Inspirational Galleries:

A major factor is the design of a successful art gallery is the roof structure. Art is best viewed with diffused natural light. Direct sunlight can not only deteriorate the quality of the artwork, but can cause awkward shadows and glare throughout the gallery. Architects have many different ways in which they disturb the flow of natural light coming into their galleries for the best viewing experience.


1 & 5. - Kimbell Art Museum by Louis Kahn
Natural light enters through narrow plexiglass skylights along the top of cycloid barrel vaults and is diffused by wing-shaped pierced-aluminum reflectors that hang below, giving a silvery gleam to the smooth, concrete-vault surfaces and providing a perfect, subtly fluctuating illumination for the works of art.
2. - Design by Louis Kahn
Works much like the Kimbell Art Museum, but also includes smaller louvers on the barrel vaults.
3. - Parrish Art Museum by Herzog de Meuron
Consists of a long corrugated metal roof structure running at steep angles with scattered skylights. These openings bring natural light into the gallery spaces in a much simpler way to the other inspirational galleries, yet is it still greatly successful.
4. - Rome Museum by Zaha Hadid
This gallery uses louvered ceiling panels that open and close automatically with the daily movement of the sun.
6. - Fondation Beyeler Gallery, Riehen Switzerland by Renzo Piano
This gridded ceiling is glazed throughout the building, providing indirect natural light in all the galleries. The simple elegance and detailing of the lit ceilings hides a five-foot space above, in which electrically controlled louvers, artificial lighting and the roof of brise-soleil are used to control the light in the galleries. At the building ends the glass roof extends generously beyond the glass walls and a further row of pillars, over the reflecting pool and the real-life water-lilies outside.



In one of our tutorials we were shown the Centre Of Contemporary Art in Rome by Zaha Hadid. I had never seen this piece of architecture before, but I was instantly drawn to it. Especially the way in which it overlapped itself and gave the sense of flowing spaces. The main aspect of the architecture that appealed to me was the large overhang at the front of the building with a glass facade. It seemed like a simple yet prominent feature of the design and something that I would like to incorporate in my own gallery.

The centre is made up of spaces that flow freely and unexpectedly between interior and exterior,
where walls twist to become floors or ceilings. The building absorbs the landscape structures, dynamizes them and gives them back to the urban environment. Hadid's architecture can thus be understood as an intensification of the surrounding space.

'a scene for thought, with art as a player on the scene' is Hadid's narrative for the centre.


Another piece of work by Zaha Hadid which I came across when studying the Centre in Rome is the Centre Of Contemporary Art in Cincinnati, Ohio. It does not flow like her architecture in Rome, but it does utilise the idea of intertwining sections/blocks that appeals to me. I also like the way it stands out from its neighbouring buildings, like it is a piece of art in itself, on display for motorists and pedestrians as they travel past.

"The concrete, steel and glass building features undulating levels and ramps to accommodate the varied shapes, scales and media of contemporary art. The galleries, that appear to float over the main lobby, connect and interlock like a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle, allowing for unobstructed viewing from all sides." This quote from the inauguration of the building identifies the elements that I would like to capture in my gallery design.


This gallery was another form of inspiration for me, once again due to the large overhang you can see in the bottom left of the image. I really hope that I can capture this element in my own gallery design. As well as providing seamless connections between the elements of the museum, the atrium can accommodate 1800 guests for receptions. Because art galleries are no longer just about art, they have to engage with the city, and according to some they are part of the entertainment industry. The internal cladding is coated aluminium that folds with the crispness of origami. For all the geometry there is a sense of calm throughout, especially in the understated form-follows-function galleries. In the new building the architects have designed big flexible spaces for big modern works. Backstage there is none of the usual diminution in quality one comes to expect in arts buildings. In fact the storage area was designed so it could easily be converted into gallery space. Architecture by no means has to be iconic, but if it is to work as an icon then it has to go for it, as this does. The architects have responded to the client's desire for a building that announces itself to and embraces the city in which it is situated.

Further Site Exploration:

My initial site exploration simply considers which site would be the most appropriate for my gallery and shows images of it from the street. A deeper analysis of this site can be seen below through the use of maps and satellite images.

This first image shows a simple Google map of the site, with the location of the gallery represented by the "A" bubble. This gives you an idea of address boundaries, main streets, back streets, and access routes.

This image is the same as the one above, but takes advantage of the satellite option utilised by Google. I found this to be a much more informative image as the realism helps you relate better with the location.

