Barajas Airport

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Campbell

Last week I was in Madrid for 4 days.

It isn’t too surprising that the first piece of ‘local’ architecture I experienced was the relatively new Terminal 4 at Barajas-Madrid Airport.

Actually completed in 2004 the new Terminal along with it’s associated Satelitte terminal were not opened until 2006.

The terminal was designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers, and like a number of recently completed airports has an amazing sense of space.

One thing I found particularly interesting once I started researching the airport is that it was the Worlds 11th Busiest Airport in 2008 – something I found hard to believe as it was a virtual ghost town the day I arrived. Though more surprising was the fact that in the last 24 months I have passed through 10 of the top 13 busiest airports!

A couple of side notes:

My camera has a panaramic function but no sticthing software (work that one out!) So I searched the Internet and found AutoStitch – which I used to compile the picture above (make sure you open up the full image) The image is actually constructed of 14 photos with the righthand end having two rows of images. I was amazed to fine AutoStitch managed to compile them all together automatically – I didn’t even need to assemble them in a rough order!
The architecture of the airport interested me to the extent I wanted to see how effectively I could model it in ArchiCAD with some of the Tools we develop – check out the results here.

Segovia Architecture

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Campbell

Following on from my Saturday morning in Madrid I was taken to Segovia.

Segovia is an ancient village about an hour north west of Madrid, through the mountains (yes through a 3.3km tunnel in the mountains)

The village has an extremely rich history including

An amazing viaduct from roman times (Acueducto Roman) built late first century A.D. – 958 metres long, 28.1m high – Declared a national monument in 1884
An impressive cathedral (Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion y de San Frutos) begun in 1525 and consecrated in 1768
And, an ancient fortress and later a royal palace (Alcazar) built in the 12th century.

From an architectural point of view, the buildings feature a huge array of amazing plaster work. The buildings also feature an interesting anomaly… upside down Spanish roof tiles! The roof is first waterproofed and then the tiles are laid upside down so they can hold the snow…

Madrid Architecture

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Campbell

On Saturday morning I found myself with a little spare time in Madrid so went for a long walk and captured a variety of pics featuring some of the local Architecture – including the Caixa Forum.

Herzog & de Meuron in Madrid

Posted on September 7, 2009 by Campbell

The Caixa Forum in Madrid, Spain is a post modern art gallery which was designed and constructed by Swiss Architects Herzog & de Meuron between 2001-2007.

The gallery was built by taking an unused industrial building, hollowing it out and effectively suspending it. Additional floors clad in rusted steel were also added.

The underside is remarkable and obviously hides significant stucture holding the brick clad building up. The negative detailing between the steel and brick work adds to the overall effect of disconnection.

Next to the museum is an art installation of a vertical garden.

Unfortunately I had very little time when I visited so was unable to view the Richard Rogers exhibition inside. I did however get to witness Rogers major work in Madrid – Terminal 4 at Madrid Airport – but that is the subject for a future post.

NZ Building Consent Process

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Campbell

I was checking through the NBR Online the other day (no not the paid subscription – you can read here, here and here what Lance Wiggs has to say about that!) and I came across this article that caught my eye.

Now getting a Building Consent is one of the most frustrating parts of any building project. Over the years with leaky buildings and such, the process has become more involved, rigorous, costly and longer!

Apart from the fact that changes are being made the comments at the bottom of the article interested me most:

building act need IT solution

the solution here has been stareing all and sundry in the face.get the companies office to build the department of building ( local councils) an internet site which is interactive, where the whole design process is online and the client attaches their plans.

While the idea misses the mark a little the concept behind it is incredibly sound – don’t just dabble with the current processes but take a completely new look at it.

Changes to the way buildings are designed and constructed is the business I am in and I have been involved both directly and as an advisor in projects trying to encourage these changes.

Without wanting to ‘pigeon hole’ them a couple of my customers, Predefine and Bisco, are looking at addressing this issue, with a commercial and residential focus respectively.

On the other hand these changes are nothing new, the Singapore Government implemented an ambitious project that involves code checking of intelligent 3d building models (ie BIM Models.)

