MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology Lisbon Portugal by Amanda Levete Architects
The MAAT - Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, which opened its doors to the public in 2016, presenting itself as a new cultural centre in the city of Lisbon. The MAAT represents an ambition to host national and international exhibitions with contributions by contemporary artists, architects and thinkers. A space for debate, critical thinking and international dialogue, which offers an intense and diverse programme conceived for all audiences and ages.

The MAAT also represents the EDP group’s intent to help revitalise the riverfront of Belém’s historic district. Designed by the prestigious British architecture firm Amanda Levete Architects, the project involves approximately 3.000 m2 of exhibition space plus 7.000 m2 of public space. The new building rises on the riverfront with an architectural narrative that is sensitive to the city’s cultural heritage and future, offering, among other features, a pedestrian roof that offers a privileged view of Lisbon and the Tagus, and which immediately became an iconic location. With this proposal, the EDP Foundation has created a unique space in the city: a campus measuring 38,000 m2 where the new building, with its cosmopolitan design, coexists with the iconic Tejo Power Station dating back to the early 1900s.The Tejo Power Station has been modernised, maintained its dedication to science and provided four galleries for the MAAT programming. The two buildings are united by an outdoor park, conceived by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovik, offering an outstanding leisure space along Lisbon’s riverbank.

The pedestrian route on the riverfront now includes the roof of the new building, creating an undulating movement which merges with the surrounding landscape. In this way, the pedestrian roof, which also has a garden area, becomes both a crucial element of the local route, and a public space with a privileged view of the city and the river. The vast south facade is the building’s most iconic feature and it works as a large reflector interacting with the light coming from the river. The angle and position of the tiles were planned in order to create specific luminous effects according to the time of the day and year. The north facade, built in glass, includes a system with different levels of transparency which can be adapted to the different uses of the space. Inside, the building holds four exhibition spaces: the Oval Gallery, the Main Gallery, the Video Room and the Project Room.

Tags:   MAAT Museum Art Architecture Technology Amanda Levete Architects modern cultural centre city Lisbon Portugal riverfront Belém historic district national international exhibition space contemporary artists pedestrian roof Tejo Power Station tile facade WPDObjects

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Court Zwolle, Zwolle, The Netherlands – architect: De Architekten Cie – project architect Rob Hootsmans – 2004-2013.
The design consists of a newly constructed building (16,420 m² gross floor area + a two-story underground car park) and renovation of the existing building (11,725 m² gross floor area). The new building will be located next to the existing building, and it will adjoin the historic canal of Zwolle at a crossroads of many directions and routes. The client and user found it important to give the expansion a transparent and accessible character, based on the statement "The Administration of Justice is at the centre of society, the Administration of Justice belongs to society". The design for the new building was created based on the demand for a new, timeless whole with a clear distinction between new and existing parts. In order to connect to the sculptural volume of architect Jo Kruger, a strong relationship with the surroundings had to be created: the contours of our design for the new building are determined from an urban planning point of view by directions and borders, heights and even the positions of trees.

The construction of the new building is characterized by a classic organization into three parts: a closed pedestal, a public part surrounded by columns and a cornice with a restricted working area. The public layer will consist of a double-height floor encircled by a public waiting area, hearing rooms, council chambers and a library. Finally, the upper layer will consist of three restricted floors with offices for the staff of the judiciary and the Public Prosecution Service. The construction principle, installation concept and the use of materials for the interior are determined for each layer according to its function. In contrast with the closed and inward-facing character of Kruger's building, the new building is highly transparent and emphasizes the public character of the court. For instance, the public waiting area is orientated towards the surroundings, and thus forms a part of the city. The facade of the new building will be made of glass. The facade is pulled around the building like a pleated skirt, thereby creating a crenulated structure. A fragmentary reflection of the surroundings can be seen in the facade. The "pleats" will vary in height, and their depth is derived from Kruger's natural stone facade, creating formal coherence with the existing structure.

