P5 PRESENTATIONMarta Pabel

Museum of Contemporary Art in WarsawIntroductionDesign briefProcessDesign solutions Spatial organisation Structure Climate MaterialsConclusions

LocationWarsaw: city center

Palace of CultureOpening 1955

Destructions during warConstruction of Palace of Culture in 1955

Pre-war architetcure and densityBuilings on the exact design location

Current situation

Current park

Master plan for city centerUnderlines Palace axisNo connection with the park (across the street)

Question 1How to create in th epark - the feeling of intimacy and peacefulness without losing the enormous open space?How to turn emptiness and experience of length and distance into quality?

ProcessExploring scale of the plot and palace by modelsExploring possible volume scale and shape

Frame in the cityThe idea of oasis: enclosing a place in the city which provides completely different experience than can be found around

Step 1: enclosing the park with the wallExclusive experience, without interruptions, chaos and noise of the city. Behind the wall - experience of discovery, mistery, curiosity.

Step 2: excavating the area of parkConnection to metro and the Old museum. The idea of skipping the city.Experience of isolation even stronger.

Park sectionsPalace of Culture height: 230 mMuseum lenght: 360 m

Question 2What should be the relation of the builing with wall?

Exploring different location and shape of the museum builingConclusions: - volume that will underline length- that will not interfere with experiencing the distance

Exploring the relation between building and the wall

Underlining the experience of length Breaking the symmetry and underlining the long perspective

Placing the builing in the south wall

Visual connection with the PalaceUnderlining the length by creating long volumeDetaching the volume from the wall to strenghten the experience of the wall

Question 3How to introduce spatial variety in long and very narrow volume?

Exploring long perspective in the interiorsExperience of length in the interior or exterior?

Spatial variety By changing interior heights - keeping visual connections

Spatial variety By changing interior heights - keeping visual connections

Spatial variety By changing colour and material

Spatial variety By changing colours and materials

Spatial variety By changing lighting conditions

Spatial variety By changing colours and materials

ConclusionsWhat strenghtens the experience of length but also allows for spatial diversity: rhythm of repeating structural elements; visual or movement axis through the changing space

Public space in front of museum- common square with Palace of Culture- on the axis

2 axisCultural and commercial

Program in the wallGalleryShopsStudios for artists in residenseHotel roomsCafe..

Structure of the wallspace inbetween: 2,5 m wide

Structure of the wallspace inbetween: 2,5 m wide

Spatial organizationDiversity of interior components

Interior compartmentsReactionary galleryStudy centerPermanent exhibition hallPermanent exhibition hall 2Entrance hallTemporary exhibitionsArt handling + Administration

Main communication axisCurved shape closes view at the end and creates impression of even longer building

short exhibitionsreactions to political and cultural eventslecturesfestivals

researchersstudentsartists

museum visitorstouristspermanent collection

park / bistro / cafe /retail temporary exhibitions employees

1 2 2 3 4 5

CirculationCompartments can be open and closed separatelyAccessibility gradation

Exhibition compartmentsExhibition galleries differ as far as light, climate size and proportion of the interiors are concerned

Semi-open gallery roomAlina Szapocznikow sculptures

Closed gallery room

ClimateTwo separately controlled climates

Two separate elements of structureGlazed facadeConcrete interior

StaircasesVertical communication

Structurally:- Dilatations between compartments

Wayfinding- Colours help orientation in the builing

StaircaseColour reflected in aluminium facade structure and polished concrete floor.

Staircase reflection

Staircase reflection

How to emphasize the experience of lenght?

How to create impression of lightness and transparency?

Park facaderhythm of vertical elementsStaircases visible behindGarden as the extension of groundfloor - no interruptions of long perspectives

Rafael MoneoKursaal Lightness and unity of the facadeCurved glass

Louvre LensTransparent glass and reflectionsDepth of the facade

Curved panelsDouble galzingGlued together

Impression of Garden facadefabric-likecurtain