Thoughts_Design Concept and Themes

Craig mentioned during his critique that we should ask ourselves "what is steel?" I think this could be the guiding question in formulating our design concept and themes.

Also it is important to remember the goals stated in the competition packet:

• "explore the many varied functional and aesthetic uses for steel as a building material
• [explore] the ways in which the reclamation of an underdeveloped waterfront [as] a prime opportunity for the designer to create a city focal point.
• keep in mind the current needs of the city,
• the compatibility of the new structures with their historical neighbors,
• and the building's ultimate acceptability into the existing urban fabric"

In summary, I think our two main concerns are innovation with steel and cohesion with the needs of the city and the urban fabric.

Thoughts_Initial Review Reflections

After a fairly successful first review its time to take off with the conceptual design phase of our museum of steel project. Parts of our presentation are available in some of the earlier posts on our research. Here is a brief recap of the advice/criticism we obtained from the review:

On the Timeline: In general, the feedback received on the timeline was that some parts of the history of Pittsburgh/Steel could go deeper. Information about all of the supporting industries around the steel industry, such as coal and ore mining, was requested. It was also suggested that we take the history of steel construction back farther exploring the Iron Bridge (one of the world’s first steel bridge constructions) and the invention of the steel beam. The next step for us may be taking a little time to revise the timeline. To view the current timeline, click here.

On the design phase: Several helpful suggestions were made for how to proceed with all the research we have collected. Different ways of organizing and prioritizing our information will help us make design decisions. Some of the questions to consider: 1) Could the timeline be used to organize the structure of the museum? 2) Can the original locations of rail lines and buildings on the site be used as a means of traffic flow/organization? 3) How do we address the monumentality of industrial architecture? 4) How can we show the history of steel construction through the design of the museum? 5) Should the story be organized in a chronological way or by subject? 6) How can we engage the waterfront more successfully? All of these questions should be considered and prioritized in the next steps of our collaboration.

Further case studies/investigations: Museum in Chattanooga, the Iron Bridge, Aquarium in Chattanooga, the works of Charles Eames, the mining process essential to the steel industry, and pre-engineered bridge truss design

As mentioned earlier we will now begin to organize everything we have gathered into a set of design principles, perhaps in the form of a written document, which we can all reference later in the project to help make logical design decisions.

Review Notes_01.29.2007

Questions to address during design:
- how does program fit on site?
- is auditorium flat or raked or both?
- is there security differentiation?
- what type of visual separation is necessary?
- large clear span on top or below?
- how do you fireproof exposed steel?
- life & education of people associated with steel?
- when was the steel beam invented?
- does the brownfield affect the design?

Ideas entering design phase:
- important to first define a path of circulation & experience and location of central point
- time line and story of steel = path of circulation within museum
- incorporate circulation of steel and railways into museum flow
- underground auditorium
- monumentally of steel furnaces vs. program
- incorporate materiality: exposed vs. hidden, stainless vs. corten, incorporation of glass
- elevated structure with program spread out among campus: journey connected by paths
- located public spaces on top of galleries to allow natural light to penetrate restaurant and social space
- aesthetically combine historical steel design and contemporary steel design
- elevated circulation simulating steel bridge structure & significance

Case Studies for further study:
- Carpenter Center at Harvard- Le Corbusier
- Riverplace in downtown Greenville, SC
- 100 Museum in Chattanooga, TN
- High Museum in Atlanta, GA
- Iron bridge in Western England

Thoughts_Formulating a Design Concept

The feedback received after our preliminary presentation proved to be insightful, energetic, and motivating. The next step in the design process is to take outside comments as well as our own ideas and work towards a conceptual/thematic approach and beginning to our Museum of Steel. I feel this will be an especially collaborative effort as each team member must support the decision to move in an established direction. It is my hope that throughout the design of our museum we can constantly come back to our concept as a base to help us make logical and strong decisions.

