TECTONIC : TECTONICS
The articulation of architecture’s outermost surface will be understood through the logics of panelization, material and pattern. Apertures will be understood through the logics of openings or fenestration, glazing, and enclosure. These combined constitute the economies and aesthetics of how architecture produces interior/exterior relations and affective qualities; embodies a crucial environmental role.
KUNSTHAUS GRAZ
TRANSFORMATION DESCRIPTION
The Kunsthaus was originally designed and executed as a primarily biomorphic media facade system relying entirely in costume pre fabricated acrylic panels. Our approach for the envelope transformation is based essentially in moving from a costum facade system to a generic penalization while still preserving the original curved geometry and the reading of the nozzles which characterize the Kunsthaus aesthetic. In order to achieve the original curvature reading the generic single panel system has to be reduced in size to increase to better accommodate the surface curvature.
The reduction of the panel as for the shape from a rectangular to triangular, circular and hybrid panel layering, increased the layering of the facade system. Due to the increase in overlap or layering, the envelope system grew in width and createds diverse readings. The assembly method was is altered for with the approach so as to use
a generic panel allowed for diagonal readings or material highlights to generate diverse facade texture as shown in the drawings. This approach of changing materiality depending on the direction or shape of the panel transforms the reading of the building envelope as well.
In the particular case of our transformation for a single material (acrylic) panel to a layered mesh, aluminium and stainless steel panel. The multiple material textures and sub systems significantly alter the original case study. Firstly the reflective translucent acrylic panels have been substituted by either metallic aluminium mesh, which is still translucent by not reflective. We conclude that shifting from a mainly costume building to a more conventional facade system, can still allow for the original design curvature of the Kunsthaus to be preserved.
The reading and materiality of the original case study can be shifted to a more porous alternatives, or they can stay translucent and reflective. Either way the essence of the Kunsthaus can be preserved while exploring alternative resolved envelope systems.
