Rooms + Cities: Eleven Rooms and Their Cities, Four Rooms in Porto

Rooms + Cities

11 Rooms and their Cities

4 Rooms and Porto

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Location map

Gallery 3/6Visualizzazione dello spazioMain concert hallMarkthalleCentral courtMonument to the resistanceTreppenhalleYellow houseFuneral roomSalónAuditorium

Comparative studies

Location map

Market hallWash chamberStairwellTiled hall

Comparative studies

Exhibition layout

Raison d’être

11 Rooms and their cities

4 Rooms and Porto

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The City through Rooms

‘a critical architecture can emerge by ignoring the big and the general and working with the minute and highly specific’

-AdamCaruso

Thisexerciseinre-drawing,deconstructingandcom-paringthecitythroughaseriesofunseenplacesbeginsto articulate the room’s disposition to the city. These readingsofspacerevealawarpedhumanperspectiveasyouviewthecitythroughtheroom;comparedwithastudyofthecityinitsentirety.Thestrengthofthisthinkingthroughdrawingexerciseliesinitscomposition;thismethodrevealsawayoflookingatallcities.Thenatureofthiscognitivecollectionofdataquestionsspacebyproposingaboundaryofperception;thataroomviewedisnothingbutyourinterpretationofit.IncontrastthefourroomsinPortoofferamorecomprehensivetakeonasinglecityastheyhaveallbeen experienced. Rooms are shaped by their cities andtogetherroomsmakeupthecity.Comparingthesespaceswithoneanotherafterarticulatingtheirnatureinisolationsuggestsadevicetoinformareactiontoallcities.

‘But as I reflect on these memories – as they are to some extent impermanent, exaggerated, constantly re-imagined it is clear to me that, whether I have personally experienced being in these rooms or not, they play a fundamental part in informing my reaction to all rooms.’

-StephenBates

11 Rooms and their Cities

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MarkthalleAarau

Monument to the ResistanceCuneo

TreppenhalleNeues Museum

Gallery 3/6NottinghamContemporary

Main Concert HallCasa da Musica

Visualizzazione dello SpazioOlivetti showroom

AuditoriumTeatro Olimpico

SalónMurcia Town Hall

Funeral RoomResurrection Chapel

Yellow HouseFlims

Central CourtIrishlanguagecentre

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Gallery 3/6NottinghamContemporaryNottingham2009Caruso St Johnroomwithinaroom,engagingthestreet,framingaview,disguisedmediator,hiddenstructure,blankroom,foundspace,pyramidalskylight,reflectingwindow,sparseinterior,invisiblethreshold

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lengthwidthheightlevelsstepscolumnswindowsdoorsseats

The room in numbers

History, city, representation & exchange

PositionedwithinthehistoricquartermileofLaceMarketinNottingham,thisbuildingholdsasignificantlocation within the city. The Contemporary sits on GarnersHill,oncehometoseveralcavedwellings,aSaxonfortandamedievaltownhall.Historicallythesitewasattheheartoftheworld’slaceindustryduringtheBritishEmpireandisnowaprotectedworldheritagesite.PerchedhalfwayupGarnersHill,thecontemporaryservesasbothanewlandmarkfortheareabutaplaceofhomagetowhatoncewas.

Enteredthroughagenerousdoorwayfromthemaingalleryspace,Gallery3/6isalargeopenvolumedevoidofornamentation.Ontheright,asubstantialwindowframesaviewtotheWeekdayCrossstatueonthestreet,engagingwiththepublicrealmandbringingtheoutsidein.Thewindowsitsonthewalllikeapieceofartinthegallery.Fromthestreet,thedeliberateframingoftherooms interior draws the observer towards the window andintothespace,creatingarelationshipbetweeninsideandout.Ontheinterior,theheightofthemainspaceisgreatlyreducednexttothewindow;ascaleadjustmentwhich creates an invisible threshold within the room. It becomesaroomwithinaroom.Thisambiguousspacebetween the room and city acts as a mediator and a catalystforrepresentation.

rooms within roomswindow widthwindowheight

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Notes for a traveller

Gallery3/6islocatedbehindthenorthernfacadeoftheNottinghamContemporary.Totraveltothegallery3/6firsttakeatraintoNottinghamtowncentre,thenexit

the station and either catch the number 8 bus north towards the Contemporary or take a 10 minute walk up MiddleHillRoad.Thegalleryisfreetoenterandopens

TuesdaytoFridayfrom10amto7pm.

16 A mediator between the room and the city

Room

Envelope

Openings

Threshold To City

Room within Room

Mediator

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Visualizzazione dello SpazioOlivetti showroomVenezia 1957Carlo Scarpabuildinginsideabuilding,raisedthreshold,elbowroom,liquidfloor,cascadingstair,hangingmezzanine,suspiciousfurniture,interiortransparencies

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The room in numbers


TheProcuratieVecchie,re-builtin1514,conventionallydefinesPiazzaSanMarco’sedgecondition.Behindoneofthe50archessitsamuseumforthedisplayofartefacts;once on sale within the room.

