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Case Study : Phaeno Science Center designed by Zaha Hadid

Wolfsburg, Germany

Figure �: Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg, Germany

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PREFACE

Buildings embody cultural knowledge. They are testament to the will and forces that affect their conception, realization, use and experience. They bear cultural and professional significance and possess within them and their constituent components, im-portant lessons for anyone wanting to discover what a work of architecture is in its larger context, what brought it about, and how it contributes. As Peter Parsons points out, “their forms and spaces are invested with traces of habitation and beliefs through the employment of materials wrought by craft and tech-nology.” They are manifestos of habituated practice and pro-gressive intentions, and range in their influence from reinforcing obsolete patterns and meanings at one extreme, to innovating and provoking yet unconsidered ones, at the other.

The Rensselaer Case Studies project examines contemporary works of architects in relation to what influenced them, and seeks to expose innovations in thinking, technique and tech-nology that contribute to architectural knowledge, scholarship and progress in contemporary practice. The project is designed to reveal the technological and cultural knowledge embedded within each selected project through questioning and analysis, probed through the dis- and re-assembly of drawing and model-ing to discover the larger significance of the artifact, and how it came to be.

Rensselaer Case Studies Project

Mark Mistur, AIA Associate Professor

Emaan FarhoudCourse Assistant

Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSchool of Architecture

Troy, New York �006

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Henry Albin, Jenny Joe, Jay YoungProfessor Mark MisturRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteFall �006

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Table of Contents:

Introduction

1. Practice Architect Philosophy Major Works 2. Context Geographical Cultural Historical

3. Technology Structure + Building System Materials + Enclosures

4. Program and Performance

5. Innovations and Influence

6. Bibliography

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Project Description :

The Phaeno Science Center (Figure 1.1) designed by Zaha Hadid is an unique building especially for Germany. The dynamicism of the form and structure keeps the visitors aware of the architecture.

The Phaeno Science Center is lo-cated in a special site in Wolfsburg, acting as a link between the two sides of the city, which is separated by a canal. One side is the histori-cal civic buildings and the other side is the new Volkswagen Autostadt which is the main tourist attraction within Wolfsburg.

The building’s form is designed to be continuous. Th site itself is a roll-ing artificial landscape that merges into the cones, where Zaha contin-ues to play with the idea of the “ur-ban carpet” by extending it into the surface of the building. The base of the building are its large cones that lifts the monumental building above grade. These cones are separated by axial penetrations that creates

open plaza spaces below the build-ing. These axial openings are also creates visual movement under and past the building which dissolves the scale of the building,

Even inside the building, in the exhibition spaces, the surface of the ground plan is one massive con-tinuous surface that folds over and under itself creating an enclosed space. The cones do not appear to penetrate the planes but the two are merged together by the rounding of the edges to emphasis this continu-ity theme.

Figure �.�: Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg, Germany

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tures that had once dominated the practice.

Upon being awarded the Diploma Prize in 1977, Hadid was asked to Join Rem Koolhaas and Elia Zenghelis at a new firm they had recently founded called Office of Metropolitan Architecture, or OMA. At this same time, she also taught with Koolhaas and Zenghelis at the Architectural Association until 1987. After only three years with OMA, Hadid left the firm and went out on her own. During the next several years, she taught at a variety of schools, held several exhibits of her work, and won a few Competitions, such as the Peak in Hong Kong, though her design was never built.

Her painting was a large part of her work (Figures 1.2 and 1.3), and unfortunately it also was fairly

often misunderstood, which left few people who took her work seriously at that time. During her time in school, she was inspired by Russian Constructivists, such as Malevich, which began her down her own path to her style of painting and its importance in her architec-tural work. Like le Corbusier, but perhaps with a more direct cor-relation, Hadid uses her paintings as explorations and intentions of her building and its connection to its surroundings. Before comput-ers became common architectural tools, and there were no digital 3d modelers really out there, her artwork was one of the few ways to explore a building in 3 dimensions, the “Three-dimensionality” of it, not simply plan and section. (Architec-tural Design, 73)

After the Peak Competition, Zaha

Part 1. Practice

ArchitectZaha Hadid is the most well known female architect of our time. She was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. Her father worked as an Industrial-ist and was a leading politician fol-lowing the British mandate in 1958 when Iraq attempted to create a democracy. It was a very progres-sive time in Iraq, where tolerance was much more common than in recent years. Hadid, a Sunni Mus-lim, went to a convent for schooling, where there was not just diversity in the students; Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim, Jewish, and Christian girls, but the nuns had diverse nationali-ties as well (Icon, June 2003).

After getting her undergraduate de-gree in Mathematics at the Ameri-can University of Beirut, Hadid traveled to London and studied at the Architectural Association under teachers such as Rem Koolhaas, Elia Zenghelis, Daniel Libeskind and Bernard Tschumi. It was a time of near architectural upheaval as the concepts which had once rigidly defined architecture were being unwoven by a new era of architect. This atmosphere deeply influenced Zaha’s approach to architecture and moving away from the stric-

Figure �.�: Painting of The Peak, Hong Kong

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began her own firm, with around 15 people. In recent years, because of the demand that has grown for her work, that number has swelled to 50 or 60 people. Many of those are Interns or young architects. Hadid is known to have a chaotic personality when it comes to her employee; getting very emotional over small things and actually firing people, only to call them up within a day and offer them their jobs again. Her treatment of her staff has been considered harsh by some. She often criticizes the lack of drawing ability in newer architects, specifi-cally being an issue as her paint-ings (which are not done solely by her, but with many others helping) as they are such a large part of her work. Her office is currently being housed in a school building which they are quickly growing out of.

(Icon, June 2003)

Her breakthrough into architecture began with the Vitra Fire Station in Germany in 1993. It was her first major built project. In 1994 she won a competition for the Cardiff Bay Opera House in Wales. Con-troversy soon followed however, and amid accusations of prejudice, the project was cancelled and a Rugby Stadium was elected to be built instead. Despite this setback, Hadid continued forward and in 1998, she won the competition for the Rosenthal Centre of Contem-porary Art in Cincinnati, which is considered one of her greatest buildings. In 1999 she won a com-petition for a Ski Jump in Innsbruck Austria, and in 2000 she won the competition for the Wolfsburg Sci-ence Center in Germany. The fol-

lowing year saw the completion of her Hoenheim Tram station and car park in Strasbourg France and the Ski Jump in Austria was completed in 2002. That same year she won a competition for the BMW Central Plant in Germany. The Rosenthal Arts Centre opened in 2003, and in 2005 both the BMW Central Plant in Leipzig and The Phaeno Science Centre of Wolfsburg, Germany were completed (Figure 1.4).

Philosophy

For Hadid, It is important to have a connection between education and professions. She feels that education does have a major im-pact in the architectural scene, not immediately, but in a couple years because it is where one learns to create ideas. She sees that the ideas that they had as students and the designs they do were usually are more societally challenging at that time, but they will come to use during one’s profession when the society becomes more accepting. Hadid believes that it is important to invest in education for this very reason. At her office, the focus of her work is to create ideas. The reason for this thinking is because of her experience from her time at the Architectural Association where their program pushes the edge on designs of new styles of programs, material, and structure. At the AA, Hadid could concentrate more about design and ideas because it was mainly about learning and

Figure �.�: Painting of Contemporary Art Center, Cinncinnati

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developing. Hadid wasn’t worried if her buildings she designed there would be translated into a real building. But even now in her own firm, she isn’t worried about if the building could be built, their main focal point is to develop ideas.

The process of designing in her office is not always the same. It was once done through sketch-ing but now “the process has changed because of digitization. But either by hand or by computer, sketching, modeling, and plan-ning were all done simultaneously where they work back and forth between the different methods of their design process. With more advanced technologies of comput-ers, one can output faster rather than drawing multiple sketches of different designs or perspectives. Also computers help advance the development of manufacturing and research of new things. But she believes the downside of computers is that there is a less of an under-standing of how people view the project and there is a lost of feeling.

