zaha hadid maxxi gallery Flashcards
year
2014
processes and techniques used to create
-paper sculptures and sketches
-blueprint devised through computer redered 3D imagrey of sketches
-modern technical means and materials
materials
A limited materials palette – concrete, glass and steel.
use of concrete
*The curved side walls are made from self-consolidating concrete.
*Self-consolidating concrete (SCC), when poured is an extremely fluid mix, flows very easily and strong.
*The use of concrete is significant as a material that the ancient Romans perfected it and used it to shape space. Hadid is thus the inheritor of that tradition.
- Arches are not used in the construction (another Roman invention), as such, but it has a sophisticated curvilinear structure made possible only by the combination of concrete and the invention of the arch by the Romans. And we do see arched openings in the walls of the atrium
what museum is it
italy’s national museum of contemporary art and culture
location
Flaminio neighbourhood of rome: a more modernistic subsection of the classical city
significance of inclusion of a modern building in rome
identifies rome as a centre for modern art as well as ancient architectural innovation- presents progressive nature of archictecture in rome
how does the museum show the progression of art
the first major public museum dedicaed to contemporary art in decades
this buildings inspiration from MINARET AT SAMARA
hadid saw minaret at samara in iraq, creates a ribbion for people to walk up and is geometric
whats her nationality
Iraqi british
Born to an upper-class Muslim family in Baghdad
how would you characterise her style
-gives appearance of fragmentation to constructed buildings
-absence of harmony/symmetricality
-sense of unpreictability and controlled chaos
how does this building reflect the architectural identity of zaha
use of concrete (reference to brutalism)
geometric
alludes ti minaret in iraq
modern design
interior
-concrete curved walls, suspended black staircases, open ceiling allowing natural light
-fluidity of design embodies chaotic fluidity of modern life
-move through museum through ribbons of space (fluid and sinuous) creating the dynamic and interactive space
-geometric
-metal flooring
what does the fluidity of the interior represent
-fluidity of design embodies chaoty fluidity of modern life
how do you move through museum and whats its effect
-inspired by ribboned staircases of minaret at Samara
-move through museaum through ribbons of space (fluid and sinuous) creating the dynamic and interactive space
significance of use of concrete
link to brutalism (shows identity of zaha hadid as a architect)
Exterior
sculptural appearance, reflects function as an art gallery
futuristic and innovative
emphasis on public space (civic and open design and has public square0
what does the facade link to
rows of metalic collums link to st peters basillica in rome showing cultural identity of rome
overhang links to classical portico link in the pantheon
facade
rows of metalic collums link to st peters basillica in rome showing cultural identity of rome
continuous slab of concrete
overhang creates shaded space at entrance. links to classical portico link in the pantheon
low lying horizontal emphasisin keeping with low rise area of Flaminio, rome
3 levels: responsds to layers of history of which rome is built
bending oblong tubes pile over eachother
curved sidewalls
irregular geometries
hard angles on exterior
what does horizontal emphasis reflect
low lying horizontal emphasisi keeping with low rise area of Flaminio, rome
significance of 3 layers
3 levels: responsds to layers of history of which rome is built
how did the guardian describe her curves
*Described by The Guardian as ‘the Queen of the curve’ – liberating architectural geometry and giving architecture a whole new expressive identity.
fluidity of the building
-rejected seperate rooms in traditional museums to create a sinuous path of movement
-created continuity between interior and exterior spaces, rejecting distinction between the two
FEATURES:
*Composed of curved sidewalls – creating a sweep of the buildings.
The building is a composition of bending oblong tubes, overlapping, intersecting and piling over each other.
-concrete curved walls on interior
-The visitor is moved to and through the museum via ribbons of space.
Flows and pathways overlap and connect in order to create a dynamic and interactive space.
Made up almost entirely of fluid and sinuous forms.
how do people move around the gallery
-The visitor is moved to and through the museum via ribbons of space.
Flows and pathways overlap and connect in order to create a dynamic and interactive space.
