1ST Prize at Panhellenic Architectural Student Competition
Our proposal was constructed in January 2016, and was featured in the atrium of Benaki Museum during the period of the exhibition of the competition.
According to the competition.
The “Urban Sign” would be a structure, which would act as an information point for permanent, periodic, or temporary activities and events. The structure would be placed in outdoor areas, such as a square or a pedestrian precinct and should be clearly visible from a distance. In addition, the supporting structure had to be made entirely of wood, and its static efficiency should be ensured by its design, without requiring additional interventions, except to ensure its stability and to prevent overturning, such as in cases of increased wind factors.
Our proposal was to design a structure which did not enforce itself into the public space, but which would maintain the existing visual relations. Fundamentally, we wanted to deploy the structural potential of wood. We developed the idea of a three-dimensional grid of wood whose complexity and detailing would meet the static needs of the structure (for example, to avoid compressive buckling or capsizing from the wind). In itself the grid also enhances the structure in that it provides various ways to transmit information. A 3D grid allows one to divert from uniformity and create staging areas and paths through the structure. To respond to the need for easy assembly, the connections at the junctions do not require metal fasteners such as screws or bolts. A fully independent and rigid body is achieved by virtue of the design of the wooden elements. Overall, the attraction of wood as a construction material is highlighted – an important element of our original plan.
A special structure system.
To address wind load, the structure is permeable and offers little resistance. The structural system seeks to be aesthetic as well as functional, creating interesting variations of light and shadow. By incorporating solid as well as empty spaces, the construction becomes distinctive from a distance, and therefore capable of attracting people from all around it.
Organized By:
Hellenic Institute of Architecture and the Greek Union for Timber in collaboration with the municipality of Athens
Year:
2015
Architects:
Ira Desypri, Aristeidis Misiaris, FilipposTsoulogiannis – Nikolaou
