New Form, New Material and Color Scheme, the Exposed Concrete Phenomenon—The Centennial Hall in Wrocław

The aim of the article is to present the remarkable changes in architecture that took place in the 20th century. They can easily be called a revolution regarding the architectural form and the color scheme. Progress was being made through the development of reinforced concrete production methods. In the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich), this material quickly found applications in more and more interesting solutions in architectural structures. In Wrocław (formerly Breslau), then located in the eastern German Empire, exceptional architectural works were realized before and after the First World War using new technology. In 1913, an unusual building was erected—the Centennial Hall, designed by Max Berg (inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006). Berg’s work was inspired by the works of both Hans Poelzig and Bruno Taut. On the one hand, it was a delight with the new material (the Upper Silesian Tower at the exhibition in Poznań, designed by H. Poelzig) and, on the other hand, with the colorful architecture of light and glass by B. Taut (a glass pavilion at the Werkbund exhibition in Cologne). Max Berg left the concrete in an almost “pure” form, not hiding the texture of the formwork under the plaster layer. However, stratigraphic studies of paint coatings and archival inquiries reveal a new face of this building. The research was carried out as part of the CMP (Conservation Management Plan—prepared by the authors of the article, among others) grant from The Getty Foundation Keeping It Modern program. According to the source materials, the architect intended to leave the exposed concrete outside of the building, while the interior was to be decorated with painting, stained glass, and sculpture. The stratigraphic tests showed that the external walls were covered with a translucent yellowish color coating. Thus, the Centennial Hall shows a different face of reinforced concrete architecture.

How could a work of architecture that is designed to evoke a Bilbao effect be designed sustainably and in accordance with Vitruvius’s principle?

<p>The economy of a region could potentially be enhanced if numerous travelers were attracted by the architecture, and it couldalso lead to improving the economy of the nation. This thesis considers three primary aspects which are Vitruvius’s principleand the relationship to “form follows function”, the sustainable design, and the Bilbao effect. Furthermore, Vitruvius’s principle has consisted of “the strength”, “the utility”, and “the beauty”, historically. In this thesis, the proposed building which is thecombination of museum, concert hall and accommodation is to fulfill those three primary aspects. However, many problemscould currently be identified in architecture. For instance, there has been fuzzy understanding of what architecture meansauthentically. In addition, while some complex architecture exists in the world, there are many different approaches to designit. As the methodology of this thesis-project, the concept which is to affect the proposed architecture will be determined. Inthis case, the meanings of the proposed site will be discovered. Subsequently, the experimentation of architectural forms willbe conducted with integrating the meanings into the forms. The forms created manually will be digitized by the software andthe plug-in, Rhinoceros and Grasshopper. Subsequent to the finalization of the architectural form, the environmental andbuilding-performance simulations will be executed by the other plug-ins, Honeybee and Ladybug. Besides the literature andprecedent review, the sustainable strategies will be specified, being based on the result of the simulations. Then, the architectural form will be customized with the necessary building components in order to become functional architecture as the developed design. As a result, the architecture which could potentially invoke a Bilbao effect with the sustainability and Vitruvius’s principle will be designed in this thesis. In the future, complex architecture which resembles Guggenheim MuseumBilbao will be able to be designed less difficultly, with integrating the sustainable aspect and the authentic architectural style.</p>

How could a work of architecture that is designed to evoke a Bilbao effect be designed sustainably and in accordance with Vitruvius’s principle?

<p>The economy of a region could potentially be enhanced if numerous travelers were attracted by the architecture, and it couldalso lead to improving the economy of the nation. This thesis considers three primary aspects which are Vitruvius’s principleand the relationship to “form follows function”, the sustainable design, and the Bilbao effect. Furthermore, Vitruvius’s principle has consisted of “the strength”, “the utility”, and “the beauty”, historically. In this thesis, the proposed building which is thecombination of museum, concert hall and accommodation is to fulfill those three primary aspects. However, many problemscould currently be identified in architecture. For instance, there has been fuzzy understanding of what architecture meansauthentically. In addition, while some complex architecture exists in the world, there are many different approaches to designit. As the methodology of this thesis-project, the concept which is to affect the proposed architecture will be determined. Inthis case, the meanings of the proposed site will be discovered. Subsequently, the experimentation of architectural forms willbe conducted with integrating the meanings into the forms. The forms created manually will be digitized by the software andthe plug-in, Rhinoceros and Grasshopper. Subsequent to the finalization of the architectural form, the environmental andbuilding-performance simulations will be executed by the other plug-ins, Honeybee and Ladybug. Besides the literature andprecedent review, the sustainable strategies will be specified, being based on the result of the simulations. Then, the architectural form will be customized with the necessary building components in order to become functional architecture as the developed design. As a result, the architecture which could potentially invoke a Bilbao effect with the sustainability and Vitruvius’s principle will be designed in this thesis. In the future, complex architecture which resembles Guggenheim MuseumBilbao will be able to be designed less difficultly, with integrating the sustainable aspect and the authentic architectural style.</p>