“People had lost faith in modern ideas,” Hadid has stated. At the be-ginning, her general idea of design was to challenge the conventional designs of architecture. Her explo-ration and expansion of modern-ism was rough in the beginning because it was hard for people to understand her designs because the way she displayed them was not like a presentation, but ideas. At the beginning, they started to do learn how to draw, how to do pro-

Figure �.�: Zaha Hadid

Figure �.�: Timeline of Zaha Hadid’s Education and Major Works

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jections, how to do presentations, and how to do models mainly as research. The way she explored modern design were through drawings, painting, and modeling, displaying distortion and projec-tion. When modeling, they study space and transparencies but then it started to influence on the real design of the work they developed.

Hadid has changed the architec-tural scene with her extremely mod-ernist designs. Since the beginning of her works, her designs create new architectural feeling, visually and experientially. Even though she lacked support of her style, she consistently pressured society with many of her competition. Even though she had won competitions, because the judges appreciated her enthusiasm of her contempo-rary style, many of the designs were not built because society rejected them. But Hadid kept of designing in the same way, pushing society into acceptance of change which eventually sparked other

architects who were always afraid to be the pioneer. Another way that she has changed architecture is at its roots; she made institutions think about how they should teach students architecture, from produc-tion to design, from “modernism” to post-modernism.

Zaha Hadid stated, “Architecture, in a good way, can restructure society.” She believes that one can redesign society in a positive way through architecture by how it affects people based on the design. Many of her buildings are seen as defying gravity. But conceptually, her designs attempts to defy rule of typical traditional architecture, try-ing to create new styles of space, form, and structure away from the ordinary.

She has said that for her work, “it is important that it is very recogniz-able,” and “it is very important to always challenge the topic.” Zaha tries to reinvent the concepts of general designs. She felt that there was an alternative to conservative designs, typical designs, mass pro-duction, etc. She wanted to change the typology rather than repeating designs and make each building different because since the site is different, the design should be too. She wanted to make her designs unique, creating new formal lan-guages and how people experi-ence and move through it which is done through spatial organization. Hadid’s designs are influenced by the context and urban context of how it relates through connections

and organization of the programs. She pushes context, programming, landscaping and structure past beyond modernism.

To Hadid, the context is an impor-tant part of design and one can interpret context in different ways. One can do more than designing a building as an object on the site, but design it as a field and actually reflect back influences and feeling back into the context. By designing as a field within the context, “the field implied you reorganized the whole context.”

Through her projections, drawings, and paintings, she tests out how buildings are orientated and what experiences are invoked. They mostly display ideas perceiving space, movement, perspectival space; all these are perceptions of the ideas of the mind. The designs of spaces of her work usually have concepts of distortion, deforma-tion, narrowness, expansion, and compression of space. She says that, “public buildings are canvases to try out these ideas.”

Most of her projects are public buildings; Hadid believes that in public designs, there is freedom of openness. In her designs, she creates relationships between the program and the public where the public spaces become an entity of a building. She values topography and landscape, where her buildings are less static and structured. By doing this, a building is seen as a landscape where is the spatial

Figure �.�: Zaha Hadid

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experience is ambiguous and not linear.

Hadid’s designs aren’t centered solely around topographies and landscaping but it is taken account of at the same time when designing the rest of a building like structure and program to truly express the idea of landscaping. Through landscaping, she attempts to create multiple public spaces connecting to the context and to the different layers of spaces of the building.

Even her ideas of structure are involved in landscaping to create large open public spaces and non-repetition opposing mass-produc-tion. The structure is a major part of the design and is not hidden. It accentuates the formalism of spatial experiences by creating feelings, like openness or light-ness. One inhabits the structure and there is no boundary between structure and the skin. (Planet Architecture, 2003)

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Major Works

Vitra Fire StationWeil Am Rhein, Germany, 1990-94

The Vitra Fire Station (Figure 1.6) in Weil Am Rhein, Germany was a project to build a fire station on the north-east section of the Vitra fur-niture factory complex. Programs in this project includes a boundary wall, bicycle shed and other minor programs.

The site has the large factory build-

ings while the project is only on a small area in it. Zaha Hadid saw the site as a zone within the indus-trial site which is 500 meters long.

She designed the fire station at the edge of this zone where it trans-forms into a landscape representing a piece of furniture in a room, in extremely large scale.

The main design is a series of layering of screen walls where each space intersects the walls of the in-

dustrial building located where pro-gram was needed. These punctures are orientated in the movement of the fire engines which are perpen-dicular to the wall. This design al-lows an interesting view and scene to people walking through and next to the building where it expresses motion of readiness. The form represents the typical actions of fire station during needed time, ready and alert to calls of duties.

Figure �.6: Vitra Fire Station

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LFoneWeil am Rhein, Germany, 1997-1999

Zaha Hadid designed the LFone (Figures 1.7-1.12) in Weil am Rhein, Germany as an integrated archi-tectural building. Its program is designed for events and exhibitions, providing space for both while its architecture formally is merged with the land around it.

Its formal concept was a to cre-ate an architectural design that topographically connects with the ground with fluid geometry using a system of paths that wind through and around the building.

Many different spaces are created from these paths, creating intersec-tions where specific public programs are placed like the exhibition, cafe, etc.

There is also a center for environ-mental research which is partly underground which connects to the but still being open to the exhibition hall and other public spaces.

Figure �.�: LFone

Figure �.�: LFone

Figure �.�: LFoneFigure �.��: Painting of LFone

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Figure �.�0: LFone Interior

Figure �.��: Painting of LFone Figure �.��: Painting of LFone

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Car Park and Terminus Hoenheim-NordStrasbourg, France, 1999-2001

The Car Park and Terminus in Hoenheim-Nord Strasbourg (Figures 1.13-1.17), France was designed as a tramstation and car park for a tram line.

The architectural design concept is overlapping fields and lines of spaces that weave together creat-ing a total whole. The system of fields represent movements of cars, trams, and people where the form is inter-merged with the surrounding landscape and context of the site.

The main importance is to create a well organized circulation space that link the different use programs together which was done by using lights in the floor, furniture, and ciel-ing from openings.

The architectural design is created to become a link between a to-be planned train station to be built in the north and the new tram station.

Figure �.��: Hoenheim-Nord Terminus

Figure �.��: Hoenheim-Nord Terminus

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Figure �.��: Renderings of Hoenheim-Nord Terminus

Figure �.�6: Hoenheim-Nord Terminus

Figure �.��: Aerial view of Hoenheim-Nord Terminus

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Bergisel Ski JumpInnsbruck, Austria, 1999-2002

Zaha Hadid designed the Bergisel Ski Jump (Figures 1.18-1.19) as a part of the refurbish project of the Olymic Arena in Innsbruck, Austria. This ski jump replaced a older ski jump which didnt meet international standards anymore so it needed to be redesigned.

This ski jump became a large land-mark in Innsbruck due to its special programmic design which holds sports facilities and public spaces like cafes.

Its formal shape is special where Zaha Hadid intergrated the shape of the ski jump and the slope of the mountain into the buiding. Materi-alistically, there is also a connection between the buiding and the ramp where the ramp and the cafe are of structural steel.

Figure �.��: Bergisel Ski Jump

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Figure �.��: Renderings and drawings of the Bergisel Ski Jump

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Rosenthal Center for Con-temporary ArtCincinnati, Ohio, USA,1999-2003

The Rosenthal Center for Con-temporary Art (Figures 1.20-1.24) required program spaces for an education facility, offices, art preparation areas, a museum store, a performance theater, and public spaces.

