brancolina :: la philharmonie in luxembourg

©brancolina

A selection of my photos from the series ‘La Philharmonie’ in Luxembourg, designed by Christian de Portzamparc. More info: chdeportzamparc.com

“Die mit der Musik verbundene Emotion liegt in der Entdeckung einer anderen Welt, die sich in die Dauer hinein erstreckt, und dem allmählichen Vordringen in diese Welt. Ich begreife den Raum auch als Erscheinung, die sich über die Dauer unserer Bewegung mit ihren Erwartungen, Überraschungen und Verkettungen hinweg erfahren lässt. Ton und Licht füllen und enthüllen diese wunderbare Leere, die sich zwischen den massiven baulichen Formen auftut, Raum und Musik enthüllen sich gegenseitig.” Christian de Portzamparc

Shawn Swisher :: human interaction with architecture

“There are many ways that architecture can stimulate us. We can be enthralled by theoretical concepts that intend to revolutionize how we interact with our buildings. We can be overcome by the metaphors underlying a project’s design. And, at times, we are able to separate ourselves from these more cerebral desires and draw intrigue based solely on our reactions to space and form. Personally, I’m interested in this last type. Reactions are what tie us back to our purely human instincts, to the universal senses which connect us all. Responding to space and material in an almost reptilian way, we absorb our surroundings from the beginning of our existence, internalizing our sensibility. Our past experiences shape our perception and, in turn, each new experience reshapes the next. Hence, it is that which makes us most human that ties us so intimately to architecture. Perhaps that’s what I’m most interested in – what makes us human.

Our perception defines our reality, and within our perceptions of space we’ve developed this idea of atmosphere. Though even the word itself seems mysterious and ephemeral, I believe it exists as much as anything else exists. Atmosphere is something felt, not thought, something taken in through emotional sensibility. It’s not always something we can define through words alone; rather it’s something that must be absorbed through the experience of the human body existing within it. Undoubtedly, this kind of perceptive ability has come through evolution – the ability to quickly interpret our surroundings and determine if it is hospitable or hazardous. In this way, our body is an instrument for measuring a specific architectural quality that no other device can determine.

What is atmosphere in this sense though? If I were to put it into words, I would say it’s the impression created by nothing more than our immediate, personal mental reaction to a specific space. To paraphrase Peter Zumthor it’s when the physical presence of architecture manages to move us.”

Introduction from Shawn Swisher’s text ‘What makes us human – Reactions to the Shelters for Roman Archaeological Site‘, read more

PlusOne :: Amsterdam Osdorp

The city district Amsterdam Osdorp recently merged with Slotervaart and Geuzenveld-Slotermeer and was given the name Amsterdam Nieuw-West. This change also meant the end of 20 years of restructuring urbanized areas. To celebrate everything achieved, a book was published. The Metamorphosis of Osdorp gives an overview of the architectural highlights. PlusOne was asked to create an intriguing video. This short slick entertaining animation combines live-action with digital media, illustrating the architectural highlights of the restructured urbanized areas of Slotervaart and Geuzenveld-Slotermeer.

PlusOneAmsterdam.com

StudioDror :: Quadror structural system

Quadror is a unique space truss geometry invented by Dror Benshetrit, that produces structural efficiency and introduces an array of creative initiatives. Seems rigid but on the contrary, this space truss geometry is extremely flexible in the types of uses that it applies to, and it has yet to reach its full extension to different applications. This joint, when solitary, can be used as a simple support to a side table but when multiplied it becomes a structural framework for homes, an acoustical skin on a highway and a extraordinary solution to disaster shelter and informal urban housing. It is time to use design to solve the challenges we face. Studio Dror is a great example of on how design can not only inspire change but actually implement it.

