Architecture and I
Library Persona
a library to discover
When being faced to a huge list of requirements with vast areas, excitement is mixed with overwhelmingness: how is it even possible to combine all of it together, I do not have enough skills, where do I start and all kinds of self-doubts cover the thinking process during the first week. It felt as a puzzle which could never be assembled; spatial fragments which seemed impossible to merge in a coherent architectural story. Looking back to those feelings, I am happy to understand how much I learned throughout the process and how much more confidence was gained when the project was finished.
By the end of the day, statistics of the screen usage showed that in the three days before the deadline I spent 30 hours in Rhino working on the digital model. This, summed up with Photoshop, In-Design and tutoring hours makes about 45 hours of work only in the last three days, which is about 15 hours per day. Only creating the project in Rhino took me 30 hours that week, 20 hours the week before, and 10 more hours earlier. In total, 60 hours for creating the digital model. All these statistics make me happy as I realize that even though the time planning can be significantly improved, I am here for self-growth and just because I love it. This is why I am ready to pull all the infinite number of hours in such a fascinating thing called Architecture.
By the end of the day, statistics of the screen usage showed that in the three days before the deadline I spent 30 hours in Rhino working on the digital model. This, summed up with Photoshop, In-Design and tutoring hours makes about 45 hours of work only in the last three days, which is about 15 hours per day. Only creating the project in Rhino took me 30 hours that week, 20 hours the week before, and 10 more hours earlier. In total, 60 hours for creating the digital model. All these statistics make me happy as I realize that even though the time planning can be significantly improved, I am here for self-growth and just because I love it. This is why I am ready to pull all the infinite number of hours in such a fascinating thing called Architecture.
Introduction.
The assignment, according to the design brief, was to create a vibrant library which would serve as a social heart of Eindhoven, showing its technological nature and representing a welcoming and lively public space. The given location is situated next to the railway at the head of the Van Gen den Loos building, The area which is currently empty is going to be completely renovated and densified according to the project of KCAP, which includes a variety of high-rise buildings in the heart – Fellenoord area – of Eindhoven. Therefore, the project was created based more on a future development of the area than on current situation, addressing the historical value as well as the contemporary value of Eindhoven as the city of Brainport.
According to the design brief, the library had to accommodate a complex program: besides the main, silent and children reading room, it had to include study spaces (auditoriums and study cubicles), meeting rooms, bookshop and exhibition space, creating multiple options not only for work and study, but also for leisure and communication.
As a result, a library with gradual space development was created. Seeing the location as a place where the new and the old intersects, creating a border between high-rise and low-rise buildings, I saw it as the opportunity to have a conceptual gradient – from public to private spaces, which inspired me towards the name and the final idea of the project – the Persona library (which comes from latin as human).
The assignment, according to the design brief, was to create a vibrant library which would serve as a social heart of Eindhoven, showing its technological nature and representing a welcoming and lively public space. The given location is situated next to the railway at the head of the Van Gen den Loos building, The area which is currently empty is going to be completely renovated and densified according to the project of KCAP, which includes a variety of high-rise buildings in the heart – Fellenoord area – of Eindhoven. Therefore, the project was created based more on a future development of the area than on current situation, addressing the historical value as well as the contemporary value of Eindhoven as the city of Brainport.
According to the design brief, the library had to accommodate a complex program: besides the main, silent and children reading room, it had to include study spaces (auditoriums and study cubicles), meeting rooms, bookshop and exhibition space, creating multiple options not only for work and study, but also for leisure and communication.
As a result, a library with gradual space development was created. Seeing the location as a place where the new and the old intersects, creating a border between high-rise and low-rise buildings, I saw it as the opportunity to have a conceptual gradient – from public to private spaces, which inspired me towards the name and the final idea of the project – the Persona library (which comes from latin as human).
Library Persona.
Human library – or library Persona – resembles the way people experience interpersonal communication; we get to know the library as we get to know others. Relation between the library and the site resonates with the idea of us and society: angular, dynamic and lively architectural character is enclosed in organic envelope of artificial curved and leveled landscape.
Three main concepts of the building enhance the core: we see different sides of a person like a cut gem which shines under different angles; main direction axis represents the stem of the character, the spine which holds all parts together. The major concept – the so called Privacy gradient – describes spatial storytelling alluring to human interaction – from the first meeting (the entrance – the most public part) to close friendships (private study cubicles and work offices, located at the top part of the building). lope of artificial curved and leveled landscape.
Human library – or library Persona – resembles the way people experience interpersonal communication; we get to know the library as we get to know others. Relation between the library and the site resonates with the idea of us and society: angular, dynamic and lively architectural character is enclosed in organic envelope of artificial curved and leveled landscape.
Three main concepts of the building enhance the core: we see different sides of a person like a cut gem which shines under different angles; main direction axis represents the stem of the character, the spine which holds all parts together. The major concept – the so called Privacy gradient – describes spatial storytelling alluring to human interaction – from the first meeting (the entrance – the most public part) to close friendships (private study cubicles and work offices, located at the top part of the building). lope of artificial curved and leveled landscape.
