DesignStudio4-Project3Part2

From Conceptual to Plans

Form, Circulation, Function, Relationship with  the site

Plan, Orientation, Interior Arrangement, Rendering

During the early conceptual design stage, the outdoor stage is located near the Prince Alfred park, where can become another gathering point in the site beside the theatre itself. However, after consideration of the use of the stage, if there is no one performing there, people wont want to just sit there and look at the concrete stage.

So, moving the stage towards the river and combining the stage with the building facade become a new and fantastic idea of the design. 

People would sit there to enjoy the view of Parramatta river as well as another art area in the lennox carpark. the stage would be just in front of the main entrance of the theatre and river would be the background. that area would become a great riverside plaza for everyone in the city who wanna take a break.

The design of the facade also encourage the natural ventilation and sunlight to the atrium, which is benefit to the energy saving.

Water is still the main theme of the design, I plan to let it be the major element in the open area as well. the roof of the atrium of the theatre is same level as the street, so that area would be developed into a public open area with water features, water fountain and waterfall for example. (Hearing)

There will be skylight on the roof to let light in the main area of atrium and the corridor of backstage. the skylight is specially designed as it is not normally glazing, but also there will be water on top of the glass. its purpose is to lower the appearance of the skylight, merge it with the open area and providing interesting shadow effect in the atrium. the water reflection would remind people the present of the river/water. (Sight)

Both large theatre and small theatre will located in a 10m high rectangular box with the carpark on west side and it connects the atrium on the east. on the lowest level, which is the same as the water level, all the 2-story rehersal room is located at the back of the atrium and connected to the backstage as well as the office for effective function. while on the east side, all the public service are there, cafe, public toilet, music store and the music library.upper level would be the entrance of both theatre with toilet and drink bar. and there is three ramps at 3 corners of the building linking it with the roof open area to enhance free circulation. 

The design inside the theatre continue the design of the exterior and modify it from contour to sound wave. Using wave shaped timber panel setting on the ceiling for acoustic purpose.

DesignStudio4-Project3Part1-Conceptual Idea

The conceptual Idea is combined with two elements, the landscape and the theme.
As the theatre is only 1200 sq m approximately, while located in such big site, the location of it is need to be carefully concerned.

Mind Map - The connection with parramatta in literal/ mental way

The Satellite - The connection with parramatta in spacial/ physical way

Sketch- The core of the whole green public area and forming a great giant green network of Parramatta. 

The similarity with the town hall square/ its potential of becoming a public space/ figure out how to achieve that

The circulation with the surrounding/ how people can access the site

After the observation in site visit and consideration of the surrounding, the building are decided to seated on the west side as to be grouped with the art centre in old King's School site. And the eastern part can be combined with the riverside walkway and developed to a great public green space for everyone in Parramatta.

A modified version of out-site circulation/Emphasize the connection with the Prince Alfred Park

Design the path based on the circulation study

elevate the path and turn it to a bridge-like structure to provide different view point to the river

The circulation within the site is also designed to be connected with the street grid system and the surroundings, trying to connect the Price Alfred park at the back side to the parramatta river and with the end is used to be an observation deck for visitors to enjoy the view of the river.
While there is another path which is wrapped the whole theatre and toward the entrance at the riverside in order to achieve the connection of the theatre and the river. Providing an experience for visitors before the music performance which is without in existed riverside theatre.

The theme of the design is Water and Sound

Water/River is important to Parramatta since it is developed. Parramatta means the head of the water, the connection of water and Parramatta city is closed and cant be separated.
While it is sad that the development of parramatta river is lacked of interaction with people, thats what I want to achieve in this project. And the site together with the surrounding will become a large park for everyone.

The poster/ using photo collage skill to represent the project idea, a place of people, music and  water

There are five senses: Sight, Hearing, Taste, Smell and Touch. Beside showing the river to the visitors, I also want them to hear the water, they can also touch and play with it. Waterfall and Water fountain will be one of the way to achieve that.


