Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Between Silence & Light
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
PA Essay
Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong
Construction of the Bank Of China Tower in Hong Kong was begun on April 18, 1985. It was not until May 17, 1990 that the official opening ceremony was held. The building’s shape was achieved by “grouping four triangular glass and aluminum towers of varying heights to form the shape of a granite podium” (Bank of China Tower). The shape of the tower was actually modeled after the structure of bamboo, making it symbolic of strength, vitality, and growth (Bank of China).
At 369 meters tall (1,210.63 feet), the BOC tower was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia until 1992. It rises a total of 70 stories and was the first building outside of the United States to break 1,000 feet. It is now the fifth tallest building in the world by height. The tower goes from a square base and changes with use of large triangular pieces (Bank Of China). The architect, I.M. Pei is responsible for creating other buildings such as the East building of Washington’s National Gallery of Art, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the John F. Kennedy Library, and the expansion and modernization of the Louvre Museum. “It is said that I.M Pei designed the Bank of China Tower to ‘represent the aspirations of the Chinese people yet also symbolize good will toward the British Colony’” (Bank Of China Tower). The tower used triangular bracing and step-backs to adapt the building to the high winds caused by Hong Kong typhoons.
This building has an atrium that stretches 14 stories. Visitors can take an elevator up to the 42nd floor to see the view off of the skydeck. This deck can actually be entered without admission, making it a great spot for tourists. The building adds parking in its four basement floors. This is due to the lack of space for parking in the city of Hong Kong. This building could be compared to a gem, because of the way it shines when the sun hits the four prism-shaped shafts of the tower (Introduction).
One thing that I.M. Pei had to grapple with in designing the building was the idea of feng shui. Feng shui means ‘wind and water.’ In Hong Kong, one cannot get away from the idea, because it is a form used in most, if not all, of the city’s buildings. He had to look at the placement of the building on the site and it’s shape. When the idea for this building was first presented, it was looked down upon because many felt that the sharp corners of the structure would bring bad luck to its neighbors. The next challenge was the size of the site. It was extremely small, but did not have any height restrictions because it was out of the airport’s flight path. The final challenge Pei had to consider was making the tower structurally sound. He, however, managed to overcome these challenges in the design and create on of the most popular and amazing buildings of its time (I.M. Pei).
"Bank of China ." Cityscape. Cityscape. 7 Apr 2009. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=120582
"Bank of China Tower." A View on Cities. 2009. 7 Apr 2009. http://www.aviewoncities.com/hongkong/bankofchinatower.htm
"I. M. Pei / Bank of China, Hong Kong." Designboom. 2000-2008. Designboom. 7 Apr 2009. http://www.designboom.com/portrait/pei_bank.html
"Introduction." Bank of China. 2009. Bank of China. 7 Apr 2009. http://www.bochk.com/web/common/multi_section.xml?section=about&level_2=boc_tower&fldr_id=326
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
[Re]actions
Monday, March 23, 2009
Grammar:Syntax
[re]visions: Revision is going back and looking at the work one has done and changing it and manipulating it to make it better. With architecture, this could mean making something of a different scale or style or simply changing a design for structural purposes.
audience: In design, the building or space needs to fulfill the characteristic of delight. This means that it needs to appeal to its audience. For example, if you were to design a space meant for children, it would need to appeal to them. This could involve things to climb and play on and bright, fun colors. Another example would be Versailles. It was designed to please the King of France and to show that he had the most money and the most fabulous house. It was to be large and elegant to show his power and his royal status.
