Week Five & Six :: Project Two

Learning Centre Exemplar Analysis 

Rolex Learning Centre; Lausanne Switzerland [by Tokyo based Architects SANAA]

-       The aim was to provide (for the university campus) “a place to learn, to obtain information, and to live”.

-       The building has been designed to be open and free flowing.

-       “Round courtyards provide light and focus the continuous space”.

-       One of the main concepts behind the design involves relating the building back to the natural landscape (mountainous). The building has an undulating form; even sections of the floor are domed; representative of the rolling landscape beyond.

-       Building spans a large area but is low to the group – so not to block the views beyond – rather to echo them

-       One main entrance to the building provides a clear entrance axis.

-       Spaces within are defined by contours of the floor, circular light wells and patios.

-       Different views from within the building allow visitors to connect to the space and orientate themselves.

-       “The proposed program [of spaces] offers a new living space, opens up the possibility of new teaching approaches, everything being integrated into one single building as place of assembly and breeding ground for enriching encounters and synergies”.  

Source: http://www.archicentral.com/rolex-learning-center-lausanne-switzerland-sanaa-3752/comment-page-1/

Source: http://www.futurehousedesign.com/rolex-learning-center-by-kazuyo-sejima-and-ryue-nishizawa/rolex-learning-center-by-kazuyo-sejima-and-ryue-nishizawa_6

-       Open 7am – 12am

-       Intended as a place not just for university students but for members of the public to explore.

-       Architects thought of the building more as a “park”.

-       Organic movement through the building.

-        Creating set paths (straight lines) we can only create crossroads – curves and more organic space we create diversity with interaction – create “dynamic interaction”

Source: http://www.dailycharrette.com/epfl-rolex-learning-center-sanaa/

Reflection:

      This library, I feel can only work on a large scale because its overall form is based on large spanned domes and the availability of a large area of land. The form is fairly complex and inside it appears to be a bit of a maze with only the view of outside allowing one to orientate themselves inside. Many people have blogged about this library and some have the opinion that much of the interior space is wasted with steeply sloping and arched floors that cannot be used for study areas or storage areas for books and resources. I do see their point and can acknowledge that there would not be a place for a building with this form like this one in every city. However, the architects explained that this building was built to function more as a “park” for the entire community, rather than just a study space for the University’s students. I see that the architects responded to their site probably in a similar way to how we responded when designing our folies at the Howard Smith Wharves. By this I mean that they have interpreted the site as having one key element and from there, formed a concept and developed a very literal design based on this. In their case this concept was the rolling hills and it is clear that they have succeeded in responding to the site and making the most of the views to the bay. I plan to respond and go about the design process in a similar way to design my library.