S.P.A.C - Competition

[nuraH]

Here is my attempt to help fill some server space here at P&P ver.2.

Competition Name: Seoul Performing Arts Centre
Competitoin Place: Seoul, Korea

I noticed that there is another similar post here so some of you might already be familiar with the competition. Here is my take on it.

The competition organized by the Seoul metropolitan government was asking for a performing arts complex with 1500 seat opera house, 1500 seat concert hall and an external amphitheater with unspecified number of seats. And believe it or not that was the entire brief for the competition.

The site is a man-made island in the middle of Hangang River. This island is cut into two equal parts with an 8 lane highway which made things “interesting”. The island is also surrounded by major transport arteries and the sound pollution ruled the air –literally.

The island also divides the city into the “old” and the “new”. The old “Seoul” on one bank and the “new” on the other.

The usability of the island was also an issue with seasonal flooding making 60% of the land un-buildable.

My response to the brief was one that took the problem with the sound pollution and the idea of a “gateway” and expanded on it. I wanted to create an “object” that reflected and absorbed the sound and spanned the highway in a monumental way.

I also wanted to play with the idea of a building as a “machine”. Almost like a car, a plane or a boat. A machine for performing art with movable stages and seating. And yes Gropius’ total theater crept in there somehow. ;)

Anyway enough talk here is the “thing”.

[nuraH]

1

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2

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amphi and "total theater"

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underground parking

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ground level

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upper level

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elevations

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sections

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s2

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s3

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s4

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site plan

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p1

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p2

[cobberman]

In your begining post you commented about "The island also divides the city into the “old” and the “new”. The old “Seoul” on one bank and the “new” on the other." Im struggling to see this in your design, did you not focus about this conept in your design? If you did i'd like it to be better explained, if you didn't i feel that you missed out on an opportunity to do so. Also the above images makes the building facade change colors mysteriously. Could this have been an accident? If not explain.

[cobberman]

I would like to see more examples of this movable seating... it sounds like an interesting concept but your pictures arent showing them as they should be.

[nuraH]

Just to clear-up a few things for you Cobberman,

The mysterious colour change is due to the fact that the building facade does not have a colour of its own. Its a reflective surface and therefore takes the colurs of its environment i.e whats arround it or the time of the day...

The idea of the "old" and the "new" part of Seoul and how this can be expressed was one of the major factors effecting the final shape of the building. The entire structure is a gaint gateway marking the transition from one part of town to the other.

The folowing images may help to explain the internal relationships better for you.

[nuraH]

The concert hall and the amphitheater. The central seating and the stage can be rotated i.e Gropius' total theater concept. The walls seperating the two theaters can also open doubling the seating capacity and creating a central stage

[nuraH]

same diagram in 3d

[nuraH]

x-ray of the entire structure

[franjayo]

This proposal as well as other proposals you have previously posted are of the utmost quality, sensibility and creativity. Recognizing the uniqueness of the site, within my limited knowledge of the location and culture, I would say your design adapts very well to the site. I commend your effort and wish the best results in competition, which merits recognition.

Is this s solo effort, or are you working with others? Could you provide additional comments on the rendering techniques and the software used?

Saludos,

Francisco

[Juan Gomez-Velez]

nurah

This is an incredibly complex program translated to a breathtaking project. This is the type of architectural expression that is usually forsaken due to the enormous difficulties that representing it clearly entails. SU has served you well, it gushes passion and debonaire.

In spanish the are interjections, or what you would call cuss words or bad language, that are nevertheless very expressive, I've said two or three to myself already. Your work and your presentation are that good.

Context in an expression such as this one should be seen from the idea of compatible scales and proximity, there is very little to be done to match the never before seen with the traditionally built. Any representation of context should have this purpose in mind.

It is heartening to see Gropius's scheme somewhere, perhaps more in our minds than anywhere else, a laudable reference.

Questions

Your access seems to be either too big or too stark, your bridge too busy. Would you consider making this an open, clean, clear bridge, with no overhead paraphernalia?

When I arrive, what do I see?, where do I go? Overall sightlines are important. You see, we never perceive the whole once we are that much near to it.