Externallytheshowroomslongfacadeisrevealedbelowanexternalatriumbehindthearcade,itsrestructuringhasdeniedthe‘firmness’oftheoldstonelintels;theirmemoryandimageareallthatremain.

The display space is contained within a narrow rectan-gularroom,accessiblefromthepiazzathroughafoldinggateofmetal.Theroomhastenwindows;onelookingsouth,framingtheactivityofthePiazza.Lifted,onefootfromthegroundonabedofconcrete,thelowerlevelisorganisedbyprimarycolouredirregularglassmosaicswhichreferencetheintarsiapavementsthatdecorateVenetianchurchfloors.SlabsofAurisinamarblewrapthepre-existingpilasterandpolishedplasterlinethewalls;artificiallights,justoffcentre,hideinitsdepth.Thestonestaircasetothenorthrollsdownfromtheteakcoveredsteelmezzaninewhichissuspendedfromtheceiling.Theroomcontainsmachines,hungonrosewoodshelves,litfromabove.Onesculptureofanuderestsattheentranceonaplinthofblackstone.

Theconcretenessofthefloorstructure,steppedabovetheflooddatum,isdeniedbytheunnervingfluidityfabricatedbytheirregularmosaics.Thislossofgroundismaintainedbytheshelves,hungfromthemezzanine.

TheintensityoftheroomcomesfromitstensionwiththecityasthemanipulationofitsdetailsexposetheillusionofVenice’sterrafirma.elevationfrompiazza

levelofmezzanine over entranceovertiledfloornumberofshelvesheightofdoorwaywidthofdoorway

19m3.5m4.1m31791330

0.32m

2.1m1.9m292.4m2.1m


The Olivetti showroom is located within Rilevo Correr onthenortharcadeofthePiazzaSanMarco.Itisan

hour’swalkfromthetrainstation,butthenarrowstreetsofVeniceareawarrentonavigate.Asimplerapproachis

fromthesouthbyferry.

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Denyingthepervasiveillusion

SectionthroughVenice


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Main Concert HallCasa da MusicaPorto,2005OMAacousticglass,shoebox,monumentview,plywoodskin,steelfloor,goldleaf,slidingchairs,acousticcushion,exchangingviews

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The room in numbers


TheCasadaMusica,constructedbetween1999and2005,wasperceivedtobethenewicontocelebratePor-toastheEuropeanCulturecapitalin2001.ThebuildingwasdesignedbyRemKoolhaaswhointendedtobreakbarriersfoundwithintraditionalconcerthalldesign.

Themainconcerthalluniquelyhasavisualexchangewiththecity,achievedusingacousticglasswallsposi-tionedatfacingendsoftheroom.Thetranslucentwallsallownaturallighttofloodintotheconcerthallduringtheday,andbroadcastinternalactivitiestothecityatnight.Thisglazingisalsoappliedtosurroundingopen-ingstoconnecttheadjacentprogrammeandcirculationroutes to the concert hall.

ThebuildingispositionedtoframeviewsoftheMonumenttotheHeroesofthePeninsulawar,whichissituatedatthecentreoftheJardimdaBoavista.AsoneofthemajorpublicspacesinPorto,partofthecityactsasabackdroptothestage.

Theprogrammewrappingaroundtheconcerthall,almosttraditionallyliftstheroomaboveitssurroundings.Thiselevatedheightallowsastrongconnectionbetweentheroomandamuchlargerurbanarrangement,high-lightingitasamajorpublicvenueandanurbanartefactwithin the city.

Thefunctionalrectangularcompositionandsterilenatureoftheconcerthall’sinteriorsignificantlyresiststhesurroundingskewedprogramme.Differingfromtradition,theCasadaMusicapresentsthePortugueseorchestratoanexternalaudience;whilerepresentingtheprogressionfromahighlytraditionaltypology.

53.7m22.1m17.5m22607

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2.9m3kg5m

heightofdoorwayamountofgoldonwallsheightofglasspane


TheCasadaMusicaislocatedonthenorth-westperipheryoftheRotundadaBoavistainPorto,northofthecitycentre.ThesimplestwaytotravelthroughPortoisbytram;sharingitsnamewiththebuildingthecloseststationishighlightedontheyellowline.Guidedtoursareavailabledailyat11:00and16:00andlastfor

approximately one hour.

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MarkthalleAarau Switzerland 2002Miller + Marantahistoricblock,urbanmediator,localactivity,timbershelter,permeablestructure,rhythmicconstruction,double-heightroom,internalstreet,freemovement

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The room in numbers


Themarkethallisalighttimbershelterlocatedinadense urban block. This timber shelter rests within its newstoneboundarydirectingmovementboththroughthehallaswellasaroundit.Thetimberroomdefinedbyarhythmicconstructionwhichprovidesglimpsestothecity. The stone room is within the inner and outer walled ringoftheoldtown.

