Hasta La Ideas

Japanese studio SANAA has completed a circular production hall with rippled acrylic walls for furniture brand Vitra, making it the latest addition to the firm’s campus of buildings by famous architects in Weil am Rhein, Germany (+ slideshow).

Architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA were asked to replace an old factory hall with a larger facility to accommodate production and distribution for Vitra’s shop-fitting company Vitrashop.

The new single-storey building features a circular plan that can be subdivided to allow separate operations to take place simultaneously. The main section of the production hall is used for product assembly, while the northern side provides a stockroom for materials and the southern end is used for the storage of finished products.

The undulating plastic cladding encases the entire facade, concealing the building’s prefabricated concrete and steel structure. Each acrylic component comprises a transparent exterior and an opaque white inner layer, and was vacuum-moulded to create the wavy shape.

Loading bays are distributed around the perimeter and can be converted into offices if necessary. There are also a few windows positioned along the tops of the walls, plus skylights help to bring more natural light in through the roof.

The SANAA-designed Factory Building joins structures by a host of internationally renowned architects on the site, including Herzog & de Meuron’s VitraHaus showroom, the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry, a conference hall by Tadao Ando and a fire station by Zaha Hadid.

First established in the 1980s, the Vitra Campus has become well-known as an unofficial museum of contemporary architecture. The next building proposed for the site is a children’s art workshop by Chilean architect Ale­jan­dro Ar­ave­na.

See more buildings at the Vitra Campus, or see a selection of furniture produced by Vitra.

Photography is by Julien Lanoo, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s a more detailed project description from Vitra:

Development of the Vitra Campus

After 1993 – the year in which Tadao Ando’s Conference Pavilion and the Fire Station by Zaha Hadid were completed, followed by the dedication of Álvaro Siza’s factory hall one year later – no new buildings were constructed on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein for more than a decade. A new expansion phase began in 2006 with commissions assigned to Herzog & de Meuron and the Japanese architectural team SANAA. The Basel-based architects were entrusted with the VitraHaus project on a site outside of the actual production compound in the northern corner of the Campus. The VitraHaus, which opened in early 2010, serves as a presentation venue for the Vitra Home Collection and marks the entrance to the company premises together with Frank Gehry’s Vitra Design Museum. SANAA began to plan a production facility for Vitrashop – a shop fitting company within the Vitra Group – on the south side of the Campus. The completion of these two new buildings also achieved a partial restructuring of the Campus grounds by separating operational logistics from public visitor traffic. The central axis leading to the Hadid Fire Station is now mainly used by visitors, while deliveries and dispatches are primarily routed through the access road that lies on the eastern side of the premises.

A production facility without a role model

Almost all of the major projects that SANAA has completed up until now have been buildings for cultural institutions or universities. In Weil am Rhein – with the first industrial facility to be designed by SANAA – the idea was to apply a similar approach to the construction of a production hall.

The plan for the new structure was initiated by the desire of Vitra’s management to replace an old factory building near the southern corner of the premises that had survived the great fire in 1981 with only minor damage. The extant building was not only showing its age, but was also too small for current demands. The new facility was to provide 20,000 square metres of floor area – compared to 12,000 square metres in the old structure.

The architectural brief presented to SANAA by the company management specified a division of the total space into four separate areas that could operate independently from one another, but would also provide optimal conditions for operations that required use of the entire space. After making a detailed analysis of the brief, SANAA suggested that the preliminary decisions be revised, replacing the four orthogonal volumes that were correlated to the existing grid of the Campus with a single circular building. This proposal, which at first seemed unusual, was based on the realization that logistics and production methods no longer adhere to strictly hierarchical principles, but require flexibility. This was especially true in the case of the future occupants of the new facility, the shop fitting company Vitrashop. Although Vitrashop primarily utilizes standard components in the interiors that it creates for retail and commercial customers, the elements are customized to suit the specifications and desires of the individual clients. This contradicts a strictly linear flow of goods and fabrication methods. Consequently, the interior of the hall is divided into different zones: the northern section provides high rack storage for delivered materials and semi-finished goods; the central zone is reserved for assembly operations; and the southern section contains the storage area for finished products prior to shipping. The circular footprint of the building permits the delivery and loading of goods in completely different locations, so that the flow of traffic inside the hall is reduced, optimized and simplified. The assembly zone in the middle of the building can also be variably configured to meet new requirements based on current orders.

A circular footprint is unusual for a factory building, but all of the conditions in Weil favoured this solution, so that SANAA was able to convince the client to accept their proposal. Another ideal feature of the circular structure is the proportional relationship of the façade’s surface area to the volume of the interior space.

