ASSESSMENT TASK 2B : MODEL/SCALE

Anna Wang
Anna Wang
Aug 28, 2017 · 5 min read

Chosen technique:

  • A cut out paper puzzle of the interiors of the city / and/ or an invisible architecture (ISHIGAMA)

Research:

Greenhouse by Junya Ishigami, 2008

I chose Junya Ishigami, who is a famous Japanese architect to research. He was the youngest winner of Architectural Institute of Japan Prize for the Kanagawa Institute of Technology KAIT Workshop in 2009 and he also won the Golden Lion for Best Project at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennalein 2010. Ishigami likes to combine architecture with the environment.He made the building very transparent, seems as invisible architectures. He mainly uses some natural material. By observing the material he used, I think he is a very environmentally conscious designer. There are a lot of different types in his design. I would focus on the his design of greenhouses. At the Venice Biennale 08, greenhouses on the outside of the pavilion, which was created by Junya Ishigami gave people an impressive feature. Outside of the Japenese Pavilion, he disrupted the existing landscape and imposed his architecture, and yet the entire exercise felt harmonious.

Floor-plan of the greenhouses installation by Junya Ishigami, 2008

At the Venice Architecture Biennale 08, He designed four greenhouses on different scales in the garden encirling the Japan pavilion. The greenhouse is the building and it is also the garden. There are no air control systems in the greenhouse, reducing the feel of an artificial environment. The temperature of the indoor and outdoor is almost the same. Ishigami wants to connect the landscape and architcture perfectly. The whole greenhouse seems to be transparent.

A section of greenhouse by Junya Ishigami, 2008
A section of greenhouse by Junya Ishigami, 2008

This is the section of the greenhouse. This image show columns. Each column has a base below it, these bases are a support for architecture. The base is under the soil and It would not affect the esthetic feeling of greenhouses.

The construction floor plan of greenhouse by Junya Ishigami, 2008
The plan of Pavilion 2 by Junya Ishigami, 2008

The greenhouses are made of extremely delicate columns, beams and very thin glass. Each element has the same delicate proportion as the plants, but is designed to be mechanically consistent by taking part in the subtle balance of the architecture.

The plants next to the column have the effect of hiding columns. The weakness of the plant barriers result in an ambiguous mixing of elements from the internal and external environment. It could better reflect his design ideas

Process Models:

The first process model

This is my first process model. I try to find a building which is transparent. ‘For me, as a Japanese person, natural elements are also always artificial. There is no authentic nature — even forests and landscapes are artificially created’ Junya Ishigami said. I wanted to make a transparent model. So I want to find as much as possible close to the natural feeling of the material. I find the building is Apple Store and I used glasses for roof and used wood for columns.

The second process model

This is my second process model. Because I researched Junya Ishigami before. there were not many words in the book but show me some photos. I looked them and felt their feature. I think plants which are next to columns hide the sturcture of greenhouse, more prominent his design philosophy. So I made a model which is focus on this idea.

The third process model

I started to design in this model. I try to think about how to use fine steel wire to do the structure. I try to used different materials to do the bottom. The center of balsa wood putted some plants. As if only to see the middle of the plant because the wire.

The fourth process model

This is my fourth one. I mainly use wires and glass. The whole model also is transparent. I used wire to make flowers. I made a column around the each flower or glass. I try to use flower or glass to hide the column. I used flexible sanding block to make the base because it look like soil, more connection with nature.

The fifth process model

The next one is totally use wire. But I used different thickness of the wire. I used more thicker wire to represent the bottom, top and fours main columns. I think it express the topic: invisible architecture.

Final Model

Final model 1

In the final Model, I also used the bottom of the fourth process model. and the four thicker support columns also continue to use. Because the flexible sanding block is connect with nature, I also used it to make the base. I did not use glass because it is not connection element with the design of Junya Ishigami. I am fully using the wire and did not use any sticky way. I used hand to enlace the wire. The fine wire is fixed on the structural column.

Final model 2

There is a column next to each plant. and I made some plants outside the greenhouse to express Junya Ishigami’s thinking, extreme nature. I also would like to highlight Ishigami’s fecture — highly delicate aesthetic. The soft wire is good material to show the theme of the invisible building.

Reflection:

Through Junya Ishigami, I learned buildings is not just the structure and function, the esthetic feeling of buildings and the relationship between architecture and surrounding environment is also essential. Because of Junya Ishigami, I would consider the combination of architecture and landscape. I will careful to use building materials. Designer could expresent the esthetic feeling of the building and design some buildings that more close to the natural. In addition, I think the architect is a magical career.

Bibliography:

Junya Ishigami, 2010, Another Scale Of Architecture, Seigensha Art, Japan.

Susanne, F. 2010. Picnic, Plants, Architecture — The Fascinating World Of Junya Ishigami, Switzerland, viewed 25 September 2010, https://www.architonic.com/en/story/susanne-fritz-picnic-plants-architecture-the-fascinating-world-of-junya-ishigami/7000521

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