Richard Meier itswledgments ture, and this gave me the opportunity to reflect on {ideas and aspirations thet brought us to where we are ‘two-room apartment where I lived and worked. now, thirty-five years later, I realize that the projects the realized buildings. But I also see that the impor- that the process king of space, there is always a concern for the way in e public nature of a place is defined in human terms, and that there must always be an emphasis on the character e. In responding to society’s needs, one must be con- ‘constructing a physical fabric that is equally durable, and architecturally vibrant. 1 years have passed since volume one of my monograph was d, where the first discussion I had with my children, Joseph regarding “what is white?” was included. This has been ng dialogue with them that has taken on a life of that they are in or about to be in college, it i time that tinue this discourse individually, in whatever way is best ‘of the last eight years, since volume two was published, evolution of ideas, and ofa vocabulary in architecture, -year involvement in the design and construction | otennticaleribsseyte waar pampaieey oes F005 of those ideas, which have evolved in both the built and unl work. It isa reflection of the work of many talented and dedicated people who have worked with me for years in the most responsible and conscientious manner, their efforts being of consummate quality My appreciation goes to Lisa Green, who was the master organizer of this book; to Massimo Vignelli the visionary director and chef du graphic design; to Abigail Sturges, the outstanding person responsible for the final layouts; and to Rizzolis editors, who carefully corrected and oversaw this third volume. And finally, wish to thank Kenneth Frampton, the most articulate architectural critic of our generation, and Joseph Rykwert, the peerless historian, architect, and teacher; and the ingenious architect Arata Isozaki, who understands as well ax anyone I know the relationship betweer. practice and theory. All of you, most importantly, are my very dear friends who share with me this eventful and fulilling time in architectural discourse at the close of the millennium. Richard Meier New York December 1998ontents 7 in the Later Work of Richard Meier neth Frampton 12 and Projects 54 tion and Assembly Building 56 City Hall and Central Library 76 im 96 Paper Mills Headquarters 116 ‘of Contemporary Art 134 nk Building 182 Research Center 196 lical Center 208, Platz Master Plan 260 & Radio 276 Postscript by Arata Isocaki 424 Biographical Chronology 426 Selected Bibliography 438 Phowographers 443 Collaborators 444rretace Architecture is a social art, It is concerned with the quality of life, land this concer must find form through the nature of our work. At best the architeot possesses an innate ability to transcend fu going beyond the superficial attributes to express our human concems poetically threugh space and 1 rial fon, Subject to history and to the neverending interplay between inter- pretation and innovation, architecture also remains an opportunity y If we are to create new and meaningful places only a sense of our common tions but also a feeling for the traditions ‘our society stems. Our cities are in a constant state of evolution, AIL of us are part of changing urban patterns that affect ‘our work, play, commerce, communication, and travel. That is why it is so essential for us to relate architecture and urban design 0 ime: to the problems of eeonomie and social deprivation, to inadequate housing, and to the concomitant loss of freedom in the broalest possible sense. The art of eity building has never been so erucial to our future, yet an awareness of that need hhas all but disappeared from today’s political arena. There isa dis- ccernible weakening of public mission in this regard, not only in the United States but elsewhere the urgent issues of ou Itis our responsibility as architects to attempt to deal with the neglected and squalid sections of our cities. We must find a way to reach out to these sectors, to enliven and enhance them, and to bestow new energy upon the form of the urban fabric. | think that there are many ways in which we may achieve this. Every situation offers its own potential, whether we are building. in Pais, Ls ‘Anaoles. or New York. Louis Kab said the chy should bo™arpaaee or she would like to be some day.” I think that this is the kind of eity we should aspire to create. Imagine a city where schools, libraries and hospitals, workplaces, and recreational and cultural facilities are all capable of giving fall expression to the human ne for self-tealization at the highest level. But for that to happen, we ‘must create what Kahn called the availabilities. Such institutions must be seen as readily accessible. We know that cities are meeti places, which we value because of everything they offer us. To th degree that institutions remove themselves from the public, to the degree that they keep people at arn’s length and make themselve inaccessible, the very concept of the res publica dies Our meeting places must embedy the sense of inspiration that lie at the very heart of the urban idea. An institutional space must m only accommodate human activity but also contribute actively to ing of human action, thereby helping to transform it into som we are able to recognize as meaningful and rewarding. ‘These are the twin essentials of city life: accessibility, combined with the drive to give form to our ideals; that is, to create the ava abilities. Is our task as architects to promote the growth of such values. One fundamental way to do this is through an architecture of connection, an architecture that weaves together the urban plas streets, and parks that still make up much of the urban fabrie. It is our responsibility to develop civic ideas in which there is a physical sense of sharing that permeates the urban space and the Contingent architectural form. I look forward to seeing our profes: reaffirm its traditional concern for the urban fabric as a matrix fo gathering and energizing the essence of the public realm. We nee to remind ourselves continually of our mission to recognize and improve upon those pattems of civic behavior that already exist |‘sense of place ftom the ground up; sometimes it may for us to modify, to alter, and to reconstruct, ting fabric. In either case, the civie space in question ogically out of each particular situation, and out of its and social contextuality. this goal is to adopt a collagist approach toward such a strategy itis possible to differentiate ‘public and private places, between interior and ‘and to mediate in a subtle way between these Such a mediation will have to deal with move- with components that cross the city and intereon- sometimes bringing the old into direct con- new. Such an architecture of connective tissue tbe unduly concerned with fashion or style. It is an searches for lanty rather than surface effect, an is committed to eivie culture rather than divorced irs hat bas the capacity to recempse car ces and lives. All oo often today, this potential is totally buildings are perceived a little more than free- ities, with litle connection to either the commu- s new kind of public space has emerged spontane- ‘society. We may encounter this only too directly in the center pois arems, fice compleses, and eovem- that populate the megalopolis, Within such institu find spaces that, while privately managed, still persist rate and public uses. They are of great social rele- day experience of urban life. One of the chal- now faces is to design these new pul them to become an integral part of the urban experience. As always, the best way to achieve this may not necessarily be the cheapest. In my experience, the quest for economy does not always spring from a drive toward elegance and simplicity. It arises just as often to create works that are capable of enduring across regard it may often be necessary to find additional ‘money—and indeed to spend such funds on the finest possible material—in order to achieve a durable result. As advocates for the City, ve stould be prepared to argue in favor of achieving quality and durability over expediency. Today, we have access to extremely sophisticated technology as well as a desire to deal with problems that have not been tackled before. What we always need and often lack are sufficient funds to arrive at an appropriate and long-lasting solution to these problems. Our aim should be to demand the best and not just the cheapest, so that, through our art, we can render the civie realm as a democratic space of human appearance in every sense of the word. Richard Meier August 1998Three Tropes in the Later Work of Richard Meier Kenneth Frampton ‘They (some friends) tell me that I do not have a theoretical frame- work or 2 method. That I give no clues about the direction to be taken. And that this is not being pedagogical. A kind of ship at the merey of the waves, that inexplicably does not always sink (which is something else they tell me). Ido not give our ships’ planks a good ry out on the open sea, Excesses break them up into pieces. I study the cuirrents, eddies. [look for the heavens before taking risks. T ean be seen walking alone up and down on the deck. But the entire crew anc! all the equipmen ‘captain is a ghost, Whenever the pole-star is only just visible, I do not dare take the helm. I cannot point to any clear way. The ways are not cl — Alvaro 1. Professione poctica! Atecionic Although Richard Meier has long since acknowledged the neo Corbusian character of his architecture, other tropes from the trajec- tory of the new have also emerged in his work. One may discern not only undulating forms drawn from the works of Alvar Aalto and ‘Oscar Niemeyer but also the occasional plastic syncopation reminis- ‘cent of neoplasticism, not to mention a trace here and there of co structivism. One thinks of Jean Prouvé, whose characteristic window with rounded comers surfaced in the Bronx Development Center (1977), or of such obscure figures as Oscar Nitschke, whose Maison de la Publicité of 1936 seems latent in the dematerialized curtain walls of Meiers later work: for example, the horizontal fenestration of the Museum of Contemporary Ait in Barcelona (1995) or the Canal+ television headquarters (1992) in Paris. In an interview with ‘Charles Jencks, Meier openly conceded the influence of consiruc~ take particular note of such features as up into saw-toothed skylights oF dog- Palace of the Assemily, Chandigarh, India. Le 1955. Sketch Sydney Opera House, S Australia, Jorn Utzo Section appears to be ina state of oscillation, while his white-enan paneling often seems on the verge of dematerializing under li Meanwhile, his habitual atectonic articulations of the surface building in terms of a square grid recall the work of Josef Hoff As with the architecture of Fumihiko Maki, to which Meier's may be readily compared (one thinks in particular of Maki’s Pavilion, Tokyo (1990), and his Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto {1986), this approach to revetment seems simultaneously bath ‘express the latent structure ofthe building and to deny it, Mei ‘oceasionally offsets this modulated ambivalence with a contin plastic form made from homogenous material. In the Museum: Contemporary Art in Barcelona a freestanding gallery, amoeba= shaped in plan, floats in front of the striated, lightweight, brise facade. Like the conieal cooling, tower within (a trope borrowed Le Corbusier's assembly building in Chandigarh, this form itself asa foil to the rampway bel ‘As Wemer Blaser implied in his 1990 essay “Architectural Principles for a New Aesth tonic dimension has slowly come into being in Meier's recent ‘This is particularly evident in three exceptional piec Building and United Statos Courthouse, Phoenix, Arizo in 1995, the Neugebauer House, Naples, Florida, recen pleted, and his winning entry in the competition for a Church of ‘Year 2000, dating from 1996 and scheduled to be completed for millennium in a working-class distri stnictural form comes to the fore as the main expressive element fa tectonic focus that in the courthouse is associated with one of t ‘mest rigorous pieces of modular planning of Meiers recent caree 6 Cee aerival the finest works of the British high-tech school. As in the fourthouse, so in the Neugebauer residence, where a buttery roof tantilevers off a series of double columns to form a monumental tanopy over the modular deportinent of a single-story house, set before an inland waterway. Earthwork, roofwork, and infill are clearly articulated in this last work, and something similar appears Inthe parti forthe church, where three concentric, monolithic anerete shells cantilever out of the ground to embody the nave. Aside {rom symboliing the Holy Trinity, these decisive structural, forms. as in Jom Uvon's Syiney Opera House, establish the image ‘ithe work, Its telling, given Meiers current penchant for the tee~ tunic, that these shells should be capped by a suspended, steel- framed skylight displaying a high level of technological ingenuity ee playing a hig! logi wget Res Publica ‘One ofthe largest enclosed public spaces in Europe, Meier's City Hall and Central Library in The Hague is.a seminal work indebted ‘ot only to Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin B Mengoni's famous Galleria Vittono Emanuele 1877. While exceeding the Gall waieaeailes in thai isa miercesmie publi weal built atthe ale of the surrounding urban fabric. Moreover, both works possess artes connotations, with the former proclaiming the tri- PPh of the Risorgimento and the latter consolidating the self-c Torial wkening of the Dutch capital from its genteel era, a it HMA. in high-tech construction, the booming skyline of Rotterdam. Jurhan mandate, although never stated as such, was to unify te the city’s new megalopolitan character. Thus the form of sufficient height, length, and horizontal My'Gtin eaaine’ the random: mediocre HHT office slabs thet have been loosely superimposed on the preexi urban grain. Yet, as with most of Meier's interventions in historic urban cores, contextuality is a moot point, for while on the one hand it would be difficult to imagine a building more alien to the Dutch tradition than this large structure, clad in a tessellated enameled skin, on the other, this new municipality seems to be uncanni pathetic to Dutch culture—which may be explained in part by Dutch assistants who worked on the project throughout. Thus, Dutch new objectivity was Somehow implicit in this building from the beginning. Who could deny its reference to the Van Nelle factory ‘of 1929, even if its structural rhythm and its tapering, 10.5-degree format derive from the urban fabric? The fenestration provides, in accordance with Dutch law, a specific number of operable windows both within the atrium and without. However, these opening lights ‘do not simply meet the legal requirement: their detailing recalls terms of scale and profile the proportions ofthe work of necplas cabinetmaker Gerrit Rietveld. Aside from this subile reference, Meier's design conforms to Dutch domestic tradition as a whole, with its constant attempt to optimize natural light. His use of tubular- steel and wire-mesh balustrades seems thus equally native, evoking the early work of Herman Hertzberger. Last but not least, the aerial ‘passereles that traverse the atrium to provide convenient access from ‘one side ofthe office complex tothe other are reminiscent ofthe elazed conveyer belts of the Van Nelle factory. This reference is reinforced by the freestanding glazed elevator shafis that recall the constructivist space-time ethos of the late 1920s. Historical contextuality is evident in the galleria itself, which, given the perennially grey Duteh climate, makes one think of Hemmann Boethaeve, who forned the greenhouse principle at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Honever, one of the ultimate local refer- PEREG avises from the aesine of OMRSSA¥e Coninien that bavidiosthe atrium, for here the designers rendered public amenities immediately accessible from the galleria, and even where such access is restricted for security reasons, mutually interpenetrating ines of sight prevail. This popular panoptie dimension is also part of Dutch tradition. It goes along with that particular admixture of conformism with anarchy that pervades The Netherlands. Culture and commerce join to frame the main entry: a giant portico com- Posed of the central library and the Hulshols furniture emporium, Equally panoptic inside and out, this largely transparent, elevated rotunda and trapezoid are also penetrated by sightlines. Thus, one catches glimpses of the library from the elevated corridors and bridges of the galleria and vice-versa. This open-stack library, flooded with light on all levels, is equipped with continuous, escalator acess between floors. This makes for an unceasing flov of pedestrian movement at every level, bestowing a level of accessibility rarely found in contemporary libraries, where book- lined volumes, artificially lit, often convey a sense of exclusion and constraint, On entering through the monumental southwestern portico of the structure one passes into the cubic, all-glass lobby of the city hall, which is defily inserted into the twelve-story, glazed screen that closes this end ofthe atrium. This vertical welded space-frame, made out of square-sectioned tubular siel, is a structural tour de force that immediately imparts a feeling of heroic grandeur. I is also the first in a series of permeable planes extending the full height of the atrium. These virtual planes, composed of perforated balustrades and passerelles, are simultaneously present and absent. They are, in ‘a sense, “tectonic mirages,” hovering like haze in the middle of the ‘space, As such, they counter the false perspective created by the 10.5-degree difference between the flanking walls of the atrium, Ee COOPERS: CONG SAE AIRADD.E NEATH. Geist, Arcades, Cambridge, Mass., The MIT Press, 1983}, with overlay of The Hague City Hall 1. Paris, Galerie Vivienne, 1825. 