Module One
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Diagramming design precedent of the Radix Pavlion.
Designed in 2012 by Aires Mateus for the Venice Biennale.
Left is an isometric drawing of 'Radix' by Aires Mateus, a architecture practice of two Portuguese brothers. It is an instillation piece located in Biennale focuses on history and reflects the industrial area with the arches and materials chosen specifically. Thus, upon modelling I thought it important to include the context of the neighbouring buildings in the Isometric to highlight, this is not a stand alone piece, it is apart of a broader context of this site. It was also important with the way the building was built to be highlighted in this Isometric with the way in which the sheet metal that lined the inside of the cut-outs was directing. This is because when looking at the building, you are encouraged via the outstanding views of these cut outs to approach the pavilion. Once near, there would come a desire to touch the shiny metal lining and head further in, through the thresholds that vary in heights. This pattern of circulation leads to a point of attraction, the steps under the shade of the largest sphere. The experience here is instead of pavilion facing like the approach, faces out, across the water and up to see the reflections on the metal above.
Circulation
When designing this pavilion, the architects looked at the current circulation of the site. They used these patterns to inform the experience patrons have as they approach the pavilion and this is evident in how they have orientated the pavilion to have two provocative voids to be seen from the approach. The views upon approach also show the material contrast which as mentioned in the threshold analysis, encourages interaction with the arch thresholds.
From these thresholds, a new void can be experienced. It is here where the pavilion provides a sense of shelter and allows patrons to view across the water. This is the architects intention as when looking at the fluting of the chrome metal, it points to the corner overhanging the water. This outreaching elements combined with the material choice also enables for interesting reflections with the water.
The way this site is experienced with views “of” and “from” the pavilion creates a new circulation pattern shown here. The architects have controlled the ease of this circulation though by varying height of the thresholds.
Thresholds
‘Radix’ is an instillation piece located in Biennale which reflects the industrial history surrounding it. To pay homage to this the architect used oxidised metal as the exterior facade. This makes it appear to blend into the surrounding context, creating a soft threshold between the surrounding context and the installation.
The interior of the pavilion manipulated the arches with the spherical voids. The architects decided to use a Chrome metal to clad the interior. This provides a contrast to the exterior texture and invites observers to view this contrast.
The subtracted spherical volumes have left behind arches which the architect has encouraged observers to interact with, to touch and to experience the texture as they can with the rusted material on the exterior. The nature of the geometry
Exterior Materiality
Interior Materiality
Interaction
View "of" Pavilion
View "from" Pavilion
Ease of Movement
What is a Diagram?
A diagram is a tool that describes relationships in precise manner. Diagrams have spatial and temporal components to them that allows the data to be shown with out abstraction or manipulation. A Symbol however is a formal representation of an object. This means that it is presented in a new light to understand the relationship, thus extracting and drawing conclusions from the conceived data. It is also important to note that a diagram does not convert to a drawing, there is a process of interpreting the information a diagram does. This assignment is doing the opposite by looking at drawings and deriving drawings from it.
This pavilion was modelled using a digital design software called Rhino 6. After importing the provided plan into the program to scale, the geometric shapes where modelled. It started with an initial 8m x 8m x 4m box, then was a matter of creating and positioning the spheres and ellipse (Top Left). Having completed that, the next stage involved removing the circular shapes from the box via the ‘boolean’ command. This left the shape of the pavilion which was placed amongst a broader context with the neighbouring museum buildings and waters edge, translated from pictures.
Once the Model was built in Rhino, some minor adjustments where made to make note of where the fluting was. This was done with the ‘RebuildUV’ command on the cut out shapes to provide a detailed look at the panelling on the pavilion.
Once complete, there was an attempt to complete diagrams to understand thresholds and circulation with in the space. The first relationships explored where height and ease of movement through the space for thresholds. Circulation looked at how there was a point of attraction by the waters edge and thus the feeling of shelter and openness, looking at the effect of how the overhanging element framed the water views. This was changed upon reflection and new ideas seen in the scan to the left.
Having these new relationships explored, graphic representation was the next item to be completed. This was done using Adobe Illustrator and its various functions like gradients, scale, stroke, colour wheel, pen tool, etc.