Our goal is to inspire change. Working with creative and innovative experts from various fields, we aim to share and implement this geometry in urban design, architecture, philanthropic work, and public art. When realizing that the system could potentially bring a groundbreaking solution to the global issue of habitat, we were eager to complete our experimentations and share this discovery with the world.

www.studiodror.com
www.quadror.com








All Images are courtesy of Studio Dror.

brancolina :: laban reflections

 
Repetitive reflections on the windows of the Laban center for contemporary dance in Deptford (London, UK) designed by Herzog and De Meuron.
 
 

13:15:45

 
 

13:18:12

 
 

13:25:04

 
 

13:19:55

photography ©brancolina2010

Kotaro Ide :: the shell house

The Shell House is a shell shaped concrete structure designed by the Japanese architect Kotaro Ide from the ARTechnic Architects. It is located in the forest of Karuizawa in Kitasaku, Nagano district (Japan) and has a function of a vacation home.

photography © Nacasa & Partners Inc.

ANDREAS ANGELIDAKIS :: Hotel Blue Wave

brian barber :: formation of space

Space is open-ended, never existing on its own but only in relation to other elements. Defining space as a contained specific volume is difficult as it continuously flows through a building relative to the observer’s movements.

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Spaces are in a constant state of flux. The idealistic vision of the architect is in tension ‘with the exotic circus of real life’. The architect’s control over a design is terminated once it enters into the reality of the city, because spaces are never in isolation, but exist in relation to each other. Experiences of one space flow into the next. Edmund Bacon in one of his first essays ‘Awareness of Space as Experience‘ illustrates that ‘there is an intellectual parallel of deepening perception, which is based on becoming connected with larger and larger systems.’

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Finding it difficult to confine a space let us explore what contributions alter its perception. Space is informed by enclosure, light, approach, scale, time and position. Altering just one of these conditions transforms the observer’s dialogue with reality. Rafael Moneo said in ‘An intense life and consummate work’: ‘Any construction that has been able to survive the passage of time is by definition an ongoing transformation’

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Irrespective of the procession of time and centuries or a fleeting moment, how a space is perceived changes due to uncontrollable external factors conducted by the nature. The concept model begins to explore this theme. The space inside the model is constant, however its perception differs each time it is viewed. Each window into the space has a different scale, the light changes, the window size is different, as every space can be described in a series of different ways.

Edits from Brian Barber’s post to Space framed blog, that investigated the relationship between architecture and photography as an ongoing study at the School of Architecture UCD

Atelier Tekuto :: mineral house

The growing trend towards sophisticated individual living solutions for singles is making intelligently designed small houses and apartments one of the most interesting architectural sectors. It is no surprise that numerous successful examples of such designs come from Japan, where densely populated urban environment has since long been influencing developing of buildings on a minimum space into highly impressive architectural art.

Mineral house is a creation of the Japanese architect Yasuhiro Yamashita from Atelier Tekuto. It is an edgy, sculptural, asymmetric residential house situated near the center of Tokyo, whose lines are reminiscent of a large crystal or mineral. The building’s space covers an area of just 50m2, but despite its very modest dimensions the inner space looks surprisingly spacious thanks to the special staggering of the living levels, ceiling breakthroughs and strategically placed window openings at various angles. This house is a futuristic and elegant example of the contemporary Japanese minimalism and it is equally impressive both in its appearance and functionality. More info on tekuto2.squarespace.com

photography ©atelier tekuto

MOUNT FUJI ARCHITECTS STUDIO :: plus house

The Plus House is designed by Mount Fuji Architects Studio as a minimal modern weekend home in Shizuoka Prefecture on Japan’s island of Honshu. The building is composed with two main constructive blocks set at 90-degree angles, its name derives from the plan that appears as – an almost – a plus sign.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the deceptively simple two-level concrete structure has private rooms and a bathroom on the lower level and salon with kitchen on the upper. The water for the bathroom comes directly from a local hot spring. The exterior is clad entirely in white water-polished marble with surface texture changing gradually toward the outer tips of the blocks from rough to mirror-smooth. The interior is covered with a smoothly polished white marble, that gently reflects the blue light from the south (ocean) and green light from the west (forest). (edit from Modern design interior)

photography ©ken’ichi suzuki