EXPLORING THE STRUCTURE – REWORKING THE PLAN

EXPLORING THE STRUCTURE – REWORKING THE PLAN

The Health and Well-Being Centre houses three principle activities; the basketball court, the swimming pool, and the amenities and strength/cardiovascular areas, and each of these activities required a different type of space that is defined by a different type of structure. Devising these spaces and their enclosing structures was my first step (See: Images: ‘A’).

Just as important as accommodating the three activities, is this building’s urban design role (See: Images: ‘B’). It must ‘ground’ The Bender, it must invigorate and promote movement and activity along the waterfront, and it, because of its prominent location, must make a positive architectural contribution to Geelong and the DDI.

Sheltering the pool and the basketball court were my architectural departure points, but they and their structures still needed to be synchronized with the amenities areas and with the waterfront (See: Images: ‘C’). This is the challenge that I have been attending to this week (See: Image: ‘D’). For help in solving this design’s last fundamental problem –solidifying the architecture’s three aspects with an act that also fully integrates it into its immediate urban context. For help I have been looking at these three case studies in particular;

- FOA, Yokohama International Port Terminal (2002): It has a park-like top level which is used by locals, along with its internal circulation ramps, as an extension of their City.

- Mecanoo (Francine Houben), Library – Technical University, Delft (1993-1998): It also has a large, grass ramp/roof that makes a soft-landscaped public space where there would otherwise be a massive building/obstacle.

- James Stirling, Staatsgalerie New Building and Chamber Theatre, Stuttgart (1977-1983): Stirling emphasized both the urban design quality of this project and the quality of its architectural design. He ‘cites’ historical, formal concepts, using them in new ways. Most pertinent to the DDI Well-Being Centre is Stirling’s use of a large ‘Drum’ that is central to the project and acts as an entry, a statement, a passage, a courtyard and garden, and as the project’s major organizing principle.

I am now at Image ‘F’ and I am using aspects of the above three schemes to help me to integrate the Well-Being Centre into the DDI spatial-fabric and to give it its own vivid spatial rhythm.