Themarkethallwasbuiltin200220yearsafterthedemolitionofanumberofcommercialbuildings.Thislargeopenscarintheoldurbangrainoccupiesalongfrequentedroutedefinedbybuildingsoneitherside.Thislighttimberframesitsinstarkcontrastwiththeheavylimestoneprevalentinthecity.Thisstructureisoffsetfromtheadjacentbuildings,bendinggraduallytotracetheirform.Boththepositionandconfigurationofthestructure accommodate movement around the hall and defineanewurbanspacetothenorth.Narrowtimberelementsplacedverticallyat50cmcentresformthefaçade.Thesedivideintoasolidlowlevelbandandanopenhighlevelband.Theinteriorcontinuestheexternalrhythmthroughtheroofstructure.Theparapetissetbacktoaddtotheslenderappearanceofthebuilding.Onlyasinglecolumnandmajorbeamsbreakthisrhythmandtheotherwiseopenspaceinsidetoenableflexibilityofstallarrangement.TheDouglasfirtimberistreatedwithacopper-pigmentedglazegivingthestructurealightbronzetone.Viewsofsurroundingfacadesareframedbetweenthelowwallandroofwhichputsthesebuildingsondisplaytoremindtheuseroftheirlocation

27m16m6101000

172 numberofopenings


ThemarkethallislocatedinFärberplatzDyers’SquareinAaraubetweentheinnerandouterwalledringsoftheoldtown.TheapproachtothisroomfromKasinostrasse

metrostationisafiveminutewalk.

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1000m 30m

10m 3m

6m

Old Town in City

Stone Room Timber Room

Timber Room in Old City

20m

60m2000m

A room in an urban room

The timber room on the stone room

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Central CourtIrishLanguageCentreDerry 2009O’Donnel + Tuomeymediatingcourtyard,internalfacade,centralvolume,materialsimplicity,structurallegibility,carvedspace,wrappedvessel,prominentskylight,culturaldwelling

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The room in numbers


TheoldestplannedcityinIreland:acityofariverandwalls;ofplots;boundaries;topographicalandbuilt;yieldedhintsofotherdemarcations,notsomuchdefinedasinflected.Theexperienceofthecityasavisitorcertainthresholds,topographicalandbuilt,yieldedhintsofotherdemarcations,heldbytheinhabitantsossifywhenexperienced alone.

Nestledbetweenaterraceofmid-eighteenthcenturypracticesofimperialism.Thebuildingretractsfromthestreet.Itsentranceisraisedanddiscretefromthecourtinfront,Behindtheentryportico,ofthereservedpublicfacade.Itsconnectionwiththelargercityisnotachievedthroughobjectification,butasapoint,notwitha spire but by its tall lantern which covers the internal courtyard,legibleontheskyline.

Therectangularsite,containedonthreesideswiththenorthendfacingthestreet.Acontinuousterrazzofloorconnectsthefootpathtothebuilding’sinterior.Theentryporticowhichingestsaroundcornersandpastreceptionprogrammetobequicklydepositedwithinthe central void. This deconstructs the barrier between insideandout.Theglassroofedtrapezoidalcourtyard’spermanentconcreteformisperforatedbycirculatingelementswhichcrossandoverlooktheskylitvessel;containedbyitsperipheralprogramme.

Theexpressed75mmtimberboardmarkedformworksympathise with the rational brick dimensions visible alongthestreet.Theselectiveinsertionsarebuiltofashipgradesteelfinishedintheindustrystandardredoxide.Small,semi-permanentbluepaintedtimberinsertions help to mediate the relationship between thevoidandtheadjoiningspaces,whilstthehorizontalGlazedscreenstothefacadeandcourtyardsareframedinpowder-coatedaluminium.

15.8m6.7m16.5m42204270

275mm75mm3

bridgeswidthofshutteringwidthoffloorboardsescape routes


ThecolourfulskylightofAnGaelárasisvisiblefromthewallsoftheoldcityofDerry.Walknorth-westfromthis view and exit the historic boundary via Castle Gate. Descendingfromthehistoricfortifications,turnrightalongWaterlooStreetpastWaterlooPlace.Thenturn

rightontoGreatJamesStreet.Nestledwithinaterrace,inthesecondblockontherightthebuilding’sfolded

concretefacadeismarkedCultúrlann.

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Monument to the ResistanceCuneo 1962Aldo Rossiwarmemorial,collectivememory,raisedpiazza,pano-ramicview,battlefield,opentothesky,infiniteroom,carvedvolume,reflectivespace,removedfromthecity,unbuilt

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The room in numbers


AldoRossi’sMonumenttotheResistancewasdesignedtobeapermanentmemorialtothePartisanfightersofWWII.Althoughneverrealized,thesiteliesontheedgeofCuneowithviewsoverlookingahistoricbattlefield.Rossi’sideawasthatthemonumentwouldbecomepartofthecollectivememoryofthecityandberepresentative,notonlyofthesoldiers,butalsothesiteitself.

