Hasta La Ideas

Slideshow: New York architect Steven Holl has concealed a underground gallery beneath a pool of water in Seoul, the city in South Korea that we’ve been focusing on following a string of proposals for skyscrapers.

Named Daeyang Gallery and House, the copper-clad building has two pavilions that rise up above the water to provide an entrance and an event space for the private gallery, while a third is the home of the owner.

The architects claim that the building’s proportions follow the patterns of a musical score by Hungarian-Canadian composer Istvan Anhalt, which they say can be best observed in the arrangement of 55 skylights on the roofs of the three blocks.

More skylights are scattered across the base of the pool, so daylight must pass through the water before entering the gallery.

Above: photograph is by Inho Lee

See all our recent stories about projects in South Korea here and see more architecture by Steven Holl here.

Above: photograph is by Inho Lee

Photography is by Iwan Baan, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s some more information from Steven Holl Architects:

Daeyang Gallery and House Seoul, Korea
2008 – 2012

The private gallery and house is sited in the hills of the Kangbuk section of Seoul, Korea.

The project was designed as an experiment parallel to a research studio on “the architectonics of music.”

The basic geometry of the building is inspired by a 1967 sketch for a music score by the composer Istvan Anhalt, “Symphony of Modules,” which was discovered in a book by John Cage titled “Notations.”

Above: photograph is by Inho Lee

Three pavilions; one for entry, one residence, and one event space, appear to push upward from a continuous gallery level below. A sheet of water establishes the plane of reference from above and below.

Above: photograph is by Inho Lee

The idea of space as silent until activated by light is realized in the cutting of 55 skylight strips in the roofs of the three pavilions.

Above: photograph is by Inho Lee

In each of the pavilions, 5 strips of clear glass allow the sunlight to turn and bend around the inner spaces, animating them according to the time of day and season. Proportions are organized around the series 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55.

Views from within the pavilions are framed by the reflecting pool, which is bracketed by gardens that run perpendicular to the skylight strips.

In the base of the reflecting pool, strips of glass lenses bring dappled light to the white plaster walls and white granite floor of the gallery below.

A visitor arrives through a bamboo formed garden wall at the entry court, after opening the front door and ascending a low stair.

He or she can turn to see the central pond at eye level and take in the whole of the three pavilions, floating on their own reflections.

The interiors of the pavilions are red and charcoal stained wood with the skylights cutting through the wood ceiling. Exteriors are a rain screen of custom patinated copper which ages naturally within the landscape.

Singapore and Barcelona designers Outofstock presented floating islands made of crumpled copper and moss during the inaugural International Furniture Fair Singapore this month.

Inspired by the fictional floating island of Laputa featured in Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, the installation for their own showcase called The Workshop Gallery hung inside a Tyvek tent on a city-centre street.

The moss was harvested from unnoticed nooks and crannies in the city like tree trunks and drains.”The intention was to let visitors view the moss up close, appreciating the nature that thrives unseen around us,” says Gabriel Tan from Outofstock.

See more work by Outofstock on Dezeen here.

Photographs are by Ng Xin Nie.

Here are some more details from Outofstock:

A meditative space, an introspective journey. Imaginary landscapes we create to escape the banality of city life.

The installation is inspired by Laputa, from Gulliver’s travels, a fictional flying island created by a small civilization of educated mathematicians, astronomers and musicians. Set in the heart of the city, Laputa is a juxtaposition of its context – the urban city. We live in a society full of products and information, flawed value systems, and endless material pursuits, noise and visual clutter. Perhaps, it is only in such a fictional landscape that we can finally make sense of our increasingly surreal realities.

Every piece of the hanging installation was unique in its formation and the way it was crinkled, the more facets and ‘imperfections’ appeared, the more they bore the uncanny resemblance to miniature hills and valleys. The unfinished copper was allowed to weather with the natural elements and produce a changing patina, in this way both copper and moss were continually growing alongside each other.

The Workshop Gallery is founded by Outofstock as a space dedicated to their passion for handcrafted objects.

