Back to the original idea, however, the design is slightly different from my 1st design. I have done some research on precedents, and found that the Leon de Grief Library Park by Giancarlo Mazzanti . It has the same idea which I wanted to apply in my design. A main path which links all the spaces together and allow people to walk through it. Also, it integrates to the landscape, its simple but very beautiful.
Another precedent I found is the Espana Library , also by Giancarlo Mazzanti. Similar to the Library Park, 3 different blocks are linked together by a "connector" .

1st design , The spaces are separated into 3 blocks, which connected by a "connector" . The connector is also acts as a foyer, allow people to access and carry out public activities . The connector has a mezzanine, thus, the connector has a height of 6m :



2nd design, simliar to the above design. 3 separated blocks with a central point to connect all the spaces. Also allowing staffs to take control of all the spaces.:

Arch 1202

Matraville Library

The form of my design comes from observing the directions of major currents of people flowing from. The site is an important transition zone between the busy main road and the quiet small road which heads to the residential area.
The main theme of my design is to create a light, comfortable place for the community to gather. To communicate, not necessary physically, but spiritually. Openness, spacious, brightness, smoothness are important keywords of my design.
My initial design simply having a ramp which cuts through the box shape, the ramp follows the direction which people would walk into the area. Brining people from the main road to the quiet road.
However, the spaces are seriously separated and are difficult to form a smooth circulation.

The following drawings are my last week design. I kept the idea of having a ramp which brings people from main road to the quiet road. However, I added another idea which is following the landscape. Level changes are added in order to follow the slightly sloped site. Each level defines a space. Inserting the building generously into the landscape is very important.
However, this scheme does not work after I carefully defined all the spaces. It is hard to place the control point and there are not enough spaces to put everything.

So, I have made changes to my design and at last I come up with a different form, but yet still have my ideas in it. Now I re-group the spaces into three categories.

- Staff area + exhibition area + entrance ( causal + slightly quiet )
- Libraries + reading spaces ( serious + quiet )
- Children's library + play area ( causal + noisy )

These three categories tell how the journey of people when they're walking through the library. Different atmosphere and noise levels are separated into these 3 categories. The plan views of this design shows that the 3 categories are divided into 3 boxes, they are slightly overlapped in order to link the spaces together. The position they are places is to follow the idea I had before, bring people from main road to the quiet road. Instead of cutting through the building with a ramp, I am cutting through the building visually. When the three cubes are put together, sharp edges are formed. Thus, I cover the sharp edges to form another space.
The circulation is simple and straight forward. The spaces create contractions and expansion with a narrower entrance into a wider space.
And I also keep the idea of following the landscape, when people walking into the building, they are stepping up.
Please click into the images to see the enlarged version.




Plans :
ground floor on the top, 1st floor on the bottom.

Precedent + Artists

Precedent

Jewish Museum, Berlin. - Daniel Libeskind

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Artists

Antony Gormley


























































Valerie Hegarty

--IDEAS--(Final project - Art Gallery )

The form of my design follows the purpose of my art gallery, in order to accommodate different sizes of art works. I came up with the form and stick to it throughout three weeks. However, there are some major changes in the interior spaces.






























The site I have chosen is site 1. I like the long, thin feature of site 1, and it will be interesting to design something which integrate the building into the whole site. Newtown is an interesting, artistic yet a bit of quirky place for me. So , my idea of the art gallery is to create something fun but still fit to the surroundings. In order to do this, my building cannot be too tall, so it is around 8 meters.

The main facade is formed by a significant ramp which trying to draw people into the gallery. The big sliding door/ wall makes a sense of curiosity to the people walking pass it.

My main design theme is to give different experiences to two group of people, people who are truly interested in art and people who don't. People can choose their own way to explore the gallery, thus, the circulation could be simple or complicated.

The style of artists I have chosen are Antony Gormley and Valerie Hegarty. Their art works include small and large sculptures, as well as medium sizes paintings. In order to cooperate with different sizes of art works, I have designed the display rooms in different sizes, tall, thin, short..etc. For those sculptures which span 2 levels, there are special display rooms for them. Thus, people can view the art work from above at level 2 and also from below at level 1.

