Competition - Bamiyan Culture Centre
Concept
1. Recipient for multiculturalism
This region is home for large-scale exchanges of people, culture and religions, in the frontier between East and West. Multiculturalism is its main characteristic and the key concept for this project. Assortments of spices sold in local markets are symbols of the richness of culture in this area; this image of spice retailing is the main inspiration for this proposal. Each different spice corresponds to a different setting for the diverse activities inside the building. Visitors to this cultural center stroll across these activities.
2. Harmony with existing landscape
Using soil from this site for the exterior wall and roof, the color of the building merges into the landscape. The building volume is segmented to reduce the visual impact of the building. Its long horizontal shape respects and reflects the shape of the existing plateau.
Site plan
This site consists of a higher part (southwest) and a lower part (northeast). The main part of the building is located on the higher part. Only the performance hall is located in the lower part for allowing a high ceiling height. The rest of lower part is reserved as a future extension area and a sports ground. The building is located at the west edge of higher part from where visitors can enjoy a splendid view. The east part of the higher part is close to the access road and is used for exterior activities and promenade for visitors.
Program
The main entrance of the building is located in the middle of the southeast facade. The main entrance is connected to the reception and to the lobby, which gives access to a tea house. The exhibition space, the research center and the library are located at the left-hand side, and the classroom, the workshop studio, the administration and the performance hall are situated on right-hand side of the lobby. The exhibition space, the classrooms and the tea house are located on the northwest side, which has a splendid view. The administration, the research centre, the workshop studio and the art loading area are at the southeast side, which is close to the access street.
The performance hall is situated at the northwest side, which has lower ground level. It is accessible from the lobby by ramp and stairs. For multi-purpose usage, the seating area of the performance hall is retractable. The observation deck is located on the roof of the performance hall.
The exhibition space is made up of ten spaces between separated courtyards. The proportion of rooms for temporary and permanent collections is variable in these spaces. The exhibition space has access to eleven courtyards and each courtyard can be used for exterior exhibitions. Both interior and exterior courtyards intercommunicate, but each space can be used as an individual exhibition space to create unique ambiences for different objects.
Form and Space
The building is single story, with plenty of round-shape courtyards. This form configuration is applied to the exterior space as well. Courtyards are extensions for the adjacent interior space, for allowing exterior exhibitions. Courtyards also provide outdoor seats for the tea house, exterior classrooms and vegetation. Each courtyard has a different flavor, like spices sold at local market.
The elevation of the building has a horizontally stretched shape with two levels of height. This is the reflection of the elevation of the project site, a plateau with two levels. The volume is fragmentized so that it reduces the visual impact of the long horizontal façade.
A continuous space spreads between curved brick walls inside the building. The gap between bricks on the wall enables exterior natural light to reach the interior. Each room is visually connected through the courtyard, and visitors can have a glance of other spaces.
Exterior space consists of round shape areas with different types of finishing (vegetation, small hill, soil, cement) and a promenade. These round shape areas give a sense of territory for small groups; using several round shape areas at the same time allows larger group activities.
Structure and Detail
The building is prepared for seismic load with reinforced concrete structure. Foundations with ring beams, pillars, beams and slabs are made of concrete. Brick walls fill in between concrete frames (moment frames).
The wall consists of an exterior and an interior layer. The exterior layer is made of bricks, which are a mixture of soil, straw and cement. The soil comes from foundation work, which enables the exterior wall being the same color of the ground, to unify the aspect of building and landscape. This soil-cement brick has 28cm thickness with foaming treatment and it works as thermal insulation. Recycled glass bottles are installed between bricks to allow light into the interior of the building. This avoids excess use of plain glasses, which causes an elevation of construction cost and heat loss.
Interior walls are made of baked brick from Afghanistan. This brick wall supports the exterior soil-cement layer. Above two-meter height, the vertical joints between bricks in the interior layer are open and permit light from the glass bottles of the exterior wall to penetrate.
Sustainability
Solar panels are installed on the roof of the building to realize a self sustainable building. The use of glass is minimized to reduce the heat loss in winter and heat gain during summer. The construction material of the building is brick, concrete, soil and recycled glass bottles which can be obtained in the local market. The concrete and brick structure is a commonly used construction system in this area and local employment is expected for the construction. Rainwater tanks are buried under the higher part of the garden and under the courtyard of the building, to allow using rain water for watering gardens and flushing toilets. Low water consumption plants are selected for the garden. Excavation and back filling of terrain are minimized to reduce construction energy. The soil coming from the foundation construction is mixed with straw and cement and used as exterior thermal insulation brick in walls and roofs.