Bruno Munari once said, ”If what we use every day is made with art, and not thrown together by chance or caprice, then we shall have nothing to hide.” The Workshop Gallery too seeks to bring us objects that rekindle our long-lost contact with the art of making in our daily lives.

The triangular roof above the cafe-bar at Warwick University’s renovated student union features a tessellated underside of polished copper.

London studio MJP Architects refurbished the building at the campus in Coventry, England, in 2009.

The building provides multipurpose rooms, mezzanine and balcony bars, a nightclub and performance venues, accessed through a central, double-height atrium.

Timber louvers control the levels of daylight that enter this atrium through a glazed roof above.

The cafe and bar are contained within an extension, where the shiny copper roof provides both a ceiling inside the building and a shelter over the decked balconies outside.

If you’re a fan of shiny copper surfaces, check out our earlier stories about a boutique with a polished wall and a copper-clad beauty parlour.

Photography is by Peter Durant.

Here’s some more explanation from MJP Architects:

Student Union, University of Warwick, Coventry UK

Creative Re-use:

The Student Union is the main provider and organiser of non-academic activity on the University campus and its success has a significant impact on the student experience at the University of Warwick. The scale and reputation of its Student Union is a major factor in prospective students’ choice of any Higher Education Institution. Matthew Dodds, Warwick Boar (the student newspaper) says: “The new building hits all the right notes for me. The Union as it stands now is exactly the right blend of old and new, evoking both a feeling of nostalgia and refreshing promise”

The building was originally designed as a multi-purpose administrative building whose brief was changed to a Student Union whilst under construction in the early 1970’s. By the time MJP were commissioned, it had become even less suitable for today’s needs, having neither the flexibility nor the environmental performance to accommodate the range of activities expected of a modern Student Union building. A bespoke brief for the remodelling of the building was needed, and this was created through careful consultation between the University, the end user and the architect.

Claire Horton, General Manager at the Student Union says: “The building is truly phenomenal and exactly as envisioned… and will deliver student and commercial services like never before”

Sculpting the Existing Fabric:

MJP’s new design was generated from the most striking features of the existing building: the arrangement of interiors based on a sixty degree planning grid and the distinctive triangular concrete coffered soffits. The new cafe extension is the most obvious example of this approach. Its interiors are based on the triangular plan and the floating roof’s polished copper underside provides a striking backdrop to the Student Union Plaza outside, and a clear entrance to the building.

Materiality:

The highly rational structure of the old building and the rough and heavy expression of the concrete slabs and walls provided inspiration for the redesign. Exposing or hiding the original fabric and using materials that contrasted or blended with it were the basic strategies in the interior design. Large surfaces of shiny copper, light and translucent polycarbonate, soft and warm timber and rough and cold ‘asphalt terrazzo’ were set-off against the in-situ concrete and concrete blocks, to highlight the peculiar qualities of the original structure and hide the inevitable areas of lower quality.

A Platform for Talent:

The strategy for the new Student Union was to create a series of spaces with different scales and characters: performance spaces, balcony bars, multi-purpose venues, an atrium pub, a club and dancefloors.

The existing building was quite literally opened-up to create two and three storey high spaces, to reveal internal vistas, let light in and give views out. Joe Wrigley, Project Architect at MJP Architects says: “What I really like is that the building is just about perfect for all sizes and genres of music. ‘The Copper Rooms’ is the main venue, and it has quickly become a great platform for new and unsigned talent, as well as acclaimed bands… the Wild Beasts and Wombats are playing gigs this month.”

Chris Carter, who runs the venue says: “Copper Rooms 1 is an outstanding gig venue for live music. It’s the first time the Union has looked like an academy-style venue that I can remember – the stage looks incredible… the PA also sounds absolutely beautiful. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard in a venue of this type”

Client: University of Warwick

Architect: MJP Architects

Quantity Surveyor: Northcroft

M&E Consultants: Couch Perry Wilkes

Structural Engineer: Arup

Acoustic Engineer: Bickerdike Allen Partners

Fire Consultant: Arup Fire

Main Contractor: Moss Construction

Avanto Architects of Helsinki have designed this whitewashed funeral chapel with a copper roof in Vantaa, Finland.