The lobby is leveled with the sidewalk where there is a connec-tion with the outside and the inside from the material used, the glass glazing and the concrete continutiy of the sidewalk and the interior floor. There is a sense of movement for the people entering the building because of the concrete connection which also pulls them vertically due to the continuous rolling surface of the ground to the wall where the vertical circulation is located to the exhibition spaces which Zaha Hadid calls the “Urban Carpet.” This car-pet is also the main concept of the structural system in the building.

The exhibition spaces are of differ-ent sizes of cubes to accommodate different exhibits of contemporary art. Each space is a solid and void where the space within could be altered to allow flexibility in needed space and arangement of artworks. (El Corquis, 166-173).

Figure �.�0: Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art

Figure �.��: Rendering of the Rosenthal Center

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Figure �.��: Rendering of the Rosenthal Center Figure �.��: Painting of Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art

Figure �.��: Painting of Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art

Figure �.��: Studies of Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art

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Central Building - BMW PlantLeipzig, Germany, 2002-2005

Zaha Hadid designed the Cen-tral Building of the BMW Plant in Leipzig, Germany. This Central Building is the center of the whole factory complex where in connects all the activities and other programs together where it is all branched out from this center.

This center creates movement and circulation of the whole complex where it accommidates the move-ments of the workers and visitors and also the cycle of the car factory.

The three main production stages, body, paint shop, and assembly are organized around the center. The movements physically and visually go through this center, allowing a connection between different pro-grams and different people. Zaha Hadid organized the spaces with a transition of public to busy.

The facade strategy is to pull the envelope under the top floor which is diagonal to the plan. The car drop off is located at this area where in goes under the diagonal projec-tion where the visitors can easily view.

(Kiser, 1).

Figure �.��: Center Building - BMW Plant

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Figure �.�6: Center Building - BMW Plant

Figure �.��: Center Building - BMW Plant

Figure �.��: Center Building - BMW Plant

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The city of Wolfsburg is most well known for the Volkswagen factory (Figure 2.4). It is the only planned urban development in Germany during 20th century (Figure 2.1). Wolfsburg has its origin going back to pre-WWII era. Under Nazi government, the Kraft durch Freude, translating to “strength through joy”, which was a state-controlled leisure program for the masses, began in 1933. Under the KdF program, Hitler envisioned a new car, afford-able for the people. Collaborating with designer Ferdinand Porsche, The orginal KdF-wagen became a propaganda for the national social-istic motorization campaign (Figure 2.2). In 1938 The city of Wolfsburg was chosen as the location to house KdF-wagen facotries. “The location of the city was not chosen because

of the resources, like the location of Lebenstedt. For the first time a city was planned and founded just to give the employees of a gigantic new automobile factory a home”. Back then the population was 1,100, all of whom were related to the factory.

Figure 2.1: Symbol of Wolfsburg The official logo of the city

Figure �.�: Volkswagen First model of Volkswagen, ����

Wolfsburg, Germany

Wolfsburg is located about 70 km east of Hannover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is near what was once the border between West and East Germany, which were reunitfied in 1990. Germany itself lies in Central Europe, with the northern end bordering the North Sea. While compartivelly to the United States, it lies northward, past the Canadian border, its climate is temperate, with neither very hot nor very cold parts of the year.

Wolfsburg, which is located in Northern Germany, has a climate where rainfall occurs year round. The weather is fairly vaired, and winds are primarily westerly.

Part 2. Context

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KdF-wagen created a coupon program so people in the KdF program could afford a car, it took 200 coupons to receive one. However, because of the break-out of WWII, the factory began to produce military vehicles such as jeeps and aircrafts instead, mostly by forced workers and POWs. The coupons would not be used and no one received cars until after the war. During wartime, the KdF factory was a primary target of Allied forces and was bombed. The city was taken by the Allies and renamed in 1945 to Wolfsburg. The name was borrowed from the local castle built in 1300 named “Wolfsburg”. The original castle has been rebuilt in 1600, and the new castle still stands today, (Figure 2.5). After the end of the war, refugees and people looking for work flooded to Wolfsburg, the population in 1945 grew to 19,000 from the original 1,100 in 1938, and that number grew to 38,000 in 1954, thus housing remained a critical is-sue well into the 1950’s. The named KdF-wagen was changed to Volk-swagen, meaning “people’s car”, and the company was turned over to German government in 1949.

Figure �.�: Castle of Wolfsburg The castle which Wolfsburg was named after. First build in ��00’s and rebuilt in the �600’s

Figure �.�: VW factory, Wolfsburg The city of Wolfsburg and the VW company remains closely associated with eachother

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During the early Iron Curtain Era, Wolfsburg tried to create a new cultural and social infrastructure. “Numerous schools, sports and playing fields, and swimming pools, as well as 26 new churches, were evidence of the enormous efforts made in those years (Figure 2.6). By the early 1960’s, Porsches-traße, the main street in the city, is almost entirely lined with buildings” (Schneider). Financially supported by the VW company, first cultural projects were constructed, they were the Congress Centre building and the Culture Centre, designed by Alvar Aalto (Figure 2.9). Even so, during this Era Wolfsburg was mostly forgotten, and largely ignored or bypassed by people. It was a corridor city in East Germany, sitting along the main road to Berlin (Figure 2.8), yet most it received very few visitors.

Wolfsburg reached a population peak of 131,000 in 1972. The main focus since has been to gener-ate urban life and a city center in the relatively quite, suburban city (Figure 2.7). Between the Cultural Center and the theater, a Museum of Modern Art and Town Hall exten-sion was built, by architect Peter Schweger between 1989 – 1994. “The self-confident body of the museum constitutes a landmark on the southern edge of the city axis, adding a new dimension to the inner city” (Schneider). With the begin-ning of globalization in the 90’s, Wolfsburg also tries to transform into a “center of global services and leisure amenities” (Schneider). Its

major step was the partnership of Volkswagen with the City of Wolfs-burg, setting up structural changes to lower unemployment, attract business start-ups, and focusing on entertainment and leisure amenities. Thus the well-being of Wolfsburg and VW are still closely connected.

Figure �.�: Map of West and East Germany Wolfsburg was located on the border of West and East Ger-many, and served as a gateway to west Berlin

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Figure �.�: Wolfsburg Cultural Center, Alvar Aalto, ��6�

Dealing with the lack of culture and attraction, in 1996, VW built the Autostadt (Figures 2.10-2.18) in the north of Wolfsburg, just east of the factories. “It was the EXPO event in nearby Hanover that induced Volk-swagen AG to build the Autostadt” (Schneider). The Autostadt complex is a center for entertainment, auto-history museums persenting the company’s cars, has become an extremely successful tourist attraction, The 750 million dollar project combines innovative works from “internationally renowned artists, architects, film makers, photographers, video and computer specialists” (Schneider). A new city bridge was built to connect the city to the Autostadt on the north side of the canal, extending the Porsches-traße (main street) axis beyond its northern end at the railway station, “thus lifting the strict division of city and factory and opening part of the factory premises permanently to the public” (Schneider).

Figure �.�0: The Autosdadt�) Entrance Building. �) Car Museum. �) Bently Museum. �) Lamborghini Museum. �) Skoda Museum. 6) Seat Museum. �) Audi Museum. �) VW Museum �) Customer Center . �0) Driving Course. ��) Auto Trume. 12) Ritz-Carlton Hotel. 13) Office. 14) City Bridge. connecting over to Phaeno and downtown Wolfsburg

Figure �.��: Seat Museum Museum that houses Seat models

Figure �.��: Customer Center Visitor Center at Night

Figure �.��: Entrance Building View of the

Entrance Building from across the canal

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Figure �.�6: Auto Trume World’s largest car vending machine

Figure �.��: Auto Trume Interior View

Figure �.��: The VW Museum Museum that houses VW models

Figure �.��: Audi Museum Museum that houses Audi models

Figure �.��: The Car Museum Nightime view with the VW factory in the background

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In 1998 the original railway station was converted into an ICE stop (Figure 2.19), “its forecourt adopted a new significance: it is now, next to being the link to the Autostadt, the essential gate to the City” (Sch-neider). At first the city planned an art museum for the site, However Dr. Wolfgang Guthardt, (Figure 2.20), the City Director of Culture at the time felt that the institution would compete with the existing Art Mueseum. It was then that Guthar-dt visited Technorama, the Swiss science museum, (figure 2.21). He was convinced that an innovative science center in Wolfsburg would complement both Autostadt and the existing Kunst Museum, epe-cially since no such center exists in Germany at the time. (He is now the first executive director of the science center).

