Continuity in Architecture 2022/23

Summary of 3.1. final iteration with sketch interior views.

The timeline summary of design steps in term 1.
Starting from the site analysis, into the programme development, and initial design ideas.

The corner model was made to physically recreate the atmosphere that the building would convey. The open gallery walk can
visibly decrease the sizing of the building because of its glass envelope and allows plenty of the views to the inside
where the artwork would be placed.

Envelope for the Assembly building from Rawson's square

// Experiences :: The explorer //
I created exemplary characters to show how the same building can be seen by different people by route they choose. All the voids the building creates are connected, but just the curious people will find out the other side of the building. The doors are open, will you look inside?
“Urbanism works when it creates a journey as desirable as the destination” Paul Goldberger

// Public seating structure //
One of the most efficient landcape design tools, especially in such sloping site, is stairs. To create them more functional, they would work as a seating in the public realm scheme. To make it accessible, a large ramp and a secondary ramp incorporated in the stair design is installed.

// Material reuse //
As there is a large part of the buildings that will get demolished in order to open the site for public, considerable amount of waste would be created. To reduce the amount of waste, the sandstone bricks from demolished blocks will be reused in the upcoming building.
Wainwright questions: ‘could we continue to make and remake our cities out of what is already there?’ (Wainwright, 2020). He mentions a future where every part of a building would be treated as a temporary service, rather than owned.

// Precedent :: Neue Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart by James Stirling [1984] //
Staatsgalerie is an example used for multiple aspects of the upcoming building. First and foremost, it is planned with narrow paths in between building blocks so that anyone can cross right through the building. Besides, the large gallery glazed wall shows how a space can be inviting just because of it’s materiality and application of it.

// Voids to shape solids //
‘They [the courtyards] make the primary space; the rooms (..) are leftover space’ [Venturi, 1984:80]
Inverted Nolli maps to explore massings and how voids can influence solids. Now, pedestrian street tresholds are more open and inviting, creating a larger overall area as well. There are a few pathways leading to the buidling core- the green atrium. These are for more private accesses, thus created quite narrow and less inviting. Therefore, the building controls the pedetrian flow.

// Iterations :: process and final //
Starting from a simple building divided in two blocks that creates a large pocket for a public square.
Continuing with a connectivity from the public realm to the semi-private atrium through pathways.
Sized down massing according to building programme and planning; developed back of the building so it functions as a square from both sides and is connected in the middle.

// Brainstorm :: Separated yet connected //
Cutting the building in blocks so it creates ‘pockets’ functioning both as public or private square, so both bypassers and building users can enjoy the space properly. Pockets to be connected with narrow pathways.

// Manifesto :: THE VOIDS TO SHAPE THE SOLIDS: GUIDING THE PEDESTRIAN FLOW //
After analysing the site, I came to a conclusion: site G has great potential in becoming a public square for people, for example, it already functions as a pedestrian street, it just needs arrangements in the existing structures.
In the end I ask myself: how to create a multifunctional building in the core of the town, that both accommodates public and private realm? To make the most of it with the experimentation of massing: so it creates different experiences based on the route one chooses to take and the places one chooses to visit

// Window analysis //
Through site walks I noticed the tendency of arched window frames. The tendency can be an inspiration for the fenestration of the upcoming building.

// Serial vision //
Series of site sketches moving from the Darley St, which is full of shops, making it a popular route of how to approach site G. Afterwards, the visions move onto the the Rawson Square, where sandstone architecture and the remaining part of Rawson hotel opens up. The route continues to explore the pedestrian street and the glazed passage of B&M store.

// The first meeting with the site :: An abstract photocollage //
Once entering Bradford, one might notice the elevation towards top of town. Another significant factor is the beautiful sandstone architecture, which it is often constrastly juxtaposed with contemporary commercial structures.
To be built for people, both users and bypassers: what are they looking for in Bradford? There are some things I felt the town is lacking, such as greenery. The top of town would highly benefit from an attraction point in the core of the city, such as a public square for people to take a break or socialize.

The main entrance is chosen to have a visually appealing look, so people are interested to see what more the building brings, thus iterations with possible entrance designs are created.