Tags:   Court Zwolle Architekten Cie Hootsmans modern architecture justice building public offices glass facade

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Court Zwolle, Zwolle, The Netherlands – architect: De Architekten Cie – project architect Rob Hootsmans – 2004-2013.
The design consists of a newly constructed building (16,420 m² gross floor area + a two-story underground car park) and renovation of the existing building (11,725 m² gross floor area). The new building will be located next to the existing building, and it will adjoin the historic canal of Zwolle at a crossroads of many directions and routes. The client and user found it important to give the expansion a transparent and accessible character, based on the statement "The Administration of Justice is at the centre of society, the Administration of Justice belongs to society". The design for the new building was created based on the demand for a new, timeless whole with a clear distinction between new and existing parts. In order to connect to the sculptural volume of architect Jo Kruger, a strong relationship with the surroundings had to be created: the contours of our design for the new building are determined from an urban planning point of view by directions and borders, heights and even the positions of trees.

The construction of the new building is characterized by a classic organization into three parts: a closed pedestal, a public part surrounded by columns and a cornice with a restricted working area. The public layer will consist of a double-height floor encircled by a public waiting area, hearing rooms, council chambers and a library. Finally, the upper layer will consist of three restricted floors with offices for the staff of the judiciary and the Public Prosecution Service. The construction principle, installation concept and the use of materials for the interior are determined for each layer according to its function. In contrast with the closed and inward-facing character of Kruger's building, the new building is highly transparent and emphasizes the public character of the court. For instance, the public waiting area is orientated towards the surroundings, and thus forms a part of the city. The facade of the new building will be made of glass. The facade is pulled around the building like a pleated skirt, thereby creating a crenulated structure. A fragmentary reflection of the surroundings can be seen in the facade. The "pleats" will vary in height, and their depth is derived from Kruger's natural stone facade, creating formal coherence with the existing structure.

Tags:   Court Zwolle Architekten Cie Hootsmans modern architecture justice building public offices glass facade

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Clouds

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Legislative Assembly Chandigarh, India - Architect: Le Corbusier
The Parliament or Legislative Assembly (1955) was designed as a large box with the entrance portico on one side, concrete piers on the other, and a repetitive pattern on the façade. Sculptural forms on the roof, a dramatic ‘funnel’ top light over the Assembly, and a tilted pyramid over the Senate chambers completed the composition. The Assembly Hall has a square plan. The Assembly chamber, in the form of a hyperbolic shell, is surrounded by ceremonial space. This circulation space is planned as a dimly lit, triple height, columned hall for informal meetings and discussions. The side of the hall facing the high court has a great portico and has eight thin piers. These piers frame a view of glimpses of the Shivalik Hills. A ceremonial pivoting door is placed in an off-centre bay of the portico. Le Corbusier was inspired by the form of the cooling towers of a power station near Ahmedabad. The architect designed the hyperbolic shell of the Assembly chamber with a base diameter of 39.6 m. This shell is 38 m and terminates in an oblique section with a metallic framework at the top. This framework directs the interplay of natural and artificial lighting, ventilation, and acoustics. The hyperbolic shell is only 15 cm thick, which helped in reducing the cost and the weight of structure. The Assembly chamber has a seating capacity for 252 persons. Additional galleries are provided for ladies, journalists, and officials. Acoustical treatment has been given to the Assembly Chamber to modulate and control the sound levels by providing sound absorbing panels in bright colours and random curvilinear shapes. The Council chamber, with a capacity of 70 seats is crowned by a pyramid, which admits light from the north into its interior. A ladies gallery with 90 seats, a men’s gallery with 104 seats, and a press gallery with 24 seats are also provided in this chamber. Staircases, lifts and ramps provide various means of circulation and access to different levels of the building. The construction of the entire structure is in exposed reinforced concrete.

Tags:   Legislative Assembly Chandigarh India architecture Corbusier corbu Parliament portico Sculptural forms roof pyramid offices pool beton brut rough concrete[x] brutalism

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