The Site Plan.
The site plan was elaborated according to the position next to the residential area and connection with the railways. The dynamic placement of the building serves as a transition from residential to public, high-rise part of Eindhoven, showing the direction via geometry of the library complex. Connection with the landscape is arranged with the curved organic plinth with extra greenery added and planted trees.
The site plan was elaborated according to the position next to the residential area and connection with the railways. The dynamic placement of the building serves as a transition from residential to public, high-rise part of Eindhoven, showing the direction via geometry of the library complex. Connection with the landscape is arranged with the curved organic plinth with extra greenery added and planted trees.
Floorplans.
The transition is further developed in the floorplans: starting with the most public space (entrance) and moving to the more private parts (being the bookshop, cafeterias and exhibition spaces), it relates once again to the analogy of human character. The gradient continues with the change of space to libraries and is connected to the so called study tower via two bridges. Those connect same floors from two buildings, the slope is created by the height differences of stories in each part of the complex.
The building gives the opportunity to get past the reading rooms, study cubicles and offices and reach the rooftop directly via elevators. The rooftop tribunes give the chance to enjoy the view of Eindhoven with its newest deveopements.
The transition is further developed in the floorplans: starting with the most public space (entrance) and moving to the more private parts (being the bookshop, cafeterias and exhibition spaces), it relates once again to the analogy of human character. The gradient continues with the change of space to libraries and is connected to the so called study tower via two bridges. Those connect same floors from two buildings, the slope is created by the height differences of stories in each part of the complex.
The building gives the opportunity to get past the reading rooms, study cubicles and offices and reach the rooftop directly via elevators. The rooftop tribunes give the chance to enjoy the view of Eindhoven with its newest deveopements.
Second quartile of the year turned out to be intense and full of various activities combined with difficult (but exciting) courses.
In the beginning of the project I felt that the task set to us was immensely, disproportionately extensive: we have never done anything like this before, and this meant that it required leaving the comfort zone by diving into a completely different scale of architecture. Now I understand that I can talk about each specific part of the project and stand by its every room, discussing its organizational coherency. What seemed to be impossible in the beginning became a tangible result in the end.
Library Persona is a representation of possible architectural vision of Eindhoven, taking into account future projects and developements planned by KCAP. Furthermore, it creates a meeting point together with comfortable study places, therefore making the never-ending study process more enjoyable and exciting. The Library complex makes use of the site by including landscape, accounts for the need of creating a living center of Eindhoven and becomes a central heart more than just a library. A flow of spaces, a flow of functions, the privacy gradient and the strong unveiling character - all of it enhances its title of resembling a Person, encompassing life within its angular and transparent walls.
In the beginning of the project I felt that the task set to us was immensely, disproportionately extensive: we have never done anything like this before, and this meant that it required leaving the comfort zone by diving into a completely different scale of architecture. Now I understand that I can talk about each specific part of the project and stand by its every room, discussing its organizational coherency. What seemed to be impossible in the beginning became a tangible result in the end.
Library Persona is a representation of possible architectural vision of Eindhoven, taking into account future projects and developements planned by KCAP. Furthermore, it creates a meeting point together with comfortable study places, therefore making the never-ending study process more enjoyable and exciting. The Library complex makes use of the site by including landscape, accounts for the need of creating a living center of Eindhoven and becomes a central heart more than just a library. A flow of spaces, a flow of functions, the privacy gradient and the strong unveiling character - all of it enhances its title of resembling a Person, encompassing life within its angular and transparent walls.
Design process.
Looking back at the design process seems to be the most interesting and exciting part; this is where you get to see how much work is actually put into one project and what did you manage to achieve within these 8 weeks.
Looking back at the design process seems to be the most interesting and exciting part; this is where you get to see how much work is actually put into one project and what did you manage to achieve within these 8 weeks.
After the final presentations of Project 2, we had a fruitful conversation with the fellow students. Once one of them mentioned that studying architecture was easy, the sparkle appeared: all of us started arguing it was not, and the one can barely learn architecture, and that it what makes it exciting. While he compared it to mechanics or mathematics studies and 'you can just see thousands examples of libraries and that is it', we stood by the fact that studying architecture is about a cycle of trying out, failing and trying again. That conversation made me see once again that there are many inspired architecture students around me, who strive to test the limits and go beyond them. While all of us are joking about permanently stressing, being depressed and sleep deprived, and the answer to the question how are you doing is quite often 'I am not', the truth is beneath the mask: we do love architecture. Behind the curtain of apparent negligence and constant tiredness, if you unveil it for at least a tiny bit, you might notice this tremendous love and the feeling of being an inalienable part of this wonderful architecture world.
Hope you enjoyed this architecture student project read,
Hugs,
Julia.
Hope you enjoyed this architecture student project read,
Hugs,
Julia.
