Transcript REM KOOLHAAS - The Archi Blog

Presented By:
Charu Sukheeja
B. Arch. IV yr.
EARLY
TO SUCCESS
ROAD
STUDIES
LIFE
• In 1975 Koolhaas along with some other architects
founded
the OMA (Office for Metropolitan
• Dutch
architect
Architecture),
dedicated
to finding
"new
synergies"
• Born
on 17 november
1944 in
Rotterdam,
Netherlands
between architecture and contemporary culture.
• OMA got their first project as ‘the Netherlands Dance
in 1987.
• Theatre’
Studied scriptwriting
• Journalist
•• In
In2005,
1968, he again
started
studies,
in architecture
at
co-founded
‘Volume
Magazine’
together
the
School of Architecture
withArchitectural
Mark WigleyAssociation
and Ole Bouman.
in London
• In 1972, studied further at Cornell University in New
• Principal
of the OMA and of its research-oriented
York
counterpart AMO, currently based in Rotterdam, The
Netherlands.
HONOURS & PRIZES:

Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate in 2000

TIME Magazine Best Architecture in 2004 for Seattle Central Library

RIBA Gold Medal in 2004

The Mies van der Rohe Award in 2005 for the Netherlands Embassy, Berlin
PHILOSOPHY Called as “the guru of contemporary architecture”
 Great architects impose their vision on the world who come bearing
significant forms and whip cities into shape.
 “Architecture should not change the world instead world should
change architecture.”
 He was fascinated by the dynamics of the New York city and how it
stood apart from the urban-design trend toward "dedensifying" cities,
tearing down entire blocks to create open malls and plazas.

Manhattanism i.e. a world totally fabricated by man

Modernism

Deconstructivism – stylish designs and unususal concepts
 Boldly produces buildings that defer visually to their surroundings

Form follows function
 Linking of technology and humanity

Rigorous analysis and audacious ideas

Asymmetry

Nonlinearity

Articulation causing mutation in contemporary architecture
HISTORY
The Collins Block at
Second and James
Henry Yesler's former mansion at
Third and James
 Entries were invited through a competition
The Carnegie Library, on
the site of the current
building
DESIGNING BASIS
 He conceived the new library as a celebration of books.
 In the "digital age“ of 21st century also, people respond to books printed on
paper.
 Wanted to make the library inviting to the public rather than stuffy
 Was ambitious to redefine the Library as an information store, no longer
exclusively dedicated to the book .
 Although unusual in shape, but the building's required functions dictate
what it should look like.
FLOOR SPACE: 362,987 square feet
PARKING: 49,000 square feet, underground
NUMBER OF LEVELS: 1 1
BUDGET: $165.5 million
BUILDING POPULATION: 328 staff, 8,000+ visitors per day
Combination of like with like.
Identification of five platforms each dedicated to a specific cluster.
Each platform is a programmatic entity that is architecturally defined
and equipped for maximum, dedicated performance.
As each platform is designed for a different purpose, they are different
in size, density and opacity.
The in-between spaces are like trading floors where librarians inform
and stimulate.
Interface between the different platforms is organized.
Level 0: Basement
Level 1 : Book return/check out
 Children's Center –
 Includes - books, DVDs, CDs and more.
 Microsoft Auditorium –
• 275-seat Auditorium.
• The back of it can expand, creating an
additional 150 seats for larger programs.
• Learning Center
• Restrooms are here as well.
Level 2: Staff
 For staff members only .
 It has shipping, receiving, book sorting and technical and collection
services
Level 3: The Norcliffe Foundation Living Room/Fifth
Avenue
 Includes areas to gather or read and is open and airy with a ceiling of 50 feet
height.
 The bright, colorful carpets - patterns of lifelike plants are laid.
 The base of the atrium is located on this level.
 FriendShop (gift shop), Chocolate coffee cart, Starbucks Teen Center, Feature film
video and DVD collection, Family Fiction Collection and Large print collection.
Level 4: Meeting Room
 The corridor walls, floors and ceilings
are painted in deep reds and pinks.
 The meeting rooms are calm, neutral
colors - such as brown and gray. .
Level 5
 Mixing Chamber
 The Tech Logic automated book conveyance
and sorting system that moves and sorts books
and other materials using Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) technology
 Entry to the Books Spiral.
Levels 6 - 9: Books Spiral
 Four floors of book stacks, connected by gentle ramps.
 75 % of the entire collection — is located on the Books Spiral.
 Collection exist in one continuous run
 Avoids moving of the books into other rooms or floors as the collection
expands.
 Independent of stairs, escalators or elevators.
Level 10: Betty Jane Narver Reading Room
Light-filled.
Seating for 400.
Ceiling height – 40-foot
Views of Elliott Bay.
Level 11: Headquarters
Has administrative offices
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Careful design of spaces for use for public gathering for many years
to come.
Expansion of collections eventually encroaches public spaces, but the new
design prevents this through clear separation of public spaces and spaces for
other library functions.
Views of surrounding skyscrapers - feel connected to the city and the
outdoors through the library’s glass exterior.
Seattle’s Public Art Program - main artworks are integrated into the building
in fun and innovative ways.
BARRIER-FREE DESIGN AND
FLEXIBILE USE
Continuous spiral
Gently sloping ramps
WAY FINDING AND USABILITY
Large signs give direction
Important elements are color coded
Escalators and elevators – yellow color
Computer areas - aluminum flooring
Breaking up areas into zones, and the atrium that connects nine levels, help
orient the visitor
INNOVATIONS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY
 The library is exceeds Seattle’s energy code by 10 percent.
 The expected energy savings would power at least 125 homes.
HIGH PERFORMANCE GLAZING SYSTEM –
 50% exterior glass has triple-glazed
system
 50% double-glazed clear glass
 Outer layer : low-e coating filters non-visible light energy.
 Better shading effect than most tinted glass buildings, without the undesirable
darkening.
 Diagonal grid system : protection against earthquake or wind damage
LIGHTING
Low cost and easy maintenance
Example, the light bulbs in the
Faye G. Allen Children’s Center,
above, are expected to last 10 years
Light and motion sensors
Plenty of natural daylight
Reading Room has a north-facing
skylight bringing in natural light
VENTILATION
Air distribution system, called displacement ventilation, used on Levels
1, 3, 5 and 10.
Ventilation comes from the floor
Gives the advantage of “free cooling” when the temperature of cooled air is not
much different from the outside air
Provides more fresh air at a person’s working height
Modular nature of the raised floor system allows easier relocation of interior
spaces than conventional systems, reducing long-term costs.
 RAINWATER COLLECTION –
 40,000-gallon water storage water tank
 Used for landscape irrigation.
 Prevents combined sewer overflows in Puget Sound.
 Saves about 75,000 gallons of water per year.
 WATERLESS URINALS The 16 urinals in the building save 720,000 gallons of water per year,
enough to serve the indoor water needs of more than 13 homes.
SUSTAINABLE SITE DESIGN
 LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION
Exterior lighting is shielded
 DROUGHT-TOLERANT LANDSCAPING
Zero potable (drinking) water is used for landscaping due to rainwater
collection system
 HEAT ISLAND REDUCTION
Providing shade to exterior spaces and a light colored Energy Star® roof
that reflects heat and light lessens this effect.
REDUCING AIR POLLUTION
 Bicycle storage and showers with lockers encourage staff to bike to work.
 Nearby access to public transit and the University Station bus tunnel,
encourages staff and patrons to leave their cars at home.
 Two electric vehicle charging stations in parking garage.
 Underground parking minimizes pollution-laden runoff.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
OZONE PROTECTION
Library’s refrigerants contain no HCFCs and the fire suppression system uses no
halogens.
RECYCLING CONSTRUCTION WASTE
 Building construction contributes to 40% of the materials destined for municipal
landfills worldwide.
 More than 80% of the waste generated in building the library was recycled.
 More than 95% of the demolition waste from the old library was recycled.
RECYCLED-CONTENT MATERIALS

