– The new design museum by John Pawson, known for his minimalist lines (I believe OMA also provided support for the roof). Located within one of London’s beautiful parks, this museum has been redesigned while preserving the roof form of the old building. If I remember correctly, Zaha Hadid bought the old design museum to use as a studio. So, as you can see, the owner told our designers to get out. Built around a small but impressive inner courtyard, the roof’s form is felt in interesting dimensions from the inside.
The Tate Modern, which everyone has seen many times on blogs. This was a very interesting experience for me. Because this rear section of the Tate used to be a magnificent raw concrete exhibition space, converted from three fuel tanks. It was a place I visited often, where amazing video installations were made because it was so dark. You would enter it from the main museum building, like entering a concrete cave. In the new design, the extension is positioned on top of these old fuel tanks, so when you enter the space, it feels like there has been an explosion in the ceiling and a new space has been born. This entire 12-story new mass is supported by slanted concrete columns running along the perimeter, and masses consisting of spiral staircases and shafts cast in one piece and left raw. There are many interesting details in the structure. While the building appears to be brick from the outside, it is concrete, glass, and wood on the inside. Brick is used only as a cladding material and is almost imperceptible from the inside. However, in the restaurant and café on the upper floor, the glass has been placed at a height of approximately 1.20 meters from the floor to hold the thin glass lines on the façade, completely killing these spaces. That’s why members still prefer the magnificent café area in the old Tate.- The Tate Modern, which everyone has seen many times on blogs. This was a very interesting experience for me. Because this rear section of the Tate used to be a magnificent raw concrete exhibition space, converted from three fuel tanks. It was a place I visited often, where amazing video installations were made because it was so dark. You would enter it from the main museum building, like entering a concrete cave. In the new design, the extension is positioned on top of these old fuel tanks, so when you enter the space, it feels like there has been an explosion in the ceiling and a new space has been born. This entire 12-story new mass is supported by slanted concrete columns running along the perimeter, and masses consisting of spiral staircases and shafts cast in one piece and left raw. There are many interesting details in the structure. While the building appears to be brick from the outside, it is concrete, glass, and wood on the inside. Brick is used only as a cladding material and is almost imperceptible from the inside. However, in the restaurant and café on the upper floor, the glass has been placed at a height of approximately 1.20 meters from the floor to hold the thin glass lines on the façade, completely killing these spaces. That’s why members still prefer the magnificent café area in the old Tate.
*This photo was taken from dezeen.com.
-Jean Nouvel’s One New Change Building, while a ‘costly glass box’, has managed to emerge as an exceptional building due to its location and the fact that its terrace is fully accessible. With its spectacular panoramic elevator and circulation that blends seamlessly with the city, it is an exemplary ‘multipurpose’ structure. The glass panels used on its facade create a gradient effect by being used in a sliding manner on the second and fourth surfaces of the glass. The mass, however, is open to debate.
Like many public buildings in London, the BBC Headquarters building, located at the end of Regents Street in the heart of London, underwent numerous changes to its budget, architect, and program. After passing through the hands of several firms, it was finally taken on by Sheppard Robson. Construction began in 2006, while I was still at university, and has now been completed. What is interesting here is not that the building has a complex language, but that when viewed from Oxford Circus, it hides behind All Souls, one of London’s most magnificent churches. All Souls Church was designed by the famous architect John Nash, who left his mark on half of London during the Regency period (1811-1820).- Like many public buildings in London, the BBC Headquarters building, located at the end of Regents Street in the heart of London, underwent numerous changes to its budget, architect, and program. After passing through the hands of several firms, it was finally taken on by Sheppard Robson. Construction began in 2006, while I was still at university, and has now been completed. What is interesting here is not that the building has a complex language, but that when viewed from Oxford Circus, it hides behind All Souls, one of London’s most magnificent churches. All Souls Church was designed by the famous architect John Nash, who left his mark on half of London during the Regency period (1811-1820).
– On Sunday morning, we braved the rain and mud to go to the Sky Garden at the top of Rafael Viñoly’s tower, known as the ‘Walkie Talkie’. Located on the 45th floor, the botanical garden offers views as far as the distant points of London when the fog lifts. The most interesting aspect of this building is that when it was first constructed, its concave facade acted like a giant mirror, reflecting heat down onto the cars below. The facade, which focused sunlight and reflected heat of up to approximately 80 degrees downwards, was even used by people to cook meals. Then, perhaps for the first time in the world, a sun-reflective coating was added to the building’s windows to prevent it from acting as a “Bond movie villain’s laser weapon.” A similar incident occurred with the Millennium Bridge, which was built with great excitement. Due to resonance caused by the vibration of people walking on it, the bridge moved. To prevent this vibration, thin, delicate steel side structures were added to the edges of the bridge.
*This photo was taken from nbcnews.com.
– Finally, while walking, I was drawn to a store/office building located just above Oxford Street. The beautiful and clean facade details in the project designed by the firm Buckley Gray Yeoman caught my attention. Along with this building, I learned that black buildings are now being constructed in London and that this is very popular.
I hope you get the chance to visit or revisit this city, which is very special to me. Most importantly, it’s a city that’s open to everything. While not always the case, there’s usually a design and objection process that lasts at least 10 years before a building is constructed. This leads to the creation of spaces where everyone can communicate, and building owners who aren’t constantly wondering, “Will there be an explosion today?” can comfortably open their doors.