LITTLE ORDER Reuse of gasometer VASILIKI PANAGIOTIDOU LITTLE ORDER Reuse of gasometer Thesis - Master of Urban Design and Architecture Chalmers University 2015 VASILIKI PANAGIOTIDOU 4 CONTENTS 05. abstract 07. discourse 08-12. context analysis 13. problem identification & conclusion 15-17. references and design tools 18-19. lighting effect experiments 20-21. architectural prototype 23. form development 24-27. lighting system 28-35. spatial classification 36-40. elements in perspective and materials 41-47. physical model theoretical backgroud & research exploring an architectural system proposal 5 CONTENTS PART I. theoretical background & research This chapter contains all the theory that led to the final design, including the research that was made on an architectural sys- tem. In this way, for this project, 6 abstract The thesis project ‘Little Order’ investigates the ways an architectural reformation of an existing building envelop can create an interesting outcome which can be both context and content. The design finds its point of departure at the gasometer- ‘Gasklockan’, the 77 meters tall former gas tower in Gullbergsvass, an area neighbor to the east side of central Gothenburg. The result is a multi-use space of cultural character, a landscape inside the building.The idea starts from preserving the totally closed outer shell of the gasometer. How does the natu- ral light come in? What kind of program could be esta- blished in this conditions? The research is based on the admission that the image of Gasometer tower has to be preserved as an evi- dence of the industrial heritage of the city. How can natu- ral light be introduced in a high and wide space without ruining its shell? The research focuses on the interpre- tation of the optic fiber using mirror cladded shafts. As soon as the light is directed to the place needed, the reflection properties of the glossy materials on the ceiling reflect or diffuse the light in order to be used. The pre- requisite is the curved shape of the ceilings for better diffusion. The design has to deal with the rules the lighting system has set and combine them into an entity that creates a landscape in the building’s envelop. The form of the curved ceilings and floors include also the circulation with ramps and staircases with several routes leading to each space. This landscape includes closed spaces with cultural program. Those are two theatres and auxiliary spaces like workshops and study rooms, a multi-use aula, an exhibition room and an observatory on the top of the building. Between these closed spaces there are several meeting places with natural indirect lighting. The goal of this thesis is to base the whole design on the idea of the indirect natural lighting and use the prerequisites of this idea to its fully potential. Examiner: Morten Lund Supervisor: Kengo Skorick 7 discourse This master thesis deals with the question of how can existing building shells be reused in a creative way. It also pro- poses that by reusing an extant building envelop, further urban development might be triggered in the surrounding area. The word reuse in architecture is a big chapter, however it needs to be explained that this project focuses on preserving the presence of a building in the general image of the area of Gulbergsvass and also generally of the city of Gothenburg. That would mean that the “Gasklockan”, the gasometer of Gothen- burg is one of the last evidences of the industrial heritage of the city and this image is to my opinion what it needs to be preserved, rather than its former use as a part of the gasworks of the city or its value as a historical building. This acceptance offers freedom which allows basically the designer to be experimental and confront the extant shell as a three dimensional space that provides limitations to the possi- bilities of the design outcome. A further discussion would be the possibility of a trigger point of urban development. Designing through experimenta- tion might end up into an innovative settlement that will attract the interest of the citizens to an abandoned area and possibly activate it. 8 9 Context analysis coherent urban web urban discontinuity main street regional street water front INOM NORDSTADEN GULLBERGSVASS STAMPEN OLSKROKEN Gasklockan RINGÖN 10 The gasometer is situated in Gulbersvass, an area of about 1500sq.m. in central Gothenburg. The distance from the city center is only 1km. The area is characterized as an urban void since the built environment is sparce and the free areas are of undetermined character. A big contrast is evident between this area and the neighboring areas of Stampen, Nordstaden, Olskroken which have a coherent urban fabric. The land use in the area is mainly parking lots and open areas. Also the railway infrastructure covers an important part of the area. Gulbersvass used to be a quay on the Göta river. The gas- works of the city opened in this area in 1900 and closed down in 1993. The gas tower is the only evidence of the gas works. 11 waterfront train rails industry 12 1933 1993 1999 2013 The Gasklockan tower is built to work as a gas container, the forth of its kind Operations in the gasom- eter are closed down in 1993 .The area is very attractive, and many pro- posals are being present- ed of what should be done with the plot. One sugges- tion is that the old clock should be demolished and replaced by a residential building with the same shape and character. Gasklockan is a part of the Conservation Pro- gram since it is be- ing acknowledged as a one of the historically interesting places and buildings in the munic- ipality of Gothenburg, a building that pro- motes local cultural identity The demolition petition for the tower is con- firmed by the Municipal- ity even though Gasklock- an is included in the conservation program of Gothenburg city has developed. “An important element of the urban landscape and have a highly industrial- ized and historical value.” 