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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
500 Words
Skate Vitra is an innovation for the purpose of engaging youth culture into the world of art and architecture. The adaptation of a structure that represents deep thought process and immersion into the fabric that is the built environment, allows for a youth culture the opportunity to conceptualise this world from their own point of view. The intent is to breed a new generation of thinkers that can reconceptualise architecture from a functionalist, yet youth-culture driven and entertainment perspective.
Skate Vitra has adapted the forms of Frank Gehry’s design and used them advantageously to create a multi-faceted space in which the world of skateboarding can be taken to new heights. The multi-levelled building offers the opportunity to generate various forms of skate park, meshed into one environment of free-flowing expression. Skate Vitra boasts a range of iconic features that are unique to the world of skateboarding.
The rooftop skate park in which surrounding heights add to the adrenaline rush already set in place by the various flat ramps, quarter-pipe and handrail that inhabit this concrete plain.
The indoor bowl in ground level placed dangerously close to the wall tempting the instinct for innovative bowl expression.
The upstairs transfer gap over the walkway has the potential to blow blood vessels as the transfer becomes scarily close to other structures in the vicinity, with nothing but empty space below it for the crash landing.
The 3 metre extension quarter-pipe in the main area is the ultimate challenge. It’s mere height and lack of transition is what eats at the stomach of most skaters, leaving them contemplatively staring down its length for hours or even walking away.
The development of this skate park took an environmentally friendly approach, as old plywood was salvaged, treated and then used in the fabrication of most of the ramps. For support beams stronger more trustworthy wooden beams were utilised for safety issues. The roof was replaced with second hand corrugated iron, allowing cooler summer as it reflects a lot of the heat from the sun. Some walls were knocked out to allow the flow of the skate park, and also for access to area that were previously not accessible from their respective locations. This angle ultimately opened up the building into a haven for skateboarders as it adapted to the characteristics of a skate park. The buildings structural integrity was inherited for the sake of the buildings purpose of hybridising the paradigms of art and skateboard culture.
Skate Vitra has adapted the forms of Frank Gehry’s design and used them advantageously to create a multi-faceted space in which the world of skateboarding can be taken to new heights. The multi-levelled building offers the opportunity to generate various forms of skate park, meshed into one environment of free-flowing expression. Skate Vitra boasts a range of iconic features that are unique to the world of skateboarding.
The rooftop skate park in which surrounding heights add to the adrenaline rush already set in place by the various flat ramps, quarter-pipe and handrail that inhabit this concrete plain.
The indoor bowl in ground level placed dangerously close to the wall tempting the instinct for innovative bowl expression.
The upstairs transfer gap over the walkway has the potential to blow blood vessels as the transfer becomes scarily close to other structures in the vicinity, with nothing but empty space below it for the crash landing.
The 3 metre extension quarter-pipe in the main area is the ultimate challenge. It’s mere height and lack of transition is what eats at the stomach of most skaters, leaving them contemplatively staring down its length for hours or even walking away.
The development of this skate park took an environmentally friendly approach, as old plywood was salvaged, treated and then used in the fabrication of most of the ramps. For support beams stronger more trustworthy wooden beams were utilised for safety issues. The roof was replaced with second hand corrugated iron, allowing cooler summer as it reflects a lot of the heat from the sun. Some walls were knocked out to allow the flow of the skate park, and also for access to area that were previously not accessible from their respective locations. This angle ultimately opened up the building into a haven for skateboarders as it adapted to the characteristics of a skate park. The buildings structural integrity was inherited for the sake of the buildings purpose of hybridising the paradigms of art and skateboard culture.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Textures, Research and Final Model Reinvisioned
Pine Wood
Anonymous artist, Deviantart, http://ncrow.deviantart.com/art/Texture-Wood-Pack-01-126000482(accessed 13 October 2009)
Corrugated Iron
Anonymous artist, Mayang, http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://mayang.com/textures/Metal/images/Corrugated%2520Metal/corrugated_iron_sheet_61901(accessed 13 October 2009)
Concrete
Anonymous artist, Free Seamless Textures, http://seamlesstextures.net/textures/river%20stone(accessed 13 October 2009)
Brick
Anonymous artist, Your Daily Texture, http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yourdailytexture.com/images/Brick/White%2520Brick%252001%2520-%2520Brick.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yourdailytexture.com/brick/white_brick_01/&usg=__mwcd59yKsYTKS7KwGvQ8EkQWZ34=&h=237&w=355&sz=19&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=ruW0QIjXvZMu4M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWhite%2BBrick%2B01%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1(accessed 13 October 2009)
Plywood
Anonymous artist, Deviantart, http://stalker-stock.deviantart.com/art/Texture-016-36063685(accessed 13 October 2009)
The chosen textures are based on an industrial theme. The amount of wear and tear that skateparks are required to endure requires them to utilise cheap yet durable materials such as concrete, plywood, sheet metals and in some cases, where money is less of an issue, a special fibreglass compound that reduces wear on surfaces, which is a problem with wood, and also increases grip on skateboard wheels and bike tires.