Waterfall provides sounds, it is relaxing, elegant, makes people feel comfort with its flat sound, which is perfect with the theatre. So I combine the waterfall with theatre and propose water facade to my design, a building hiding behind the waterfall.
While water fountain is relatively more powerful and fun to play with. It will be great to put in the open space side and next to the playground, for kids to have fun.

Parramatta is a mixed cultural city, there are full of contrast there but it still can achieve harmony.
And for De Stijl. this contrast is the key to perfect balance. Water in this project become the raw material to create  the contrast as well as harmony.

A successful open public space is needed to consider and satisfy different kind of people, different ages, which have different demand of  a space in their mind.

Sketches and the design process:

The bottom right is analysis of demand of different groups of people.

Experiment of different design with the concept 

from the big picture of the whole site to what is inside the theatre

using model for arrangement of the program inside the theatre

combining both of them with the WATER theme as well

Curve seems more suitable with the water facade
Idea-flood the site with water  pops up, the blue line is the contour 

Try to include the kids playing facilities and the public stage in the open space area

A development of the previous one, decide just to adjust the  river edge shape to minimise the cost and the change to the river.
The path wrapping the theatre is shorten in order to have more effective circulaiton
The arrangement inside the theatre does not work well in such shape 

The outdoor theatre is no more be outside and is packed with the other part of the theatre
Replace the irregular shape with a circle and having a straight path cutting it into two
1- better circulation approach from the church side
2- separate the administration and rehearsal studio rooms from the public area inside the theatre

A developed Site plan/ Section and some3D Sketches
Trees are used as natural noise absorption in between the theatre and the street and the kids playground 

The conceptual model of the theatre/ full of contrast by curve and straight line

DesignStudio4-Sydney Theatre Walsh Bay

I will write more about it later, actually I quite appriciate how the architect try to hide all the stuff which is not related to the performance/ theatre and highlighting those feature. But as we are doing master plan this time, it is much more about the idea and the development of the whole area, so those details may not be helpful for this project. However, the idea of this theatre which is combined with the old part of it and now it is used as the office and also studio for two artists is great and the way he used is an good example in my point of view.

DesignStudio4-Project2

It is located at  Venice Biennale and built in 1960s. It is a winning scheme of a competition.
A place away from the city core and be isolated by the trees and green elements. I believe the first impression of this place by Sverre Fehn will be the quality of nature here.

Poster A2 - Nordic Pavilion

1. Site Plan- From it, it is not hard to observe that it is located quite at the centre of the area. Arrived by ferry and walking though the main road with trees on both side, the building will be on your right side.

2. We study the project with starting at the earliest stage, site analysis and thus testing different approaches. As removal of trees is illegal in this area, possible designs could be the following three: an L-shaped building, keep the trees outside the building; A building with a central courtyard where the place for the trees; and with a lightweight roof with hole for the trunk to pass though.

-For a exhibition centre, the area is one of the major consideration, the floor area of first choice would only be 60% of the entire site. However, its shape do encourage the circulation of the whole area, letting people walk though the pavilion to other side where the US pavilion is located. 

-The second approach wrapping the trees and this would be a good connection between the nature of the artificial building itself. But with this hollow shape, the inner circulation may not be the best. As openings would be on the bottom and right side (on the plan), visitor may only visit the building with " ┘ "path and miss the other half of the exhibition.

-The third one which is the one used, letting the whole building without any columns and internal walls. This open space creates infinite possibility of exhibition setting as well as free circulation. opening two side can also encourage the number of visitors.

3. 3 circulation diagram- experiment the way of entry from each side and showing the free circulation. Also, it also indicates the difference between Nordic Pavilion and the surrounding buildings. Others are enclosures and totally separated with the site, while Nordic Pavilion is like a shelter built on the site, you cant really recognise the boundary of the exterior and interior. 

4, Section - the trunk though the roof and continue to the sky, it looks like the column of the building. I think architect also bring up a message that our life is supporting by the nature, and the relationship between is cannot be separated. 

5. Construction axonometric- the roof is simply constructed by the joist and beam, this method able easy construction without damaging the tree. joist and beam are thin concrete element which give the strength and at the same time thin grid structural roof let the sunlight goes in and become the light source of the pavilion. 