(Project with Ren Pepe Arquitetos)
1. Recipient for multiculturalism
This region is home for large-scale exchanges of people, culture and religions, in the frontier between East and West. Multiculturalism is its main characteristic and the key concept for this project. Assortments of spices sold in local markets are symbols of the richness of culture in this area; this image of spice retailing is the main inspiration for this proposal. Each different spice corresponds to a different setting for the diverse activities inside the building. Visitors to this cultural center stroll across these activities.
2. Harmony with existing landscape
Using soil from this site for the exterior wall and roof, the color of the building merges into the landscape. The building volume is segmented to reduce the visual impact of the building. Its long horizontal shape respects and reflects the shape of the existing plateau.
Site plan
This site consists of a higher part (southwest) and a lower part (northeast). The main part of the building is located on the higher part. Only the performance hall is located in the lower part for allowing a high ceiling height. The rest of lower part is reserved as a future extension area and a sports ground. The building is located at the west edge of higher part from where visitors can enjoy a splendid view. The east part of the higher part is close to the access road and is used for exterior activities and promenade for visitors.
Program
The main entrance of the building is located in the middle of the southeast facade. The main entrance is connected to the reception and to the lobby, which gives access to a tea house. The exhibition space, the research center and the library are located at the left-hand side, and the classroom, the workshop studio, the administration and the performance hall are situated on right-hand side of the lobby. The exhibition space, the classrooms and the tea house are located on the northwest side, which has a splendid view. The administration, the research centre, the workshop studio and the art loading area are at the southeast side, which is close to the access street.
The performance hall is situated at the northwest side, which has lower ground level. It is accessible from the lobby by ramp and stairs. For multi-purpose usage, the seating area of the performance hall is retractable. The observation deck is located on the roof of the performance hall.
The exhibition space is made up of ten spaces between separated courtyards. The proportion of rooms for temporary and permanent collections is variable in these spaces. The exhibition space has access to eleven courtyards and each courtyard can be used for exterior exhibitions. Both interior and exterior courtyards intercommunicate, but each space can be used as an individual exhibition space to create unique ambiences for different objects.
Form and Space
The building is single story, with plenty of round-shape courtyards. This form configuration is applied to the exterior space as well. Courtyards are extensions for the adjacent interior space, for allowing exterior exhibitions. Courtyards also provide outdoor seats for the tea house, exterior classrooms and vegetation. Each courtyard has a different flavor, like spices sold at local market.
The elevation of the building has a horizontally stretched shape with two levels of height. This is the reflection of the elevation of the project site, a plateau with two levels. The volume is fragmentized so that it reduces the visual impact of the long horizontal façade.
A continuous space spreads between curved brick walls inside the building. The gap between bricks on the wall enables exterior natural light to reach the interior. Each room is visually connected through the courtyard, and visitors can have a glance of other spaces.
Exterior space consists of round shape areas with different types of finishing (vegetation, small hill, soil, cement) and a promenade. These round shape areas give a sense of territory for small groups; using several round shape areas at the same time allows larger group activities.
Structure and Detail
The building is prepared for seismic load with reinforced concrete structure. Foundations with ring beams, pillars, beams and slabs are made of concrete. Brick walls fill in between concrete frames (moment frames).
The wall consists of an exterior and an interior layer. The exterior layer is made of bricks, which are a mixture of soil, straw and cement. The soil comes from foundation work, which enables the exterior wall being the same color of the ground, to unify the aspect of building and landscape. This soil-cement brick has 28cm thickness with foaming treatment and it works as thermal insulation. Recycled glass bottles are installed between bricks to allow light into the interior of the building. This avoids excess use of plain glasses, which causes an elevation of construction cost and heat loss.
Interior walls are made of baked brick from Afghanistan. This brick wall supports the exterior soil-cement layer. Above two-meter height, the vertical joints between bricks in the interior layer are open and permit light from the glass bottles of the exterior wall to penetrate.
Sustainability
Solar panels are installed on the roof of the building to realize a self sustainable building. The use of glass is minimized to reduce the heat loss in winter and heat gain during summer. The construction material of the building is brick, concrete, soil and recycled glass bottles which can be obtained in the local market. The concrete and brick structure is a commonly used construction system in this area and local employment is expected for the construction. Rainwater tanks are buried under the higher part of the garden and under the courtyard of the building, to allow using rain water for watering gardens and flushing toilets. Low water consumption plants are selected for the garden. Excavation and back filling of terrain are minimized to reduce construction energy. The soil coming from the foundation construction is mixed with straw and cement and used as exterior thermal insulation brick in walls and roofs.
(Project with Ren Pepe Arquitetos)
