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80′s Revival
Steven Holl
The different forms, the use of color on facades, the transparency and the natural light through the interior suggest uniqueness in its function, this is a project designed for Autonomous Artisan’s Houses by Steven Holl in the early 1980s.
Beautiful cartographies
¿Trabajando en cuarentena?
Muchos hogares están experimentando cierta intensificación de usos en un mismo espacio, redescubriendo otros y flexibilizando los espacios infrautilizados mientras trabajan y conviven en cuarentena.
Para comprobar cómo se están adaptando las personas a esta forma de trabajo desde sus casas, hemos realizado una encuesta durante la primera quincena de abril a través de las redes sociales. En esta infografía desvelamos parte de los resultados con aspectos que nos llevan a entender la resiliencia de las personas ante la experiencia de trabajar desde casa.
El concepto parte de una sección del covid-19 adaptada a la resiliencia frente a la situación de confinamiento.
Si deseas que elaboremos una infografía como ésta basada en datos que estés recopilando escríbenos aquí
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Are you working on quarantine?
Many households are experiencing some intensification of uses in the same rooms, rediscovering spaces like terraces and courtyards in house and making underutilized rooms more flexible while working and living in quarantine.
To analize how people are adapting to this way of work from home we have conducted a survey during the first fortnight of April through social networks, through this infographic we reveal the aspects that lead us to understand people’s resilience through the experience of working from home.
The concept is part of a section of covid-19 adapted to our resilience due to the confinement situation.
If you want us to develop an infographic like this based on data, write us.
“#OnThisDay 1961: Alan Whicker visited a brand new school in London, where the pupils had some difficult questions for the architect. https://t.co/pB4KiCYhiv”
Concrete Is Beautiful
Assembly Hall Block. (aka The Pentagon Building) Chamberlin, Powell & Bon. 1958-60
This Assembly hall block was one of the three main buildings of a new school for girls built in late 50s at South London. And who would not like to study on a place like this? Even its main use as an assembly hall it also has classrooms and room-offices inside. Let’s go.
The aerial view of the Assembly hall block shows up a pentagonal shape plan, and in fact it is organized through five sided covered with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof. Mostly known as the Pentagon Building, was concibed to be part of Geoffrey Chaucer (formerly Trinity/Two Saints) School now demolished.
Its hyperbolic paraboloid concrete shell roof was the first built in Britain and it remains one of the few built examples of that type.
Built between 1958 and 1960 by Chamberlin, Powell & Bon Architectural practice which helped to shape the educational zeitgeist of postwar era and were responsible for designing the Barbican Estate in London. Many of their works are now listed buildings and they were recognized as one of the best architectural firms in post-war England.
It organizes on five classrooms each one covered with individual hyperbolic paraboloid roofs separated by glazing from top to botton and from inside by sliding doors, connecting the structure only at their common peripheral supports. Each roof covered one 'year room' on the first floor.
But the most impressive is inside, the roof design shape which allowed a futuristic interior, with sliding shutters to block of the room areas and huge venetian blinds to cover the triangular windows and shape the interior of the assembly hall, amazing way to get a multifunctional hall, well prepared to assemblies, concerts and meetings.
As you’ll see in the video Alan Whicker introduces as "an unusual and exciting Assembly hall ..where you can imagine how delighted school children might been in together way from dingy victorianism into sight bright modernity” and sure it was and still does, but there are certain details puppils didn't find practical for them, the real users.
This interview + introduces the importance of User Experience (UX) when designing spaces. Sometimes designers and architects do not percibe little ill-conceived details and probably this are not seen over the sketch nor infographics rather when they are executed.
Did you have any surprising experience on how your clients use the places in which you have contributed to make it real?
Although the school was listed on status at Grade II as a building of special architectural interest in 1993, it was demolished in 2007 when the site was reorganized as the Globe Academy. Then, a new school was built and completed in 2010 by Amanda Levete Architects, but fortunately only the original and spectacular five sided assembly hall, covered with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof and known as the Pentagon Building was preserved and restored.
The Ark Globe Academy is an all-through school that replaced the Joseph Lancaster Primary School and the Geoffrey Chaucer Technology College on its site at Harper Road, off New Kent Road, Southwark, London.There you'll see kindly places full of light and colour environments creating a positive experience for all those involved in the learning process.
