Theory Blog #4
San Antoni Library
Is it possible to fully capture a space within a
drawing? As architects, the
practice of illustrating a building or space through graphics is a constant
quest to properly convey the essence of a design. This drawing is done from the courtyard behind the San
Antoni Library attempting to illustrate the rear façade of the library and
parts of the courtyard. The goal
of the drawing was to capture the space and materiality of the library. The library’s rear façade is made up of
a semi-metallic, black metal and glass.
The areas of transparency on the building’s faces are set up in a screen
like rhythm and point to the courtyard or the streetscape.
It was a rainy day when the
drawing was done, and that plays an important role on how the materials
appear. The drawing is an attempt
to show the semi-reflectance of the black metal. Overall the drawing only begins to capture how the building
fits proportionally within the scale of the courtyard and neighboring
buildings. When attempting to
illustrate this, or any space through a pencil drawing, things can quickly
become less about the space, and more about the quality of the drawing. Once the bones of a sketch are laid
out, the animation can leave the quality of the space up for
interpretation. A photograph of
the space would be a better, more accurate representation of the quality of the
space, whereas a sketch would be a better tool for documentation. The only way to capture a space with
proportion, materiality and quality is to be present within the space.
Theory Blog #5
Barcelona and the Sea
The façade to a building is can be the most defining aspect
of a project. Its generation comes
from an endless range of conceptual objectives in harmony with existing
conditions. One aspect of façade
design that remains constant is the need to address light through
transparency. Two buildings within
the Area of 22 address the condition of light in effective and contrasting
ways.
Illa de
la Llum is a housing project that faces the Mediterranean Sea at a point to
optimize on views of the water.
The façade is essentially broken up into two layers: one layer of a semi
transparent screening system masking a second layer of clear transparency. The layer of screens provides a more
dynamic interaction in both the overall look of the building and with the ability
to control the light penetration.
With this façade, human interaction is what drives the control of the
light and the transparency.
Media-TIC, Cloud 9 is primarily an office building set within the Cerda
grid in Barcelona, Spain. This
project is more abstract in terms of dealing with light. Like the Illa de la Llum project, this
façade is also a dynamic façade.
It is not dynamic in a way that controls the sun. The Media-TIC façade is a “smart
façade” with plastic, expandable sacs that heat up when warmed by the sun. The façade stores the heat gained
during the day and releases it into the building at night. This façade is an example of a building
using less transparency but in a sustainable fashion.
Both of theses examples demonstrate two contrasting interpretations of a
dynamic façades dealing with light conditions, effectively.
“Rather then a house owned in its entirety by one family, this was the bourgeois apartment building with its series of long balconies and its main rooms overlooking the street, and an interior distribution quite unlike that of earlier typologies. The shops on the ground floor offered the city a new representational façade, a place for a previously non-existent public use and for the new economic activity of the shopkeeper while also serving as a representative space, a spectacle.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote was discussing how the Carrer de Ferran project and its importance to the city as a whole, before the expunction of the city.
Our walk took us around one of Barcelona’s many wards, in the Eixample. These Wards, consists of ten blocks, and tend to be self-contained homogenic neighborhoods, they include markets, shops, restaurants, church’s, and squares for the residents of that area. However on the last point, these neighborhoods many of the squares that were supposed to be open to the public and make Barcelona a greener more open area have been built around and have been cut off from the street and now only open to the residents of the block.
Now these fuller blocks aren’t necessary a bad thing, because the green space which has been closed off, has been filled in with more of the “bourgeois apartment building” which provides more living and also public spaces, but still respiting the idea of a green space for people to come us, except now its for the residents of the buildings in the block. This closing of the blocks also creates a denser city, which is a quality that Barcelona has had throughout its history.
To further this thought the one block that is the closes to Ildefons Cerdà the designer of the Eixample; who was a man of the people, wanting the same living conditions for everyman. With the Passatge de Pemanyer, which has the open green space to both sides, it has become one of the most expensive streets to live on. However, what it gains with open space, it loses with public use space.
