C o p e n h a g e n - o s l o

M a t e r i a l 2010

inside-outside-inbetween

Perception of space is a subjective matter.

This exhibition displays an exploration into how a person percieves space in a building with respect to the inside-outside-inbetween.

Analysis of the four buildings began prior to a study visit to Oslo and Copenhagen with a stop in Sweden. This investigation was then revisited upon return, giving us a chance to reflect on and enhance initial ideas.

Through the process of analysis, making and reflection we were able to gain a deeper understanding of each building.

The objects displayed are intended to evoke the essence of each building as we percieved it.

hedmark MuseumTom HetheringtonJayne Thomson

Klippan ChurchKhalid AlShairrawiDarragh Quinn

Bagsvaerd ChurchZainab AryanLewis BenmoreStephen McCullough

louisiana MuseumEmily Kehoe Smith Esmeail BemanaLouise WylieKirsten Zuk

hedmark Cathedral MuseumHamar, Norway1969 / 2005sverre Fehn

an exercise into the investigation of the ideas of detail and layering of time. Organised as a cluster of buildings on a small outcrop of land jutting into a freshwater fjord, the museum is paired with a number of structures including a cathedral that was the core of a rural community, as well as a religious hub.

Dialogue of the artefact

Originally a fortress dating from the 12th century, the building has served a number of functions, and laterally the majority of the form as a large farm barn. The structure of the building is expressed as a series of horizontal and vertical concrete planes that have been moulded around the historical elements already located on the site. Gracefully organising the interior of the building the concrete punctures the threshold between interior and exterior, and begins a dialogue of placement in space allowing the existing built fabric to become part of the exhibition. This is coupled with a timber roof structure which offers a rhythmic contrast to the organic stonework. There is a very definite hierarchy of materials at play within the scheme, manifested through a series of joints and details which are considered carefully in accordance with Fehn’s attitude that “... in a materialistic universe museums are cathedrals for the worship of the past... Only the life that created these things is utterly destroyed”. His perception of curation involves a continuation of the life of the object, which is realised in the weather details. “There are no barriers between the outer and inner worlds, between the interior and the exterior spaces. A glass casket is constructed around a core of stone, which is placed in a building which is built in a space...”

Deconstruction

Initially the investigation centred around the ideas related to the material and the detail of built form. This portfolio represents a body of work that echoes the process of understanding through an experimentation in drafting and modular drawings. Visiting the site strengthened an understanding of the importance of place to the building. The narrative of time and place are key qualities that this building embodies through the references made to the past by creating an artefact in the built form itself as well as in the objects placed within.

Church of st. peter Klippan, Sweden1966sigurd lewerentz

transfiguring the ordinary

Finding sanctity in the strange

There is a distinct “strangeness” about the Church of St. Peter. Lewerentz, in his quest for spaces of intensity and emotion departed from conventional church typology. Outside, one would not know that this brick building is a church. No spires, bells, crosses or other religious symbols adorn the exterior. Inside, the church is incredibly dark, the floor is uneven and the surfaces are rough and seemingly unfinished.

perceived Mass and gravity

On entering the church the visitor passes under the low vaulted ceiling of a side chapel. The vaults are heavy and oppressive. In the main space, a single steel column stands off-centre. It supports the entire mass of the vaulted brick roof. The perceived weight of these bricks is increased in the dimness. Moving towards the altar, a certain friction is created. Bricks are laid against the direction of movement. Motion is discouraged, stillness is fostered.

renewed truth in Conventional Materials

The church appears to be carved from a monolithic conglomerate material. The un-pointed and roughly wiped mortar joints (up to 50mm wide) reduce the impact of individual bricks. A merging of brick and mortar into a single entity is suggested. The conventional modular language of brickwork is downplayed. A language of continuous surface emerges.

Bagsværd Church Copenhagen, Denmark1976Jorn Utzon

Centralised Basillica

The ground plan finds resonance in a wide range of religious and secular buildings. Besides the church itself the building also includes a chapel, congregation rooms and administrative offices. The functions are laid out successively so that together they make up a unified building volume. The centralized sanctuary is contained by the structural frames that run along the facade and across the building. These establish narrow zones, forming side-aisles within the sanctuary space, while in the other parts they function as corridors. This creates a subtle threshold between the circulation space and the sanctuary, allowing the user to engage with the structure.

skeletal space

The structure consists of a prefabricated concrete post and beam structure with white concrete infill panels. The orthogonal structure and columns are expressed both internally and externally, creating rhythm and dictating the circulation.Utzon was also inspired by the traditional Chinese construction practices –Yingzao Fashi. The Yingzao Fashi building standard originates from the Song Dynasty 960-1279 and is based on the idea that the structure is a kit of parts that can be used to assemble different temple structures. This method of construction can be observed in Bagværd Church where the joints between variying elements of the kit of parts are expressed, referencing their process of construction / piecing together.

earth and sky

The utilitarian exterior contrasts with the organic ceiling inside the church. Inspired by nature, the ceiling recalls an unusual cloud formation rolling over-head, this dialogue between nature and the sacred space is central to the churches conception. The orthogonal structure dictates the circulation through the building, light into the circulation space by use of roof lights, accentuating the verticality of the space. The ceiling spans the whole width of the main space and ascends dramatically from the entrance, where it is low, upwards over the altar. Where the ceiling is highest, there is a window opening to the west across the whole width of the space, letting daylight in and increasing the sense of connection with the sky.

louisiana MuseumHumlebaek, Denmark1958, 1966, 1971, 1982Jorgen Bo, Vilhelm Wohlert

Working with the landscapeLouisiana Museum is nestled in a tree covered landscape north of Copenhagen. One crucial part of the design was that the central expanse of park and distant views survive the trees, grass, paths and continual views of the Sound and the Swedish coast. The museum is situated on a piece of land approximately ten meters above sea level. The Baltic Sea frames the West side of the site, and to the East there is a manmade lake. The experiential design of the museum brings awareness to the surrounding topography by weakening the barrier between inside and out. Framed views encapsulate the journey through the building. The views are the most striking and memorable part of the experience. The plan works on two levels, above and below. The plan is strongly dictated by the topography of the site. Above ground, the building works in harmony with nature. The floor to ceiling glazing reflects the surroundings and together with the dark-stained laminated timber columns, the building obscures itself. The line between inside and outside becomes blurred by the use of materiality. Paved and cobbled terraces flow continually throughout the building, and these continue to external paths, routes and the sculpture garden. Below ground, the building is embedded in the landscape and in terms of visual experience disconnects you from the views but offers a very different spatial quality and a great sense of disorientation.

the continuous routeThe relationship between the interior and exterior is of great importance throughout the building. The museum forms a continuous loop, shaping a permanent route that flows around the park and sculpture garden. This then creating a fluid transition linking both the long corridors and gallery spaces. At various points, the scale of spaces can be somewhat overwhelming as the route channels through narrow corridors followed by considerable double height gallery spaces.As a whole, the journey is more spatially rich, unpredictable and contributes to the complete enjoyment and experience of the building. Although the route is a continuous loop, this is not apparent when exploring the museum. Instead a feeling of linear movement is evident. The expansion and compression of spaces distorts the experience of the user. Simultaneously, the arrangement of the glazing discloses views in one direction at any time which further enforces the perceived linearity of the route. The Louisiana Museum, presents the user with an unexpected experience. The pre-conceived expectations are manipulated as the user completes the route through the ever changing spaces.