Thứ Bảy, 2 tháng 1, 2010

MAXXI Museum / Zaha Hadid Architects

Dec 2009

By Andrea Giannotti — Filed under: Museums and Libraries , Selected , Concrete, Italy, Iwan Baan, Zaha Hadid

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects

Location: Rome, Flaminio, Italy

Client: Ministero Beni e Attività Culturali – Fondazione MAXXI

Structural engineers: Anthony Hunts Associates OK Design Group

Lights and illumination: Equation Lighting

Year of enchargement: 1999

Year of completion: 2009

Constructed area: 27,000 sqm

Photographs: Iwan Baan

Opening the website of Zaha Hadid Architects, the home page shows the various links of the practice on a schematic plan; it is the plan of MAXXI, Museum of Arts of the XXI century, in Rome. This side-fact indicates the importance of MAXXI among the projects made by Zaha Hadid. The museum was recently completed, after ten years, and opened on preview to the public.

Archdaily was invited to the preview, so it was possible to experience the spaces while empty – the art collection will be installed during winter, the official opening will take place on April 2010 – and have a direct impression of the building. As declared by the architect, the museum is ‘not a object-container, but rather a campus for art’, where flows and pathways overlap and connect in order to create a dynamic and interactive space. Although the program is clear and organized in plan, flexibility of use is the main goal of the project. Continuity of spaces makes it a suitable place for any kind of moving and temporary exhibition, without redundant wall divisions or interruptions. Entering the atrium, the main elements of the project are evident: concrete curved walls, suspended black staircases, open ceiling catching natural light. By these elements Zaha Hadid intended ‘a new fluid kind of spatiality of multiple perspective points and fragmented geometry, designed to embody the chaotic fluidity of modern life’.

This statement of the architect, as usual of hers, brought out the question if the concept of de-constructed fluidity matched with the identity of a “static” city as Rome, and with its classical heritage. The response of critics and public has been positive. Especially in this context, in the relation with the existing fabrics, the curved smooth walls dialogue with the neo-classical symmetrical facades. The new organism includes in its developing the front- side building, by clean and blind surfaces at the side, thus declaring the feasibility and the need of coexistence. The museum is well inserted in the urban block situation, taking from it its guidelines, and opening its cut-end wings as panoramic viewpoints.

section

Particular attention has been given to the natural lighting, by the thin concrete beams on the ceiling, together with glass covering and filtering systems. The same beams have a bottom rail from which art pieces are going to be suspended. The beams, the staircases and the linear lighting system guide the visitors through the interior walkway, which ends in the large space on third level. From here, a large window offers a view back to the city, though obstructed by a massive core.

The museum participates actively to the location – Rome, and its first outskirt, not a part of the old centre, but still central. The Flaminio neighbourhood has been interested in the last years by a renovation program of public attraction, the latest being the Auditorium by Renzo Piano. The long MAXXI construction process completes the idea of a renewed city. Moreover, MAXXI is the first national museum of contemporary art in Italy. It will bring a lot of attentions, by public and media, together with economical activities, rendering this museum a central point for Rome, which is in constant look for its contemporary identity.

- Andrea Giannotti

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: © Iwan Baan

: situation plan

: ground floor plan

: first floor plan

: second floor plan

: roof plan

: section 01

: section 02

: section 03

: details 01

: details 02

Bumps / SAKO Architects

Dec 2009

By Nico Saieh — Filed under: Housing , Retail , Selected , China, Mixed Use, SAKO Architects

Architects: SAKO Architects
Location: Beijing, China
Project Team: Keiichiro SAKO, Yoko FUJII, Hiroaki SAWAMURA, Jiye ZHANG
Lighting Design: Masahide Kakudate Lighting Architect & Associates
Site area: 17,949 sqm
Building area: 103,218 sqm
Project Year: 2006-2008
Photographs: Misae Hiromatsu

‘BUMPS in Beijing’ is an integrated project with four residences as well as a commercial building. The traditional residence buildings in China are oriented south and north. With the increase in the density of the buildings, the traditional method causes buildings too close to each other and the rooms facing to the north can hardly get sunshine.

situation plan

‘BUMPS in Beijing’ is rotated by 45 degrees from the north-south axis. This design can provide optimum sunshine for each building and also can short cut the way to the central business areas from different directions.

The residence buildings are 80 meters height. Every two floors are set as a unit. Every unit is staggered by 2 meters horizontally. Whole 80m’s building is repetitions of these units. The setback areas are used for terraces. Interlaced black and white units highlight the concave-convex façade and show a clear lineament of the building. All the windows are 1 meter square. Randomly placed windows weaken the existence of all pillars and beams. Therefore, the appearance of the buildings look like stacked by lots of small black and white ‘boxes’ together.

: situation plan

: plan

: section

Thứ Bảy, 2 tháng 1, 2010

MAXXI Museum / Zaha Hadid Architects

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