Test Renders
Alternative exterior colour of corrugated iron test
Inner light and corrugated iron displacement map test
Displacement map test on plywood and brick wall
Exterior test with infinite plane and surrounding forms
Original Textures
Anonymous Artist, Texturise, http://www.texturise.com/?cat=22, (accessed 3 October 2009)
The growing popularity of skateboarding over the last few decades called for more skateparks to be built. This required much thought into the materials and location of this new type of architecture as the skateparks became more obscure and larger.
From the mere streets onto the curved plains of waterways and canals, the terrain of these parks began to alter and evolve. Wooden skateparks becoming more and more contoured and intricate, ramps becoming bigger and more complex. The development of indoor skateparks as opposed to the traditional outdoor setups allowed bigger spaces to be used, and other materials to be tested as weather was not as much fo an issue anymore. The wooden skateparks took a lot of wear and tear under the harsh sun and rain.
From plain plywood, the skateparks began to involve MDF(masonite) sheets in order to smooth out the surfaces, as plywood often splintered after much use. Coping(metal piping) was added to quarterpipes as the the desire for more complex tricks were introduced. From 50-50 grinds to Noseblunt stalls, the architecture of skateboarding was evolving into new forms. Half-pipes were more commonly being built in the suburbs away from the skateparks. The need to empty out swimming pools for pool skating was removed when concrete bowls were introduced. Bowls were being built in all shapes and forms. Snake runs and even wooden bowls were being constructed within the wals of indoor skatparks.
From metal edges, to mdf smoothed out transitions, further development was made to increase the wear abilities of outdoor skateparks. On some skateparks nowadays a heavyweight fibreglass compound is layed over the top of the plywood base. This material increase grip for bmx wheels, as well as reduces the amount fo wear wheels have on it. As well as this, the lack of wear means no splinters upon failed ramp skating.
The architecture of skateboarding has evolved such that the diverse range of materials we have at our fingetips today, we are able to utilise whatever material we feel is appropriate for the particular purpose of our skating experience.
Anonymous artist, Deviantart, http://ncrow.deviantart.com/art/Texture-Wood-Pack-01-126000482(accessed 13 October 2009)
Corrugated Iron
Anonymous artist, Mayang, http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://mayang.com/textures/Metal/images/Corrugated%2520Metal/corrugated_iron_sheet_61901(accessed 13 October 2009)
Concrete
Anonymous artist, Free Seamless Textures, http://seamlesstextures.net/textures/river%20stone(accessed 13 October 2009)
Brick
Anonymous artist, Your Daily Texture, http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yourdailytexture.com/images/Brick/White%2520Brick%252001%2520-%2520Brick.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yourdailytexture.com/brick/white_brick_01/&usg=__mwcd59yKsYTKS7KwGvQ8EkQWZ34=&h=237&w=355&sz=19&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=ruW0QIjXvZMu4M:&tbnh=81&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWhite%2BBrick%2B01%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1(accessed 13 October 2009)
Plywood
Anonymous artist, Deviantart, http://stalker-stock.deviantart.com/art/Texture-016-36063685(accessed 13 October 2009)
The chosen textures are based on an industrial theme. The amount of wear and tear that skateparks are required to endure requires them to utilise cheap yet durable materials such as concrete, plywood, sheet metals and in some cases, where money is less of an issue, a special fibreglass compound that reduces wear on surfaces, which is a problem with wood, and also increases grip on skateboard wheels and bike tires.
Test Renders
Alternative exterior colour of corrugated iron test
Inner light and corrugated iron displacement map test
Displacement map test on plywood and brick wall
Exterior test with infinite plane and surrounding forms
Original Textures
Anonymous Artist, Texturise, http://www.texturise.com/?cat=22, (accessed 3 October 2009)
The growing popularity of skateboarding over the last few decades called for more skateparks to be built. This required much thought into the materials and location of this new type of architecture as the skateparks became more obscure and larger.
From the mere streets onto the curved plains of waterways and canals, the terrain of these parks began to alter and evolve. Wooden skateparks becoming more and more contoured and intricate, ramps becoming bigger and more complex. The development of indoor skateparks as opposed to the traditional outdoor setups allowed bigger spaces to be used, and other materials to be tested as weather was not as much fo an issue anymore. The wooden skateparks took a lot of wear and tear under the harsh sun and rain.
From plain plywood, the skateparks began to involve MDF(masonite) sheets in order to smooth out the surfaces, as plywood often splintered after much use. Coping(metal piping) was added to quarterpipes as the the desire for more complex tricks were introduced. From 50-50 grinds to Noseblunt stalls, the architecture of skateboarding was evolving into new forms. Half-pipes were more commonly being built in the suburbs away from the skateparks. The need to empty out swimming pools for pool skating was removed when concrete bowls were introduced. Bowls were being built in all shapes and forms. Snake runs and even wooden bowls were being constructed within the wals of indoor skatparks.
From metal edges, to mdf smoothed out transitions, further development was made to increase the wear abilities of outdoor skateparks. On some skateparks nowadays a heavyweight fibreglass compound is layed over the top of the plywood base. This material increase grip for bmx wheels, as well as reduces the amount fo wear wheels have on it. As well as this, the lack of wear means no splinters upon failed ramp skating.
The architecture of skateboarding has evolved such that the diverse range of materials we have at our fingetips today, we are able to utilise whatever material we feel is appropriate for the particular purpose of our skating experience.
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