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DIALOGUES: LANDSCAPES OF THE WORLD

October 11, 2013, 4:47 am
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LOOK UP!
1. Detail of a National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan.
2. Detail of the mosaics at the Church of Our Savior of the Spilled Blood, Saint Petersburg, Russia

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The personal photo exhibition entitled "Dialogues: Landscapes of the World" is being shown at the ARTETAGE Museum of Contemporary Art in Vladivostok, Russia.

BEYOND THE FRACTURE
1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
2. The monumental Treasury in Petra, Jordan , as seen from the winding passage called  the Siq.


The exhibition consists of a series of pairs of view, representing diverse landscapes, separated in time and space but united by a common idea, whether formal or symbolic, subtly suggested by a title.

However, the viewer is invited to make this connection, and thus he or she becomes the agent of the dialogue between these two places.

TANGLED
1) Ruins of the temple of Ta Prohm, Cambodia, reclaimed by the jungle.
 2) Detail of the modern Olympic Stadium in Beijing, China, evoking a "Bird's Nest"


This exhibition is a selection of places featured on this blog.

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LE CORBUSIER: HEIDI WEBER MUSEUM, ZURICH

November 22, 2013, 5:40 pm
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 The Le Corbusier or Heidi Weber Museum in Zurich, Switzerland, is the latest work of the famous Swiss-French architect, and that is precisely dedicated to his work, housing some of his paintings sculptures, furniture, documents and models of some of his work.



The building was commissioned in 1960 and after many changes and it was inaugurated in 1967, two years after the death of its creator. 



The building is located in a small park not far from Lake Zurich, .It is remarkable that the orientation of the building is set diagonally, unlike all the buildings in the area which are placed parallel to the direction of the lake.





The museum Le Corbusier materializes the spirit of his architectural theories, establishing a dialogue between art and architecture. I was conducted thanks to the enthusiasm of her friend Heidi Weber, who owned an art gallery in Zurich.



The museum clearly highlights two elements: the cover and the body of the building.
Le Corbusier devised coverage pavilion originally reinforced concrete but was later convinced realize in metal. This metal structure composed of metal plates, 5 mm thick, was designed on the basis of two squares of 12 x 12 meters square and is supported by pillars of 9 meters high, found in the middle of the sides of the building leaving the corners free.




This characteristic as well as the form of the roof, folded like an origami, give it a light and dynamic character.



Under the roof, the body of the museum is organized in cubic modules of 2.26 meters per side, corresponding to the measurements of the Modulor. Its arrangement reflects the theory of infinite growth something that had been proposed in museums in Tokyo and Chandigarh.



The roof was prefabricated in the steel manufactory and thereafter, in the biggest possible units, transported to the building site, where it was assembled on the ground. The two finally welded pans of the roof were then lifted to their final height (9 m) by a crane and fixed on the pillars.With the frame thus completed the construction process benefited from the independent roof protection which was at that time already in its proper place. It consists of cubes of 2.26 x 2.26 m [edged steel pieces - 3mm thick). which were are assembled on the site..



Walls. windows, openings and floors were then screwed on to the steel frame. The walls consist of enamelled panels measuring 1.13 x 2.26 m.


The placing of these enamel panels was planned according to a particular rhythmic system. a system which could be adapted for any other composition preferred. Afterwards, the entire building complex was placed on a concrete ground floor.


The building has two floors - five single-storied and one double-stored rooms.
When constructing the building complex. more than 20,000 bolts were used.




Inside the building is organized on two levels and a basement. The program, in addition to the exhibition rooms, including an auditorium, a dining room and terraces



SEE ALSO:

- OTHER works of Le Corbusier. 
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VANDUSEN VISITOR CENTRE: INTENSIVE GAZES

October 15, 2012, 6:37 pm
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In a prior opportunity I had reviewed the VanDusen Botanical Garden's Visitor Center in Vancouver, during its construction process. This time we share some views of the finished work.


The undulating surfaces receive visitors extending their arms as an organism that seems to be about to take flight. However, from a distance, particularly from the parking lot as well as from inside the garden, the building's profile topography that emulates the surrounding mountains.



All circulations lead to central hall, stressing the centralized composition of this building which assumes a flower shape layout. The skylight, that is also evident in the facade composition, appears as focal element of the space, and is accompanied by a cylindrical moving screen that protects the lobby from excessive sunlight.

The building, although it is the gateway to the Botanical Garden, also functions as an autonomous entity including education (library and workshops), artistic (showrooms) and commercial (a shop and a cafeteria) facilities, which are freely accessible without the need of entering the garden. However, the visual integration of the building with the garden is open and permeable.


What is less clear is the relationship with the  visitor centre's green roof. As discussed priorly, the garden extends to the roof of the building, which not only provides a habitat for various species that live in it, but also has an effect on the climate control inside the building, especially in summer. 

This relationship is not evident to the public directly, and in fact I had to climb on the wall to take the pictures of the roof garden shown in this post.


The building exhibits frankly its constituent materials, primarily wood, glass and metal, as well as the so-called "concrete ground" or "eco-concrete", which although correspond to particularly differentiated formal elements such as ceiling, windows and walls, they maintain a balanced and suggestive harmony. But it is also important that you do not see, the technology used to make this a state-of-the-art sustainable building.

DETAILS


SEE ALSO:

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THE GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA

October 23, 2012, 5:09 am
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Cordoba, Spain, is a charming town on the banks of the Guadalquivir River.A melting pot of cultures that produced its urban fabric, in its exquisite courtyards, its fused architecture and its fine art, dating back from  millennia.

Cordoba's picturesque streets, with the tower of the cathedral in the background

Typical Andalusian patio
Photo courtesy of Janette Simplina

Having been inhabited by Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans and Visigoths, the city developed largely in the Middle Ages, under the coexistence of Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Remains of Roman temple in Cordoba
Photo Carlos Zeballos


It was during the Islamic rule that Cordoba became a gravitating center of Islamic culture in the area of ​​Al-Andalus, where arts, literature, philosophy, medicine, chemistry, and other activities flourished .

Statue of Ben Maimonides, a noted philosopher, physician and theologian

THE GREAT MOSQUE
The most notable expression of Moorish architecture is the Great Mosque of Cordoba, whose orthogonal geometry contrasts with the intricate streets that make up the urban layout of Córdoba, and whose harmonic and rich decoration shines under a masterful play of light.

Mosque next to the Guadalquivir.
See location on Google Maps



The Great Mosque is the result of many modifications and additions through the centuries.It is believed that it was originally a Roman temple, but the truth is that it was a Visigoth church, the Basilica of Saint Vicent. In 751 the Emir Abd al-Rahman I bought some area of the church to accomodate his own place of prayer (for some time Christians and Muslims share the same place of worship).Successive interventions by Abd al-Rahman II in the ninth century, Al Hakam II and Almanzor in the tenth century enhanced the mosque to the size that we know today.In the sixteenth century, Bishop Alonso Manrique turned the mosque into a cathedral.

THE TOWER OR MINARET 

The minaret is a tower located in a courtyard,  from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer. The original minaret was in the midst of the current Court of the Oranges and was built by Hixam I. When the courtyard was enlarged, the tower was destroyed and a new one was built in the tenth century The current tower, called the Cathedral, was made in the seventeenth century, practically wrapping the old minaret .

The tower of the Cathedral from the Patio of the Na
Photo Carlos Zeballos

 The entrance to the complex is given through the Gate of Forgiveness (Puerta del Perdón), where forgave pilgrims were publicly forgiven.

THE COURT OF THE ORANGES

Mosques have two parts: the sahn or courtyard that features a tower called minaret and the masjid or prayer hall. Behaving as a transition space between the space of the street and the sacred area of ​​the mosque, this court is named after its orange trees, arranged in a grid layout. This space was where the faithful wash before entering the Grand Mosque. In the middle there is a fountain that is said to concede marriage to whoever drinks from its waters.

The Court of the oranges or sahn, a transition space before entering the temple.
Image courtesy of CVC


THE FIRST MOSQUE

The original mosque, with capacity for 5,000 people, made by Abd al-Rahman I, consisted of 11 oblong naves ending in the qibla, a wall pointing towards Mecca (though this wall is oriented a little further south). This building system was based on a series of arches and columns arranged in two rows. At the bottom are located some horseshoe arches, on which are superimposed semi-circular arches. This technique could give more height to the naves while allowing transparency and spatial communication between them. This system was based on the great Roman aqueducts and in the horseshoe arches,  typical of the Visigoths, but here in Cordoba achieved a unique combination. The pillars are decorated with corbels on their front. Since, as we said, this mosque was built over a church, and many of the materials were recycled elements, it is possible to observe dissimilar capitals and columns. Its unique two-color pattern is due to the use of alternating voussoirs of brick and limestone.

Arches of horseshoe arches
Photo Carlos Zeballos


THE FIRST ENLARGEMENT

To make the first enlargement in 832, Abd al-Rahman II demolished the mosque qibla and extended it towards the river, building also, as mentioned, the first minaret. The original floor was rammed earth mixed with clay called red ocher.

In 855 Muhammad I remodeled the San Esteban Gate, whose arc is finished with a molding called alfiz, which was subsequently frequently repeated.

St. Stephen's Gate

THE SECOND ENLARGEMENT

It was also made towards the Guadalquivir in 962 by al-Hakam II, who enlarged the prayer room, this time using new (not recycled) elements in its construction. Its expansion is a "visual settings and morphologically complex configuration of forms that are located on a connection between past and future" (Khoury, 1996).

He expanded the patio and for that purpose he knocked down the old minaret to build a new one. Also he included a large library with a huge hall for copyists (who copied books since printing was not invented yet) The horseshoe arches, whose concept had been used previously, are redefined with intricate designs, intersecting each other and producing polylobed forms.

Spectacularly carved arches.
Photo Carlos Zeballos

Facing the qibla wall there is a small room lavishly decorated with marble and fine carvings called mihrab, before which the Quran was read.


In turn, ribbed vaults intertwine defining an octagonal space, covered by a dome.


The arch of the mihrab and the dome are covered with fine mosaics of Byzantine influence (as the Romans used mosaics preferably on the floor)


Maqsura section.
Image courtesy Nuha N.Kouri

THE THIRD ENLARGEMENT

In 987 Almanzor, unable to continue growing towards the river, decided to enlarge the complex to the east, adding eight new naves and expanding the patio. The arches in this area are painted. With this extension the mosque reached a capacity of 25,000 people. The horseshoe arch is predominant, also richly decorated.

THE CHRISTIAN CATHEDRAL

Using a mixture of styles between the Islamic and Christian, in a style called Mudejar, numerous modifications took place in the mosque in order to be used as a cathedral.

The expansion made in the sixteenth century by Bishop Alonso Manrique destroyed parts of the mosque, especially the expansion of Abd al-Rahman II, despite opposition from neighbors and the council of Córdoba (even threatening with death penalty whoever dared to work in the construction). In the end, King Charles I authorized the Bishop ... big mistake, as the king, when he saw the works of the cathedral said:

"If I had known what it was, I would not have allowed to touch the old parts, since you have done what exists in many other parts and have destroyed what was unique".

The cathedral, in cross plan, was executed by architect Hernán Ruiz, and subsequently by his son and grandson, who built the chapel and the transept. Particularly remarkable are the Altarpiece, richly made in  red marble, and the chorus of the canons. Both carved wooden pulpits and the chairs are made of mahogany brought from Cuba.



After the fall of Cordoba in 1236, the mosque was preserved as a cultural value by the kings of Castile and became an architectural and aesthetic reference that would eventually be transferred to the New World.

The following is a video of our visit to the Great Mosque of Cordoba:

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WATERFRONT IN TEMPOZAN (I): OSAKA AQUARIUM

October 29, 2012, 12:00 am
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Many cities were founded in a close relationship with rivers, seas or lakes. After industrialization, that link weakened, due to pollution, overcrowding or lack of interest from  their inhabitants. The so-called "waterfront development" is a contemporary attempt to return that relation water-city-to the population.