2. Paris, Galerie Colbert, 1826, 3. Berlin, Kaisergalerie, 1873. 4, Milan, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, 1877. 5. The Hague, Passage, 1885. 6. Naples, Galleria Umberto I, 1891. 7. Berlin, Friedrichstrassenpassage, 1908. 8. The Hague, City Hall, 1995. ep.approach sion, only 1 reappear Iohind one, hovering inthe ai with the persistence of sea mist teach set of aerial bridges in suc This work recalls Moholy-Nagy’s light-space modulator of 1930, since each stomized component creates a consiantly changing pro- liferation of light and shade. The full-height. stee wall on the southwestern shadow on the drum ff the council chamber, just as the deep beams carrying the sky~ Tights over the atrium modulate the vast volume through constantly hanging pattems of shadow. The wire-mesh balustrades of the aer- ial bridges refract sunlight in every conceivable direction, creating a veiled luminosity through whieh the eye tres to capture the momen- {ous totality of the volume. All ofthis is further activated by the panels of the flanking walls, which iterate and reflections that further diffuse the ephemerality vealkways, framed curtain si its strides igh of the wer This moclulation of space by light changes with height, and to this fend the architects have installed cantilevered balconies that open aif the elevator lobby on each floor providing vantage points from hich to contemplate the spectacle of the space. Diminative ike these bestow upon the vast scale a reassu elements ANPHing intimacy. They al imacy. They also encourage our active percept en . which at one instant appears to be vast and at anoth rel ely small. Such perceptual instability of Paling of quality and n of ‘multiple vistas collapse when one views the space laterally or ally across the axis. From here one can read the building pro- Cartesian Skyscraper. Le Corbusier, 1928. Model Light-Space Modulator, 1. Moholy-Nagy, 1930. d two shops lopped by the drum of the wedding hall, reache ntal stair. On the other flank one first en ‘center and then the curved stair leading to the couneil cham ber above. This overture is followed by a public reception facility ie to the subterranean exhibition space.-On the first yecess gallery runs along tl f the . serving a series of private offices and These private suites are subily illuminated during the day by full- Ihcight glass-block walls, These sync rhythmically counterpointed by a large serial abstract sculpiure the Dutch artist Fortuyn O'Brien comprised of marble eylinders and benches. The opposite side of the atrium features a hairdresser's 1 other retail facilities. The commercial potential ofthis -e seems to have been deliberately underplayed as opposed availability of such space on the exterior. ted, paired cubicles are look various a ‘Thus one m general elevated, semipubl race let into the into the eleva Since this li nicipal employees, the ‘general public may only view this space obliquely, ata distance. Meier insist tu brief or the building, arguing that a municipality without this representa tional space could not be fully consummated as a city ball. Meier larly when he designed the Harford Seminary, where at jstence « chapel was finally ineluded in the brie. Is it not vane basis. This four-story eafé ter- h‘This structure displays a tessellated surface inside and out; the logic ofits grid determines the entire fabric. Even where the standart square-panel module is reduced in size, as inthe glazing of the ele- vator cabins, the grid still prevails. In this instance the quadratic ‘module allows the cabin to serve as a cursor that registers its pre- cise movement against the grid of the atrium as it rises and falls, ‘opposing its ovn dynamic volume to the stasis of the atrium. This pervasive modularity seems less suceessful externally. While the panel module increases in size on the windowless parts of the struc: ture, this doubling-up seems incapable of modulating such a large structure. It simply cannot bracket into larger perceptual wholes a building of such oceanic proportions, particularly when viewed from the narrow streets surrounding it. Nevertheless, existing street align= ments have been meticulously respected throughout, just as points of ingress and egress relate precisely to the grain of the city. Thus, Herman‘Hertzberger's cultural center, offset by an entire block, is subtly drawn into the onbit of the city hall, as is the plaza that it encloses in conjunction with Carel Weber's hotel and Rem Koolhaas’s dance theater. This plaza is all but literally sucked into the gap separating the city hall from the central library. Meanvthile, the library rotunda points to the one other modern building of cal iber in the vicinity, PL. Kramer's brick-faced, copper-clad depart- ment store built for the de Bijenkorf chain in 1926. Thave dealt with the City Hall and Central Library at length because Iam convinced it is the most significant public bu Meiers career to date, not withstanding his major museum bui and his equally consequential law courts as these now near comple tion. In these last we seem to be witnessing the emergence of a new characteristic type, an L-block pl ing cylinder. This type seems to have. found its ideal content in the program of the modem courthouse. In The Hague, on the other Billancourt, France. Sichare Meier, 1981. Site Plan The Getty Center, Los Angeles, California. Richard Meier, 19%: 1997. East Elevation hand, Meier adapted the galleria type to the predominantly bureau cratic character of the late-wentieth-century municipality. At the same time, this atrium was able to condense into a single building the role previously performed by a traditional urban core. Thus today itis “The Heart of the City,” to quote the title of CIAM VIII (1951). The creation of such miero-urban realms is surely preferable {o more comprehensive urban renewal schemes that invariably destroy the existing fabrie through the inevitable cacophony of mediocre buildings. Instances of this are too numerous even in The Netherlands; I have in mind the recent redevelopment of the Ween district in Rotterdam. The renewal of the center of ‘The Hague, with its ill-assorted office buildings, is a consequence of the same kind of indifferent speculation. By and large it has few redeeming features aside from Meiers eity hall, with its capacity to serve as a “social condenser” for the city as a whole. Idyll When one looks hack over Meier's production, one is immediately struck by the detailed nature of his site plans. Overtime, these have became increasingly topographic. This sensibility first appeared in Meier's propesal for an Olivetti training center in Tarrytown (1971) and again appeared in the dormitories that he designed for Cornell University three years later. Topography is primary in The Atheneum of 1979 in New Harmony, Indiana, where the freely undulating form of the western elevation echoes the undulating ‘course of the nearby Wabash River. This preoccupation with the ‘countervailing role of lanckeape seems to be confirmed by Meier's sharp response to Charles Jencks's contention that New Harmony totally lacked the color and decorative thetoric ofthe baroque that sired it. As Meier remarked, “Superimposition of color would have created a whole new spatial instrument which I felt would be desteuctive to the building in relation to the landscape.”‘The full incarnation of the topographic in Meiers architecture came with his Museum for the Decorative Ars in Frankfurt (1985), where the building extends into the adjacent parkscape through a series ‘of paved walkways. Here, re of the Roman cardo and deoumanus, two intersecting axes rotate 3.5 degrees about their point of intersection to correspond to the shift inthe alignment of the river frontage as the River Main swings to the north. In the for ter back gardens of a series of nineteenth-century villas running the length: of the Schaumainkai, Meier created an elegiae arboretum fut of an existing tree-studded space between the two street frontages. This quas-leftover space was to have been unified by a long pedestrian accessway, paralleling neither the river nor the Villa Metalex. Neier’s site plan for his unrealized ethnographic museum, Prjecte! in 1989 as part of the new cultural eomplex forthe ci ‘of Frankfurt, further defines this concept. Here, with the aid of ‘an enclosed bridge, the pedestrian network would have extended beyond th confine of de block, us ina igh's move inches lowever, neighboring homeowners perceived the two museums linked by = Per ee aise as a Trojan horse, capable of transforming district into « public domain, The inersttial megestructue as a subversive strategy c {Im with Meier’ 1981 proposal for the new Renault Ads Liars in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. In this extremely gain is ical widen where the internal space- ‘the building ends and the topography o about two countervailing orthogonal © and the other off the street grid—Meier’s proposal is a in section as well as in plan. Innumerable serpentine walls te this heterotopic intersection, while an undulating figure Se eg ERE Ee ll tine motif to signify the larger public volumes of the comples, the technological and artistic exhibition spaces that would have opened off the main foyer. As his site plan indicates, greenery would have infiltrated this spatial overlay in different ways to create a repertoire of lawns, parterres, roof terraces, and mazes, bounded by an avenue of trees in the French classical manner Boulogne-Billancourt set the key for much of the 1980s, from Meier's entry for the Lingotto factory in Turin to an infill office complex for Siemens in Munich adjacent to the old Siemens headquarters. The first instance was a witty work playing with the theme of motopia, the second a typological exercise structured about a standard perimeter block. The latter, designed in 1983, led to a second, somewhat more d) project for Siemens in the same city, on Hoffmannstrasse. Now partially realized, this project once again posited a city in miniature together with a landscape palette that assured overall unity. Throughout the 1980s, Meiers topographie sensibility varied according to the context: at times rationalist, as in his Bicocca proposal for Milan of 1986, at times ‘organic, asin the remarkable interstitial scheme that he proposed for the Spanish Quarter of Naples in the same year. All these civic exercises find their fulfillment in the Geity Center, finally completed in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles at the end of 1997, Laid out on a 110-acre “acropolis” running parallel to the San Diego Freeway, the Getty Center is once again a ety in ‘miniature, although siting, seale, and format could hardly be more removed from the comparatively modest intervention that Meier achieved in The Hague. Most of the buildings that make up this low- rise, hilllop complex are structured about two ridges that meet at a 99 6 a eS erySepulveda Pass, an infl changing angle of the jon that recalls Meier's reaction to the sr Main in Frankfurt In many respects the Getty Center is structured about a sequence of courtyards, ramps. steps. pools, and parterres, not to mention the systematic forestation of the surrounding slopes, all of which are as, much part of the poetics of the place as the buildings themselves, The design was constrained by severe height restrictions imposed by the Brentwood Homeowners Association, and perhaps no twentieth- century landscape is so sectionally orchestrated, with one recessed courtyan! stepping down into another as the buildings hug the con- tours of the site. Al of this becomes immediately apparent as soon as one boards the tramway rising to the acropolis from the visitors’ parking below. This rail access is a linear garden in itselt, starting he station environs and the retaining wall that parallels the track. The scheme recalls both the plan for Boulogne-Billancourt and the undulating dormitories projected for Comell. The upper ter- he propylacum of the campus, giving immediate access 10 the museum and the 450-seat auditorium, together with the adminis- tration building and Getty Conservation Institute. From this entry plaza the main substance of the center unfolds, with the restaurant and the Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities spread out to the right along a single ridge. Straight ahead, up a monumental Night of steps, one encounters the museum complex built along its own appointed ridge. In this way one passes from the restaurant, with is view of the ocean and the mountains, to the largely top-lit museum sequence, interrupted here and there by terraces with views over the mountains and the city. Moving away from the museum and the restaurant, one is deflected toward the : the Research Institute for the History of Its cifcumferential library curls around a io before the land falls away into a ravine, culmin cylindrical California, Nudotp’ ochundter, 1997. Feterior Perspective Emerson Junior High School Los Angeles, California. Richard Neutra, 1938. Interior Perspective ing in the lower ceniral gardens which cascade to the lowest level of the site. Each of these structures is a microcosm in itself in which the difference between one building and the next, and even between sas much about the treatment of the interio: ion of the exterior. AAs cities in miniature, it is hard to imagine two works less alike than The Hague City Hall and the Getty Center, even if both are centers of institutional power: one is local, democratic, and inte- arated into the fabric of an es garchie, and dé aloof stance, which is reinforced by the tramway approach and by the discreet but elite presence of « the administration building, the Getty Center has become an instant popular success. The administration is currently hard-pressed to handle the twenty thousand people who visit the site daily—almost three times the number of visitors intially anticipated. Aside from the distant allusion to an lalian hill town, there is noth- ing typological about this work, even ifthe individual components appear typified in themselves. The unifying ethos of the piece is its carefully orchestrated landscape, structured about an informal promenade that permeates every aspect ofthe site. The visitor passes from the cylindrical entrance foyer of the museum complex into the courtyard and then into the frst nine-square gallery sequence clustered around a top-lit court. From this cluster the route continues out onto a terrace and then via a connecting canopy into the next nine-square pavilion. Set across from an angled, free- standing cube devoted to temporary exhibitions, this second gallery cluster encloses an open-air pool. From here one approaches the third and fourth nine-square clusters that make up the exhibition itinerary as it bounds the museum court. The visitor i allowed everyopportunity to escape onto the perimeter terraces, which afford spectacular views over the surtounding landscape. ‘This constant alternation between foyer and loggia runs throughout thesste. Thus in the Conservation Institute one passes from loggia to foyer and then into an open-air access corridor before entering the airconditioned volumes ofits library and offic face private terraces looking out over the San Diego Freeway. ‘Comparable counterchanges between loggia, foyer, and terrace also ‘ceur in the restaurant/afé and the Research Institute forthe Hisiory of Art and the Humanities, and this more than the baroque symias of the architecture evokes the Southern Californian tra 0 lyrically formulated by Frank Lloyd Wright and his émigré Pupils, Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra. ‘These in turn AA similar alternation oceurs between the gridded surface of the Highweizht paneling and the stack-bonded, almost fused character of the cleft stone that faces the outer shell of the complex. Thus the ‘Contradictory legacy of the tectonic comes down to us: on the one hand, tie essence of immateralty in the noa-load-bearing, enam- ‘led skin suspended in front of a skeletal stel frame: on the other, a milarly suspended materiality of Italian travertine rudely tom from he sutace of the earth, Both cases manifest the representational act of cladding, Bekleidung, as Gottfried Semper understood the term: an atectonic the travertine, totally removed from igh’ textile Hock howses built in Southern California inthe Mid-1929.. aca a mised by the clients refusal to allow the Halianate form of ‘entral gardens to function as the unifying matrix of the lity that otherwise dominates the entire conti- nent finds itself momentarily suspended. Like Stanford, Harvard, Wellesley, and Cranbrook, to cite only « handful of the more idyllic campuses of this nation, the Getty Center isa heterotopia that still, proclaims the patrician values of a bourgeois America before the rise of global modernization. As Meier is only too aware, it is ‘unlikely that such an extravagant act of patronage will ever be xt, for the tal age is hardly oriented toward of culture. Possibly, then, this isthe last idyll, certainly as have depicted it here and even further as the architect has imag- ined it over his long ond illustrious career. Noes 1. Alvar Sia, Profesionepoetica, Quadern di Lotus (Milan: Elect, 1986),Joseph Rykwert Looking hack over three decades of Richard Meier's work, I find it increasingly clear that he is—and I think always has been—doing architecture his own way, not following any style. Which style histo- rians will foist on him in the future is therefore none of his business. Of course Meier has been quite explicit and specific about his debt 1o the European architecture of the 1930s, especially Le Corbusier —and this hardly needs saying; he has always been very clear (as some of those architects who liked