Hasta La Ideas

Spanish architects MX_SI have won a competition to design an extension to a Finnish museum of art with this proposal that features recessed zigzagging windows.

The timber extension to the Serlachius Museum Gösta in Mänttä will be spread over two storeys to provide a foyer, a restaurant, offices, conference facilities, reception areas and 1000 square-metres of gallery space.

The existing museum is contained within a manor house and will connect to the extension via a new corridor.

Construction is scheduled to start in 2012 to target a spring 2014 opening.

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The following details are from the architects:

The architectural studio MX_SI based in Barcelona, is the winner of the competition for the extension of the Gösta contemporary Art Museum in Finland.

579 entries, the largest competition on Finish history MX_SI architectural studio based in Barcelona, wihich are the authors for the Federico Garcia Lorca Cultural Center in Granada, will build the extension of the Museum Gösta for Contemporary Art in Mänttä. This competition has been the largest architectural tender in Finish history with 579 participants from 42 countries.

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This international open competition was organised by the Serlachius Foundation supported by the Architecture Chamber of Finland SAFA, to extend the main building that originally was not planned as a museum. This new building, Serlachius Foundation will adequate their facilities in order to host large scale contemporary art travelling exhibitions as well as defining an appropriate space for their own collection.

The jury was integrated by musem experts and professional finish architects. It was unanimously decided last 22nd of June, to give the first prize to the project presented by Mara Partida, Boris Bezan and Héctor Mendoza. According to jury’s statements, the architecture solution proposed a fine understanding on existing features such as main building, site landscape and finish traditional and contemporary culture. The jury outstands the respect that new construction has with the place, without losing own up to date architecture expression. Some other values read by the jury are the harmony of new volume with landscape. It is an integrated body taking a clever advantage of the use of wood as a main façade material. Interior spaces develop a dialogue with the exterior enriching the expressive journey.

Construction work on the extension will begin in early 2012 and the new spaces will be opened to the public in spring 2014.

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The Project

The site is understood as a green plateau where the manor’s monolithic figure stands imposingly along a landscape axis, sloping gently to the banks of Lake Melasjärvi. The strategy consists in placing the building out of the zone in between the manor, the plateau-park and the Taavetinsaari island, in mimicking the new building within the forest, and finally in respecting the recently renovated park, as well as the formal garden design. The new premises are located in parallel to the access, manor and garden axis, on the west side of the principal axis. It uses the parameters of topography and distance to accommodate the program. In this sense the Joenniemi Manor keeps being the dominant built structure of the area.

The location of the new entrance reinforces the existing spacious access yard as access plaza of the whole intervention. The outside spatial quality is brought inside the new building. The heart of the building – foyer and restaurant – have the best view towards the lake and the island similar to the existing house main areas. The simple horizontal body of the extension building gathers all main areas in one great plateau: entrance, foyer, connection and exhibitions which facilitates visitors’ orientation. The new building is organized by a spacious foyer, placed at the same level of the ground floor of the manor. This space obtains visual continuity between outside and inside by introducing incisions of landscape to the main building body. To allow flexibility of exhibitions layout, the structure of the building is part of the façade liberating the whole space. All walls in the exhibition zone can be used for exposing.

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The project as a densified abstract forest. The forest in the placement where the new building will be constructed is conceptually transformed in an abstract way of parallel frames. In one hand they define the overall geometry of the new building, but at the same time they also allow transversal permeability. The result is that the parallel pattern of the structural frames is maintained from outside and inside structuring the whole building. The use of wood is a reference to the local industry’s history.

Architect: MX_SI architectural studio. Marta Partida, Boris Bezan, Hector Mendoza
Collaborators: Oscar Fabian Espinosa, Olga Bombač
Site: Mäntta, Finland
Surface: 3.000 m2
Client : Serlachius Foundation

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Museum extension by Nieto Sobejano	Museum Extension by Daniel Libeskind	Museum Extension by Rafael Viñoly

Photographer Roland Halbe has sent us these images of an extension to a museum inside a ruined castle in Halle, Germany, by Spanish studio Niento Sobejano Arquitectos.