The building comprises three chapels of varying size and a bell tower.

The building is a steel and in-situ concrete construction with a copper roof and slate flooring.

The entrance path leads through a courtyard with a small pond to the foyer of the chapel.

A continuous skylight follows the route of a visitor attending a funeral, through the building to the graveyard of the older adjacent church.

The chapel is intended to last 200 years with materials chosen accordingly, including hand patinated copper.

More by Avanto Architects on Dezeen »
More stories about worship on Dezeen »

The following is from the architects:

Chapel of St. Lawrence

The Vantaa Parish Union held an open architectural competition in the spring of 2003 for the design of a new chapel in the vicinity of the historic Church of St. Lawrence. The area has been classified as a nationally important cultural environment. The winning entry, out of 194 proposals, was “Polku” (“Path”) by Avanto Architects.

Context, Massing
The old stone church with its bell tower remain the dominant features in the landscape. The new chapel ties together different aspects of the area without emphasizing itself. The chapel connects with the graveyard, leaving the old buildings with their own boundaries and territories untouched. It delineates the northern boundary of the graveyard and hides the service yard behind its back. The chapel has been divided in smaller parts to adapt with the scale of the surroundings. The stacked stone walls of the cemetery are echoed in the design – a series of three chapels of different sizes are nested within orthogonal masonry walls. A new bell tower in a corner of the chapel completes the composition and leads the eye skyward.

Structure, Materials, Lifespan

The building uses similar materials as the old structures in the area. The massiveness of the load bearing solid masonry walls balances changes in temperature and moisture. The lightly plastered and whitewashed walls are a bright, tranquil background for the events taking place in the chapel spaces. Apart from the walls, the building has a steel structure. The partition walls are in-situ cast white concrete and the roof is of patinated copper, like the roof of the church. The patina in all copper surfaces in the chapel has been added by hand. The ceilings and the glazed walls toward the graveyard in the chapels are covered with a patinated copper mesh; it functions as a screen between the outside and the spaces of the chapel. The mesh also decreases heat loads from sunshine. The low stone walls flanking the small gardens and courtyards use stone extracted from the site. The floors of public spaces are of slate.

The lifespan target for the chapel is two hundred years. The main structure will certifiably last that long and the natural materials used will age with dignity. A lifespan simulation was used as an aide for the design. An important factor in choosing the materials was locality in addition to longevity; and on-site building and an emphasis on craft were distinct features of the whole project. These ways of working ground the building in its surroundings and display the traces of handcraft.

Functionality

The experience of the mourner was the basis for the design process. The funeral is a unique and taxing event, and for it to go well and without disturbance is of the utmost importance. The architecture of the chapel is designed to assist the mourner, giving space for grief. The people attending the funeral follow a route through a series of sacral spaces, punctuated by intermediate rooms – along the route there is a continuous skylight. The intermediate spaces prepare the visitors for the next phase of the funeral. It is very silent in the chapel; the acoustics and ventilation have been designed especially with this in mind.

The spaces are situated on two levels, the sacral spaces, two chapels and a space for urn burials, and their entrance and lobby spaces, are on the ground floor. In the lobby there is an entry to the space for giving farewell to the deceased, which is located in the basement. The staff rooms are in-between the public areas, on the ground floor and in the basement. During the proceedings, the passage through the spaces is unidirectional. The routes used by different groups of visitors never cross.

The developer was committed to achieving a building of lasting quality. There was ample time given for planning and realization – there was an active dialogue between the designers and the client. The staff commented on the plans by taking part in a work group focusing on functional aspects. The designers accompanied the staff members in their daily duties so as to understand the work processes better. A uniform whole was achieved by having the interiors, furniture, artifacts and textiles, as well as the cladding for the organs designed in the same office as the architecture. The design process was aided by several models and prototypes that were commissioned during the planning stage.