the label “functionalist” were not) about his own specific concern with formal problems, formal devices, his analytical approach to program, and his use of propor- tion, Hence his primary interest in the composition of certain type- forms. In recent projects, he has enhanced this with a shifting is on the procession through the building, t of Iding to its user and visitor. Yet the more obvicus planar con- ccems still preoccupy him and give his drawings—even sketches for study purposes—an easy elegance that the finished presentation projects of many of his contemporaries cannot possibly rival. unto Meier has become—as will be obvious from this volume—an established European architect: Paris, The Hague, Hilversum, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Ulm, Barcelona, and Basel now have M. public buildings, and these cities will soon be joined by Rome, with ‘church anda museum. This third volume of his work commemo- rates these—but also his return home. The major buildings are now in the United States, and one of them is his biggest project to date: the Getty Center at the intersection of the San Diego Freeway and Sunset Roulevard in Los Angeles. His recent clients have not just been the private-house builders and corporations who commissioned hhim in the past but also the Federal government. For the first time Meier will be creating public buildings and “political” spaces in his ‘own country. Arizona, Richard Mever, 19° (2000, Section through courtroom: Federal Building and United States Courthouse, Islip, New York. Richard Meier, 1993-1999. Section through atrium Over the last decade « new factor has marked his work. While tak- ing account of the constraints imposed by site and construction has always been an aspect of his formal approach, Meier has recently become increasingly concerned with nonmechanical climate control increasingly, oo, he has mastered something thet has always be recognized as a particular skill: the filtering of natural daylight. In dealing with light and climate, he does not regard his solutions as reering devices but gives them a highly jon of a project. In partic develop the brise soleil. ‘The American work seems to me to open a new period (Iam even tempted to cal ita style) in Meier's work. Take the Federal Bui and United States Courthouse in Islip, Long Island. At first sight it may pethaps look more like his older work: itis generally config. ured asa slab building facing north and south. The north face, with its cunning, patter of small syncopated openings, sereens the smal ler offices and faces a parking lt, but the south face with its deep brise soleil is gently curved. Within that curved sereen nun the mai public passages that look out to the ocean beyond and connect the various courtrooms. The building’ salient feature isa slim, trunea- ted cone rising its full height, its glistening white-enameled metal sheathing foiled by the softer limestone of the ather walls and of the sun screens. It isa grand entry hall for the building, formal anrouncing (even to the passing motorist) that this is no ordin office block. Although it does not rixe above the roofline, the cone works as a landmark, almost as if it were a bell tower or watchtower: ura in the block, emphasized by a limestone east- fing the district courts from the smaller area ofthe fis ‘cal ones, and the placement of the special proceedings courtroom. ‘The paved public forecourt between the building and the roadway isby a range of trees that turns it into a narthex to emphasize the civic and very public nature of the federal courthouse. ‘The sense of entering a space that belongs to the people at lange is something that the old sales des pas-perdus (and to some extent the halls of railway stations) often made rather oppressive. In The Hague Gity Hall and Central Library Meier has attempted to communicate that very sensation and seems to have done so clearly and without ‘overponcring the visitor. He seems to have achieved it in more diff calt circumstances in the Federal Building in Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix has a more perpl climate than Long Island, with xiremes of heat and cold and very dry air. It also has none of the site advantages offered by Islip, so the federal courthouse there Seems sited almost randomly on a block within the urban grid, Meier has chosen to enclose that whole block and to ereate one of the firs ira in which the problems and the value of this new type have been fully realized. An enclosed I-shaped element con! Office accommodation and the subsidiary court chambers on the fouth ancl west sides. The atrium completes the rec Bes wa besa laze ft to the noth and east ts soather face the leg ofthe L and is treated internally as an open street eleva- Hon, though the atrium has an tadpole gape aaa Cine. faceted glass roof that serves as the main ventilating device. ‘matically, the problem was not just to control the temperature but Ho moisturize the air. The solution relies on vn in from the exterior at a high-level port in the atrium. As stars evaporates, the air cools and drops to the occupied . This process, aided by overflow air vents near the base of induces a natural airflow that continuously replenishes ‘The atrium is laid out as a garden court and articulated by an inter- nal entry pavilion and the bank of elevators; its main element— which takes up about a third of its area—is platform at the level ‘of the second floor. approached by a wide stairway. This supports the glazed cylinder of the special proceedings courtroom that rises almost the full height of the building. This commanding formal clement also plays a part in controlling the microclimate, warmer air from the air-conditioning helps draw the moisturize cold aic down. This interplay of the formal and representational with climatic considerations results in one of Meier's most inno- valive recent buildings. On a smaller, domestic scale, the Neugebauer House (1998) i Noples, Florida, where community rules inverts the usual double-pitch into a butt low house faces south tothe sea, and its brise soleil independent screened and louvered structure: the roof seems to float ‘over it, giving the whole house a sense of heing aerated by the sea breeze—which indeed itis. Such are the new factors clearly legible in Meier's recent d However, another and more important change has been shapi plans for some years. Although to many of his eritics and admirers he is primarily a designer of object-buildings (and they have tended to read even such projects as the Getty Center as an assembly of objects), Meier has been moving into the more exacting role of urbanist-architect. And that is how the Geity plan must be read: as a Public and an urban complex. ‘The ex-urbanizing of the Getty Center by sit on a hilltop almostplex’s main public “room.” The layout takes up two mi Tines: the north-south line follows the grid lines of much of Los Angeles. The other, inclined to it by 22.5 degrees, takes up the lines of the San Diego Freeway by which most visitors will arive at the site, as well as of West Los Angeles, which lies immediately below. direeting Marrying the superimposed grids with the site contours determined the arrangement of the different buildings and therefore the main ‘outlines of the publie space. This cannot be read as a series of architectural promenades—a mere negative of the built form. Its the animating core of the Getty Center, its essential nexus and binder. I is also the instrument that Meier uses cunningly to counter- balance and refract the prodigious bulk thatthe scale ofthe enterprise inevitably imposes on him—along with variations in texture. Visitors arriving at the Getty Center by the tram that enters the 5 parallel to the freeway see the travertine retaining wall of the ter- races and above it the more private parts ofthe complex: the Getty Conservation In the Getty Faucation Institute for the Arts, and the J. Paul Getty Trust offices, which, like the Research Insti- tute forthe History of Art and the Humanities, are aligned on the north-south grid. The restauranU/café and the outer envelope of the J. Paul Getty Museum follow the Sen Diego Freeway, like the moro- rail, and that line continues inio the gentle stairways that take vi tors up to the museum. There the entrance canopy leads into a cylindrical and translucent hall through which visitors can appreci- ate the whole museum complex, planned around an internal garden ‘courtyard. The museum pavilions are arranged partly chronologi- cally and partly according to medium or style. The upper level, which is directly skylit, houses paintings and sculptures, whi light-sensitive drawings, engravings, and decorative objects of the same period are housed in the lower level. The sequence is interrupted between the pavilions by balconies and terraces that allow visitors to reestablish contact with the outside world. The articulation of the several pav on differences of scale. ‘The plan of the museum epitomizes the whole center, since Meier used the contrast between the two grids to enliven it. The main ‘group of pavilions and the outside walls of the museum obey the freeway axis while others, facing the gardens, fraction the museum's internal facade by following the north-south dizection and so con nect to the circular building of the Research Institute. The gard continue up between the museum and the Research Institute. Below the brow of the hill was to have been an open-air theater, but that concept was replaced by a water-sculpture garden from which visi ir view of Los Angeles. The Research tures @ cylindrical inner court that ca yl ns will have a specta Institute, on their right be read as a negative, entey hall circular hollow. is honey-colored at th ‘The surface most in evidens tty Cons travertine, a stone of which much of Rome was built Itis used for paving and for the facing of many of the walls as well as for the per golas and the colonnades, sometimes smooth-cut, bat in the retain ing wall and patios, split and left rough. Against this naturally rou surface, the smooth but matte-white or buff-colored metal panels offer a sharp but agreeable contrast of texture: lighter buildings seem to grow out of or over the stone core. | negative—plays In the Getty plan the eylinder form—positve 4 pivotal but secondary role. Meier's cunning use of the eylinds isa relatively revent innovation. Inthe Ulm Exhibition and Assem- bly Building (1993), it omzanizes the whole building: in other pro- jects—particularly when the site is iregular—the eylindercee CO ee eee. California. Richard Meier, 1984- 1097 Site Study #1, September 1986, J, Paul Getty Museum, The Getty Genser Los Angeles, California. Richard Meier, 1984-1997, Bury level Plan Sketch, 15 May 1987. Museun of Television & Radio, Beverly Hills, California. Richard Meier, 1994-1996, ‘Sudy #1, Fast elevation (usually translucent) may act as a link or hinge. This Il Museum of Television & Radio (1996) on ¢ Santa Mo Hills. The buildin is in fact a conversion, and this but usable public space, while a pool and a low ben All this is impo foes on at sereen booths and in small private theate the movement about the building that shows its vital Meiers “ype in whi upon the inner face of the eylinder, above the entry p thesecond and third floors, while a more impressive ment displayed by the long ramp that moves up the I from the ground to the second floor, ao dered this rather small but recent bui : -eause itis a useful mi ‘slopmen, Analogous things might ft” of Contemporary Art in Barce lee Building in Bas Mike de deve lopment, One might equally fir Hoa’) the recent private houses, particularly 4a Dallas (1996); among contemporary archi the one BE of the CRE oF ihe Vie onnh & Rae the main architectural problem lay in rel ing tothe rather unvelcoming street patte jecting the cylindrical entry hall from the facade created a mi mna (1995) or the Eu h governs the Espace Pitot in Montpellier, France (I such virtues of isis very clear in the comer of ica Boulevard and North Beverly Drive in Beverly imposed cer h act as tokens of the museum rs; itis therefore lity. Two of cylinder and the ramp movement is constantly visi A staitcase coils point, to connect internal mov facade behind of Meier's id abcut the Rachofsky he knows “the Tae by considering the implications of his type-forms. This developme ion of the ludic element in building, show another that has always prompted him to devote son sculptures Only a great assurance and maturity could have led him to eon such a development Whatever the surprises this new departure will bring, ad to his achievement. Meiec’s mastery of his formal nov so complete that every new invention is sa missions grow in both size and number, the real surprise is that he still finds ever ia his approach ana is open enough toRachofsky House Dallas, Texas 1991-1996 St in « suburben landscape, this house/private muscum is anchored to the ground by a podium faced in black granite that extends both in front of and behind the main body of the building. The white form of the house hovers on pilots above the podium like an opaque plane, pierced by a number of discrete openings. A succession of spatial layers recedes from this taut surface to accommodate the house's principal valumes. The metal-faced front elevation that shields the living volume gives way on the north and west elevations to taut ccurtain walls that, together with the opaque front, inflect the interior layered space toward a small body of water to the southwest. Two sheets of water—a reflecting pool and a swimming pool—penetrate the podium at the rear of the house. The swimming pool, plus a cubie pool house and a low wall, effectively terminate the sitework at the western end. ‘Two separate stairs provide access tothe three floors of the house: ‘an enclosed spiral stair to the south and an open switchback stai to the north. This contrast between private and public circulation is echoed consistently in the organization of the volumes within. Thus the public stair opening off the gallery foyer leads directly to the double-height living room on the frst floor, while the cylindrical private stair ascends to the library on the second floor and the mas- ter suite on the Mloor above. Two separate volumes on the third floor, ‘a suspended study and an exercise room, afford views of the living volume and the garden. All glass walls that are exposed to low-angle western light are protected by electrically operated shades. ‘Stars giving access from the swimming pool and to the roof terrace, along with a two-car garage under the guest suite on the scuth side of the house, complete the symmetrical repertoire. The exteriorCirculationA La all ‘a et —Longitudinal sectionGross section(= “Mi tk *Neugebauer House Naples, Florida 1995-1998, Located ina prestigious residential community on one-and-a-half- acre waterfront site, this house spans the width ofits wedge-shaped plot to face southyeest across Doubloon Bay. One approaches the hhouse from a winding access road lined with royal palm trees. The entrance is across the front lawn. This expanse of grass is urinter- rupted except for an orthogonal cluster of royal palms and a low opaque cylinder faced with bent panels. This drum disereetly encloses a two-car garage. Since the turf is reinforced throughout, cars and pedestrians are free to circulate across the greensward at will, Beyond, effectively concealing a view of the water, lies the horizontal facade ofthe house itself, clad in two-foot by three-foct nestone slabs backed by concrete-frame and masonry construc- tion, Pierced at regular intervals by vertical slet windows, this stone-faced facade conceals a wide, top-lit access corridor running the length of the house. ‘The inhabited volume of the house lies under a large steel-frame butterfly roof cantilevered off steel-box stanchions at 15-foat cen- ters. The inverted roof pitch provided an unexpected way to meet the local design code's requirement ofa pitched roof and at the same time reinforces the house's orientation toward the water. The double-layered roof is finished with two-foot by three-foot square panels in pulverized composite stone; its soffit is finished in plaster. ‘The stone paneling on the roof serves solely as a rain screen, with ‘water drained away beneath. The roof is also integrated into an elab- system made up of one-inch-diameter aluminum tubes placed at two-inch centers that screen the upper part of the ‘oceanfront and span openings in the roof. The alurminum-subframe curtain walls are made of hurricane-resistant, I'~ucinch-thick lami- nated glass. The skylight glass is treated with a ceramic frit to pro-Gross section looking southExhibition and Assembly Building Ulm, Germany 1980-1993 Conceived as a programmatic and cultural complement to Ulm Mansterplatz and the historic mass of its cathedral, this Stadthaus establishes a modest, secular, civie presence within the newly con- figured main square ofthe city. The building houses a visitors infor ration center, a ticket office, and a café terrace on the ground floor, and a top-lit, multilevel gallery space-cum-lecture hall on the floors above. With its striking eylindrical form capped by three prominent roof skylights, the building imparts a des ic character to the otherwise continuous commercial front main body of the building derives its form from the geometry of the cathedral and the square. It is based on a nine-square structural bay system augmented on three sides by concentric peripheral walls modified and curtailed by m functions as a counterpo fone enters the square from the west and southwest. An asymmetrical stair and a freestanding elevator afford immediate access from the ground floor to the lecture hall and exhibition spaces above, while a loggia/bridge at the upper level links the restaurant to the entry foyer on the ground floor and the exhibition spaces above. ‘The building was designed to provide eatefully ft cathedral