FUNCTIONAL
BUILDINGS
Taif alsulaim
Fondation Louis Vuitton (2014) by Frank Gehry (Paris)
Due to its strict building codes, and architectural
pedigree, Paris is among the world's most difficult
places to successfully design modern architecture.
Yet, leave it to the most lyrical of all starchitects,
Frank Gehry, and his phenomenal Fondation Louis
Vuitton, to accomplish such a feat. Completed in 2014,
the vessel-shaped glass structure sits among the
trees and lawns of Paris's Bois de Boulogne. The
building is filled with LVMH’s impressive art collection,
with works ranging from Kusama and Abramović to
Matisse and Giacometti spread throughout the
126,000-square-foot, two-and-a-half-story space. For
his inspiration, Gehry looked back to several great
designs of the 19th century. "I’ve always loved the
glass greenhouse buildings in French and British
gardens. When we were confronted with a site in the
Bois de Boulogne, glass seemed like the best way to
add a structure to the beautiful garden," says Gehry.
"Of course, in a museum structure, you can’t hang
paintings on glass, so we had to design a more
enclosed building inside the glass exterior." This play
between solid and glass works to perfection within
the verdant atmosphere of the Bois de Boulogne. It's a
structure that's both whimsical and sturdy, much like
the meandering paths and endless row of trees that
surround it
Shanghai Tower (2015) by Gensler (Shanghai)
Designed by Gensler and completed in 2015, the 2,073 foot-tall Shanghai
Tower (pictured in the center) has a seemingly endless list of records: tallest
building in China, second tallest in the world, world's tallest observation deck,
and the world's second-fastest elevator system. Yet, shockingly, that list almost
pales in comparison with the fact that the firm's design of the building—an
asymmetrical form with rounded corners—saved some $58 million in material
cost versus a traditional angular build of the same size. "The tower’s
asymmetrical form, its tapering profile, and its rounded corners allows the
building to withstand the typhoon-force winds that are common in Shanghai,"
says Xiaomei Lee, Gensler's regional managing principal in China, and project
director of the Shanghai Tower. "Using a wind tunnel test conducted in a
Canadian lab, Gensler refined the tower’s form, which reduced building wind
loads by 24 percent. The result came in the form of a lighter structure, saving
$58 million in costs for required materials.
The Broad (2015) by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler (Los Angeles)
In many ways, the architects at Diller Scofidio + Renfro are modern-day magicians. Take, for example, their design of The Broad in Los Angeles.
The structure itself holds a nearly 2,000-piece collection of contemporary art, making it, in theory, like any other museum in the world. Yet, that's
where the similarities abruptly end. The 50,000-square-foot building acts as a seamless buffer between the inside and outside world. "Most
museums are opaque to the street and inwardly focused. The Broad uses a semi-porous system—which we dubbed 'the veil'—to foster more of an
urban interface," says Elizabeth Diller, partner and cofounder of the New York–based firm, DS+R. "The veil's porosity suggests two-way vision. It
tempts you from the street through its lifted corner, while views from within the gallery are oblique so visitors are not distracted, without being
entirely cut off from the world." This honeycomb-like design also enhances the artwork housed within the structure, making the striking exterior
multifunctional in its aesthetics. "The veil's walls are also engineered so that, despite the movement of the sun, no direct sunlight will ever
penetrate the space. The cellular structure all around acts like a sponge absorbing and transmitting light as needed."
white modern glass and steel structure
Photo: Getty Images/Dennis K. Johnson
The Oculus (2016) by Santiago Calatrava (New York)
Santiago Calatrava has built a reputation for creating structures so dynamic, they appear poised to take flight at any moment. And the Spanish-
born's design of the Oculus is no exception. While the structure is built of steel, concrete, stone, and glass, it takes the shape of a bird, specifically
a phoenix, in mid-flight. The symbolism of a phoenix rising from the ashes is immediate, as the building is located mere feet from the September
11th Memorial and Museum in downtown Manhattan. But it's not just the symbolism, it's also the design—the ability of visitors to move with ease
through a space that connects 11 subway lines and countless retail and office spaces—that makes this transportation hub such an architectural
marvel. "I wanted to build a station that anyone can easily find their way around. Why? Because finding one’s way in a station is essential,"
explains Calatrava. "The idea of going underground through long escalators, entering dim places, this is our everyday life in New York. But does it
have to be so dark? No. I wanted to create a place that delivers the people a sense of comfort through its orientation, while also delivering a
sense of security by opening everything to the naked eye." For anyone who has visited Calatrava's Oculus, it's evident he's done this in spades.
Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (2017) by Herzog & de Meuron (Hamburg)
In its most basic form, Herzog & de Meuron's design for the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is physical evidence that adaptive
reuse can be done to stunning, head-turning effect. Glass completely covers the upper portion of the structure, making
it appear more like an avant-garde ship than a space for musical performances. Completed in 2017, the bottom half of
building (on which Elbphilharmonie Hamburg sits atop) has a history that actually dates back further than that. The
foundation of Herzog & de Meuron's design is a brick building that was a former warehouse built in 1963. The location of
this warehouse was significant, as it sat along the mouth of the Elbe river in the geographical heart of the city. When the
warehouse, along with many other older 19th-century brick buildings, became derelict, a plan was put in place to
transform these industrial spaces into popular waterfront developments. No one could have predicted the popularity of
the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Tickets are constantly sold out for its musical performances (due in part to the
affordable value of tickets in comparison with other philharmonics around the world). The interior of the venue is also
democratic in layout, meaning that all 2,100 seats are situated around the main stage, making each of them equal in
status and in their quality of experience. Adding to the buildings all-people-being-equal ethos, in March 2017, during the
height of what many referred to as the refugee crisis in Europe, the Elbphilharmonie used its popularity in a positive way:
by presenting a festival dedicated to Syrian music and culture that brought together residents and new arrivals to the
city.