“The typological freedom in the interior of the mesh grid allows exceptional flexibility. Old types of eclectic architecture and aligned passatages designed to make more intensive use of the land were accommodated within the generous matrix of the overall scheme.” P.290
ReplyDeleteThis quote explains how Cerda’s main plan was to shape the future of Barcelona and how the layout of the grid allows flexibility to grow and involve.
Our first walk during Theory class, we investigated the evolution of Cerda’s plan of the Eixample. The Eixample is the district of Barcelona that connects the old city, Ciutat Vella, also known as the Gothic quarter and the surrounding small towns of Barcelona. The Eixample is a well-defined grid pattern with chamfered corners on every block surrounded by wider avenues for better flow of traffic and transportation. The district has become a great in Cerda’s ultimate plan to evolve the city of Barcelona into the future. The Eixample consists of a variety between commercial, public, private, and residential spaces.
Behind the plan of the Eixample, Cerda wanted to also increase green space filled inside the square blocks to increase public space and for a greener looking city. The idea of having green spaces within an urban plan is crucial, in which Cerda applied throughout the Eixample. Cerda wanted to generate a unity between the semi-private resident spaces and public enclosed green spaces located in the center of the blocks. Cerda also said that green spaces didn’t have to be filled with vegetation; the spaces could have been open spaces such as outdoor lobby areas for people to relax and increase the amount of natural light into the center of each block on the Eixample. In conclusion, the overall product of the Eixample benefits the connection of Barcelona both at a micro and macro level.
Angle: “The Exiample is rectilinear but never monotonous, unmistakably itself but cosmopolitan, public and private. It is the image of Barcelona that tourists take home with them, with a drop or two of Gaudi and a hint of the Gothic.” – Manuel Sola-Morales, “The Exiample”, Ten Lessons on Barcelona, pg. 298
ReplyDeleteA brief hour’s walk through a segment of the Exiample is certainly enough to give one at least an introductory understanding as to the creativity, vision and wholly unique design of Cerda’s plan for “modern” Barcelona. This is such in regards to the uniformity yet simultaneous diversity of the area, in terms of how it was initially planned verses how it has apparently been developed in recent years. The simple octagonal blocks and strong grid obviously still provide the backbone to the layout of the Exiample (the chamfered corners clearly remain a supporting member of this notion) but, surely as with any city, the facades and functions of the buildings that make up the grid seem to be in some respect ever-changing.
The general idea of retail on the first floor with residences above continues to dominate, but this is broken by the intrusion of solid blocks of commerciality or residences. Likewise, what was most noticeable was the fact that the central courtyards that Cerda intended to keep clear have often been cluttered to the point of solidity with new development. While some of been “re-cleared”, the lack of uniformity apparent in these reclaimed public domains is akin to that of the pattern of commercial versus private façade montage evident throughout the Eixample. Interestingly, it causes one to wonder whether or not this was intentional as surely Cerda of all people would have understood the necessity of the face of a city to change over time. Granted this change may not always be the most attractive, especially in the case of some of the more commercial additions to the grid in recent years, but their aesthetic contrast with the exquisitely detailed older residential facades helps to keep the monotony away and perhaps even suggest a new relationship between public versus private: juxtaposition. The austere of the commercial blatantly contrasts the organic and playful nature of a good deal of the grid’s residences.
Essentially, the grid’s development has succeeded in maintaining the original notion of the Exiample in its own way. The juxtaposition of commercial and residential, public and private, bland and highly ornate maintain the unique cosmopolitan nature of the city, evident to the tourist and surely the locals as well. While some of this development may not always be the most aesthetically pleasing, it maintains and even further develops the basic nature of “example”: expansion.
Whenever I go somewhere new, I immediately begin to determine the pulse of the area; its “vibe”. I feel as though every place possesses a distinct and perceptible personality that gives it character and identity. Everywhere has its own “beat” and its own “rhythm”. Obviously this notion is rather subjective to a great extent as one specific locale could be perceived by any number of people in countless different ways, but it is this exact diversity of experience that makes the notion so intriguing. How does a place affect other people? How does it affect me? Clearly one can gauge this easily in one’s own mind but in regards to a place’s effect on other people, it can only be perceived externally and observationally, which in itself only succeeds in adding to one’s own experience of that place.