1 / Melted metal/mirror

The entrance would have melted metal detailing, similar to the precedent of Manchester Library Walkway. Although the mirror effect would brighten the area, the metal would feel colder compared to the exposed timber columns.

2 / Wood triangles

Choosing the same material that the building already has in its design creates a sense of connection. However, it can seem too similar.

3 / Flowing wood

Similarly to the melted metal,the ceiling creates an organic shape and connects with the exposed glulam columns of the building.

4 / Greenery

To further keep the green roofs in relation to the building design, greenery could also be implemented into the interior look of the building. Bringing nature within the building.

Sktech model to show the interior of the created void.

A void would open up the possibilities for larger sculptures and would enhance the idea of a 'open walk'. The building from the outside would seem smaller in scale as a large part of the building is glass.

PS2
The FUSE Institute
A glimpse through. Showing the proposed long section of the FUSE Institute gives an idea to the relationship between spaces and activities throughout. The new additional staircase provides access to the loft floor, circulating around a new sculpture gallery. The combination of both double and single height spaces provides atmosphere, creating appropriate climatic spaces; whether that be acoustics for the performance venue or grandeur for the entrance.

PS2
The FUSE Institute
'the primary task lies in accommodating the program elements of use within this pre-existing form.' Wong. L (2016)
The initial programme is to be defined by the existing constraints of the Church Institute building. From this analysis we were then able to remove with understanding and propose appropriate interventions that consider the public and private interface accordingly and inhabit a programme that works for the FUSE Institute and its new functions.

One of the six pages of Tasklet 7, the material selection. Materials are chosen by examining the existing materials on the site, thus creating building that would fit into the context and celebrate the closer Grade II lister buildings.

The Big Pebble

Movement diagram through the site into the building.

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Fuse Art Space

Mise En Scene

This proposal for FUSE counters the defensive, non-transparent architecture of conventional art institutions. The Northgate 'drawer', when used as a gallery, makes large installations visible from the street. Artwork, performances and events can be experienced even from the public realm of Top of Town.

Reference: Presence / Ebony G Patterson


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Old Dog, New Tricks : The Greyhound Baldachin

The ‘dalmatian’ on the Northgate building is in fact a greyhound that once adorned a beer house called ‘The Greyhound Inn’.

The adjacent building had been the Bradford School of Industry, a Charity School founded in 1807 maintained by public subscriptions. After the Education Act of 1891 brought an end to charity schools (as children could then attend other free schools), the buildings were sold to D.W. Asman, an estate agent, who demolished both the school and the inn and replaced them with the present structures. The greyhound was reerected high above the building between two windows - reflecting the popular practice of preserving artefacts of previous buildings in Victorian architecture.

We think that this interesting part of Bradford’s history should also be experienced from within the building. Hence the idea of transforming one of the windows into an ‘external’ display case.

This gesture subverts the binary of indoor and outdoor spaces. It also partly critiques the ‘museumification’ of historical buildings whose architectural form are rendered 'untouchable'.

We propose to repaint the greyhound sculpture in chrome and house it in a ‘baldachin’ that enriches the architecture of Northgate and acts as a landmark. Curved bricks interface the baldachin with the existing built fabric.



Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Fuse Art Space

Draw the Curtains

The curved frames and geometric floral patterns of the Art Deco stained glass windows facing North Parade are echoed in the new shopfront. Scalloped panels are imprinted with textile patterns from local mills preserved in the Bradford Textile Archive.

The new sculptural architecture establishes continuity with the existing glass-and-metal ornament, as well as Bradford's industrial heritage.


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Fuse Art Space

Draw the Curtains

The curved frames and geometric floral patterns of the Art Deco stained glass windows facing North Parade are echoed in the new shopfront. Scalloped panels are imprinted with textile patterns from local mills preserved in the Bradford Textile Archive.

The new sculptural architecture establishes continuity with the existing glass-and-metal ornament, as well as Bradford's industrial heritage.


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE x Arma
The Anti-Institution

https://youtu.be/sXOvKc5UbYY
https://youtu.be/RQJRxAjVnCc

FUSE (and other independent arts venues of Top of Town) has always been a distinct counterpart to the larger cultural institutions of Bradford Bowl. At its heart is an enriching, engaging environment, where artists take ownership of its space to create visually and sonically rich worlds. This is a constant point of reference in our architectural impressions.