With a diameter of more than 160 metres, the round production hall – which in fact does not circumscribe an exact circle – covers a greater surface area than any other building on the Vitra Campus. Measuring 11.4 metres in height, the hall contains a basement storey in the southeastern half with a spacious underground parking garage and several auxiliary rooms. The building was erected in two stages in order to minimize interference with daily operations. The first semi-circular structure was erected next to the old factory, which was subsequently demolished to make room for the corresponding second half that completed the plan. The façade and the diameter wall that separates the two halves of the building are made of prefabricated concrete elements. Positioned as upright rectangles, the double- walled concrete elements were filled on site, thereby connecting them with one another. Due to the enormous dimensions of the perimeter, it was unnecessary for the individual elements to be curved. Together with the central wall, the round shape creates a perfect, rigid structure, which contains an orthogonal steel framework in its interior. The roof construction is supported by 9.5 metre-high steel columns positioned in a grid based on units of 17.5 x 22.8 metres. Since the exterior concrete walls brace the structure, it was possible to minimize the dimensions of the interior columns.

One of the major challenges for the architects was to find a solution for the installation of complex building technology – electronics, ventilation, roof drainage, fire sprinklers etc., which are distributed in different configurations throughout the interior space – that was compatible with the filigree components of the hall’s support structure. This problem was solved with astonishing precision, resulting in an interior that is clearly different from typical factory spaces. The architects did not treat this interior as a multifunctional, flexible empty space within the shell of a façade, but as a central aspect of the architectural task. Every detail, right down to the screws in the high rack storage shelving, reveals the design intentions of the architects, who left nothing to chance. Excellent lighting conditions contribute to the pleasant work atmosphere in the hall, provided by the close rhythm of parallel rooflights in the ceiling. They are augmented by individual windows in the upper part of the façade. Another essential element of the interior’s atmospheric quality is the radically reductive use of colour. Various shades of grey and white define the interior space, while the signal colours so common to typical industrial interiors are completely absent.

The shelving system, which is positioned in parallel rows that follow the structural grid of the interior – along with the central wall and sparingly distributed windows – provides a means of orientation in a building with enormous dimensions. The high rack storage system can be removed or reconfigured as needed. The loading bays are arranged on both sides of the building in a space along the façade that also contains offices. The radial arrangement of the partition walls is almost imperceptible due to the huge diameter of the hall. Depending on future needs, loading bays can be transformed into offices or vice versa. A workshop for emission- intensive or high-decibel activities is the only other enclosed room on the eastern side of the hall; the open upper deck serves as a lounge area.

Curtain façade

The design of the façade, whose elements are suspended in front of the exterior insulation on the concrete walls and encompass the entire building volume, presented a great challenge. The façade elements are made of acrylic glass with an undulating surface, measuring 1.8 metres in width by 11 metres in height – equal to the height of the building. The outer layer of acrylic is completely transparent, while the inner layer is an opaque white colour. The individual panels were first cast in flat sheets, then heated to 60 degrees Celsius and vacuum moulded to create the wave structure. Since no manufacturer could be found who was capable of moulding such large pieces, an oven had to be specially constructed for the purpose.

One of the architects’ main concerns was to avoid obvious visual repetition. For this reason, three different elements with varying wave patterns of narrower and wider folds were developed. Since the hanging panels – whose mounting hardware is concealed – can be rotated 180 degrees and mounted on either end, this resulted in a series of six distinct types. The aim was to arrange them in a way that avoided a recognizably repetitive pattern and that also conformed perfectly to the openings in the façade (windows, loading bays, doors).

Presenting a homogenous appearance from a distance, with an almost surreal aura due to its luminous white surface, the façade gains vivacity and depth the closer one approaches. Since it is only possible to see just a part of the entire volume, the building appears to be much smaller than it actually is. It gives an impression of lightness and transparency, even though it allows no views into the interior. On the contrary: the building remains an enigma, revealing almost nothing about its function. The almost immaterial character of the factory hall is emphasized by the fact that, from the outside, only the skin of the façade – suggestive of a textile covering – is visible, while the exterior walls, roof and structural framework remain concealed.

Viewed from the outside, one does not recognize – or even suspect – that the geometry of the floor plan deviates from a perfect circle; yet perhaps this unconformity is unconsciously perceptible. Just as SANAA avoids the use of classical symmetry in their architecture, they frequently employ slightly distorted geometric figures. This may recall the aesthetic concept of wabi sabi, the Japanese notion that imperfection and aesthetic consummation are not necessarily contradictory. The subtle shape of the ‘Alessi Tea Set’ (2004) by SANAA points in this direction. In reference to their project for Vitra, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa also spoke about transferring some of the liveliness inherent in freehand drawing, which always stands at the beginning of their design process, to the reality of computer calculations. Or in their own words: ‘My impression is that the circle, the perfect circle, is a bit too rigid.’