The room is an ‘enclosed piazza’ raised 5.5m above the ground.Externallythemonumentappearsasa12mmasonrycube.Itisaphysicalreminderofpasteventsrepresentedasatriumphalpieceofarchitecture.Thesizeandformofthemonumentsignifiesitsimportanceandsenseofpermanencewithinthelandscape.Theproposalalsoincludedthenamesofthelostsoldiersengravedonthe stone as a memorial. The monument is a physical reminderofpasteventsrepresentedasatriumphalpieceofarchitecture.Itssizeandformsignifiesitsimportanceandsenseofpermanencewithinthelandscape.

Asyoumovecloser,visitorsbegintoreadthecarvedoutspacewithin.Asteepsetofstepstaperinwardstoguideyouupintothemonument.Onceyoubegintheascentviewstotheskyarerevealed,butitisnotuntilyoureachthetopdoesthe‘room’defineitself.Thespaceiscompletelyenclosedbyhighwalls,exceptfortheviewtothe sky above and a panoramic view at eye level over the battlefield.Internallythemonumentremovesthevisitorfromthecityandbecomesaplaceofremembranceandcontemplation.

5.7m10m∞1220000

1.5m12m

widthofstairtopwidthofstrairbottom


Themonumenttotheresistancecanonlybefoundintheimaginationofthereader.Formoreinformation

takethelifttolevel4oftheMatthewbuilding,entertheDuncanofJordanstonelibrary.Headtoaisle5tofindbooknumber72(45)19ROS:AldoRossi:BuildingsandProjects.Turntopage29andthereisalltheinformation

you need.

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An infite room, removed from the city, connected to the landscape of the past

Monument to the Resistance Cuneo, unbuilt









Aninfiniteroom



Aninfiniteroom

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TreppenhalleNeues Museum Berlin1859&2009F.A.Stuler&D.Chipperfieldmuseumisland,wardamage,historicshell,sensitivein-sertion,threelevels,repeatingstair,tracingroute,subtlematerials,memoryvoid,gatheringspace,statueview

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The room in numbers


LocatedintheheartofBerlin,thisbuildingsitsamongstlandmarks;thePergamonmuseumtotheNorth,theBer-linerDomtotheSouth,AlexanderplatzTelevisionTowerto the East and Friedrichstrasse train station to the West. DuringtheSecondWorldWar,theNeuesMuseumwasdamagedandfellintodisrepair.Theinterventionprojectrestoredthemuseum,re-makingthemissingsectionsandreturningartefactstodisplayoncemore.

Thresholdsdefinetherelationshipbetweenthisroomanditscity:aroomwithinabuilding;abuildingwithinacomplex;acomplexonanisland;anislandinadistrict;adistrictinBerlin.Eyelevelwindowsinthestairhalldisplaythecityasanartefact;remindingvisitorsofBerlin’sviolentpast.AvisualconnectiontoastatueonthestepsoftheAltesNationalgaleriecommunicatesthelinkbetweeninsideandout.Spreadoverthreelevels,severalstagesofenclosureexistwithintheroom;itsperceivedboundarydiffersfromitstrueboundary.Theroomiscentralinthebuildingplan,andthreesetsofstepsleadfromtheentrancetothepubliccourtyard.Acolonnade surrounds this courtyard and the river creates a physical boundary to the immediate city.

Theindividualtreatmentofthisroompresentsanewattitudetointervention.Itdoesnotcontrastorcopy,disguiseordisplay.Variancebetweenoldandnewisvisibleyetsubtle;bullet-holedbricksandsmoothwhitecement occur side by side. The stair echo’s the route andformofthepreviousstructure,withoutreplicatingit.Itisavesselforpeople,circulatingthemthroughthemuseumandactingasagatheringspace.Theroomrepresentsthehistoryofthecity,thememoryofitspastandthedestructioncausedbythewar,whilstitexchang-esbothpeopleandknowledge.

37.3m15.7m17.2m3148811132

widthofmainstairwidthofsecondarystairlion statues

4.5m2.5m2


TheNeuesMuseumissituatedamongstafamilyofhistoricbuildingsonthenorthofMuseumIsland.TakeatraintoHackescherMarktS-bahnstationandlookforthelandmarkBerlinCathedral.Crosstheclosestbridgeover the river Spree and it is hidden behind a colonnade.

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The Extents of a Room in a City

Neues MuseumBerlinTheextentsofaroominacity

The Extents of a Room in a City

Neues MuseumBerlin

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Yellow HouseFlimsSwitzerland 1999ValerioOlgiatialpinemountains,whitebox,oldshell,newstructure,monolithicvolume,masonrywalls,exhibitionspace,timberbeams,diagonalcolumn,topfloor

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The room in numbers


Thishousewasbuiltin1977bythearchitectRudolfOlgiati,thefatherofValerioOlgiatiandbecameknownas‘theyellowhouse’duetoitsoriginalpaintedcolour.