ReplyDeleteMy experience in Barcelona provides a perfect example of how this notion could be explored as it was somewhere completely new and alien to me that I knew incredibly little about prior to traveling (and living) there. So far as I had seen up to that point, while Barcelona is a large city and gives off generally most of the “feelings” that large cities do (bustling, busy, the buzz of daily urban life), its personality can, to me, be summarized as being rather casual, relaxed and actually quite engaging. The people are friendly, the spirits seem mostly high; life of course is not easy but is wholly enjoyable. In Barcelona, people work and go about their lives as with any place but most notably with a sense of intimacy and closeness that I have not quite seen anywhere outside of very small towns. It could be said that the city thrives off a very familial relationship; possibly this has something to do with the Catalonian identity.
Conversely, my brief trip to Madrid served as a fascinating juxtaposition to Barcelona as its essence was so vastly different. Madrid was much more akin to most of the cities I have traveled to in northern and central Europe such as Munich, Berlin and Prague insofar as not only its massive scale but its overwhelming sense of individuality and to some extent, isolation. Unlike Barcelona, Madrid seems to be built around a sense of governmental importance, most noticeable in its abundant neo-classical architecture (a stark contrast to Barcelona’s playful and free-flowing Modernisma and Art Noveau). This in turn seems to create a sterner atmosphere that has apparently trickled into the general populace. People bustle and hurry and while there is certainly some amount of collectivism and comradery, the whole place seems rather obstinately in to itself; it suggests a sense of guardedness. I found this to be much more characteristic of somewhere like New York or Boston rather than Spain, interestingly. In fact, it is exactly this guardedness and isolation that makes Madrid so incredibly fascinating, possibly even more so than Barcelona.
Returning to Barcelona shortly afterwards only enhanced this notion. While the friendly and familial vibe of Catalonia makes for a great place to live, the aloofness of places like Madrid is oddly so engaging as it suggests so many possibilities. What is it hiding? What lies beneath its layers of austere monumentality and urban pulsation? Openness holds far less secrets than circumspection.
“Carrer de Ferran is that perfectly rectilinear opening, that knife-like incision in the Gothic city that seeks to cross through it from side to side, from east to west, a perfectly regular, rectilinear street that in some stretches even aspires to be an unbroken, repeated uniform façade.” (pg. 40)
ReplyDeleteTo start, the need for a street that crosses the gothic city from east to west must be explained. While wondering around the gothic quarter, one will find it incredibly easy to get lost. The streets are narrow, the buildings are tall, and sometimes, everything starts to look the same. Las Ramblas breaks the mold, but that’s only one street out of hundreds. It is obvious to see, then, how an artery street like Carrer de Ferran is desirable. In the Gothic quarter, a street like this is necessary to bring people in and out quickly, aswell as to give people a point of reference. This is unlike the Eixample because, while the Eixample is a simple grid system without much need to cut through it, the Gothic city remains a seemingly random assembly of streets and alleys thrown together into one big puzzle.
Carrer de Ferran has become somewhat of a tourist destination in the Gothic City. Walking along it one will notice that it is lined with hotels, bars, coffee shops and restaurants, much like Las Ramblas but somehow in a much less cheesy way. It is constantly lined with people, and it serves as a perfect meeting point before delving into the tangle that is the Gothic city.
The only unfortunate part about Carrer de Ferran is that it clearly breaks the mold. In other words, it is blatantly obvious that it was added later, and that the original flow of that area is not preserved.