This visualization references Arma Agharta, one of the many artists who left their mark at FUSE.

The pleated acoustic ceiling of Gallery 3 is a kinetic architectural element. The sunshade panels at the ridge can retract to create an enclosed environment for music and film events.


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Gallery 3

Art gallery #3, in the topmost floor of the North Parade block, is geared towards music and film events, so we made it more bright and airy. A new ceiling, defined by pleated panels, brings new interactions of texture and light with the existing stained glass windows and the brick wall. The pleated ceiling has a pair of integrated skylight shade panels that open and close depending on different events. The white timber panels conceal acoustic and insulation layers. In the morning hours, the stained glass windows could cast coloured light to the walls and floors.


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Interiors - Studio Loft (WIP; unfurnished)

Inserting the lightwell allows this space to still receive daylight in the afternoon. The visible roof structure and the spaciousness of this space make it ideal for artists' studio/workshop.

An open plan could allow visitors to freely interact with the artists and their work. The sleeping boxes for artists in residence, each a room-in-a-room, nested between the roof trusses, adds to the charm of this space.

The lightwell’s glass enclosure is integrated to the existing roof trusses. Transom windows nested between the trusses open to facilitate a combination of stack and cross ventilation when they act together with the vent panels of the windows across the room.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space

We want our architectural additions to bring disparate pockets of space into a more complete whole. Within them they are also reminded of their proximity to the city and its natural elements.

The Shelf is the main circulation core; it demonstrates the tectonic junction between the old and the new. Upon arriving at the topmost landing, the visitor is greeted by three planes framing views of the sky and the courtyard. The space is bright, airy and animated with dappled light filtered through the trees. It lends a moment of delight, before the visitor moves into a different atmosphere of the interior rooms.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Courtyard Drawer - interior view

Part of our reuse strategy and our architectural insertions of 'drawers' and 'shelves' is to reintroduce visual and physical connections to the disused courtyard.

Setting views out through the picture window level with the courtyard heightens the sense of being submerged in the ground and surrounded by nature.

The datum from which the floor is lowered is expressed in the junction between the existing brick wall and the concrete base.


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Northgate 'Drawer'

The Drawer as an architectural fragment is the new shopfront facing Northgate. Coming in from the foyer, one catches glimpses of the dining area and the spaces beyond through a long aperture. The base of the Drawer is gently lit, beckoning one to step inside. A slender ledge greets the visitor, and it holds books and artwork. One sees simultaneously the bustling street on the outside and the activities inside FUSE.


Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Maquettes

The three buildings on the site were separately built over time. They partly share loadbearing walls, but are not connected to each other. The courtyard that is surrounded by the buildings stood a desolate and unloved part of the site.

We propose new openings that are structurally reinforced to create physical connections between these buildings, Closer to the ground, the large architectural fragements, the Drawers, help turn the courtyard and the street into more active spaces.

The ground of the art space is sculpted into cascading plinths that lend a continuous movement through all three buildings. At key points it rises to receive the new architectural fragments.

The lightwell channels daylight into the deepest parts of the rooms. The Shelf is articulated as a stack of drawers that make gestures towards the ground and the sky. They are accentuated by a gentle outward curve from the plane of the existing wall.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Principal Section (WIP_crop)

This principal section illustrates how our proposals - the new venue for FUSE and the residential development (PS1) - could enhance the night life and public realm of Bradford’s Top of Town.

Warm lights from the ground floor commercial spaces illuminate the pavements. Diners sitting by the courtyard picture window are offered a view of the lush lit landscape.

People coming onto the studio loft can wonder around the open-plan workstations and display shelves whilst catching views of the sleeping boxes (for the resident artists) nested between the roof trusses.

The voluminous Gallery 3 comes alive with sound, light and motion during music, film and art performances - sometimes all three at once.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Redeveloping Top of Town

The proporal is situated within Bradford’s historical and cultural point of interest (Oastler Square and Rawson Hotel), and also future development (Semi pedestrianized Nutter Square and Pavillion Cafe / Commercial Area from PS1).

