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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. SKYCOURTS in Chengdu, China by Höweler and Yoon ArchitectureDecember 21st, 2013 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: howeler + yoon architecture Sky Courts Exhibition Hall, located in the International Intangible Culture Park in Chengdu China, utilizes the internalized strategy of the traditional Chinese courtyard house to create a variety of aggregated exhibition galleries within one building. Broken up into a series of variably scaled halls wrapped around seven courtyards, the structure creates a range of open spaces inside the deep floor plan. This ‘packed’ and ‘wrapped’ internalized organization has both spatial as well as environmental benefits to the building.  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture
 Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu Spatially, the aggregation of courtyards within the larger building complex becomes a network of spaces linked together by multiple paths, producing an exhibition hall that is at once open and sub-divided. The sequence through these precincts creates a series of layered spaces where one can view from one courtyard to another and another– seeing from inside to outside to inside again.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu The center of each courtyard maintains a pure rectilinear geometry, while the overall perimeter of the building accommodates the irregular site boundaries. The roof geometry consists of a series of inward sloping roofs. The roof profile at the perimeter varies to create peaks and valleys. Alternating inclinations of the major ridge lines produce a hyperbolic ruled surface for each roof plane. The use of the ceramic roof tile seizes the tolerance between each tile unit to negotiate the non planar roof condition.  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture Environmentally, several passive energy strategies (cross ventilation, thermal mass, & daylighting) were developed as integral with the design strategy. In order to create a passively cooled building (there is no active cooling in the building), it was critical to capitalize on cross ventilation through and up the courtyard spaces. Perimeter fenestration clusters with operable windows were positioned on the perimeter wall to create cross ventilation through the operable sliding doors of the courtyards.  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture The concrete and brick infill walls create significant thermal mass to regulate temperature swings throughout the day. Furthermore, the configuration of spaces around multiple courtyards creates abundant daylight, reducing the need for electric lighting during a significant portion of the day. The daylighting and passive cooling strategies inherited from the traditional courtyard house are re-deployed in this contemporary context.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu The perimeter walls of the structure vary in height from 11 to 15 meters and are made from locally produced grey brick. The brickwork is detailed to emphasize the tectonics of the brick as a building module as well as the oblique geometries of the building. Each brick is oriented in the same direction, regardless of the oblique angle of the perimeter walls. This creates an oriented texture such that the west and east facades are smooth while the other faces have a serrated quality.  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture The windows and exterior doors are clustered on the facades to create a larger figural composition than each individual window can make in such a large internally oriented structure. Using economical and typical window and door sizes, these apertures are packed together using facetted Corten steel ‘window surrounds.’  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture The figural surrounds negotiate between the scale of a window and the scale of the large exhibition hall, providing an intermediate scale that approaches the tactility found at the level of the masonry detailing. Using local construction strategies, materials and techniques to create a simple but culturally resonant project on the site, the overall effect is an Exhibition Hall which fits into the Chengdu building context, learns from the context’s heritage and provides a unique contemporary, flexible and sustainable space for International Exhibitions.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu Höweler + Yoon Architecture is an interdisciplinary design practice working across scales: from architecture to urban design to public space projects and interior architecture. Their work focuses on the instrumentality of the built environment to encourage innovation, create community, and engage audiences.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu Their award winning projects include: Chengdu Skycourts Exhibition Hall, a 65,000 square foot exhibition and event venue and recipient of the Annual Design Review Awards 2012; BSA Space, the Boston Society of Architects headquarters in Boston; the Boswash:Shareway 2030, winner of the Audi Urban Future Award 2012; and White Noise White Light, internationally awarded for the Athens 2004 Olympics.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu Their recently completed art structure, Aviary, is an interactive light and sound installation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Their work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern, and the National Art Center in Tokyo, Japan. Recent books include: Expanded Practice: Projects by Höweler + Yoon Architecture/ MY Studio (Princeton Architectural Press 2009), and Public Works: Unsolicited Small Projects for the Big Dig (Map Office 2008).  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu Eric Höweler AIA, LEED AP (b. Cali, Colombia) is a registered architect with 19 years of experience in practice. He received a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters of Architecture from Cornell University and completed his high school education at the International School Bangkok.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Prior to forming Höweler + Yoon Architecture, Eric was a Senior Designer at Diller + Scofidio and an Associate Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. He is the co-author of Expanded Practice, Höweler + Yoon Architecture / MY Studio (Princeton Architectural Press 2009) and author of Skyscraper: Vertical Now (Rizzoli/Universe Publishers in 2003).  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture J. Meejin Yoon, RA, FAAR (b. Seoul, Korea) is an architect, designer, and educator. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University with the AIA Henry Adams Medal and a Masters of Architecture in Urban Design with Distinction from Harvard University. She is an Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Image Courtesy © Yihuai Hu She is the recipient of the United States Artist Award in Architecture/Design, the Athena RISD/Target Emerging Designer Award, the Rome Prize in Design, the Young Architects Award from the Architectural League, and a Fulbright Scholar. She is the co-author of Public Works: Unsolicted Small Projects for the Big Dig (MAP Book Publishers 2009), Expanded Practice, Höweler + Yoon Architecture / MY Studio (Princeton Architectural Press 2009) and author/designer of Absence (Printed Matter and the Whitney Museum of American Art 2003).  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture  Image Courtesy © Höweler and Yoon Architecture
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Category: Exhibition Center |
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