Learning from... Caracas
Venezuelan law allows for an entity called the consejo communal (communal council), which empowers citizens to initiate local development projects through neighbourhood-based elected councils. Dario Azzellini and Oliver Ressler’s film, Comuna under construction (2010), begins with the story of a poor hillside community in Caracas as its inhabitants decide whether they(...)
Paul-Desmarais Theatre
8 May 2014 , 6pm
Learning from... Caracas
Actions:
Description:
Venezuelan law allows for an entity called the consejo communal (communal council), which empowers citizens to initiate local development projects through neighbourhood-based elected councils. Dario Azzellini and Oliver Ressler’s film, Comuna under construction (2010), begins with the story of a poor hillside community in Caracas as its inhabitants decide whether they(...)
Paul-Desmarais Theatre
Project
AP198.S1.1997.PR02
Description:
Project records document the design process for OCEAN North’s competition entry for the Jyväskylä Music and Arts Centre in 1997. The project was titled Terra Cultura by OCEAN North. The international competition called to create a multi-usage space that would include a venue for the symphonic orchestra, a music school, exhibition spaces, and the possibility to host a variety of small cultural events in the Finnish city of Jyväskylä. The proposed site is in the center of the town, across the street from the Jyväskylä city church and its park, and nearby buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. OCEAN North’s concept presents a topological surface as an extension of the surrounding urban scape with two masses that would host the formal functions of the building (concert hall, music school, exhibition halls). The two volumes, or raised blocks, are divided along a diagonal elevated space, which is the extension of the ground’s topological surface filled and dubbed “Liquid Flow Space” by the design team. In their interview with Greg Lynn, Johan Bettum and Kivi Sotamaa mentioned that the idea for Jyväskylä was that it was a cloud. Digital files, in particular, show the process to achieve the projected design. Drawings provide views of streamed particles and of resulting peels. They also include plans, elevations and axonometric views of the structure. Most files are raster or vector images, likely saved from CAD software. A few files are in CAD formats such as Microstation, 3D Studio and form*Z. Digital files also present sine wave analysis and resulting charts for each component of the program. The analysis and charts present the relationships between various components of the building’s program such as the Art Museum, the Concert Halls, the technical space, and the Common facilities. These files are raster images and spreadsheets. Photographs of the site in Jyväskylä and of models built by OCEAN North were digitized and are included with the digital working files. Physical drawings are chiefly floor plans for the building, but also include sections and sketches. Finally, project files include photographic prints of two built models. One of these models, a small model of the conceptual masses of the building structure, is itself in the archive. Photographs show the model in the context of a city scape model. The second model, not part of the archive at CCA, was built at a bigger scale and was an intricate cardboard and wooden stick structure. Sources: Softspace: from a representation of form to a simulation of space, Edited by Sean Lally and Jessica Young. London, New York: Routledge, 2007. Greg Lynn, ed. Archaeology of the Digital 17: OCEAN North, Jyväskylä Music and Arts Centre, Montréal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2017. ePub.