The architects inserted the extension above the 15th century stonework of the Moritzburg Museum, providing a roof to the previously open-air top floor.

A new floor suspended from the centre of this roof creates an additional exhibition area without bringing any columns into the main gallery.

The extension also includes the addition of a trapezium-shaped metal entrance.

More architecture photographed by Roland Halbe on Dezeen »
More stories about museums on Dezeen »

The following information is from the architects:

Moritzburg Museum Extension
Competition 1st Prize 2004

The ancient castle of Moritzburg in the city of Halle is a very valuable example of Gothic military architecture, typical of Germany at the end of the 15th century. Its turbulent history has inevitably been reflected in the many alternations it has undergone over the years. But despite these, the building still keeps the original structure of its main architectural features: the surrounding wall, three of the four round towers at the corners and the central courtyard.

The partial destruction of the north and west wings in the 17th century during the Thirty Years War left the castle with the image of a romantic ruin which it has kept over the centuries to today. Except for a stillborn project by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1828, until now no integral work has been planned to alter and enlarge the ancient ruin for the art museum housed there since 1904.

A very notable collection of modern art – mainly of German Expressionism – that includes works painted by Lyonel Feininger in the city of Halle has now been enlarged with the Gerlinger donation, one of the most valuable private collections of the Die Brücke Expressionist group.

Our proposal for enlargement is based on a single and clear architectural idea. It involves a new roof, conceived as a large folded platform, which rises and breaks to allow natural light to enter, and from which the new exhibition areas hang.

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The result of this operation is to free completely the floor of the ancient ruin, providing a unique space that allows a range of exhibition possibilities. This design is complemented with the building of two new vertical communication cores.

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The first is located in the north wing to connect the levels which must be inter-communicated. The second is a new, contemporary tower, 25 metres high, in the place once occupied by the bastion, which provides access to the new exhibition areas with their distant views over the city.

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The angular geometry of the new scenery of roofs and metal tower contrasts with castle’s existing irregular shape and high roof. In spirit with the uneasy and expressive forms painted by Feininger, on display in the museum, the new fragments continue the process of changes that feature in the history of the Moritzburg Castle over time.

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Location: Halle, Saale (Germany)
Client: Stiftung Moritzburg. State of Sachsen – Anhalt
Architects: Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, S.L.P. – Fuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano

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Project Architect : Sebastian Sasse
Competition Collaborators: Vanesa Manrique, Nina Nolting, Olaf Syrbe, Miguel Ubarrechena
Project Collaborators: Udo Brunner, Nina Nolting, Dirk Landt, Susann Euen, Siverin Arndt
Site Supervision: Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos S.L.P. – Fuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano, Sebastian Sasse, Johannes Stumpf, Karl Heinz Bosse
Structure: GSE, Jorg Enseleit
I M.E.P. Engineers: Rentschler y Riedesser, Jürgen Trautwein
Models: Juan de Dios Hernández-Jesús Rey

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Project: 2005-2008
Construcción: 2006 – 2008
Roof Construction Company: Dornhöfer GmbH

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Castelo Novo by Comoco Architects	Templo de Diana by José María Sánchez García	City Walls of Logroño by Pesquera Ulargui Arquitectos

Architects Ooze of Paris and Rotterdam extended this Rotterdam residence by wrapping a new faceted skin over the house’s existing collection of buildings and extensions.

Called Villa Rotterdam, the project creates a new staircase, kitchen and extra bedrooms in the spaces between the old house and new shell.

Prefabricated solid timber panels were used to speed construction.

The building has green roofs and is clad in wooden panels made from fast-growing softwood that’s treated in a high-tech process to make it more durable than tropical hardwoods.

See also: Between the Waters by Ooze and Marjetica Potrc

More stories about residential extensions on Dezeen »

Photographs are copyright Jeroen Musch & Ooze.