The waterfront area of Tempozan in the Osaka Bay (1990) is a well known sea side intervention in Japan. It consists of an aquarium, a museum, hotel and entertainment facilities. In this entry, I will focus on the Osaka Aquarium or Kaiyukan, one of the largest aquaria in the world. In the next post I will be commenting on Tadao Ando's Suntory Museum.


In designing an aquarium many specialists converge in an interdisciplinary work par excellence. From architects to design its urban impact and internal space, engineers who conceive resistant structures and determine the thickness of acrylic tanks (in a highly seismic zone), interior designers, who contribute to offer the visitor an educational and memorable experience, to expert biologists, ecologists, chemists and other scientists who determine the precise characteristics of each habitat required by every species on display. About 20 companies worked for 2 ½ years to carry out the Kaiyukan Aquarium.

The result was a massive building that sits in front of a plaza that serves as an urban atrium. Such massiveness, in some degree necessary due to the function that houses, appeared to be formally fragmented,
slightly offsetting the corners of the cubic volume in both plan and elevation.


Kaiyukan literally means "Playing in the Sea Pavilion" and that is precisely the conception of Chermayeff, Sollogub and Poole, American architects in charge of the project. The design explores the concept of playfulness from the very unorthodox conception of building volume, a colorful glass topped box whose corners have been fractured as if it were a Rubik cube.


Beyond the external volumetric treatment or the controversial colorful mosaic façade, the aquarium stands by the careful design of both the exhibition areas as well as the dramatic path that connects these recreated ecosystems.

General scheme of the aquarium.Beginning  in the Japanese forests (upper left area) the visitor follows a spiral that connects the exhibition halls.

The Kaiyukan was designed to awaken an interest about the amazing biodiversity that lives in the Pacific Ocean. Based on the Gaia Hypothesis, which proposes that the Earth is a living organism in which all creatures and volcanic activity are interrelated, the Aquarium presents a sample of life at sea in the Ring of Fire in 15 vast rooms.


After crossing an impressive entry hall 11 m long, surrounded by water, Chermayeff included an escalator that transports visitors to the highest and more illuminated point, which houses a Japanese forest.


From there, a spiral circulation descends, connecting the various display areas, and increasingly entering into the seabed habitats. The lighting and interior design help to provide a experience between the visitor and the colorful, vivid and diverse fauna and flora displayed, including many examples from the equatorial forests to the Antarctic. The various tanks corresponding to each of ecosystems are shown in clear and sequential order.

In the photos, I show only two of the most impressive specimens: a stingray and some giant Japanese spider crabs, (note the size of people in the back)


Thanks to the fine interdisciplinary work mentioned earlier, it was possible to reproduce the ideal conditions that allow these delicate species, survive and reproduce.





This extraordinarily beautiful and colorful jellyfish inhabits abyssal waters.



For a video of the inside of the aquarium, click here


In an impressive technical display, the Kaiyukan Aquarium succeeds in amalgamating entertainment and education, research and culture in an innovative and functional design. From an urban point of view, the colorful, massive and aggressive volume of the aquarium contrasts with that of the Suntory Museum, designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando .


I will comment on that building in the next post. Meanwhile I leave you with a sunset Osaka Bay, seen from the Tempozan square.

 
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TADAO ANDO: SUNTORY MUSEUM

October 31, 2012, 11:38 pm
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By the time I am updating this post, the Suntory Museum in Osaka is not longer open to the public. The scarce attendance and the high cost of maintenance lead to the Japanese beverage company to close this building and focus on its more popular Suntory Museum of Art, designed by Kengo Kuma in downtown Tokyo. Therefore, this post becomes a sort of posthumous homage to one of the most remarkable museums designed by Tadao Ando, where he managed to express his ideas about the relation of urban architecture and the seascape.

Tempozan is one of the most important waterfront interventions in Osaka. This complex consists of various facilities, particularly the  Osaka Aquarium by Chermayeff and the Suntory Museum by Tadao Ando, ​​which, each with a specific way, contribute to define the functional and spatial role of this area as a new cultural and recreational hub, despite being far from the city itself.





Complex at Tempozan
Images courtesy of Suntory Museum

However, despite being very close from each other, Ando's proposal has taken a very different approach to that of his American counterpart. The massive and capricious mutation of the aquarium contrasts with the geometric composition based on pure forms of the museum and the lightness of the overlapped volumes. The strident polychromy proposed by Chermayeff in the Kaiyukan, diverges from the typical monochromy and the game of light and shadows favored by Ando in the Suntory. To the introverted character of the aquarium, the museum responds by opening itself to the sea through visual design and an waterfront plaza called Mermaid Square.

The Suntory Museum and  the Aquarium Kaiyuukan
Photo by Carlos Zeballos

Aside these characteristics, this project means a lot more to Ando. It is triumph of is stubborn interest to create a public space in front of the bay, basically devoured by real estate speculation. The cultural complex commissioned by the liquor company Suntory allowed Ando try once again his favorite subject: the relationship between man, nature and architecture.

Plan layout and 3D perspective of the museum
Image courtesy of Suntory Museum

The composition of the building consists of an inverted truncated cone intersected by two prismatic volumes, the gallery and the restaurant. The impressive cone whose 48 m in diameter  major base is glazed towards the ocean and shows inside the nested  sphere of ​​the theater, as if it were a giant pearl.

Night view of the museum, showing the theater or "pearl"

The Suntory Museum was built in 1994 with a variety of materials: the great truncated cone is composed of a spatial structure covered in steel and glass, while the rest of the building is constructed of pre-stressed reinforced concrete.


The materials and technology used in this project have been carefully studied to preserve the building from wind exposure and the salinity of the environment.

View the spherical IMAX theater and restaurant 
Photo Carlos Zeballos

The museum houses art gallery, it features a 3D IMAX cinema, a number of shops and a restaurant. The first level, which is accessed via an escalator, contains a reception, shops and the entrance to the IMAX theater. The walkway that surrounds the area, as well as the lobbies that overlook the space allow to clearly  perceive the curvature of its volume.


From here and in complicity with the six-stories height cone, you can enjoy the architectural spectacle designed by Ando, ​​discover how the sun, in an ever-changing game, casts beams of light and shadow on the surface of the ball, made up of triangular concrete panels.


From the theater is possible to access to a panoramic terrace, which is in turn the roof of the restaurant.



The restaurant is divided into small semi intimate areas, at various levels, but without losing its spatial integration. It also includes extensive views into the bay. The interiors are varied but sober, using wood and warm colors.



The other is the gallery prismatic volume. In order to lighten its formal perception Ando imposes a generous, cantilever, supported by strong columns and beams in Y. The small transparent staircase and the glaze first level of this volume underscore that idea, while the cantilever reinforces its ​​relation to the sea.


Also, through the generous screen in the hall of the gallery you can enjoy panoramic views of the ocean.


In that sense, it seems that in the design of the lobby Ando disregarded a study of insolation, as the sunlight mercilessly hits this space in the afternoon, and therefore people do not usually stay long in this area, supposedly design for ​​contemplation (in summer this space is unbearable). Personally I prefer the solution  given to this problem by Arata Isozaki in its Kyoto Concert Hall, using shojis or panels to protect the room from the sunlight.

The museum rests on a meticulously designed platform: the Mermaid Plaza. This area, called Naniwa-zu in ancient times, evokes the introduction of Chinese culture to the Japanese coast. However, Ando had to fight hard with the authorities who try to impose him the construction of high protective dikes. Instead, the building has a setback, arranging a series of platforms, ramps and staircases towards the sea, creating a space for meeting and contemplation of the sunset. Also includes moving sculptures as a tribute to the wind, incorporating movement to the austere simplicity of the square.

The square, 40 x 100 m, contains an amphitheater and five monumental pillars arranged in a row, which are duplicated on top of a dike built 70 meters into the sea, reinforcing the perception of continuity between the square and the ocean.

View Mermaid Square at dusk

The relationship between nature and architecture to Tadao Ando is not limited to the context, but to the very embodiment of the landscape, in this case water, in the design of the building itself. It seems that the Japanese architect also intensely enjoys the pleasure of contemplates the sunset at the sea.

Frida Kahlo
At the time of the visit, the gallery was displaying an exhibition on  Frida Kahlo , the famous Mexican surrealist painter.


With a colorful palette, Kahlo's works convey her identity with their country and include themes of folklore and folk art in Mexico. Her thick eyebrows and her intense look are  often evident in several paintings where she portraited her love for nature as well as her suffering for her bad health she endured  for most of his life. The exhibition also included photographs of her life and even her death. Some years later, I had the chance of visiting her house studio in Mexico, that which also belonged to her lifetime love, the master Diego Rivera.
In this page you can see some photos and comments about her work.

To see a video of a walking tour inside the museum, click here. 

SEE ALSO
- OTHER WORKS BY TADAO ANDO



-WATERFRONT ARCHITECTURE

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TADAO ANDO: HYOGO MUSEUM OF ART

November 7, 2012, 11:29 pm
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Photo courtesy of mozgram

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Expanding itself from the coast to the mountainside, Kobe, with its million and a half inhabitants, is one of the most modern cities and attractive ports of Japan. Located in the Osaka Bay, its industrial activity is based on industries such as shipyards, rubber material, chemicals, sugar and sake. The region is rich in growing fruits, vegetables, rice and tea.

However, the first image we have from Kobe is the earthquake that on January 17, 1995 devastated the city, particularly the Hyogo Awaji area. The quake, with an intensity of 7.3 degrees on the Richter scale had much tragic consequences. More than 6000 people lost their lives, modern infrastructure and buildings collapsed and entire neighborhoods were destroyed either by the earthquake or the fires that followed.


Although the city has literally risen from the ashes like a phoenix and is now more alive than ever, many of the reconstruction works were carried without considering the memory of the city, losing forever some of the little urban and architectural heritage which survived the bombings of World War II.

Unlike these works, Tadao Ando proposed to recover one of the most important aspects in the collective memory: the city's relationship with the sea. It was a happy coincidence that both the Hyogo Museum of Art (winner of an international competition) as well as the Kobe Waterfront Plaza (commissioned by the City of Kobe) were deigned by Ando, ​​who treated them as an integral proposal.

Outline Hyogo Art Museum and Plaza Oceanfront Kobe.
Sketch courtesy of Tadao Ando

This proposed urban development consisted of a complex of housing for the victims, a museum of modern art and an extensive park, located in an old port area in Hyogo, destroyed by the earthquake.

Museum and waterfront park
See location on Google Maps

KOBE WATERFRONT PLAZA

Ando, ​​like many others in Kobe,has not forgotten the experience of the earthquake. The "Kobe Waterfront Plaza", besides being a large recreation area with trees, sport and walking areas as well as an outdoor auditorium neighboring the sea, it can also be used as a reserve area for refugees and a fire barrier.


"The external exhibition space is designed to be larger and richer in variety compared to conventional museums" says Ando. "The Waterfront Plaza is the core of the local community ... With the round plaza in its center, the stairs that gently shift levels and self-supporting the wall that tactfully manipulates the view to the sea, produce a diversified spatial sequence... The plaza connects the public space at the museum's base platform  in both visual and spatial series to create a water park with a spread of 500 meters along the border."

View of the circular plaza outside the museum
Photo Carlos Zeballos

HYOGO PREFECTURAL MUSEUM OF MODERN ART 

Unlike his other projects, this time the architect opted for a more severe and sober language that transmits an image of security, strength and durability, contrasting the devastating images of the disaster. The approach to the building from the city is achieved from an elegant footbridge. As the buildings show a more opaque face towards the city, Ando provides a pedestrian scale by means of a groove and a rough stone arch, contrasting with the polished dark volume that forms the rest of building.

Approaching the building from the pedestrian bridge
Photo Carlos Zeballos

Also, contrasting with the building massiveness, the other end of the boxes are visually opened to the seascape, by means of generous windows. In turn, the roof extends with wide eaves (a similar gesture to the museum designed by the same architect in Fort Woth, Texas, USA), creating a cozy terrace with gardens, and stairs, spreading into the bay.