and the square. The construction is reinforced concrete frame and blockwork throughout, with the inner rine-square cube faced in natural stone and the outer concentric sereen walls and the restaurant clad in stucco. The northwest perimeter of the square is f scale along the commercial frontage, while the parvis was re-created and repaved in accordance with a grid derived from the geometry of the cathedeal ied with sycamore trees to create a more intimate pedestrianooo tL , z 1 7Second floor plan Fourth floor plan 62Gross section facing southwest cai] | | Bortheas! elevationes fom my particular in forces and forthe way pe h the cultural history of lar place may be read rienced, almost in and € st tis entirety, by virtue of the foehitecture alone. The Munster- plats in vipere, as Max Bacher, chairman afthe 1986 assembly building umpeiition jury, put it the Um is just such a place ‘ire of the cathedral soars wards “not ad maiore Be recto real bald ‘civic, secular nature of the main The heavy veri boribardment Inflicted on Ulm atthe end of Mh Second World War effectively stored 80) percent of the city’s ginal medieval fabric. The cathedral then ranatey spared Pitch postwar recanstruc tion of the nding buildings Yad the unjortunace effect of Peally enlarging the square, fens fopering tad al 6 thal y rueIn Europe, history is visible in every city; it is there 10 be read. The history of architecture as well as the whole cultural history of a place is present and can be ‘experienced. That is an tion. Building in the context of history requires sensitivity, an ‘acceptance of the place in each sense. The attention I pay to such {questions perhaps makes me seem more European than many of my colleagues in the United States.i at es te al may | f a oo Vi aCity Hall and Central Library The Hague, The Netherlands 1986-1995 ‘This continuous megastructural galleria, 800 by 250 feet, effectively establishes The Hague’s new city center, together with a concert hall, hotel, and dance theater to the southeast and a multiuse cultural center to the south. Within its overall volume is the main public library, a council chamber, cafés, exhibition spaces, and a wedi room. The city hall provides office space on either side of the top-lit public galleria. This enclosed pablie realm extends into a semi- independent rental office building at its northeast end, while extensive, small-scale retail space runs throughout its ground floor. ‘The 10- and 12-story horizontal office slabs diverge at an angle of 10.5 degrees to match the grain ofthe city. The slabs flank a large internal atrium that forms the new res publica of the municipality nown as the Citizens Hall The main library, with its concentric semicircular plan, is located at the northwest end of the complex, where its dynamic form gives definition to the intersecting streets. Opposite the library and adjacent furniture store that occupies part of the space t ln the ground-floor foyer are a reception coun sanding escalators that serve the library floors above. ‘The monitor-lit glass rvof ofthe atrium is carried on deep beams. Aerial bridges spanning the atri the longitudinal axis. These are served by elevator shafts with fully slazed elevator cabins. These light, elegant si hite steel are intended to appear as dematerialized se dividing the large perspectival volume into thre fer The counc chamber itself is situated prominently to one si ‘eakvinnse. he upper‘between the internal galleria ‘and the external civic spaces ‘and monuments Building site The new building is at the inter- section of the city’s two grids, a Open spaces on the site and in the building were created in response to the formal organiza- tion of the built environment The City Hall and Central = Library completes the “culture square” procinet of The Hague. The location of open spaces on the site alo relates to the build- ing’s main entrances. Site plan within the city’ urban fabric;Toot Cae 7 U tei Q pee | HYAs the seat of Dutch government, the Hogue has been restructured continually over the last two decades. Most of this urlan renewal has taken place between the old core city and the raiteay station, Our city hall and library not only form the public heart of Jentrum, but also have become the catalyst for a great deal of new building by both Dutch and foreign architects Hopefully this new construction will further reinforce pedestrian movement through the heart of the city. a prunes preeeed (FESR |aa A = Er =i arWhen you look at Dutch land- scape paintings, you sense at once that the sky isa large part of the image, an aspect that derives in large measure from the flatness of the land. This accounts forthe overall gray and diffused character of Dutch light, which is quite different from that of Southern Europe or America. At the same time the light has a peculiar radiance, even on the gravest of days, and the clouds in The Hague are incredible, AU of this is picked up by the refractive, translucent top-litairium that glows with a particular warmth when the sun breaks through.Weishaupt Forum Schuwendi, Germany 1987-1992 Set in Schwabian countryside on the edge of a small town, this complex is the representational building for a small industrial plant. ‘The assembly was conceived as a communal and public reception facility, which, running parallel to the existing administration building, creates a nev controlled street leading from the main entry to the interior of the plant. the new complex is made up of two principal structures: a cafeteria and a training center housed in a single-bar building, and a portico building opposite the existing affiees. the portico building accommodates a product display area and a 50.seat orieatation space at grade, with a gallery for the industrialist's collection of late-tweatieth-century art above. This structure i linked to the cafeteria/iraining wing by a loggial passerelle that comprises the third side of an inner grass-covered «court. The covered causeway provides protection from the elements as employees come and go to the factory. it also affords access to the two guest dining rooms and the double-height,260-seat staff «cafeteria, the latter houses the main stair leading to tvo clas and a teaching laboratory on the floor above. the complex may be centered at both levels via dog-leg stairs at the external corners. ‘The inner court is framed by two first-floor terraces, one flanking the semicircular screen wall of the cafeteria and the other opening off the art gallery. these terraces impart an intimate feeling to the court, which is bounded on one side by the loggia and on the «ther by a stream that separates the forum from the owner's private residence to the southwest, at the extreme corner of the site.Alter world War 1, mony Werican architects found Hamtelves asked to design gtlawarters buildings for mejor Caetrations. For the next three id dings were 8 representative identity. This largely disappeared States, end only l-scale European 4 this one recover UE Of the period when a Hers building was secn ee fh smal I suchMe sempu identity of the SemPany is represented through sin that face eachSoutheast elevation of interior court Northwest elevationa F ey gs RE reepery work of architecture repre- nts the coming together of a riety of components. However, 's important to me is the ay in which architecture presses a unified whole. In dition to the site, the program, nd the mores of the place, there ust always be an aspirational sion. I is not possible to create work of architecture without an ightened client. In Schuwendi, icajried Weishaupt had the will achieve a great building of during value., Pe ae Headquarters Hilversum, The Netherlands 1987-1992 ‘This headquarters for a prominent international paper company is set in a clearing in a densely wooded area. The building consists of two interconnected structures: a four-story cubie reception building and a iwo-story office slab elevated on pilotis. The former provides dining facilities on the lower two floors, with general staff convening ina double-height restaurant at grade and executives and visitors in mezzanine dining rooms above. These private dining spaces over- look the main space and open to terraces facing southwest and southeast. Guest offices and meeting rooms are on the second floor, with a 60-seat lecture hall and conference room above. ‘The building is organized volumetrically around two intersecting, corridors: one runs northvest-southeast and is serviced directly by the elevator/mechanical core; the other, running northeast-south- west. affords access to offices on either side. ‘The two-story elevated office slab has two main entrances: one at the northeast end with an honorific stair, echoing.a similar feature in the reception building, and another at midpoint equipped with an independent elevator core serving the executive affices in the south- west half ofthe slab. Beth the executive and the staff offices are served from top-lt, double-height, double-loaded corridors with continuous access on one side and passerelles to office clusters on the other. The voids between passerelles illuminate lower corridors and unify the internal space. Sophisticated in its exterior treatment, the office slab sets up & ‘counterpoint between the main structure of freestanding cylindrical columns and the projecting concrete blades that maintain structural continuity in the spandrel wall. Horizontal strip windows plus hori- D)\_ muta sun screens add further syncopation to the facade.Ground flcor plan Ln fies errs een car NLA HC CIR IL noth ioc ti TLC LLhi implex, comprised of a ory office building raised tis and a four-story staff on block, may be ched either straight on 1 street or laterally from ing lot w the rear of the The reception block is leled by an avenue of trees « the complex to the land- while the office building is square cubic mass, similar le to the mass-form of the boring villasputhwest elevation orthivest elevationfew years afier this head- arters building was completed, Corporate structure of the pmpusty changed and the new pard decided to consolidate its fice space in Amsterdam. The uilding was sold 10 a major ‘dio company, and I am "sed to say that it has specied the original design Mentions and not made any sis ‘ant changes. Perheps the fa planning and organization space made this reuseT consistently find working abroad—uhether in Europe or elsewhere—to be an adventure in cultural climates that are profoundly different from my ‘oun in New York. If architects ‘are not sensitive to people's social codes, to the rhythm of their daily lives, 10 geo- graphic distinctions, and to the unique quality of sunlight, they cannot responsibly design Sor a site abroad. Lal ial tietleaeaeeea eeecece aetnaDVAUSCUIE OF WURUCMIPUL ary fare Barcelona, Spain 1987-1995 Contestually responsive in its scale and orientation, this museum plays a key role in restructuring the Gothic district of Barcelona. Together with the Casa de la Caritat cultural center and a new uni- versity building to the north of its sculpture court, the museum helps to consolidate this new arts quarter within the broader urban fabric. ‘To this end, ground-floor circulation generates a new pedestrian pal- tem linking the new plaza in front of the building with an interblock pedestrian system serving the cultural center and the university. Entry to the gallery space is through a cylindrical, top-litgallery/ foyer leading to a glazed, triple-height ramp-hall that faces the new Placa dels Angels to the south. This hall, together with an interme- diate corridor paved in glass block, enables the visitor to access six continuous loftlike spaces on successive levels. A semidetached wing at the eastern end of the block accommodates additional sallery space and the suite of curatorial offices. ‘The main galleries are partially lit from above, particularly at the top of the building where the loft space is covered with louvered skylights. Some of the light from this source filters down via glass- block floors and open slots to illuminate the lower levels. Where natural light enters from the south, itis screened in part by the external louvers, by a number of freestanding screen walls, and by the ramp itself Clad in white enameled-steel panels, the plaza elevation is animated by the horizontal louvers of the ramp-hall and by two plaster sculp- tural elements, a cut-out plane above the entrance and a free-form, top-lit special exhibitions gallery set in advance of the building at the eastern end of the main facade.Ever since the turn of the ce and the heyday of Antonio Gaud, Barcelona, like Chi thas been a city in which ar tecture is valued by the cit 1 an exceptional degree cultural consensus supported political will that made it possible to build a whole sector to accommodate the Olympic city. Fortunately, the same impulse that endThis building organizes cireula- with a high land occupancy rate tion in relation to its urban loca~ This design teas seen as a way to tion. The museum was the out- inject new life into the rundown come of a well-considered and district, for by being opposite debated political decision orches- less elegant surroundings the trated by then-mayor Paxqual museum openty connects with gall. The Raval district his- nearby structures. The contrast, torically has been a subject of it seems to me, is positive and discussion and controversy, as it provocative. is an area of enormous densityIn this automotive, high-speed age, itis rare to encounter a city in which walking is still a way of life. In Barcelona, the paseo is ‘an everyday social activity. Areas of the city where there is inade- ‘quate inducement or provision for walking, are simply ignored. From this simple standpoint, one of the goals in building the ‘museum may have been to help stimulate pedestrian movement throughout the area.Ze a North elevation- Bt F| L _ifohahteiictaii TL i bi Jdb-oh db ob ob | eo oon ry SE el ection through typical galleries Taha “ MM dd c ID dD cD ot Hs HE Hr 4 1 oh Die }T began the design of the ‘museum by looking closely at the possibilities offered by the site within this fabric of dense streets characterized by skewed inter- sections and ancient church domes. The compressed, low-scale mixture of commercial, institu- tional, and residential buildings offered few open spaces for pedestrian activity. There was ro place where people could ‘meet, talk, sit, read, watch children play, or walk their dogs. I wanted to create an open pedestrian plaza in front of the museum that would foster this type of activity.Once inside the entry lobby. visitors ascend a ramp that tunfolds within the wip hall. This transpar le-height ramp-hall beyond, and media the “old” of the surrou context and the “new within the building. The light- filled, glass-walled volume also serves as a large public space for museum events, [felt that it was important to provide such a space, physically separate from the galleries but visually éon- nected to both the art and the city beyond.Canal+ Headquarters Paris, France 1988-1992 Located on the left bank of the Seine just west of the Pont Mirabeau ‘and east of the Pare Citroén, this L-shaped television headquarters building borders two sides of a public park. On one side, an office slab varying from five to eight stories in height, tapering in plan, faces northwest over the Seine river. The other side consists of a four-story studio block facing northeast onto the rue de Cévennes, with a truncated, conical screening room punching up through it ‘The four television studios have been partially sunk into the ground to comply with zoning height limitations. Each studio may be accessed from its own separate street entrance or, alternatively, from ‘an internal circulation spine. Between this opaque mass and the olfice slab is « glazed, dematerialized, three-story foyer with a ‘canopy cantilevered over the street entrance. The opposite end of this foyer is intended to be accessed from the park, so the foyer can be used as a pedestrian right-of-way between the park and the rue ial bridges spanning the foyer link the production ‘wings, encouraging intemal communication. Faced with white enameled-steel paneling, the exterior of the build- ing is relieved by cantilevered terraces and by horizontal sun screens and vertical brise soleils that modulate the surface of both the sireet and the park elevations. Small, opaque glazed panels animate the louverless curved segment of the northwest river facade, ‘The “urban window” cut out of this office slab was provided to com- ply with certain zoning requirements. The implicitly civic character ‘of the complex is reinforced by its relationship to the park and by a ‘monumental butterfly roof sailing over the offices facing the park.Mies) Meld ff i aid Ds H OS? vw: eeA * id vi RT @ Neb | B“ WiLongitudinal sectionFURS, ENE CHY Uh SUNG Ae eee is synonymous with almost all of les grands travaux of the last two hundred years. The scale and quality of formal relationships in Paris are due in large part to mainiaining the 28-meter height limit that unifies the urban fabric. Inthis instance, the aim was to integrate the building with the existing park to give a private television headquarters a civic face. The building was realized in record time under the patronage of André Rousselet, at that time the presi- dent of Canale. It was built during the heyday of the Mitterand build- ing boom, which uas though to represent a new reality in France. One never imagined for a moment that all too soon this boom would come to an end.a ahaaLP een _"" Espace Pitét Montpellier, France 1988-1995 Located adjacent to the Place Royale du Peyron in Montpellier, the Espace Pitot is a low-cost residential development that includes a hotel, law offices, and commercial frontage at the lower-grade level. ‘The housing is essentially conceived as a perimeter block made up of a trapezoidal U-shaped element capped by a single orthogonal bar buildings the two forms are unified