This final image has removed all of the labels and street names to make way for some simple highlighting of the major site categories.

Yellow - highlights the boundaries of King Street itself. This is the common feature of all the three sites and is critical to the outcome of the gallery.
Red - shows the surrounding streets that link onto King Street and flow traffic to the main thoroughfare.
Blue - shows the outline of site three which has been chosen for my gallery.
Green - the neighbouring sites are very influential to the constraints of the proposed gallery so they have been highlighted to show their importance.
Purple - highlights the major flow of pedestrians that are constantly perusing the cafes and shops that line King Street.


This image is a modified version of the DWG file uploaded for us on Blackboard. After adjusting the scale correctly I used it to establish the site measurements (as seen on the image). However the site is larger than the constraints outlined in the brief. We are restricted to a maximum width of 12m and length of 30m. The shop fronts on King Street are usually edge to edge with no gaps in-between. This means that if the site is not completely filled by the gallery then it may look out of place. Measures will have to be taken in order to solve this problem.

King Street, Newtown:

King Street is today the central thoroughfare of the suburb of Newtown in Sydney, New South Wales. It's in this street that the residents of the area are most visible, confirming Newtown's reputation as a cosmopolitan community with a higher than average concentration of students, homosexuals and those with an artistic twist who tend to dress with colourful flair. The street can be divided geographically into two sections, North and South. King Street is particularly notable for the many picturesque Victorian and Edwardian era shops and other buildings that line the street. King street is believed to follow the line of ancient Aboriginal track that led from the Sydney Cove area south-west across to Botany Bay. It has also become quite residential above the shops including a large number of apartments. It is known as the best preserved Victorian era street in Sydney and development controls ensure that it will not change. What was once considered too unfashionable to be worth developing is now a sacred part of Sydney.

North King Street, running east-north-east to west-south-west between the University of Sydney, past Newtown railway station at the junction with Enmore Road, is the stretch that most people associate with King Street. This area is a very busy thoroughfare, with traffic jams that rule rather than the exception, heavy foot traffic, and a profusion of restaurants, cafes and fashion retailers.

South King Street was by contrast the down-market section, with less traffic and fewer retailers, running southwards from the station to Sydney Park. In recent years, the far northern section seems to have lost most of its lustre, while the central section has become almost glamorous, and South King Street has attracted a cluster of design shops and homewares shops, which along with assorted small quirky businesses and cafes, has made it one of the most interesting strips in Sydney. It is sometimes referred to as the "Paris end" of King Street.

References:

• Information on King Street from WikiPedia
• Image from Google Images
  

Project 3 - Site Exploration:

This image shows the layout of the three possible sites along King Street in Newtown, Sydney. Each site has its pros and cons for the location of a gallery, but after considering each I decided to make 'Site 3' the home for my design.

My initial gut feeling drew me to Site 2, mainly due to its level of exposure and the sites ability to utilise three separate facades. This meant that the gallery could almost become part of the art itself. Being able to utilise the building to express what it holds within its walls would be a very successful element to a gallery. I was however turned away from this site as its practicality for a gallery wasn't as superior as what Site 3 had to offer. In my opinion Site 1 didn't offer the specifications for a successful gallery at all. We were told to focus on levels if we chose this site, but in my opinion a gallery needs to be noticed from the street with attractive street sidewalk frontage and excessive amounts of stairs was not in my original vision. Site 3 seemed to offer the best mix of all these elements. It had generous street frontage along with a great lane-way for alternate entry that I thought that would be perfect for a gallery. This meant that deliveries could be bought in through the rear entrance and it allowed an entry/exit for the gallery owner without having to constantly use to main street access.


The above picture shows a montage of images from the site that I have chosen for my proposed gallery. You can see the generous street frontage available as well as the rear lane access. These images also give an idea of what the surrounding buildings look like, their height, and the "vibe" the area gives pedestrians and motorists. I believe this site has great potential to be the location for an art gallery specialising in contemporary and experimental artworks.

Project 2: Submission

Axonometric:

A3 Plan & Sections:

Model:
"250x250mm Base"

Site:

"Wollstonecraft in Sydney, NSW"

Narrative:

"Escaping from a world of repetition."

Edward Hopper Interior Scene:

"New York Movie - 1939"

Axonometric Exploration:

This is a rough expression of the direction in which I am heading for my axonometric sketch. It follows the steps we were taught in our first studio course last year. I plan to add some levels of shading to identify the direction of certain faces and reinforce the abstract shape of the windows in the escape space.