The site plan illustrates the buildings of our proposal as fields of potential energy that directs and gathers people. It portrays synergy of the future Nutter Place and informs how our proposal could be part of the public realm.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Concept

A series of insertion improves the connection between interior and the city.

Front Drawer holds large glazing revealing activity within, also opening up to the 360 view from Oastler Square to Cafe Pavillion and bustling activity from John Street.

Side Drawer frames view and draws user to inhabit the space hence
allow them to be closer to nature at the shade garden.

Shelf manages level difference between North Gate block and North Parade block.

Light well at the centre block allows light to wash the existing brick wall, breathing new life on to the old textured wall.

Connectivity

At ground level, sequence of platforms negiotiates the 1.5 fall from North Gate to North Parade. Ramp leads to the North Gate drawer offer viewing point higher than street level. Middle block is lowered below courtyard level.

Moving through the different platforms, series of spaces with compression and release is curated. Openings are framed and controlled to highlight the specific moments in the building, as visitors crossed into different parts of the building.

At upper floors, circulation axis is flanked by light wells and glazing, allows users to register either the textured brick wall or outdoor shade garden space.

Jin Lee
Daryl Law

CiA PS2 Adaptive Resue
Survey : Existing Architecture

NORTHGATE ELEVATION
The Northgate facade is dilapidated - much of the windows are are damaged or obstructed by banners and boards. There is a juxtaposition between the decay of the building and the accretion of objects.

The mismatched proportions of the ground floor envelope and the exposed transfer beam above the passageway indicate the possibility of designing a modern shopfront without compromising the existing building structure.


NORTH PARADE ELEVATION
The most striking (and valuable) feature of the North Parade facade are the Art Deco stained glass windows. These north-facing openings are much larger, most possibly to admit more daylight.

The structural bones of the North Parade block appear to be covered by wooden panels painted in blue, and are showing wear and tear in several spots.

Considering the narrower street space along North Parade, we would propose a modern but more understated shopfront, in a similar architectural language to the Drawer facing Northgate.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Survey : Building Section

NORTHGATE BLOCKS
The blocks constructed with 19th century construction methods: structural cavity wall with timber deck floor.
Roof language suggests it has been adapted to accomodate the wall that separates the two blocks. Therefore we see roof well integrated in the middle block whereas gabled roof are angled in a strange geometry. The North Gate-facing block catches evening light. Despite the openings facaing the courtyard. no evidence of openings on the roof or wall for the middle block, therefore interior is poorly lit.

NORTH PARADE BLOCK
North Parade block is of modern construction methods while retaining the structural front facing wall. Active usage of the space ensures well maintenance of the space.Sky light introduced and small alterations to the facade are made. Abundant sunlight into the spaces promotes active business space and healthy working environment.

THE MIDDLE LANDSCAPE
At a greater spatio-temporal scale, the proposal responds to the ‘middle landscape’ of Northgate/North Parade. The site exists somewhere between peri-urban agriculture and the industrial remnants of urban sprawl. Our transformation of the agglomeration of structures on site could bring to fore their unique quality as thresholds to the city.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

CiA PS2 Adaptive Reuse
FUSE Art Space
Survey : Site Section

The site is flanked by Northgate and North Parade, two of the oldest extant routes into Bradford city centre. As the city densifies, the streets and the buildings facing them have alternated between an extroverted character and being a ‘back-of-house’ space.

The site today has a peculiar juxtaposition of extroverted and introverted character. Oastler Square and the space of Rawson Road (serving Oastler Shopping Centre) are dedicated for public activities, yet the interior space of the disused warehouse building is completely disconnected from this public realm. In contrast, the building facing North Parade has been well used, housing small businesses and a bar-cum-music venue, yet North Parade appears to dedicate more of its space for vehicle parking than people’s experience of walking or idling in the city.