The allusions to Calatrava's work will undoubtedly be brought up. Are any intentional? Let's say to his planetarium in Valencia perhaps? If so, push forward, don't be shy, let it be known and dismissed, rather than implied and bemused.

What do you think it lacks? What do you feel are its limitations as a potential prizewinning solution? What would you change, emphasize or understate?

I remain impressed, and wish you the best

Saludos

Juan

[Don Gaiser]

I find it to be a very striking and beautful design !! :rock on:

[nuraH]

Thanks for your kind comments guys. I really appreciate it especially after receiving no feedback from the jury of the competition. They must have disagreed with you and this entry went without any notice.

Franjayo, yes this was a solo effort. Collaborating with others in the future for projects of this size will be something that I would like to look into due to the obvious advantages that it will bring.

The software I used were SU, VUE and Photoshop. Vue’s rendering capabilities are quite impressive in my opinion, even though it does get time intensive in radiosity solutions. Its vegetation and landscaping tools are very unique as well. As far as SU goes, I am still getting more and more impressed with this little software and what it can do. When my solution for this project started curving around in every possible direction, I was sure that I was going to have difficulties in representing the final shape using SU. Few pre-defined tools such as “followme tool” that allows continuous curves were not useful. So I dug a bit further and figured out a way create any curve I wanted using SU. The trick is “triangulation”. Triangulate a surface and you can bend it any way you want. The rest was relatively easy.

Juan, I was not concentrating on any of Calatravas work for this solution. But than again, I have been admiring the mans work for such a long time now that his designs have probably made a permanent mark in my subconscious.

To answer your question regarding “what it lacks” – I think the entire solution lacks refinement. Playing around with proportions and scales. Making some parts smaller and emphasizing some other parts more. I think it holds its own as an overall shape but lacks the ability to answer all the “human experience” type questions. Due to the fact that this solution came about by trying to answer “big” questions, the human scale issues did not get enough attention, in my opinion. More balanced approach (which requires more time) might have yielded a better result.

I hope this answers some of your questions…..

[lavardera]

Its very interesting to see you used VUE for your renderings. I've often considered this because of its strength with trees and vegetation, but I continue to find the interface confounding.

You might revisit the water in your renderings the scale of the rippling and the texture seems overscaled to the architecture - I keep expecting to see Godzilla coming over the horizon.

[Brian T]

overall the solution is wonderful. My only criticism would be (as mentioned previously) that bridge. As the gateway to an amazing site it should be just as stunning as the rest of the design.

[wegofaster]

Wow!!! I have to say that I love this, i can t believe they did not even give you a responce!!! I sure would like to have seen this project go further. Your efforts should be commended, great design, flowing lines.... great job!!!

[dizzee]

I am in total awe, this is a beautiful solution for this project. I agree that the bridge seems a little out of place with the building, perhaps something very minimalist as to not distract. I love the way that looking at the exterior of the building you get a feeling of it being an extremely simple design, but yet when you see the structure you get a feeling for all of it's complex nuances. Great job. :not worth :not worth :not worth

[PeterE]

I like the concept and a great job modelling all those compound curves. Unlike Juan, I thought of Saarinen's TWA terminial in NYC, not Calatrava.

My feeling is that the form is too low and would benefit, as you put it, from refinement. One critical comment (and I can't remember who uttered it) about TWA was that it looked "like a squashed beetle". Nevertheless, you're in good company and a great job.

I share others comments about the bridge. I initially thought it was existing. :cheers:

[BruceWalker]

nurah

This is an incredibly complex program translated to a breathtaking project. Juan

I second that. Designs like this get me all excited and enable me to remember what it is I love about design :craqueur::cheers::not worth

[donariosto]

maybe to manage better the scale, and have a look on the human scale consequences, a model would have helped. 3d cad models very often give you a very strange point of view on the object - when time is a luxury you have, this strange point of view should be balanced with a model check....
anyway a very good and complex attempt!

[WilsonMetry]

-bump- (just like to bring all this really good history back around)

Came across this project thread this morning and am really impressed. Beautiful work.:craqueur: