Wharf building development

Below are some sketches from my development of the wharf building form. The key considerations which I developed as I went along were maintaining a clear axis slashed through the centre of the building which is angled towards the New Farm river branch. Also, a physical constraint was that part of the building had to fit through the archway of the Story bridge.

Further sketchup modelling: (Having transparent glass facade along axis - at night light will leak from axis and front (river and/or wharf walkway) facades of the building.

Lighting up the streetscape

http://www.architecturesdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/architecture-design/2009/07/Architecture-Building-Matchboxe-7.jpg

A vibrant example of a building contributing to the streetscape at night time and particularly allowing permiability and connection with the street level - people are able to see into the 'match boxes'. Interesting concept for the design as well.

Sketches 2

Concept sketches

Section depicting two buildings linked by slanting elevator under archway.

Looked at the possibility of having each building address one branch of the river, as the site sits at this sharp bend/axis of the river.

Starting to look at skewing the plan of a building to address the river or achieve an axis. Also started to consider roof forms which acknowledge form of bridge, as well as either opening up to the desired view or closing down to the other branch of the river.

Roof form exploration continued.

Sketch up concepts 2

One of the images from some massing tests done in sketch up - showing suspended building under bridge. Boundary of building to remain under edges of bridge.

Looked at size/scale of building and with introduction of wharf building mass underneath, and the elevator connecting the two.

Sketch up concepts 1

Massing test on 'Wharf building' (i.e. resting on the ground). Angled 'slash' through building to allow views/connection to river. Addresses only New Farm branch of river, not looking back to the city.

Along the axis.

View from the river, perpendicular (cannot see past building).

Approach from New Farm side of the river - can see down axis.

Bubble Diagram

An exploration and clarification of spatial arrangments and relationships withing the buildings. The thicker the joining lines are, the more important/crucial the connection is.

Size of the bubbles roughly represents heirachy/importance and comparitive size of space/room.

Sketches

Some of my earliest sketches involved an exploration into site location and massing, and the possibilities for arrangement if I was to have a suspended pod. I had decided early on that I needed a pavillion located on the ground for access and services. This first sketch is one from a series which looked at massing and restriction of flow through the wharves.
I then moved onto looking at structural integration with the bridge. At first this was a very direct and literal concept - by sketching the frame/structure of the suspended pod as taking the angle of the bridge and being encased by steel beams. I liked the notion that the structure could become like a rib cage or skeleton however, this approach was a little too literal and copied the bridge too closely. I am currently making the connection more subtle.

Final week of sketch design

Thursday 15/04/10 (after design tute even though blog says Wednesday!)

One week to go until the sketch design presentations. My progress up to date includes a lot of diagrams, sketches, plans, sections, analytical diagrams and exemplar research. All of these drawings are compiled in my sketch journal which I will soon scan, and upload the key sketches from it.



However, over the past few weeks I have developed the general form and arrangement of my 'theatre'. I have also explored various interactive opportunities inside and outside the structure itself. To describe it for the moment without the help of diagrams - my scheme was to have a suspended theatre (with restaurant, bar, gallery, ticketing facilities) however, due to servicing and also access requirements and practicalities, I decided that some part of the centre/facility needed to be located on the ground level of the wharves. And so I have two wings/parts to my theatre which are one pavillion on the ground between the archway, and the other suspended from the bridge, on the river side of the arch. A slanting elevator (see image below of the eiffel tower elevator):

Source: http://www.tourblaze.com/parisfiles/EiffelTowerElevator_beggs.jpg

will connect the two pavillions.

The reason for the slanting elevator is the same as the reason for the angle in the structure/design of the suspended pavillion - it follows and incorporates into the structure and angles of the story bridge.

This morning after the design tute, the things which I will continue to develop and reason out are:
- finalising and prioritising the planning (i.e. ensuring heirachy of spaces is reflected in plans with important spaces getting larger areas and prominant placement)
-creating a subtle connection between bridge and pavillion - physically they are connected but making the architectural connection more sublte (i.e up until now, the pavillion was suspended with angles steel beams which were incorporated into the structure of the pavillion but this appears a mimic of the bridge's structure and so I need to find a balance between a subtle gap as if the pavillion is floating and also linking in some way to the bridge - which I will maintain by keeping the angles in the design, whether it be in the cladding, edges of the form or some other element.)
- Though the suspended pavillion was more organic and the ground pavillion more rectangulinear, I must ensure they are still obviously related/share some basic similarities whether they be organisationally, or materials or by form. It is to be one piece of architecture.

The sketches I am currently working on are finalising the form of each pavillion and hence finalising the floor plans. Uploaded sketches coming soon!

More inspiration

Mirror to look as though room continues - theatre could be completely empty and black and digital projections expand the space infinitely.

This image is of infinity on the gold coast.

Furthermore, I looked into having two buildings - one based on the ground for servicing purposes and the main entry (access purposes) while the other is suspended from the bridge and is connected to the ground building by an elevator. However this elevator, in keeping with the structure of the buildings and bridge will be at an angle (story bridge beams). I researched the elevators in the eiffel tower which run on a slant.

I have done a lot of sketch design work playing with the form of the building and also the spatial arrangment inside each building. Floor plans are being finalised at present. Hopefully will upload some diagrams soon when they are scanned in!