how is galeries lafayette mega?

My understanding of mega is not only that something is big, but that it appears that way. The galeries lafayette is not mega, it appears mega. The facade of the building reflects the surrounding skyline while the entry-level is transparent and glows with light. By viewing other buildings reaching the sky on the exterior glass, galeries lafayette is the tallest - it merges construction and nature.
The interior atrium is not mega either, based purely on size. It is not an impressive megastructure. But what Jean Nouvel designed is mega because he has created a structure that appears to reach infinity. When you stand on the ground floor and look down into the atrium, the glass and reflections seem to carry the cone shape downward - here exists the illusion of infinity.

24.09.06 progress

All of the foam and masonite ribs have been cut on the CNC. We have finally won the battle (over control of the CNC... we have owned it for the last week at least). Next is fitting in the clear side panels. They are sandwiched between outer masonite rings and held in place by a layer of foam. The SUMO logo looks amazing! We are glueing the last of the chair - the end is near. The SUMO is going to be beautiful! Clean-up and then all that is left is the door (and any other finishing touches).

graphics proposal

graphics proposal for lexan or lucite side panels

foam ribs

First foam ribs cut with the CNC! Check out the cool joints!
Today Vinnie and Trevor taught us how to use the CNC to cut the foam using two different files. They built a wood frame to keep the foam up from the base so that the router can cut all the way through the material. It seems pretty easy to use. All that is left to do after the CNC finishes cutting is to sand off the tabs and fit the ribs together.

lost in translation

This is me, before going down to the woodshop!

tgif

My work for today consisted of making changes and modifying the pod file, helping melissa research and test solutions for seating cushions, and glueing the wooden rods to the cardboard ribs of our rather unsturdy lifesize model. My face expresses all of my feelings at this moment...

galeries lafayette

In exploring MEGA, what is bigger than the building itself? Structure is what it is, but elements such as light and space have the ability to change a person's concept or sense of a building. Do these elements force someone to think in terms of scale? Can buildings appear to be larger, deeper, wider, or taller than they really are?

I am doing a study on a series of independent megastructures lining Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. The first, located on block no.207, is the building accomodating the Galeries Lafayette, a french department store. It was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel from 1991-1993, and constructed from 1993-1996. From the outside, the building's sleek glass surface shows a reflection of the sky and surrounding buildings. Not only does the reflection cover the large glass structure, but it gives pedestrians a phenominal view. The four sides of the building AND the roof are made of glass; transparency, which is simultaniously paired with reflection, enhances both lighting and views inside and out; it is a theme to carry light to the inside space, but also give off light to the outside at night. Lighting makes the building appear taller, longer, and larger and makes the inside appear more open. Inside the building, there is an atrium structure made of two cone shapes, one inverted and covering the lower cone. The larger cone opens from the ground level to the ceiling (seven storeys) and the smaller cone penetrates the four underground floors.




The building's eleven storeys are opened up by this whirlwind-like shape to allow natural light into every level from one common core. The light filters in and fills the central space, enabling people to see not only reflections, but all other floors up and down. A person can view the multifunctions of the building by looking through the glass. From the ground level opening, one could lean over and look up or down into the atrium. When I was there, I saw people shopping, dining, working, etc. I also wondered what would happen if I dropped something into the lower part of the atrium, which seems to spiral down infinately.

ideas come and go...

Today we celebrate the completion of the first life-sized model of the pod (sumo... or whatever)! Using the laminated cardboard ribs was an awesome idea for a study model AND it actually held everyone without any disasters. The sitting position was quite comfortable, for both me and Jason. And despite the general consensus that I can't roll the pod while in it, I believe i can and will (because I am fun). I think I have found a new home!

gather to worship at MEGA SCALE

Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano is the most prominent building in the Vatican city as well as one of the largest churches in the christian religion. The cathedral covers an area of 5.7 acres (23,000 square meters), not including the entrance piazza with it's colossal scale. The foundation of the church was laid in 1506, but wasn't completed until 1626. Architects and designers who worked on and carried out the construction of St. Peter's include: Bramante, Guiliano da Sangallo, Fra Giacondo da Verona, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo, Baldassari Peruzzi, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta, Paul V, Carlo Maderna, and Bernini. Not only does the building's scale demand it's importance, but MEGA also applies to the number of famous architects who competed for the design and the height of religious importance (location and site). St.Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest sites of the Christendom, is the original burial place of the apostle Peter (the first bishop of Rome). The cathedral is on the site of the Constantinian basilica and houses over 100 tombs, including mostly popes, some members of Catholic English royalty, etc. St. Peter's is the patriarchal basilica of Constantinople.



Piazza San Pietro leading to the basilica takes on an oval and trapezoidal shape (directly in front of the basilica). This very large space has the potential to overwhelm a visitor, but it doesn't. Although at a colossal scale, the piazza, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, has divisions articulated by paving patterns and different colored stones. The obelisk in the center of the oval shape forms a gigantic sundial marked by circular stones on the pavement. These aspects create smaller spaces inside the vast piazza that relate to human occupancy. The elliptical colonnades is said to enclose a person with "maternal arms of mother church."

The Christian religion is the largest religion in the world, claiming 33% of the world population.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro (1990) in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is now the largest christian place of worship, covering an area of 30,000 square meters.

new proposal

see more on melissa's blog...

ergo-dynamics (ergonomics)- design research

ideas, solutions, proposals

communication

Video-conferencing is working relatively well, but sometimes communcation loses some meaning. In general, I understand the purpose of our research, but I can't always be sure that what I produce is the most effective. Many images that I have been working on will not upload onto the blogs, but maybe this is just a server error. Please give me feedback on my personal blog about my postings on the megablog... Thank you!

akashi-kaikyo bridge

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, also known as the Pearl Bridge, is a part of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project in Japan that connects Honshu island and Shikoku island through a series of three major bridge systems. More specifically, the Akashi-Kaikyo, which crosses the Akashi Strait, along with another bridge, which crosses the Naruto Strait, make up the Kobe-Naruto system.

This series of bridges was neccessary for transportation among the Japanese islands because of the consistently tragic weather conditions. The Akashi Strait, which is an international waterway, is subject to hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes every year. Besides being a busy shipping port, it annually recieves about 57 inches of rain and gale winds. In 1955, two ferries sank in a severe storm while crossing the Akashi Strait, killing 168 children. Their death triggered the planning of what would become the world's largest suspension bridge, begun in May of 1988.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is 3,911 meters in length and has three spans: the central span being 1,991 meters to satisfy the required 1500 meter shipping lane and the others each 960 meters. Held up by two deeply anchored support towers that rise 298 meters above sea level, the highway is supported by a system of trusses (a complex network of triangular bases)that allows wind to blow through the structure below the highway. The bridge was built to withstand 286 kilometer per hour winds, harsh sea currents, and an earthquake that measures up to 8.5 on the Richter Scale. On January 17, 1995, and earthquake hit during the construction of the bridge causing the central span to grow by one meter (from 1,990 meters to 1,991 meters). In addition to the scale of the two towers, they were each constructed with 20 tuned mass dampers (TMDs) or pendula designed to swing opposite the force of the wind and therefore cancelling any sway that may occur. The bridge was finally opened for traffic on April 5, 1998. Not only is this the longest suspension bridge in the world, but also the tallest and the most expensive.