Specifications
Design: Client: Year: Performed:
Library Bouwkunde TU Delft 2012 No
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Library - Bouwkunde TU
The design for the library at the TU Delft faculty Bouwkunde was made in a multi disciplinary design process, containing two students in the role of interior architects, one constructor, on facade designer and a supervising architect. The design consisted out of several study areas, a lecture hall, a library and a central gathering, which all needed to function separately in the design. The concept for the library, made by the supervising architect Roel Koster, was based on a free-form, closing of an area of the faculty grounds. This created a courtyard which would have great influences on development of the building and the facade, which I was in charge of.
Contrast and Tension
This design, based on a courtyard, contributed to a strong idea of tranquillity for a good learning environment. When looking at the surrounding area this feeling was not supported, since the building coverts a part of the parking lot of the faculty. This lead to a contrast of a perfectly protected world versus an imperfect world outside. Reacting on this principle of contrast, the exterior of the building was designed in a manner where the facade shielded the library visitors from the outside world. This was designed with gabions filled with a dark boulders. The dimension of these gabions were rather thick, 1m x 1.5m x 0,4m, but gave a feeling of protection and security to the visitors. The facade to the interior of the building was designed as a curtain wall, so the courtyard could act as the extend of the interior of the building. By making this facade very open the corridor surrounding the courtyard was able to mimic the experience of a cloister, contributing to the tranquil atmosphere of the building. Where the courtyard represented the "perfect world", the outside world was shielded. This reminded me of the story of Boeddha or Siddharta. He also grew up in a shielded garden, where in the walls surrounding it was a small door. Everytime this door was closed, hiding the imperfect world behind. One day this door opened and for the first time he experienced sickness and poverty, starting his path of enlightenment. To trigger students in the library, I tried to mimic this experience. Therefore the thick wall shielding the outside world was punctured by removing several gabions. These were removed above the eyelevel, resulting in a constant tension between the perfect world inside and the imperfect world outside.
Specifications
Design: Client: Year: Performed:
Library Bouwkunde TU Delft 2012 No
Links
No Links
Contrast and Tension
This design, based on a courtyard, contributed to a strong idea of tranquillity for a good learning environment. When looking at the surrounding area this feeling was not supported, since the building coverts a part of the parking lot of the faculty. This lead to a contrast of a perfectly protected world versus an imperfect world outside. Reacting on this principle of contrast, the exterior of the building was designed in a manner where the facade shielded the library visitors from the outside world. This was designed with gabions filled with a dark boulders. The dimension of these gabions were rather thick, 1m x 1.5m x 0,4m, but gave a feeling of protection and security to the visitors. The facade to the interior of the building was designed as a curtain wall, so the courtyard could act as the extend of the interior of the building. By making this facade very open the corridor surrounding the courtyard was able to mimic the experience of a cloister, contributing to the tranquil atmosphere of the building.
Where the courtyard represented the "perfect world", the outside world was shielded. This reminded me of the story of Boeddha or Siddharta. He also grew up in a shielded garden, where in the walls surrounding it was a small door. Everytime this door was closed, hiding the imperfect world behind. One day this door opened and for the first time he experienced sickness and poverty, starting his path of enlightenment. To trigger students in the library, I tried to mimic this experience. Therefore the thick wall shielding the outside world was punctured by removing several gabions. These were removed above the eyelevel, resulting in a constant tension between the perfect world inside and the imperfect world outside.