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by SANAA appeared first on Dezeen.

Our job of the week on Dezeen Jobs is a position for an industrial design architect at Grimshaw in London. The firm recently submitted plans for a 90-storey skyscraper (pictured) in Sydney. See more stories about Grimshaw on Dezeen here.

Visit the ad for full details or browse other architecture and design opportunities on Dezeen Jobs here.

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There’s an upside-down living room on the ceiling of this Polish fashion boutique created by design studio smallna for fashion brand Risk. Made in Warsaw (+ slideshow).

The designers at smallna were influenced by the reversible nature of Risk. Made in Warsaw’s clothing range, in which items can be worn inside-out or back-to-front, to create the illusion of defying gravity.

An inflatable sofa by Polish brand Malafor, a chair and a side table have been fixed to the ceiling, along with a crumpled skirt and a pair of shoes that appear to have been discarded onto the simulated floor above.

White-painted steel pipes protrude from the walls, ceiling and floor, snaking around the perimeter of the space and forming rails from which clothes appear to hang in both directions.

A circular dressing room wrapped in a grey fabric curtain extends the full height of the shop, connecting floor to ceiling as though it could be accessed from either plane.

An upside-down balloon that appears to be made from concrete hangs from the ceiling, seemingly reversing the rules of gravity.

The same balloon, when viewed from the reversed perspective, appears to be floating but held to the ground by a brick. This deceptive installation was created by Polish artist Joanna Gwóźdź, whilst Daiusz Kwiet – another Polish artist – was commissioned to paint the walls of the shop to look like the sky.

Vintage light fittings are dotted around the space, including 1940s American train lights, 1960s Polish tram lights and a Japanese mirrorball from the 1970s.

All the soft furnishings throughout the shop are made from the same grey melange fabric that the Risk. Made in Warsaw designers use to make their clothes.

Other shop interiors we’ve recently featured on Dezeen include the Who*s Who fashion boutique by Italian designer Fabio Novembre and a series of five outlets designed by Zaha Hadid for Milan-based fashion designer Neil Barrett. See all our stories about shop design.

Photography is by Celestyna Król.

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by smallna appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2013: designer Dennis Parren has developed a light bulb that casts coloured shadows.

The CMYK bulb by Dennis Parren combines a white main light source with coloured LEDs in red, green and blue to cast shadows in cyan, magenta and yellow.

The design is a commercial development of the one-off CMYK lamps that Parren developed as part of his graduation project at Design Academy Eindhoven in 2011.

“It is easier to produce and you find yourself more in [the] mainstream of lighting,” says Parren of the new design. “That makes it many times more accessible.” He expects the bulb to be priced around €95 when it appears in shops.

The prototype was showcased at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan this month, together with a shade Parren developed especially to complement the bulb.

The faceted Diamond shade is made of paper covered in tiny pin-pricks to scatter coloured dots of light onto surrounding surfaces.

“The shade derived from a previous project, the RGB Galaxy,” he says. “I chose this shape because the light sparkles through the little holes like a real diamond.”

Other lighting on show at Spazio Rossana Orlandi included a wind-up folding lamp by Nika Zupanc.

See all our stories about lighting »
See all our stories about design at Milan 2013 »

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French architect Jean-Marie Massaud has collaborated with auto maker Toyota to create an “anti-crisis” concept car with a retractable windscreen, plastic bodywork and a bamboo bonnet (+ slideshow).

Massaud and Toyota designed the electric car to tackle current economical and environmental crises by using cheap, lightweight materials that reduce the vehicle’s energy consumption.

A tubular aluminium structure would support recyclable polypropelene body panels, which could be customised with different textures, patterns and colours. Strips of bamboo that wrap around the dashboard would extend out to form the bonnet and also cover the remaining horizontal surfaces, including the floor and roof.

All the windows, including the windscreen, would be retractable so passengers could feel the breeze from every angle. The rear bench could fold down and tuck under the front seat when not needed, and would be removable for use outside the vehicle.

Luggage could be stored on the roof under a fold-out neoprene cover to create more space inside. Alternatively, the boot could fold out to make room for larger goods.

A screen above the steering wheel would display vehicle speed, battery charge, journey information and navigation instructions provided via a smartphone, which could be mounted below and used to control music and temperature.

Heating and air conditioning would be delivered by a low-energy air pump and electric seat heaters to minimise power consumption. An in-wheel motor system means the car would be operable in two or four-wheel drive.

