Artcore: Centre for Contemporary Art in Genieloods, Vijfhuizen by Chris Collaris Design

Article source: Chris Collaris Design

IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE KUNSTFORT AS A CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, THE ORGANISATION ‘KUNSTFORT BIJ VIJFHUIZEN’ WANTS TO RE-USE A MONUMENTAL MILITARY DEPOT, THE GENIELOODS. THE NEW DESIGN OF A CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS IN THE GENIELOODS WILL BE THE FUTURE POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR VISITORS OF THE KUNSTFORT IN VIJFHUIZEN.

GENIELOODS ARTCORE FLATTEN 002 DEF SMALL

• Architects: Chris Collaris Design
• Project: Artcore: Centre for Contemporary Art
• Location: Genieloods, Vijfhuizen

MODEL

BASIC SCHEME / PROGRAM

THE SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE ASK FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL YET COMPLETE ‘EXHIBITION’ SPACE WHICH CAN ALSO BE USED AS ‘PROJECT’ SPACE. A COMPLETE ‘EXHIBITION’ SPACE IS MORE THEN A SPACE FOR EXHIBITION ONLY. TODAY, A SPACE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART NEEDS A RELATIVELY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF SUPPORTING FUNCTIONS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE EXHIBITED ART AND PURSUE AN ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE FOR THE VISITOR. THE MAIN PROGRAM OF THE NEW CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE COMPRISES EXHIBITION SPACE / PROJECT SPACE, ENTRANCE / RECEPTION, TECHNICS / CLIMATE SPACE AND A BAR / CAFÉ WITH A TERRACE.

CLIMATE SYSTEM SUMMER AND WINTER

MAXIMIZING HEIGHT OF SPACE

ALTHOUGH THE IDEA OF A CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE IN A MONUMENTAL MILITARY DEPOT IS VERY EXCITED, THE CURRENT STATE OF THE HISTORIC MILITARY STRUCTURE IS NOT VERY PRACTICAL TO ACCOMODATE CONTEMPORARY ART. THE CURRENT DIVISION OF THE DEPOT IN TWO FLOOR LEVELS IS A BIG OBSTRUCTION FOR MOST OF THE PROGRAM ELEMENTS: AT GROUND LEVEL THE USABLE HEIGHT IS LIMITED; AT FIRST FLOOR LEVEL THE TENSILE BARS ARE TO LOW AND MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK FREELY. BY REMOVING THE EXISTING FIRST FLOOR, THE ‘BODY’ OF THE SPACE INCREASES AND THE HEIGHT OF THE ROOM BECOMES IDEAL FOR EXHIBITION / PROJECT SPACE.

MODEL

IN ORDER TO ARCHIEVE AN EXHIBITION SPACE WITH THE IDEAL HEIGHT, THE EXISTING FIRST FLOOR NEEDS TO BE REMOVED ALMOST COMPLETELY.  BECAUSE THE EXISTING FIRST FLOOR STRUCTURE IS A KEY ELEMENT IN THE OVERALL STABILITY STRUCTURE, THE REMOVAL SHOULD BE ACCURATELY AND WELL THOUGHT. THE SECUNDARY FLOOR BEAMS AND HORIZONTAL WIND BRACINGS OF THE FIRST FLOOR HAVE TO BE REMOVED. ONLY ONE FIELD OF THE FIRST FLOOR HAS TO BE CONSERVED. ONE HORIZONTAL WIND BRACING AND TWO EXTRA STEEL TRUNKS ON BOTH INNER FACADES ARE NEEDED FOR THE HORIZONTAL STABILITY.  THE CHARACTERISTIC MAIN STRUCTURAL TRUSSES ARE PRESERVED.

MODEL

SPATIAL FREEDOM & FLUIDITY IN EXHIBITION SPACE

BECAUSE THE NEW CENTRE HAS TO ACCOMODATE EVERY THINKABLE TYPE OF ART, SOMETHIMES EVEN AT THE SAME TIME, THE EXHIBITION SPACE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FRAGMENTIZE. ON THE OTHER HAND ALL THE EXHIBITION SPACES SHOULD HAVE THE DNA TO CONGLOMERATE. THIS IN ORDER TO EVOKE A FLUIDITY IN EXHIBITION SPACE. WHEREAS THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXHIBITION SPACE IS HEIGHLY SPECIFIC, THE DESIGN COMPOSITION OF THE REMAINING PROGRAM FUNCTIONS ARE DERIVED FROM THIS FORM ENTITY.

