In-Depth Research - Walt Disney Concert Hall

Book: Frank Ghery's Walt Disney Concert Hall
Preface by Deborah Borda, Introduction by Frank Ghery, Photography by Grant Mudford
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers in Association with The Los Angeles Philharmonic

"I believe that the design of Walt Disney Concert Hall suggests music, and I hope that when people attend concerts in the hall, their eyes will wander through the shapes of the building and find that what they see harmonizes with the music they're listening to. In my work I have always used art and music as a kind of inspirational motor. When I get stuck, I go look at paintings or listen to music. I find music in particular reassuring, and in many ways it just gets me going. It's energizing. And so the connection between architecture and music has always seemed natural to me."

- Frank Ghery, pg 11

"The entire building was designed from the inside out and was meant to invite people to come inside. It was intended to be accessible to everyone, to feel casual, not pompous or overly formal, and I think those qualities, those goals, have been achieved."

- Frank Ghery, pg 12

---

Book: Ghery Draws
Essays by Horst Bredekamp, Rene Daalder, and Mark Rappolt
Commentary by Frank Ghery, Edwin Chan, and Craig Webb
Edited by Mark Rappolt and Robert Violette

"The concert hall lobby is accessible from the street and remains open during the day; large operable glass panels provide maximum accessibility to various amenities including a gift shop, a restaurant and cafe, an underground parking garage, and a pre-concert performance space, which will be used for performance-related lectures, educational programs, and other scheduled and impromptu performances throughout the day."

- pg 306







"The focus of the design is the 2,265-seat main concert hall, whose interior and forma re a direct expression of acoustical parameters. Seating surrounds the orchestra platform. The wood walls and the sail-like wooden ceiling forms give one the impression of being within a great ship inside the walls of the hall. A pipe organ designed in conjunction with the interiors occupies a central position between the seating blocks at stage rearl Skylights and a large window at the rear of the hall allow natural light to enhance daytime concerts."

- pg 306

10 Textures

Sandstone

Metal


Concrete

Week 10 Independant Study

A3 Montage

Grid Layout of 3 x A1 posters

Week 9 Studio Task - Re-envision Ideas

Screenshots of Progression of Model

Re-envision Ideas (notes)

The re-envision idea is to create a subtle, relaxing & calming place but brings out a mysterious feeling which creates interests to viewers. The idea is to make the place more enclosed so slits of lights can be put in to create little glows. The main source of light would be artificial lighting - up lights to give it a "brighter glow". They would be placed around the place to give guidance to visitors. Concrete is going to be used throughout whole building to give it a nice texture. The concrete is going to be polished, so the lights will be reflected upon the walls and the filtration from the slits also bounces off wall. - It's to help the emphasis of the "glow" throughout the building. Metal (copper) cladding is going to be used to also help with the "reflective" sensation which is trying to be achieved. The colour of copper goes well with the concrete and it stands out more than just stainless steel.

Precedents

David Chipperfield - Des Moines Public Library


Carlo Scarpa - Castelvecchio Museum

Carlo Scarpa - Olivetti Showroom


Reference(s)

David Chipperfield - Des Moines Public Library
http://www.davidchipperfield.co.uk/

Carlo Scarpa - Castelvecchio Museum & Olivetti Showroom
http://www.studiocleo.com/gallerie/scarpa/works.html

Vitra Design Museum

Group Members: Tiffany Lau, Sharon Lam & Lillian Hoang

Research

Vitra Design Museum was constructed in 1989 under the guidance of Alexander von Vegesack. The building was designed by Frank O Gehry and it consists of a steady swirl of white forms as the exterior with a powerful interlocking interior. Limiting the materials to only white plaster and titanium-zinc alloy evoked the "Balancing Tools" rules.
The sleek design creates a prestigious image of enterprise with its technical superiority. The museum is not dependent on the Vitra Company as it covers its own budgets through exhibitions and publications of themes of furniture design as the museum hold one of the largest collections of modern furniture designs.

Reference

http://www.design-museum.de/vitra/architektur/index.php?sid=0156492183380fbab3ebd24c3f5943f9&language=en
---

The design museum houses temporary exhibitions on themes of furniture design, and Gehry's building makes a suitable host for them - in keeping with the theme, but - once inside - supporting, not competing with, the exhibitions.

The geometry of the building does not feel contrived, or particularly noticeable, as you go around the exhibitions. From the outside it does feel both those things, but it is at home among the other architectural showpieces that make up the Vitra site.

Reference

http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/vitradesign/index.htm

---

"Frank Gehry has raised the bar for architectural innovation," said Thomas Krens, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. "He has accomplished this because of his openness to the concept of difference and radical juxtaposition. Place two unlikely elements together and Frank will say, 'Why not?' He is a master at transforming the material environment—whether natural or artificial—into architecture."

Reference

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/press-releases/
press-release-archive/2001/682-may-15-frank-gehry-architect

Sketchup 2D Graphics

Top view

Side view

Perspective




---

Further Group Research

The Vitra Design Museum designed by Frank Owen Gehry began from the furniture producer, Rolf Felbaum’s wish to document the roots and history of his craft. And thus following his wish, he commissioned Frank Gehry to design The Vitra Design Museum, which in contrast to other museums, where furniture design is only one subject among many; it focuses principally upon its historical and future developments

Under the guidance of Alexander von Vegesack, the museum was completed and opened to the public in 1989.

The museum design houses qualities of a sculpted building with its steady swirl of white forms as the exterior combined with a powerful interlocking interior. Assembled by distinct volumes of random patterns - spirals, wedges, cubes, crosses and so on, it creates a harmonious structure as a whole, for they interlock by enclosing every shape of the museum together; staircases, vaulted galleries and ceilings. These dynamic shapes allow the museum to have boundless energy all around, from exterior to interior. In addition, the museum’s sleek design creates a prestigious image of enterprise with its technical superiority - a style which has been used by Frank Gehry throughout his designs.

Above: The cubist assemblage of interlocking forms demonstrated in Frank Gehry's Vitra Design Museum.

Cruciform glazed openings from the structures of the building, such as the central roof on the second floor, provide the museum with extensive natural illumination. The use of white plaster also added to the building's vibrance as well as the titanium finishes. This limitation in the choice of materials evoked the "Balancing Tools" rules.

Above: Displays of interior furniture of both special and permanent exhibitions within the building, shows how everything flows together.

Above: The curve structure effectively wrapping and enclosing the staircase inside the building.

The museum is not dependent on the Vitra Company as it covers its own budgets through exhibitions and publications of themes of furniture design as the museum hold one of the largest collections of modern furniture designs. It's one of his successful overseas projects which helped him gain international recognition.

References

- Museum Architecture, Justin Henderson, Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1998.

- Frank Gehry Vitra Design Museum by Olivier Boissiere and Matrtin Filler

- http://www.design-museum.de/vitra/architektur/index.php?sid=0156492183380fbab3ebd24c3f5943f9&language=en