Caixa Forum, Madrid

Caixa Forum, Madrid by Herzog and De Meuron





The CaixaForum arts centre, which opened earlier this year in Madrid, Spain, incorporates walls from a power station that previously occupied the site. It includes galleries, administrative offices and a restaurant in the upper levels, as well as an auditorium below ground level.

A new address for the arts
The CaixaForum-Madrid stands on an advantageous site facing the Paseo del Prado and the Botanical Garden vis à vis. This new address for the arts is located in an area occupied until now by unspectacular urban structures, the Central Eléctrica Power Station, and a gas station.





The classified brick walls of the former power station are reminiscences of the early industrial age in Madrid, while the gas station, a purely functional structure, was clearly out of place. Like a vineyard that could never develop its full potential because it was planted with the wrong grape, this prominent location could not develop its full potential. The demolition of the gas station created a small plaza between the Paseo del Prado and the new CaixaForum in the converted power station.




A construction below and a construction above ground
The separation of the structure from the ground level creates two worlds: one below and the other above the ground. The “underworld” buried beneath the topographically landscaped plaza provides space for a theater/auditorium, service rooms, and several parking spaces.






The multi-storied building above ground houses the entrance lobby and galleries, a restaurant and administrative offices. There is a contrast between the flexible and loft-like character of the exhibition spaces and the spatial complexity of the top floor with its restaurant/bar and the offices. The surprising sculptural aspect of the CaixaForum’s silhouette is no mere architectural fancy, but reflects the roofscape of the surrounding buildings.


A spectacular transformation
The only material of the old power station that we could use was the classified brick shell. In order to conceive and insert the new architectural components of the CaixaForum Project, we began with a surgical operation, separating and removing the base and the parts of the building no longer needed. This opened a completely novel and spectacular perspective that simultaneously solved a number of problems posed by the site.


The removal of the base of the building left a covered plaza under the brick shell, which now appears to float above the street level. This sheltered space under the CaixaForum offers its shade to visitors who want to spend time or meet outside and is at the same time the entrance to the Forum itself. Problems such as the narrowness of the surrounding streets, the placement of the main entrance, and the architectural identity of this contemporary art institution could be addressed and solved in a single urbanistic and sculptural gesture.

Isamu Noguchi's life and works

Isamu Noguchi's link:


http://www.noguchi.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isamu_Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi's playscape

Octetra, c. 1968, Spoleto, Italy



Slide Mantra, 1966-1989, black granite. Installed at West 8-chome, Odori Park, Saporro, Japan.




Detail of Playscapes, 1975-76. Piedmont Park, Atlanta, Georgia.


The creation of playgrounds and play sculpture was an important part of Isamu Noguchi's attempt to make sculpture useful in everyday life. Noguchi designed his first pieces of play equipment in 1939 for Ala Moana Park in Hawaii, but these were not constructed. When Noguchi designed Playscapes (1975-76) in Atlanta's Piedmont Park, the only Noguchi playground to be completed in his lifetime, he included a modified version of the swing from his Hawaiian proposal along with new play objects. In 1968 Octetra -- a pre-cast, modular play sculpture over and through which children climb -- was installed outside the cathedral in Spoleto, Italy and in Kodomo No Kuni park outside of Tokyo. Noguchi continued to design new play sculptures, some of which have been installed in his last playground project, Moere Numa Park in Sapporo, Japan.

Mossbrook special school, Sheffield, England

Mossbrook School by Sarah Wigglesworth


A unique opportunity to create a new learning environment, the new classroom at Mossbrook Special School is a Science teaching space, designed for learning about the natural environment through direct interaction with it. The school is situated in the green belt, and the new classroom is sited overlooking a wildlife lake which is a valuable teaching resource. The classroom is for children from Mossbrook as well as children from other Sheffield schools and has been designed to meet the full range of educational needs with facilities to reach out to children with severe learning difficulties as well as extending the most able pupil.

Architect Sarah Wigglesworth has designed a building which is in itself a tactile and interactive environment. She was awarded an RSA Art for Architecture award to work collaboratively with artist Susan Collins on integrating an interactive visual arts element into the infrastructure of the building.
This website documents this aspect of the Classroom of the Future and the outcomes of the Art for Architecture collaboration.



Link:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/sac/mossbrook/index.html#

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=1028218

Paradise park children's centre, London

Project Information

• Client: London Borough of Islington
• Principal designer: DSDHA
• Principal engineer: Price & Myers
• Principal contractor: Allenbuild Limited
• Contract value: £1.4 million

About the project

Paradise Park Children's Centre has transformed a corner of the inner city. Set within an existing park, it not only improves access to a precious green space but also provides a range of high-quality community facilities.

The children's centre blends seamlessly into the park. Its most striking feature is a vertical garden - the biggest on a public building in the UK - running the full length of the building. Behind this dramatic façade are light-filled spaces for a nursery, crèche, a base for Islington Play Association and a café. The nursery and crèche have direct access to outdoor play areas and the café's generous glazing provides views onto the park.

Sustainability has been achieved within a limited budget. Building materials were strongly influenced by the green site, and the vertical garden, together with living roofs, minimise the loss of green space in the park and provide wildlife habitats and increased biodiversity. Recycled rainwater for the irrigation of the vertical garden, and a good use of natural daylight and ventilation and well-insulated building fabric, will result in low maintenance costs.