An international architecture com-petition was held to design the new Phaeno Science Center, the project would have to highlight the railway as a means of transportation and would become a significant cultural component to the city. “Zaha Had-id’s prizewinning design elevates the entire exhibition floor to a height of 6.5 meters, thus generating an urban area underneath the disc-shaped building as an interactive link to the city centre and is going to mark an urban place at the heart of an intersection” (Schneider), see photo of Phaeno - (Figure 2.22). With the Autostadt Complex and now the new Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg is finally creating cultural identity and transforming

Figure �.��: Phaeno Science Center View of Phaeno Science Center’s Northen Facade, from the ICE high-speed-train tracks.

Figure �.�0: Dr. Wolfgang GuthardtFirst executive director of Phaeno Sicence Center, and the ex-city-directior for Culture, Sports and Education.

Figure �.��: Technorama The Swiss Science Museum. Model for Phaeno Science Center

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the city into a visiting center offering cutting-edge services and contem-porary leisure amenities.

The Phaeno Science Center was built from the urban planning project by the City of Wolfsburg. City offi-cials were planning to build a public attraction building on the land next to the VW building. They initially planned to build an art museum but then decided not to. They were mostly thinking about money, and how to make Wolfsburg a bet-ter town, how to make it a tourist town, and how to get people to go to Wolfsburg to feed its economy. They felt that another art museum in their town would be less profitable. They already have an art museum, the Kunst Museum and felt like they would be competing with each other.

The city officials got Ansel Associ-ates to design and program the science exhibition as interactive scientific and artistic works. (See Figures 2.23-2.25.) A competi-tion was held for the architectural design of the building, which Zaha Hadid had won. Zaha Hadid worked with Mayer Bahrle archi-tects, her German associates on this project. These three worked together to create the Phaeno building as a sculpture but still providing space for the science artworks.

Figure �.��: Photo of Phaeno

Figure �.��: Photo of exhibits in Phaeno.

Figure �.��: Preliminary sketch of exhibits in Phaeno by Ansel Inc.

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Vision

With the success of Autostadt in the north of Wolfsburg, the newly estab-lished ICE (high-speed train) stop along the northern canal, and the existing city axis, an empty piece of “triangle” shaped, land north of the city suddenly became significant (Figure 2.26). “It is now, next to be-ing the link to the Autostadt, the es-sential gate to the City” (Schneider).

The idea of integrating the existing bridge from the Autostadt to the city canal bank as a link between the VW and the city was originally pre-sented by architect Petyer Koller in his original design for the city. Erect-ing a building here would create a central venue for public life. Dr. Wolfgang Guthardt who was then the city’s director for culture, sports, and education, was convinced that an innovative science center in Wolfsburg would complement both Autostadt and the existing Kunst Museum, epecially since no such center exists in Germany at the time. A science center would draw more tourists to the city in addi-tion to the AUtostadt, and establish Wolfsburg as a cultural center.

BRIDGE

VW FACTORY

AUTOSTADT

CANAL

I.C.E. RAIL & STATION

PHAENO

FUTURE BLDNG

WOLF CASTLE

CITY BLOCKS

CITY CENTER

PORS

CHES

TRA

SSE

I.C.E. RAIL WAYI.C.E. STATION

PHAENO

CANAL

CANAL

I.C.E. RAIL WAY

BRI

DG

E

PED

AST

RIA

N B

RID

GE

AUTOSTADT

WOLF’S CASTLE

VW FACTORY

CITY OF WOLFSBURG

Figure �.�6: Map of Wolfsburg showing relationship between Phaeno Science Center, the Autostadt, and the City

Figure �.��: Sketch by Ansel Inc. of an interior view of Phaeno.

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Zaha Hadid was one of the archi-tects competed for the design of Phaeno. Her design for the building is themed around the idea of move-ment and continuity. The idea is represented in three aspects of the building: visual continuity, physical continuity, and surface continuity.

Hadid’s vision for the building fulfills the connection between the Autostadt and the city by elevating the first floor. But the space is not completely open as there are 10 stuctural and progammatic cones interrupting the space. Thus she creates and idea of spatial translu-cency, allowing many different views and sightlines, as well as different bodily movement (Figures 2.27 and 2.28). The idea of movement is the obvious design intent in Zaha’s scheme. The N-S movement from Autostadt to the city, the E-W move-ment of the ICE train, the movement of the main street Porschestrasse, and other minor movements. Paths are accented in her desgin, one that runs through the open ground floor (Figure 2.29), the elongated ramp in the building, the connection to the pedastrian bridge right from the building, and many other minor ones.

Figure �.��: Rendering of Phaeno Science Center emphasizing movement and connection to the site

Figure 2.29: Rendering of the Artificial landscape emphasizing movement and continuity

Figure �.��: Ground Floor emphasizing visual and physical connections

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Figure �.�0: Diagram of design of cone shapes

Figure �.��: Building exgterior showing ground level ceiling morphing into structural cones as well as exterior wall.

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Another major theme in Zaha’s design is the emphasis on surface continuity. The ceiling of the ground floor is made from diamond shaped waffle cone slab instead of square ones, most of which are filled in, but some are left hollow with lighting in them. This surface then wraps upwards, around a smoothed edge and transforms into the outer wall, which has a similar pattern of dia-mond shaped windows. This logic is carried out through her design. The 10 cones grows upwards, some morphing into floors, others into ceiling trusses. The actual floor surfaces too, often continues into walls (Figure 2.32). In general, the floor has smooth transitions instead of stopping or turning abruptly, fol-lowing a logic of natural landscape, (Figure 2.33)

Figure �.��: Center Building - BMW Plant

Figure �.��: Exterior view showing similiarity between windows and the lights below

Figure �.��: Floor treated as landscape

Figure �.��: Construction Photo, September 0�

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The winning design for Phaeno Science Center was awarded in 2000 to Zaha Hadid. The construc-tion of Phaeno began in March 2001, and the building opened on November 24th, 2005 (Figures 2.35-2.40) The architects involved included Zaha Hadid Ltd. & Mayer Baehrle, and Free Architect Federal Employers Association. The master planning and project management were carried out by New Ground Housing Company, whom was local to Wolfsburg. Structural design for the building were done by two companies, one was Adam Kara Taylor from London, and the other was Tokarz Frerichs Leipold from Hannover, whom was also involved in the construction of Autostadt. Building Equipment was provided by NEK Engineering, another local campany.

There were several companies in-volved in the interior equipment and set-up of the Phaeno Science Cen-ter. The advisor for experimentation stations and exhibition was Joe Ansel of Ansel Associates Inc. The design of programs including labo-ratories, idea forum, science theater as well as catering trade, shop, and administration was done by Rust + Sehle from Braunschweig. Furnishing planning was done by G + S + W architecture and Design, Munich Medium Equipments, and NEK Engineer Team. The scientific and didactical consultation were from Remo Besio, Switzerland, Ken Gorbey, New Zealand, Heinz Re-ese, Canada, Sir Richard Gregory, England, Colin Johnson, England, and Burkhard Vettin, Germany.