The Cultural Messages of Pyramid House in Palembang

Pyramid House in Palembang is one of the works of art that is still very interesting to be researched today. The problem raised in this study aims to analyze the cultural message of the Pyramid House in Palembang. The method used is a qualitative method with a case study research design. The data collection techniques include observation, interviews, and document study. The results showed that in the manufacture of the Pyramid house, the main construction of traditional buildings used wood construction and a stilt system. The foundation used the construction of piles, the walls used boards, the roof used a leaf or shingle roof. The core parts consisted of the roof of the house, the door, the window, the stairs, and the floor of the house. In general, the typical architectural form of the Pyramid House, namely, the roof was shaped like a severed pyramid. Besides, the uniqueness of the house located in its multi-storey shape (kijing) and the walls were made of wood shaped like planks. Then related to the house name Pyramid, it contained two special meanings, namely, Five and Gold. The word five means the number five, while gold means the precious metal of great value. This is also a symbol of the function of the Pyramid house.

Electronic Visualization of Underground Tourist Routes on the Example of the Route in Sandomierz

For many years in Poland, anthropogenic objects constructed underground have been very popular with tourists. In the past they fulfilled various functions (historic mines, underground merchant warehouses, military objects, special objects, caverns and grottoes). Many of them were secured and rebuilt in such a way that a new form was created. They make interesting tourist offers and still more objects can be made available to tourists. An example of strongly modified underground anthropogenic objects of very complex geometry and extremely interesting architectural form is the Underground Tourist Route (Polish: Podziemna Trasa Turystyczna – PTT) in Sandomierz. Owing to much effort and financial means, in 1960s many interesting cellars and merchant warehouses were saved from destruction – and – with the application of mining techniques, they were joint into attractive spatial forms. So far, few publications give the full characteristic and parametric data of this object. Today’s possibilities of available measurement and information technologies allow comprehensive inventory of complicated engineering constructions, as well as the 3D visualization, regarding even tiniest elements of small architecture (doors, lattice, lamps, etc.). The article presents the results of the visualization and parameterization based on the data from integrated surveying (levelling, transects, total stations, laser scanning and other direct measurements). ELEKTRONICZNA WIZUALIZACJA PODZIEMNYCH TRAS TURYSTYCZNYCH NA PRZYKŁADZIE TRASY W SANDOMIERZU W Polsce dużą popularnością turystyczną od lat cieszą się obiekty antropogeniczne wzniesione pod powierzchnią ziemi, pełniące różnorodne funkcje użytkowe w przeszłości (zabytkowe kopalnie, podziemne składy kupieckie, obiekty militarne, obiekty specjalne, jaskinie i groty). Wiele z nich zostało w stopniu istotnym zabezpieczone i przebudowane w taki sposób, by nadać im nową formę. Udostępnione, dziś stanowią ciekawe oferty turystyczne, a ich liczba stanowi dziś zbiór otwarty. Przykładem mocno przetworzonego podziemnego obiektu antropogenicznego o bardzo zróżnicowanej geometrii i niezwykle ciekawej formie architektonicznej jest Podziemna Trasa Turystyczna w Sandomierzu. Dzięki zaangażowaniu wielu środków udało się w latach 60. XX w. ocalić od zniszczenia wiele interesujących piwnic i składów kupieckich i połączyć je z zastosowaniem technik górniczych w atrakcyjne formy przestrzenne. Dotychczas powstało niewiele opracowań, które ukazałyby w pełni ich charakterystykę oraz sparametryzowały obiekt. Możliwości dostępnych dzisiaj technik pomiarowych oraz informatycznych pozwalają na kompleksową inwentaryzację skomplikowanych budowli inżynierskich, a także wizualizację przestrzenną z uwzględnieniem nawet najdrobniejszych elementów małej architektury (drzwi, kraty, lampy itp.). W artykule zaprezentowano wyniki wizualizacji i parametryzacji na podstawie danych zintegrowanych pomiarów geodezyjnych (niwelacji, poligonizacji, tachimetrii elektronicznej, skaningu laserowego i innych pomiarów bezpośrednich).