by a cylindrical bitiment d'angle located at the southwest comer of the site. This prominent feature houses the reception and entrance foyer to the hotel. Due to the fact that one cannot build higher than a 49-meter datum ahove sea level, which is the level of the Place Royale, the e three-story complex was dropped one complete floor below the adjacent street. This lower ground-floor level is treated as a paved plaza with an amphitheater and a steel loggia that joint to.animate the public area. These elements also separate this civic space from the shopping arcade that surrounds it on three sides. A prominent siaitcase and skylight in the plaza afford access and light to a publie swimming pool in the basement. if is faced in coursed sandstone inside and out hat is offset hy the white modular b that wraps around the interior of the court. A pine-tree cluster in the plaza and a rooftop garden on top of the perimeter block recall the formal planting of the nearby Place Royale, visible from the root.This work was the result of a ‘competition organized by the mayor of Montpellier, George Freche, who saw it as an oppor- tunity to build a demonstration project on a prestigious site in which a private developer would be required to work with the win- ing architect. On receiving first prize we began the joint evolution of the design in good faith, only to discover that as far as the developer was concerned, this simply a marriage of conve- nce for which he had litle sympathy. Despite this, we were table to realize the scheme largely in accordance with our original designs. Nevertheles, it was ahead-torhead battle from start to finish.To ee Le sHypolux Bank Building Luxembourg 1989-1993 Located in a new office quarter on the main auto route between the 3 airport and Luxembourg’s historic urban center, this prestigious office complex comprises a cylindrical volume and an office slab clevated on a podium. Unlike the adjacent office buildings, which have been built mainly to occupy the entire block within the new urban grid, this structure encloses an open civic space. Within this space, the cylinder, which houses the main reception area and exec tive offices, announces the presence of the bank. A planted formal court with an ornamental pool both defines the surface of the podium and reflects the cylindrical wall screening the entry Pedestrians access the bank via a gently sloped ramp over the pool. The L-shaped office block parallels the rue Alphonse Weicker. The southeast end ofthis slab, adjacent to the cylinder, is devoted to bank functions that occupy the full height of the four-story atrium. At the opposite end, an independent podium entry and elev: afford access to rental space above. The offices were planned as modules to provide a high degree of flexibility yet afford individuality to each space through proportional variation and window treatments. The internal perimeter of the L-shaped office wing and the end walls lad in dark gray stone, while its external face is modulated by brises soleils in enameled-metal paneling. The double-square geo- metry determining the rhythmic proportion of the plan also controls the organization of the plaza. Within this space, a monumental sculpture by Frank Stella reinforces the entry sequence.{floor plan aes PPP SASS SPAMS Sesseaeeeaee4 Te ifi fist glance this building Pes fr from all the usual Snatains of urban contextu- ity. Indeed, the flat rectangu- Brite is a part of a no-man’- and just outside the historic city here a Large number of banks Fd corporations have relocated. Betis thera pedotrion : @ residential area but rather Bali cone without aor zen ‘nt or distinctive natural mes, most of the buildings isnt Of the buildings Rather than exploit the full block delineated under the building ordinance, this ensemble, with its spacious plaza serving «as a civilized oasis within @ commercial desert, creates aan exception to the norm.i p et | SeeeruaThere is an inherent challenge to| -— a ta Al 4 ir - a a ITDaimler-Benz Research Center Ulm, Germany 1989-1992 ‘These laboratory/research facilities for Daimler-Benz in Ulm are the partial realization of a master plan for a larger research campus. ‘The campus is organized as a repetitive grid of L-shaped office/ laboratory units on either side of a central greensward. Within this space is a semipublic building housing a cafeteria/restaurant on the ground floor and meeting rooms and a library on the second floor. ‘This building serves as the sociocultural core of the complex. At present, this somewhat Jeffersonian plan is flanked by three new office laboratory units to the west and by a preexisting brick-faced research complex to the east. ‘The L-shaped office/lab module establishes a basic rhythm that may be varied slightly to accommodate atypical local conditions. In gen- eral, the offices occupy the extemal perimeter of the L-shaped mod- tle, while the laboratories line the interior and overlook the inner sgrass-covered court. The two research modules builtin the first phase share a large, open basement workshop for the fabrication of oversized components. This space is lit by skylights in the turf-covered roofs that span the factory/laboratory space below. A depressed ring road serves this lower industrial level, thus preserving, unobstructed views from the laboratories over the city of Ulm to the south and southeast and over the open country to the north and northwest. While security clearance is required throughout, all circulation is primarily pedestrian, with employees and visitors entering the compound via a central parking area to the north oftheSr Site structure Cafeteria structureeypicat faderatory units atypical refectory-cum p building were conceived originally as an ofa much larger ‘campus, 0” comprised laboraiory blocks communal facilities arow it has not been possible t plete the overall plan.Chil Ed | oO 2Camden Medical Center Singopore 1990-1999 ‘The Camden Medical Center is located at an interface between commercial and residential areas of Singapore. The 18-story build ing was designed to house medical suites or offices in addition to retail space on the ground floor. Its cylindrical profile celebrates the culmination of Orchard Steet, which links the commercial center at the water's edge to the residential district above. ‘The cylindrical, multilayered metal shell wrapped around the body of the building is also a consequence of equatorial conditions, where all exposures require solar protection. A combination of structural brises soleil and horizontal fretted sun screens integrated into the facade provides protection from the sun and adds a human scale that relates to the rhythm of the residential towers to the east and southeast of the site. The circular plan is subdivided orthogonally, and the cylinder is serviced by a rectangular core. The cut-away portion of the cylindrical mass is occupied by an opaque, free- standing cylindrical escape stair pierced at intervals by slot windows. Natural stone covers the ground-level retaining walls and elevator lic walls of the tower. The building footprint was reduced to the minimum to allow for landscaped open space at grade, ‘The vehicle drop-off and turnaround is slightly depressed from the sireet and takes advantage of the site’ sloping topography in order to provide privacy for the main entrance. Pedestrian access is along a covered walkway that weaves through the ground floor of the building and permits the required covered connection to neighbor- ‘ing cémmmbréial buildings: This building’ offers ‘an aisrndiive model’10) 20; 40) 80) ae:Euregio Office Building Basel, Switzerland 1990-1998 med as a hank headquarters and subsequently office buikling with commercial space on the round floor, this complex structure was realized on an extraordinar- ily difficult site with severe zoning restrictions. Located near Basel’s ‘central railway station, at the imersection of Viadukstrasse and Innere Margarethenstrasse, the building responds to the dome of the nearby market hall with its cylindrical corner. The lower two floors are based on an opposition between context and program and were originally conceived as a double-height banking hall; something of space still remains. The main entrance is between this volume and a recilinear complex consisting of offices on three sides of a central light court. ‘The remainder of the frontage on Viadukstrasse affords direct access to the commercial space on the ground and lower ground floors. ince there isa drop in grade at the western end ofthe site, organiz~ 1g the four subterranean parking levels and servicing facilities became one of the most challenging aspects of the project. ‘The building is located between the city center and outer districts, and these two urban seales are reflected in the different facades. ‘The south facade along Viadukstrasse is a layered curtain wall with projecting blades in white glass that shield the offices from direct sunlight. The north facade, where continuous strip windows are set into a solid metal panel wall, responds to the mote traditional char~ ecter of the adjacent buildings.VU provide as much public open space as possible in the form of tan interior end exterior court- yard. Long, sweeping lines of along the main street facade,CW OCS FeSriiin i fl —_— —]—[=netric view Uf Me ata! POHL MW LO eythrough loading dock looking south = section looking eastHans Arp Museum Rolandseck, Germany 1991-2000 Poised on a hill some forty meters above the main railroad station between Bonn and Koblenz, this museum commands spectacular views over the Rhine River valley. The Arp Foundation originated 4s @ long-established cultural center incorporated into an underused railroad station. The new building was conceived as an extension of a local communications hub uniting bus routes, a railway, and a ferry. ‘The museum was designed to house a unique collection of work by Hans Arp and Sophie Taeuber-Arp and their friends. Although 4 large part of the collection is sculpture, it includes a wide variety of objects—drawings, paintings, and textile designs—that require an equally wide variety of spaces and lighting conditions. ‘The 4-siory, 65-meter-long, sculpiure-like building is connected to the railway station via two elevated walkways. Visitors enter the ‘main level either on foot from the station via an elevated bridge or by automobile from the southern approach road. The basie orthogo- nal volume is overlaid with gently curved forms in plan and section. ‘A walkway and brise soleil expand into a terrace on the first floor, while at roof level, curved longitudinal beams support light baffles above the top-lit sculpture gallery. Similar outdoor terraces on every floor afford views over the Rhine. A short covered walkway connects the main level to a detached, two-story top-it gallery conceived as an honerifie chamber for the exhibition of selected works. Amoeba- shaped in plan and canted in section, also be used as temporary exhib‘South elevationSwissair North American Headquarters Melville, New York 1991-1995 ‘The Swissair headquarters was conceived as a distinctive formal clement that would stand in contrast to the nondescript suburban ccxvironment surrounding an adjacent intersection. A number of factors led to the decision to recess the building into the ground, thereby creating a lower ground floor. One of these was the need to meet local zoning and height restrictions while accommodating the requirements of the program. The recessed lower floor enabled us to provide an outdoor recreation patio on the sunny side of the building for lunchtime use by the staff. Another was the necessity to create privacy and to shield the building acoustically from the nearby Long, Island Expressway. A substantial berm to the east and south also shields the forecourt from noise and exterior views. ‘The orthogonal circulation, open-plan workspace (designed on a ‘module for flexible subdivision), and location of the cafeteria on the lower ground floor promote efficiency without sacrificing envi- ronmental quality or access to light, air, and surrounding views. ‘The southeast elevation facing the highway is closed in order to isolate the offices from the noise of the expressway. lis internal circulation space is lit by a roof light, and a long window in the facade permits distant views. ‘The northeast end of the building overlooks a narrow sunken patio, the southwest end accommodates services, the elevator, and lavatories, which are housed in three solid prisms separated by full- height glazing, The double-height, glazed northwest elevation faces ‘parking lot with demarcated hays that is treated as a parterte. This building may be seen as an emergent exurban office type that has been given a particular identity in keeping with the clients prestige.- we is out of the five sof Now York City, on Mim into that infinite expanse er vere is hardly any Dis denora re as a whole, This new prline eadquarters—shifted ermnay to place a biling Mfsincion in an otherwise Mendescvint landscape of rareening freeways and jeattered, rather mediocre muburhar developmentthrough atrium and conference roomto me and my work. Its change- ability is what makes it all the ‘more interesting. In architecture, light reinforces certain structural ideas in a building. Light must support, accentuate, and open up existing surfaces and spaces. Natural light gives mood to space; as it changes throughout the day and according to the seasons of the year it modifies ‘and articulates space—space that is calm yet brimming with lif.Potsdamer Platz Master Plan Berlin, Germany 1992 ‘The site for this master plan is adjacent to Berlin’ historic , which was destroyed in the Second World War. brief called for the development of office and 0 the hexagonal Leipzigerplatz and close to the postwar Staatsbibliotek designed by Hans Scharoun, which stands at the eastem edge of the so-called Cultural Forum. Four schemes were instrumental in determining the overall parti for this overdeveloped site: (I) a more or less continuous, 11-story infill block capped at its northern and southern extremities by office towers from 15 to 25 stories in height: (2) a five-block, top-lit. 1-story galleria running parallel to Linkstrasse and evenly subdivided by streets according to a grid established for the area by Hilmer and Satler; (3) a pedestrian walkway, flanked by trees, ing diagonally between the Staatsbibliotek and the Postdamer Platz (this diagonal echoes a similar radial street flanking the northeastern edge of the adjacent site); and (4) rows of trees used at certain points throughout the scheme as either buffers to trafic arteries or devices for focusing pedestrian movement on certain civie institutions such as the Staatsbibliotek or the proposed theater at the effective center of the site.SS Hk Se Sif, PSS / GIRLY LoETLFederal Building and United States Courthouse dip, New York 1993-1999 Located in Central Islip, Long Island, north of the Southern State Parkway and adjacent to the existing county courthouse, this federal ‘courthouse takes advantage of panoramic views over both Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The 12-story building was placed on a podium to give it a presence on an otherwise flat and undiflerentiated eaurban site. Visitors ascend two wide tiers of steps and enter the building through a monumental 9-story, top-lit rotunda in the form of an opaque cone clad in white metal panels ‘The rest of the south elevation consists of a curtain wall that allows light into the corridors and permits uninterrupted views of the ‘ocean. A granite-clad, east-west wall separates public circulation from the courtrooms and judges’ chambers. The north facade is faced with stone and pierced by horizontal windows. ‘The west wing of the building houses four district courts per floor, while two bankruptey courts are located on each floor in the east wing. Both wings connect to a central, top-lit, 12-story atrium with public foyer spaces at each courtroom level that link with the adjacent cone. In response to functional and security requirements, distinct circulation zones for the public, judicial staff, and detainees were provided via a careful sequencing of layered public areas, ‘courtrooms, and judges’ chambers. ‘This building reinterprets the courthouse type to enable it to function as a new kind of ci stitution, receptive to public events as well as to the formalities of the judicial process. ‘The rational, gridded plan allows for some modification of the circulation and provides for internal expansion of court facilities over a 30-year period.fajojoyoyofayatofaysropapaya)Vorth elevation& be = = a len Ye yur? Yo MY Qa a A ge See we ae 5 L__f | a ee + a gee genet Bevem gran gerae Gomes geen grass! Fomes greens gree s ere be Reve gree Geet! Bem gree Ge ee | | gran gee Fran gran geet een geen gee fee gee | : SL See See: EES Ce eT NY NY CAE REET NY Senn Gane Gee ST pee pee gee gee gee peMuseum of Television & Radio Beverly Hills, California 1994-1996 ‘The Museum of Television & Radio in Beverly Hills is located prominently at the comer of North Beverly Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard. Flooded with natural light and open to the street, this two-story build tment of an existing structure. Set between two nevly glazed planes, ‘ne for each public facade, the main volume is highly visible from the sidewalk, and vice versa. The North Beverly Drive entrance is set back from the property line in order to create a threshold at the entrance, a top-lit eylindieal lobby that is the symbolic center of the museum. The lobby affords access to the gallery, the 150-seat theater, the Radio Studio, and the Listening Room. The information desk. the museum shop. and a multipurpose education room are on the ground floor, off the lobby. Visitors reach the second floor via a stepped ramp that penetrates the rotunda and overlocks the exhibition space, providing views of the streetscapes beyond. Here the movement system is inseparable from the viewing system as the stair culminates in the reading room ‘on the second floor. The less public spaces are located on the third floor: the trustees room and the roof garden with views into the rotunda. Access to this level is by elevator or by « circumfe stair inside the top-lit space.fen if it does not use te archi hard Neutra and Rudo this building surely the progressive hu Southern California sc first half of this cent to the freewheeling, exclusively Hollywoo Los Angeles that was p by Reyner Banham. Is irom ould to say the least, that th hhappen to be a mediaNorth elevation 5120This project was originally designed during a weekend charrette. The client invited a few architects to participate in a 48-hour weekend design ‘competition. Michael Palladi my partner, and I sat together in our office in Los Angeles to analyze the program and the drew it up together. um was on a very tight schedule and a limited budget so the design developed quickly, true to our original concept. What we drew that weekend is basically the design that we built.Federal Building and United States Courthouse Phoenix, Arizona 1994-2000 ‘The courthouse, irrespective ofits size and const been the one building type that has sustained the com public values ofthe: and publie space to which citizens gravitated. Despite today’s sophisticated technology, i is sil necessary to maintain the appropriate physical relationship between judge, jury, and spectators. Light plays a critically symbolic ole in the reading of this structure, whic thtened by reason during the day and by the equally radiant glow of artificial light at night. public space, a 350+by-150-fo0t covered atrium, is orientated toward the city center and situated on th the state capitol some five blocks to the west. The atrium, ids on its eastern and western ends into paved plazas that are furnished with shade trees. pools, and fountains. These areas serve as transitional zones between the harsh desert climate and the lf, which is cooled by evaporation and natural convection. Hot air escapes through vents in the roof, drawing fresh air across the atrium, where it is cooled by water from a misting system before dropping to the floor. 