The museum rests on a white polished granite platform upon which the three glass boxes are arranged in parallel, each of which encloses a concrete block. The space between the two boxes of glass and concrete is occupied by a surrounding gallery that in turn allows the enjoyment of landscape views.


One of the volumes, the wing of the gallery, is more separated than the others, leading to a passage running through the museum and providing a visual and physical connection between the Kobe mountains and the sea.

Distribution of the museum.
Image courtesy of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art


This street is crossed by bridges and suspended plazas, allowing an easy communication between the different components of the museum building.

Photo courtesy of mozgram

In the middle of this street, is a light well, which houses a set of spiral staircases.


This device, besides providing natural light to the different levels and parking area -along with numerous other exquisite details that are typical in the work of this Japanese architect- adds a touch of grace to the severity manifested in the formal vocabulary of the rest of the building.


Detail of the external benches outside.

The interior of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art is remarkably minimalist. As he did in the Church of Light in Osaka, the austerity in the use of colors and materials (concrete, stone, steel and glass) stresses the majesty of space and light, which Ando manipulates to provide users with numerous sensations of scale and tone, and at the same time is a perfect setting to host modern art, often colorful and uniquely  and stridently shaped.

Inside the museum
Photo C.Zeballos

GUSTAV KLIMT

This time, the museum presents an exhibition of the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt . Founder of the Vienna Secession, Klimt (1862-1918) is the most important painter of the Art Nouveau movement. His works are full of color and eroticism, by introducing many organic forms taken from nature, meticulously decorated in golden tones.

Judith Playing in the poster exhibition

The exhibition featured many of his sketches of undoubted skill, as well as some of their belongings, including his nightstand, his particular and colorful costumes and interesting photographs.
His work includes an enormous painting murals installation including Greek themes and symbolic nudes. Among his most famous works is the remarkable portrait of his beloved Emilie Flöge called Judith, and the Nuda Veritas (Naked Truth).



Looking closely at the painting, impressionist influence can be seen, since the painting is made up of fine strokes violet, yellow, pink, blue, achieving a smooth and harmonious effect .

Nuda Veritas
Gustav Klimt

At this time, a murmur interrupts the quiet atmosphere of the museum ...

It is the master Ando himself, who has come to the museum and gives a short speech to the stunned audience!


Tadao Ando is a highly respected celebrity in Japan, a society that loves protocol and reverence.He is very spontaneous with Japanese students, though somewhat sullen with foreigners.Still, he gladly accepted a postcard from Machu Picchu that I had carried with me in my bag that day, just by chance.


SEE ALSO




-  OTHER WORKS BY TADAO ANDO
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TADAO ANDO; THE MUSEUM OF WOOD

November 15, 2012, 8:42 pm
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In order to celebrate the day of the forests, a commemoration established by the emperor after the destruction of large forest areas during the Second World War, the renowned architect Tadao Ando was commissioned to design a museum complex in the midst of the forest of Mikata-gun, in Hyogo Prefecture. As part of Japan's environmental strategy, the project seeks to promote understanding, awareness and respect for nature.
The building is internationally known as the Museum of Wood (1994). However, the Japanese term Ki no Dendoo (木の殿堂) can be translated more like "Sanctuary Wood" (and boy, it is indeed a sanctuary because to get there it took me a whole pilgrimage).

Beyond its environmental connotations, the museum pays homage to the culture of wood in its various manifestations in the world. It is a space for reflection, more than just a space for the exhibition of objects.




The concept of the volume stands out for its simplicity: set on top of a hill, a truncated cone of 46 m in diameter housing a void cylinder  inside, emerges from the woods like a volcano in the middle of a green sea.


The conical shape is dramatically bisected by a long pedestrian bridge that goes into the forest, ending in a small cubic viewpoint that has been rotated 45 degrees.


The Pritzker Prize laureate has been widely recognized for his work in concrete, but in the Sanctuary Wood Ando demostrates that he is equally skilled in working with wood., in the same way as he previously did in the Japanese Pavilion at the World Expo in Seville.

Japan Pavilion at the Expo in Seville, designed by Tadao Ando, ​​was the closest reference to the museum of wood.
Photos courtesy of Philip Jodidio

The interior is a large exhibition space that unfolds along a spiral ramp, full of long columns of wood, about 18 meters high. The shape of the roof truss inevitably evokes Japanese temples and shrines in Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo
Kasuga Temple in Nara.

However, beyond a mere formal symbolism, Ando uses the complicated roof structure to provide the interior of an interesting game of light and shadow. The light helps to foster that sense of solemnity and respect that a sanctuary inspires.


 "The light sparkles coincide with the proximity of their extinction: the object appears and takes shape in the edge between the luminosity  and the dark", he says.

The game of light and the woodworking are a reference to Japanese traditional architecture.
Photo C.Zeballos


The exhibition contains a number of items related to the craft of wood: stunning  models of historical houses, photographs, a collection of woodworking tools in the world, ancient works in wood, a fully equipped media room and even crafts made by children and adults in the museum workshops.



Also, for the delight of architectural pilgrims, there is an exhibition showing sketches made by the architect during the design of the museum.

Sketch of the museum by Tadao Ando

It is obvious that the purpose of the building is not hosting internationally renowned work, like most museums, but has rather an educational nature and form of community outreach. Artistically, however, the continent is more attractive than the content.


The central crater of 20 m in diameter, animated by the cheerful sound of water flowing from numerous fountains, splashing on a stone base, was conceived as the point where the "sky and water metaphorically meet".


To make evident this union, a concrete bridge crosses the cone, allowing the visitors to feel amid a solemn emptiness, inside and at the same time outside the space, with the sky in their head, the wooden tongue and groove around them, the fountains at their feet and the forests on the horizon.



Attention to detail and simplicity, tradition and modernity, openness and intimacy, nature and artificiality, light and shadow are binomials resolved with sobriety, humility and expertise in this iconic building.




SEE ALSO:
- OTHER WORKS BY TADAO ANDO.


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CHANDIGARH AND LE CORBUSIER (I)

November 22, 2012, 8:12 pm
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Chandigarh is an atypical city in India, unlike the typical urban maze that characterizes cities in neighboring provinces. It is a city full of gardens and parks, wide roads, modern architecture. Chandigarh was the only urban project executed by Le Corbusier, the most influential master of modern architecture, who put all his  effort, heart and soul, in order to fulfill it, from 1951 until his death in 1965. Chandigarh is an impressive legacy of urbanism, landscape design, architecture, sculpture, painting and interior design of the prolific Swiss master has left;  it is an exceptional, utopian city, which remarkable architecture made it a candidate to be declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO .

This article, dedicated to the work of Le Corbusier in India, will be divided into two parts. In the first one, I will discuss the history of Chandigarh, its birth as a city, Le Corbusier's involvement and the major aspects of its urban proposal. In the next post, we will review the main exponents of Corbusian architecture in Chandigarh, especially on the Capitol.

A mixed-use blocks decorated with a mosaic of Le Corbusier.Photo C.Zeballos

WHY CHANDIGARH?

The Mongol invasions from the 15th century left not only beautiful architectural jewels such as the Taj Mahal and Jaisalmer, but fundamentally a strong Muslim presence in northern India, a predominantly Hindu country. For this reason, after its independence from the British in 1947 , and to the dismay of Gandhi, the country was divided into two, and Pakistan  was born as Muslim country to the northwest and northeast of Hindu India (later the northeast part also become independent of Pakistan, giving rise to Bangladesh).

Perhaps the most traumatic effect of this division was the fracture of the Punjab province in India, whose historic capital Lahore, was ceded to Pakistan. In addition, the Indian cities of the province became increasingly overcrowded by millions of refugees coming from the north, and the religious-political frictions between the two countries had already left a horrific toll of half a million dead.



In this dramatic context, Prime Minister Nehru decided in 1947 to create a new capital for the Punjab and Haryana provinces, and called it Chandigarh  (चंडीगढ़), meaning "Chandi Fortress", in honor of a fortress temple dedicated to Goddess Chandi that was located nearby.

Monument to Peace,  at the entrance of the waterfront park at Sukhna Lake.More than the shape of the monument, I was interested in the inscription it houses: "Chandigarh, the City of Peace. Let's strive for: community harmony, cultural diversity, rejection of violence, resolution of conflict, reconciliation of differences, freedom of expression."In an area of continuous religious political frictions that aspiration takes on particular significance.Photo C. Zeballos
WHY LE CORBUSIER?

When India became independent, it was found that there were native no trained professionals on city planning. Some nationalists suggested that the city should be based on the Mansara Shilpa Shastras, some ancient architectural treatises over 3000 years old, while others suggested to hire a foreign western professional in order to create a city as a symbol of the future.
The commission would be given to American architects Matthew Nowicki, and Albert Mayer, who produced a picturesque fan-shaped proposal, borrowing ideas from the Ebenezer Howard's Garden City. However. Nowicki tragically perished in a plane crash and, following Mayer's resignation, the task fell to the hands of the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier.

Mayer first urban plan, Museum of the City of Chandigarh.
Photo C.Zeballos (distorted by the lens angle)

For his part, Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris (Le Corbusier, 1887-1965), was opposed to the Howard's concept of Garden City and sharply criticized the concept of the American suburb, which he called "the organized slavery of capitalist society, that leads to isolated individualism and to the destruction of the collective spirit. " Influential self-taught architect, Le Corbusier had developed new concepts of architecture that was implemented in various housing, institutional and religious projects. His ideas about urbanism have been equally influential, mainly based on the decongestion and densification of urban centers, providing fast vehicular routes and increasing green areas, and they were mainly discussed at the International Congress of Modern Architecture, CIAM. However, Le Corbusier had not had a chance to implement them.

Le Corbusier in Chandigarh.Photo Courtesy of Chandigarh, The City Beautiful

The vision of the Swiss master perfectly matched Nehru's ambitions of a modern India , and for that reason he was very well welcomed. In 1951 Le Corbusier assumed the role of "spiritual director" of the project and called for a team composed of his French cousin Pierre Jeanerette , the Englishmen Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew and about twenty enthusiastic young Indian architects, who developed a new project , abandoning the one made by Mayer.

The project team: Le Corbusier, Jeanerette, Fry and Drew.Photo Courtesy of Chandigarh, The City Beautiful

PROPOSAL

The plan, conceived for a city of 500,000, is based on a rectangular grid adapted to field conditions. The basic unit was the "Sector", conceived as self-sufficient and introverted, subdivided into neighborhood units of about 150 families.

One of the sectors in which the city was divided.


These sectors were linked by a network of streets called "the 7Vs". The "Vs" are pathways hierarchically organized  according to the intensity of the traffic flow that they support. Thus, V1 are national roads; V2 conduce to the special facilities; V3 are high speed avenues that cross the city leading to the local equipment V4, V5 are  neighborhood ways, the V6, domestic paths, the  V7 are pedestrian paths and the V8, subsequently added, are bikeways (Le Corbusier joked: "the 7Vs that are actually 8").

Each 1200 * 800 meters sector is linked to a V2 or V3 high-speed way. It is crossed from east to west by a V4 shopping street, which connects to other adjacent sectors, and to a V5 neighborhood way from north to south. V7 walkways connect to the fringes of parks and green areas.

Plan of Chandigarh by Le Corbusier.
Photo C.Zeballos (distorted by the lens angle)

Based on 4 main functions (living, working, moving and keeping a healthy body and spirit), the Corbusian proposal  makes an analogy between Chandigarh and the human body: the head is the Capitol (Sector 1), the heart the Central Area (Sector 17), the lungs were the Leisure Valley, parks and green areas, the brain, the universities and schools, the circulatory system were 7Vs ways and the digestive system, the industry.


THE CAPITOL.

Located in the far north, is the most important monument area and contains the most representative buildings of the city. Because of its importance we will discuss it in the next post.



THE CENTRAL AREA.