Transition: Throughout time, architecture has been through many transitions. From the early civilizations to modern day, architecture has been revised and changed. Transition is also very important when creating a presentation because you need to be able to move form one thing to another. The project need to be understandable to those who look at it so that the information can be put across in a neat and readable fashion.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
P Week
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Unit Summary: Foundations unit
The foundations unit did just as it says. It set the foundation of architecture. In this unit we discussed different ways that people found to build things, such as the post and lintel type of construction from Stonehenge. This idea was carried all the way up through to the Greeks and the Romans. Stonehenge provided us with the mystery of how this ancient civilization was able to lift these huge rocks up so that they sit on top of two others. Another civilization that provided us with a mystery was that of the Ancient Egyptians. They brought about the idea of building massive columns. The question was once again how had they been able to achieve this? When looking at the surroundings of ancient Egypt, we saw that there was mostly sand. This meant that they would build up the sand around a column as it was being built and then dig it out once they had reached the top of the column. Something else we saw happening was the similarity of ideas and structures who’s people had no contact. An example of this is the similarity in shape of the Great Wall of China and the snake-shaped burial mound of the Hopewell Native Americans. Both have a curved structure, however they have different uses. One is used for protection, while the other is used for burial. Two other civilizations that share similarities in structures are the Aztecs of Teotihuacán and the people of Mesopotamia. The both built stacked pyramids. Another concept that was discussed in the foundations unit was the sharing and the passing down of idea. The Romans developed the idea of columns. This was borrowed by the ancient Greeks and became a major part of Greek architecture. The Greeks developed the idea further. They developed the concept of the orders. There were four orders: Doric, ionic, Corinthian, and composite. Theses orders were used to define hierarchy, especially on the Acropolis. The Parthenon has ionic columns, while the buildings around it have Doric. This helps show that the Parthenon is the most important building on the Acropolis. With the rise of the Roman empire, the idea of columns was once again borrowed. This time, the columns were used not for structure, but for decoration. The Colosseum has columns of on three of its levels. On the first is the Doric order, ionic is on the second, and Corinthian is on the top. These columns are used to show decoration and hierarchy within the Colosseum. The Romans developed a new concept of structure; one that was stronger and would be able to stand for a longer period. They developed the arch. The arch is actually the structural element in the Colosseum, instead of the columns. The Romans also developed the idea of using a dome roof. This is seen on the Pantheon in Rome. It has a circular base with a dome sitting on top. In the center of this large dome is a hole, which is called the oculus. The foundations unit was where new ideas were brought into being. This unit set the framework for what is to come with the cathedrals and other architectural pieces.
Macro to Micro
http://www.beliefnet.com/imgs/tout/story/keating_awareness.gif
Diagrams are used to better explain a site or a plan to someone. There are different diagrams to show different things. A few are context, matrix, and bull’s-eye. “For example, a highly useful type of plan is a diagram that, in presentation, acts as an informative link between site analysis findings and the more formal communication of the design solution” (Porter, Goodman 28). Diagrams can show how people move within a space, what is around that space, and what the functions are for different parts of a building or space. These things can be shown using color or different types of shading, from shading to crosshatching.
“Another plan drawing which is seldom made is a composite drawing of the context into which a building is to be placed” (Lockard 28). A contextual diagram refers back to the composition of a building or space, by showing what is around it. This could be anything from other buildings to streets to trees and other vegetation. Nicole Robert and I were actually given the task of drawing the contextual diagram for the Mossman building. We drew the building with the sidewalks, streets, and parking lots around it. We also put a few of the buildings that were close to it.
Detail drawings are usually closer up than perspective drawings. A detail drawing does exactly what it says. It shows the detail of a certain item. One example of this is our assignment for drawing. We had to each pick a detail that was specific to our building. I chose to do a detail of the brick floor. I chose this because bricks are something the Mossman building has a lot of. The walls, outside walkways, and floors are all made of brick. No other building on campus uses brick for as much s the Mossman building.
http://www.mattmurray.eu/images/_MCM0034.jpg
Impression can be like the feeling one gets from a work of art, and building, or a space. The Gothic Cathedrals are a good example because of the impression they have upon a person. When you first walk in, the size of the structure itself and its complexity can cast a feeling of awe on those who see it.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Voices
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I chose the Sydney Opera House because of its interesting and different form. It is a very intricate looking building for the time period in which it was built. “The Sydney Opera House is a great architectural work of the 20th century that brings together multiple strands of creativity and innovation in both architectural form and structural design” (Sydney Opera House). This was a design that nobody, during this period, would have dared to try, because of the structural issue involved. I thought that it would be interesting to look at this building and see how it was able to be achieved. I saw many different buildings and was drawn in by this one, because of the design and it is interesting to see how the space within works with exterior.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Divide & Conquer
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Parts:Whole
Order refers to the different types of columns developed over the years. The orders from least ornate to the most are doric, ionic, corinthian, and composite. When we looked at the Acropolis, the Parthenon has doric and ionic columns while the neighboring Erechtheion has ionic columns. "Although the temple was built with the Doric order, massive and austere, and benefitting the goddess of war, the roof of the Parthenon chamber was supported by more delicate Ionic columns" (Roth 236). The orders were used to show hierarchy. Then, when we look to Rome, we see that the Colosseum has utilized the doric, ionic, and corinthian orders in the decorative architecture of the building. Doric is found at the bottom and corinthian at the top.