The information that follows is from the architects:

Living in a Structure

This detached Rotterdam house had been extended several times in recent decades. Ooze architects translated the owners’ desire to recycle the ‘soul’ of the house by transforming it in an unusual way. The young architectural firm began with a commission to design a kitchen that then evolved into a complete renovation.

The design was based on the maximum building envelope: ridge height, as well as the depth of the extension was defined by the zoning plan. “We simply connected these points” says Eva Pfannes, the architect who designed the transformed house along with her studio partner, Sylvain Hartenberg. The house on which Ooze began to work had gradually grown over the years.

It now consisted of two perpendicular building volumes with a pitched roof, a lower semicircle building in between connecting the two parts, and several extensions on the other side in the angle of the hook-shaped house.

The owners wanted to reform these incoherent parts into a logical and comprehensive whole. The pre-defined maximum envelope formed the guideline for a new skin that wraps around the old house and shapes new spaces for inhabitation. The new kitchen and a brief to increase the number of bedrooms were the launch for the redesign of the entire house of which the staircases form the backbone.

The layout has been totally reorganized around a central void. A new staircase on the north wall is servicing first and second floor.

Inside, the building manifests itself through a formal language based on prefabricated, solid wood triangles that have a direct reference to the old roof. Folds and facets were generated by an intuitive rationalism following what was permitted and what would benefit the space inside. This skin becomes the structure which sits like a hat on top of the existing one and works as a load carrier to bring down the additional weight burden of the new floors and roofs.

The only construction method able to provide the precision and speed of delivery requested by the client was prefabricated solid timber panel (Lenotec) for the structure of the skin (roof, walls and floor). The prefabricated, solid wood – LENOTEC – elements were cut and arrived as a 3D kit on the building site.

This internal structure communicates a sense of the new and the old: living in a new structure as well as with the old walls. The transition between the two is subtle and gradual – as you go up in the house, the new gradually supercedes the old. The spaces generated for inhabitation become very different and very specific, enriching the life within in the house.

The material also allowed the outer walls and roof to remain relatively thin. Within the given building envelope a maximum interior space could be realized. By varying the thickness of the single material, it could serve as outer wall, roof, interior wall, stair balustrade and stringer.

The result is a succession of spaces where the difference between ceiling, wall and floor are gone and thus overlap.

The intervention that started the process of transformation remains the most important. Through the creation of a void, the architects transformed the dark and cramped existing stairwell into a bright and social space.

The exterior references traditional Dutch farms through the use of sedum green roofs and black stained ACCOYA (High-technology fast growing, sustainably-sourced wood more durable than teak) planks in a standard width of 15cm. The lines of the cladding wrap around the house like a continuous new skin.

Beyond style or architectural aesthetic, the aim was to engage in a process of rediscovery of the vernacular, to introduce a dialogue between the old and preserved and the new, and to explore a new language which reinterprets the old. It is not an object, it is a collection of very comfortable spaces which are intertwined with the landscape, an extended envelope which extends the possibilities of inhabitation.

We are convinced that reclaiming the past is a form a rediscovery of a different future, away from the tabula rasa, a more sustainable and inspiring way of enriching the environment we live in.

Clients words after completion of the house: “The house is a precedent in establishing a new culture of dealing with an existing structure.

“Recycling” is another nature of work; therefore it is not a formalistic but a conceptual house. The new and old come together, in fact they are melted together. The old does not disappear, it is enhanced, and all shapes of the original are still there. The new reacts to it and explodes the space, and creates an interesting expression. Everything has its value and all shapes have a reason.

An openness in both parties, architect and client, was necessary to make the project more special and more stunning. We went together through an incredible process and the project is the result of this. Both the recycling of the structure and the process can be seen as a sign of the times that will make it into a landmark.”

