Hasta La Ideas

Architecture student Gonzalo Vaíllo Martínez of the Universidad de Alcalá, Spain has designed a conceptual auditorium for the Tate Modern gallery in London.

Called The Cave, the design features a series of overlapping planted ramps, which would form the foyer and access routes into an underground auditorium.

The proposal intends to connect the Tate Modern with other landmarks in the area and incorporates the creation of a new park.

The project begun during an exchange programme with the Bartlett School of Architecture in London.

Here’s some more information from Martínez:

ORDINATION OF THE AREA AND NEW AUDITORIUM OF THE TATE MODERN

This is the Degree Project of Gonzalo Vaíllo Martínez. It was presented last September 2010 in the Universidad de Alcalá (Spain) with a mark of A.

The work was begun during an exchange program with the Professor Colin Fournier of the Bartlett School of Architecture and it was carried on with the tutor Ángel Verdasco Novalvos.

The project is focused on three essential parameters of London: the green areas, the icons and landmarks and the pedestrians. What it is searched is to recover the figure of the pedestrians and involve them again in the city. The public space is the basic network for getting it.

Focused on the Tate Modern as an icon which is isolated in its environment (particularly its back side), the project works in two overlapped scales: the necessity to connect the Tate with others landmarks and its own renovation and adaptation for the new social demands.

A new park is created whit the intention of solving it and a new auditorium was included.

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Taking into account the important of the chimney in the skyline of London the new auditorium is buried for preserving the views over it.

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This produces an inversion of the normal program of an auditorium, so the accesses and foyers are now over the music halls in directly relationship with the park and its new topography.

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The auditorium is made up of three different halls, which have the same stage.

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This produces that every kind of performance can be showed whit simple mechanical partitions depending on the capacity necessity.

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The three halls are covered by huge concrete beams, which at the same time are covered by other smaller beams.

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Between them the public program of accesses, tickets and multifunctional rooms are developed.

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Over them, a new topography creates the green roof, which is part of the park.

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Nature Centre by EFFEKT	Ferry Terminal by C. F. Møller	Opera House Oslo by Snøhetta 2

Dutch studio Ruud Visser Architects have tranformed a 1930s church into a house in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The architects have created a new volume within the existing building, allowing inhabitants to walk between the new structure and church walls.

The open plan interior incorporates the wood-panelled vaulted ceiling and windows of the original building.

A glass façade at the rear of the house looks out onto a river.

Photographs are by René de Wit.

See Dezeen’s top ten: churches »

The following information is from the architects:

Our project A House in a Church is a beautiful example of adaptive reuse. The 1930’s church had ended its career as a religious sanctuary and was being used as a garage for fixing and selling cars before a family came along and wanted to transform it.

With the help of Ruud Visser Architects and Peter Boer, the church was adapted into a home fit for a family of four.

The volume of the church is larger than most average family homes. In order to create the impression of a normal-sized home, the architects decided to place a house within the church rather than using the whole space for the home. So you can actually walk around the new house, while walking inside the church.

The last part of the church, the transept, is held open. This was the place of the pulpit. Lightened by the original ‘leaded light’ windows.

Situated on the back of the church, directly behind the transept, a smaller volume is placed. This volume is about 7 meters deep and stands with its back façade directly on the banks of the river De Rotte.

Originally this volume was the church-choir. But in the existing situation this volume was in complete decline.

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Ruud Visser Architects replaced the church-choir with a new modern volume, with exactly the same form as the original choir, but shorter. This new volume has floor-to-roof windows.

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By this, the house in the church is opened now to the beautiful landscape. And the transept has become a buffer, between the public outside and the private house inside.

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Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects	Dezeen’s top ten: churches	More architecture stories on Dezeen

This proposal by Amsterdam architects RAU and design agency Powerhouse Company is one of three projects vying to win a competition to design a dance and music centre for The Hague. 

The new centre would accomodate central performance auditoriums, offices, practice rooms, and a learning centre in the roof.

A vertical slither of glass at the entrance would offer views of an atrium space and plaza, while  revealing movement within the building.

The design is one of three finalists, competing with Zaha Hadid Architects (see their proposal in our earlier story) and Neutelings Riedijk Architecten.

