STUDIO: AIR

SIYU LI

2013

CONTENTS

PART A. EOI I: CASE FOR INNOVATION

A.0.0 INTRODUCTION

A.1.1 ARCHITECTURE AS DISCOURSE

A.1.2 CHURCH OF LIGHT

A.1.3 NINONGBO HISTROICAL MUSEUM

PART A. CASE FOR INNOVATION

A.0.0 INTRODUCTION

This is my third year in university, but second year of studying architecture major subjects. I was born in China, and this is my fifth year in Melbourne. I like drawing since I was young, and it is the initial push for me choosing architecture as my major. However, architecture is more complex than just drawing some pretty things and it is difficult to learn.

My experience with digital tool is few. I leaned Rhino from a subject named Visual Communication. And some experience with AutoCAD as well. The digital tools did not help much in my past “architecture learning experiences”. And I believe after I go through Studio Air, they will become the very important part of my architecture learning process.

A.1.1 ARCHITECTURE AS DISCOURSE

Before I really get into this course, I am just like one of the people that Richard Williams talked about in his article (Richard, 2005), regard architecture as art. But when I learn more about architecture, I realized that it is not just about art, but multi-discipline and more and more related to digital tools. By using Williams’ words again, architecture is discourse (Richard, 2005).

The topic we are dealing with this week is “architecture as a discourse”. Architecture is never simply one thing, but crosses many different fields to become to something. Back to the ancient time, architecture is just a thing with 4 basic elements: hearth, roof, enclosure and roof. As our civilization developed, architecture starts to relate to many other aspects. During the Roman civilization, architecture starts to show power of the emperor, for example the Triumphal Arch. If we look close to today, architecture is significantly related to our urban development, for example the urban sprawl issue in Melbourne. Architecture is not just about the building or design concept, but it actually impacts the surrounding environment and the society. As Richard Williams suggests in his article that architecture is something in which all can participate (Richard, 2005, pp108).

A.1.2 PRECEDENT PROJECT

Church of Light is my one of my favorite architectures. It is located in a residential suburb in Ibaraki, Osaka, which is a typical Japanese urban environment. Ando uses the simple rectangular boxes and some panels (fig. 1.1) to play with light and shadow to create a space with very special atmosphere. The fundamental layout of the church responses to architecture as discourse, as it contributes to the external environment and uses the natural light to divide and emphasis the space. As a Christian church, it also shows its original intension through its structure and layout. The cross-shaped opening is the best explanation of its function and character (as a church). The light and shadow that created by the concrete panel are powerful (fig. 1.2). The sense of lightness and darkness purely shows in the church. Architecture transmits information, and creates feelings as well. And it also shows the special Japanese architecture characters such as minimalism, connected with nature and ZEN spirit.

Minimalism crosses many fields, and in Architecture field, Tadao Ando is one of the critically acclaimed minimalist architects. The materials that used in the church emphasize the minimalism character. Concrete panel with no ornament and the only decoration comes from the natural light. It looks simple, but all the aesthetic aspects all hidden in the details as Andrew Kroll says in his article, “ As a modern, minimalist structure the Church of the Light emits an architectural purity that is found in the details” (Andrew Kroll, 2011).

Nature is always a part of Japanese architecture. Tadao Ando as well has concerns with connecting nature to the church. He put the green in the detail (fig. 1.3). Everything within the church seems to be meticulous and organized. This kind of attitude may belong to the ZEN spirit.

CHURCH OF LIGHTArchitect: Tadao Ando Location: Ibaraki, Osaka, JapanProject Year: 1989 (second phase 1999)

FIG. 1.2 cross-shaped opening

Church of Light is one of Tadao Ando’s signature architectural works, and it is also the example of architecture as discourse. It shows how different characters, parameters and elements can mix together to form an architecture which is not only an architecture but a representation of architect, environment, and culture.

FIG.1.1 simple box forms a special space

A.1.2 PRECEDENT PROJECT

NINGBO HISTORICAL MUSEUMArchitect: Wang Shu Location: Ibaraki, Osaka, JapanProject Year: 1989 (second phase 1999)

Ningbo Historic Museum is another favorite project of mine, and I am also proud of Wang Shu who is the first Chinese Pritzker price winner. The overview of Ningbo Historic Museum is like a segment of a mountain sits on a rectangular box. This simple shape does not associate with anything, but it is stately and powerful. The south façade of the museum is totally a 2D vision (fig.1.4), which is like a picture of abstract Chinese mountain. This is the first cultural element that Wang Shu gives to the building. And also considering with the responses of people, he lowered the height of each corner (Wang Shu, 2009). He treats the whole architecture as a picture, and concerns the view from each site. In Wang Shu own words, he wants to differ the meaning of “form” in Western and Eastern culture. Western architects usually emphasize the shape of a architecture, but he likes to emphasize the meaning of the form. He also referred to many Chinese classical landscape

FIG.1.4 south facade of the museum

FIG.1.5 claasical landscape picture sense

FIG.1.6 lacally salvaged materials

drawing (fig.1.5) and classical poem, and this is the second cultural elements that Wang Shu added into the museum (Wang Shu, 2009). The material of this building is impressive. It emphasizes the “the new regional style” (Karissa Rosenfield, 2012). Both Ningbo Historic Museum and Ningbo Museum of Art are constructed of locally salvaged materials (fig. 1.6). Those salvaged material represents the change of a city. That is the third thing that Wang Shu put into the Museum. Wang Shu’s architecture is really a explanation of Architecture as Discourse, and it successfully incorporates multi-social, cultural, aesthetic, and also local elements in one piece of work.

Andrew, Kroll (2011). ‘AD Classics: Church of the Light / Tadao Ando’, in Archi Daily. Viewed 28th March, 2012, < http://www.archdaily.com/101260/ad-classics-church-of-the-light-tadao-ando/>

Carlos, Zeballos (2010). ‘Tadao Ando: Church of Light’, in My Architectural Moleskine. Viewed 28th March,2012. http://architecturalmoleskine.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/tadao-ando-church-of-light.html

Karissa, Rosenfield (2012), WSJ names Wang Shu “Innovator of the year 2012”, in Archi Daliy. Viewed 29th March http://www.archdaily.com/286944/wsj-names-wang-shu-innovator-of-the-year-2012/

Wang, Shu (2009), Zi ran xing tai de xu shi yu jihe, Nibong bo wu guan zhuang zuo bi ji (xia). Time+ Architecture Magazine, 2009, vol.3.

Williams, Richard (2005). ‘Architecture and Visual Culture’, in Exploring Visual Culture: Definitions, Concepts, Contexts, ed. by Matthew Rampley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press), pp. 102-116.

Yan (2012), Ningbo Historical Museum/ Wang Shu, in ikuku.cn, viewed 29th March 2012 http://www.ikuku.cn/697/%E5%AE%81%E6%B3%A2%E5%8D%9A%E7%89%A9%E9%A6%86%E7%8E%8B%E6%BE%8D.html

REFERENCE

FIG.1.3 natural aspect of church of light in detial