1 district courtrooms and four magistrate courts occupy the top four floors of the building. This is complemented by a three-story, cylindrical special proceedings ‘courtroom at podium level, a symbolic space that serves as the focus of the atrium. tional arrangement Glazed throughout in shaded clear glass and ceramic fritted low-e (gleed, the high-tech ‘charkicter of the wit seems from fis trash!p 5 ft ie ea: © th a ast, ire ‘ Enele nA o S fe | or : J Figure/ground =South elevationSection facing west aed ;uilding in an ar where 1e temperature can easily reach 110-120°F during the summer ic foyer, an interme diary space between the air conditic rooms and the raw desert climate, The hall is cvoled passively in part by exhausting hot air through the roof and in part by providing tmisted air that descends fromGagosian Gallery Beverly Hills, California 1994-1995 In a city where the automobile is king and architectural “differ ences” must be writ large in order to attract the attention of drivers and passengers moving al 60 mph, the Gagosian Gallery projects an uthorty. Its high. white wing, and the sharply articulated play of layered transparencies and shadows draw atte tion to & work that is otherwise a fairly minimal transform preexisting storefront. The street elevation is composed of head-glazed door and an expanse of clear and frosted glass ‘mul bove the rool place by a lattice of a blades. Just visible od to admit indirect nat- can be raised from sidewalk level so ariworks can be sec street during. -vents or openings. This provision, dependent upon the amounts to an arresting, provocative gesture, par lery-goers who are more accustomed to the hermetic erof the enclosed private gallery al fresco Visitors entering the gallery first see a blank, full-height wall that ‘opens to the main volume when you least expect it, The main gallery is a soaring space the north and south ends of a bowed ceiling. Sunlight is beautifully diffused through this surface and varies from warm ‘on one side to cold on the other. Visitors’ circulation is controlled {rom an elliptical reception desk secluded upper-floor viewing ro by clerestory windows xs tothe Tce space. A J, smaller gallery on the ground floor also receives li through the roof. The y track lighting partially sus- pended from a do ‘main monitor light complemeCotfomia hight. Its white ends a certain neutrality space, thereby intensifying gue lapprecaiion of works by fil Preas, Silla, loner, Gill or Newman. Since Ike Land foe a rienced the extraordinary och he has organized, I vas plows to have the opportunity Lo dei, this gallery, albeit uithin a we short time frame. It was 0 small project but a highly satisfying California experBs SYAra Pacis Museum Rome, Italy 1995-2000 athe bank ber river has been d setting for the Ara Pacis, a sacrificial altar A.D. and now located on the western edge of the Piazza a8 part of w structure replaces the te of advan effort to protect Rome cultural legacy, t enclosure, which is in a fa long, single-story m. This structure provid ‘embankment of the Tiber and the existing, circular pe cf Augustus. In addition to protecting and displaying the altar, the new pavilion w nent’s present he proposal con- ove a shallow nsparent barrier between the of the n of regu ing the distance betwee dis original 2 proportional frame to reo its surroundings. An artificial obelisk is used as a historical r ence on the north-south axis through the altar. The space h the altars top-lit by adjustable monitor lighting, while the log faced in stone and steel-framed plate glass. The reetly tothe Je applied a syst ww Ara Pacis Museum complex will be an inte- plan for the AuWest elevation po) 25) 5 100,ty Center occupies a chaparral-covered hilltop that stretches the San Diego Freeway. then juts south from the Santa Monica ins into the residential neighborhood of Brentwood. Severe restrictions limited the extent and height ‘under the terms of a eonditional-use perm these the layout of the complex was largely determined by the sof the elevated site, which affords spectacular views over the mountains, and the distant ocean. Most of the buildings ied along the two natural ridges that form the southern end P110-acre site. Axes through these ridges meet at an angle of s in plan, which corresponds to the inflection of the San Freeway as it bends north out of Los Angeles to traverse da Pass. The layout is hased on an interplay between this of intersection and the Los Angeles grid, together with a num- ‘curvilinear forms derived from the specifie topography. "ground parking garage and a tram station were established 40 the frceway (some three-quarters of a mile tothe north), below the main complex. Whether one comes by car, taxi, bus, fool, one enters under the freeway overpass through the same Hlacum. The majority of visitors reaching the site by automobile in the subterranean garage. Everyone takes a five-minute ride _tram tothe top of the site. The winding route affords magnifi- a of the diverse surrounding topography and glimpses of te terminates at the arrival plaza, where visitors may orient Ives tothe site as a whole. Here one immediately encounters "at auditorium that, together with the J. Paul Getty Trust Institute, constitutes the North The Getty Center Los Angeles, California 1984-1997, ‘of Art and the Humanities occupy strategic positions along the other ridge extending to the southwest. Due to the conditional-use permit, much of the complex remains below the hilltop datum of 896 feet above sea level and, as a result, much of the facility is underground. On arrival visitors are invited to choose between entering the museum immediately or exploring the site at their leisure. Those ‘who opt to see the collection approach the muscum lobby via a wide esplanade of steps. They enter the museum through a three-story cylindrical lobby that opens directly onto the museam court and the various galleries beyond. The pavilion structure of the gallery inerary modulates the scale of what would otherwise be an over ‘whelmingly large institution. The pause spaces between the various pavilions, both closed and open, provide for panoramic of the surrounding landscape ‘The exhibition sequence is organized chronologically and according to artistic medium. Making a clockwise cireuit around the perimeter of the courtyard affords a chronological experience of the collection, while the different media are divided between the upper and lower levels ofthe galleries. The painting galleries occupy the upper level ‘of every cluster. Due tothe climate and the unique system of moni- tor top-lighting, igs may be viewed during the day without artificial light. Natural light i filtered differently according to the character of the collection. Decorative arts, manuscripts, photo graphs, and works on paper are housed on the ground level to protect them from damaging ultraviolet light. By moving from one level bo tha vest-within caull lisiee VOUS expects now GHINOOECirculation 1. Audigorium . 2 The Getty Information Insitute The J. Paul Getty Trast 3, The Getty Conservation Insttute/ The Gary Education Institute for the The Getty Grant Program 4, The J. Paul Getty Museum 5. Arrival Plaza 6, RestauranwCafé 7. Contral Garden 8. The Getty Research Institute for the History of Ar and the Humanitiesio view & certain part of the collection are encouraged to take ndary route, thereby bypassing the chronological sequence. Jr the museum is the most public program of the Getty Trust, leries are only a part of the entire complex. Other programs {he Trust employ an even greater number of people, and the irtures they occupy may be of interest to the casual visitor. fhe RestaurantCale, with its two categories of food service, will “Fheitably be a part of the overall attraction. Situated close tothe eiral plaza, itis easily reached from most parts of the complex its windows and terraces afford outstanding views of the moun- tothe north and the ocean to the west. On the other side of plaza lies the auditorium, a popular venue for lectures, concerts, ind other cultural events. Geity Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humani- esis situated on the more secluded western ridge and completes complex. The cylindrical building houses a one-million-volume brary. reading rooms, study carrels, a small exhibition space, and for staff and scholars. This vast reference requirement is 4 more or less radially within the structure. The information ot centralized, however, but organized into a series of smaller libraries. The plan is designed to encourage scholars to explore form ecific material. At the same time, the building's cylindsi ally introspective nature. the Research Institute's esses staf members who catalogue and maintain the collection ve their material from the closed stacks below grade, while sand scholars gain access to the same material in the reading. ‘and carrel spaces above. Scholars have the option of taking is material back to their offices for further study. Some of these fees are arranged around the top floor, while an additional four- ® offices are located in the Scholar's Tower to the south of the Gettral complex, facing the city and the ocean, indscaping integrates the complex into the planted terraces that extend beyond the built ines. Water also plays an essential role in enlivening the various es, with fountains and channels draining into the central meen the two prominent ridges. ughout the site, \ypes of cladding not only tie the complex to the site but Fepresent the status of its various institutions. Since the in is the most public element, it is clad honorifically in split Mine. This facing imparts a feeling of permanence and consti- wveling exhibite—offer relief from this, sequent viii who works that appear to flow uninterruptedly into the various retaining walls deployed throughout the site. In less prominent places, stucco and other traditional earthen materials face incidental retaining walls, Since the Research Institute, East Building, Ai Restauran/Café, and North Building, are all curvilinear in form, they are largely faced in metal panels with large areas of fenestration. While almost as permanent as stone, the matte metal paneling reflects light and gives a sense of dematerialized translicence without being shiny. At the same time, this material, ‘combined with stone and the lush vegetation, harmonizes with the Southern California landscape. ‘The Getty Center is dedicated to the preservation and assimilation of our cultural memory by way of making its collections available to the public for future enjoyment and use. Given this mandate, the complex was designed to combine symmetrical organization with asymmetrical form, thereby suggesting a balance between the humanism of geometry and the spontaneity of its organic assembly. Opened in December 1997, this institution has become the major cultural center in the Los Angeles Basin and a major attraction for U.S. and international visitors.The Ge! city there” dual n0 the oe along a frewa Angeles When yo alreody the mus pavilion: line, wh changin with the Pass Center is both in the removed from it. It 10 evoke simul- «a sense of urbanity contemplation. This is parily expressed by on of the complex of two hill ret at an angle of which corresponds le of the adjacent jends out of Los a Pas get off the tram you nse these twin axes. At find that the he permanent are on the street grid the pavilion for xhibitions is aligned gle of Sepulvedapredisposition toward open, warmth, f neath intention, it has with European idealsFrom the San Diego Freeway YOU see a more or less continuous string of buildings, but once you are within the complex you realize that there is reaily « ot of open space. In fact, gardens, courtyards, and terraces are an essential part of the experience. Thave stood on the site and directed the crane operator, locating the trees one by one to give them an architectural density, so the landscaping modillates the space between the buildings. This relationship between landscape and architec- ture is now beginning to come alive, and vistors to the site are discovering how important the exterior spaces are to experiencing The Getty Center.Apart from topography, the most powerful aspect of the Getty site isthe quality of the natural light, which is astonishingly beautiful, the clear, golden California light that isso intoxi- cating to an Easterner. As soon 4s I sau the ste I longed to make walls looded with light, walls that would cast erisp shadows. Trwanted to set the structure ‘against the brilliant blue sky of Southern California. Limagined it as a light metal ‘fabric combined with stone in such a way as to provide a solid, rocklike appearance, thereby ‘opening a dialogue between massive enclosure and an open, lightweight transparency.Most of the cues for the design ‘came from the light and the landscape. Perhaps the mast important initial decision was to work with the configuration of the land. We did not want to bulldoze the place, which is what 4 developer would hare done— you make a flat plain and build up from there. That did net seem to be appropriate for this wonder- fal site. Why come up on this ‘magnificent hill and turn it ino « plain? Instead, we dug into the natural topography and then rebuilt it. With the completion of The Getty Center, the original, natural form of the hilltop isin fact clearer than ever. That is important for two reasons: frst, wwe preserced something that is ‘beautiful in itself: second, the topography provided an essential key for the organization of the complex.But Los Angeles was also the city of Rudolph Schindler, Richard Neutra, and Frank Lloyd Wright, 4 city that became a second home to Thomas Mana and Arnold Schoenberg. I believe the Genter recognize that it belongs to the cultural tradition of Los Angeles. They come away saying, “That was a terrific day,” even though itis obvious that this place has not been built for entertainment value.1 Sy SY MANNYWe undertook an exhaustive search to find the right sione, at the right price—and even then wwe were lucky, because we easily could have come up empty- ‘handed. But then we found just swhat we had been looking for, a clefi-cut travertine quarried in Bogni di Twoli, just an hour north of Rome. It is probably one of the least expensive stones in the world, since there is an end- less supply in the quarries, but it hhas exactly the warm color and rough texture we wanted.architecture, Its preser immediately reassurin visitors, for they realize thas also expresses certa thet The Getty Center tion to the landscape thai no ‘other material can provid:Whe the ful bul x all ofl ie ext peer for’ Ido eli the prop thin fio gest los I first saw the hilltop, ight it was the most beati- Thad ever been invited to Having this vast, open with magnificent views in ections right in the heart Angeles, so easily accesi- veryone—this was an clinary situation, Some criticize The Getty Center ng on top of ahill. They makes the place seem imperious, ot believe it is to put works of art above y. Yes, The 6 i that art vated, seta little apart lily life. But in the same the Getty is also making s accessible to peopleWhile designing the Getty I kept adrian’ Villa and Caprarola forthier thick-walled presence PM fugurative spatial order in sthich building ond landscape Jock into each other. At the same tine, [elt that the Getty’ mate- riality must derive not only from hisory but also from the regional ambience of Southern California, its colors and textures, its open- ness, warmth, and easenM SM, 7 4L2O\\\\)) LW. WW WWM. Ne iUpper floor planSo |The museum sequence begins with a large, light-flled rotunda that opens onto the central court- yard. Once inside this open lobby the