1997
Terra Cultura – Jyväskylä Music and Arts Centre, international competition entry
Actions:
AP198.S1.1997.PR02
Description:
Project records document the design process for OCEAN North’s competition entry for the Jyväskylä Music and Arts Centre in 1997. The project was titled Terra Cultura by OCEAN North. The international competition called to create a multi-usage space that would include a venue for the symphonic orchestra, a music school, exhibition spaces, and the possibility to host a variety of small cultural events in the Finnish city of Jyväskylä. The proposed site is in the center of the town, across the street from the Jyväskylä city church and its park, and nearby buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. OCEAN North’s concept presents a topological surface as an extension of the surrounding urban scape with two masses that would host the formal functions of the building (concert hall, music school, exhibition halls). The two volumes, or raised blocks, are divided along a diagonal elevated space, which is the extension of the ground’s topological surface filled and dubbed “Liquid Flow Space” by the design team. In their interview with Greg Lynn, Johan Bettum and Kivi Sotamaa mentioned that the idea for Jyväskylä was that it was a cloud. Digital files, in particular, show the process to achieve the projected design. Drawings provide views of streamed particles and of resulting peels. They also include plans, elevations and axonometric views of the structure. Most files are raster or vector images, likely saved from CAD software. A few files are in CAD formats such as Microstation, 3D Studio and form*Z. Digital files also present sine wave analysis and resulting charts for each component of the program. The analysis and charts present the relationships between various components of the building’s program such as the Art Museum, the Concert Halls, the technical space, and the Common facilities. These files are raster images and spreadsheets. Photographs of the site in Jyväskylä and of models built by OCEAN North were digitized and are included with the digital working files. Physical drawings are chiefly floor plans for the building, but also include sections and sketches. Finally, project files include photographic prints of two built models. One of these models, a small model of the conceptual masses of the building structure, is itself in the archive. Photographs show the model in the context of a city scape model. The second model, not part of the archive at CCA, was built at a bigger scale and was an intricate cardboard and wooden stick structure. Sources: Softspace: from a representation of form to a simulation of space, Edited by Sean Lally and Jessica Young. London, New York: Routledge, 2007. Greg Lynn, ed. Archaeology of the Digital 17: OCEAN North, Jyväskylä Music and Arts Centre, Montréal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2017. ePub.
Project
1997
archives
Level of archival description:
Fonds
Arthur Erickson fonds
AP022
Synopsis:
The Arthur Erickson fonds documents the work and activities of Canadian architect Arthur Erickson between 1947 and 2002 (predominant dates 1963-ca. 2000). It comprises architecture projects records with three hundred ninety-seven projects by Erickson / Massey, Arthur Erickson Architects and Arthur Erickson as a design consultant are documented with drawings, photographs, textual documents and other material. It also includes project administration records, records from Erickson's Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver offices, records related to Erickson's professional activities, material related to some of Erickson's student projects, and personal papers.
1947-2002 (predominant 1963-2000)
Arthur Erickson fonds
Actions:
AP022
Synopsis:
The Arthur Erickson fonds documents the work and activities of Canadian architect Arthur Erickson between 1947 and 2002 (predominant dates 1963-ca. 2000). It comprises architecture projects records with three hundred ninety-seven projects by Erickson / Massey, Arthur Erickson Architects and Arthur Erickson as a design consultant are documented with drawings, photographs, textual documents and other material. It also includes project administration records, records from Erickson's Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver offices, records related to Erickson's professional activities, material related to some of Erickson's student projects, and personal papers.
archives
Level of archival description:
Fonds
1947-2002 (predominant 1963-2000)
DR1987:0027
Description:
- During the moving of the obelisk, Fontana issued two prints, DR1987:0026 and DR1987:0027. The first (DR1987:0026), was published in March 1586 just prior to the lowering, and distributed with a companion tract by Filippo Pigafetta. It shows both the original and final positions of the obelisk as well as the device proposed by Fontana for its transportation. This involved the use of a twin timber tower (the castello, as it was called, is seen in the central portion of the print) that was erected on either side of the obelisk and was used for lowering and raising the monolith. The second (this print) appeared in August, during the raising, and showed the lowering of the obelisk, as it had occured in late April, with a detailed inventory of all the men and horses involved in the operation. The transportation was begun on 30 April and was completed on 10 September, according to Fontana's description of the process in his book, 'Della trasportione dell'obelisco vaticano' of 1590, a work illustrated by Bonifazio and Guerra, the two artists responsible for the execution of these prints.
architecture, engineering
published August 1586
The lowering of the Vatican obelisk
Actions:
DR1987:0027
Description:
- During the moving of the obelisk, Fontana issued two prints, DR1987:0026 and DR1987:0027. The first (DR1987:0026), was published in March 1586 just prior to the lowering, and distributed with a companion tract by Filippo Pigafetta. It shows both the original and final positions of the obelisk as well as the device proposed by Fontana for its transportation. This involved the use of a twin timber tower (the castello, as it was called, is seen in the central portion of the print) that was erected on either side of the obelisk and was used for lowering and raising the monolith. The second (this print) appeared in August, during the raising, and showed the lowering of the obelisk, as it had occured in late April, with a detailed inventory of all the men and horses involved in the operation. The transportation was begun on 30 April and was completed on 10 September, according to Fontana's description of the process in his book, 'Della trasportione dell'obelisco vaticano' of 1590, a work illustrated by Bonifazio and Guerra, the two artists responsible for the execution of these prints.
