soma’s design creates a new foyer
and entrance topography to the Building Academy, and adapts an existing factory
hall into a cultural venue. After the conversion, the foyer will serve multiple
purposes - as a lobby for the school and as a public space for various cultural
events in the adjacent halls, such as presentations, movie screenings, concerts
or rehearsals.
The new roof structure creates a
consistent and smooth transition between the exterior and the interior of the
building. It connects the different functional areas in one fluid space and
creates an open and evocative atmosphere. Structural performance, lighting and
functional zoning, as well as the creation of an intuitively understandable
guidance system correlate in one continuous structure. The widening of the
roof geometry from a framed into a freely spreading geometry can be read as a contingent
affiliation of the existing spatial characteristics.
The three-dimensional pattern was generated in a
simulation of fluids based on particle flows. Liquids have three essential
parameters: viscosity, density and surface tension. The interactions between
these three physical properties have been tested on the computer in a series of
variations to generate a pattern with a big amount of holes and a high level of
coherence.
Realizing this complex structure in exposed concrete
posed major challenges in the area of formwork construction, which was tested
and optimized in 1:1 mock ups. The finely triangulated surface of the concrete
structure allows a subtle play of light and shadow and was achieved by testing
different milling techniques. The advanced geometry of the roof and its
innovative construction process reflect the competencies and teaching focus of
the Building Academy in the field of concrete application.