The ramps in the facade draws people directly into level 2. The pathway then gently leads people into the outdoor space, the outdoor display walls are an echo to the interior walls. Paintings can be displayed on the walls.
By referencing The Jewish Museum in Berlin, I adapted the idea of linking the spaces together visually by little windows. People can visually experience the sculptures or paintings before they actually reach them, again, this can give the sense of curiosity to people.

The pathway then draw people back into the interior spaces, continue leading them down to level 1, which is mainly formed by sliding glass walls. Level 1 contains workshops, common area, stock rooms and the display rooms which spanned 2 levels. Those sliding glass walls are there trying to make confusions to people, thus, they wouldn't know which space is a room and which space is the corridor. The confusion is trying to get people involve to the process of making art work.

There are skylights on the roof of level 1. To draw more natural lights into the spaces, some display rooms are formed by glass walls. The lights would be softer where they are reflected by the walls and glasses. Direct lights would be too strong for viewing art pieces.

At last, people has to pass through the commercial area before approaching to the exit in order to make people purchase the art works more easily.

The apartment of the art dealer is located at the end of level 1, which is separated from the public area. However, the stock room is located inside the apartment, so the art dealer can look after the art works conveniently.

--PROGRESS--(Final project - Art Gallery)

Finaly Project S2/2009 - ART GALLERY

Testing the lightings from the interior. Light from 1st level would also leak out from the skylights.
















The wall of 1st level can be taken off, showing the interor space. The 1st level is a large and spacious space comparing to level 2, thus creates a contrast.















Level 1 mainly formed with glass walls. Confusing people the division of spaces.


















Light leaking down from above to the stair.





















The general view of my art gallery, an interesting pattern has created viewing in terms of plan.















This is showing how my art gallery fit with the surrounding buildings.















A 1:500 site model, showing the surroundings and the park at the back.















The ramp which leads people up to 2nd level.















Display room which spanned two levels, thus, the art work can also be views from above.















The stair leading people to level 1 from level 2.




















The little windows which link all the spaces together in a straight line.





















The roof is taken off , showing the interior walls.

Project 2 - Initial ideas

Cornelis Bega, The Alchemist, 1663.
(Oil on panel, 35.6 x 31.8) Los Angelos, The J.Paul Museum.

The 17th-century Dutch painting I have chosen was by Cornelis Bega, the title is "The Alchemist".
There are a quirky feeling about this painting, with a dark emotion and a sense of mysterious. I then came up with the following narrative :

A mysterious, quirky middle-aged alchemist lives in the middle of a swamp, looking for the unreachable life eternity.

There are two main goals for the alchemists : life eternity and to turn things into gold. In the past centuries, alchemists were considered as dark magic, thus, the rooms of my design are mostly enclosed with small windows, creating darkness to the whole space. From my viewing point, the process of looking for life eternity is similar to wandering around in a labyrinth, so I put complex walls into the space and level changes which create the feeling of a journey. Yet, the scale of the model is 1:100 which is huge, the spaces appearing to be very generous and large. However, this is actually the atmosphere I wanted to create, emptiness and loneliness.

The windows are getting less while the alchemist moves up, this indicates when people trying to gain power and money, their minds get darker and uglier . Although there are very little windows, there are always lights coming through the corner of the walls leading him to turn when he needs to.

The highest level is the transmutation room, I have a skylight for him to get the moonlight while he is mixing his ingredients. The room is the last place he would reach, no matter how hard he works, he cannot achieve more than that, meaning life eternity is something that people can never reached.

Some rough sketches while I was developing the ideas :

Project 2 - Model and poche drawings

Photos of model :

























































The site is located in the middle of a swamp, indicating the alchemist is a mysterious person, isolating himself from the outside world.





































The 1st level, where his study and libraries are located.















Viewing from the top level.