architecture, engineering
DR1987:0026
Description:
- During the moving of the obelisk, Fontana issued two prints, DR1987:0026 & DR1987:0027. The first (this print), was published in March 1586 just prior to the lowering, and distributed with a companion tract by Filippo Pigafetta. It shows both the original and final positions of the obelisk as well as the device proposed by Fontana for its transportation. This involved the use of a twin timber tower (the castello, as it was called, is seen in the central portion of the print) that was erected on either side of the obelisk and was used for lowering and raising the monolith. The second print (DR1987:0027) appeared in August, during the raising, and showed the lowering of the obelisk, as it had occured in late April, with a detailed inventory of all the men and horses involved in the operation. The transportation was begun on 30 April and was completed on 10 September, according to Fontana's description of the process in his book, 'Della trasportione dell'obelisco vaticano' of 1590, a work illustrated by Bonifazio and Guerra, the two artists responsible for the execution of these prints.
architecture, engineering
March 1586
Plan, Elevation, and Perspective of the Castello Used in the Transportation of the Vatican Obelisk; and Views of the Original and Final Location of the Obelisk
Actions:
DR1987:0026
Description:
- During the moving of the obelisk, Fontana issued two prints, DR1987:0026 & DR1987:0027. The first (this print), was published in March 1586 just prior to the lowering, and distributed with a companion tract by Filippo Pigafetta. It shows both the original and final positions of the obelisk as well as the device proposed by Fontana for its transportation. This involved the use of a twin timber tower (the castello, as it was called, is seen in the central portion of the print) that was erected on either side of the obelisk and was used for lowering and raising the monolith. The second print (DR1987:0027) appeared in August, during the raising, and showed the lowering of the obelisk, as it had occured in late April, with a detailed inventory of all the men and horses involved in the operation. The transportation was begun on 30 April and was completed on 10 September, according to Fontana's description of the process in his book, 'Della trasportione dell'obelisco vaticano' of 1590, a work illustrated by Bonifazio and Guerra, the two artists responsible for the execution of these prints.
architecture, engineering
Learning from... Chisasibi
A conversation between artist Thomas Kneubühler and filmmaker Ernest Webb, who explore housing and human migration in a small town on the eastern shore of James Bay. The conversation will be moderated by Alessandra Ponte. Taking the hydroelectric installations in Northern Quebec as his cue, Kneubühler documents how the generation of power touches the land and by extension(...)
Paul Desmarais Theatre
25 October 2012 , 7pm
Learning from... Chisasibi
Actions:
Description:
A conversation between artist Thomas Kneubühler and filmmaker Ernest Webb, who explore housing and human migration in a small town on the eastern shore of James Bay. The conversation will be moderated by Alessandra Ponte. Taking the hydroelectric installations in Northern Quebec as his cue, Kneubühler documents how the generation of power touches the land and by extension(...)