Path

The chapel’s architecture is a depiction of the passage of a Christian soul from here to the hereafter. The route passes through the chapel, into the silent graveyard. The whitewashed masonry walls and a continuous skylight next to it lead from one space to the next, from the low and dark to the lofty and light.

We approach alongside the outer wall. The wall and the bell tower at its end speak of the earthbound journey and its ending. We turn the corner and, sheltered by an overhang, follow the wall, to a small courtyard – a small pond, with natural stones at its bottom. We enter a dimly lit lobby with a low ceiling, we can glimpse the entrance court and the old garden of the vicarage behind us. Here it is possible to stop for a moment and reflect on the experiences and life shared with the deceased.

We follow the skylight to the chapel. The chapel opens up, a high space terminating in the brightly lit junction of the masonry wall, where the deceased will be met by the mourners. The wall towards the graveyard is semi transparent, glazed with a patinated copper mesh on either side, a screen between this life and the hereafter. From the chapel we exit, under the cover of an overhang, through a small garden, to the graveyard. The path turns – but continues.

Art

An open competition was held in the fall of 2007 for art to be commissioned for the chapel. The competition was scheduled before the final construction documents were drafted, so that the art could be integrated as a seamless part of the architecture. Pertti kukkonen was awarded the first prize with his work “the Way of the cross”. Kukkonen was able to utilize the solid masonry walls with his work. In addition to the main pieces, the walls have been inlaid with “spirits” that shine through the light plaster surface. Pertti Kukkonen was responsible also for the demanding work of adding patina to the copper surfaces of the chapel.

Pekka Jylhä was awarded the second prize with his work “Sacred” – his sculptures of glass reflect light around them. The shared mission for both art and architecture is comforting the mourner.

Avanto Architects Ltd / Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen
Building type: Chapel
Competition: open Architecture Competition, 1st prize, 2003
Location: Pappilankuja 3, Vantaa, Finland
Year of completion: 2010
Gross Area: 1879 sqm
Total cost: 10 m€
Client: Vantaa Parish Union
User: Vantaa Parish Union
Developer: Vantaa Parish Union

Designers:

Architects:Avanto Architects Ltd / Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen (principal designer), Architects SAFA
Assistants: Felix Laitinen, student of Architecture; Tommi Tuokkola, Architect SAFA; Jonna Käppi, Architect ARB, SAFA; Piotr Gniewek, student of Architecture; Asami Naito, student of Architecture
Interior Designer: Avanto Architects Ltd / Kai Korhonen, Architect SAFA
Landscape Architect: Landscape Architects Byman Ruokonen Ltd / Eva Byman, Niina Strengell
Structural Design: R J Heiskanen Engineers Ltd / Kari Toitturi, Helena Lomperi
HVAC Design: Leo Maaskola Engineers Ltd / Jukka Sainio, Esa Leino
Electric Design: Veikko Vahvaselkä Engineers Ltd / Rauno Nyblom, Lassi Jalava
Lighting Design: Tülay Schakir
Acoustic Design: Akukon Ltd / Olli Salmensaari
Textile Design: Avanto Architects Ltd

Contractors

Prime contractor: Rakennuspartio Ltd
Electric contractor: Lassila & Tikanoja Ltd / Building Services / Electric Services
HVAC contractor: Sähköpeko Etelä-Suomi Ltd
Timber furniture contractor: Wooden Ltd
Metal furniture contractor: Selki-Asema Ltd
Metal mesh contractor: Inlook Ltd
Artists: Pertti Kukkonen, Pekka Jylhä
Organ constructor: Urkurakentamo Veikko Virtanen Ltd
Landcape contractor: Lemminkäinen Ltd and Suomen Graniittikeskus Ltd

See also:

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Sunset Chapel by Bunker Arquitectura	Kuokkala Church by Hirvilammi & Luonti	Farewell Chapel by OFIS Arhitekti

Milan 2010: Dutch designer Aldo Bakker will present a series of copper objects at Spazio Rossana Orlandi Milan next week, including this tubular watering can. (more…)