be it a the architecture of Terragni through his installation ‘Weather Project’ and 70s, as well as design objects ume catalogue, published by Rizzoli Koolhaas and his co-authors take the This is the follow-up - ‘Xtreme Inte- easy read, but it provides the reader university campus, business park or the juxtaposition of archival images at the Tate Gallery in London. This and the polemic statements that in New York, documents not only reader on an encyclopaedic world riors’ – showcasing 40 interior de- with great food for thought upon re- the grounds of a museum. This lux- and contemporary photographs. The book begins and ends in Eliasson’s Superstudio published in the form the main show ‘Metamorph’ with journey from West to East. The fu- sign projects that follow similarly peated reading. urious two-volume set presents 57 book takes the reader on a journey own words: in a 30-page interview, of storyboards. The unforgettable its 200 buildings and projects, but ture of the Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr Basin) extraordinary principles. It’s not just private and public gardens, most of in time and space through Terragni’s he discusses the characteristic traits landscape visions of the group, with also the various country pavilions in Germany, a possible future Euro- a question of architects’ drafts; the them never before seen in publica- achievements. Daniel Libeskind’s of his art with Daniel Birnbaum while grid groundplanes stretching to in- and numerous other special shows pean flag and the evolution of ter- scope of the book ranges from DIY to tion. An essay by Patrick Taylor in- essay highlights the greatest of Ter- in the open letter ‘Dear Everybody’, finity, are naturally a significant part such as ‘Morphing Lights, Floating ror – all are laid out in random style installation art, with projects includ- troduces the reader to the world of ragni’s works, such as the ‘Casa del he addresses the visitors moving of this book. Shadows’ (on architectural photog- like a collage. ‘Content’ can scarcely ing a house in the slums of South Af- the landscape architect. Fascio’ and the ‘Novocomum’, and il- through his installation ‘The medi- raphy) or ‘Città d’Acqua’ (Cities on be considered a book in the classical rica, a NASA space capsule, the first lustrates how current Terragni re- ated motion’, displayed in 2001 at the Water). The book offers a compact, sense; it is more similar to a maga- Big Brother house in Hilversum in the mains in the world of contemporary Kunsthaus Bregenz. This volume is comprehensive overview of current zine or reference book. Netherlands and the villa belonging architectural debate. rounded off with an in-depth analysis world architecture. to an American security expert, of his works by Madeleine Grynsztejn which almost resembles a high-se- and an extract from the writings of curity prison. the philosopher Henri Bergson.

62 D&A AUTUMN 2005 ISSUE 01 63 DAYLIGHT & ARCHITECTURE ISSUE 02 WINTER 2006

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