Paul Desmarais Theatre
Series
AP193.S1
Description:
Series 1, Water Flux and Scrambled Flat, 2002-2010, documents the conception and evolution of a project that was originally a farm building and later became a geology and glaciology museum and research center focused on the Swiss Alps. The project was never realized. R&Sie(n) conceptualized Scrambled Flat as an experimental farm. The project goal was to reconcile European Union’s agricultural regulations, imposing a separation between animal and human living, to the community of Évolène traditional way of living, contiguously with animals, benefiting from the resources they offer. As conceived, Scrambled Flat creates an environment where fluidity between the existence of the animals and the humans is materialized. The size of the form is also adapted from a typical local rural house and exploits the heat of the animals and the insulation of the hay. For this project, R&Sie(n) approached the mayor of the community with the design proposition. The mayor then called for a competition, while also changing the program to an ecology museum and research center illustrating the local effects of global warming and the thawing of the Alps. R&Sie(n) won the competition with Water Flux, a reinterpretation of Scrambled Flat. The project was intended to uncover and exorcise the anxieties of ecological disaster, and the principle of flux related to seasonal change and, more broadly, climate change. The firm designed rooms that reproduce the geological and meteorological environment of the high mountains making it visible and experimental, offering refrigerated spaces for art installations and scientific demonstrations. The concept was also to build with the use of new technologies such as digital modelling, point scanning, and computer numerical control (CNC), combined with ancient local knowledge of knocking on trees to decide which specific pines have the best wood for construction. The building is designed to be constructed with local lamellar wood milled by nearby CNC. The resulting parts would be used for the structure, the insulation, the waterproofing and both the interior and exterior finishes. The design includes a grille wrapping the building, reproducing the profile of traditional houses and enclosure and making it possible to hold the snow inside a typo-morphological imprint. Therefore, the transformable envelope of the building reacts to the rhythm of the seasons. In the winter, the structure would appear like a solid cut-out of ice and snow, with cavities similar to those found in glaciers. In the summer, it would resemble piles of stones used in these areas to make borders. A small pool would collect rainwater and supply it to an interior artificial snowmaking system designed for the gallery. Transformation of the water is an integral part of the design. The records contain images of plans, sections, details for the structure of the façade, renderings, plans of the engineered structure, and photographs documenting the conception of the models with the CNC machinery. The Rhino 3D modelling files are also part of the records along with AutoCAD models and a video documenting the process. The records contain two physical models: a smaller polymer model at 1:20 scale representing the whole structure of the building, and a larger 1:1 latch wood fragment representing detail of the structure in its integrality.
2002-2010
Water Flux and Scrambled Flat
Actions:
AP193.S1
Description:
Series 1, Water Flux and Scrambled Flat, 2002-2010, documents the conception and evolution of a project that was originally a farm building and later became a geology and glaciology museum and research center focused on the Swiss Alps. The project was never realized. R&Sie(n) conceptualized Scrambled Flat as an experimental farm. The project goal was to reconcile European Union’s agricultural regulations, imposing a separation between animal and human living, to the community of Évolène traditional way of living, contiguously with animals, benefiting from the resources they offer. As conceived, Scrambled Flat creates an environment where fluidity between the existence of the animals and the humans is materialized. The size of the form is also adapted from a typical local rural house and exploits the heat of the animals and the insulation of the hay. For this project, R&Sie(n) approached the mayor of the community with the design proposition. The mayor then called for a competition, while also changing the program to an ecology museum and research center illustrating the local effects of global warming and the thawing of the Alps. R&Sie(n) won the competition with Water Flux, a reinterpretation of Scrambled Flat. The project was intended to uncover and exorcise the anxieties of ecological disaster, and the principle of flux related to seasonal change and, more broadly, climate change. The firm designed rooms that reproduce the geological and meteorological environment of the high mountains making it visible and experimental, offering refrigerated spaces for art installations and scientific demonstrations. The concept was also to build with the use of new technologies such as digital modelling, point scanning, and computer numerical control (CNC), combined with ancient local knowledge of knocking on trees to decide which specific pines have the best wood for construction. The building is designed to be constructed with local lamellar wood milled by nearby CNC. The resulting parts would be used for the structure, the insulation, the waterproofing and both the interior and exterior finishes. The design includes a grille wrapping the building, reproducing the profile of traditional houses and enclosure and making it possible to hold the snow inside a typo-morphological imprint. Therefore, the transformable envelope of the building reacts to the rhythm of the seasons. In the winter, the structure would appear like a solid cut-out of ice and snow, with cavities similar to those found in glaciers. In the summer, it would resemble piles of stones used in these areas to make borders. A small pool would collect rainwater and supply it to an interior artificial snowmaking system designed for the gallery. Transformation of the water is an integral part of the design. The records contain images of plans, sections, details for the structure of the façade, renderings, plans of the engineered structure, and photographs documenting the conception of the models with the CNC machinery. The Rhino 3D modelling files are also part of the records along with AutoCAD models and a video documenting the process. The records contain two physical models: a smaller polymer model at 1:20 scale representing the whole structure of the building, and a larger 1:1 latch wood fragment representing detail of the structure in its integrality.