Daryl Law
Jin Lee

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Sensitivity and Recollections
“Transformation is the opportunity of doing more and better with what is already existing... The demolishing is a decision of easiness and short term. It is a waste of many things - a waste of energy, a waste of material, and a waste of history. Moreover, it has a very negative social impact. For us, it is an act of violence”

Lacaton and Vassal, 2021 Pritzker Prize Winner

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Content and Approval
The final stage is to Verify, present your efforts and test the validity of your ideas, whatever you produce, you can deliver and exhibit. Ascend the Institution, just before the Roof Garden you will arrive at the Main Exhibition Hall, its hard to miss, it’s the grandest of space within the Institution, this is where you present, find content, receive approval, sense validation, however, don’t forget that validation is
within, the Institution is more than just a destination to exhibit, it is a place which stimulates the journey of creativity.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Comfort and Privacy
The third stage is to Illuminate, you have gathered all elements, you have prepared and have let your mind wonder, now proceed to create. Descend the Institution, at the rear building opposite the courtyard is the location for the Artist Studios, in here you will
find comfort and privacy, a space for yourself, it’s flexible sliding doors allows you to either isolate or observe, however, and most importantly this is a space to create.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Warmth and Escape
The second stage is to Incubate, plan your distractions and mentally process unconsciously. Explore the Institution, at the highest level you will find the Roof Garden, you will feel warmth even if it’s enclosed, you have escaped the hastiness of the city, you are now free from your thoughts. Up there in the Roof Garden, you should let your mind wonder, let go of any anticipations and experience the space with your full consciousness.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Knowledge and Awareness
The first stage is to Prepare, to compile your knowledge and to accumulate intellectual resources. Head to the Institution’s rear building and you will arrive at the Seminar Hall, it offers an environment where one can construct new ideas, learn from others who are also willing to learn, a space which offers flexibility of use;
from seminars, to lectures, to performances. With whatever use and whoever within, you will leave with a new awareness and perception.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
A Place for All
From Church Institute, to Fuse Institution, the building evolves into a place which serves the community, provides public service, a place in which artists can represent their ideas, escape from reality and let their minds wonder, a building that is more than just a shell. The building is open for all, therefore one should wonder and experience the diverse spaces the Institution offers.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
A Holistic Approach
The opportunity for change and restoration was approached with a certain sensitivity and can be seen with the building’s section. An assertive control and limitation can be seen with the minimal changes and additions that can be seen throughout the building, only proposing major changes where necessary, such as the reinstating
of the roof and the retransformation of the façade. The new FUSE Institution as whole is an act of recollections, an act of respect, an agent for sensitive restoration.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
The Old and New
Creating a clear contrast and distinction between the existing and proposed had always been our overarching approach in constructing the Institution. This approach is highlighted more so in the detailed junction of the roof and how the proposed structures are built and attached around the existing hammer beams. The additions and repetitions of the proposed structure provides a clear intervention,
it does not pretend to be old, it is distinct, it exposes the traces of work from the past and present, it gives new life to what was then a forgotten space.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Reinstating the Roof
Using one of Phillips Robert’s Concepts of Conversion, the reinstating of the roof is approached by building around the assumed existing hammer beam structures. An approach which respects the
existing and creates a space in which the additions becomes a backdrop to the remnants of the past and allows it to be the spatial centre of focus. By building around the existing, a contrast and distinction between the existing and proposed is also highlighted
through their detailed connections, an act of display and discovery.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
A Beacon at Night
In this re-transformation, first,
we traced the grid, the original and the existing,
proposing a proportion which respected the past
and reflected its contemporary context. Then, a new
materiality, the use of polycarbonate façade allows
daylight to flood in, while blocking UV and infrared,
it allows the façade to be open yet provides mystery
to the public from the outside with its controlled
opaqueness. By day it portrays an introverted
architecture, however, by night it acts as a beacon in
North Parade.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Spaces of Intimacy
Through the new additions, we can create new functions. The reinstating of the roof lends itself to be a garden, full of daylight, tucked away from the hustle of the city. The roof garden offers a place to Incubate, to let one’s mind wonder, to imagine, to be intimate with one’s being. It provides a phenomenological experience, where all the senses are in action, from the smell of the plants, the acoustic of the wooden floors, the tactility of the furniture, the taste of air, to the warmth and escape the space provides.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
Exhibit by Night
Phillipe Robert’s use of the term Palimpsest as an architectural concept intends to identify the traces of the building’s past, overlaying its history and alterations within the building’s fabric, then celebrating it. Through the act of layering as forwarded by Phillippe Robert, we were able to fully understand and identify the opportunity for changes and restore the decayed grandeur of the building.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

PS2 Adaptive Reuse
The Artist in Action
A gallery, an art space, a performance venue. The current Fuse Art Space within Bradford
offers a space in which artist can host their exhibitions. However, Fuse has the potential
to be so much more, the potential to be an Institution, to represent the creative product of
Bradford’s multicultural context.