Plan & Section Exploration:

This shows a plan image of my model followed by a plan and section sketch of my design, with each space labeled. The plan view outlines the complex shape of the escape space with varying light sources. Even though the plan view seems to make each space look similar. I am aiming to make them physically similar, with the "feeling" and "emotion" of the occupant making a drastic change as they transition from space to space.

Light Experimentation:

After my exploration of light flow in spaces, I wanted to attempt to recreate these feelings and emotions from my own spaces. Really emphasise the ambiance that would be felt if my model were to come to life at my desired site. This first image is a wide shot showing the entire model and the way light reflects of it. You can already see how the repetitive space reflects light symmetrically and the escape space has odd variations and random angles.

These next two shots show the interior of the repetitive space, looking in through the windows. Once again we can see the simpleness of the space, with the light reflection being constant and even. The images show each side of the room, yet it looks as though you are staring at the same side. These light effects further capture how the woman in Hopper's painting feels about the theatre she finds herself in.

The next two images look across at the escape space and the way light behaves as it shines in through its abstract windows and skylight. You are instantly more attracted to this space with its intriguing light variations and shadows. We can imagine that the woman from the painting wants to escape the repetition of her monotonous lifestyle and live in a world of new and exciting attractions.

Completed Model:

These images show my completed model from both sides.

Light Exploration:

The flow of light through my model was going to play a major role in the "feel" of each of my spaces. I didn't want simply their looks to be contrasting, I wanted the way they lit up to also contrast one another.

This image best associates with my repetition space. Although it does not come across as boring, it is clean cut, simple and symmetrical. Standing in this space is no where near as interesting as the spaces below. The biggest reason is that once you have entered a space like this you can remember exactly what it will be like next time. The spaces below will be different everytime you enter.

I especially like the last two, as i think they best encapsulate what I am aiming for with my escape space. Light coming in from all angles, casting different shadows throughout the room. Keeping the occupants amused as they explored the space.

Model Progression:

The following images lead you through the construction of my model. Black card was used for the 250x250mm base. With 10weight card being used to construct the spaces and clear plastic being used to glaze the windows.

This first image shows the "Repetition Space", which is a perfect square with evenly spaced windows. Nearly everywhere you stand in this space you have the same view with the same feel.

These images show the initial construction of the "Escape Space", with its complex walls and windows. The abstract shapes mean that the light entering the space will play tricks with the walls and the occupants within the space. The walls are curved and make different angles with on another just to make each part of the space different.

Further construction of the model can be seen here. With more walls and windows being added in ways that would seem random, but are being put there specifically to make the interior an extraordinary place to be.

This gives you an impression of what the final site plan will look like. With a small transition hallway from one space to the other.

In the next step, clear perspex sheet was added to the windows for a more realistic feel and to add more detail to the model. Even though it is clear, it also helped to enclose each space and make them feel more contained.

Initially I didn't think to have a roof on my model and keep the spaces open. However when it come to the construction I thought that the model looked too bare and simple. The roof really enclosed the spaces and with the implementation of the skylights really emphasised my argument. Once again the skylight to the repetition space is an equal square, whilst the skylight to the escape space is random and jaggered.

Further Model Exploration:

Initial axonometric sketch of proposed model. Showing the repetition space in which the woman finds herself physically. Wanting to take the transition into the escape space. I believe this successfully captures both my narrative...

"Escaping from a world of repetition."

...and the concepts being explored by Hopper in "New York Movie".

I can also easily picture the views shown from my proposed site. With dark, sullen views from the repetition space and bright, exciting views out of the complex windows of the escape space.

Inspiration & Concept Exploration:

These are some examples of vibrant spaces. I'm looking at the utilisation of colour, random angles, casting light and shadows. Also the way in which things seem random yet they are interesting and purposeful.

Frank Gehry Architecture/Design:

A lot of the inspiration for my "escape" space was drawn from Frank Gehry's work. Some of his design is so abstract that in my opinion it looks overdone. But a lot of his angles and windows are of a similar style to what I am looking to use is my model. Sometimes a slight curve on a wall is enough to completely change the feel of the internal space. I think it doesn't matter who you are and whether or not you like it, you cant visit a piece of architecture by Frank Gehry without it having some sort of effect on you. The last words that come to mind are boring and repetitive, so this is why his style of work is so suitable for me to draw inspiration for my model from.