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image1, 6 images from a video interview from BBC archive.Alan Whicker introduces Geoffrey Chaucer School. The Pentagon hall. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. +
image 2. Aerial view. Geoffrey Chaucer School. The Pentagon hall. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. Gmaps
image3. Front View. Geoffrey Chaucer School. The pentagon hall as seen in 1962. Photo taken by John Maltby
image 4. General view of exterior.Geoffrey Chaucer School. The Pentagon hall. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. Photo taken by Steve Cadman on a Twentieth Century Society tour of the Elephant and Castle.
image5. Interior detail view of roof, Geoffrey Chaucer School. The Pentagon hall. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. Photo taken by Steve Cadman on a Twentieth Century Society tour of the Elephant and Castle.
image7: Aerial view. Ark Globe Academy. Gmaps
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worth read:
+ Children, Childhood and Cultural Heritage. Kate Darian-Smith, Carla Pascoe, Carla Pascoe Leahy. Routledge, 2013
+ Geoffrey Chaucer School faces demolition, article written by Jon Wright, 2007
+ Ark Globe Academy
+ Wiki info about CPB architectural practice
+ AL_A
+ gmaps
Prototype
Žižkov Television Tower. Václav Aulický + Jiří Kozák
One of the most authentic TV towers ever built in Europe is Žižkov Television Tower in Prague. Designed in 1985 by architect Václav Aulický and structural engineer Jiří Kozák, built between 1985-1992, it began transmitting signal since1992 until 2012, year in which they switched to digital TV broadcasting and removed the old analogue broadcast equipment installing a datacenter on its free space.
The Structure
The tower stands 216 metres (709 feet) high, there’s no doubt is the tallest building in the skyline of Žižkov district and in the city of Prague. The structure of the tower is the key of its uniqueness, it is based on a triangle module whose corners rise in steel columns, consisting of three tubes with a double steel wall filled with concrete.
They support nine ‘pods’, organized in triades along three levels, and three decks for transmitting equipment. One of the three pillars extends considerably higher than the others, providing the necessary height for antennas. This particular combination gives its effect as a structure’s rocket and gantry appearance. In its time it was a unique technology, which authors have patented.
There are two elevators to transport passengers at a speed of 4 m/s. and a third one elevator works also as a service lift.
Foundations are 15 m. deep, consists on a circular concrete slab, 1,20m. (4 feet) thick and 30 meters diameter.
The Pods
Three of the pods, positioned directly beneath the decks at the top of the tower, are used for equipment related to the tower’s primary function and are inaccessible to the public. The remaining six pods are open to visitors, providing a panoramic view of Prague and the surrounding area. Altitude of the observatory is 93 m, the entire floor is dedicated to relaxation from where you can see Prague in its fullness. The hotel room altitude is 70 m and the lower one at 63 metres (207 feet) you’ll find a recently refurbished restaurant and café bar with a capacity for 180 people.
Babie Sculptures
Ten giant sculptures of babies created by leading Czech artist David Černý crawl all over the outside of the tower. According to his concept, the babies of an uncertain future would all have the same DNA and consequently they would all be equall, that’s why the babies are faceless, it sounds unbelievable but who knows.
Žižkov tower model
High-tech in the communist-era
This is an example of high-tech architecture at earlier stages built in communist-era in Central and Eastern Europe, although this tower was critized by its local inhabitants during its construction, since then till now the tower attracts a lot of visitors to enjoy the skyline in a city full of historical buildings.
Fictional Landscapes
Las ciudades utópicas. José Miguel de Prada Poole
Actualización:
La mañana del 11 de Agosto de 2021 José Miguel de Prada Poole dejó este mundo. Su entrañable labor permanezca viva en todas las personas que aprendimos de él, su obra y enseñanza se divulgue a las nuevas generaciones de arquitectos, y su manera de hacer, de pensar y enseñar contribuya a la formacion de otros tantos. Descanse en paz.
R.I.P.
Años atrás poco se conocía de la obra de José Miguel de Prada Poole (Valladolid, 1938-2021) arquitecto español artífice de las estructuras neumáticas en España, sin embargo esta percepción cambió a raíz de una exposición monográfica llevada a cabo en Sevilla recientemente.
José Miguel de Prada Poole fue un pionero en su forma de concebir la arquitectura, el urbanisno y el diseño con la temprana introducción de sistemas bioclimaticos, potenciando el uso de estructuras ligeras y de materiales de menor coste extremadamente eficientes entre otros.
Cualquiera que haya pasado por las aulas de la ETSA de Madrid lo conocerá por sus clases de proyectos. A decir verdad, es de los pocos arquitectos (y profesores) que se podrían nombrar como verdaderos visionarios, que no se cansaba de investigar y producir proyectos innovadores para el hoy y el mañana.
El último contacto que tuve fue hace unos años en 2016, dio una conferencia en la que se hablaba de los problemas de la vivienda, de la crisis global y del boom de las nuevas generaciones de arquitectos estrella y el nuevo urbanismo entre otras cosas. Muy amenamente nos explicó con sus bocetos y dibujos_cálculos incluidos_ su visión de habitar fuera de la Tierra, diseñó una ciudad en el espacio, prefabricada, habitando en la órbita de la Tierra, algo así como una ciudad-dormitorio, con todas las necesidades propias de un “barrio extra-planetario”, con unas vistas maravillosas de la Tierra, a la cual solo acudiríamos para trabajar en naves espaciales como si fueran el transporte público del futuro. Una visión dentro de la ficción, pero en sus bocetos todo estaba muy claro. Nos dejó perplejos a todos, lo tenía todo pensado y más que le quedaba por investigar en ese camino.