More details on the competition website. The winning project will be announced this month.

Here’s more information from Powerhouse Company:

The architectural concept shows the movements of the performance in the design of the auditoriums. Visible for the public: the city and the Spuiplein. The building is a stage for performing arts, but also a tribune on the Spuiplein and the city.

The design of the supporting space and practice rooms form the neutral, open and flexible spatial frame in which the movement of the auditoriums find their connection to the site.

It is the clear ambition of the four institutes that will be housed in the DMC to create a synergy between their institutions so that the result is more then the simple sum of four institutions.

From student to top-professional, from teacher to visitor, from practice room to large auditorium: the spatial synergy within the building for a large degree will determine the synergy between the different users.

The constellation of users creates a truly unique cultural hybrid building that does not exist yet anywhere in the world. At the same time it poses a number of important challenges.

How to create a common identity while simultaneously respecting each of the users unique background? How to combine the neutral, flexible and open space needed for the preparation and creation of performing arts with the specific, intimate and technically perfect spaces needed for performances themselves? If the building is a laboratory for performing arts that take place in time, how do we give form to this space for time?

The concept can clearly be read in two parts: the clear spatial frame that creates a volume and the open space within that frame. Within this open space the fluid volumes reminisce the rhythm and movement of performances.

Two ‘walls’ and a ‘roof’ form the clear, rational and efficient volume that opens up towards the plaza. The back wall houses the preparation and supporting spaces that can be placed within standard office floors.

In the side wall all the spaces are positioned which need exceptional height, such as the practice and dance studios. The roof houses the school and library.

Under and within this rational and flexible volume lies a cascade of flowing space. In this spatial atrium the foyers and auditoriums flow over into a super public vertical landscape. The plaza extends far into the building; it flows into the atrium creating spectacular views over the city.

This atrium, with its super efficient system of escalators, is the main infrastructural spine for the building: this is where not only all the different users meet each other, but also the visitors and the city. The city is always present in the view, so are the other foyers.

On the level of the city, the individuality of each institute is only recognizable in the alteration of movement of the facade. Only in the interior of the building the different institutes reveal their individual nature.

The result is a building with a wide range of spatial qualities. On the one hand a building with a very clear logistic and infrastructural mainframe that is ideal for studying, practicing and working. On the other hand a generous, spectacular, highly public and exciting space that is specifically geared towards maximum performances.

A building for dialogue and discovery – for the artists and the city. Watch the film here.

Credits:

Design team: Thomas Rau, Nanne de Ru, Marijn Emanuel, Bjørn Andreassen, Sander Apperlo, Johanne Borthne, Daan Brolsma, David Goehring, Stijn Kemper, Anne Larsen, Ard-Jan Lootens, Olen Snow MillHolland, Ania Molenda, Kaan Ozdurak, Stefan Prins, Magdalena Stanescu, Vincent Valentijn, Sybren Woudstra.

Structural design by Gilbert van der Lee / BREED ID.

Engineering advice by ARUP.

Climate advice by Octalix.

Images by MIR.

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The New Dance and Music Centre in The Hague by Zaha Hadid Architects	Centrum Muziek XXI by Architecten van Mourik	Tour des Arts by Forma 6

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has won the competition to design the new V&A Museum planned for Dundee in Scotland.

Kuma’s design beat proposals by REX, Sutherland Hussey Architects, Steven Holl Architects, Snøhetta and Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, and aims to be the leading centre for design in Scotland.

All six proposals remain on show at the University of Abertay Dundee library until 4 November.

See all the entries in our earlier story »

The following text is from the V&A:

KENGO KUMA ANNOUNCED AS WINNER OF V&A DUNDEE DESIGN COMPETITION

The Japanese architectural practice Kengo Kuma & Associates has been named the winner of the design competition for the V&A at Dundee.

Kengo Kuma led one of six proposals shortlisted in an international competition to find a design team to develop a landmark building that will house the V&A at Dundee and form an inspiring anchor for Dundee’s waterfront.

“We were delighted by the quality of all the designs which were submitted to the competition and I think this is reflected in the huge public interest which our exhibition of models has generated,” said Lesley Knox, Chair of the V&A at Dundee project and of the jury panel.