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
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



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Concrete rubble used as fill before construction
Wood flooring, called Worthwood, made in Oregon from scrap wood
Structural steel: 90 percent recycled scrap
Steel rebar: 97.5 percent recycled scrap
Exterior aluminum: 30 percent recycled content
Steel doors and frames: 48 percent recycled materials
Sheet aluminum flooring: 20 percent recycled materials
Gypsum wall board: 10 percent recycled materials
Library shelving: 80-90 percent recycled materials.
LOCAL AND REGIONAL MATERIALS
HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
Healthy material/strategies that contribute to good indoor air quality:
 Most adhesives and carpets are low toxic
 Monitors protect air quality by measuring carbon dioxide
 Indoor air quality management plan during construction managed air
filtration and provided for proper materials storage
 A two-week, 100 percent outside air “flush” before occupant move-in removed
residual chemicals/particles left from construction.
EFFICIENT USE OF MATERIALS ELIMINATES WASTE
Materials and systems with elements serving more than one purpose
 Diamond grid structural steel :
backup for the glass exterior and
interior finish for the walls
 In the core of the building, the structural concrete also serves as a finish.
 Some spaces have lighting shielded with polycarbonate panels that diffuse the
light, finish the ceiling and act as a return air plenum.
 Fireproofing on interior structural steel serves as the finish and a sound
absorber.
 Using the foundation walls from the previous library in the new construction
reduced the amount of new concrete needed and reduced demolition waste.
Public opinions :
 Awarded for innovation and engineering in its "structural solutions".
 Usage of the building is double the predicted volume.
 Many less fond of its unusual design
 Condemned by the Project for Public Spaces, which noted "if the library were a
true 'community hub,' its most active areas would connect directly to the street
Personal opinion :
 Rigorous analysis of 1. The site
2. The city
3. Its existing structures
4. Culture of people.
 Exploration of the capabilities of various architectural materials available.
 Care for the technologies from the beginning of the project.
 Proper use of warm and cool colors.
REFERENCES LIBRARY AND LEARNING CENTRE, VIENNA
BY
ZAHA HADID
A+U(Architecture + urbanism) magazine
http://www.oma.nl/
http://www.articlemyriad.com/33.htm
http://www.architectenweb.nl/aweb/projects/project_show_list.asp?iMID=2542
http://eng.archinform.net/arch/434.htm
http://www.classic.archined.nl/sites/RemKoolhaas_sourcepage_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rem_Koolhaas
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748.html
THANK YOU