Danito Oledan
Kathleen Karveli

Identity

One of the main focuses in the development of the proposal consisted of defining the identity for FUSE Collective and its appreance on the street frontage.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Performance space

The proposed performance space is located at the first floor, establishes new connections with the streetscape.The large window is dynamic, offering the opportunity to create either intimate perfomances or to leave it exposed, animating the street. When not in used, the stage area is used as gallery space.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Atrium Views

The proposed atrium intends to act as a connecting element both horizontally and vertically within the layout of the building and at the same time mediation between two general atmosphere 'rooms', one on Darley St and the other on Piccadilly St, allowing vantage points that divulge the activities held within the spaces. Viewports are created towards the artefact of the programme, the Vertical Library, reconnecting the visitor spatially.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Tectonic Study - Vertical Library

Through an iterative process the
vertical library and its monolith have
been checked to meet the regulation
standards, enhancing some of the
elements for design purposes. The
stairs that act as a processional route
have railings and ballustrades on both
sides, maintaining a simmetry of design
which is complemented through the
inclusion of ceramic tiles picturing the
ornament developed in the process.
The book shelves have been placed at
a height within reaching possibilities,
following through their expression the
course of the stairs. This is linked to a
‘hit and miss’ principle where towards
the end instead of a shelf there is a
viewport placed, bringing back the rules
established.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Tectonic Study Area

The materiality of the building on
Piccadilly St side is intended to
act as a more industrial approach,
continuing the existing facade typical
to victorian warehouse designs
with metal elements. The contrast
is assured by the colour palette in
the elements, acting as a definitory
principle for the identity of FUSE
occupation.
While the structure is generally preserved,
being complemented only by new finishes
that hide new thermal lines in order to
increase energy performance, elements
such as timber joists and internal existing
walls are maintaned exposed to ensure
a contrast between the new and the old
fabrics. The extension is defined by a
loadbearing timber frame sitting on a
reinforced concrete slab.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Vertical Library

The library is a motif of the proposed building, expressing verticality and providing a clear reference point in the narrative through the building. The proposed massing focuses heavily on Schumacher’s concept of the contrast between the solid and the void. The stairs wrap around a monolith, creating a series of double height spaces, intimate seating
spaces, cross connections and viewports. The form of the monolith changes on all the levels in order to provide functional space on all the levels. Nonetheless, it remains constant to the human eye through the use of materials. Its position allows constant connection with the Darley side through the atrium.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Narrative, connections and atmosphere

‘Architecture, more fully than any other art forms, engages the immediacy of our sensory perceptions. The passage of time; light, shadow and transparency; colour phenomena, texture, materials and detail all participate in the complete experience of architecture. ‘
Holl, S. - ‘Questions of Perception: Phenomenology of Architecture’ (1994)

The section highlights the hierarchy of spaces and the connections established, emphasising the role of light in creating the atmosphere of building as a whole.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Picadilly Elevation

Piccadilly St side takes a similar approach
on activating the ground floor, though
reverted, having columns that act as
an extrusion. The flatter layering of
the facade is therefore complemented
and activate more from the side on
the streetscape, acting as a beacon to
attract the visitors. This treatment is
connected to the extension design, that
follows the grid of the existing elevation
as well, having a slight setback that
does not act as a heavy addition to the
frontage.
The intent of the extension is to mediate
the difference of height between the
adjacent building, acting as a gradient
that complements the streetscape.
An addition to the design is the
petrusion of the existing pitch to insert
a fenestration unit that acts as a seating
bay at the top of the building, creating a
vantage point.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Darley Elevation