Initially,thegroundfloorhadacommercialuseasavegetableshopandtheupperfloorsaccommodatedtheParishhouseofFlimsusesitforexhibitions.Atthetimeofconstruction,

OlgiatimadeanagreementwiththeParishtoensurethatanyfuturerenovationsofthebuildingshouldmaintainhisarchitecturalprincipals.Amongotherthings,theyagreedthatitshouldbepaintedwhiteandtheroofbefinishedwithstones.

Afterthedeathofhisfatherin1995,ValerioOlgiatistartedtherefurbishmentof‘theyellowhouse’andcompleted it in 1999.

Duringrenovation,theinteriorwascompletelyreplacedwithanewsolidtimberstructure.Thisdominatingstruc-tureisrepeatedonallfloorsanddividestheroomintofoursectionsofdifferentsizes.Theexternalmasonryshellwasretainedbuttheplastercoatwasremovedfromthesurfacetorevealthenaturalstoneshiddenbeneath.Anyunnecessaryopeningswerefilledwithconcreteandtheoldroofwasreplacedbystoneslabsofrandomshapes.

Theyellowhouseislocatedatthehighestpointonacurvingaxisthroughthetown,thisexposesitfrombothsides.Incontrast,thebuildingsformisremovedfromthevernacularthatsurroundingbuilding.

Theroomisplaceofrepresentation;asamuseumitrepresentshistoryandarts.Itisalsoaplaceofexchangeofideas,cultureandpeople.

11.5m8.5m5.2m1011111

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timber beamsroofplanesfloorsectionslights


Fly to Zurich international airport. From there catch thetraintoChur(approx.1hourand40minutesinduration).Finally,takethebusnumber17toFlims

Dorf-DenterViasstop.Crossthestreetandyou are there.

58 Merginganoldshellwithanewstructure

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Funeral RoomResurrection ChapelStockholm 1925SigurdLewerentztree-linedavenue,classicisttemple,offsetgeometry,mosaicfloor,singlewindow,coffinbed,eastwestaxis,sunrise&rebirth,processionalexit,landscapedcemetery

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The room in numbers


SouthofStockholm,theResurrectionChapelislocatedin the city’s ‘Woodland Cemetery’. Situated in a park ofmeanderingpaths,adistincttreelinedNorth-Southvista clearly marks the approach and entrance to the chapel:acontrastingapproachtothebuilding’sclassi-callyChristianEast-Westorientationonthesite.Thechapelentranceonthenorthfaçadeofthebuildingisuntypicalof20thCenturychapels;thearchitect’slackofadherencetoclassicalrulesisseenthroughoutthescheme.Internallythereisasinglewindowaboveheadheightonthesouthfaçade.Thestrongsouthlightcarvesintothedarknessoftheunlitroomimmediatelygraspingmournerswhentheyentertheroom.Thedesignandpositionofthewindowissothataroundnooninthesummermonths,thelightsweepsoverthemosaic-tiledflooranddirectlyilluminatesthecoffinbed.Onexitingthebuilding,mournersturnawayfromthecoffinbedandleavethroughaseparateexitonthewestfaçadeintoalandscaped cemetery. The separate exit is metaphorical ofmournersreturningtotheirlivesonanewroute.

Lewerentzhascreatedanatmosphericbuildingwhichconnectstothecityandtheoutsideworldthroughsep-aration,throughcontemplationandultimatelythroughemotional escape.

18m7m11.5m10121265

3m7m421

levelofwindowofgroundleveloforganfromgroundflasecolumnspeepholes


FromthecentreofStockholmtakethegreenmetrolinetowardsFarstaStrandandgetoffatSkogskyrkogårdenstation.Uponexitingthestation,turnrightandwalkuntil you reach the main entrance to The Woodland Cemetery(Skogskyrkogården).Meanderalongthe

pathsthroughthepineforestuntilyoureachthe‘SevenSpringsWay’,aroutelinedwithBirchtreesandConifers.

TheChapelisvisibleattheendofthisroute.

64 Chapelillumination,summersolstice

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SalónMurcia Town Hall Murcia 1998RafaelMoneopublicsquare,baroqueCathedral,sandstoneskin,highceiling,ambiguouscolumns,timberpanels,basalttiles,naturallight,suspendedlighting,framedview

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The room in numbers


TheTownHallcompletesthePlazadeCardenalBelluga,aBaroquepublicsquarelocatedattheheartofthecity’shistoriccentre,asitsfacadeactsasaretabletoenclosethesquarewhichisparallelwiththeCathedral’sownfacade.Theotherprominentfacadeonthesquareisthebrightlycoloured18thcenturyCardinalBellugaPalace;t

henewTownHallco-existswiththecathedralandthepalacewithoutmakingstylisticreferencesorconcessions.Onthefourthsideofthesquare,aseriesofearly20thcenturydwellingshighlightthecontrastbetweenpublicandprivatewhenjuxtaposedwiththenewcivicTownHall.Deliberately,accesstotheTownHallisfromCalleFrenería,isnotdirectlyfromthePlazaitself.