13 Creation of a self-referenced project that applies to the extant and the planned situation Now: a reason to visit the area After: a trigger for urban development problem identification & conclusion 14 PART II. exploring an architectural system The architectural system is developed as much detached from the context as possible. In this way many possibilities can be explored without any restictions from the site. After having ex- plored the system and its full potential, the critiria withdrawn from the context will minimize the outcomes towards the best suited one. 15 problematic- goal: creation of an interior environment by allowing the circulation and diffusion of light The goal of the project is to solve the problematics that an elongated volume creates, by allowing the natural light to travel all along its width. REFERENCES OPTIC FIBER LOW LINE PROJECT references & design tools 16 The initial idea for the development of an architectur- al prototype is to introduce natural light in the gasometer without perferating the outer shell in order to preserve its image in its context, an objective set already from the the- oretical part of the project. The mind is driven to mirrors and its properties of reflection. The project which is used as reference it the LowLine project in New York. The use of mirrors of planar and concaved shape help to gather the natural light of the sun to one concentartion point. That point is the beginning of an optic fiber that leads the concentrated light beam underground to an abandoned tram station of the lower East-side of Manhattan. The end of the cable drives the rays that now are going to almost every angle, on planar mirrors that reflect the light back to a wavy, double curved ceiling, cladded with glossy material. This final stage dis- perses the light in the room creating an environment of indirect lighting as it would be overground. Elements that are being investigated withdrawn from the references are : _The relation between reflection, diffusion and the re- spective spatial qualities _The behavior of the light when meets with different types of surfaces _The variation of an eclosed space and how this affects the behavior of the light All this critiria are being experimented through physical and digital models in order to design the final architectural system. Of course, even though the sun rays are parallel to each other when meeting with the earth, the angle varies depending on the season and the time of the day. In the experiments, this variety is optimized to 10,30,50 degrees to imitate the change the time of the day. 17 18 Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 10deg Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 30deg Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 50deg Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 10deg Reflection / Plane Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 30deg Reflection / Plane Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 50deg Reflection / Plane The interior environment is studied by creating an enclosed space. The boundaries are cladded with material with different properties concern- ing the inclination, the fragmentation of the ma- terial, the degree of reflectivity. All the variations are a result of combining three kinds of “walls” of trapezoid profile. lighting effect experiments 19 Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 10deg Reflection / Plane Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 30deg Reflection / Plane Reflection / Fragmented Concaved - 50deg Reflection / Plane Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved - 10deg Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved - 30deg Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved - 50deg Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved - 10deg Reflection / Plane Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved - 30deg Reflection / Plane Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved - 50deg Reflection / Plane Reflection / Plane - 10deg Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved Reflection / Plane - 30deg Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved Reflection / Plane - 50deg Diffusion / Fragmented Concaved 20 21 Digital means allow the study of compicated situations and multiple settlements for the final result to be determined. Mosquito_plug-in in Grasshopper is the software that calculates with detail the reflection of the ray beam. The architectural protorype that is developed using all the data from the experiments, the physical and the digital ones, a physical model is used to check another time and comprehend even further the effect of the disign on the light behavior. The picture shown on the previous picture shows how the right part of the room is lit from a light beam that would normally not be able to pass alla the obstacles. architectural prototype 22 PART III. proposal The architectural system is interpeted into its elements in order those to be used in the context. This will allow some free- dom to reconsider the design factors through the filter of the context critiria. However the key elements of the architectural system will be the point of departure for the final design. In our case there are the spacial characteristics that divide the system into the vertical/linear part where the light travels and the hor- izontal one where the light is actually used. The materiality is connected to this division. For directing the light, materials with high dergree of glossiness are used such as mirrors whereas in the part that the light is dispersed, slightly more matte materials are needed such as a metallic surface. The spacial key elements are the enlongated shaft where the light rays are concentrated by a concaved mirror to travel towards the perpendicular dirrection. Some of those rays are reflected again to a double curved ceiling. 