“… With large interior courtyards as big as squares, in which domestic intimacy combines with a sense of discreet and reserved neighborliness. It has an enviable microclimate.” (pg. 298)
ReplyDeleteThe master plan of Barcelona is truly a wonder to be seen. With the small winding streets of the Gothic quarter being surrounded by the more modern additions to the city, there are truly wonderful spaces in nearly every part of the city. One part of the city plan that is truly revolutionary is the idea of these interior courtyards at the center of every city block. While the congestion and lifestyle of modern society has caused many of these courtyards to be filled, the ones that remain are a thing of beauty. They become quite literally a sanctuary in the midst of a loud and bustling city. As I step inside one of these courtyards I forget the sounds and sights of the city around me. When inside, all I see or hear are the trees growing tall and the dirt on the ground. A small playground for children is at the far side of the courtyard, and tall walls surround the place. An aspect even more interesting are the balconies of apartments and homes that face the courtyard. I can only imagine the qualities of possessing a space like this. Not until I arrived here in Europe have I seen the true beauty that can be seen in owning a balcony like this. Here, residents hang their laundry, store there possessions, or sit out under the sun and can view the beautiful courtyard that lies right in their very backyard. It is a sight that may be taken for granted, but as a person who has never been to Europe, or anywhere that has a culture based around balconies like this, it seems to be something that can be very beautiful and invigorating.
“Cerda’s grid has an isotropic, orthogonal street layout in which the interstitial spaces are given over to residential use and to certain community amenities. The street corners are cut off –chamfered- at 45 degree to improve visibility and traffic flow. In contrast, the interiors of the blocks or mansanes, as Cerda called them, are highly varied in layout, though normally only two of the four sides were occupied and the rest left as open space or for public services (p.288).”
ReplyDeleteWalking through Barcelona and experiencing the central courtyards created an escape from the busy streets. The courtyards were for the most part peaceful. They create a space for one to take a break and relax outdoors. The spaces varied in size as well as style. Some courtyards were large open area that had playgrounds and pools. The smaller courtyards just had benches. Nature was used in several of them. In the larger courtyards, trees, sand, and water were used, creating the illusion of a beach like space in the middle of the city. These areas that used nature where the most successful. A lot has changed from Cerdá’s original layout. The block’s interior has completely been surround by buildings. This causes the space to feel more private, but less open.
“It was Carrer de Ferran, then that gave the city this new space with its modern geometry and dignity”(Barcelona, 78).
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the first chapter of Ten Lessons on Barcelona, it is quite easy to understand the evolution of the city. The city started, of course, as what we know as the Gothic Quarter, which grew around Plaça de San Jaume I, what was originally the Roman forum. Around this small, enclosed city of Barcelona were several surrounding towns scattered across the plain between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, all laid out in the typical format, with streets following topographical lines and focused around public squares. Things changed suddenly with the construction of Carrer de Ferran. Now the street was no longer molded by the city, but instead the city would be molded by the street.
After the completion of the Carrer de Ferran project, a competition was held to expand Barcelona to fill the plain and connect the surrounding towns. This was won by Cerda who opted to create a system of orthogonal streets that would take directional precedence from Carrer de Ferran. Horizontal streets took its exact axis while vertical streets ran perpendicular. His vision, however was not fully completed. In fact, it was overdone. Cerda planned for vast public spaced on every block, but not surprisingly, these spaces were filled in over time, doing what I believe is a great deal of damage to the Eixample’s potential. While the streets and buildings of Barcelona are beautiful, to think that there could be unique public squares and parks within every 130 meters in any direction sparks some disappointment. Of course, Cerda’s plan was extremely unrealistic for what would be such a rapidly growing city, and it lacks any sign of a hierarchical system, but had it been executed the way it had been intended, perhaps it would be even more beautiful.
p.306-308
ReplyDelete“Residents’ and visitors’ memory of the city will always be associated with an awareness of the planned space. But it is the form of its physical grid as a mental image, the evidence of its imperturbable permanence that allows us to experience this idea and this awareness.”
