Rooms + Cities
11 Rooms and their Cities
4 Rooms and Porto
4
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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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
15.5m13m10m000120
19m2.5m
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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
Notes for a traveller
The Olivetti showroom is located within Rilevo Correr onthenortharcadeofthePiazzaSanMarco.Itisan
hour’swalkfromthetrainstation,butthenarrowstreetsofVeniceareawarrentonavigate.Asimplerapproachis
fromthesouthbyferry.
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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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
1238
2.9m3kg5m
heightofdoorwayamountofgoldonwallsheightofglasspane
Notes for a traveller
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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
Notes for a traveller
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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
Notes for a traveller
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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
Notes for a traveller
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
An infite room, removed from the city, connected to the landscape of the past
Monument to the Resistance Cuneo, unbuilt
An infite room, removed from the city, connected to the landscape of the past
Monument to the Resistance Cuneo, unbuilt
An infite room, removed from the city, connected to the landscape of the past
Monument to the Resistance Cuneo, unbuilt
An infite room, removed from the city, connected to the landscape of the past
Monument to the Resistance Cuneo, unbuilt
Aninfiniteroom
An infite room, removed from the city, connected to the landscape of the past
Monument to the Resistance Cuneo, unbuilt
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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
Notes for a traveller
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
History, city, representation & exchange
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
4444
timber beamsroofplanesfloorsectionslights
Notes for a traveller
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
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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
Notes for a traveller
FromthecentreofStockholmtakethegreenmetrolinetowardsFarstaStrandandgetoffatSkogskyrkogårdenstation.Uponexitingthestation,turnrightandwalkuntil you reach the main entrance to The Woodland Cemetery(Skogskyrkogården).Meanderalongthe
pathsthroughthepineforestuntilyoureachthe‘SevenSpringsWay’,aroutelinedwithBirchtreesandConifers.
TheChapelisvisibleattheendofthisroute.
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SalónMurcia Town Hall Murcia 1998RafaelMoneopublicsquare,baroqueCathedral,sandstoneskin,highceiling,ambiguouscolumns,timberpanels,basalttiles,naturallight,suspendedlighting,framedview
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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
Notes for a traveller
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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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
Notes for a traveller
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
80
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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lengthwidthheightlevelsstepscolumnswindowsdoorsseats
The room in numbers
History, city, representation & exchange
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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lengthwidthheightlevelsstepscolumnswindowsdoorsseats
The room in numbers
History, city, representation & exchange
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
96
lengthwidthheightlevelsstepscolumnswindowsdoorsseats
The room in numbers
History, city, representation & exchange
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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lengthwidthheightlevelsstepscolumnswindowsdoorsseats
The room in numbers
History, city, representation & exchange
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.
50m20m15.5m1003120
20k12.5m11
blue tilesheighofmainwindowinformationscreensclocks
Notes for a travellerTheeasiestandmostobviouswayofreachingthetiledhallisbycatchingatrain,directlytoSãoBentoStation.Alternatively,followAvenidaDomAfonsoHenriqueswhichbisectsthecity,extendingfromtheDomLuísBridgetothestation’simpressivewesternelevation.
104 Symmetry and historic representation
Room as the threshold to the city