Comprehensive Evaluation of Functional Diversity of Urban Commercial Complexes Based on Dissipative Structure Theory and Synergy Theory: A Case of SM City Plaza in Xiamen, China

Urban commercial complex is an architectural form formed in the high-density urban building environment based on the diversified concentration of human consumption behavior and the composite utilization of space. It can effectively cope with the problem of tight land resources and insufficient development capacity in urban centers and promote sustainable urban development. Additionally, the diversity of functions is the key to ensure its healthy operation. Based on the homogenization phenomenon of commercial complex development in some big cities in China in recent years, this study applies dissipative structure theory and synergistic effect theory to the study of functional diversity system of urban commercial complexes, and proposes a Shannon–Weiner biodiversity index model and calculation indexes based on the functional diversity measurement model. At the same time, correlation analysis and comparative analysis were conducted between the measurement results of spatial vitality and the calculation results of the diversity model to verify the scientificity and rationality of the proposed model. Finally, the SM City Plaza commercial complex in Xiamen was selected as a representative research object to measure the functional diversity of its weekdays and holidays and the coupling relationship between functional diversity and changes in spatial vitality. The calculation results show that although the comprehensive index of functional diversity of SM commercial complex is in a dynamic state of change, the overall level is high. The reasonable proportion of the six functional formats shows a high level of diversity, which effectively promotes the generation of commercial vitality and enhances the comprehensive benefits of the commercial complex; the change trends of functional diversity in time and space dimensions are in line with the actual situation, indicating that the proposed model has certain scientific and application values. On the basis of the completed empirical work, the scope of application and limitations of the calculation model and evaluation method, as well as the optimization of the index system are further pointed out.

Příspěvek k salašnickému hospodaření na Moravském Valašsku. Ovčín na panské salaši jako zapomenutý objekt tradičního stavitelství na Moravě

Carpathian shepherding, i.e., seasonal mountain cattle farming is an inseparable part of life in the highland of eastern Moravia and Silesia, regardless of the debate as to its origins and extent. It is possible to observe not only the blending of what were essentially mountain practices with the domestic peasant tradition, but also the use of this method of farming across social groups. In one lithograph by the well-known Moravian painter and graphic artist František Kalivoda (1824–1859), in the sheep pasture above Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, there is an unusually large structure, which is presumed to be a sheepshed. This has not yet been reflected in the ethnography of these lands. The research, which was based primarily on archival, ethnological and archaeological research, complements the well-known but very fragmentary facts about mountain farming under manorial management and reconstructs the architectural form of the building and its functions.

In the name of housing

In his 1925 book Groszstadtbauten, Ludwig Hilberseimertalks about the relation of city form to that of the smallest single architectural unit; a room within a house. This commentary is validated by the fact that the residential fabric of any city comprises most of that city’s built form. For most people, this means the form of housing. This essay focuses on the history of architecture relating to housing in the city of Mumbai. The tie between Mumbai’s form and its inhabitation. Looking specifically at the architectural form of these projects, they become instructive both through the breadth of their variations, as well as the depth of their spatial and formal engagements. Building on the history of housing in Mumbai since the early-nineteenth century the essay presents a typology of housing inhabited by ordinary people and their immediate spatial ecologies which facilitate a specific manner of compressed living. These types are commentaries on technology, lifestyle, and culture are all situated within the particularities of their respective time. Nevertheless, these unique armatures still seem to gravitate around certain emergent commonalities that could provide an armature for the design of collective housing models in the future.

Cultural Institutions as Formative Elements in the Work of Behrens, Utzon and Kahn

This paper is concerned with the role of human institutions as generators of architectural form, with reference to the writings and works of Peter Behrens, Jørn Utzon, and Louis Kahn. These architects were willing to regard human institutions as living cultural entities, which ought to have a determinative influence on the design of the buildings that were to house them. This may be contrasted with the naïve functionalism promoted by some of their contemporaries. The paper begins with a brief view of the theoretical background alluded to above, and then turns to the theatre as a primary cultural activity, and the prominent place it held in Behrens's thinking during the opening years of the twentieth century. Affinities are explored between Behrens's concept of the theatre and Utzon's subsequent treatment of the theatre as a central civic institution in his design for the Sydney Opera House (1956). A parallel is seen in Louis Kahn's insistence that the starting-point for an architectural project should lie in a vision of the human institution which the project is to serve. A critical role for cultural institutions as objects of architectural attention indeed was present in urban schemes produced from the early twentieth century, as exemplified by the work of Tony Garnier.