Series
2002-2010
Learning from... Mexico City
Arturo Ortiz Struck describes the boundaries of formal and legal building in the context of Mexico:“In order to build a critical view of the production of space and architecture in this environment, we should start from two fundamental premises. The first considers that spaces reflect who we are, and they express our cultural ways and how we unfold in everyday life. The(...)
Paul-Desmarais Theatre
10 May 2012 , 7pm
Learning from... Mexico City
Actions:
Description:
Arturo Ortiz Struck describes the boundaries of formal and legal building in the context of Mexico:“In order to build a critical view of the production of space and architecture in this environment, we should start from two fundamental premises. The first considers that spaces reflect who we are, and they express our cultural ways and how we unfold in everyday life. The(...)
Paul-Desmarais Theatre
archives
Level of archival description:
Fonds
Myron Goldsmith fonds
AP032
Synopsis:
The Myron Goldsmith fonds consists primarily of 30.4 metres of textual documents, including notebooks, research and reading notes, travel journals, documentation files, correspondence, sketchbooks and personal and office papers. There are also 2,800 original drawings and prints, 10,000 photographs and slides, and 5 architectural models. The material ranges in date from c.1933 to 1996. In shedding light on Goldsmith's student years and working career, the fonds' rich collection of documents also provides material on activities in the architectural profession, architectural education, and architectural and engineering theory and building techniques through the 1940s to the 1990s.
1933-1996
Myron Goldsmith fonds
Actions:
AP032
Synopsis:
The Myron Goldsmith fonds consists primarily of 30.4 metres of textual documents, including notebooks, research and reading notes, travel journals, documentation files, correspondence, sketchbooks and personal and office papers. There are also 2,800 original drawings and prints, 10,000 photographs and slides, and 5 architectural models. The material ranges in date from c.1933 to 1996. In shedding light on Goldsmith's student years and working career, the fonds' rich collection of documents also provides material on activities in the architectural profession, architectural education, and architectural and engineering theory and building techniques through the 1940s to the 1990s.
archives
Level of archival description:
Fonds
1933-1996
Project
Generator
AP144.S2.D100
Description:
File documents Generator, an unexecuted project for the Gilman Paper Company, at the White Oak Plantation, in Yulee, Florida. After an initial investigation Cedric Price proposed a complex that could accommodate company activities, cultural events, and artist residencies and would provide "a menu of items for individual and group demands of space, control, containment and delight. A place to work, create, think, and stare." ('Architectural Review', Jan. 1980, 16). The design called for timber-framed structures with variable infill panels and cladding, along with screens, to be placed on a grid of concrete pads by cranes with the help of computers in response to users' needs. Conceptual, schematic and design development drawings show grid placement, site layout, landscaping, designs for cubes and components, proposed activities, axonometric views, and design notes with sketches. Development sketches, site plans, and charts include site analysis examining future growth, activity charts, shadow study plans, and axonometric details. Drawings of the structures include: plans, elevations, details, and perspective views for cubes, screens, and cladding; shadow studies for cube variations; and axonometric views of cube arrangements. Other drawings include: site plans and sections; landscaping and parking layouts; plans for circulation patterns; drawings for boardwalks; and electrical and drainage plans. Charts study design validity, activities, networks, project feasibility, component life-cycle, and cube and component placement/construction sequencing. Computer generated printouts by John Frazer, et al show perspective views of cubes from various viewpoints. Two sets of annotated reprographic copies show details for a typical cube and the foundation. Presentation and publication materials include: photographs and reprographic copies of design models; coloured reprographic copies of computer parts and facilities; a coloured air-brushed rendering of cubes and screens by "Jeremie '77"; two perspective renderings; and reprographic copies made from published material. Some material in this file was published in 'Building Design', 23 February 1979; 'Building Design', 9 November 1979; 'Architectural Review' (January 1980), 16-17; 'L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui', December 1980; 'Techniques et Architecture', December 1980; 'Design', January 1981; 'New Scientist', 19 March 1981; 'Schemes: Cedric Price' (ex. cat.; London: Waddington Galleries, 1981); 'Cedric Price-Works II' (London: Architectural Press, 1984), 90, 92-97. Material in this file was produced between 1959 and 1995, but predominantly between 1976 and 1980. Main consultants for Generator in the United Kingdom include Felix J. Samuely & Partners, consulting engineers; Baker, Wilkins and Smith, quantity surveyors; John Frazer, computer modelling and systems; Sandy Brown Associates, acoustic consultants. Main consultants in the United States include Marvin Boutwell; Law Engineering Testing Company as consulting engineers; and WTCA; Robertson Ward Jr., as architects. Computer printouts in group DR1995:0280:538-552 in Generator (AP144.S2.D100) are attributed to John and Julia Frazer, Art and Design Research, Ulster Polytechnic and the Department of Architecture, Liverpool Polytechnic. Some material in group DR1995:0280:567-576 is attributed to Felix J. Samuely & Partners. File contains conceptual drawings, design, development drawings, presentation drawings, photographic materials, boxes, an artefact, models, and textual records.