Other recent concept car include Ross Lovegrove’s blue vehicle for Renault with a glass roof covered in LED patterns and Pininfarina’s two-seater model without a windshield. See more car design »

Read on for more information from Toyota:

Toyota presents the ME.WE Concept

Working with Toyota since 2011, Massaud has sought to create an “anti-crisis” car that addresses contemporary human, economic and environmental challenges, bringing his independent vision and experience from outside the motor industry.

The thinking behind the concept

Massaud and Toyota defined three primary aims for the concept: –

Pertinence – their vision for the car is passionate but considered. The concept should be adaptable to a wide variety of lifestyles as well as displaying high quality and innovation.

Synthesis – a move away from motor industry tradition to remove excess and suggest a new way of responding to people’s behaviour and expectations. The concept should propose an alternative synthesis based on personal choices about vehicle architecture, lower running costs and the way the vehicle will be used.

Modernity – challenge conventions and seek change in designing a car that goes beyond just looking good through the experience it offers, its intelligent solutions and its ability to exceed the needs of the owner. This should be a car that reflects the values of forward-thinking people rather than simply their social status.

ED2 and Massaud combined their expertise to produce a car that reflects a quest for change in personal mobility. While cars have increasingly become subject to restrictions, they have put road users – drivers and pedestrians – at the heart of their thinking. The focus is on the desire for freedom, pleasure, emotion and the ability to travel free from constraints, while at the same time addressing people’s sense of personal responsibility and commitment to good citizenship.

The result is car that takes a modern, global view of travel and forms part of a wider view on how to adapt to the environmental challenges that will shape the future of personal mobility. It is a no-extras package, conceived as an “anti-excess” vehicle. In short, the Toyota ME.WE represents the transition from the culture of “more” to the culture of “better”.

The vehicle

ME.WE seeks to resolve a number of real-life contradictions, not through reinvention of what a car is, but by taking a different approach that is simpler, more appropriate and realistic – an alternative to cars that are about “passion and status”. The goal was do more and create better while using less. By reducing the pool of resources and constraints, it was possible to increase capability, quality and
pleasure.

Light and resilient: ME.WE has a tubular aluminium structure, on to which light and hard-wearing polypropylene panels are fitted.

Individual and standard: the moulded panels are made using a cost-efficient standard production system, but they are easy to personalise.

Freedom and responsibility: ME.WE is a pick-up, convertible, off-roader and small city car in one. It appeals to a wide range of users, and has a small eco-footprint thanks to its light weight and the materials used in its construction.

ME and WE: the concept’s name expresses its simultaneous concern for personal well-being (ME) and that of others (WE). ME.WE is electric-powered, using the same in-wheel motors as the Toyota i-ROAD, with batteries located under the floor, as in the iQ EV. With none of the traditional packaging restraints associated with conventional powertrains, the entire interior could be devoted to the vehicle’s occupants and luggage.

The lightweight construction using aluminium and polypropylene panels helps keep the car’s weight down to a target 750kg, about 20 per cent less than a conventional steel-built supermini. The body panels, which are 100 per cent recyclable, weight just 14kg. Bamboo is used in the construction of the floor and for the cabin’s horizontal surfaces, chosen both for being a renewable resource and aesthetically pleasing. ME.WE is easy to keep clean with a simple wash, inside and out.

ME.WE is an intelligent response to the ecological threats posed by mass production and the increasing number of cars on the world’s roads, as it is made from materials that help reduce the energy it consumes and the CO2 and harmful emissions it produces.

The simplicity of its design is matched by it ease of use. The in-wheel motor system means it can be operated in two or four-wheel drive, allowing it to tackle rougher terrain than a traditional car, and without the weight penalty of a 4×4 transmission system.

In the cabin priority is given to driver and passengers, so luggage can be carried on the roof beneath a fold-out, weatherproof neoprene cover. However, the rear luggage space can be extended into a platform like that found in a pick-up. The rear bench seat is mounted on floor rails and when not in use can be folded and stored beneath the front seat. It can also be removed altogether and even used for ad-hoc picnic seating.

The simplicity of the design is also evident in the instrumentation, which comprises a single screen above the steering wheel which displays vehicle speed, battery charge, journey information and navigation instructions, delivered via a smartphone. The phone itself is mounted below the screen so the driver can personalise the cabin environment with music and other apps, as well as controlling on-board temperature.

The heating and air conditioning are delivered by a low-energy air pump and electric seat heaters to minimise power consumption. And to achieve a cabriolet-like open air feel, all the windows can be opened, even the windscreen.

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for Toyota appeared first on Dezeen.