Figure �.�6: Construction Photo, December 0�

Figure �.��: Construction Photo, February 0�

Figure �.��: Construction Photo, September 0�

Figure �.��: Construction Photo, March 0�

Figure �.��: Construction Photo, June 0�

Figure �.�0: Construction Photo, March 0�

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A big challenge for Zaha Hadid was working with Todd Blair, Mat-thias Ossmann, and Jorg Zander from Ansel Associates, where there were design conflicts of programmed spaces designed and what was needed.

Many science artworks were designed with a required amount of space due to the size and volume of these exhibits thus the architec-ture were altered to accommodate for the different exhibits. (Figures 2.41-2.43.) But also as Zaha Hadid changes her design of the building for structure and code issues, Ansel Associates were informed on the modifications to alter the exhibition planning of the science exhibits.

( http://www.anselinc.com)

Figure �.�� Interior view of science demonstrations in the exhibition space.

Figure �.�� Interior view of science demonstrations in the exhibition space.

Figure �.�� Interior view of science demonstrations in the exhibition space.

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Part 3. Technology

Structural Systems

The Phaeno Science Center uses a variety of Structural systems with only a few different materials. The majority of the building is built of re-inforced Self Compacting Concrete, the primary exceptions being the Roof Truss system and the sup-ports for it along the exterior wall.

The 10 cones (Figure 3.1) which run through the building are the primary and in fact only real structural sup-port for the entire building, as all loads are traced back to these cones. Each cone is unique, their irregular shapes are all different and their interconnection with the Concourse level manifests in differ-ent ways.

While all the cones connect with

the main concourse level, only 5 of the cones punch through it as solids and continue up to the Roof. These 5 cones are the main com-ponents that the roof truss spans from and carry most of the load.

The cones and the majority of the Concrete structure is site cast, with the exception of some Precast concrete panels which make up the titled windows on the west facade.

The Concourse level is a large spanning waffle slab (Figure 3.4) which is supported by the concrete cones themselves and cantiliev-ers beyond them. The waffle slab is not a typical waffle system as the form of the waffles are paral-lelgrams in shape as opposed to squares. These waffles are ori-ented with the building so that the long vertice is parallel with the long walls of Phaeno.

The structural cones which hold the waffle slab curve outward give the

appearance that they change form into the waffleslab itself and pres-ent a uniform surface. However, an imporant reason for this is to pre-vent punching shear of the waffle slab around the cones where they connect (Figure 3.2 and 3.3).

All the structural systems within Phaeno are complicated or special in some way and the roof truss is no exception. The Roof truss is exposed to the interio and spans the entire length of Phaeno with no intermediary supports except for the 5 Structural cones.

Along the Exterior wall, where the floor as been cantielievered past

the cone, the Roof Truss is support-ed by steel columns. These Col-umns are connected together with Irregular diagonnal members and in many places do not act as structure to the Main concrete Exterior walls. However where the Prefabricated Concrete window panels are, the

Figure �.�: Phaeno Structural Cones

Figure 3.3: Connection between waffleslab and Cone

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Figure 3.2: Detail of floor-cone connection

Figure 3.3: Connection between waffleslab and Cone

Figure 3.4: Basic waffle slabe shape

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Columns are connected by paralllel members which run at the same slope as the window panels and support them (Figures 3.5 and 3.6).

The Roof Truss itself is a 2 way verendeel truss (Figures 3.7-3.9). While its bays are primarily square in shape, they do not stay that way as the Truss itself changes over the length of the building. The angles of the intersections become smaller, creating parallelgram bays, similiar to the waffleslab but with far more complicated geometry (Figures 3.12 and 3.13).

Figure �.�: Roof Truss Grid Layout

Figure �.�: Exposed Steel Frame Wall

Figure �.6: Precast Wall Window Panels

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Not only does the truss change direction in such a way as to alter its form, but it also changes elevation in certain areas, where it drops down nearly 2 meters at a 45 degree angle. Generally at these places the depth of the truss doubles, but this is not always the case.

Where the truss interesects and connects with the Structural cones, the botom section of the truss is cut away, just short of the cones themselves while the upper part of the truss rests upon a concrete ledge that potrudes from the cones themselves (Figure 3.11).

Figure �.�: Roof Truss Detail

Figure �.�: Installation of Roof Truss

Figure 4.11

Figure �.�0: Load Path Diagram of Structural System

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Figure 4.11Figure �.��: Connection between Cone and Truss

Figure �.��: Exposed Steel Trusses

Figure �.��: Truss where bays are no longer rectangular

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Floor System

The major floor system in Phaeno Science Center is at the Concourse level, where exhibition occurs. The floor is held by concrete waffle slab, which in turn is held by the struc-tural cones (Figure 3.14).

There are many layers above the waffle slab. In fact, between the top of the structural waffle slab and the very top of the floor finish, it is about 12 inches. The floor is finished in a smooth, polished material, that gives a very uniform and flat feel. There are finishings of small black circles on the floor, they are evenly distributed. The circles are flat and aligned with the rest of the floor. Underneath these circles are actu-ally ties of electrical wires (FIgures 3.14 and 3.15)

Although visually hidden, heavy wiring runs above the waffle slab (Figure 3.16). These wires are tied into bundles in a regular manner (Figure 3.17). The bundles are then distributed evenly across the floor. a layer of concrete is poured over, leaving only the bundle heads above (Figure 3.18).

Then grids of reinforcement bars are placed on top (Figure 3.19). But where the wire bundles peak out, a small cylinder is placed over the bundle, protecting it (Figure 3.20). Then another layer of concrete is poured (Figure 3.21). After the con-crete sets, the cylinders are taken out, leaving holes on the floor. The

top of this reinforced slab is smooth-ened with cement (Figure 3.21) It is then painted with white paint (Figure 3.22) and polished. black circles are placed to cover the holes left by the wires (Figure 3.14).

Figure �.��: Interior Floor Finish

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Figure �.�6: Floor Construction

Figure �.��: Floor System Section

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Figure �.��: Floor Construction

Figure �.��: Floor Construction

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Figure �.��: Floor Construction

Figure �.�0: Laying down of cylinders to protect wire bundles

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Figure �.��: Second Slab of Concrete being poured

Figure �.��: Finished Concrete Floor with holes for wiring

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Self Compacting Concrete

The development of self-compact-ing concrete was the key to the construction of the Phaeno Science Center (Figures 3.23 and 3.24).

Self-compacting concreate was developed in Japan, Sweden and France in the 1980s. The reason for this new technology was to achieve more durable concrete and complex structures.

This type of concrete was also used to compensate for the dependency of the skills of worker which the strength of the concrete is highly

relied on. Many younger construc-tion workers lack the experience to know when the concrete is settled correctly, vibrated enough, or if the concrete is flowed evenly through-out the framework and around the rebars, etc.

Self-compacting concrete does not need as much supervision as regular concrete, since the concrete does not need to be vibrated due to its extremely fluidity. It is able to flow through the frameworks and around rebar easily and effectivly by its own compound property.

Process to achieve self-compacting concrete:

1) limit coarse aggregate content

2) low water-powder ratio

3) use of superplasticizer

By limiting coarse aggregate con-tent, there is an increase in contact between the aggregate particles. The contact between particles makes the concrete stronger. Also,

Figure �.��: Structural cone during contstruction

Figure �.��: Rebar within a cone

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having less coarse aggregate will decrease the blockage of other par-ticles allowing them to flow better.

Having a low water to powder ratio in the concrete mixture and the use of a superplasticizer makes the concrete a lot more viscous. This also prevents the blockage of the coarse aggregate because these coarse particles can flow around in the paste easily too, rotating and moving out of the way of the other particles (Figure 3.25).

This overall reduces the segrega-tion between aggregate and mortar, further strengthening the concrete because the particles and sub-stance in the mix are evenly distrib-uted. This way makes the concrete structure strong throughout its form, rather than having one section stronger than the rest (Figure 3.26).(Okamura & Ouchi)

Less coarse aggregate allows particles to flow between, reducing the blockage that occurs.