23 As shown on the previous image, when the system is mul- tiplied there is the potential of creating some symmetry by pre- serving the elements needed for the system to work. By using the same logic of the double-curved top part also for the bottom part of the enclosed space this symmerty can be accomplished. Finally this symmetrical shape is accepting the criteria of the context and that leads to the final design. The final stage indi- cates the distortion of the symmetry by indroducing inclination that could fit with a walkable ramp, variation of hights of the enclosed spaces that on further stage could accept some use. form development 24 Lighting system The lighting system is mainly three elongated volumes, three shafts that run through all the hight of the tower. The light enters the three shafts by the concaved mirror cladded surfac- es that stand on the roof. The roof of the tower is designed in a way that would be interesting for the visitor to explore and understand how the system works. For that reason the roof is possible to visit and plays also its role to the bulding being an observatory for the city’s panorama. The mirrors are put in this way in order to capture the maximum possible sun radiation during the day. Of course, since there is not a mechanical support the variation of the sun radia- tion will be evident in the interion environment during the day, a fact that adds quality to the final lighting effect in the interior. On every shaft, at the points that the shaft interacts with an enclosed space there is an opening where a concaved mirror gathers some of the light and reflects it on the respective ceiling to create the indirect lighting. Depending on the material on the ceiling the effect varies as examined in the research phase with the lighting experiments. 25 26 27 28 29 The whole building is basically consists of three types of spac- es with different properties. There is the movement network, the closed and the open spaces. The movement network is found on the edges of the slabs on both sides - next to the central atrium and next to the out- er shell- and connects all the spaces with each other through stairs, ramps and corridors. The closed spaces are the ones that have cultural use such as theatres, exhibitions. The idea is that since this rooms are closed with wooden planks towards the atrium and glass towards the outer extant shell, the proposed uses will be all these places that by definition work by avoiding the natural light, basically because it is difficult to manage. Finally the open spaces are working as public, between the movement network and the closed one, as spaces for social in- teraction, for exploring the lighting system and how this builing works concerning the indirect lighting effect. spatial classification 30 1 big theatre multi-use aula observatory small theatre section bb’ 31 plan 1 plan 2 a’ a b b’ 32 The plan are free standing, meaning that the visitor is able to wander around each slab. That means that the only elements that divide the spaces are only the ones of the geometry and the vertical elements wich produce the closed spaces as explained previously. The space configuration for the exhibition consists of free standing elements where different pieces are to be exposed. The lighting system as mentioned does not work here, meaning that there is not any outlet for the rays of the shafts as an exposition hall by definition avoids the natural light. The visitor is able to appreciate the material- ity of the extant outer shell of the gas tower through the glass wall that encloses the exhibition hall. The floor follows the global geometry of the design by being inclined making the exhibition to have different altitute and the two sides as moving around in the tower. In that way, going up to meet the observatory as a final destination, the different uses are a part of this journey. The same feature exists also at the enclosed space that the use of a theatre is proposed. Given the need of an aphitheatrical set-up, the room is exploiting the already inclined slab of the global geometry of the design. A 250 seat theatre fits in this enclosed space. The visitors can again have a glimbse to the metallic shell of the gasklock- an through the glass facade. The lighting system is not used neither here as the func- tion of a theatre demands controllable lighting, a fact that does not fit with the variety of the natural light. 33 34 35 observatory exhibition small theatre 2 section aa’ 36 closing volumes slabs elements in perspective & materials concrete wooden planks glass 37 circulation system of indirect lighting extant coating metal concrete mirror cladding 38 The materials of the extant building shell and the new configuration in the inside compliment each other. The main structure, which has its own static system and does not depend on the self-bearing outer envelop, is made of concrete. The three shafts work as pillars and the double-curved slabs connect with them. The shafts are also made by rein- forced concrete and they are cladded with mirrors on the in- side surface. The vertical elements that create the closed spaces are made by wooden planks towards the atrium and from a glass facade towards the outer shell. This facade is curved, bending inwards in order to create a movement indication since the network passed from this kind of situations almost at all cases. The metallic structure, that is reminiscent to the technique of cladding a ship in the beginning of the century, is prominent at all occasions. 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47