OOZE 063: Villa Rotterdam
PROJECT: Villa refurbishment
LOCATION: Rotterdam – NL
AREAS: 500m2

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TEAM:
Architect: OOZE architects (Eva Pfannes & Sylvain Hartenberg)
Assistants: Rene Sangers,
Interns: Eloka Som, Maartje Franse

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Building Consultant: BOUWHAVEN Consultants (Ruud Ghering, Corstiaan Verschoor, Jasper Martens)
Engineer: Pieters Bouwtechniek ( Jaap Dijks)
Main contractor: DB Bouw BV

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CAD 3d construction-
drawings: Bouwbreed BV
Services: Interdaad installbouw
Inbuilt furniture: Binnenruimte
Styling: Dutch Style Company (Monique van der Reijden)
DATE: 2009 – 2010

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23.2 by Omer Arbel	Villa by Knevel Architecten	Ty Hedfan by Featherstone Young

David Mikhail Architects won the New London Architecture‘s Don’t Move, Improve! competition with this project extending a London terraced house by just one metre.

Called Hoxton House, the project involved reconfiguring the interior and connecting it to the small courtyard garden through the addition of a glazed facade with timber frame.

Part of the living room floor was removed at the rear of the house to create a double-height kitchen and dining area in the basement.

See more stories about residential extensions on Dezeen »

Here are some more details from David Mikhail Architects:

An extension of only one metre combined with a reworking of the interior, has transformed this Victorian house. A two-storey cruciform façade is engineered from timber (Douglas fir) and structurally bonded double-glazing.

A white kitchen and concrete floor are offset with natural materials and warm brick hues in the small courtyard.

Like our ‘Square House’ in Camden, this property had a multitude of small rooms, and the architectural organisation is very similar, only on a smaller scale. A tiny kitchen sat underground in the semi basement, with a head height of only 2m.

Above: front of the property

The garden was accessed from the half landing of a cramped servants staircase.

Above: rear of the property before project began

Aims

Whilst modest in scale, we wanted to give the house a grander architectural order to complement the existing rooms. The clients are a young couple and they wanted a great place for eating or watching each other cook or chat. They felt it essential that the new room should be connected to the garden, even though it is small.

Strategies

By taking away fabric as well as adding it, we have been able to carve out a set of new relationships. The house was extended to the rear by only one metre so as not to encroach too much on the rear garden, or to affect the neighbours. Even so, in such a small property this single move has revealed a new potential for how the house and its courtyard garden are experienced.

We also removed part of the upper ground floor in two places; firstly to give access for a new stair at the front of the house, and secondly at the rear to give height to the basement. This provides a generous double height dining area and kitchen that connects directly to the garden. The vistas and drama that unfold within this small house, as you walk in directly off the street in Hoxton are a complete surprise.

Material

A two-storey cruciform façade is engineered from timber (Douglas fir) and structurally bonded double-glazing. A white kitchen and concrete floor are offset with natural materials and warm brick hues in the small courtyard, which was also refashioned by the architects.

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Extension by Anne Menke and Winkens Architekten	Extension by Ailtireacht Architects	Extension by Neostudio Architekci

This extension to a mill-keeper’s house on the Norfolk Broads by London studio Acme has been awarded the RIBA Manser Medal 2010 for the best new house in the UK.

Called Hunsett Mill, the project involved extending the existing mill house by adding several volumes with pitched roofs uncurling from behind the original structure.

These volumes are hidden behind the original brick building from specific viewpoints.

The new part of the building is clad in black charred timber.

Photographs are by Cristobal Palma.

The following information is from the RIBA:

Hunsett Mill is a very specific response to a very specific space: an arcadian setting on the Norfolk Broads. The windmill and its out-buildings appear on jigsaws, postcards and chocolate boxes as a famous view from narrow boats. The new building is conceived as a shadow sitting within the site lines of the retained cottage so that the new building is invisible from that specific viewpoint.

The new building is clad in black, charred timber so that it is truly a shadow, with flush glazing that add to the sense of insubstantiality. The overall impact is very arresting – more akin to the response to a piece of art than to a piece of rural, domestic architecture.