Prada Poole fue un avanzado, un verdadero pionero en su tiempo, en sus planteamientos y en su capacidad por investigar sistemas radicales de trabajo y de vanguardia, con materiales inimaginables como el aire, sus investigaciones con los plásticos y los sistemas que ideó y construyó iban muy en concordancia con la de otros grandes de la arquitectura alrededor del mundo y al mismo tiempo, hablo de Archigram, Superstudio ó Frei Otto quienes también tenían como referente a Buckminster Fuller.
Los siguientes son algunos conceptos que Prada Poole definió, tienen su sustancia, te invito a compartirlo con tu entorno.
Muriendas
Término que adopta a las viviendas actuales como “muriendas”, lo explica al relacionar éstas con las hipotecas interminables que te acompañan la mayor parte de tu vida para pagarlas, casi como si fueran unas tumbas carísimas.
Edifusos
Llama a sus viviendas “edifusos” término inventado por él, lo define como un hogar capaz de crecer y/o ser ‘loncheado’, relacionado con la familia mecano.
Familia Mecano
Las viviendas que disenó están destinadas a un nuevo modelo de familia no estándar, que curiosamente en la actualidad van llenando las ciudades. Éstas las define como las “familias mecano” donde cada individuo debía tener su propio espacio pudiendo sumarse o separarse de otros según lo desee provocando con el paso del tiempo diversas combinaciones variables.
Una de las grandes preocupaciones que mantiene son las ciudades, sus componentes y el hábitat humano. Pensando en estos conceptos y en posibles ciudades futuras, de carácter nómada o no, podrás ver en las imágenes cinco ciudades que fue desarrollando con mayor o menor intensidad.
1y2-Ciudad Iceberg. Habitar los océanos y zonas gélidas, dentro de la ciencia ficción siempre se ha planteado como posibilidad.
3y4-Ciudad Instantánea. Para cualquier contexto y en cualquier lugar. Fue construida en Ibiza.
5-Ciudad en la grieta. Esos resquicios verticales que quedan por habitar, con viviendas agrupadas. Casi como asentamientos en el ultimo rincón del planeta aún no habitado.
6-Ciudad Eros. La ciudad interconectada formada por varias agrupaciones de unidades habitables, allí puedes ver reflejada la temporalidad, lo efímero, lo biológico y los tiempos líquidos.
7-Ciudad cúbica. También llamada la Jerusalén celeste. La describe según el libro del apocalipsis, una ciudad de 2200km de largo, ancho y alto. Lo que podría caber ahí dentro…
En todas ellas defiende la movilidad entendida como nomadismo, el escaso impacto en el territorio, la sostenibilidad para sus habitantes, la importancia en reducir el impacto ambiental y la búsqueda de sistemas eficientes para vivir.
Para conocer un poco mas sobre estas ciudades puedes encontrar una reseña en los artículos abajo referenciados.
*ultima hora: fallece un visionario, autor de la arquitectura hinchable en España, José Miguel De Prada Poole. +
Imágenes del archivo de José Miguel de Prada Poole
wiki
+
Archivo de la obra de José Miguel de Prada Poole en MNCARS. +
Tras las huellas de la Utopía. José Miguel de Prada Poole ES +
La casa y el mito de la naturaleza. José Miguel de Prada Poole ES +
Arquitectura plástica. José Miguel de Prada Poole ES +
Homenaje a José Miguel de Prada Poole en RTVE.es +
Documental sobre estructuras efímeras y el Heliotrón de Prada Poole ES +
Prototype
Louis Kahn · Structural Design
Louis Kahn with fascinating Anne Tyng both explored in late 50s singular structural models for a tower design based on geometry with triangular mesh into facades, this supposed a visionary statement on architecture concept so valid in the currect times.
Here is a similar concept, a tower which combines modular homes with vertical farms, designed to be build with CLT in India: +
images from:
# 1-Architectural Review v.121 n.724 May 1957, 345 # 2-Architecture D'Aujourd'Hui v. 25 no. 55 Jul 1954, 11 #3-Perspecta 2 1953, 24 #4- Architecture D'Aujourd'Hui 102 Jun 1962, 5
Prototype
Structural design · Johnson Wax Building
Frank Lloyd Wright
Structure can be decisive in the configuration of architectural space, we should value structural constraints as design opportunities, when starting a project we love to research through nature behaviors that works as key of design process.
This is the case of “water lily pad” Wright experimented on this building in early 30s at Wisconsin.
Prototype
Nomos System. Norman Foster. 1986
We have restored a Nomos Table, one of the most authentic high-tech furniture system designed by Norman Foster in 1986 produced by Tecno.