Using a superplasticizer allows the coarse aggregate to move more freely and out of the way of partcles.

SELF-COMPACTING

CONCRETE

- uses less coarseaggregate

- uses more powder (plsticizer)

- extremely fluid

- no vibrators needed

NORMAL CONCRETE

- need vibration or packing

-strength rely on skill of workers

0

20

40

60

80

100

WATER

POWDER

FINEAGGREGATE

COARSEAGGREGATE

WATER

POWDER

FINEAGGREGATE

COARSEAGGREGATE

Figure �.��

Figure �.�6

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Another advantage of self-compact-ing concrete is that it can reduce about 50 percent of labor costs because it requires less workers to pour the concrete and vibrate the concrete. Self-compacting concrete requires less maintanance during construction because the construc-tion workers do no have to worry as much if the concrete has poured correctly in evenly through the framework.

Self-compacting concrete can be poured 80 percent faster than normal concrete mainly because of its physical property of being more fluid. The concrete flows easily through the framework, between rebars, around corners, and into nooks. The amount of work on the distribution the concrete once it is poured is significantly reduced. Workers do not have to vibrate the concrete which again reduce time and energy. (Figure 3.27-3.33.)

Because self-compacting concrete does not need to be vibrated, it reduces the wear and tear of frameworks, saving money. This concrete is great for pre-cast con-crete companies who use the same framework many times.

Figure �.��: Construction workers tying rebar

Figure �.��: Rebar and formwork for ConeFigure 3.29: Waffle Slab Formwork around

structural cone

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Phaeno Science Center used self-compacting concrete technology; without it, such complex, irregular, and demanding structure could never be built. The waffle slab, having obtuse and acute angles, would be difficult to pour with normal concrete, resulting in lessened structural effectiveness, which would make the long span impossible.

The concrete cones were designed with irregular shapes, difficult for concrete to flow through, espe-cially since they are also slim and slanted. There is also a lot of rebar in the concrete cones (Figure 3.33) leaving very small spacing between bars. This structure would be ex-tremely hard for normal concrete to flow through, because there is high pobablity of coarse aggregate get-ting trapped between rebars, leave pockets and bubbles. The cones’ inversely-angled shape would also be hard to vibrate.

Overall, self-compacting concrete was the essential technology that had to be used to make the building’s form and structure, al-lowing Zaha’s innovative design to manifest physically

Figure �.�0: Framework Construction of Cones

Figure �.��: Framework Construction of Cones Figure �.��: Framework Construction of Cones

Figure �.��: Framework Construction of Cones

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The property lot for Phaeno Science Center is 13,000 m², and the gross building area is 12,631 m², 9,000 of which are accessible for visitors. Of that area, 7,000 m² are for active exhibition and public laboratories. More specifically, 5,900 m² are for general open exhibit, there is a bio and chemical lab of 54 m², a phys-ics and engineering lab of 118 m², employing 10 personnel, a science theater of 560 m², employing 16 personnel, and a idea-forum of 360 m². There are several dining places in the building, a 149 m² Bistro, a 290 m² self-service restaurant, a 376 m² meeting/catering area, a 32 m² coffee and sandwich bar. Kitchen, toilet, and storage take up 304 m², and there’s a 382 m² shop. Other functional areas include 1500 m² of administration/management, storage, and workshops. The under-ground parking garage holds 400 bays and has an area of 12,600 m². Photos of selective area are shown in Figures 4.1 to 4.5. Diagrams of program location in plan, section, and axometric view are shown in Figures 4.7 to 4.9. Diagrams of pro-gram percentage shown in Figures 4.10 and 4.11.

Overall, the building has 4 levels, the first is the ground level, an artificially landscaped piazza, roofed by Phaeno’s main floor. Here the whole level is open, providing visual as well as physical connection, the programmatic and structural cones are the only things connecting to the ground. The second level is a mezzanine level (Figure 4.8). The spaces are inside the struc-tural cones, but still below the main exhibition level. The third floor, con-course level, is the main exhibition space (Figure 4.8) This floor has a mostly open plan, with exhibitions through-out. Above selective parts of the concourse floor is another level of mezzanine (Figure 4.8). Programs from the main level flows up into this level.

Part 4. Program and Performance

Figure �.�: Main Entrance Escalator

Figure �.� Concourse level from Mezzanine

Figure �.�: Underneath Pheano between the cones

Figure �.�: Coffe Bar beneath Phaeno

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Figure �.�: View of Shop in Eastern Corner

Figure �.�: Underneath Pheano between the cones

Figure �.�: Coffe Bar beneath Phaeno

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The building operates from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. It costs 11 euro for adults, 7 euro for young adults, and free for 6 and under. There are additional group and family discounts. During the first year of its opening, the Phaeno Sci-ence Center received an impressive 180,000 visitors, a large portion of which were school tours or family with children, and the Autostadt also helped the ticket sales. The exhibition hosts 250 experiments for display, all of which are scattered on the concourse and concourse mez-zanine floors.

Public and Private Area

(sq. meter)

7000 Exhibition

560 Auditorium

382 Gift Shop

376 Catering Area

290 Restaurant

149 Bistro

32 Coffee Bar

304 Kitchen

218 Laboratory

1500 Administration

Total Building Area

(sq. meter)

9000 Public Space

2000 Private Space

1600 other (circulation/bathroom)

12600 Underground parking garage

25200 TOTAL

Main Entrance

Bistro

Cafe

Auditorium

Ramp

Event Space

Administration

Administration

Giftshop

Group Entrance

Restaurant Entrance

Laboratory

Laboratory

Underground Parking

Artificial Landscape

Figure �.6: Large numbers of children and young adults visiting Phaeno

Figure �.�: Location of Program within Phaeno

Figure �.�: Floorplans

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GROUND LEVEL

CONCOURSE LEVEL

CONCOURSE MEZZANINE

Giftshopv

Group Entrance

Main Entrance

Bistro

Cafe Auditorium

Ramp

LaboratoryEvent SpaceAdministration

Administration

Giftshop

Group Entrance

Main Entrance

Restaurant

Entrance

Ramp

LaboratoryLaboratory

Restaurant Ramp

Laboratory

Laboratory

Figure �.�: Floorplans

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General Total Building Area

Public Space36%

Private Space8%

other (circulation/bathroom)

6%

Underground parking garage

50%

Shop

Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking

ShopStair well

Stair well

Service ElevatorStaff

Room Event Space

Exhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition Exhibition Laboratory Ramp

LaboratoryBathrooms

Staff Room

ShopExhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition Exhibition

ShopShopShop weStairwellwell

Event Space

BathroomsLaboratory

Laboratoryy

LaboratoryyStairwell

ServiceElevatorrS

Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking

Exhibition Space

Cone Programmed Public Space

Cone Circulation Space

Artificial Landscape

Parking Garage

Figure �.�: Sectional Program Diagram

Figure �.�0: Percentage of space use within Phaeno

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Public and Private Area (Excluding Underground Parking)

Exhibition63%

Auditorium5%

Shop4%

Catering Area3%

Restaurant3%

Bistro2%

Coffee Bar1%

Kitchen3%

Laboratory2%

Administration14%

ExhibitionAuditoriumShop

Catering AreaRestaurantBistroCoffee BarKitchen

LaboratoryAdministration

Shop

Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking

ShopStair well

Stair well

Service ElevatorStaff

Room Event Space

Exhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition Exhibition Laboratory Ramp

LaboratoryBathrooms

Staff Room

ShopExhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition Exhibition

ShopShopShop weStairwellwell

Event Space

BathroomsLaboratory

Laboratoryy

LaboratoryyStairwell

ServiceElevatorrS

Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking Underground Parking

Figure �.��: Percentage of programs within Phaeno

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The Phaeno Science Center is not only a museum holding exhibits; it also has biology labs, chemistry labs, physics labs, and engineering labs where scientists work. These laboratories become exhibits them-selves where exhibitioners can view these laboratories through windows to see the scientists at work (See figure 3.28 and figure 3.29). This also follows Zaha Hadid’s concept of visual continuity where the exhibi-tion spaces and the laboratories are connected, but unaccessable to the general public.

