Finish! Boards

Peter Zumthor and His Materials

    Peter Zumthor is good at selecting and using materials which is difficult for me. Before, when I did not know how to choose material I would use concrete. It is conservative, but helpful.

    Recent, I read a book about concrete and talked with Joe about David Chipperfield's work. Joe taught me that David chose concrete, because it helps building to hide some complicated structures, making building keeps clean and simple.

Gormley Studio

  Then, I had a talk with Ellen, she told me some materials make people want to touch. For instant, Zumthor's Art Museum.

grey bricks

polished plaster

    Zumthor's hotel.

    Now, I need to know what kind of feeling the columbarium needs. It is a building about death, which may make it look like low-key.

Peter Zumthor and His Little Gaps

    You know, in order to chase the contrast of darkness and brightness which symbolizes changes of people's mood and helps people to stay flexible and positive, I have a long and dark central corridor.

    I designed this kind of corridor, because I want to make my building pure. However, when I thought about what would happen in this corridor, I changed my mind. If there is light inside, it will be better and convenient for people. Besides, it will bring more changes of light.

    Joe recommended Peter Zumthor to me. His Kulomba Art Museum. These small gaps enrich the light inside. And as a minimalist, Zumthor uses gaps, but he controls them very well, making the whole building keep integrated.

    I also use gaps in my corridor, but they have different permutation which has the function of guidance.

Main Building

    Main building= meditative corridor+ big chapel+ small chapel
    At first, I decided the meditative corridor and used it to command overall sections. Chapels are in both side of this central corridor.

    But there was a same problem about this design. It was that they do not have the same architectural language. So, I used two short corridor to connect chapels to central meditative corridor. They are the same elements. Besides, in the end of each corridor, there is a window or open door.  And light come through these windows and door, guiding visitors to arrive at destinations.

Water Temple and Small Meditative Space (Columbarium)

    I try to find the principle to design meditative space. So, I researched many cases about meditation, such as, Yoga space, SPA, Tea house, etc. But, the result is abstract. Kengo Kuma said, in traditional Japanese meditative space, people chase the blankness, because empty room makes people to think more. It is philosophical.

    Joe told me there is no principle to design meditative space and even a toilet stall can be a meditative space, because when people close the door, they have their own world. It is a pretty interesting idea.

    Then, I found a case study called "Water Temple" which is a small space. With a turn, this space is dramatic. Designer hide the beauty behind the corner, giving visitors surprise. This way is similar to James Turrell's.

  Next, I organized my small meditative space(actually, they are also columbaria) again, using Turrell's way to hide the beauty and create the contrast of darkness and brightness.

    However, the big meditative space did not use same architectural language. So, I re-organized them again. I used 5 small room to do meditative space.

   

Wild David Chipperfield

  Recently, I take a fancy to David Chipperfield. His works are primitive, wild, violent, but direct, daring and powerful.

Rockbund Art Museum

Cultural Pole Venice

Museo Jumex

Museum of Modern Literature

Neues Museum

Use the Terrain (Hillside and Long Bank)

  I chose a sloping hillside and a long bank of Wollaton Park and I try to take advantages of them.
  About the sloping hillside, I found some examples of the landscape garden.

EXXON Headquarter Garden

Shell Headquarter Garden

  About the long bank, actually, firstly, I ignored it. I just want to design a columbarium floats on the water.

  

  Try different plans of the columbarium.

  The most interesting thing is I smashed the big columbarium, making it become many small units.

Meditation Space

  Through a case study, Cemetery Complex, in Italy, I found 3 points about the meditation space.

  1. James Turrell: frame the light 

  2. Symbolic artworks

  3. Extend the space, give people a sense of extension via the perspective.

  I try to do my meditation space. It is a long and closed space. In the first part of this space, it is dark then people will encounter a bright and broad space. Use dark and bright to form a comparison.

Todao Ando: Forest of Tomb Museum

 Forest of Tomb Museum of Ando. This is a interesting building with a crossed structure.

   Ando really loves the assembly of circle and inserted line, such as the Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum and Water Temple.