Frank Lloyd Wright… in Lego

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Campbell

Yes that’s right.

As I just outlined on Twitter some people have too much time on their hands. Case in point this person who loves his Lego creations:

The Lego version contains 9000 bricks, most of which are in the base and the stream. And at present, although the house is more or less complete, I have not yet installed the stairs leading to the stream from the main terrace. It provided several problems that I’ve yet to sort out. But apart from that the house is finished. Reviews are appreciated. Many thanks.

Also announced last year Lego themselves are also bringing out an Architecture Series in partnership with Adam Reed Tucker of Brickstructures Inc.. Soon to be released are a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright Sets.

Maltese Architecture #2

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Campbell

Well the conference finished and I still had another day in Malta, so today we headed off to Valletta.

The streets were amazing, everything is so incredibly dense but it doesn’t seem crowded in anyway just extremely historic.

Today was the first day I’ve ever seen an elliptical dome which was simply amazing!

The architecture is mostly Baroque but also includes some Neo-classical and Modern Architecture.

Malta / Maltese Architecture

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Campbell

My travels this time have taken me to Malta for Graphisofts International Partner Conference.

After last year only just arriving at the conference a couple of hours before it started, this year I decided to arrive a couple of days early to avoid the stress.

Yesterday two of my Swedish friends and I set off on a mountain bike around the island. We didn’t actually do a complete circuit but certainly saw an enormous part of the island.

Fortunately for me, having not been on a bike for a couple of years, the Maltese drive on the left so all I had to worry about the pot holes. However as an British ex-pat said

The British drive on the left, the Europeans drive on the right and the Maltese drive in the shade.

So there were a few hairy moments!

Anyway check out the photos below:

Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Campbell

As a first year architecture student 15 years ago one our History of Architecture papers was to profile an international Architect.

All 90 of us in the class had to profile a different architect, so the day the list went up for us to select our architect was quite chaotic!

Many people in the class, including myself, were keen to profile the Finnish-born Eero Saarinen.

Today I received an email from AutoDesSys the makers of FormZ announcing a new 3D modelling program called Bonszai3d that has just been launched as a BETA. The email then had a feature on Saarinen’s TWA Terminal at New York’s JFK that has been modelled for an exhibition on Saarinen.

Checkout the Model of this amazing building designed 50 years ago.

Checkout the Eero Saarinen Exhibition.

When I look back on my studies and see where technology and software have come over the last 15 years, I can’t help but think but I could do if I was studying architecture today.

Incidentally, I wasn’t quick enough to signup to profile Saarinen, however, keeping with the Nordic theme I profiled Sigurd Lewerentz, one of the two architects of the Stockholm Woodland Cemetery:

BMW Welt

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Campbell

Yesterday I finally got to visit the BMW Welt – Situated next to the BMW Production Plant, Headquarters and Museum the Welt is the Showcase for all things BMW. (Welt is the German word for World.)

However the Welt is more than that, is is also the winner of the Production Category in the World Architecture Festival Awards 2008. (The same awards that Patterson Associates were in – just a different category.)

The story of the Welt Design Competition I think is fantastic:

275 architecture firms submitted tenders for the BMW Welt, and the jury’s decision was unanimous. The winning design was by Professor Wolf D. Prix and the Viennese architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au.

As a student, Professor Prix attended lectures by Professor Karl Schwanzer, the architect of the BMW headquarters – the so-called 4-Cylinder Building – and the BMW Museum. On one occasion, Professor Schwanzer’s lecture was interrupted as there was a call for him. When he came back he said to his students: “Today is like Christmas for me – I have won the BMW Tower!” Exactly 30 years later, Professor Prix was giving a lecture in Vienna himself. This lecture was also interrupted: “You have won the BMW Welt competition!”

The museum was absolutely incredible and well worth a visit – even if you are not into cars!

Check out the Satellite View in Google Maps to see what BMW paint on the roof of their circular museum – though I warn you it isn’t too surpising!

Note: I apologise for the photo quality as I only had my phone with me! For better images and also design sketches and plans check out the BMW Welt Website.

Campbell Yule

Architecture + Business + Software…

Category Archives: Architecture