“Kengo Kuma’s proposal was the unanimous choice of the jury panel and is a worthy winner ; a building that will delight visitors and encourage them to revisit it again and again. It demonstrates a clear understanding of the city, offers a new experience of the river, and will be as exciting internally as it will be externally.

“This has the potential to be one of Europe’s most exciting buildings.”

Kengo Kuma said, “It is a great honour to hear the news and my team and I are grateful for this significant opportunity. I am thrilled to be able to work with those at V&A at Dundee in order to give shape to their vision, to contribute meaningfully to the cultural richness of the city.

“It will be an exciting endeavour that will combine the tradition and heritage of the Victoria and Albert Museum and our new ideas. Furthermore, we are enthusiastic about the amazing site, the city and environment – it is our intention to find a balanced approach to nature and the city life of Dundee. We wish to bring our best efforts forward, with vigour and passion.”

The jury panel made their unanimous decision after an extensive process of assessing the designs, interviewing the architects and their teams, and viewing some of their previous work. The public view was also factored in with thousands of questionnaires and comments drawn from the 13,000-plus people who visited the exhibition and those who viewed it online.

“We have subjected each of the six proposals to exhaustive scrutiny, including having external assessors do a detailed examination of projected costs, and we did not have to exclude any of the submissions on grounds of affordability,” said Mike Galloway, Director of City Development for Dundee City Council and a member of the panel.

“The Kengo Kuma design gives us something which is bold and ambitious but buildable and practical. It is a beautiful stone building which elegantly meets the requirements we laid out in the brief. This is a harmonious and integrated response to this unique site, which enhances the overall Waterfront Project.”

Sir Mark Jones, Director of the V&A, said the design offered `fantastic spaces to exhibit stunning design collections’.

“I think this will become a major destination and will give us an internationally recognised building,” said Sir Mark. “It will reward repeat visits and attract attention from around the world.”

Kengo Kuma’s team for the V&A at Dundee project includes the Scottish firms cre8architecture, Optimised Environments Ltd, and CBA, and the engineering firm Arup, which has offices across Scotland, including in Dundee.

The company will now engage with the partners in the V&A at Dundee project to further develop the proposal. Detailed design work will continue throughout 2011 and work is projected to start onsite in autumn 2012.

The V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a ground-breaking partnership between the Victoria and Albert Museum – the world’s greatest museum of art and design – and the University of Dundee, the University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise.

Design Dundee Ltd is looking to create a landmark building, which will be sited at Craig Harbour right on the banks of the River Tay. The site is being made available through the Dundee Central Waterfront Partnership, the joint venture between Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise which is revitalising the prime area of land linking the city centre with the River Tay.

The exhibition of models at the University of Abertay Dundee library will remain open until Saturday November 13th to allow people to return and view the winning design and the other proposals.

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More about this competition	Tsunagu by Kengo Kuma	More architecture stories

While all the architecture talk in the UK at the moment might be soured by Prince Charles‘ recent, devious power play, there’s other news this week that should provide some more positive emotions about building coming from a place that provides them annually. The Serpentine Gallery, who hires a hot-shot architect every summer to build them a temporary pavilion in London’s Hyde Park (Peter Zumthor is up next), has announced that they’ve commissioned recent Stirling Prize-winner Zaha Hadid to redesign the interior of a nearby parks-owned building they’ve just won the lease to (pdf), beating out the Halcyon Gallery and Damien Hirst who were also vying for it. The Serpentine also has plans for Hadid to build something new alongside it, “an adjoining pavilion to be used as a social space and restaurant, creating a permanent architectural landmark in the heart of London.” Given that the architect has twice designed pavilions of the temporary variety for the gallery, their selection of architect doesn’t come as too great a surprise. Here’s a bit from the statement they’ve put out about their new second home:

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for the Serpentine Gallery. We have been interested in the potential of the building for some time and how it could help us expand the range of what we do. In these challenging times, we feared the opportunity would be lost. We are very grateful to our long-term friends for their very generous assistance, which has made it possible for us to create this exciting, new platform for the UK and beyond.”

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