TheReceptionroomisaprivatespaceusedforpoliticalfunctionsandevents.Itislocatedon1stfloorleveltotheeastsideofthebuildingoverlookingthePlaza.AsingleentrypointandtwodoorsprovideaccesstotheGallerybalcony.Theroomhasastrongrelationshipwiththesquare;bothintermsoftheviewfromwithinanditsprominenceonthefaçade.Moneodescribesthepilastersonthefaçadeas‘filtersthroughwhichthecityappearstotakeonanewmeaning’.

TheeastelevationispunctuatedbythealmostfullheightpresidentialwindowwiththeMurciacoatofarmsengravedontheglasswhichframestheviewofthePlaza.Thereceptionroomisaplatformforexchangebetweenthe president and Murcia’s citizens.

Contrastingwiththerichtimberpanellingoftheotherthreewalls,theuseofneutralwhitestuccoontheeastinternalelevationallowstheviewofthesquareandcathedraltocharacterisethespace.Inthissense,thecityisperceiveddifferentlyfrominsidetheroom,placingthehighestimportanceonthebaroquearchitectureofthepast.MoneodescribesthenewTownHallasstriving‘toenablethecity-orratheritscitizens-toseethemselvesthroughdifferenteyes’.

14.5m6m7.5m1043328

3m2m6.8m9496

heightofdoorwaywidthofdoorwayheightofpresidentswindownumberoftileslightsmountedlightssuspended


MurciaTownHallislocatedatthewestofCardinalBellugaSquareintheheartofMurcia’shistoriccentre,

justnorthofSeguraRiver.Itisapleasant30minutewalkfromthecentralstation.PedestrianareascovermostoftheoldtownbutitispossibletocatchabusortaxifromthestationtothenorthbankoftheriverbesidetheCityHall.CardinalBellugaSquareisdirectlybehindtheCity

Hallanditslandscapedsquare.

70 UrbanCompostionofPlazaDeCardinalBelluga

ReligiousandCivicdialogue

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AuditoriumTetro OlimpicoSabbioneta 1590Vincenzo Scamozzisingularvision,renaissancecity,composedgrid,em-beddedmarker,romanambitions,permanentstage-set,forcedperspective,corinthiancolumns,eyeoftheprince

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The room in numbers


BuiltatthepinnacleofSabbionetasprosperityduringthe16thcentury,theTeatrowasoneofthefinalpiecesinapre-plannedurbangridwhichdefinedthecity’sformandsocialorder.Itwasthefirstpurpose-builttheatresinceantiquity,andrepresentsamajorpointinthedevelop-mentofthetheatretypology.

TheTeatroservesasanurbanmarkerprotrudingintothemainstreet,andindoingsodefinesthepathbetweenthecity’stwosquares.Itisalsoacivicconnectiveelement,betweenthePrince’sprivate&publicpresenceandthepeople.

TheinfluenceofSerlio’sworkonScammozzi’sdesignfortheTeatrocanbeseeninthepermanentforcedper-spectivestageset.Itdepictsanidylliccityscene,muchlikethediagramsinSerlio’ssecondbook.ThefrescosoneithersideofthestagemakenumerousreferencestoancientRome.ThedepictionofCasteloSant’Angeloon the south wall represents the Prince’s Castle directly southofthetheatre.ThenorthwalldepictstheCapito-lineHill,representingthePalazzoandthePiazzaDucaledirectlynorthofthetheatre.TheaxiscreatedbythissuperimpositionofRomanlandmarksontoSabbioneta,places the

TeatroOlimpicodirectlyinthetheatredistrictofRome.Theexperienceofthetheatrevariedaccordingtoclass,thestagesetperspectivewassetupforthePrinceupinhisloggia.Therestoftheaudiencehadtomakedowithadistortedviewfromthebenches&floorbelow.Theentrancetothetheatrewasanotherdeviceforsocialorderrepresentation;aprivateoverpassforthePrince,alobbiedentranceforthenoblesanddoorsdirectlyoffthestreetfortheothers.

27.5m11.4m11.4m3161253175

27.5m1m3.2m16441m

rooms within roomselevationfrompiazzaheightofdoorwaystatuesfrescoesstagearea


Arrivingbycarriagethroughthenorthgateyouarepresentedwithwhatlookslikeadeadend,Sabbionetaisfullofthese.Rideonuntilyouarefacedwithachoiceofturningleftorright,takethelatter.Then,followingaswiftleftturnyouarriveonthemainstreet,ViaGonsagaVespasiano. The noble’s entrance to the Teatro Olimpico

isonyournextleft.