Located at the junction of two main V2 roads, it is divided into two areas: the southern area is designated for the administration  and the northern sector for civic functions. This distribution separates the pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

One of the mixed-use blocks in the central area. Photo  C. Zeballos

It consists of a series of concrete blocks of 4 levels, arranged along four pedestrian ways that converge in a square or chowk, where are the most important civic and commercial buildings are located (in this blog have commented in other cases of  chowks in Bhakdapur Darbar in Nepal and in Jaisalmer , India).
As for the landscaping, the space includes pools designed by M. Sharman and the vegetation, that in summer months is essential.

Ornamental fountain in the central square or chowk.Photo C.Zeballos

CULTURAL COMPLEX

Located at the junction of two V2 boulevards, is composed of a Museum, whose architecture will also be discussed in the next post.

Museum of Fine Arts, University of Punjab.Photo courtesy of Shub Shign

LEISURE VALLEY.

The Vallée des loisirs is a huge linear park that runs throughout the city and it is conceived as a more informal cultural and recreational area, in which Le Corbusier included outdoor theaters, monuments and other landscape design features.

One of several city parks.Photo C.Zeballos

The Sukhna Lake.

This huge reservoir of water located in Sector 1 was designed as a haven away from the noise of the city, in which Le Corbusier dreamed to contemplate the reflection of the Himalayas. Accompanying the lake is a nice, 25 m wide and 5 km long grove, which is usually very popular with families on weekends.

"Love is in the air" in the Sukhna Lake photo courtesy of babasteve.
The grrove in the lakefront. Curiously, access to this viewpoint cylindrical on the lake was closed because it had lately become a popular place for suicide.Photo C.Zeballos

CRITICISM

In his book "Urban Planning in the Third World. The Chandigarh Experience" (1982), Madhu Sarin presents a sharp critique of the project for this city. Sarin  presents Le Corbusier as proud and arrogant, more focused on applying the CIAM abstract models than to address the specific problems of the Indian population for which the city was designed.  He accuses Le Corbusier of having rejected previous studies have favored a formalistic and aesthetic conception, without social or cultural considerations. Sarin explains in detail the numerous contradictions presented in the model, such as the system of land tenure, the informal occupation of peripheral sectors and the incompatibility problems of commercial and housing uses, which mainly affect the poorest.
In a similar vein, Ravi Kalia in his book "Chandigarh, The making of an Indian city" (1987), states that Chandigarh was a city "designed, but not planned", because it focused on the physical-spatial design of its urban fabric, but not considered issues such as productivity, reducing social tensions, economic integration of social classes and regional integration.
I must agree with Sarin on something, that Chandigarh is a city for the car, and walking around, especially in summer, is a torture. The Capitol monumental area is so far from the center that its access is often difficult for the city's population. Furthermore, although the physical structure of the city has remained, the original approach of separation of functions has proved unhelpful and unsuitable to Indian culture, and as a consequence in many parts of the city the original use has been varied, incorporating, for example, open markets.

Use in some blocks have been modified. C. PhotoZeballos

However, the socioeconomic figures show Chandigarh as an emerging city with the highest income per capita and the highest Human Development Index in the country. It is also, since July 2007, the first "smoke-free city" in India. This coincides with my overall impression, reinforced by interviews I conducted to the local people of various social levels. The consensus is that Chandigarh is an organized, efficient and very special city,  in which their inhabitants live proudly, with a superior quality of life than neighboring cities. Not to mention the aesthetic richness of its architecture, not only the Corbusian one, but the one developed by Indian architects and designers in subsequent years.

In any case, it is always interesting to compare opinions of Indian experts who know more deeply about their reality and problems, specially because Western literature has tended to discuss superficially on Chandigarh, almost worshiping the work of Le Corbusier which, while plausible in many respects, has left other serious questions unsolved.

In the next post we will discuss:
  • The Legislature
  • The Supreme Court
  • The Secretariat
  • Open Hand Monument

Girl in Chandigarh.Photo courtesy of Steve baba

SEE ALSO:
- ENVIRONMENTAL URBAN PLANNING.
  • Coming soon

Standing next to my cordial host Varun Sengal , who very kindly and without knowing me previously, he accompanied me on a tour around the city. 
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CHANDIGARH AND LE CORBUSIER (II)

December 17, 2012, 3:08 am
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This second part is devoted to the architectural work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh, is a complement to our previous post on the city's urban design.

The Capitol buildings in Chandigarh are the most important monumental complex in this city and some of the most interesting examples of Le Corbusier's work, although there are other of his buildings scattered throughout the city. The novel conceptual development and the thoroughness and detail evident in each building are typical of a Swiss watchmaker (actually, that was the profession of Le Corbusier in his youth) and demonstrate the commitment and love that the master devoted in his work.

Detail of the Assembly Palace's coverage .
Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this article belong to C.Zeballos

THE CAPITOL.

Isolated from the rest of the city, located in the north foothills of the Himalayas, and separated from it by parks and highways, the entire Capitol represents the head of Chandigarh, in an analogy with the human body that was explained in the previous article .
While the scale of the complex exceeded the buildings functional requirements, its monumentality was necessary to symbolize the Prime Minister Nehru's vision, who hoped to overcome the glory and fame of Lahore, the ancient capital of Punjab ceded to Pakistan; a goal which, at least in the western world, has been achieved.
Asymmetrically arranged in a huge open area, the buildings of the Capitol area represent the powers of the democratic state and are comprised by: the Assembly (legislative), the Courts (judiciary), the Secretariat (executive) and accompanied by monuments such as the Open Hand and the Tower of Shadows. Here, Le Corbusier demonstrates is mastery in the use of the concrete, while reaffirming his conception of architecture as an element imposed to nature, achieving harmony and balance though contrast.

Capitol Area in Chandigarh.
See location on Google Earth

SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE

Court of Justice from the Secretariat.
The Superior Court of Justice was the first building to be finished. It consists of an L-shaped block, framed by a concrete cover that functions as a large umbrella that unfolds gracefully in the shape of arches, and that somehow establishes an reference to the covers of the havelis in Mughal architecture. This space between the double cover offers a smooth ventilation in the summer and protection during the rainy season. Le Corbusier used to say that both the sun and the rain are components of the architecture, and therefore applied in this building his famous concept of brise-soleil, or the inclusion of parasols as permanent and constituent elements of the building. Despite this, the functional distribution of the courts and the judges offices had to be shifted to prevent  the sun from direct insolation.


Detail of the facade of the Court, showing different grid compositions.


The main elevation faces a square where most vehicles park and where the entry controls are located. The rear facade looks at the esplanade facing the Assembly. Both spaces are spatially linked  through a portico formed by three large painted concrete columns (in contrast to the other exposed concrete elements).

Detail of the concrete parasol and its encounter with the plates.

The building contains 8 high courts, supreme court separated by the above mentioned plates . The courts are spaces of 8 * 8 * 12 meters, in which Le Corbusier applied another of his well-known principles, the modulation system known as modulor .
A system of ramps connecting the various offices of the judicial bureaucracy, while offering impressive views of the entire Capitol complex.

Detail the perforations in the ramps.

On the roof, Le Corbusier devised a set of outdoor terraces, which unfortunately today are used as warehouses.

Rooftop terraces of the courts.

It also had to create a special parking area for the judges, who did not agreed park next to the general public.

THE SECRETARIAT

Main facade of the Secretariat.


Located at the other end of the Capitol, the so-called Secretariat is a long, 8-story, 245 m long and 42 high block, that houses  the administrative offices of two provinces, Punjab and Haryana. Its shape resembles Le Corbusier's Housing Units, called Unités.

Interior of dining in the secretariat.Note the separation of the windows from the structure, one of Le Corbusier's favorite principles .

With numerous elements that alter and dynamize its repetitive modulated character, the block  is an analogy to classical architecture: it is composed of a base, a body and a capital. Le Corbusier wanted to include his famous piles at the base and was about to give up the whole project when he was rejected (yes, he was very proud). Fortunately an intermediate alternative was found and the offices in the first floors were removed to make way for a gallery that offers shade for pedestrians.

Details of how the facade is dynamized by a sculptural element that enriches the composition.

 In contrast to the light grid of the facade, there is a massive sculptural element, pierced by small windows, that houses a series of internal ramps.

Detail of stairs


Similarly, on the roof there is another recurring element in Corbusian architecture: the roof-garden, which was designed to compensate the ground that the building takes away from nature, and is composed of a series of sculptural and symbolic elements that used to have a civic role. Unfortunately today this area is closed for safety reasons (it was the first time in my life that I took pictures escorted by an armed soldier).

The Secretariat Garden-terrace 

THE LEGISLATURE

Photo courtesy of John Steedman

Perhaps the most emblematic building of the complex, is aligned on the axis of the Capitol. It is a large rectangular block that reaches 38 m at its highest point. Instead two legislative houses of curved forms are linked by a foyer.

The front grid is rotated to avoid direct sunlight

Around the square there is a huge concrete parasol, whose monumental form is reflected on a pond, a detail used by Le Corbusier to give lightness to the building, gaving the impression of a large ship.

Assembly Plant


But the most significant aspect of the building is the coverage of the legislative chambers, formed by a pyramidal prism in the case of the Council Chambers and a sculptural hyperbolic paraboloid to the House of Assembly. It is said that Le Corbusier was inspired by a cooling chimneys saw in Ahmedabad and also by his fascination for the Indian bulls.

Game volume on the terrace of the Assembly

The scale and magnificence of the Assembly Hall is spectacular, and personally, is the vault that has impressed me most, along with the Pantheon in Rome. Unfortunately it was not allowed to take pictures, but still doubt I would have managed to capture the majesty of this space.

Painted black, it highlights the dramatic game of light, that gives the space generating a sense of solemnity.

Interesting structural models and lighting, courtesy of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia

The seats of legislators, of colorful tapestries, surrounding the Congress president and are arranged in a horseshoe layout. Outside, the building's doors are adorned with colorful paintings by the talented, versatile and workaholic Le Corbusier.

Pictorial work of Le Corbusier in the door of the Assembly

TOWER OF SHADOWS

Designed to study the solar movement, this building served to Le Corbusier to support his thesis that "it is possible to control the sunlight in the 4 corners of a building, play with it even in a hot country and finally obtain low temperatures" .

Detail of the tower of the shadows.Behind the Assembly building

MONUMENT TO OPEN HAND.


This interesting composition, which is both a dove and an open hand ready to give, became the symbol of Chandigarh. This mobile sculpture that rotates according to the wind direction, represents the synthesis of the Swiss architect philosophy.


A few weeks before he died while swimming in the Mediterranean Sea in August 1965, Le Corbusier wrote a letter called Mise au point, which says:
"This symbol of the Open Hand, open to receive the wealth created, to distribute to the peoples of the world, must be the symbol of our age. Before I find myself one day (a little later on) in the celestial spheres amid the stars of God Almighty. I shall be happy to see at Chandigarh, in front of the Himalayas, which rise up straight upon the horizon, this Open Hand, which marks for père Corbu a deed, a certain distance covered, from you, André Malraux, from you, my associates, from you, my friends. I ask help in realizing this symbol of the Open Hand in the skies of Chandigarh, a city desired by Nehru. Gandhi's disciple."
NON-BUILT BUILDINGS

The Capitol area included other buildings that were designed but never realized. One of them was the Governor's Palace, which included offices and accommodation for the governor and his environment.
To learn more about the governor's house, I recommend this interesting and very complete dissertation Pere Perez Fuentes, entitled "Le Corbusier from the Governor's Palace . "

Governor's House.Model located in the City Museum
3D Model of the Governor's Palace, made ​​by Henry Gunawan.

Another building that was not realized was the Museum of Knowledge, an "Electronic laboratory for scientific decision making" where the user was able to interact with information stored in electronic media: words, sounds , colors, movies, etc. This is another example that his ideas were decades ahead with respect to his colleagues, Le Corbusier proposed the type of equipment that ultimately Toyo Ito built  in his Sendai Mediatheque 50 years later.

Press here to see a video of the Capitol, produced by architect Louis Gualtieri.