visitor becomes aware that the museum consists of fie dis- tinct, two-story pavilions. At this point one may either proceed clockwise, through the peripheral patilion sequence, or start at the upper level on the right-hand side of the courtyard with the pavilion for temporary exhi tions. Alernately, one might decide to see photographs, OF nineteenth-century sculpture, or baroque painting, and at this junction the visitor is free to go directly to whatever gallery interests him or her\\ \ NL. Veneta Aa iL Stee ti. eeagmuseum should be similar to the J. Paul Cetty Museum in Malibu—not in terms of eppe dance, but rather in the sense o offering vis ‘and from gallery to decided joinily that would not be Instead, it offers an ever-ch itinerary: one moment you inside, foc in the painting galerie next moment you are outs enjoying a framed view of toun Los Gabriel Mountains, or lookin, west toward Santa Monica an the ocean. The museum allow intense moments of concentrat ‘on art, but while you a1 you are also always inten ‘aware of the city-s | The Getty Research Upper floor planhaoaf ao Pie Oy aare not excepted, architecture remains a largely anonymou practice. But, like the cinema, the ultimate media art form ‘our time—architecture rem a collective expression, requi extensive time and ma just as it did in the Middl There can be no sole any building larg average middle-class hou. this sobering fact distingu architecture from any othe of fine art. To put it differ The Getty Center simply innumerable architec, ¢ neers, technicians, artisans builders who assist. for thirteen long years. To of them I oue an irredeema debs of gratitud still 1De ee er a Fber 1997 and discovering thay the Buldigs no longer ta re. It was a litle like recognize that my chil grown up, only this i be the one leasing home. Exery J. architect who has given his how Bh t0.a project knows the pa separation involved. Up t point of completion, remains in your per ‘The drawings may since determined the g come, but up tothe last you are still adjusting mi ‘details ofthe work. You wane it to be right, and details become ver more important as the work nears completion. Yet, there comes a moment wh rust hand it over, and it “theirs.” As you leave, the ing takes on a life ofits own. Yo ‘re no longer in control, and yo Ihave to face the fact that from now on you will be judged solel by what you leave behind.Church of the Year 2000 Rome, Italy 1996-2000 ‘The parish church for the year 2000 was conceived as a new center for a somewhat isolated housing quarter on the outskirts of Rome. ‘The triangular site is doubly articulated to divide the sacred realm to the south, where the nave is located, from the secular precinct to the north, and to separate the pedestrian approach from the east from the parking lot tothe west. The paved sagrato to the east of the church extends into the heart of the housing complex, providing an open plaza for public assembly. The northern half ofthe site is divided into two courts. The east ‘court is sunk by a full story to provide light and access to the lowest oor of the community center. The elevated west court is separated from a meditation court behind the church by a paved walkway that leads to the parking area. The proportional structure ofthe entire complex is based on a series of squares and four circles. Three circles of equal radius generate the profiles of the three concrete shells that, together with the spine wall, ‘make up the body of the nave. The three shells imply the Holy Trinity, While the reflecting pool symbolizes the role played by water in the baptism ritual. The stone used in the postico, paving, wall cladding, and liturgical furniture has a dual significance: it alludes to the body of Christ’ church and to the adjacent residential fabric. Glazed skylights end side windows suspended between the shells 4iffuse natural light into the nave and throughout the interior of the church, vhich is enlivened by patterns of light and shadow that con- stantly change aceording to the hour, the weather, and the season.Geometry Structure based on a number of contingent factors: the triangular site, which juts down into existing housing ‘nearby; the location of the peak of the nave to balance a nearby hill; the division of the church pprecinet into four quarters; the superimposition onto this quadri- partite plan of four squares of ‘progressively smaller proportions that generate the centers of three concentric circles; and finally, the symbolic division of the site ‘on its north-south axis into water (sacred) and land (profane).Cross section looking west Longitudinal section through church looking north 10) 25) 50 100)Cross section looking east Longitudinal section through church looking southLongitudinal section through center looking north 10, 25] 39 109orth elevation. oss section through auditorium looking south erThe design of «religious srue- ture mast alvays evoke a sense of the spiritual, and this challenge is perhaps more difficult to meet in small church than in a larg cathedral. We felt thatthe most important factor was o induce the congregation to look upward, toward the senith. For this reason wwe decided to enclose the volume within tree concentric se meated by light.to show church, I became ans rs with ing, the Pope himself arriw with a retinue of TV cnstitute of Architects Nerit Award of Ln Angeles Caper ef the American Institue of Archiects Progresive rchiecture Awan Lifetime Achievement Award from Guild Hall Honorary from Un rity of Naples 1992 Distinguished Architecture Award and Architectural Projects Awards of the New ork Chapter ofthe American Institue o Architects Duk Award from City Coun Hilverum Named Commander de Ordre des Art et tren bythe Ministry of Cultare of Rachofsky Howe Datla 1996, Swissair North American Headquarters Melle, New York Suis Air Transport Company, Ine 1904, Potsdamer Platz Master Plan Competition Entry Berlin, Germany Daumier Bens AG Houre in lesb Wiesbaden, Germany Office Furniture Sion Davis,“The site of this master plan for an “Appropriate to each of the hills and wsnesopl eine labors tye val ey ft gh Nice measures aprximatly 612 ilo- bom imposed by ears of play men by 23 tt Llemwee'Tie les coeeaeeeteree a as imap of seven hls pit by intrmiure a bid ype, Around nike eration | eer eme ay eae Chaos in uch starter landscape isan refined ste provide #seamien contderale and als ora tines = tureto give its seme of ode cabsive ‘The eel of construction rfinement Meier treed road, Meiers characeriically thas reached in he Rachefaty Howse ir tele ictal paneled howe stands on 0 ‘extraordinary. The archited expanded on les characteraie black granite podiam. his trademark rocabalary, 1 nerly forty. The podium extends some tery five year canon of princiges, prcedares and yards in fom ofthe building and contin- [estaral effets that has undergone sulle, es behind phasing int to sulpure {Yecnstant, development and polishings pats tha lead to the pool Beyond a pair (a is fim’ prj have eed Sf ancient oaks and gen sloping ten ‘tsa lagoonlile pond, which poides a Set hack «hundred yards from a heavily aural counterpoin: tothe recangulir ‘Perhaps the mest procatveaypct of the cerebral. Pont-modernstssletrated pop Iuiling however, isha i ines uso lar tate typified by the highway trig. No rethink architecture’ place inthe realm of doubt this opposition nas il ay for popolarealtur. Twenty years ag, Meiers some menbers of Meiers generation © Dri hie exthtic mas Jrqueiy set in define themaches, and the high art image ppasition tothe “grey” pst-madern ‘id nothing to prevent Meter fam becom ‘pproach advocated by Roert Venturi, ing the leading designer of meus (Charles Moore and Robert M. Stern. Meier was supposed to reprsnt the high Ba encountering Meir onthe hghacey road: high at highbrow, Europeanized, males me think that the Whites an Grays Despite al eff to generate urlan qeal- under the Landwehskanal. Morover the lity by urban-spce ations and he iner- _exesivey wide tet cus the whole area play of indoor end otdoor spaces inthis in wo and divides & of from the Kubur- Instant city, ther remains « doubt with forum on the western side. The idea thisplan la with the other competition bend Bilmer and Sater urban design ‘entres) as tothe whale concept ability to for the whole of the Potsdamer Plat area Function in pracice: the sets do not ‘was “not the American iy model of ‘actualy lead asyaher and after al enly conglomeration of skyscrapers, bu rather ‘connect Pusdaner Plats (reduced toi the idea of a compact, complex European “transor function th anew city" Richard Meiers wort defisitely ‘Located inthe resident forhis business, which employs som: this spay the ite for this un twelve prope, seven af whom are jets less than a tes-minte walk fom craftsmen watchmakers, the enter The uniguecaabiaton requirements or work andesdenial. The business porto ofthe program space provides an unusual challenge for occupies the wer ots with the private this project. The clits besines sells a residence located 0 the tp two Mar. itis Si mach i: i Aalathenpoen cat oy equired «building that weld ove a ea ie «compact sales eM ta cat cs seed get ten Gite EC ‘The rite inthe Richard Meier Cale with nach featresm detchedpedntle lection was conceived as an integrated and witing channels providing for an easy setes of keestnding pieces tha ean be ramsiton as individual demand ditates lrraiged in any numberof configura: tions, The farnture i equally stable for Using the geometry ofthe square, cube, ‘ther private lies or an openlice and golden setion, Uh desig ofthe ere dane b coeil Le cand MINES Greten of oesectioce: ‘The new town cenier has been arranged a ca Ivey meet sea etlng tnd cll er Se cae ae Sak ees ee ee Sie uo Shores ives of trie err eneg enya dium that “loa” arcana onl wader lhe howe, The eat facing frat elesation presents a dynam, thaugh rlaiely lesed wall to the set: From these, the white plane “appears suspended, almest detached fom a rest ofthe balding. Pere by large window near the center of the aca, this layghilegan compostan is remanscent ‘may hone had it bckaand. While yo ned ‘eurricadumin arhitectual history and Semioi thory to decipher the layer of rep ‘ence many postmodern bung (the “eekly vane aioe strength, Sessir peaks 0 the see, The design’ geometric order snot arcane Light end spacioumess ae not acquired tastes A finely tuned glass wall rising shoves igs of trying to embrace this ‘idea tut the basi requirements fr the density of the development, suse and its ‘xcs trafic) inposed extremely tufacourable conditions. Meie, like oth- rs filed to “square the ciel” I omains wo be seem wheter the quaties of the wining design by Renzo Plano and Cirstoph Kalecer will coninue o project is based on a simple civisien into Iteerrice molule mone serving the snc program elements, it was further {tformed by the need to preserve the site The eg of the building ase coreeponds othe re teourstory adjacent bulding The ‘elationhip among the diffrent pisos ‘While the foal vocabulary, the abstract interplay of werticls and horizntah, and the overall emcepion and structure are ‘ensistent, each piece isa dstinet ‘bjeet usable in variety of contents find ofthe qualy sro, single window ‘ountenances of rarious Burpean houses by Ada ons. By contrast, the highly als House.” Architectural Diges, Apa 1957 roma green laws gives ws much lease ‘a peopl who may never have heard of {Le Corbusier ai dc thse teh ey parading their eraition. And fo images ‘reas deeply ingrained inthe poplar ‘imagination asthe ideal of purified desire ‘eprennted by the color white. Herbert Mischa," Rear to Rubberneck athe Expreseway” The New Yor Ta ‘ork on this began in 1994.—Ingeborg Flagge and Oliver G. Harm “Dace Bene AG." in Richard Meier in Eup. Berlin: Ernst & Sohn, 1997 ward orientation ofthe upperloor Ivingareas oper up t panoamis iews aithectyAward ff the Ameria of Architect Dew Award Distinction ofthe American inti Honorary Fellow in th Royal General Services Administration Administrative Bu Marctolaeim, France Jnglurcauer 94 elevision & Radio aiornia Museum 0 Beverly Hi Museum of Television & Radio 1990 Beverly Hill, C 1993 Berliner Volksbank Headquart area Eat Berlin, Gemany Houston, Texas‘Recent architecture and art have been marked by frequent sls shifts: Indeed, As the century closes, with ro doinant deste ew, the ner idea of se has teen called ito queston. Arhitecture, oncea symbol of permanence, has wavered betwen sperficalhutoreal pasiche and "deconstruction" wich tds tard the “pheneral. Pew mature creators have passed though this period withou being ‘The site fr this unbuilt adinistrai and rveach building fo large biotech- tical company in the Alsace region of France ie part of an exiting large pro duction faiity which s serviced by a rainy line along it perimeter. order to prvide for easy ctens ever the eal Tine, hich ie afien blacked for Tong periods of time by the loading art unloading of tains the new building wae This is on ofthe few tes inthe Lox Angeles area thet could be reasonably construed es having some degree of. urban, and Mz Mev has taken advan- tage of. The thre-ory building, with facade of glass, Me. Meiers trademark of shite metal panel and prefiguring the Getafe hins of soft travertine, is collage of geomdriceemens assembled in response tothe need of the ste a8 Over the lst decade, the white cube that has lng ben a given of Amurican galltes hasbeen chidlenge by many architects ying to dente spaces for vc art They have opened wtadon, added col, denned malileveleniron ment and rea obet-speiic naa tion all to minimise the disparity been the subject of the rit and the abe tity ofthe ar. Located on a preminent site in Berlin adjacent to Compas current healquat- pint forthe entre complex and ereate i appropate image or the empty leedership role in the talislay’ tempted by one or another ofthe fashions ofthe ties. Four sill hae set and ‘maintained a dear course. Tn fc. an architect on an artist witha style recogni able oer the yars is expe to accus- {ior of immobility or inalality change. Yet many ofthe most durable wrks of art were born of rides strict asthe unity of lime and place ofthe clascal theater Feu woull argue thet Shakespeare on pilots to a height of 7 meters, proriing for unintemupel accen via | bridge tothe procion facility while at the seme time bringing i above the Oo tall ofthe river: Along withthe place- ‘est ofthe office buiing inthe nor trex comer ofthe ile thi provides the ‘fics with dramatic views of the Rhine River and the adjacent countryside, tee as reflet the museum’ iterion ‘Spaces. The inuriors ae vl rom the Stred,and the life ofthe set is sible Jrom within the museum. The evel of ation to urhanian sepe- ‘rates his building from mach of Richard Meier’ early work, which tended to be placed, lite a sculptural object, na ste ‘and ech any reference that Whater is has own buldng or an art- work, Richard Meier sil betes in the andity ofthe ebjct—and nthe chit cube a tbe best eminent for dipoy Ing it. What Meer has asked inthe design of sereral museums, and most recently Inthe Gagosian Galery in Bev His, is how far the white cube can be manip ated yet tl rain eset ature ‘asa concntratve chamber that does ot perimeter buildings which complete the ent Story towers are each organized aroun ‘entra core wit dramatic sil verti lobby spaces which nthe entre height A he bulldogs, A polio incorporate Alef the building services forthe pr- a ae he aking alvabtage ofthe here beauty ofthe site fritsocupant,Iter- ‘nal warsprtation fineen te to can (Pas as lobe hep to Low thas fihere adherence to Elizabethan parameter: pre- tested Him fram encompessing the etre range of human experience in his plays. The rigor of Neer’ design is emphasized ‘Avough metcalous atetion t detail. thick tur coneeys an impression of ‘quality often lacking in moders consruc- fe. 1 seems clear that his precios ieeometri penchant is no 0 much an seing. Here however the expanses of ‘las covered by haizontal sun louvers tere cleuly designed in sponse tthe Stetscape: i the metal clad elinder that series as an erry pavilion and een tral rotunda. Mr Meier managed to wold making the oleious gesture of puting ‘hinder a the corner and it flacement near the south end ofthe main facade ‘reminds us, as well a8 ansthing hee, ‘compete withthe at displayed. He wants to beep the cube, but change it in onde to enrich the viewing environment item the scale ofthe nearby Gaty Cente, the new Gagoian Gallery n the Rodeo Drwe shopping distil i Wife. Bu pre- cisely berause the ters nfl building {small wath «simple program, at a8 ‘a microoum for Mer titudes abt The administration biking. shown here. rises well above the Weep bight the bing on the west campus and wae dlesiged to crate «store physical fer € ‘Was eubepag ewer it oe ea aprecion @ formal conceonen ts teGh mneete i Tandewoeed ‘sar ohare igh i x once Toni oma ene, ‘well-being which may, at its best, ie Spiel die rhea sth erage 1995 hat a master of compsition Richard Meier s<—Paul Goldberger, “And nom, live fom Beverly Hill. new Museu” The Naw Yo Times, 7 April 1996 ow architecture should preset art. Al the igh: of the artwork, the space is ‘alm, holding viewer tention whut Jarcingit. Meier beaks he hermetic seal 1 the standard galley withoa lasing the ‘qualities that made the white ax sch ‘focused, and focusing. space-—leseph Giovaraini, “Seulpural Sane,” Architecture, ebay 1996Progressive Architecture Award (Gysal Award from the World Economic Ferum Interior Design Be Elctedto dhe American Academy of Ate & Sciences 1996 Wests H, Sliven Award frm Chicago Athemem Tite As Architects Avist rom Gaiden Plate Amand Academy of Achievement Honorary Dortrate of Fine Ans fc The New Sehwol for Social Research Week 96 the Atri General Services Adminstration Hone Swine Re Headquarters ‘Competition Entry Kingston, New Yerk Sin Ke Americas Corporesias Rud. Ihach Sohn rh of the Year 2000 Rome, aly Rome ofthe Ara Pacis Taly mt ReeExemplary