1959-1995, predominant 1976-1980
Generator
Actions:
AP144.S2.D100
Description:
File documents Generator, an unexecuted project for the Gilman Paper Company, at the White Oak Plantation, in Yulee, Florida. After an initial investigation Cedric Price proposed a complex that could accommodate company activities, cultural events, and artist residencies and would provide "a menu of items for individual and group demands of space, control, containment and delight. A place to work, create, think, and stare." ('Architectural Review', Jan. 1980, 16). The design called for timber-framed structures with variable infill panels and cladding, along with screens, to be placed on a grid of concrete pads by cranes with the help of computers in response to users' needs. Conceptual, schematic and design development drawings show grid placement, site layout, landscaping, designs for cubes and components, proposed activities, axonometric views, and design notes with sketches. Development sketches, site plans, and charts include site analysis examining future growth, activity charts, shadow study plans, and axonometric details. Drawings of the structures include: plans, elevations, details, and perspective views for cubes, screens, and cladding; shadow studies for cube variations; and axonometric views of cube arrangements. Other drawings include: site plans and sections; landscaping and parking layouts; plans for circulation patterns; drawings for boardwalks; and electrical and drainage plans. Charts study design validity, activities, networks, project feasibility, component life-cycle, and cube and component placement/construction sequencing. Computer generated printouts by John Frazer, et al show perspective views of cubes from various viewpoints. Two sets of annotated reprographic copies show details for a typical cube and the foundation. Presentation and publication materials include: photographs and reprographic copies of design models; coloured reprographic copies of computer parts and facilities; a coloured air-brushed rendering of cubes and screens by "Jeremie '77"; two perspective renderings; and reprographic copies made from published material. Some material in this file was published in 'Building Design', 23 February 1979; 'Building Design', 9 November 1979; 'Architectural Review' (January 1980), 16-17; 'L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui', December 1980; 'Techniques et Architecture', December 1980; 'Design', January 1981; 'New Scientist', 19 March 1981; 'Schemes: Cedric Price' (ex. cat.; London: Waddington Galleries, 1981); 'Cedric Price-Works II' (London: Architectural Press, 1984), 90, 92-97. Material in this file was produced between 1959 and 1995, but predominantly between 1976 and 1980. Main consultants for Generator in the United Kingdom include Felix J. Samuely & Partners, consulting engineers; Baker, Wilkins and Smith, quantity surveyors; John Frazer, computer modelling and systems; Sandy Brown Associates, acoustic consultants. Main consultants in the United States include Marvin Boutwell; Law Engineering Testing Company as consulting engineers; and WTCA; Robertson Ward Jr., as architects. Computer printouts in group DR1995:0280:538-552 in Generator (AP144.S2.D100) are attributed to John and Julia Frazer, Art and Design Research, Ulster Polytechnic and the Department of Architecture, Liverpool Polytechnic. Some material in group DR1995:0280:567-576 is attributed to Felix J. Samuely & Partners. File contains conceptual drawings, design, development drawings, presentation drawings, photographic materials, boxes, an artefact, models, and textual records.
File 100
1959-1995, predominant 1976-1980