CONTEXT GENERATED ARCHITECTURE: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE CONCEPT OF SYMBIOSIS AND ITS APPLICATION \ o f M o A dissertation Submitted to the University of Moratuwa As Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Architecture 1 2 - O l G.P.K.MEDIWAKE Department of Architecture University of Moratuwa July 1999 71721 ABSTRACT Any product of Architecture should contribute to create a cohesive environment either independently or in combination with other buildings. Especially in the man- made environment of the physical Context, there are accepted rules and guide lines which makes the above relationship stronger that can be identified according to the quality of environment created as harmony and contrast. While the method harmony in Context Generated Architecture strengthens the relationships between buildings, contrast provide an added benefit of richness and variety while also maintaining the cohesiveness of the environment. Apart from that, contrast provides freedom to express the diversified needs and demands of the contemporary situation. But most of the buildings designed to day over express their materials, technology completely ignoring the respect for the Context, creating disordered meaninglessly contrasting environments. In this situation it becomes essential to identify a method which truly provides contrast and at the same time contemporary appearance and still contributes to maintain the Spirit of the Place. This study is an attempt to fulfill this need. The study finds that Symbiosis / Oppositional unity by contrast is a possibility in Context Generated Architecture since some well- known internationally recognized architects have successfully achieved the above task. But nevertheless in Sri Lankan Context although we find compatibility this type of bold attempt is yet to be explored. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In my dissertation I was assisted by my lectures, friends and well wishers. I wish to thank them for their guidance, encouragement, advice and help without which my dissertation could not have been possible. I'm deeply grateful to Dr L.S.R.Perera my personal tutor, year master a veritable source of inspiration providing me with valuable advice, encouragement and guidance. My sincere gratitude for Architect Mohan Silva, Design & Project Management Division, UDA, and Architect Dhammika Peris, Planning Division, UDA who helped me in numerous ways and set me on the correct path in achieving my objective. And my friends Geethika, Priyantha, Thushani and especially Anil for their encouragement. Finally I'm ever so grateful to my mother, uncles Cyril and Maithra for the silent but eloquent services rendered. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF PLATES LIST OF FIGURES INTRODUCTION 1.0 CHAPTER ONE- CONTEXT GENERATED ARCHITECTURE 1.1 THE CONTEXT 1.1.1 The WIDER CONTEXT 1.1.1.1 Geographical Setting of a Town 1.1.1.2.Main Activities & Dominant building types 1.1.2.The LOCAL CONTEXT 1.1.2.1.Street Patterns 1.1.2.2 Urban Spaces 1.1.2.3 Built Scale/ Height of Buildings 1.1.2.4 Building Character 1.1.2.5 Skylines 1.2 THE CONSTITUTES OF THE MAN MADE ENVIRONMENT OF THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT 1.2.1.The FABRIC 1.2.2 The OBJECT 1.2.2.1 Analogy of radiance/ Spatiality of Objects 1.3 COHESIVENESS OF THE MAN MADE ENVIRONMENT 1.3.1 The PRINCIPLES OF GROUPING 1.4 METHODS OF RESPONDING TO THE CONTEXT 1.4.1 Method One: HARMONY 1.4.1.1 The Method of Replication 1.4.1.2 The Method of Unity 1.4.2 Method Two: CONTRAST iv 2.0 CHAPTER TWO- THE CONCEPT OF SYMBIOSIS 40 2.1 THE SPIRIT OF THE PLACE 43 2.1.1 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS to the Spirit of Place 45 2.1.1.1 Physical Features and Appearance 45 2.1.1.2 Observable Activities & Functions 46 2.1.1.3 Meanings & Symbols 47 2.1.2 Context Generated Architecture and SPIRIT OF PLACE 47 2.2 APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPT OF SYMBIOSIS 48 2.2.1 SIZE of the Community 48 2.2.2 PLACEMENT 49 2.2.2.1 Proximity 49 2.2.2.2 Common Enclosure 50 2.2.2.3 Orientation 51 2.3 CONTRASTS IN A SYMBIOSIS 52 3.0 CHAPTER THREE-METHODS OF ACHIEVING SYMBIOSIS/ OPPOSITIONAL UNITY BY CONTRAST 55 3.1 SYMBIOSIS/ OPPOSITIONAL UNITY BY CONTRAST IN BULDING FORM 55 3.1.1 Example One: GRAND LOUVRE PARIS 59 3.1.1.1 Building Form in relation to the Spirit of Place 60 3.1.1.2 Building Form in relation to the Factors of Coherence62 3.1.2 Example Two: THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM NEW YORK 63 3.1.2.1 The Building Form in relation to the Spirit of Place 67 3.1.2.2 The building Form in relation to the Factors of Coherence 65 3.1.3 Example Three: THE EXTENTION TO GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM 66 3.1.3.1 Building Form in relation to