Saturday, March 12, 2011

Zaha Hadid - Vitra Fire Station



Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid's Vitra fire station was one of her first built projects. Originally designed to be a working fire house station within the Vitra complex, this building is now used to exhibit Vitra's collection of iconic chairs.
Hadid drew inspiration of the building from its surrounding environment. The linear element found on the main street leading to the Vitra factory as well as the factory itself gave birth to the concept being of a geometric, linear form. Hadid did not however want the design to be lost amongst it surroundings so she designed it to stand out and to be a point of boundary as it was bordering on the Vitra complex's edge. The design both internally and externally made heavy use of optical tricks that utilises angles to reveal interior space only through perpendicular viewpoints.

Example of the play of walls to create a view of internal through certain viewpoints


 




My Observations:
Hadid has used a good use of reinforced concrete, steel and aluminium in this design as it was needed to achieve such defying canopies such as the triangular span stretching out supported by tubular beams located at the fire house entrance. The use of linear lighting internally continues the overall linear theme the building has been designed under whilst also creating a sense of movement and speed thus associated to the then working fire station. The minimal mix of bold colour against a sea of white surfaces accentuate the lighting within the building itself. Its façade is visually intriguing whilst its internal looks fun to explore.

Elements gained from this are:
  • Use of bold colours against a neutral dominant palette adds dynamics
  • Design that uses edges to mask sides to create intrigue when viewed from an angle
  • Use of cantilevers and shapes that defy conventional structural approach such as the entrance piece. 


Infromation gathered from:
http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/vitrafire/index.htm
http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Germany/Weil%20am%20Rhein/Vitra%20Fire%20Station
http://www.zaha-hadid.com/built-works/vitra-fire-station
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5uilaTZAHM&feature=related

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