Made up almost entirely of fluid and sinuous forms.
colours of interior
*Warm greys of concrete combined with silvery greys of the metal flooring. This then juxtaposes the blacks and the whites.
how is the space illuminated
*A glass roof floods the spaces with natural light, filtered between the roof trusses. These latter elements reinforce the linearity of the spatial system and assist the articulation of the various directions and overlappings of the gallery spaces.
fragmentation of building
she has been categorised as a major figure in architectural Deconstructivism:
-gives the appearance of a fragmentation of a constructed building.
*Characterised by an absence of harmony, continuity or symmetry.
*A sense of unpredictability and controlled chaos.
FEATURES
*Asymmetrical and Irregular fenestration
-The building is a composition of bending oblong tubes, overlapping, intersecting and piling over each other.
-curved sidewalls are juxtaposed by irregular geometries and Hard angles on exterior
-Entering the atrium, the main elements of the project are evident: concrete curved walls, suspended black staircases,
-Entire interior space is a contrast between wonderful curvilinear ribbons and strict rectilinear geometries.
how do rectilinear geometries exist in the interior
*Entire interior space is a contrast between wonderful curvilinear ribbons and strict rectilinear geometries.
*These rectilinear geometries exist in the walls with the blocks of concrete, in the stairs, and in the concrete beams – that almost read as blades along the ceiling.
staircase
-lit by white light underneath
-They bend, but they also double back, creating sharp angles.
-Inspired by Corbusier with the ramps and sloping floor encouraging movement throughout the building
use of ramps to create flowing movement
how does it recall a baroque church
*It is about spectacle, display, seeing and being seen. It has something in common with a Baroque church, where the art is not always the centre of attention, and some of it may not be very good, but the totality is what counts.
influence of modernism
Influence clearly drawn from Modernism (Le Corbusier), Constructivism, and even the work of early 20th century painters such as Malevich.
zaha hadid quote on fragmentation
“a new fluid kind of spatiality of multiple perspective points and fragmented geometry, designed to embody the chaotic fluidity of modern life”. (Zaha Hadid)
how is its function as an art gallery represented
*It is sculptural, reflecting the building’s function as an Art Gallery
how is weightlessness created
*Elevated (‘floating’)
*A sense of weightlessness, which is remarkable considering that it is an almost unbroken slab of concrete.
effect of emphasis on public space
*Emphasis on public space – no steps that raise the building: Civic and open
FEATURES
-A large public square in front of the museum designed to host art works and live events.
-no steps that raise to the building
-A huge overhang creates a shaded space at the entrance, a much-warped version of a classical portico, such as the Pantheon perhaps
-A pedestrian walkway follows the outline of the building
classical features
-The façade is made up of rows of metallic columns that remind us of Bernini’s piazza of St Peter’s basilica
-A huge overhang creates a shaded space at the entrance, a much-warped version of a classical portico, such as the Pantheon perhaps
how does it recall transport infrastructure
*Resembles a piece of massive transport infrastructure.
how is identity of rome reflected
-3 layers
-use of concrete: *The use of concrete is significant as a material that the ancient Romans perfected it and used it to shape space. Hadid is thus the inheritor of that tradition.
- Arches are not used in the construction (another Roman invention), as such, but it has a sophisticated curvilinear structure made possible only by the combination of concrete and the invention of the arch by the Romans. And we do see arched openings in the walls of the atrium
-classical references
-in keeping with modern and horizontal enphasis of the flaminio neighbourhood
-fragments of the origional barracks on the site remain
quote of maxxi gallery as an urban cultural hub
“I see the MAXXI as an immersive urban environment for the exchange of ideas, feeding the cultural vitality of the city.” (Zaha Hadid)
site on a military compound significance
The site of the new museum was that of a disused military compound, the former Caserma Montello. The MAXXI design addresses the question of its urban context by maintaining an indexicality to the former army barracks. In this way the centre is more like a second skin to the site. Some fragments of the original barracks remain, part engulfed by the new structure.
reaction
Even before completion, the project of the MAXXI was subject to criticism, both for its location which was considered marginal and too far from the city centre, and for its form, judged self-referential and inappropriate for a museum, although admittedly fascinating.