On Darley St side of the building the
intent is to maintain as much of the
existing facade, reactivating the ground
floor in order to be more inviting for
the public. Similar to the contemporary
context surrounding the building, the
ground floor treatment follows a similar
rule, acting as a shopfront defined by a
horizontal banner that exemplifies the
identity of the space within.
Rich in ornamental string courses and
fenestration details, the ground floor
takes this pattern which is placed on
opaque panels that act as emergency
exit as well. The first floor window is the
main artefact of the facade, opening to
the streetscape, creating a connection
on two levels between the street and
interal activity.
Extruded signals are placed, working
in relation to the operable mechanism
of the first floor window, giving new
dimension to the facade when looked
at from the side.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Concept

Our aspiration is to create a multidisciplinary art centre that result in connections between individuals. We are addressing the dual aspect of the existing building by establishing cross connections between the two parts, treating them as one. The language of the building is influenced by the characteristics of the urban rooms, respecting the past by maintaining the existing fabric and empasising them through building up a contrast with new materials.
Following up the exercises using sensory words, it dictated the position of the spaces, letting the new functions of the building naturally blend within the existing fabric.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Programmatic Narrative

The atrium ‘breaks’ and connects the two parts of the building in the middle. Gallery can be found at lower floors, taking into consideration ‘quiet’ galleries on Piccadilly and interactive ones on Darley. The studio spaces are allocated on the Piccadilly side, but act as semi private.
The circulation of the types of users were considered, placing the public rooms in closer proximity of the proccesional stairs, while the creative studios, meeting rooms and individual studios are close to the Piccadilly core. Storage spaces for staff are found on all levels.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Atmospheric Collages

Early analysis of the context focused on
capturing the atmosphere defined by the
site and the presence of the facades on
the street frontage. As presented, the
diagrams created through the technique
of a collage aim to capture elements
of materiality, gridlines, symmetry and
particular characteristics of the double
aspect building.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Urban rooms

In PS1 we focused on understanding the city through Khan’s theory about urban rooms. As our building has a dual aspect it makes us wonder: is the building sitting in between “two rooms”? If so, how could the character of the rooms influence our approach? We identified the differences between the two streets by using collage as a technique and by assigning sensory descriptive words to depict the atmospheric phenomena.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Manifesto

The overarching approach guiding the strategy of adaptive reuse for 46 Darley Street focuses on the concept of bringing new meanings to ordinary buildings, complementing the existing fabric with new programmatic functions that draw the attention to the particularities of the plot. While the building is part of a group of blocks in the urban grain, seamlessly being integrated between the adjacent fabrics, the intent is to complement the existing condition with a new purpose that reactivates the built environment and closely interacts with the street realm. Continuity of the purpose is intended to be assured by the adaptability of the old fabric to the contemporary needs, assuring flexibility for possible future changes.

The aim is to preserve and repair the present status of the structure by paying attention to the history of its upbringing and enhancing with new characteristics, all this acting as a bridge in the relationship between the past and the present. This in turn represents an aggregate in its contextual position, repositioning the building as a definitory artefact within the city.

Alexandru Munteanu
Diana Ursachianu

Ground floor plan.
Buildings form a public square that has to be later filled with landscaping to accumulate people.
Longer facade works as a glass gallery, which can be seen from the outside of the building. Reaching art from the outside.

Building connection. In order to create a distinctive enterance that would still seperate BCS and Fuse art gallery, a glass enterance could be implemented as a seperation point between two uses of the building.

Adjecancy diagram showing needed areas in the building and their possible size, overlaping needs. Conclusion, BCS and Fuse art gallery mostly overlap in needs for auditorium and cafe, thus must be placed together.

Editing the view - part B.
Unusual / First iteration was of an oval shape, thus
still maintaining the current two way pedestrian
street. However, the oval shape does not fit
into the wider context.
Pathway / Creating a cluster of buildings that would create
a particular pathway of unusual
forms. However, does not create a public accumulating square.
Cut out / Inspired by the first oval shape, the buidling
is cut out to create a larger gap on the site,
thus creating an enclosure.

Spatial arrangement development.
Seperating the buildings into three seperate masses for each client.
Connecting the buildings, thus creating one larger mass and one seperate. Main goal is to form a public square, thus creating a circular 'cut out'

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

City to the landscape

As a final reflection on the project we completed a painted visual that captures the ethos and key themes of the project yet places our proposal in the wider context of Bradford. It was important for us to return to the first image shown that depicts the city from the fields and landscape that surrounds Bradford looking towards the city. Opposing this, the final image captures a view out to the hills, just past the industrial mills, from the city placing you within its context.