architecture will arise froma lear consrutonalpincigl. A ullding {s formed jrom shat the deni is able ‘reveal. Good architecture is marked by the Sens of order aad the sens of form: a the same time itis the spatial exreaion of ‘qutibriun and toaliy. Lenard defined the inci ofall proportional stems ‘and asthe velues, for example. his ‘ranings of the human boy and geome No aher architect inthe tented century han profoundly understeer prete, and extended the canonical age of le Corse Corks ability to ame archtectre out of sold mass has een arly wsimilated withthe anal cal intelligence of Walter Gop and the stg efor og tes tan der Rehe, creating new forms and meanings of unique rig and intensity The Swiee Re Headquarters building i orientated on an east-went axis ake yesouthern xin and dramatic contours of the ‘ral is apparently three-story building vhen approached from the stret actually houses conference cen- ters employee dining, and other sup pr functions under te east wing ard ‘cal figures. He based his architecture ‘on dimension and proportion. In dai nner ln are transformed ito ‘he beauty ofthe ental, Neverle detailing requires efiiency in i ppc tion—incotant dog wth the as bites ad he in of thoy. With ‘eal in hand and mowadayt a wih the computer tue ahtectcan dearly ‘eis inthis resect that Meer is both las tical and ulrarmdernit The plan bays {eerates the form. The section generates ‘movement and wal, You an “ead a Meir facade simpy by reading the plan tan secton. The apparent implity belien ‘rigorous intellectual reduction of the ‘program nt is conattuent element. There is nothing ephemeral or indeterni- tive idioma office levels under the ea wing “The building has been designed o po= ide all employees wth acess today Tight and fesh at. The bling makes maximum us af renewable energy sources and visually connects every Workspace tothe sunounding naira environment, Office space is arangel in develop his intentions and his statements, ‘ith the sureising realization that “daailed explorations impart diverty and Importance tothe building. Daails are ‘nt compulsive: nether ae they maser- pieces that agpear comple: rater they ‘ive ws the posi ofan obvious tans Formation of ideas. In Richard Meiers ‘most recent American budding we ind ‘many sach dail which with ther great rate ino Meier howe. Everything, don tothe salle detail, has ts eae place setin an overall scheme of things-—even the design ant pontion of the catlery and sikerware. Asin a Renausance palo, Iuahing can te added subtracted ith ‘ut upsating the blance ofthe whole. The ub sable, The enameled surfaces of his steel lading panels for ‘crample are rete like pretous mater TOsfoot lease spans with operable win ‘dows onthe rorth and three-story linear tordeaw ir thrgh the orth val across the office fleor on temperate days Sie ocrees ellen! heat geaeratel by the low snther sun the winter: Eserioe sun Sercems shade the atria glass in the ‘wealth of ideas, extend the limits of archi- Ineture the bof of ts overall poten til. Ac eer without detail no arhiec- fure!—Werser Blaser, "Making a Virtue fat of the Seam,” in Richard Me Detail, Base: Birkhiiner. 1996 al rather than factory produced indus- ‘ral componenis The dtalng sexu. ite as finely detailed as polished granite © pelluctd Carrara marble Where the structure is exposed, Meier lays emph Ses ts sly ad formality oer the lightness and ninblenes ofa structural fame Sir Richard Rogers, "Thar Miers Leal Vilas,” i Richard Meer ouses, New York Rizal, 1990 rer iron the i hight ta fut permit ight fom the lowe wine sum. Light shelves are provided slong the southem edge ofthe ice areas to bring ara dapight Go pone the unable Noor aca Resting ightly within thre rectilinear suppits, steal of sting oa topo the Usual columnar post, this new design for a grand piano appears to hover above the ground. Fer thistadialy eenvisionet grand piano, the sinuous curve ofthe instrument has ben internalized within a Tuminoas black box. A plano recast a a rectilinear object in Here. for the fs time, Meia’s pein i revealed, which remind on of Bramante when. a the dav of the siteenth cen tury he lef mins Milan plane into the Raman abacuity of Se. Ptr It i right that Meer preva since he dd not presenta design ut ten virtual design the were abandoned at haley They will grow, they wil clash, and they will diminat or condition ane another Through a deliberate promenade ache tral the srt Mees beings cnfoned with «proes of uation Frc on rian sh anor of rales Sch radllice fhe arharee spe canbe ply ana mae ape ative player inany spatial ensenbe, tee toe fnograted into oth geometrical regulated spaces and more cesta sce tig. The eave beromes apparent ny ‘hon th id rae ae then Sppears athe edge of wid n which he piano Iya reat ‘The design ofthe plano isa composition of sculpted volume, composton of planes and mechanized elements. Asin le stainless steel curved bar driven by a ‘motor elegantly raises andl lowers the top. ‘When the lid is clove, the curved bar descends thragh the piano ino the space beneath. The lid over the keys i tho mechanically actuated, iting petly fay fen the hats and folding up This saceful folding and unfldingof the Fiano’ seal blak volume is a moment ‘ traformation that winources the Teginning aad ent of its playing And he church wil rie, magnificent and ‘astonishing, fom tis deatonal mecha ism, fom these tn possiblities thrown pigliy sphere tals Silence, and nose of the Castine. Of the sx compeitor, Meter seemed the main least sued to conceiving a fished” ‘huach: Honor the uy that understood thm rewarding not a solution bat an pen ‘rolls. Ue an anneuncing in hee that ofthe thre dimension: of achite In this comet the sface becomes the decisive itermediars that makes it posi- blew demonsirae the relaton benveee (NOMAD and sic aan oy weil be « masterwork. Bramante reached Rome bringing ch him he ghommering (of Santa Mara delle Gracie. Meier Ioched us afer the experience of the Atheneun of New Harmoss, Indiana evil not repeat Bramanie’ wgwewable ‘mitakes no mafia and my briles. He will scare the form ofa nex Chistanty, that of fabulous age in which a pop, Lok Pal I afer te thousand Jon of tehich filow the example of the surfce ‘fan image in painting andthe surface ‘ke ple in the canter of @ Bien when Sie, thus acqaring importance. Nevthe= Tes, ce are ma speaking of «efferent dated prcorialarhieture—asn St ‘Maes Rea Sc See dant-Joery. came i the synagogue tore ‘embrace his "major bathers” This “Competition a hymn to those who want ‘Gury modem architecture, te that is daring in its avant gane impetus, bere: fal thou nostalgia, rerluonary. the ature because impregnated with his- tery—Tichard Meier Bramaes Place.’ Bravo Zevi, Careitewura #484, Jay 1996) ‘billing Nstory and which has ‘eudeatr to wintradce poetry int archi: incre, The pictoral quality of Meters larcitecture i not inscribed in a ject, ‘bat inthe chanel of pre alaracion — ‘Sephan Bartelness."ranspatensy and Poukotive "A OV MELT907 Gold Medal of the American Insitute « Praeeriui lap Distinguished Architecture Awan a ts Awards of the American Elected to interior Design Hal of Fane Kalonihaven International Challenge Crystal Cathedral ‘and Visitors Center Orange Grove, Cal Ciystal Cathedral Ministries Tag MeLaren Head , England Tig Mclaren Holdings, Ud, aResponding to a request for proposals Two ary lines were devel trom New York City. me designed sine eed "Metnpoliae shown ere onthe of cordate ret furiturenhich coo- Wh. wan deipnd uf teed tsaghet el bes shar, newntanc a= iy Iv algature cantilevered Sa es cee ee ton Ea, alltel bien Rater than itating the dana the cis ate, we have Uoened a uniiod Eel ieyan osiha bey cclnterabislnstisteilbeermvsn' cleadla fer Mec cat slesevedecowind oa This contemporary interpretation of the ple wall of native stone impies an unim- nineteenth-century Danish urban posing separation between the public garden pavilion, or Kolonihavehus, is one world and the more private eal beyond, hy interna The wall i datum againnt which a pric ton in vate “precinet” is claimed from nature by ‘pavilion astone podium ax an island inthe su housing a 65-squarefoot oom without a rounding landscape. The pedium is kitchen ot bath, Our desig forthe slightly elevated to reinforce the separa- Kolonihavehus is an abstract compexition tion betweea the order and geometry in point. line, plane, and volume. A sim- of its rigorous mechinelike objects and The Crystal Cathedral Ministry has & yard isa contained outdoor room shared history of commitment to architectural by three buildings of diferent but com excellence. The new Hospitality and Vis- patible modeen architectural expessicn, es Center wil be located in tripartite arrangement wilh the Crystal Cathedkal, The partially concentric, multistory which was denigned by Phil tnd Visitom Center wil 1980, and the Tower of Hope, designed by Richard Neva in 1960 asthe ec istrative Coniunity Located on a sloped suburban site it exceptional parallels the street and connects the rout a yertieal plane that serrens parking court to the entry vestibule. The views and noise from the busy suburban dynamic oval form of the vestibule serves treet and provites a monolithic back to receive and rediret the path of cireu- drop forthe living spaces, which are lation through the opaque wall toward the oriented rth towards the view. The views. A sequence of ene- and tworstory ppague erkey elevation contrasts the solumes house the living room. dining north elevation, which is fall glazed and room, kitchen, and pool areas, On the with terraces and sinshades. econ! level, a mall brary overlooks The city of Glasgow desigeated 1900.96 ru he Year of Architecture and Desig ulated views ofthe surounving land asked usta design an exhibition he ‘The program called for a our-bedroom house wth abditional park- city. The rod profile was designed to 9g or vi ng the exhiltion father south ight and summer breezes from the ing site as «ronal form of the house appears panoramic views to Glasgow and the rection. The low hati Located in the lush countryside of Surrey oye 40 eles southwest of London his ng Eup. Each group woul new headquarters building for TAG bye incorporated into separate but related McLaren Holdings would incorporate a sections of the building with distint 0.00-square-fot Visitor and Learning entries. Amenities such as sx-hundrede center along wilh 350,000-xquare-foot sea cafeteria. health club, and banking seadquarters building TAG MeLared a Come will be eriialised. Tours of the Inrespanse to the city's request fr a design that was even more compatible with Tandmark buildings and histrie dis- tects, “New Amster.” shown here on the right, was created. These structures Aare distinguished by their symmetry bal- eed propotions, ond pacdfal elena: ‘tie. They are designed to complement histori contests adding to thete richness and appeal carefully cultivated garden agains the ‘uncontrolled nature of the strroun landscape beyond, The Koloaihavehus is 4 carefully crafted jewel box of metal and lass created and placed with the classic [proportions ofthe golden mean regulating eometry Its designed 1 open oat com pletely on thiee sides, transforming itself 0a more eanopy-like structure when ‘exhibition space, and storage atthe upper level. ‘The exterior Gnishes are selected to bo ‘compatible with the buildings architec- tural contest Clear anodized aluminum ‘sindow-wall components an! metal skin fare matched to the window system ofthe Crystal Cathedral andthe Palos Verdes Stone replicates the stone color and ou and is conmected by an intetior bridge to the bedroom area “The master edroie i housed on the third evel with lish roof garden which ‘ereates continuity from insite toout- side and prosides a richly landscaped foreground tothe distant views, Lacated ‘one level below entry sa 450eaqunte- imcter gallery that pers toa terraced Formal garde. ing the public and private areas of the site. The facade abstract image inp ‘composed as an rd by the spe proportions of local Scotish manor oases. projet 1 lecture moms and tod stations for technology seminars ‘coursing design by Richard Neutra for other campus facades. The architecture ofthe new Hospitality and Visitors Center is transparent, Light, but through the integra stone clowures, the fac less qualities of weight, stability, and permanence. “The facade materials have ben selected with respeet fr the wet Malaysian eli ‘mate. A combination of ceramic tile, enameled and glass form a moisture resistant skin that s easily maintained. The architec- ture also responds directly tothe intense year-round aun by inating tere ansereens into the facade to protect. lass areas from d A oecspe parking tthe reat. The Vis Teaming Center is lscated near the east- ‘em public ents to the site. A large por- tom ofthe ste was left in its natural state nd the Varildiees cat ieeehis line of indoor/outdoor seating was Jesigned tbe wren Kimi nesting rrangemens that would crest unique emptor i space. Rather than the ress rept cr would ereatea dinlogue with thet rounding. tase ona clear geometry the fleible his open competition for a sew brad artes building forthe Desische Post n Bonn is prominently located in Rheie- ue Feta Park mith commanding iews ofthe Rhein andthe ety of Bonn n addition office space, the prgram sled for retail and conference arlitis. ‘ety effort has been ade 1 insert the Jew complex int the ste wilh minimal oc. the existing suroimdings both acai ste mai roel db of aecldr this promincal comer site Pearle ee inky sesso uropran ples shopping sect. chadwwattane sod on the ether by pe elevated Berliner Allee. Staaten ein t h Paok B Clpper org fagsip soe, this new project cconmode th ic eqirements herein lage conmercal space he building is incorporated into the undsape othe Karl Duisberg Park on a it adjacent tothe curent Bayer hea varters Budi, the Bayer Hotel, and all restaurant. The main approach is om the Kaiser Wilhelm Alle t the oth along which the existing coatext lings ae organized. The five-story viding is comprised of thre man com onents: the Entrance Pavilion, the Boar! pace located adjacent to the UCLA ca vs in West Lan Angelen I services nh university and the srrouaing res ain the unique character a the area, W Westwood Development Plan fs act delet me censtrrtion En ain, they ie he site of the nen Scottish Parliament uiking is prominently cated in Edin ur athe easter end a the Royal lle aross rom Holy Palace. Ax art of a ited competition for design mets that would ie an appropriate Be RW ligniiinaes noc Laka” sig allows fr different confignetions suchas Lor Ushaped tye The bench is arabe wth two three, o our seating unite dat cam be combined wi ‘one ce two side ubles of white feted tas or metal They can be freestanding. presented back to Back o wall wounted- Numerous fniah ptiens in sleet cloe ‘are available including perforated al ‘minum, ft metal, and leather. natu and buil. The overall height of ‘the new biking has been Limited to hat ofthe adjacent Langer Eugen balding ‘and has Been placed et oft sighs, the heavy tai of people amd er ates «unique building which can become {Tandmark in the ty ‘The building form wraps an engages she site with a smeeping carve acting ss ‘infill nd reinfoning the contents bt slo stands independently as a stint sculp- ral object The slid base and wall re textured son nd metal panel. The glass of Management Building. aed the Corp- rate Divisions Bailing. Allare on- ect by an “interior treet” and atrium thick serve as the circulation spine ‘The Entrance Pavilion is runeated cllipsoid enclosing a lineal internal Space, which, though a configuration of shite opaque external skin panel, lased and aque surfaces, and through a elie tify architecturally sigifcantcukural resource buildings that mus be pre- served and restored as part of any new levee inthe are ‘Our masterplan for the Westwood Prome- ‘nde incorporates four cultural resource buildings ad eight other exiting ule ‘continuity te ol repetitive fs bina Gnade oh seg epe ieee the Mer Baldng rt ayer sich Ivana Han td he ear Deng Cambs Patent Sure sen rs ted Pace and er reed Palace an oes ink by a erie of double height ‘eeption ae that ford ews ofthe City an the river The slum a the fuori i expressed as tre: Shayed sell dt appears be hovering neta band of clerenory arng which Brings ligt inte the pace but aa provides ews of the interior and rad Stealight at night wen the stage i it Toc ertrmancen The etal fcites ae ‘curtain walle expremed a ating skin that addresses the comes tionship the cooling water surface a relectng pod. will crete «pleasant transition one—a kind of garden pail fon bt alo a tele rom the beste ae tise of Kaiser Wilhelm Allee daring tea hows fhe a inte Serve nat oly 5 the en Fheadquarers bat also as aga pak architectural elements, These elements Include doors and amociated easopien, Iriontl fascias, skylights, proportional lazing stone ala entry theshal, and freestanding diplay caves associated swith each etaiers sidewalk frontage ‘Theset of architectral elements are scald and detailed to be compatible with clara eure facades, but ar also ted 0 cmp new facades ee ‘The Parliament Building comnts of « topeit, wedge-shaped foyer attached to. peti an i oe ‘tins fe the Ministers are in the upper para the office Block in 4 twos Denthouse/loggi which has commanding re ee pa ta eee located in a carved two-story building ‘Though an angled five-story high wall fone enters lbh with asecunity deck ‘nbich contol acess tothe Beard Management reeption tothe west amd to the“interirstret” which lead south the Conmrate Divisions tac. bridging facades, New skylights and Noor ‘openings have been designed being dalight into the mile existing dark fetal areas. An oeray of mud lock tedetrn crn peny Sccen te alleys and secondary court yanks and weaves anew laser pedestran-acale act nt the ‘exiting village fbi ‘of the office bling. This plas fe faces west and overlooks the fereourt ‘f Quceeabry Howe, hich & prover tsa hisbrial structure,