History Notes

Contemporary practice

Jean Nouvel – Guthrie Theatre – grain basket (Minneapolis)

On the border with Canada, area is a heritage park.

1850’s theatre, 50m long cantilever is part of the entrance system.

It hangs across the river and thus engages the patrons.

Theatres are normally positioned on the ground (due to their large size) but here it is on upper levels to reinforce the view over the heritage park. The observation deck is an outdoor deck on the end of the cantilever.

There are inscribed images of actors on the interior surface of the building.

Rem Koolhas (based in Rotterdam)

Student Centre – creates a connection with the railway line, the main problem here being the regulation of noise. Solved this by sheathing the elevated rail in concrete, by covering it in this way he solved the acoustic problem.

Pathways - pedestrian routes that move you through the building

Use of colour coding.

Toyo Ito – Mediateque (made up name) Sendai, Japan, 2007

(it was affected in the tsunami) is essentially a library for the city. Instead of columns he uses tube like cages, turning it into a lattice, supporting structures are interesting visually.

Basic rectangular plan, round circles = supporting elements

They are not straight, instead they go up at slight angles.

All four sides are clad in glass, the idea being that the whole building is like a “forest of trees”

Jean Nouvel – Musee du Quai, Branly, 2006

Footprint of Paris, made of perimeter blocks with well-defined street edges, located close to the Eiffel tower. Aim was to create a garden with a pavilion floating in it. Existing surrounding buildings were refurbished. It also contains a green roof (more sustainable) which reduces rain/outflow.

There is a glass defined edge (transparent wall)

The garden is not formal, it is “wild”/out of control

The building is raised on pilotis above the garden

Small boxes are the small gallery spaces, a series of loofers are used to change light requirements on the interior.

The vertical gardens are considered contradictory in a city like Paris which is built in materials like stone.

EXAM

Answer only 5 questions from a choice of 8. Each answer should be 2-3 pages long.

It is not a memory test, not expected to know exact dates of when buildings were built.

More important is the knowledge of the architecture. No trick questions.

Sketches can be used if appropriate (recommended to bring good drawing equipment.)

TIPS

Clearly label head questions with their numbers and rule off any work that you don’t want marked.