a+u Architecture and Urbanism 22:06_621

a+u’s June issue is dedicated to the Incidental Space series by Swiss architect Christian Kerez. The result of intense investigations, Incidental Space follows Kerez’s attempts to gauge the potential of ornamental space as a generative device, to seek further liberations and precision in thinking about and defining space. Concepts such as narrative space, fluid space, and atomized space are anthologized here in one of Kerez’s 2 essays. In the other essay, Kerez documents and reflects on his experiences in Baroque architect Francesco Borromini’s canonical buildings, translating them “from the medium of architecture into the medium of language.” Unusually for a+u, only 6 projects, 3 built and 3 unbuilt, are featured in this issue. Sketches, drawings, and models exhaustively archive the design process of each project, from the testing of concepts…

a+u’s June issue is dedicated to the Incidental Space series by Swiss architect Christian Kerez. The result of intense investigations, Incidental Space follows Kerez’s attempts to gauge the potential of ornamental space as a generative device, to seek further liberations and precision in thinking about and defining space. Concepts such as narrative space, fluid space, and atomized space are anthologized here in one of Kerez’s 2 essays. In the other essay, Kerez documents and reflects on his experiences in Baroque architect Francesco Borromini’s canonical buildings, translating them “from the medium of architecture into the medium of language.” Unusually for a+u, only 6 projects, 3 built and 3 unbuilt, are featured in this issue. Sketches, drawings, and models exhaustively archive the design process of each project, from the testing of concepts…

1. Architecture is defined by its medium, the tangible, 3-dimensional architectural space that can be physically entered and experienced, just as music can be described in terms of sounds and noises, and sculpture in terms of the arrangement and modeling of 3-dimensional volumes. 2. All the rooms of a building impact the experience of an architectural space. Architectural space means the connection between single rooms and their sequence. The term architectural space is an attempt to summarize and generalize the ordinary and instructive experience of each room in a building. 3. There is not one single architectural space, but rather a multitude of architectural spaces, and inevitably, just as many basically different possibilities on how architectural space may be defined and experienced. To experience architectural space, it is of no…

1. Architecture is defined by its medium, the tangible, 3-dimensional architectural space that can be physically entered and experienced, just as music can be described in terms of sounds and noises, and sculpture in terms of the arrangement and modeling of 3-dimensional volumes. 2. All the rooms of a building impact the experience of an architectural space. Architectural space means the connection between single rooms and their sequence. The term architectural space is an attempt to summarize and generalize the ordinary and instructive experience of each room in a building. 3. There is not one single architectural space, but rather a multitude of architectural spaces, and inevitably, just as many basically different possibilities on how architectural space may be defined and experienced. To experience architectural space, it is of no importance when…

The exhibition space in this pavilion reflects very specific qualities of the Kingdom of Bahrain in various ways – but not in a literal way. Beginning with studies of Islamic ornaments and vertically organized programs, the design process sought to generate a unique experience of architectural space. Located in the desert climate of Dubai, the pavilion, a public square measuring 30×30 m, is enveloped in a lightweight structure that offered protection from the sun’s heat and bright light during the Expo. It was crucial to offer neither an empty multipurpose room nor a monumental hall. In this space, the lightweight structure becomes the main event, and the exhibition and the use of the space can change many times. The space feels temporary and festive at the same time. Pictures and…

The exhibition space in this pavilion reflects very specific qualities of the Kingdom of Bahrain in various ways – but not in a literal way. Beginning with studies of Islamic ornaments and vertically organized programs, the design process sought to generate a unique experience of architectural space. Located in the desert climate of Dubai, the pavilion, a public square measuring 30×30 m, is enveloped in a lightweight structure that offered protection from the sun’s heat and bright light during the Expo. It was crucial to offer neither an empty multipurpose room nor a monumental hall. In this space, the lightweight structure becomes the main event, and the exhibition and the use of the space can change many times. The space feels temporary and festive at the same time. Pictures and…