The Capitol is set candidate to be declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

SEE ALSO / SEE ALSO:
- OTHER WORKS BY LE CORBUSIER.


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CHICHEN ITZA

December 19, 2012, 5:31 pm
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For many years I had wanted to visit Chichen Itza, the spectacular Mayan city located in the forest of the Yucatan peninsula, east of Mexico, long before it was chosen as one of the 7 wonders or that it became fashionable in the tabloids due to an apocalyptic interpretation of the "prophecies" Maya.


Here, we need to use our imagination to picture an impressive citadel, full of colorful monuments whose volumes, painted in ocher, tuquoise, green, orange, white and black, stood stunningly against the blue sky. Like their ancestors of Teotihuacan, the Mayans in Chichen Itza combined architecture with rich and colorful sculptures, evident in the detail of a profuse relief sculpture that represents snakes and other divine creatures.



Mayan cities enjoyed a sophisticated urban and architectural planning , with complex systems of aqueducts, canals and drains.


The city of Chichen Itza was huge and covered an area of ​​24 square kilometers with about 400 stone buildings distributed in 46 groups, that were built over the centuries. While it is not necessary to use the imagination to know the features of its inhabitants, as their descendants walk throughout the complex as craft vendors, it is necessary to imagine their numbers: more than 100,000 inhabitants ( only 10 cities in the world had that population 1000 years ago).



Regarding the urban landscape, I asked our guide how accurate was Mel Gibson's Apocalypto and he replied: "It is out of time, the Mayans were in decline when the Spanish arrived and they did not go to capture prisoners.Aside of that, the representation is quite realistic."


However, the area that we see today corresponds to a ritual zone and it was encircled by a wall, which means that generally  it could only be accessed by prominent authorities. At night, this area must have become a wonderful spectacle, when the pyramids were illuminated by hundreds of torches, as it is evidenced by the traces of oil found in the pyramids.

The pyramids were made of limestone joined with a cement made of burnt lime, crushed and mixed with water, and they were often built on top of  previous structures. Excavations confirm that the Kukulcan pyramid stands over three ancient structures, which allowed it to reach a height of 24 meters to the top platform. To these are added the 6 meters of the temple on its peak, reaching a total of 30 m.




Each of the sides of the base measures 55 m, making it smaller than the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan .


Besides its size and elaborate artistic quality, Chichen Itza is an outstanding example of astronomical knowledge applied to architecture. A detail in the Kukulcan Pyramid, also called "the Castle," are the two serpents that flank the central staircase.


Well, in December 21st, during the winter solstice (yes, the day when "the world ends") the stairs of the pyramid produce a shadow in the shape of a snake and that, starting from the head form the body of the magic reptile, thus uniting heaven and earth. The detailed Mayan calendars also allowed them to understand the cycles of the stars and eclipses, and used that information to govern, control and impress people.




Another impressive aspect in this urban space is the acoustics. The sound was thoroughly studied, and allowed a person to clearly hear the speaker talking at the top of the pyramid. The following video   demonstrates the impressive effect obtained by  a single clap, whose sound was enhanced 10 to 12 times. Can you imagine the cry of a crowd?


The acoustic effect not only occurred in the pyramid, but also in the structure for the ball game.



This was a solemn space, where a game similar to football was played (although it could play with shoulders, elbows and knees) bouncing a rubber ball between two teams of seven players.


The game ended when the ball passed through one of the two rings especially carved in stone located at each side of this space.


The game was a sacred ritual, and the losing team was sacrificed, as evidenced by the reliefs found on one side of the structure


Besides the buildings, the complex contains a large well or cenote, vital for supplying water to the population and where, paradoxically, human sacrifices were offered during  times of drought. Because of them the city is named: Chi Cheen Itz a means "mouth of the well of water witches".

This brings up the huge environmental footprint that the city should have had, not only by the deforestation involving the city area itself, but by the large number of trees and water that was required in the construction process. This forest devastation was one of the causes of the decline of the Mayan civilization. Indeed, the city was abandoned already in the thirteenth century, three centuries before the arrival of the Spanish, due to environmental collapse and the brutality and cruelty of the ruling class, which was then a coalition formed by the Mayans and the Toltecs. The latter subjugated the Maya culture and exercised their power through human sacrifices to worship the sun, which according to them was fed only by the hearts of the sacrificed. For this reason many people fled to the jungle, accelerating the city's  process of collapse.
By the time Europeans arrived in this city, the jungle had claimed it for himself.


SEE ALSO
- ASTRONOMY AND ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE



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TULUM AND WHAT WILL REALLY HAPPEN ON 21-12-12

December 20, 2012, 9:46 am
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According to Mayan astronomical calculations, something extraordinary will happen this 12/12/21. However, it will have nothing to do with the crazy story about an apocalyptic end of the world, but with alignment of various architectural monuments in the Mayan cities with the position of the sun on that day. One of such cases, less known than Chichen Itza, is Tulum, a city built in the Late Post-classic period (1200-1521 AD) which stands dominant, over a stunning Caribbean seascape of turquoise waters and white sand beaches.



At dawn on the winter solstice, the sun is "framed" on a small window in the building called the Castle, showing the connection of the city not only with its surrounding seascape but with its cosmological environment.


Similar alignments also occur during the equinoxes, when the sunlight passes through an opening and it is projected over a specific building. Such astronomical calculations allowed Mayan rulers to control the population, which must have looked stunned as the sun god was confined and trapped in a building opening following the "orders" of their kings and priests.


For this reason the city was originally known by the Mayans as Zama, meaning "Dawn" and highlights the impact that this phenomenon had on the local collective memory (using astronomical calculations in architecture is not unique to the Mayans, although these had a very advanced calendar system. In this blog we have discussed similar cases such as the Neolithic monuments of Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland , as well as the sun temples in Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu in Peru).


However, the current name comes from an urban feature: Tulum means wall or fence and refers to the 380 x 170 meters rectangular wall  which protects the city from three sides (the short ones to the  north and south and the long one to the west).





The east side was protected naturally by the cliff that overlooks the sea, and that gives the city a privileged visibility over the seascape. The gates on the wall are linked in a unique urban pattern based on the existence of paved avenues that connected the entrances with the main temple.



The Castle, front view (from the west)

El Castillo, rear views (from the east)

On the architecture of its buildings, historian Gustavo J. Gutiérrez León writes (quote translated from Spanish) :

"The use of broad bottleneck-shaped vaulted ceiling , typical of the Maya culture, stand along with flat roofs constructed of logs supported on the walls. Internal spaces are rectangular and sometimes extended by the use of central columns which supported a wooden lock -Palace and House of Columns. Occasionally buildings have a columned portico, which in the Castle took shape of snakes, as in the analog building in Chichén Itzá. Internally the structures have two or more rooms, in the deepest one there is a small shrine: Temple of the Frescoes, House of Columns- as in the case of Palenque. Equally common is the use of shrines: small independent structures that do not exceed one meter high.


In general, the buildings are low with facades divided by moldings, thus emphasizing their horizontality.Friezes usually have boards in which a character is represented upside down -Temples of the Descending God and frescoes.The walls of the temples are intentionally tilted outwards, giving a peculiar effect.To counteract the load, the door openings are narrow at the top.The lintels are recessed with respect to the facade beyond the edge of the accesses.


Temple of the Frescoes
But there are also unique architectural features of the place.Stucco masks on the corners of some buildings, such as the Temple of the Frescoes, hence the character is identified as Itzamna, the most important deity in the Mayan Post-classic period.Another feature of the Maya culture in general, linked to architecture, appears in Tulum: mural painting.As elsewhere in the Post-classic period, the characters are gods and not humans anymore -Temple of the Frescoes and the Descending God. "


In 2006 Arquine conducted an academic competition for a museum (never built, by the way) whose winners were the team 5NOVE/Alessandro Consol. The proposal was entirely underground to avoid interfering with the surrounding monuments, but it was connected to the outside by means of light wells in the form of truncated pyramids.



Due to its location, Tulum must have had an important role in regional trade. While the scale of the buildings is not as monumental as in other Mayan cities, nor its building have very special finishings, we were  enormously impressed by its spectacular location in the landscape and their profound astronomical knowledge in the service of architecture .


SEE ALSO
- ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE AND ASTRONOMY


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FAR EASTERN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN RUSSKY ISLAND, VLADIVOSTOK

July 29, 2014, 1:20 am
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The campus of the Federal University of the Far East (FEFU  in English or DVFU in Russian) is one of the most modern in Russia.Located on Russky Island is connected to the port-city of Vladivostok by the longest bridge in the world.Its construction symbolized the modernization of the city (which had been neglegted by the central goverment for decades), and a commitment to develop an integrated approach to landscape architecture.



BACKGROUND
Russky (97.6 km ²), an island larger than that of Hong Kong, is located at the southern tip of the peninsula Muraiov-Amurski, served as a military base for more than a century, but after the fall of the Soviet Union its numerous fortifications were abandoned.The island has various geographical features, including the small bay of Ajax which served as a perfect location for construction of the new campus of the university. The buildings were firstly used as headquarters of APEC, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2012. 



This event was an opportunity for Russia to focus its attention to the economies of the Pacific.It may be ironic but since the Soviet Revolution Vladivosttok, despite its strategic location, turned its back to the Pacific and related mainly to Moscow. During the Cold War the city was a military base and had limited access to the Russians themselves. As a result after the communist era there was a continuous decline in population due to lack of opportunities. Due to the European economic crisis and accelerated growth of neighbouring China, the development of Vladivostok and Russky Island became a priority for the Russian government.


Campus during its construction process

I have witnessed this rapid development.When I first came in 2009 the city lacked many services and infrastructure and it looked gloomy and backward.In March 2012 it was in the process of building,  working against time to complete the work for the mega-event.In October 2012, the city looked unrecognizable from that one that saw just three years ago, ravishing as a bride just after her wedding party.Some of the most important facilities that were built in the city were a new airport and highway, two new bridges, one waste treatment plant and the new campus for the FEFU.


During the APEC 2012, an event that brought together several countries of the Asia-Pacific

Russky Bridge (or Russian Bridge), the longest in the world


 NEW CAMPUS
Perhaps the aspect I most value in the design of the campus is its respect for the site and topography, especially in contrast with the chaotic layout of various sectors of the city, which copied the template of residential units designed in Moscow or St. Petersburg regardless of the site, climate or  environment  of the territory  in which they were built.This circumstance makes daily life difficult, especially during heavy rains in summer or winter frost.


Floods happen every year in the city due to the design of the urban layout and lack of storm drain infrastructure.Both aspects have been taken into account in the design of the new university campus.

In contrast, the many buildings that make up the campus are arranged radially following a path parallel to the topography of the bay.The geographical conformation embraces the urban university setting, almost like a womb protecting a body inside.



The layout sits gently on the topography through three parallel and concentric roads . There are a few perpendicular sreets, but they are mainly connected by pedestrian walkways.



54 of the 120 acres that make up the campus are occupied by parks and green areas, which allow good environmental and visual quality, enables all buildings enjoy vistas of the sea and at the same time absorb the more rough areas of topographic relief.In the center of the radial composition is a large park that ends in a promenade in the border with the sea.Topographic differences are taken into account to generate waterfalls, forests or landscape compositions that enhance the strolling experience  through the  campus.

Details of the landscape design of the park

The buildings are grouped into 3 areas: the central administrative area,  to the east laboratories and classrooms are located and university residences are place to the north.

The main entrance is dominated by a 8 storey building containing multiple services, a bank, a library and the offices of rector.The main façade appears as a fragmented cube, to which glass edges overlap.



The back facade is dominated by an extensive curved glass screen.The building is crowned by a large parasol that gives unity to the composition of the volume.


The building wraps a large central hall to  which numerous terraces overlook. From inside, the visitor is received by spectacular views due to the wide glass wall .




On both sides of this building many administrative and management areas, auditoriums, cafeterias and office functions are located.The blocks containing, classrooms, laboratories, meeting rooms, etc. are arranged in different levels according to the topography.
At one end there is the pool and the gym, which is occassionaly used  for regional and international events.


