Toyo Ito, was born on June 1941 South Korea. He is one of the most renowned architecture in Japan. I choose Toyo Ito and his concept floating object as my technique due to his making of architecture. He likes to create and design various structures which provide a sense of contrast between the virtual world and what is physical. And he is a leading exponent of architecture. He tried to address the contemporary notion of a city, in order to create a transparent cultural media centre in which is supported by a unique system to allow near and complete visibility and transparency to the surrounding community.
As Figure 1 shown， the building is a library that called Sendai Mediatheque . The structure of the library has the three main elements: tubes, plates and skin (Ito 2003, p. 11). And the library building just held by thirteen vertical steel columns which to stretch from the ground to the roof. Those elements and adding some natural light represented us an illusion of floatation. He likes the concept that was opposite to the convention, which to create the modern form of the relationship between the structure and human being.
I chose a building surrounding UTS, is UTS tower. This building in where we could be the landmark of city. And that building is my final consideration model that to be selected.
Process
Interactions:
My models were inspired by Sendai Mediatheque. I prepared five iterations to find out the best way to express the concept of Toyo Ito . As Figure 5 shown, I apply Toyo Ito concept to make the three different column models. In other words, for the draft models, I used the UTS Tower structure to develop my models, and think over how can I develop different columns which was a best way to fix the building. In my figure 5, I just focus size, shape and flotation on my design. Firstly, I created two bottoms and each plane has different pattern, which express one column has a floating meanings. Secondly, the middle model has been used by tube materials, because I thought the material was similar to UTS Tower Building in where shows the brutalist architectural styles. It is useful to outstand the contrast between the virtual world and what is physical. Thirdly, I created the distorted and different directions column that can helpful present the floating ideal. However, in my image 6, I used the woody material to created the UTS tower, and I designed the bottom that was stretched from floor to the roof. It can seem look like in the air. Furthermore, I designed one main column to support the whole structure ( Figure 7). Also applied the Omotesando Building(2004) concept which express both the vivid presence of a fashion brand and strength in the cityscape that will withstand passage of time. Therefore, I created the three bottom which exterior was similar to the Omotesando Building. It is strongly presented a sense of flotation.
Final:
Overall, those images are my final model in Figure 8. There is a significant pay more attention to the columns which can support the different floor levels. Firstly, I made this final model, it is the UTS tower. I created a transparent wall which glass wall, because I want to emphasize the building function also attract people’s eyeballs. However, in the building two side, I created 8 classic wood columns to support the whole building structure, due to surface decoration and material contrast of building between front and side.
As Figure 9 shown, I took the outside structure off, because it made the building more expressed the transparence spaces. I focused on two main columns which are different shape, size and function. Then I used the thinnest possible thickness of balsa wood sticks in order maintain transparency within the model. The thin column is for supporting the inner bottom, and the distorted column is for the elevator and stairs. Those columns that I designed them to stretch from floor to the woof. Therefore, people could feel the building has flotation , if they stand the outside the floor to see whole building. Furthermore, I also created the different size and direction bottoms, which just supported by two columns, which can make the building look like more floating in the air. Finally, I add some light to suppose in the evening. It is very conspicuous for appealing people, because the main building exterior is glass , and the bottom is black concrete materials also the light focus on the column. Therefore, the building shows us a strong flotation at night and each element works together to create the illusion of a floating structure.
Reference List
Test:
Itō, T. 2003, Sendai Mediatheque, Edition 1, Actar, Barcelona
Images:
Sendai Mediatheque by Toyo Ito , viewed on 27 August,2017 http://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/uploads/image/attachment/948/full_screen_5379d31_rev.jpg
UTS tower, viewed on 27 August,2017https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTS_Tower