76 Anurbanideologicalmarker

The Dukes theatrical perspectiveThe Dukes theatrical perspective

Tetro OlimpicoSabbioneta 1590

4 rooms and Porto

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Wash chamberSão Nicolau baths and wash house

Tiled HallSãoBentoTrainStation

Bolhao Market

Central StairOldRelaçãoPrison

PORTO MAP

Porto

Scale 1:2500

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Balhao MarketPorto 1914

cityblock,externalroom,wrappingfaçade,doubleeleva-tion,traditionalmarket,permanentenclosure,temporarycontent,steppedsection,culturalexchange

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The room in numbers


ThetraditionalBolhãoMarketislocatedintheheartofPortoinavibrantcommercialdistrict.Datingbackonehundredyears,thebuildingisdominantinthesurroundingcontext.Thescaleofitsshopfrontsmimicthedivisionsofsurroundingbuildings,yetsimultaneouslyreadasasinglewrappedfaçade.Thebuildingareafillsanentirecityblock,skewedatthenorthedgetoaccom-modatetheneighbouringurbanfabric.Theinternalplanremainsrectangular,irregularitieshiddenwithintheperipheralinhabitedwall.EmbeddedintheslopingtopographyofPorto,thisexternalroomisonlyvisibleonce inside.

Fourentrancepointsfromthreestreetlevels,thoughthebuildingborderofeachofthefourfacadesprovideaccesstotheroomwithin.Thefunctionalmarketspaceisspreadovertwolevels:anuppergallerydirectlyaccessedfromthenorthandtheprimarymarketlevelaccesseddirectlyfromthesouth.Activitydrawscustomersthroughstallsinthelowerlevelandupaconnectingstairtothegalleryabove,creatingan’internal’route.Thestructureofsteelcolumnsandlayeredroofscreatevaryingthresholdsandlevelsofintimacy.Apublicandprivate duality between market and shop corresponds to thepermanentandtemporaryrespectively.Colourfulandvibrant,themarketrepresentsPorto’sculturethroughtheexchangeofgoods.

123m37.9m∞21264804-

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numberofbridgesnumberofstalls

Notes for a travellerLocatedinthecentreofPortonRuaSádaBandeira,

themarketisa7minutewalknorthofSãoBentocentraltrainstation.Alternatively,takeyourpickfromseveral

otherMetrostationscloseby,includingTrindade,AliadosandBolhão(theclosest).Findthecityclockwithtwodomesandchosefromoneoffourentrancesdependingonapproachdirection.ItisopenMonday-Friday07:00-

17:00andSaturday07:00-13:00.

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Wash chamberSão Nicolau baths and wash housePorto 1992Paulo Providência washhouse,publicspace,submergedunderground,seriesofthresholds,concretechamber,windowtooutside,lightfromabove,patternsoflife

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90


The room in numbers


The São Nicolau wash house sits on the bank oftheDouroRiver,adjacenttothehistoriccentre.Con-structedbythecitycouncilin1992,SãoNicolauwasanadditiontotheexistingnetworkofwashhousesinPorto,whichprovidedthegeneralpublicwithmuchneededwashingfacilities.Thepublicwashroomsinadditiontotheirmainusehavebecomesocialspaces,andassuchplayanintegralpartinthepubliclifeofthecity.

Thewashhouseishiddentothepasserby,itissub-merged,underground,itispartofthegroundthecitystandson.Asmalllevelpiazzaisformedbytheroofofthewashhouse,ararityinPorto’sterrain.Thepavedpiazzafacilitatesadifferentaspectoflifetotheonegoingonbelow,itisasymbiosis.

Accessedfromapedestrianlane,theentrydoordiscreetlytuckedintothewall,aseriesoframpsleaddownthroughthebuilding,turningleftthenright,anextensionofthestreetjustleftbehind.Thedestinationisaskylitconcretechamber,enteredintofromeitherofthe narrow ends. The concrete that envelopes the space reinforcestheundergroundfeelaswellascreatingasenseofstillnessandseparationfromtheactivityabove.

There are two visual connections to the external world. Thefirst,intheroofoftheconcretechamber,directlyabovethebasins,givestheviewoftheskyabove.Thesecond,anarrowslitatpavementlevel,atthestartofthesecondramp,orientates,providesyouwitharelativeposition to the street. The two are visually mutually exclusive,exceptinonecarefullycomposedspot.

ThewashhouseisendemicofPortoanditstopography.Multiplelevels,zenithallightandsubterraneaninhab-itationareallcommonbuildingtraitsinPorto.Thewashroomrepresentsthecitybyrespondingtoitinavocabularythatisfamiliartoitsinhabitants.