Details of the gym and pool, which is also one of the buildings of the Faculty of Arts, Culture and Sports

An important detail is that these buildings are linked by bridges of steel and glass, which not only give the complex a futuristic image, but are particularly useful during the long six winter months where the temperature can reach 25C below zero.

A bridge connecting two buildings of the Faculty of Arts, Culture and Sports
 
 
Featuring an eclectic style, different from the glassy and metallic lines of the educational and administrative buildings, the dormitories (here called hotels) are  formed by  terraced volumes arranged in a U-shape open to the sea, also integrated to the the topographic relief. Their shape contrasts with the massive blocks that characterized the bedrooms of the old campus, examples of the dreary Soviet modern architecture.Besides the appartments for students and professors, these hotels include cantines, restaurants, services and convenience stores.


The library, on the right, is one of the buildings is still working in the old campus in downtown Vladivostok.In the background the old dormitory, in modern style as it was popular in the Soviet era.

The terracing of the residences evokes the slope of the topography of the island.

During the summer, the population makes use of the park and the beach

Other facilities include parkings and the bus terminal buses that serve campus, the medical center and the power plant, which although is located outside the campus, it provides heat and hot water to the entire population of 20,000 students living at the univbersity.

The new campus of the University FEFU has become a new symbol for the development of the city and in particular of the Russky Island.A few kilometers away, the new aquarium of the Primorye region is under construction and given the enormous potential of the island, there are ideas for the development of new metropolitan regional and international research centers and recreation facilities.However we expect that this would be also an opportunity to make the island an example of environmentally sustainable design.


The new aquarium, which should be completed next year


SEE ALSO:
- EDUCATION.
      With a group of students from the university
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      THE MELIKOV HOUSE AND THE RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM

      September 25, 2014, 8:53 am
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      The Konstantin Melnikov's house-studio, the most renowned example of Russian Constructivism, is located in the peaceful Krivoarbatsky street (parallel to the bustling pedestrian Arbat street in Moscow), hidden behind the foliage of the only tree on the block.


       At first glance, it is remarkable that this is the only building with a setback in the whole block. A front garden makes evident the curved geometry of the building and its unique composition. These characteristics, dissimilar to those of the typical Stalinist architecture of the time, were permitted only due to the popularity of Konstantin Melnikov, who won the gold medal at the Paris Exposition in 1930. However, in later decades he was isolated and ridiculed by his colleagues and the house was repeatedly threatened with demolition.



      Furthermore, it is curious that this was one of the few residences that were allowed to shelter a single family in a time between 3-4 families were living communally in the same house. The reason is probably that the Soviet authorities wanted to take this case as an experiment to study new housing typologies.


       Indeed, in 1927 Melnikov received a small plot to build his private home - painting and architectural workshop. Once the project was approved, the architect himself began its construction, which culminated in 1929.

      Sketch of the plant

       The building consists of two interlinked cylinders of three levels each. They have the same diameter but with different heights, with the shorter south cylinder containing the entrance. This difference in height allows the light to enter generously through a window located on the last floor.


       In the southern side to the street, the cylinder is cut by a glass screen that occupies the entire facade.


      In contrast, the rest of the volume is more massive, pierced by a series of hexagonal windows.


       The geometry of the windows allowed saving material as bricks were scarce at the time of construction.


      The structure works like a honeycomb and some of the hexagons were covered with clay and rubble (which also helps to keep a warmer temperature in winter).


      Others were converted into frames that housed about 60 windows of different sizes, whose role is to provide controlled illumination to the interior spaces.

      Outline and arrangement of the windows in the house

      Indoors when the architect was alive
      Architect Workshop.



      Interior of the house during a recent art exhibition

      The entire structural load is absorbed into these cylindrical walls in order to free the internal space from walls, which allows higher flexibility.

      The first of the three levels includes the entrance, hallway, kitchen, dining and working rooms for the architect's wife and children. The second level in one of the cylinders contains a living room and the other one a bedroom. The third level houses of the painting and architectural workshop and a terrace overlooking the double height of the entrance

      The architect also designed the furniture which has been kept by his descendants.


      I must confess that I was impressed to see the situation of this iconic piece of modern architecture of the twentieth century. As you can see in the pictures it is unfortunate that the building is in such state of decay, despite the efforts of the family and the ministry of culture  to convert the house into a museum. Structural cracks are evidence that this structure is threatened to collapse, and although emergency has been declared already a couple of years ago, it seems there are still no concrete possibilities for its short-term restoration.





      SEE ALSO

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      THE PYRAMID AND COMPLEX OF DJOSER IN SAQQARA

      September 27, 2014, 7:12 pm
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      The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is the first monument built in stone in the history of humanity and the one that determined the development of future Egyptian pyramids throughout different dynasties. Envisioned and carried out by the great architect, philosopher and physician Imhotep, the complex at Saqqara not only took a giant leap in the development of Egyptian funerary architecture but also (a fact less known) he experimented with an item that would have a huge impact on Egyptian as well as Greco-Roman architecture : the bearing column.

      LOCATION

      One of the most significant aspects of the Saqqara complex is its location, West of Memphis, the Pharaonic capital and about 7 kms from the Nile River. It is important to stress that Saqqara, like Giza, were not inhabited settlements: they were cities for the dead . The location on  the West is related to the direction of the sunset, a representation of death and the point where the sun touches the earth. The Saqqara plateau was ideal for this purpose, its height protected it from the floods of the Nile, as well as due to the desert character of the landscape, in contrast to the lively one in the capital Memphis. Even today it is clear that abrupt separation between the crops and arid surroundings of the funerary complex. Both the overall layout of the complex as well as the details of many of its individual buildings can be explained as the secular translation of residential architecture in Memphis to stone funerary architecture in Saqqara.


      THE MASTABAS

      Prior to Djoser, the tombs of the nobles and dignitaries were mastabas (Arabic word that means "benches" given their trapezoidal shape), which were stone  equivalents to the adobe houses of the cities. Structures were rectangular and of slightly sloping walls, flat ceiling and with a single entry. Once the sarcophagus and the treasures of the deceased were placed in an inner room called serdab the door was sealed and covered with rocks and sand.


      THE STEP PYRAMID

      The pyramid shape was not planned from the beginning. Initially just a mastaba was developed, as it was the tradition. It is said that Djoser was very disappointed to see the stature of his grave and demanded to be built higher. Thus, the great architect Imhotep came with the solution of to creating a platform above the first mastaba, then another, and another, until a total of 6. Prior to increase the height he was also expanding the  mastabas at the bottom, until covering an area of 125x109meters a base. These additionsbecame evident after the collapse of part of the southern wallthus revealingits internal structure.


      Of course, neither Djoser nor anyone would have noticed this puzzle-like solution, as the limestone blocks that made up the platforms of the pyramid were covered with granite, giving stylistic unity and homogeneity to the monument.




      I can imagine the joy of Djoser when he saw his tomb completed around 2650 BC.  With its 62 meters it was not only much higher than any previous tomb, but its step form stimulated the idea of ​​ascension into heaven and the connection with the afterlife. Moreover, the pyramid meant the realization of two paradigmatic Ancient  Kingdom funerary styles: the house type and the type burial mound, which were typical of the settlements of Upper and Lower Egypt respectively. When combined in the pyramid, the architecture of the royal tomb became a symbol of the two components of the Egyptian state. In addition to its impressive size, the pyramid contained a maze of passages and an innovative system for the grave could support the weight of such a huge structure.



      THE COMPLEX OF DJOSER


      The royal funerary complex is surrounded by a niched wall, enclosing a huge compound of 277 x 544 meters, which is an imitation of the mud-brick wall that surrounded the residence of Pharaoh in Memphis, the aim being to provide the king with a continued use of his palace in the afterlife. For this reason many of the buildings are solid, massive structures, without any space or room inside and lacking any particular function.

      1 Pyramid. 2 South Tomb. 3. Shrine of the Sed Feast. 4. "T" Temple .5 South.Patio 6 South Pavilion. 7 North Pavilion. 8. Mortuary Temple 10 Colonnade. 11 North Court. 12 Northern storages.13 Northern galleries. 14 Serdab.15 Northern Altar. 

      The large square in front of the pyramid is a spatial typology that seeks to highlight the scale and monumentality of the structure. It is a resource used in other cultures' pyramis, distant in time and space from Egypt, such asTeotihuacan, the Maya and the Moche.

      Entrance the complex

      Only one of the 13 false doors of this wall leads into the square, through a passage, whose roof was supported by beams which in turn were supported by a colonnade. These were the first bearing columns in history, and apparently Imhotep was not sure that  they would work, as he joined them in pairs and filled the space between them. This experience would be the basis for future free-standing columns in Luxor, Karnak, etc. In Saqqara columns were rounded to have the appearance of palm trees.


      They were built by superimposing individual blocks and they have a wider base to better distribute the loads from the roof.




      After touring this passage in the semidarkness, the visitor dazzled by accessing a large square where the Heb Sed took place, a ceremony in the twentieth or thirtieth year of the reign of the pharaoh, a sort of royal jubilee in which the monarch was "blessed" by the gods after participating in religious ceremonies and a series of physical demonstrations. To do this, a shrine (whose shape resembled the desert tents), welcomed a procession and a series of ceremonies officiated by the High Priest. After the ceremony the Pharaoh was crowned again carrying the symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt.

      Side chapels.

      THE RECOVERY PROCESS

      Currently a combined team of Egyptian and British experts is undertaking a process of restoration and structural reinforcement of the pyramid, especially at the burial chamber which is in danger of collapse. The project aims to introduce a set of steel bars which would increase the stability of the rocks that make up the camera coverage of the gravestone. However, since the drilling itself could cause the collapse, it was necessary to first clean the inside of the camera and then install a scaffold containing a sort of air mattresses, which may support the rocks in case  they collapse. The project has been carried out despite very difficult logistical and political conditions, due to the recent outbreak of a revolution.





      SEE ALSO
      - OTHER ANCIENT PYRAMIDS
      • coming soon

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      FRANCIS KÉRÉ AND THE EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE

      October 6, 2014, 9:06 pm
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       One of the most celebrated keynote speeches at the XXV World Congress of Architecture in Durban, was presented by the African architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, born in the small village of Gando in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world.
      Kéré gave a lecture whose pillars were the importance of communal work and the use of local materials, especially earth, and traditional techniques but with spatial and technical innovation, in order to promote sustainable practices.


      African traditional architecture makes frequent use of the mud.

      With his characteristic spontaneity, Kéré recounted having to move from his small village, where there was no electricity nor school, to a distant city, as his father wanted him to learn to read and write. Later, he won a scholarship which allowed him to study architecture at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. During his studies he established a foundation and with the help of his friends he managed to collect $ 50,000. Subsequently, he returned to his hometown and used that money to build a school, using local materials and local labor from the community.
      Beyond this noble gesture, it is noteworthy his innovative capacity and ability in design, which shows that large budgets or luxury materials are not indispensable to create memorable and useful architecture. It is very inspiring to see how Kéré managed to provide plastic quality and practical functionality from simple and austere environments.
      However, his proposal to use clay was not welcomed by the members of the community, who wanted to use more "Western" materials. However, he manage to convince them to use traditional materials with experimental techniques such as steel rods to reinforce the clay, vaulted elements or manually tamping clay to make the floor, which then was polished by hand with stones, Kéré  and the community successfully developed its first school in Gando.


      Various stages of tamped earth on the floor

      The volume of the primary school, inspired by the rationality of Mies van der Rohe, was provided with a prominent overhanging roof. The open ceiling allows natural ventilation in place  that otherwise could reach up to 45 ° C in summer.



      After the development of the school, other facilities were added. For the library, he used an interesting strategy, reusing clay pots, slicing them and place them as skylights, obtaining a rich internal game of light and shadow.


      His innovative use of earthen architecture  led him to develop several projects in Burkina Faso (as the Opera Village and Centre de Santé et Promotion Sociale) and Mali (as the National Park of Mali and the Centre de l'Architecture en Terre).



