ARCH1202 Project 2 - Precedent Studies

Left - Saint Benedict Chapel, Middle - Sydney Opera House, Right - Riola Parish Church

Apart form being assembly places to house gatherings and performances, these 3 curved buildings have become landmarks and are recognized from all over the world.

Saint Benedict Chapel, is located in the small Swiss town of Sumvitg.  When the former chapel was destroyed by an avalanche in 1984, Peter Zumthor designed this church and was completed in 1988.  While the use of timber cladding blends the chapel with its surrounding buildings, it's teardrop shape, the tall bell tower and its setting on a vantage point in the alpine valley allow it to stand out from the village.  Due to different levels of weathering, the colour of timber cladding on each direction varies from silver to warm orange, creating a gradient of natural colours on the chapel's surface. 

The structure of the chapel is similar to that of a leaf, with its vein running along and acting as support.  The vein structure continues from the roof to the walls, forming the "base" of the whole building.  The double-heighted timber columns leads one's eye upwards to the openings, giving a sense of space in an enclosed space which is actually quite small.  This effect is further enhanced with the use of metal in the interior walls, reflecting the light from the openings and illuminating the hall. 

Designed by Jorn Utzon, Sydney Opera House is no doubt one of the most recognized buildings in the world.  When one travels up to the podium, the view of the harbour is being blocked by the stairs, leaving only the "sails" and the blue skies in sight.  With just glass underneath, there is a sense of lightness and the sails seem to be floating in midair.

Apart from the appearance of the exterior, Jorn Utzon put a lot of effort in designing the performance spaces.  Wave and  tree branches were the inspiration of the minor and major hall.  The wave forms would flow elegantly along with the music from the performing stage to the audiences in the minor hall, while the complex branch-like forms would spread out from the convertible stage which could be placed in 6 different settings for different audiences engagement in the major hall.  However, none of the above were being transformed into reality due to the dispute between the Australian government and the architect.  It is such a pity that Jorn Utzon's original ideas were not reflected on the Opera House.

The Parish Church in the Italian small town of Riola designed by Alvar Aalto, with its baptistery was finished in 1978.  The curved roof diffuse light entering through the building, "transmitting" them along the wall.  The curves are placed closer to each other at the western end to intensify the lighting there.  Along with asymmetrical rib reducing in size towards that end, all these lead one's focus towards to the altar and the cross on the western end, emphasizing the presence of  the holy spirit in the church.

The church locates in the mountainous region of Italy next to a stream, nature plays an important part in the site.  The exterior profile of the church, along with the slanted top of the bell tower, forms an axis, addressing the forms of the mountains surrounding the town.  That shape of the landscape is continued in the interior with the help of the shape of the structural ribs.    

ARCH1202 Project 1 - Poster

With all the contents of the concertina books being hand-drawn, the posters were also being drawn by hand for coherence.

Parramatta seems to be straight-forward and well organised with its grid-like streets.  However, when walking along the streets of the place, one could notice that it is a place full of contrasts and combinations, with buildings of different heights and era clustered together.  This notion is enhanced further with different kinds of cuisines being available in restaurants along the same street, which is Church Street.

In the posters, this observation is being highlighted by including fragmented shapes and views of the city.  The historical maps show how Parramatta has evolved from its earliest settlements to the grid system nowadays as more and more people began to settle in Parramatta, especially after the completion of the railway.

ARCH1202 Project 1 - Stage

The stage design was inspired by the musical movie- West Side Story
The basketball court in West Side Story is one of the main sets in the musical, where the story is developed around that place.  Applying to Parramatta instead of New York City, with Parramatta river running through the heart of the city, it would be nice to have the river as the "centre" of the stage where activities would be evolved around.
Circular overlapping platforms are being raised to different levels and lined up beside lower platforms, mimicking different combination of activities (where there is no certain defined edge) happening along the banks of the river.

Influenced by the smooth flow of music, the platforms are organised in a manner as if they are bubbling/flowing out.

Platforms overlapping each other to highlight the cohesion of different cultures and spaces happening in Parramatta.

Musical notes have different highs and lows, and so do the height of the platforms.

ARCH1202 Project 1 - Concertina Book

The project site is located at the Riverside Theatre, Parramatta

Parramatta is located 23km west of Sydney CBD, and is one of the major hubs in western Sydney with a large diversity of different cultures concentrating there.

The concertina book is mainly about the journey through Parramatta from the train station to St. Patrick's Cathedral along Church Street.  The 3D map shows the location of major public transport facilities and landmarks across the suburb.

Located in the heart of the city, the Civic Place consists of a town hall and St. John's Cathedral  with open public spaces, facilitating gatherings and cultural activities.

Leaving Civic Place and heading into Church Street, buildings from different era stand in place.  The public artwork hanging over Church Street not only tells the story of traditional fishing gear used by indigenous groups, but also act as a "magnet", luring one to continue along the street.

Passing numerous of restaurants with outdoor dining areas, one reaches the Lennox Bridge, which was the first recorded crossing across Parramatta River.  The riverside promenade provides citizens a haven from the busy urban life, giving them a moment to relax and have a break.

After crossing the bridge and passing the Riverside Theatre, Prince Alfred Park is in sight.  The park leads one diagonally away from the urban fabric and immerses one with its greenery.

On the other side of the park stands the St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the journey will conclude.  The church is a combination of old and new structures.  The cross in the new wing of the church is purposely placed off-axis to allow the completion of rotational movement when one enters the church and eventually to the courtyard. 

Maps showing green areas and different land uses.
Green spaces next to heavy vehicle traffic act as barriers and are usually dead zones.
Commercial areas are mostly concentrated on the south bank of Parramatta River and along Church Street

Historical maps showing the development of Parramatta.
Early settlements were mostly on the south bank of the river.  As time goes by, settlements began to spread out to all sides (except west, where Parramatta park is located).

Figure ground diagram with landmarks highlighted in red.
Landmarks along Church Street are mostly heritage.

Some drawings are being pasted on to cardboard as if they are popping out of the page.

Overview of the Concertina Book.