The judges enjoyed the constant inventiveness of Acme’s approach seeking new materials, using intriguing structural forms to create interesting forms, values and visual effects. The building is used as a weekend/holiday home by a number of families based in London and Hertfordshire. This allows the interiors to continue the inventiveness and drama of the exterior forms without too many domestic constraints.

The roof forms are particularly enjoyable, creating a series of linked gables that are asymmetric but rhythmic. Internally the structural timber slab is open to the rooms but further changes of angle are added to create a series of interesting spaces, with the first floor walkway to the bedrooms particularly special. The whole is consistently detailed and well crafted with interesting use of off-site construction.

Overall the restoration of the cottage and the new building, which are linked internally, is an exciting and intellectually stimulating response to the unique rural setting. A cultured client has given free reign to the innovation of his chosen architects Acme and engineers Adams Kara Taylor.

Hunsett Mill proves that good architecture can be delivered on a budget and that it can be achieved in the most restrictive of situations. The resulting project balances value and quality and is one that many people could aspire to.

Hunsett Mill on the Norfolk Broads by Acme architects has scooped the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) prestigious Manser Medal 2010 for the best new house or major extension in the UK in association with HSBC Private Bank. The presentation of the award took place at a ceremony at the RIBA last night, at which the winner received an increased prize of £10,000 and a new specially commissioned trophy designed by artist Petr Wiegl from presenter, designer, author and host Kevin McCloud.

Acme architects has won the award for its arresting extension to Hunsett Mill, a nineteenth century Grade 2 listed mill keepers house on the Norfolk Broads. Building a major extension that more than doubled the size of the original house on a uniquely picturesque site was challenging. Acme created an extension in the form of a shadow of the original house, which the judges describe as “more akin to a piece of art than a piece of rural, domestic architecture.”

Speaking about the winning building Ruth Reed, President of the RIBA said:

“Hunsett Mill, like a lot of really good architecture, results from one simple, strong idea. Instead of creating either a pastiche of the Victorian red-brick cottage, or a self-effacing glass box, the architects’ truly inventive solution was to create a kind of triple-shadow of the original, in black charred timber, crossed by the shadow of the neighbouring windmill’s arms.

“A private house commission gives the architect an opportunity to get inside the ambitions of the client and produce a shared personal statement. It is a building type in which every detail matters and in which they matter to client and architect in equal measure. Houses like Hunsett Mill do not get built without the extraordinary faith in and commitment to the architects by their clients. The RIBA is grateful to HSBC Private Bank for its strong support of this award.”

Declan Sheehan, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Private Bank, said:

“Private homebuilding and redevelopment is becoming increasingly popular with owners expecting more from their homes. Developing your own property means that particular expectations and potentially more difficult requirements can be met, as Hunsett Mill brilliantly demonstrates. As a bank that offers unrivalled property expertise for private clients, we are delighted to support an award that recognises superb design and innovation.”

The five other shortlisted houses were:

• Bateman’s Row, London by Theis and Khan
• Furzey Hall Farm, Gloucestershire by Waugh Thisleton Architects
• Leaf House, London by James Gorst Architects
• Martello Tower Y, Suffolk by Piercy Conner Architects with Billings Jackson Industrial Design
• Zero Carbon House, Birmingham by John Christophers

Previous winners of the RIBA Manser Medal include Pitman Tozer Architects for The Gap House (2009), Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners for Oxley Woods (2008) and Alison Brooks Architects for the Salt House (2007).

Judges for this year’s award were: past RIBA President Michael Manser CBE; HSBC Private Bank’s property expert Peter Mackie, Managing Director of its Property Vision subsidiary; architects Luke Tozer from Pitman Tozer and Deborah Saunt from DSDHA; and the RIBA’s Head of Awards, Tony Chapman.

Architect: Acme
Client: Confidential
Contractor: Willow Builders
Structural Engineer: AKT
Services Engineer: Hoare Lea
Gross internal area: 215 sq m

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Extension to a house in Tasmania	Extension to a house in Australia	Extension to a house in Los Angeles