The judges said: 'A striking example of architecture coming together with nature'.

Promenade of Light, London

About the project

An underused grassed area once characterised this pedestrianised zone, orientating pedestrians along either busy Old Street or a narrow pavement in front of a parade of shops. What was needed was a public space where people would want to linger during the day, benefiting local businesses, and would enjoy walking through in the evening.

The design was the result of a competition organised by The Architecture Foundation and consultation with the public. Following collaboration between the council, design team and local community group, the grass and boundary walls were replaced with a generous central stone promenade and more trees were planted to supplement existing mature plane trees. Strong design features include a ring motif framing every tree and, of course, new lighting. Lamp columns with multi-directional spotlights provide theatrical effects such as the illumination of the tree canopy and planting.

Many more users now say they enjoy the space, and the project has attracted additional funding for a second phase.

The judges said: 'Streetscape design has transformed the pedestrian experience'.

http://www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk/assets/images/finalists_2003/laban/laban_large_1.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk/finalists/2003/laban/&usg=__7jo2XNTVF0srllYlpe6Q7PYmLU4=&h=361&w=500&sz=60&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=NR-iy9_gBx1OKM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlaban%2Bdance%2Bcentre%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

Laban Dance Centre, London

http://www.laban.org/building/architecture.phtml

ARCHITECTURE

Laban is one of the worlds leading conservatoires for contemporary dance artist training. This training is enriched by a range of activities including: an exciting performance programme, a pioneering education and community programme, a comprehensive library and archive and a dance health suite. Its range of activities plus its excellent facilities and world-class faculty, is what makes Laban such a dynamic and inspiring environment in which to learn and work.

In 1997 Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron won the international design competition to build the new Laban building.

Newcastle performance academy

Newcastle Performance Academy

The college provision of sophisticated specialist performance spaces is dramatically expressed within this dense urban setting.

The design is determined by the complex (often inward looking) space requirements and the high environmental and acoustic design parameters of the specialist performance spaces.

Comment: Johnny Winter, Edward Cullinan Architects

New School in Monkseaton

Book influences design of new school

Published Date:
05 August 2008

By NEWS REPORTER

TRIANGULAR classrooms and large open learning areas are just two of the unusual features of a ground-breaking new high school currently being built in Monkseaton.

Leading north east architects Dewjo'c won the contract to design the exemplary new £20.3million state-of-the-art building.

Planning permission was granted to construct the new Monkseaton High school, on Seatonvile Rd. in January. Due for completion in summer 2009 it will provide 938 places for 13-19 year olds.

Dewjo'c's design for the flagship school is based on the exemplar principles laid out by the UK government in 2002 and will create a light, modern, 21st century facility.

The architects worked closely with engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff, the school's headteacher, leading academic Dr Paul Kelley, and his deputy John Sexton, both of whom are instrumental in developing stimulating teaching environments that maximise pupils learning potential.

The design of Monkseaton High was also influenced by the book 'Rhythms of Life', by Russell Foster – a professor of molecular neuroscience – and Leon Kreitzman, which shows that humans have natural biorhythms which govern their daily lives.

In children this makes them most productive between the hours of 10.30am and 3pm, when their body clocks are in sync with daylight.

The basic design envisages an educational community stacked within a large protective shell.

The school will be orientated to ensure maximum natural ventilation and daylight, helping boost students learning potential in line with Foster's biorhythm discoveries.

The design incorporates a number of learning areas for students to study, independent of teachers.

The building's light and airy atmosphere will encourage 'open' learning and is a move away from traditional, 'institutional' school design. Clear walls and open learning spaces remove barriers created by solid corridors and doors.

Unlike conventional school buildings, the design for Monkseaton High School aims to maximise space within classrooms, providing teaching spaces and learning areas which will be multifunctional and flexible.

Spaces can be quickly re-arranged and equipment easily stored away so, for example, a room full of desks and chairs used to teach humanities could quickly become a technical arts space or ICT.

At the heart of the school will be a central space combining private learning areas, a Learning Resource Centre, teaching spaces, social and break out areas as well as a gym and sports facility. Monkseaton High School will be built using highly sustainable materials, methodologies and construction techniques.

Ian Lancastle-Smith, the Dewjo'c director leading the project, said: "The same team that worked on the design of award winning Usworth Sixth Form College, which recently won the RIBA/LSC Further Education Award for Design Excellence Architectural Design 2008, is also involved in this project.

"This is an exciting and challenging design project that maximises the use of space and encourages teaching and learning in a modern, state-of-the-art environment."
We are very much looking forward to seeing the design becoming a reality.
“It has been a rewarding experience working closely with the school’s management team, staff and students on all aspects of design, environment, teaching and learning spaces
with support form the Children Young People and Learning at North Tyneside Council, an essential element of the design development process.” Turning the design into a structural reality involved complex modelling by Parsons Brinckerhoff, which was also responsible for creating sustainable design solutions for the heating, lighting, acoustics and fire engineering systems for the innovative structure. Mike Lamb, Newcastle-based technical director for Parsons Brinckerhoff, said: “We are proud to be part of this ground breaking project. Dewjo’c’s outstanding design has certainly challenged our technical skills and will set new standards for learning environments across the country. It is especially satisfying for us to be able to contribute to the development of the local community and play a role in helping transform education in the North East.”