During our walk throughout Barcelona’s Eixample, the one thing present during the entire time was Cerda. Every time you cut a chamfered corner, the architectural responsiveness of the buildings shows great respect and adherence towards his very specific planning for the city. In few other cities do you feel such tension between a city’s architecture and its planning; the personality of the Eixample is characterized by calculated interactions between the two. Cerda’s octagonal module becomes a very visible game for architects building around its rules, and how they are maintained or broken defines the identity of the city’s spaces. Nowhere is this more apparent than the block courtyards. Walking into these spaces revealed more rebellious interpretations of the grid than is present on its exterior. While some couryards, such as the Passatge Permanyer or Jardins de Rector Oliveras maintain a completely open and regular entry and courtyard in what closely resembles Cerda’s intentions, others such as the Casa Elizade gardens more freely interpret their purpose. In said example, the entry is fashioned into a multi-height, Neo-Classical entrance containing an art gallery that uses the space for public video installations. Yet, where the entry path ends so does the consistency, as you are pushed out from classical proportioning into a patchwork courtyard of balconies and a couple of awnings. Yet despite the schizophrenic progression of spaces from exterior to interior, the block is consistent in its language to the rest of the Eixample, and so reminds and encourages us to draw comparisons not only to Cerda’s original plan, but also to its other architectural inhabitants.
“The conditions are there, and the references too: what we need to understand is that the city as a physical entity is something more than an accumulation of random events; that what gives it presence and prestige over the of time is the progressive construction of its identity.” (pg 86)
ReplyDeleteThe first lesson of Ten Lessons on Barcelona focuses on The Ferran-Princesa Axis and the history and construction of the city’s urban plan. The quote above is found at the end of the chapter and provides a good summary on the focal point of the chapter. An outsider to the city may notice differences and make observations on their surroundings but may not be aware of the history and deliberation behind these actions. Since arriving in Barcelona I have been able to explore and learn about the different parts of the city while also studying the history of the city’s development.
During our walking tour of the city, we were able to visit the various courtyards in the Eixample. The original plan of Cerda’s design was to create chamfered street blocks and to increase open green space within these city blocks. While this plan was not executed to the fullest extent, there are still many inner courtyards. We were able to examine the various courtyards and their relationship to the city grid. Some courtyards incorporate the surrounding buildings and create more of a public area for those places while others are more intimate and integrate nature into the space. The examination of these spaces in relation to the city’s Eixample allows for a better understanding of the city’s design.
“ The great secret of the architectural success of the Eixample lies in the enormous flexibility…” (p.294)
ReplyDelete“With Gaudi, Puig I Cadafalch and Domenech i Montaner three architects, three ideologies and three cultural moments coincide in an urban facadewhose expressive richness is as great as its urban coherence.” (Sola-Morales p. 294)
This statement in chapter five of Ten Lessons on Barcelona greatly reinforces the flexibility and lucidity of Cerda’s city plan of 1859. Cerda’s plan creates a uniform network of spaces that allow for even growth. Despite the various styles of these three great architects, Cerda’s plan subconsciously allows all three of these architectural styles fit within the urban context today. Numerous styles can be seen throughout the l’eixample today, and their unity with their surrounding context is a direct result of Cerda’s efforts to create a uniformed but customizable city block. While walking through the l’eixample, one is amazed at the interior green spaces, and community parks within the city blocks. It is a shame that many of these interior green spaces have built upon and expanded on, despite that fact that Cerda’s intentions were to keep these spaces free for the people to enjoy. Cerda’s plan is still a highly customizable and flexible urban situation throughout Barcelona. This plan works effortlessly to juxtapose the modern and the old parts of the city beautifully together. The only part missing in the originally green spaces allotted in the middle of these city blocks. Barcelona has made a great effort as a city to carefully protect their historical architecture, however the city has until recently neglected some of Cerda’s original ideas, in order to expand the city, and create more habitats for the dense population. Cerda knew these interior green spaces would ultimately be an escape for people to get off the chamfered corners and busy streets of Barcelona to relax and enjoy time with their families in a lush natural environment full of sun, shade, and water.
" Carrer de Ferran is that perfectly rectilinear opening, that knife like incision in the Gothic city that seeks to cross through it from side to side, from east to west, a perfectly regular, rectilinear street that in some stretches even aspires to be an unbroken, repeated, uniform facade."
ReplyDeleteFor those who have not been to Barcelona it is extremely difficult to explain the feeling of walking through the old Gothic city. Small streets seemed mashed together, forming a pattern that could appear unrecognizable the next time you come upon it. Even your sense of direction is thrown off by the narrow ally ways and lack of street orientation. This is why Carrer de Ferran is so vital to the city of Barcelona and it's growth historically. Amongst the tangled web of streets, Carrer de Ferran is a much welcomed opening as the street facade creates a interesting framed view and allows for a more obvious route of circulation.