      Opera Village, Laongo, Burkina Faso
      Secondary School, Dano, Burkina Faso
      Centre de Santé et Promotion Sociale


      Surgical Clinic and Health Center, Léo, Burkina Faso

      Centre de l'Architecture in Terre, Mopti, Mali

      However, his production is not  limited to projects in Africa, since he was the of a competition  for the rehabilitation of Oxford-Kaserne in Münster, Germany, a project of urban renewal that integrates historic buildings to new facilities, as well as an integrated proposal of landscape architecture.




      He has also participated in the exhibition "Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined" in the gallery of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. This is a temporary structure made of small panels forming vaults, in which the public was invited to insert their used plastic drinking straws, a way to become aware of the pollution that these objects produce when not being recycled properly.





      With talent and simplicity, Kéré has not lose their roots and use his increasing popularity to develop projects for his community, which certainly must be very proud of him.

      "If you think in terms of a year plant a seed,
      in terms of 10 years, plant trees
      in terms of 100 years, teach people "
      Confucius
      SEE ALSO
      - ADOBE ARCHITECTURE IN CONTEMPORARY
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      LE CORBUSIER AND CHANDIGARH: AN ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE

      January 7, 2015, 4:47 am
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      Detail of  the Palace of the Assembly, Chandigarh.
      All the photos belong to Carlos Zeballos Velarde, except as otherwise indicated 

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      Intro by Gonzalo Ríos

      We live among objects, we move through constructed spaces, the world is manifested through them and we erect our reality by means of a sort of recomposition of fragments of the perceived and interpreted information.The architecture is thus not only a shelter for our body, it is often a filter through which the order that governs the universe is manifested. This order is perceived, subsequently related and finally transformed into individual and collective meanings.It was always like this and it was fine.

      Accustomed today to remain in virtual spaces, satisfied with simple images, hurrying to distinguish our preferences with a "like it", we  increasingly do not recognize the revelatory function of architecture, or at least we select the most superficial and useful information to the extent that it will allow us to stay in comfortable spaces, promoting the genesis of an architecture for the media that hides behind its epidermal formal fanfare, the monotony of standardized production and the lack of attention to what the context demands.

      Three architects who share these concerns met in a cafe in Arequipa and agreed to share a vivid architectural experience which transcended the ordinary and, in some way or another,  influenced their way of perceiving the world or finding themselves. They hope that through these experiences they will encourage more people to tell their own ones and thus made a small contribution  to put architecture in the proper place.

      I will share with you my own experience. The other ones are available in the blog in Spanish.

      Symbolic Hyperbole:
      Legislative Assembly of Chandigarh, India, May 2007, 
      Carlos Zeballos


      Monumental. The scale of the Capitol in Chandigarh overwelmed me. The place conveyed a sense of grand, almost megalomaniac power. It was made ​​to impress, but it seemed to have forgotten to accommodate people. In that hot morning in the Indian spring it would have been very comfortable to sit under a tree, but this sort of banality would had interfered with the colossal perspective of the space, something that the Swiss architect who conceived it was not willing to compromise. 

      Still, I was grateful to be standing for the first time before a building by the great master Le Corbusier and to enjoy the landscape of the Himalayas mountains, emerging as a backdrop to the east. I had previously only seen reproductions in black and white of this complex, so it was a very special experience to be standing there, admiring the grandeur of the Capitol,  the strength of their volumes, the roughness and plasticity of the concrete and to be able to breathe the passion for design that the Swiss master embedded in this work, from the urban design to the details of the murals and carpets.




      I arrived there escorted by a friend's relative and after he showed me the complex from afar, he prepared to return to the city center. When I insisted to approach in order to have a better look of the buildings, he nervously told me that it was complicated, that I would need to ask for a special permission the next day. I could understand his nervousness because Chandigarh is located near the border with Pakistan , in a very tense area where security measures are taken seriously. 

      But I was not going to give up just like that. I went to get that permission and the initial reluctance of the officers gradually became an effective collaboration. They were flattered by the presence of such an exotic visitor, and soon I left that office carrying the permission as well as many souvenirs and information about the city.



      Early next day I was back at the Capitol, with its three symbolic buildings: the Secretariat, the Palace of the Assembly and the High Court. Of all the elements of the complex it was the Palais de l'Assemblée the building that moved me the most, due to its mathematical grid of brise-soleil, so necessary in that hot climate, and its photogenic south facade reflected in a water mirror. 


      The grid made that heavy rectangular concrete box look lighter, and its rational lines contrasted  with the sculptural volume of a truncated hyperbolic shell, a monumental form whose inspiration came from industrial chimneys.





      I made that tour escorted by a soldier armed with an automatic gun, because security was particularly strict.


       
      We entered the building, adorned with murals designed by Le Corbusier himself, who had not neglected any details at the time of conceiving his masterpiece. 

      Inside, the indirect light passed through the brise-soleil and gave a depth effect to the hypostyle hall, reminiscent of the classical temples that the Swiss master had admired so much during his journey of discovery to Greece.

       Photo courtesy of Fondation Le Corbusier

      In the midst of that forest of columns the curved volume of the assembly emerged as an impetuous volcano.

       Photo courtesy of  Fondation Le Corbusier

      Then, we approached to the main chamber, which luckily could be accessed at that moment due to the recess of the legislators. Neither the books on Le Corbusier or the treaties on modern architecture that I had previously read could have prepared me for that impression. The monumental  space, molded in that 15 cm thick concrete shell, raised above the upholstered seats of the legislators. The truncated section of the hyperbole accentuated its directionality and its geometry favored the acoustics. The height of the space was also conceived due to climate concerns, allowing the circulation of airflow through conduction.


       Photo courtesy of The Tribune
       
      But that place did not seem to me a civic space, but a sacred one. The light filtering indirectly produced a spiritual effect, that I would encounter again few years later in the chapel made ​​by Le Corbusier in Ronchamp. However, unlike the white walls of the church, the epidermis of this concrete room was covered with colorful aluminum sheets, which seemed to crept the walls as a sort of infection, producing colored spots.


      Photos courtesy of The Tribune

      It was a sublime moment that seemed not to be shared by the soldier who was accompanying me, who insisted that photographs were strictly prohibited. I tried to imbue every detail of that moment  in my memory, knowing that this experience will probably not be repeated. I tried to breathe the most of this beautiful, grand, dramatic space. But suddenly, with an unfriendly gesture, the soldier let me know that the visit was over.

      SEE ALSO

      Other Works by Le Corbusier




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      CENTRE FOR INTERACTIVE RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABILITY AND REGENERATIVE DESIGN

      January 15, 2015, 11:47 pm
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      Most of the so-called sustainable or "green" buildings try to reduce their impact on the environment, both in its construction and maintenance. In simple words, it is about a building being "less bad", assuming that its existence would inevitably imply a negative environmental balance.
      The concept of "Regenerative Design" takes a proactive approach and go beyond the traditional practice of sustainable design. The regenerative buildings not only reduce their energy consumption to zero but they collect, generate and distribute renewable resources to their surroundings, improving the environmental balance of the environment.


       A remarkable example of this approach is the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability or CIRS, erected at the University of British Columbia UBC in Vancouver, Canada, a project by Perkins + Will.



      The building statistics are impressive. For example, neither structural steel nor concrete were used during its construction, greatly reducing its environmental footprint. The total amount of water consumed by the building is collected from rainfall and all wastewater is recycled on site.



      The main strategy to achieve a design with positive CO2 balance was the widespread use of wood, in particular a type of pine that, after being attacked by a beetle, suffers scars that make it unattractive to fine finishes or construction. Due to the climate change these beetles, which used to die in the cold weather, have managed to adapt and have experienced a population explosion, causing the death of vast quantities of pines, which wood  is usually rejected by the industry. This wood has been used both in the structure, finishes and furnishings of the CIRS, and provides an atmosphere of warmth throughout the building.


      Wood is the most sustainable construction material, because it is a quickly renewable resource. From a structural point of view, the modern engineered materials such as glue-laminated timber have increased the hardness of wood so that they have a much greater structural capacity. 

      Photo courtesy of CIRS

      However, the abundant use of wood creates a fire hazard. In order to minimize it special insulators were created as well as  a sprinkler system, which is supplied from an underground cistern, which in turn collects rainwater.

      Photo courtesy of CIRS

      The façade accomodates a set of panels that support seasonal vegetation called the "living wall",  which provides shade in the summer and allows the passage of solar heat in the winter.


       The garden is drip-irrigated using storm water and ultimately it ends in a groundwater aquifer.



      The building is crossed diagonally by a path which includes the way of a pre-existing old road.


      This allows to separate the glass corner like a glass triangle, which gives lightness to the composition of the building and houses an interesting solar water biofilter. This consists of a series of tanks with plants which naturally absorb and process the waterwaste generated in the bathrooms of the building. The processed water is used to irrigate both the living wall as well as the inner garden.


      Another notable element on the facade are the photovoltaic panels on the east and south facades which cover part of the building's energy demand. The rest is collected from the excess energy of a nearby building and converted into energy in a small geothermal plant.


      Inside, the building is organized around a large atrium, which provides generous natural lighting, while allowing natural ventilation without the need for air conditioning systems, using the chimney effect to  help circulate the air by convection. In turn, it exploits the building orientation to optimize its exposure to light.


      On the ground floor there is an auditorium with capacity for 423 people, naturally lit by a lateral skylight located next to the indoor garden (in fact the garden is located over the roof of the auditorium).


      The auditorium also used wood both in the structural beams and the finishes, as well as in some of the furniture.




      If you look closely you can see the scars left by the beetles while they were burrowing the pine wood.



      Due these features, the CIRS is recognized as one of the most innovative buildings in North America. In addition to its quality as an experimental regenerative building, is a facility that promotes the study and dissemination of new ideas for sustainable design.

      SEE ALSO:
      - SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
      With Professor Ronald Kellett, who kindly showed me around the building, explaining a lot of the information that I have included in this post

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      SHIGERU BAN AT THE GORKY PARK, MOSCOW

      February 15, 2015, 5:36 am
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      "I follow the Moskva 
      down to Gorky Park, 
      listening to the wind of change ... " 
      Scorpions, from the song "Wind of Change"

      The Gorky Park is one of the most famous if not the most emblematic park in Moscow, especially linked to political events during the Soviet revolution, since it was conceived as an open space for the society dedicated to leisure and culture for the working classes. 


      It was designed by the renowned constructivist  architect Konstantin Melnikov ( whose house and studio was discussed earlier in this moleskine) and dedicated to the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. 

      The park takes advantage of its position besides the Moskva River and it is organized around a major axis that runs roughly parallel to it. The slight inclination of the axis in the composition is due to its perpendicularity to the Krimsky Val Avenue -which crosses the river at the Krimsky bridge- and establishes a balance between the irregular geometry of the trapezoidal plot occupied by the park. 


      This monumental axis is dominated by a large entrance with a colonnade that reminds me of something to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin , only the muscovite version presents solid bodies at each side of the gate, which accommodate Soviet iconography. The Gorky gate is a classic example of Stalinist monumental architecture. 


      Around the axis there is a series of pools and iconic statues as well as games and recreation for children and adults, which made the Gorky a very popular area, especially in summer. 


      Aditionally, Gorky Park has hosted numerous exhibitions to disseminate culture among the population.The exhibition pavilions were a typology favorited by Soviet architects, as they could experiment new proposals representing ideals of what Soviet society should have been. 


      After the collapse of the Soviet Union the park began to deteriorate, filled with cheap attractions and junk food stalls. However, in 2011 the park underwent a complete renovation, including large areas of landscaping, a huge skating rink, bike lanes, and free WiFi access. 


      In 2008 the Center for Contemporary Culture Garage was formed and since then it has become a great promoter of art and culture in the park, holding exhibitions and education programs and inviting great exponents of contemporary art. 