Aside from advice to further our case studies and material research, several theory based comments struck me as strong possibilities for generating a concept behind our museum. The idea that our museum could be based upon a "steel" time line is interesting and can be explored through materials, images, and circulation throughout our structure. Also, the time line need not be limited to the history of steel, but could be elaborated to include a particular history of steel in Pittsburgh, the Carrie Furnace, the actual production of steel (from mines to end products), the lives of individual steel workers, or perhaps a typical day's schedule at a steel mill.

To push the idea of a "time line" as an object may also prove beneficial to our design. A typical time may consist of a series of images or facts placed along a chronological scale, but could be as inventive as taking the construction of the museum itself through a series of stages based on the development of steel building technology. Not only would this serve as a very visual representation of the advancement of steel construction but would most likely result in an interesting aesthetic. Imagine being able to witness the realms and possibilities of steel building (past and present) in one structure!

Another intriguing option is to somehow base the circulation throughout the museum on the old railroad tracks that were used to transport materials throughout the old mill. This leads to a series of realizations, first and foremost the understanding that our museum does not necessarily require one building. Based on the site to program ratio, we have more than enough room to spread construction throughout the site. Also, such an action would allow us to present some of the original mill technology in action.

Hopefully, in laying out a clear design theory, our team will be able to work with a goal in mind and decisions will be based upon this goal rather than opinion. Opinion tends to lead to bickering and inefficiency, while a specific concept will allow us to work with precision.

Case Study_New National Gallery

New National Gallery
Mies van der Rohe
Berlin


1-View from street


2- Outside/Inside


3-Flexible interior space

Case Study_Seoul National University Museum

Seoul National University Museum
OMA/Rem Koolhaas
2005


1-Exterior

2-Model

3-Auditorium

4-Central stair tower

History_The Site

in order to understand the site, we looked at the s history of the site as well as the way in which raw materials moved onto, through, and off the site.

1.0 site history

the history of the site begins in the 1890s with the construction of the carrie furnace. the development of the site can be traced from their with sanborn fire insurance maps, technical drawings of the site, and aerial photos. the series of images below show the known footprint of each building on the site placed on a conjectural aerial photo the attempts to represent the condition of the day.


1896 - the first two blast furnaces have been built


1901 - two more blast furnaces are constructed. the hot metal bridge is build to connect the carrie furnace with the homestead works.


1908 - blast furnaces 6 & 7 are built


1945 - the site is nearly fully developed. the river along the southeast corner of the site has been infilled


1956 - an actual aerial photo of the site with important buildings highlighted. the site was at its peak production during this period. the rankin bridge has also been constructed.


2007 - the site as it exists today. only blast furnaces 6 and 7 remain. the competition site has been highlighted.

2.0 site process

raw materials, namely iron ore and coal, where brought to the site. the ore was converted into steel and was then moved to the homestead works across the river was it was manufactured into a finished product.


step 1 - raw materials arrive on site


step 2 - materials are moved throughout the site on rail lines


step 3 - iron ore is stored in ore yards


step 4 - iron ore is taken to blast furnaces where it is converted to steel


step 5 - new steel is carried across the hot metal bridge to the homestead works. it is still glowing hot.


step 6 - the steel arrives as the homestead works where it final products are manufactured.

Case Study_O'Hare International Airport

Murphy/Jahn



View down 'L' Terminal



Section

Case Study_David Lawrence Convention Center

Rafael Vinoly Architects



Building Section




Cable Support System




View from across the Allegheny

Case Study_Benetton Textile Factory

Tobia Scarpa



Building Section



Structural System



Truss Section



Construction

Thoughts_Site Visit

i felt that our trip to pittsburgh was very beneficial. it is nice to have an image of the site that we are designing for. the remnants of the carrie furnace were quite beautiful. the built-up of layer upon layer of growth was particularly intriguing to me. each component was designed an constructed without regard to aesthetics, but rather strict utility. interestingly, the combination of these utilitarian buildings and devices creates a very nice aesthetic.