With this exposed structure and white purify appearance, the tree become the most attractive element when you study this building. And as there is also a tree at the corner of the pavilion, the beam is brunched into two direction and become a Y shaped to prevent any effect to the tree. 

6. Light analysis and roof plan-  showing how clever the structure is, it diffuses sunlight and as result only soft light can reach the exhibition area to protect the art works. with small grid pattern of the roof, light will be even and the whole roof will become the light source, the same principal can be found in kahn's building. On top of the structural elements there will be a thin plastic to cover  the whole roof to used as rain shelter.

The map of the 2000 EXPO in Hanover
The Theme of the year is Humankind, Nature and Technology

It has already be deconstructed and now the site is used as car park.
Other countries' pavilions are reused as showroom or office building and so on...

A2 Poster - Swiss Sound Box

1. Site plan- Analyse that it is at the middle of both kind of circulation, on road/ cable car

Peter Zumthor want to build the pavilion as a place for visitor to take a break after taking tonnes of informations from half pavilions. A place for relaxing, drinking, seating and a place different to outside.

Humankind

2. Structural Element/ Materiality- Fresh-cut Pine from Switzerland. Wood are usually seasoned and become timber for construction but Peter Zumthor use the exhibition period, 153 days as the drying time. After the Expo, they will be sent back to Switzerland and reuse as normal timber material for building. That's why there is no bolt/ nails during the construction of sound box. They use the same technique when seasoning  wood, laying them up and then use the spring n steel rod to stable them.

Nature-Technology 

3. Circulation analysis of different possible approaches- From free standing to the plan of Swiss sound box, we can see how he play with the orientation and arrangement of wall to create three kind of space, the stack wall itself, the cross court and the service units which are those in elliptical shape. Different approaches causes people to have different experience and will surely affect the way they visit, for example the way they enter the building or the walking speed. Using the complex arrangement of stack, this structure can show down the speed of people and try to experience the space (lose himself), like in a forest..or a maze. He also used the orientation of the stack wall which lead people walk pass the service units which are for storage and kitchen.
Humankind

4. Sound- Because of the structure of the stack wall, gaps between wood stick allow sound wave to pass though. There are team of musicians which are participle to play music with different instruments according to the time schedule. Various basic sound will alter according to the real time surrounding and wt is happening in this building. It is like a response to the nature to the space we live in.
Nature

5. Section- How the narrow space give individual an own space to listen the music or sounds from the bar or reading the lightscript projected on the wall. With about 7m ceiling height, even in this narrow space, people wont feel stressed. But because the whole structure is built with these stacked wall only, it will make people feelings like inside an forest and would increase our hearing sensibility, which is an normal biological response. Moreover, in side some larger stack wall, area are formed by subtraction. The lower ceiling and larger space for people to gather and chat. Lastly, all these area are covered by large gutters to protect from rain. But winds and light are still able to pass though though the gaps. Although they are clearly separated with the exterior, the connection of both side is still there.
Humankind-Nature-Technology

DesignStudio4-Project1 Conclusion and Starting point of the Project

I have done it two weeks ago as Poala asked us to do a A3 conclusion, but seems you havent asked for it so I didnt show you

After doing some site analysis, I think the way how the design and arrangement of town hall square encouraging people to use the place is great for me to consider it as reference. They got green lawn, although it is next to a relatively busy pedestrian, the flower lawn in-between act as the break and transition area which makes the lawn is good for sitting and charting. Also, there are outdoor stage for locals to share their music. The most important thing is the multi use of the steps, they are there because of the difference of street level as well as for the seating. In our site, I may do something similar as we need an open-air theatre as well, and the site itself is slanted. It would be great to sit there and enjoy the view of the lennox bridge and the parramatta river.

I may design the main entrance is located at the river side which fix the problem of riverside theatre nowdays, lack of connection to the river, while private car access entry is at the north side. With the consideration of the green space around the size, 3 path are designed to easy access to anyone of them and at the same time, the theatre will become the centre/ the core of the whole area.

This is just a brief idea how I may want to do, I will further develop them into a well conceptual idea and bring it after the break.