17m4m4m2120181

costforcubicleuse70c

Notes for a travellerTakethemetrotoSaoBentometrostation.FollowRuaMouzinhodaSilveriadowntowardsthewaterfront.At

thewaterfrontturnleftontoRuaReboleira.Thedoortothewashhouseistuckedinontheright.Therewillbean

attendantatthedoortofacilitateyourneeds.

92 The view in / The view out

Aninternalstreetofslopedsurfaces

94

StairwellOldRelaçãoPrisonPorto 1916

functionalduality,insularroute,publicsubtraction,solidvoid,wornnostalgia,exposedpublicprocession,onlookingexchange

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The room in numbers


TheCadeiadaRelação,re-builtin1796,containedthecourtofappealwithintheprisonstriangularform.Thepublicroutesurroundedbyaseriesofinsularcellspresentsafunctionalduality.Withinthesolidityofthebuilding,thecarvedstonestairwrapsroundacentralatrium,onceexposetothesky.Itsfunctionbynatureseparatesroomfromcity.

Theatriumiswrappedbyanascendingstaircase;tallerthanitswidth,accessibleoffthemainfoyerspacetowardthenorthofthebuilding.Theroomhassevenwindows,allinwardlooking,theonlyconnectiontooutsideisup.Thisglazedatriumistheonlysourceoflight;theheightofwhichpreventsthelightfromevertouchingthegroundsurface,castingthefloorinconstantshadow.Fortythreewornstonestepsseparatetheatriumfromthecellsabove;plaster,smearedbetweenstonedetails,hidethecarvednatureofthespace.Theseroomscontainnothing;onlythememoryofuse,archivedinthematerialspores,suchasthedraininthemiddleoftheatrium:exposingthetruenatureofthenowsealedexternal atrium.

37.3m15.7m17.2m3148811132

2 lion statues

Notes for a travellerLocatedintheHistoricDistrictofPorto,TheformerPrisonisnestledintimatelyintothehistoricfabricof

thispartoftown,otherlandmarkssuchastheCordoariagardenandtheSaoBentodaVitoriasurroundsthetriangularbuilding.Tofindthestaircasewithinthe

prisonfirsttraveltothefamousSaobentoTrainStation.AfterexitingthestationheadwestalongthebusyRua31deJanieroroad.Approximately500metresalongtheroad you will encounter the Cordoaria Garden with the Prisonontheoppositesideoftheroad.AfterenteringthePrisonslargedoubledoorentrance,headintothe

centreofthebuildingtodiscoverthestaircase.

98 Unfoldedstairwellelevation

100

Tiled HallSãoBentoTrainStationPorto 1916JoséMarquesdaSilvaimpressivescale,classicalorder,azulejopanels,historicdepictions,symmetricalopenings,ornatedetails,stainedglass,thresholdsfilters,zerofunction,pathsconverging.

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The room in numbers


SãoBentotrainstationstandsontheexactsiteofaformerBenedictinemonasteryfromthe16thcentury.ThemonasterywasnamedConventofSãoBentodeAvé-Maria,hencethestation’sname.

ThestationwasdesignedbythePorto-bornarchitectJoséMarquesdaSilva.Itwascomissionedthroughaneedforastationclosertothecentrebecauseuntilitsconstructionin1916,CampanhãwasPorto’smostcentralstation.

Behinditsimpressivefaçade,isthevasttiledhallvesti-bule,whichisdecoratedwitharemarkablesetoftilesthattookJorgeColaço,apainterspecialisedindesigningandpaintingazulejopanels,11yearstocomplete.Theimpressive20thousand,azulejotin-glazedceramictilesdepictseveralhistoricalevents.TheseincludeKingJoãoIandQueenPhilippaofLancasterbyPorto’scathedralin1387,themeetingoftheknightEgasMonizofLeónandAlfonsoVIIofCastile(12thcentury),PrinceHenrytheNavigatorconqueringCeuta(1415)andarepresentationoftheBattleofArcosdeValdevez(1140),aswellasthehistoryoftransportation.Thehistoricscenesrepresent-edinJorgeColaço’stilepaintingsarevitaltotheoverallimpact that the space has on commuters and visitors.

Thespaceisentirelypublicandpermeable,has16doorwaysintotalandisperfectlysymetricalinitsconstruction. It can be viewed as a ‘threshold’ between thecityofPortoandtheoutsideworld,acontemplativespaceandastoppingpointinaajourneyandacontinua-tionofthecity.

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blue tilesheighofmainwindowinformationscreensclocks

Notes for a travellerTheeasiestandmostobviouswayofreachingthetiledhallisbycatchingatrain,directlytoSãoBentoStation.Alternatively,followAvenidaDomAfonsoHenriqueswhichbisectsthecity,extendingfromtheDomLuísBridgetothestation’simpressivewesternelevation.

104 Symmetry and historic representation

Room as the threshold to the city

Documents

Rooms + Cities: Eleven Rooms and Their Cities, Four Rooms in Porto