This is program element as part of the museum exhibit further inspires museum guests of science. This also follows Zaha Hadid’s concept of continuity where the exhibition spaces and the laboratories are connected, only visually because exhibitioners aren’t allowed to enter the labs due to safety reasons.

This science center also hold a lot of public program besides the museum part of it. It has a café, bistro, and a restaurant. The bistro and café are on the ground floor on the artificial landscape where they allow easy access to the public people where they can get a quick snack or meal see figure 3.30. A kitchen separates the bistro and the restaurant where it is designed to be used for both food services.

Also there is the large auditorium on the ground floor where it can be used independent of the museum. It is located near the major ramp that connects the ground floor to the

Figure �.��: Laboratory within Phaeno

Figure �.��: Laboratory within one of Phaeno’s cones

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upper floor and to the land across the canal toward the Autostadt. This large ramp way is designed for major circulation among the auditorium, the museum, the ground level where people can have access to the parking area or to public transportation, and the bridge that crosses the canal (see figure 3.31 and figure 3.32).

There is a large underground parking garage under the artificial landscape where staircases that cut into the landscape allow access to the garage.

Figure 4.14: Artificial landscape below Phaeno where Bistro entrance and a Cafe are located.

Figure �.��: Ramp leading from Phaeno to bridge to Autostadt

Figure �.�6: Ramp leading from Phaeno to Bridge, looking South.

60

Structure-Program Performance

At first glance, the building almost appears to be hovering above ground and stretching out in all direction with massive cantilevers. But in reality it is held up by the huge structural cones at its base, it is difficult to visualize because of the artificial landscape that merges and becomes the cones, and the cones merges and becomes the floor plate (Figure 4.17).

The general programmatic strategy laid out by Zaha Hadid appears simple but creative. Public programs and public spaces are located on the open, ground floor of the Phaeno Science Center to draw people into the museum.

Besides the public space and open ground floor, the structure of the building also plays a part of continuing into the main building. The massive cones that hold up the building are hollow inside. It is where the entrance into the building occur, and secondary programs oc-cupy, creating a unique experience of entering the main entrance of the museum through a space-within-space. The cones also serve to seperate public and private interior space. The general public exhibition space is the entire open concourse floor, while limited access areas

such as event space, auditorium, labs, and offices are hidden within the structural cones.

Figure 4.17: Exterior view of Artificial landscape and its movement into Phaeno

Figure �.��: Cone programmed gift shop

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Figure �.��: Exhibition space

Figure �.�0: Cone programmed Coffee bar

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Exhibition-Program Performance

With large open floor plates and large spans of the building, the main concourse level consist of open space that is flexible for any type or size of exhibition (Figures 4.21 and 4.22). The curator and exhibition designer has the freedom and ease to fit different kinds of exhibitions into the space in a variety of ways, and it is also easy to rearrange them (Figures 4.24-4.29)

There is a large steel space frame above the concourse level, held up by the cones and by the support in the exterior walls, which are usually on the cantilevered concrete slab that is in turn, still supported by the cones. The steel frame allows great

span and height which add to the flexibility of concourse level, as well visual interest for visitors.

The large cone structures allow the large open spaces for the programs to take place in. These cones hold semi public spaces and also the entrance to the museum where they act as the only vertical circulation of the building.

Figure �.��: Concourse level exhibition space

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�.��: Concourse level exhibition space Figure �.��: Exhibit over Main Entrance

Figure �.��: Exhibit hung from roof truss

Figure �.��: Full height Exhibit

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Although Zaha developed a clear general strategy for dividing public programs from limited access pro-grams, and from vertical circulation, she left the design and layout of the actual exhibition open to others. Re-sulting in the lack of co-corporation between the exhibits with the space they occupy. There is no correla-tion between the two; exhibits are scattered throughout the open con-course floor, with no clear system of circulation or order. Even the other program spaces, such as the labo-ratories, restaurant, and gift shop, which are in the cones lack strategy and order. They seems to be placed randomly into cones, based only on the need of the amount of space. These secondary spaces have no relationship with the ground plane or the concourse exhibition spaces. It seems that all the space between the cones is used as exhibition space, but the organization of these spaces are not thought of. There-fore the exhibition space, which one could argue as the most important space of the Science Center, actu-ally emanates secondary impor-tance, as it feels like space left over by the cones.

Figure �.�6: Interactive Exhibit

Figure �.��: Exhibit

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The exhibition space is a total of 7000 square feet out of 9000 square feet of the total public interior space of the building. It takes up sixty-five percent of the building even though it feels like it takes up more space. The reason for this is that the other public spaces, like the café, audi-torium, etc, are usually not on the same level as the exhibition space, they are either above or below the concourse floor. Even the programs that are on the concourse level, like the laboratories, they take up relatively little space on that level compared to the exhibition space.

Overall, there is little physical and visual connection of the exhibition space and the other spaces from within the building. Most programs are encased inside the cones. To get from the exhibition space to the auditorium or the café, one would have to go to the main entrance cone, go outside and below the building to get to those programs. Figure �.��: Exhibit

Figure �.��: Exhibit

66

The total size of the site including artificial landscape is about 12600 square meters large. About half of that area is the actual foot print of the building.

The public main entrance to the museum is in the center of the site; one has to walk at least 60 meters to get to this entrance, traveling through the artificial landscape, into the covered ground floor space, where lights are spaced in the irregular waffle slab above. One may find walking under this massive monument over whelming, the sight of concrete above and below, and the building floating above, is not

Organization Strategy Performance

attractive for pedestrians, as people prefered to walk on the parameter of the site. Another issue that exist in the open ground floor is its size. This semi-underground space is immensely large. For someone to walk from one cone to the other, such as going from the auditorium to the café or gift shop, would require walking some distance in a fairly barren and abandoned place, even though all of these are suppose to be one build-ing (Figure 4.31).

In conclusion, the programmatic strategy is interesting and creative

Figure �.�0: Within Phaeno Parking Garage

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conceptually, but the building doesn’t work that well in perfor-mance. The general strategy does not apply to the detail layout of the programs. The design and space is not to scale with a human being or the science exhibits. Especially the open ground floor is large and overwhelming. Although there is continuity throughout the building, there is no directionality of move-ment; the main concourse space

becomes secondary. It is simply a large field with focal points, whether it be the cones or the exhibits.

Figure �.��: Ground Level looking at underside of Autitorium

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Part 5. Innovations and Influences

The Phaeno Science Center is innovative in design and structure, where both are dynamic and non-traditional.

The major design principle of the building is movement and conti-nuity. It is present in the visual, physical, and surface systems. The idea of Urban Carpet made famous by the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati is played here again as a part of the surface continu-ity principle. The entire building is lifted one story above the ground, leaving the first floor open with only the 10 structural cones obstructing, creating a dynamic public place that allows various physical passages and visual frames. The ground is artificially landscaped with the same color as the building. The landscape flows out of the ground smoothly and morphs into the cones which disintegrate into the floor plate and curves up to create the walls of the building. Even the interior of Phaeno follows this logic, continuous floor curves up into walls, cones, and mezzanine levels. This treatment to create surface continuity is quite experimental and innovative, and is even more

reinforced by the tilting lines and the irregular waffle slab. The main floor plate, whose underside is the ceiling of the open ground floor is made from a diamond shaped, quadrilateral waffle, instead of the common rectangular kind. While many of the waffles are filled in, some are left open with lighting fixtures. The lines of the waffles can be traced to the edge of the building and then curves up into the tilting lines of the walls, which define the diamond, quadrilateral glazing. When the building is lit at night times, lights are coming out of both the glazing and the waffle openings, creating even more conti-nuity in the building.

