Toyo Ito is one of Japan’s most renowned architects who works with the philosophy of architecture being the proof of the evidence of the existence of human beings. Through Sendai Mediatheque Ito has effectively rendered this concept and has taken an approach in architecture which was significantly unique and different from the traditional figures and designs in its surrounding. Through his models, Ito attempts to concurrently render aspects of the world through physical and virtual concepts. One of Ito’s intention by building Sendai Mediatheque was to create a cultural media space with floating chracteristics with a transparent structure that allows visibility to its surroundings.
Behind the glass facade, white tubular structures can be seen rising from ground level leading to the highest point of the media library. The idea of building the Sandai Matheoqute started with the perspective of something in an aquarium, through this public building Ito aimed to create a fluid space which similarly to flowing water, would seem like constantly flowing under the influence of air and light. To be able to create a visual image and structure of this perspective in three dimensions Ito considered using organic structures as posts which he calls tubes which intend to hold up all seven floors and the weight of the building. the building is supported by thirteen tubes of steel lattice columns that lead the building from ground level to the top level. The four largest tubes support the four corners of the building and the nine others are randomly located in the buildings. They all lean in different ways and their design differs. The tubes connote and create a sense of growth and rising through the building and their different directions of leaning create their sense of floating. They can be simulated to tall trees which have naturally grown through the building and the floating wind has led their branches in different directions.
Through my model, I redesigned the UTS library so that I was able to create a public space with no walls to allow vision to the inside of the building and create a sense of connection with the outside world. Through this model, I tried to explore the concept of a floating object and similarly to Ito create a public space with floating characteristics. I used columns which lean in different directions in different angles to create that sense of floating and rising through each level. In the middle of the building I arranged the columns in a circular motion and growing big as reaching up to create a circular staircase, I designed a glass ceiling above the staircase to not only allow natural light in the building, but also create a sense free space which connotes as to give permission for the columns to grow and rise higher. To also create a better visual image of a floating object I also tried to explore this concept through the structure of the building as well, the building that I designed has four levels, the second level is located forwards and the third level aligns with the first level which creates a sense of movement in the building, and also the ceiling is aligned with the second floor. This creates a floating and moving figure in the building.
Through these iterations, I used paper for my initial experiment and then tried to explore the similar shape and figure with a harder and stiffer material as shown in figure 2, 3 and 4. The model in figure 4 made me want to explore the similar movement and shape through a different figure and shape, which led me to the model in figure 5, after this model I decided to include the concept of ‘A Floating Object’ in the shape and the structure of the building as well. To do this I made two small models of the UTS Library and redesigned the structure of the building to a more round and curved shape. I explored this idea through the use of paper and then experimented it through chopsticks and foam core as shown in figures 5 and 6.
reference
Sveiven, M. 2011, AD Classics: Sendai Mediatheque / Toyo Ito & Associates, Arcdaily, viewed 13May 2018 https://www.archdaily.com/118627/ad-classics-sendai-mediatheque-toyo-ito
My Architecture Moleskino 2010, TOYO ITO: SENDAI MEDIATHEQUE, viewed 14 May 2018 http://architecturalmoleskine.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/toyo-ito-sendai-mediatheque.html
SMT 2014, Sendai Mediatheque, viewed 14 May 2018 http://www.smt.jp/en/
