Transcript Vikas Gore - HCIS3AEP2013

What are the qualities that make up a good
building?
• According to the Roman
architect, Vitruvius, a good building
should satisfy the three principles of:
– Durability: it should stand up robustly and
remain in good condition.
– Utility: it should be useful and function well
for the people using it.
– Beauty: it should delight people and raise
their spirits.
“If you can't take criticism,
this is not the kind of job to
work on.”
Vikas Gore
The Esplanade:
Two rounded envelopes over the primary performance
venues provide the dominating legible form. These are
lightweight, curved space frames fitted with triangulated
glass and a system of champagne-coloured sunshades that
offer an optimised tradeoff between solar shading and
panoramic outward views. The result provides filtered
natural light and a dramatic transformation of shadow
and texture throughout the day; at night the forms glow
back onto the city as lanterns by the bay. The project’s
Y-shaped composition addresses adjacent civic spaces at
the heart of downtown Singapore — the Padang green, old
City Hall and High Court on the main axis, as well as the
Marina Square development and the public waterfront
promenade encircling Marina Bay.
Source: http://www.dpa.com.sg/projects/esplanade/
• What prompted the spiky "durian" look?
Mr Gore explained that the triangular
sunshades came about because he
wanted to protect the building from the
sun, yet allow lot of views outside.
Source:
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090417135860.html
• To design the exterior sunshade screen, we drew
inspiration from things the properties of the structural
geometry itself as well as elements from nature
such as sunflowers, fish scales, the patterns of a bird's
feathers etc. Such elements in nature also feature
geometry that appears repetitive but changes slowly
over the subject. Traditional Asian buildings also
inspired us, ranging from "jali" screens in medieval
South Asian architecture to the woven mat walls in
Southeast Asian buildings.
Source:
http://www.oocities.org/shinyeesiek/vikas.htm
House with woven mat walls
Jali screens in Indian architecture
• How has the design of the Esplanade evolved since it
was shown in 1994?
• The structure and the form of the design we showed in
1994 were more geometric and angular. The main
structure of the cladding was supposed to run vertically
up and down. Over the months however we intentionally
shaped the structure into its present softer form,
presenting a more organic looking building. The
curves of each of the shells offset the rich texture of the
external aluminium sunshade layer. On the other hand, I
feel that the shapes help lend the project a sense of
tranquility and is typical of some traditional Asian
architecture.
Source:
http://www.oocities.org/shinyeesiek/vikas.htm
• How do you incorporate Asian elements in your design?
• We tried to design a building that is Asian, without being
traditional. One doesn't need to have a Chinese roof or a
Minangkabau roof to be Asian. It is possible to be
modern, yet still very Asian. Besides the exterior
sunshade screens, the inspirations for which I mentioned
before, the whole design concept of the building is
philosophically close to traditional Asian architectures. If
you look at the a lot of traditional architecture in Asia,
with some exceptions, one sees a strong base or floor
with a roof design that aspires to be light and is
made of fairly light materials and is almost
decorative in form. The achieving of a balance between
solid and delicate elements is a common thread in much
of Asian architecture.
Source:
http://www.oocities.org/shinyeesiek/vikas.htm
"An architect can play a major role in serving
society and community. The spaces that
an architect creates for his client within
and between buildings can inspire one's
spirit. Nearly every architect has the
ambition to create well-designed
buildings.”