Of course this theme of continu-ity and movement can not be achieved without major structural innovations. The most important and notable innovation is the use of 10 massive concrete cones as the structures, eliminating the need for beams and columns, and freeing the façade. However the cones are not only structural, they are also programmatic, creating functional spaces within a space. 5 of the 10 cones connect only to the main concourse floor, and the other 5 continue all the way up to the ceiling. All vertical circulation systems are within the cones, as well as various programs such as labs, offices, café, and auditorium. Thus the main space left outside of the cones are all for exhibition, creating a large-span open floor without interruption of columns. The unique shape of the cones, waffle

floor slab, and the heavy load they must take demanded the use of Self-Compacting Concrete, instead of regular concrete. SCC mixture is more fluid than normal concrete and can flow though formwork and rebar more evenly, resulting in stronger concrete and even the elimination of vibrating process. Phaeno Science Center is the larg-est building in Europe using such technique. To compliment the great spans with only 5 supporting cones, a heavy steel truss system is used for the roof. The truss is a two way Vierendeel truss primarily square in shape. It changes in elevation in certain areas; where it drops down to meet the structural cones.

Hadid has perhaps been one of her own greatest influences, her buildings evolving from her paint-ings transitioning from the “paper architect” into a “built architect”. Of course, her paintings themselves have deep roots in the Russian Constructivists, avant-garde and Cubism. The similiarities between her paintings and those of the Russian Avant-garde movement, such as Kazimir Malevich are easy to see.

Her paintings and her buildings are built from the city, where the city is

Figure �.�: Morning in the VIllage After Snowstorm, by Kazimir Malevich

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shattered into planes of different materialities that overlap, intersect, float among one another and the building becomes an abstraction of this, becoming a part of the city yet disjointed. It becomes apparent within her paintings that it is not her building itself that is the painting, for the building makes up only the smallest part, but the context, the city and surroundings themselves that become the painting.

Hadid’s Teacher and colleague Koolhaas also helped shape and influence her architectural style. Both are part of the Deconstructiv-ist movement, and working with in-teraction and “Cross-programming” of space, of movement instead of “form following function”. Building

becomes an instigator of movement and program rather than a static form.

Another architect of influence on Hadid is Le Corbusier, who was a pioneer in the Modernist movement of architecture. He promoted less structure with open floor plans and “Free facades”. Interestingly, he was a supporter of minimal decoration and Clean, exact angles, basing much of his architecture off of the Golden Section. It is ironic that Hadid then creates shapes and buildings which have no discernable connection to this principle which controlled so much of his architecture. Still, his use of concrete and freeing up the

interior through minimal structural elements resounds within Hadid’s work. An interesting parallel can be drawn between Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye and Phaeno Science Center. Both buildings raise the main floor above ground, support-ing it on Concrete structure (narrow columns in Savoye, vs. the cones in Phaeno). Both structural systems also allow an open floor plan on the interior, without the need for intermittent supporting walls. Hadid of course takes this one step further and the cones themselves actually hold program. Finally, this also allows the walls to be free of the structure and have greater glaz-ing or other materiality than might otherwise be possible.

Figure �.�: Morning in the VIllage After Snowstorm, by Kazimir Malevich

Figure �.�: Blue Slabs, The Peak Club, by Zaha Hadid

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Bibliography

List of Images

Figure 1.0 Figure 1.1 Mayer BährleFigure 1.2 HadidFigure 1.3 HadidFigure 1.4Figure 1.5 HadidFigure 1.6 El CorquisFigure 1.7 El CorquisFigure 1.8 El CorquisFigure 1.9 El CorquisFigure 1.10 El CorquisFigure 1.11 El CorquisFigure 1.12 El CorquisFigure 1.13 El CorquisFigure 1.14 El CorquisFigure 1.15 El CorquisFigure 1.16 El CorquisFigure 1.17 El CorquisFigure 1.18 El CorquisFigure 1.19 El CorquisFigure 1.20 El CorquisFigure 1.21 El CorquisFigure 1.22 El CorquisFigure 1.23 El CorquisFigure 1.24 El CorquisFigure 1.25 El CorquisFigure 1.26 El CorquisFigure 1.27 El CorquisFigure 1.28 El Corquis

Figure 2.1 Hartemink 1996Figure 2.2 Filiss 1999Figure 2.3 SchneiderFigure 2.4 SchneiderFigure 2.5 Code Network Media Group Figure 2.6 “Sight Seeing and Experience” Figure 2.7 Reichardt

Figure 2.8 Lau 2005Figure 2.9 Lau 2005Figure 2.10 Lau 2005Figure 2.11 Lau 2005Figure 2.12 Lau 2005Figure 2.13 Lau 2005Figure 2.14 Lau 2005Figure 2.15 Lau 2005Figure 2.16 PhaenoFigure 2.17 Hasse Figure 2.18 “Das Technorama” Figure 2.19 PhaenoFigure 2.20 AnselFigure 2.21 AnselFigure 2.22 AnselFigure 2.23 Figure 2.24 Mayer BährleFigure 2.25 HadidFigure 2.26 HadidFigure 2.27 GA Document 2005Figure 2.28 Mayer BährleFigure 2.29 Mayer BährleFigure 2.30 Mayer BährleFigure 2.31 Mayer BährleFigure 2.32 Mayer BährleFigure 2.33 Mayer BährleFigure 2.34 Mayer BährleFigure 2.35 Mayer BährleFigure 2.36 AnselFigure 2.37 AnselFigure 2.38 Ansel

Figure 3.1Figure 3.2Figure 3.3 Mayer BährleFigure 3.4Figure 3.5 Mayer BährleFigure 3.6 Mayer BährleFigure 3.7Figure 3.8Figure 3.9 Mayer BährleFigure 3.10Figure 3.11Figure 3.12 Mayer Bährle

Figure 3.13 Mayer BährleFigure 3.14 Mayer BährleFigure 3.15 Figure 3.16 Mayer BährleFigure 3.17 Mayer BährleFigure 3.18 Mayer BährleFigure 3.19 Mayer BährleFigure 3.20 Mayer BährleFigure 3.21 Mayer BährleFigure 3.22 Mayer BährleFigure 3.23 Mayer BährleFigure 3.24 Mayer BährleFigure 3.25 Okamura & OuchiFigure 3.26 Okamura & OuchiFigure 3.27 Mayer BährleFigure 3.28 Mayer BährleFigure 3.29 Mayer BährleFigure 3.30 DokaFigure 3.31 DokaFigure 3.32 DokaFigure 3.33 Doka

Figure 4.1 Mayer BährleFigure 4.2 Mayer BährleFigure 4.3 Mayer BährleFigure 4.4 Mayer BährleFigure 4.5 Mayer BährleFigure 4.6 AnselFigure 4.7Figure 4.8Figure 4.9Figure 4.10Figure 4.11Figure 4.12 AnselFigure 4.13 AnselFigure 4.14 Mayer BährleFigure 4.15 Mayer BährleFigure 4.16 Mayer BährleFigure 4.17 Mayer BährleFigure 4.18 Mayer BährleFigure 4.19 Mayer BährleFigure 4.20 Mayer BährleFigure 4.21 Mayer BährleFigure 4.22 Mayer Bährle

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Figure 4.23 AnselFigure 4.24 AnselFigure 4.25 AnselFigure 4.26 AnselFigure 4.27 AnselFigure 4.28 AnselFigure 4.29 AnselFigure 4.30 Mayer BährleFigure 4.31 Mayer Bährle

Figure 5.1 “The Artchive”Figure 5.2 The Gilbert Collection