On our first walk for theory we visited many of the courtyards found through out the Eixample. In the same way the Carrer de Ferran does, these courtyard are a place of calm in contrast to the tightly woven streets that surround them. These planned courtyards offer the residents a place to call there own, while also providing the public with a place of quiet and a place to relax. While some courtyards incorporate a street facade to line the courtyard others make use of residential buildings, or office buildings which ever may suffice. In one case we even came upon a courtyard connected to a library, this courtyard was effectively more private and on a smaller scale then many we had seen. Like the Carrer de Ferran this courtyards are invaluable to the design of the city as they allow for the breaking of density and create places of public usage.
"In the wake of the experience of London and Paris, reforming the urban fabric and its streets became a feasible venture." (pg 68)
ReplyDeleteThis quote is about the reforming of Carrer de Ferran. It shows how many cities during this time period were experimenting with reshaping urban spaces and building streets with a new purpose. This showed on our walking tour of the Eixample. Every plaza we saw was at a different scale with different aesthetics and different purposes. The experimentation that was occurring showed greatly in the diversity we saw. Looking at a public space's scale and purpose can help us to understand the original design intention as well as in what ways they might have been experimenting.
Walking tour Blog
ReplyDelete“Carrer de Ferran can be thought of as the linking together of three of these squares: the square in the area around Sant Jaume (formly Placa de la Ciutat) the old Placa de la Trinitat(named after the convent that stood in the square) and Placa de l’Angel.”..(pg. 62) Ten Lessons on Barcelona
The gothic quarter of Barcelona is a very dense area. The roads resemble a labyrinth, lacking an systematic approach roads will disappear then reappear around buildings. The streets are very narrow, hard to follow, and allow very little light in. The gothic quarter is a like a dark labyrinth with hidden surprises known as passageways and plaza. The Carrer de Ferran is one of these passageways that helps open up the congested space, bring in light, and link together spaces.
While walking through the Eixample, our class looked at several passages and plazas that copied the use of the Carrer de Ferran. Even though the Eixample is a systematic grid, with wider roads and less congestion. Many of the blocks have become very dense and congested making is hard for sunlight to penetrate into the middle of the block. We looked at several plazas such as the Jardines de Maria Callas. These plazas are placed in the middle of the block and help to link the outer streets and the middle of the block together through a small passage way. The plaza brings a sense of tranquility, light, and order to the middle of the block. It connects the surrounding buildings and brings in sunlight that all the back yards can share. The passage permanyer is a passage that helps link two streets as well as creates a small community amongst on street. It acts a gateway to a nice, expensive section of houses. The passage way allows more light in as well as widen and creates a grander sense to the street and the houses its serving.
“The great secret of the architectural success of the Eixample lies in the enormous flexibility of the mechanisms governing the use of the land.” Pg 294.
ReplyDeleteThe Eixample was planned in rigorous detail by Cerda, and its innovative planning provided for both the hygiene needs at the time and foresaw the importance of automobile transport in our daily life. Yet, this very rigid planning structure allows for great flexibility in terms of implementation. Cerda’s plan theoretically allowed for incremental and perpetual growth over time as there is no particular hierarchy to his grid system. The grid details can be adapted to serve specific needs, such as the communal space of Jardins de la Torres de les Aigues or the quiet lane at Passatge del Sert. At the same time, its regularity creates a setting where varying architectural styles are accommodated harmoniously and building or plot sizes can be varied to suit to particular functions while still fitting into a unified structure. This feature is important as it allows the realization of Cerda’s ideas for a decentralized city. Markets, schools, offices, churches and residences all fit into the grid, regardless of location, and almost every combination of uses can be found throughout the city. The Eixample’s layout integrates this with generous amounts of green space so that there is ample light and air throughout, as well as relaxation spaces.
The Eixample today provides a largely consistent overall scheme while still allowing a large level of diversity in individual buildings and spaces. These contribute to the unique atmosphere of the city, and help it retain its relevance as a prime example in urban planning.