Acrylic on linen paper 410mm x 310mm

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Refining space (1:50 spatial model)

Developing a sectional model expresses this movement between spaces and gives a coherent understanding on how the spaces connect and weave together. As a spatial translation of the section it refines the details of inhabitation in the assignment of spaces in the building, capturing the nature of the act of demolition and creating a new circulation space as fulcrum which, directing people around and between the two separate sides of 46 Darley Street.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Gallery Space: Repeating elements into form

A large part of the design development was the articulation of the roof truss system that would frame the upper galleries and flood light into the spaces below. The trusses had to be lightweight and airy to enable light to pass through but be dense enough to be read as a form or a room. This new intervention would then be place on the existing walls to highlight it lightweight nature.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Attitude to detail: Roof truss iteration models (1:50, balsa)

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Construction sequencing

The construction sequencing for the new building requires firstly an in-depth audit and strategy for controlled demolition before any new ground work and foundations can be added. Once added and existing floors are supported by ackrow props, the new steel between floors can be installed to provide support at the end of the existing floors. Included in this steelwork is central steel staircase, this would be covered to provide protection as construction work continues.

After the steelwork is installed, the roof structure is fitted to ensure the building is watertight before any new finishings are installed. Once watertight, the new floors, new internal walls and finishings can be built. The last section to be built will be the light controlled gallery as the existing yard space will be needed for the aid of construction throughout the process.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Collection of Axo’s: The External Gallery, The Stairwell and The Shopfront

Public entry into the building is accessed through a modest ‘shop front’ entrance. Moving through this space, and into the central space, the dramatic fulcrum space is revealed to the visitor as views up between each floor is observed. The ground floor also makes use of the yard space and roof of the light controlled gallery by providing an external gallery used for different external mediums of producing art such as large scale sculpture and murals.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

The act of controlled demolition: Adapting to create new space

What we also gained from the analysis of Carlo Scarpas Castelvecchio was his controlled use of demolition that allowed the Cangrande space to be revealed to the visitor. It encouraged thoughts on how demolition can be seen as a controlled activity, accentuated to reveal the historic and new interventions in the building.

As such, we took a controlled demolition strategy to understand what spaces we wanted to create through this act. Again, identifying weakness such as light and access in the existing building audit informed many decisions in the act of demolition.

Demolishing such a large part of the existing building was possible due to the disposable and relatively unimportant nature of the building. Not being listed, it provided greater scope what we could demolish.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Splitting Stock: Assigning spaces

The next stage of our process involved splitting and assigning different uses and functions to the existing spaces in the building, alike the process of grading and sorting stock within wool production. We began by analysing each of the spaces and what they provided, much of the decision making was a result in seeing what the building wanted and understanding what space best suited the different functions needed in the art space.

Aiding the decision making, the existing building audit helped ‘grade’ a number of the existing spaces; dark areas such as the basement level could be assigned to ancillary spaces and toilets, upper levels that gave more light were assigned gallery spaces to make use of the flood of light taller spaces the roof provided.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Space as fulcrum: Castelvecchio, Carlo Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa’s Castelvecchio in Verona uses the existing castle to express a knot of different periods of architecture and history in the celebration of the Cangrande space. Scarpa places the Cangrande sculpture to express it’s importance and, through his architectural intervention, creates a fulcrum space. The building allows the visitor to move around the statue through a web of circulation that brings you right up to the artwork.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed

Sheep, Industry and the City: Weaving a space of art production in Bradford
CiA PS2: 46 Darley Street

Inquisition of space: Front and Back

To begin our investigation on a new inquisition of art space in Bradford, we returned to early images of sheep wondering the streets, envisaging 46 Darley Street as one of these sheep within the heard. The exploratory photomontage provoked thought on the public presence of each facade, Darley street providing more welcoming civic presence through its ornament, while the Piccadilly side looked to be the working area, or the ‘back end’ of the building.

Jonathan Barker
Jamie Reed