      Among other activities, Garage invited architect Rem Koolhaas for a renovation project of the once famous restaurant Vremena Goda (Year Seasons). The OMA's project  included a 5400 m2 building, including two levels for exhibition galleries, a creative center for children, a shop, a café, an auditorium and offices. 
      The conclusion of this building was scheduled for 2014, but has been postponed given the economic situation in Russia. 

      Model of OMA's proposal for remodeling the Vremena Goda restaurant 

      Furthermore, Garage, which owes its name to have originally been housed in the former bus garage- organizes frequent events and exhibitions that promote the exchange and development of contemporary artistic and cultural activities.

      Place for summer 2013. Structures on paper.

      In October 2012, Garage organized the exhibition "Temporary Exhibitions in Gorky Park: From Melnikov to Ban". The center of this exhibition was a temporary pavilion designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who was later awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2014 (the most recent, at the time I write this post). 


      Ban has been internationally renowned for its ephemeral structures and  his contribution has been invaluable especially after tragedies that required the implementation of cheap and quickly erected buildings, like the Cathedral built after the earthquake in Christchurch in New Zealand or shelters built after the terrible tsunami in Japan in 2011 , financed by his own resources. 

      Detail of the model for the pavilion in Gorky Park. 

      Shigeru Ban's architecture is characterized by the use of recyclable materials such as cardboard or paper. In this regard, the proposal for the pavilion in Gorky Park comprises a sequence of cardboard tubes describing a ​​2400 m2 ellipse and enclosing a transparent structure of metal and glass comprising a 800 m2 rectangular exhibition area​​. 



      The cardboard tubes, in addition to their aesthetic character, have a structural function since they support the entire load of the roof. Shigeru Ban's called them the "invisible structure". 



      At the intersection of both geometries there is a café and towards the other end there are other services. The café is wrapped by a warm atmosphere due to the use of simple materials such as wood and cardboard, contrasting with the white rectangular prism. 


      This simplicity in both materiasl and composition allowed the pavilion to be built in record time and at a very low cost. The pavilion should have been demolished in December 2012, but fortunately Garage has decided to keep it, and it was on display at the time of my visit in September 2014. 



      The proposal is simple, but it offers an interesting play of light, which is filtered through the separations between the tubes. These support  the roof which crowns the composition of the facade, which at times seems to be levitating given the lightness of the material. 


      Inside, the Japanese architect has also made use of cardboard tubes for the composition of furniture such as the  reception and some of the tables. 


      At the time of the visit, the pavilion inside did not include the original exhibition of the work of Melnikov and others, but works  under the title The New International, an exhibition that shows a way to describe how individuals share, understand or experience specific context situations without universalizing their results. 

      "warmth I was interested in working in russia first and foremost because of Russia’s culture, architecture, music and art and due to its geographic connections with Japan… although Russia and Japan are neighbors, we have very different cultures. Garage is well-known in the international art community for its progressive projects. the construction of the temporary pavilion is both efficient to construct and affordable by using local materials produced in St. Petersburg "
      Shigeru Ban


      SEE ALSO 

      - Urban Parks 


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        PROJECT FOR THE REGENERATION OF VLADIVOSTOK'S WATERFRONT

        May 18, 2015, 7:48 pm
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        The following is an excerpt from an article published in the specialized Russian magazine URBAN, about a project I had the honor to lead, in collaboration with my colleague Sergei Mostovoi and students from the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia.


        The Russian government has been paying special attention to Vladivostok in recent years. The APEC summit held in September 2012 gave a fresh impetus to the development of the city as a centre of business and innovative cooperation between Russia and Asia-Pacific countries.
        Preparations for such a significant international event called for serious efforts to create and improve Vladivostok’s infrastructure with upwards of 50 projects around the city having been completed or restored. Among them, the Far Eastern Federal University, a medical centre, three bridges, a theatre of opera and ballet, international airport and etc.
        Notable changes have occurred in the infrastructure of Russky Island, where the summit was held. The mighty bridge across the Eastern Bosporus Strait incorporated the island into the transport network of Vladivostok and made it part of the city.
        The rich natural landscape of the island makes it a good place to create a unique tourist and recreational zone, which would have a positive impact on the socio-economic life of Vladivostok.
        Today the city’s development is gravitating towards the model of sustainable development combining an effective economy, harmonious social space and a comfortable urban environment.




        For all their effort to improve the urban environment, however, the city government has been unable to resolve long-standing problems which go back to the past. In the 1960-ies the prominent architect E. Vasiliev who studied the urban problems of Vladivostok criticized the city’s greening policy (1).
        According to Vladivostok’s Master Plan, the key objective is preservation and restoration of the city’s historical centre, which includes Main Square, the embankments of Amur and the Golden Horn Bays (2).
        The historical centre, an iconic signature of Vladivostok, reflects the evolution of the Russian Far East and plays a key role in the city’s tourist infrastructure.
        Given this, the policy-makers should take into consideration the problem related to construction of new high-rise tower blocks in the old centre as they clash with the city’s architectural heritage.
        The creation of public open spaces will improve the architectural image of Vladivostok and its environment.
        Vladivostok is rich in urban heritage, however the urban space is mostly occupied by parking lots that block the view of the monumental area.


        However, there are some obstacles to be cleared. One of them is the lack of a comprehensive systematic approach to formulating and developing urban spaces in central Vladivostok. Solution to this problem is a top priority of the comprehensive plan for the development of Vladivostok’s waterfront, which is conducted by Prof. Carlos Zeballos (from Peru) and Prof. Sergei Mostovoi from the Urban and Landscape Design Laboratory of Far Eastern Federal University.
        Despite the potential that waterfront areas offer, Vladivostok, unlike many other port cities, has very few public spaces, where people can enjoy contact with water. Paradoxically, most waterfront areas with a unique natural landscape are  occupied by industrial estates, parking lots and disused beaches. Meanwhile, the existing public spaces, relatively small and scattered across the waterfront, have a weak connection with the city limiting the access of residents to the seaside.


        Large waterfront areas with great potential for development are occupied by industry or neglected uses.

        Proposal of a metro park, social housing and improvement of environmental conditions of industrial facilities. 


        According to recent world trends, waterfront areas possess specific social and ecological resources. Architectural and spatial rearrangement of these areas could help the city to achieve a goal of harmonizing the urban environment in the context of sustainable development.
        The development of open spaces in Vladivostok should be based on the  identification of urban interfaces – the areas of contact between ecosystems, through which multiple levels of interrelation as well as flows of materials, energy and information can converge. From the viewpoint of communication, interfaces can be positive when they allow and cause the transmission of information, or negative, when they do not. In addition, interfaces can be social or active when they have a unifying function, assuming the role of a node or institutional link, or they can be physical or passive when functioning at the edge or boundary between the active areas of the urban "tissue" they bind.


        Analysis of interfaces. The darker red spots show the more feasible areas for intervention.


        The interface method differs from traditional urban planning because it focuses on key, sensitive points where the city develops. Rather than investing a great amount of resources that standard urban plans generally involve, the efforts are focused on solving the interfaces, which are especially sensitive to the needs of people and their environment. Also, interfaces can serve a catalyst for urban change channeling positive and controlled impacts in their surrounding areas, which in turn affect others.
        In order to identify the location of interfaces, several indicators or types of information related to the physical and socioeconomic characteristics of the area were used. Each indicator was mapped and values were assigned according to their positive or negative impact on the development of a public waterfront area. Prior to the analysis using Geographic Information Systems (specifically QGIS), these data were systematized, geo-referenced and rearranged in thematic layers according to the subject of research.
        The layers were combined into a single map of interfaces. The darker areas correspond to the zones of major interfaces located on the waterfront and suitable for intervention.
        Clearer tones correspond to either areas far from the waterfront or where intervention is neither feasible nor convenient.
        The analysis of passive or physical interfaces identifies not only the location of the most sensitive areas, but also the characteristics of their environment. Additionally, active or social interfaces suggest the cultural features and the patterns of appropriation of public space. This study allows us to consider three main axes that structure the master plan for the development of the downtown and its waterfront.


        The interfaces were arranged into three main axes: recreative, monumental and civic.

        The first one is an axis connecting spaces located on the northern edge of the Golden Horn Bay, such as the Main Square, Korabelnaya Embankment, and  Tsesarevitch Embankment. This axis extends eastwards through Svetlankaya Street, which houses some of the most important examples of the city's architectural heritage. The second axis runs parallel to the coastline along the Amur Bay and contains sports, tourist and recreational facilities. The third axis runs perpendicular to the Golden Horn Bay, connecting Pokrovskiy Park with the Main Square along Okeanskiy Prospect.
        These three axes articulate a multipolar structure that establishes a street circuit encompassing ecological and recreational activities, transportation, tourism and preservation of the urban heritage.
        However, it is arguable whether the mere presence of these axes would ensure a fluent dialogue between the city and the sea.
        Jane Jacobs emphasizes the importance of access to urban spaces in order to prevent them from becoming abandoned areas that promote vandalism and crime(3).
        Based on this analysis a spatial model of Vladivostok City was proposed, including the location of key projects and their interconnectivity through spatial axes or corridors. The plan proposes a continuity of urban renewal activities as well as links between the downtown, the Golden Horn Bay and the Amur Bay.


        Master plan of Vladivostok, based on a network of public spaces, linked around three main axis


        The master plan comprises the following projects:
        Waterfront Metropolitan Park, located on the coast of the Amur Bay in the central part of city, is to become the biggest single multifunctional green space of around 20 hectares, home to both recreational and cultural activities. Currently it is a heavily polluted area with parking lots, industrial warehouses and garbage dumps. It would have a connection with Pokrovskiy Park via the extension of Krasnogo Znameni Prospect through a succession of embankments and boulevards. Realization of this project would contribute to the development of the green infrastructure in downtown Vladivostok.
        Waterfront public green areas. Creation of a system of green areas would involve tackling three tasks: the improvement of existing parks and embankments along the coastlines of the Amur and Golden Horn Bays, the creation of new public spaces with beaches, fishing piers, bikeways and the articulation of these by means of corridors or pedestrian malls.
        Integration of Power Plant #1, situated on the coast of the Amur Bay, into a large recreational complex would help to transform its territory into an attractive landmark in the urban landscape.
        However, it is first necessary to reduce the power plan’s emissions and pollution level.
        Pedestrian precincts. A network of paths injects the flow of the pedestrian traffic away from the city and along the coast. Construction of a new plaza under an existing railway would connect recreational zones on the coast of the Amur and Golden Horn Bays. Creation of pedestrian paths would provide a system of corridors with waterfront zones promoting a better visualization of the historic heritage buildings.
        While working on this plan its authors took due account of the latest trends in contemporary urban design. According to European experts, future cities will be energy-efficient and green. New buildings will not burn fossil fuels and generate their own electricity.
        The use of asphalt and concrete will be minimized. An abundance of urban greenery makes people feel more comfortable (4).



        Two proposals for the pedestrianization and recovery of urban space for the people and its connection with the sea through new urban spaces. 


        Recently in Europe, non-car mobility has gained popularity and public transport is now accessible throughout the city. The new Vladivostok master plan should reflect such trends.
        The development of public spaces and formation of a single recreational zone in Vladivostok tailored to the unique characteristics of the Amur and Golden Horn Bays represents a well-balanced dialogue between the city and the sea. The realization of this project will substantially improve the social and environmental situation in the Vladivostok.

        Recovery of the waterfront area and its link with the upper urban spaces through vertical accessibility


        1 Vasiliev, E.A., Orlova, M.V., Sukhova, V.I. Problems of greenery in Vladivostok. Vladivostok, 1962. PP. 3-14.
        2 The Master Plan of Vladivostok Metropolitan Area. Regulations on regional planning. 1028-PЗ1. Vol. 1. 2011. P. 13.
        3 Jacobs, J. The Death and Life of Great American Cities / translated from English. Moscow. 2011. 460 p.
        4 Cities of tomorrow – Challenges, visions, ways forward / European Commission – Directorate General for Regional Policy.
        Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2011. P. 43–46.

         I would like to thank my dear students for their support and enthusiasm during the field work and proposals.

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