the Spirit of Place 67 3.1.3.2 Building Form in relation to the Factors of Coherence 67 3.1.4 Example Four: THE EXTENTION TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ARTS BUILDING 68 3.1.4.1 Building Form in relation to the Spirit of Place 69 3.1.4.2 Building Form in relation to Factors of Coherence 71 3.2 SYMBIOSIS/ OPPOSITIONAL UNITY BY CONTRAST IN MASSING 72 3.2.1 Example One: THE COMMONS AND COURTHOUSE CENTRE 75 3.2.1.1 The Commons & Courthouse Centre in relation to the Spirit of Place and Factors of Coherence 76 3.2.2 Example Two; LIBRARY AND ART GALLERY NIMES 77 3.2.2.1 Library and Art Gallery in relation to the Spirit of Place and Factors of Coherence 78 3.3 SYMBIOSIS/ OPPOSITIONAL UNITY BY CONTRAST IN COLOUR , TEXTURE, MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY 80 3.3.1 Contrast in COLOUR 80 3.3.1.1 Example: New Bank of Ceylon Building, Kandy 83 3.3.2 Contrast in MATERIALS 84 3.3.2.1 Example: The Renania Museum Germany 85 3.3.3 Contrast in TECHNOLOGY 88 3.3.3.1 Example One: Pompidu Centre Paris 90 3.3.3.2 Example Two: Roof Covering - Gal Vihara Buddha Statue Polonnaruwa 92 CONCLUSION 95 REFERENCES vi LIST OF PLATES PLATE 1.1 - A Town located near a river 5 PLATE 1.2- A Town located below hills 5 PLATE 1.3- An Industrial town 7 PLATE 1.4- An Urban Square 8 PLATE 1.5- Local Variation of Architectural style 11 PLATE 1.6" )i I I n 11 PLATE 1,7-Contemporary Situation 14 PLATE 1.8-Neatly Woven Urban Fabric 15 PLATE 1,9A-An Object Building 16 PLATE 1,9-Obstructed Fields of Radiance 17 PLATE 1.10-Tempeitto,Rome 19 PLATE 1.11-Harmony by Replication 25 PLATE 1.12-Repitition of familiar motifs 26 PLATE 1.13-Grindlays Bank 31 PLATE 1.14-Building in unity 32 PLATE 1.15-Building in unity 32 PLATE 1.16-Grand Louvre Paris 36 PLATE 1.17Grand Louvre Paris 36 PLATE 1.18-Piazza del Duomo, Paris 37 PLATE 1.19-Excessive use of contrast 38 PLATE 1.20- Over contrasting buildings 38 PLATE 2.1-Dialouge between two extremities 41 PLATE 2.2-Unique quality of a place 43 PLATE 2.3-Plazzo,Communale,Siena 53 PLATE 3.1-Haggia Sopia Mosque, Istanbul 56 PLATE 3.2-Suleymania Mosque, Istanbul 56 PLATE 3.1a-The Grand Louvre in the Cour Napolian 61 PLATE 3.2a-Orientation of the Grand Louvre 62 PLATE 3.3-The Guggenheim Museum and surrounding 63 PLATE 3.4- The Guggenheim Museum 64 vii PLATE 3.5-The Extention to the Guggenheim Museum PLATE 3.6-Building and the surrounding PLATE 3.7-Elevation towards the old NGA PLATE 3.8-NGA East building PLATE 3.9- An object Building PLATE 3.10-The Commons and Courthouse Centre PLATE 3.11 -The Maison Carrier.Nimes PLATE 3.12-Tonal Variation of colours PLATE 3.13-Dialouge Between the old and the new PLATE 3.14- PLATE 3.15- PLATE 3.16-Cey Bank House Kandy PLATE 3.17-Contrast by Material, Foundation Cartier .Paris PLATE 3.18-Contrast by Material.Wallraff-Richards Museum PLATE 3.19-Renania Museum PLATE 3.20-Contrast in Materials Renania Museum PLATE 3.21 -Correct Degree of Contrast PLATE 3.22-Correct Degree of Contrast, Bank of China PLATE 3.23-Excessive use of Contrast, Remodeled roof top PLATE 3.24-Pompidu Centre and surrounding PLATE 3.25-Elevation of the Pompidu Centre PLATE 3.26-Pompidu Center PLATE 3.27-Gal Vihara Buddha statue PLATE 3.29-Gal Vihara Buddha statue PLATE 3.30-Aukana Buddha statue viii LIST OF FIGURES FIG 1.1- Plan of the Lower Regent Street Lon. 7 FIG 1.2- Built Forms in relation to different Urban Spaces 9 FIG 1.3- Similar Built Scale/Heights 10 FIG 1.4- Skylines of different contexts 12 FIG 1.5- The pleasing Relationships of the Fabric and objects 13 FIG 1.6- • Spatial radiance of objects 17 FIG 1.7- Placement of several objects 18 FIG 1.8 • - A replica Rebuilt 27 FIG 1.9 • - Patterns of the Building Skylines 29 FIG 1.10 - Incorrect and correct application of Unity 30 FIG 1.11 - Contrast in line 35 FIG 1.12 - Contrast in Textures 35 FIG 1.13 - Plan- Piazza del, Duomo 37 FIG 2.1 • • Development on sloping Sites 45 FIG 2.2 • - Pizza del Campo Italy 46 FIG 2.3 • - Oppositional Unity by Proximity 49 FIG 2.4 • - Oppositional Unity by Common Enclosure 50 FIG 2.5 • - Oppositional Unity by Orientation 51 FIG 2.6 • - Indecision by stressing Horizontally in vertical masses 52 FIG 3.1 • • Competitive Equalities 57 FIG 3.2 • • Correct Proportions 58 FIG 3.3 • • Lay Out Louvre Museum 59 FIG 3.4 • • The Cross Section of the Louvre Museum 60 FIG 3.5 • - Guggenheim Museum with the Spiral at the Centre 65 FIG 3.6 • • Lay out map, Washington City 68 FIG 3.7 • - Cross Section through the NGA and the East NGA 70 FIG 3.8 • • Ground Level Plan 72 FIG 3.9 • • Cubic Form treated differently by massing 73 FIG 3.10 - A Building Form treated differently by massing 73 FIG 3.11 - Fagade Study 76 FIG 3.12 - Cross Section 78 ix FIG 3.13 - Massing of the two building Forms 79 FIG 3.14-CrosssectionRenaniaMuseum 87 v 4 4- X