MODEL

THERMAL INSULATION

DUE TO THE EXTREME THIN STEEL SKIN OF THE STRUCTURE, THE CLIMATE INSIDE THE FORMER MILITARY DEPOT IS DRAMATICLY INFERIOR TO THE FUNCTION OF AN EXHIBITION SPACE. IN ORDER TO MEET THE ACCOMODATED FUNCTIONS STANDARDS, THE NEED FOR A CONSIDERABLE THICKNESS OF INSULATION GROWS, AND THE USABLE FOOT PRINT OF THE INTERIOR DECREASES. AN ARMOURED WALL OF LOW TECH INSULATION WILL BE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A GOOD CLIMATE FOR THE EXHIBITION SPACE. THEREFORE, THE INSULATION SYSTEM OF THE EXHIBITION SPACE IS MADE WITH BLOCKS OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EPS). EPS CONSISTS OF 2% POLYSTYRENE AND 98% AIR WHICH MAKES IT HIGHLY SUITABLE FOR RECYCLING. THE EPS BLOCKS ARE A LOW-COST SOLUTION TOWARDS A BETTER CLIMATE CONTROL OF THE BUILDING. THE SYSTEM OF STACKING BLOCKS IS A FLEXIBLE AND REVERSIBLE INTERVENTION IN THE INTERIOR OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE. THE WINDOW FRAMES OF THE STEEL FACADE WILL STILL BE VISIBLE FROM THE INSIDE THROUGH DEEP CAVITIES INTO THE EPS SHELL.

MODEL

IN THE ENTRANCE / RECEPTION / CAFE AND BAR AREA, THE ORIGINAL INNER STEEL FACADES OF THE DEPOT ARE VISIBLE BEHIND AN ADDED GLASS FACADE.

THE INSULATION SYSTEM OF THE FACADES AT THE CAFE / ENTRANCE AREA ALSO DIFFERS FROM THE EXHIBITION AREA. A GLASS WALL IS PLACED ON A DISTANCE ON THE INSIDE OF THE STEEL FACADE. OPENINGS IN THE LOWER PART OF THE INNER GLASS WALL WILL EVOKE AIR MOVEMENT IN BETWEEN THE GLASS AND STEEL LAYER WITH A STACK EFFECT. THIS STACK EFFECT IS PART OF THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM OF THE NEW DESIGN.

PLAN

NATURAL DAYLIGHT

EXCELLENT CIRCUMSTANCES FOR EXHIBITION SPACE IN A MONUMENTAL MILITARY DEPOT MEANS MORE THEN THICK ARMOURED WALLS OF LOW TECH INSULATION (EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE).  PERFECT LIGHT, PREFARABLE NATURAL DAYLIGHT FROM ABOVE, IS ESSENTIAL FOR HIGH-QUALITY ART EXHIBITION SPACE. IN ORDER TO ARCHIEVE NATURAL DAYLIGHT FROM ABOVE THE FOLDED STEEL ROOFPLATES HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITH TRANSLUCENT FOLDED POLYCARBONATE PLATES. DUE TO THE MONUMENTAL STATUS OF THE DEPOT THE PLATES HAVE TO MEET THE EXACT SAME FORM CHARACTERISTICS AS THE FOLDED STEEL PLATES TO MAINTAIN THE DEPOTS EXTERIOR APPEARANCE. IN ORDER TO REALIZE UNIFORM LIGHT FROM ABOVE AN EXTRA GLASS AND SCREEN LAYER IS SITUATED AT THE INNER TOP OF THE EXHIBITION SPACE.

SCHEME PROGRAM

CLIMATE SYSTEM

A SYSTEM OF AIR COOLING AND HEATING IS USED TO CONTROL THE HEAT PRODUCTION UNDERNEATH THE ROOF STRUCTURE DURING THE COMPLETE YEAR. A HEAT EXCHANGE SYSTEM HEATS AND COOLS THE SPACES DURING THE COMPLETE YEAR. COLD, AVAILABLE IN QUANTITY IN WINTER APPEARING AS COLD OUTSIDE AIR OR COLD SURFACE WATER, IS STORED IN THE GROUND. THE STORED COLD WILL BE USED IN THE SUMMER TO COOL THE CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE. IN CASE OF TOO MUCH HEAT PRODUCTION IN THE ROOF STRUCTURE IN SUMMER, THE ROOF STRUCTURE CAN BE VENTILATED NATURAL. IN WINTER, A WARM AIR LAYER / SCREEN COMBINATION WILL INSULATE THE SPACE FROM ABOVE. IN SUMMER, THE HEAT THAT IS RELEASED WHEN GENERATING COOLING CAN BE STORED IN THE GROUND AND RE-USED IN WINTER. RESIDUAL HEAT, FOR EXAMPLE FROM A HEAT PUMP OR COMBINED HEAT AND POWER INSTALLATION, CAN ALSO BE STORED AND RE-USED LATER IN WINTER.

SECTION AA AND BB SUMMER

SECTION CC

SITE PLAN

Tags: Genieloods, Vijfhuizen

Category: Art Gallery

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