img_1.1 - complexity of the carrie furnace

the 'waterfront' development was extremely disappointing. all the literature that i read about it praised it for its reuse and preservation of historic components. it was in reality just a strip mall on steroids. the historic relics were relegated to islands in the parking lot. there was no effort by the planners to situate these relics so that they could be engaged by the public. the series of smokestacks, which are a the advertised icon of the site and were purported to be the greatest achievement in preservation on the site were situated behind the movie theater (which was of course a giant metal building with a foam facade) and served only to bound the parking lot. again, there was no effort to create an area that visitors could occupy to experience these icons of the industrial age.

it was also interesting to see a steel factory that was still in operation, just slightly up the river from our site.


img_1.2 - the edgar thompson works

the city of pittsburgh, especially the downtown area, was also quite nice. i was intrigued by a local building typology: row houses made up of several very slender and deep buildings, all of varying height.


img_1.3 - downtown pittsburgh / rowhouses

the pittsburgh children's museum was a great building (not too related to our project). it was a very elegant reuse of historic buildings with a modern intervention.


img_1.4 - childrens' museum / rear


img_1.5 - childrens' museum / main entrance

Thoughts_Site Visit Reflection

I felt we had a very successful trip to Pittsburgh for our site visit this past weekend. While the competition package included some images, one really does not get the true sense of the area without visiting. The following panorama stitches are all of the site (which is the plot of land located between the remaining structures of the burn furnace and the abandoned bridge). Image 4 best describes the boundaries of the site. The trip helped to create a better idea of the greater context surrounding the site and has created a more tangible image in my mind of the area and surroundings.

The last two images are also very important because they represent another element that is critical to study during a site analysis--the surrounding architecture. These images attempt to capture the rich colors and textures of the vernacular architecture.

Image 1-View from NW corner of site



Image 2-View from East side of site



Image 3-View from bridge on East side of site



Image 4-View from North



Image 5-View of surrounding neighborhoods

Image 6-Example of local architecture

Case Study_Buildings in Pittsburgh

Convention Center







Steel Museum Addition

Thoughts_Pittsburgh Site Visit

Our time in Pittsburgh was a great way to get a feel for the site and the city. In exploring the areas surrounding the site, we found two contrasting elements: 1) across the river from the site is a new big-box mall development on the sites of old steel mills and 2) behind the site is a poor, somewhat run-down neighborhood of dense townhouses. I think it is essential that this context be taken into consideration during our design, primarily in considering the use of the building by the community for non-commercial and non-consumption based activities.

One thing I found interesting is that we will be incorporating visitors coming by car, boat, foot, and possibly by rail (a current conceptual proposal includes a monorail). This means that the building will be accessed from all sides. Also, the site is visible from almost every angle, making the site a prime spot for the landmark-building we will attempt.

Thoughts_Site Visit

The site visit in Pittsburgh was a success. We were able to access the entire site (a little trespassing never hurt anyone...) and photograph and view the site from some interesting angles. In my opinion, this or any project could never correctly begin without a site visit. Although a plan and some site photographs were offered on the competition website, it is necessary to experience a site in person to gain a worthwhile perspective.

Aside from visiting the site, spending some time in and around the city of Pittsburgh was helpful. Pittsburgh is separated into a handful of "boroughs" that all have a unique feel and terrain. Architecture is not only influenced by the site itself but also the urban fabric of it's surroundings and the general culture of a place. In particular, I found the remains of the Carrie Furnace to offer great insight to the industrial architecture that although no longer exists in Pittsburgh, played a significant part in the city's past.


Site and Carrie Furnace as viewed from across the Monongahela



Carrie Furnace

Thoughts_Pittsburgh Visit

The first site visit is always incredibly enlightening on a project and extremely beneficial. Pittsburgh is an amazing city with dramatic changes in elevation due to the river valleys. Even though its previously been known for industrial pollution, it has become a clean and thriving city. The snow was just an added bonus!

Image 1: Cityscape of Pittsburgh with U.S. Steel Building in center

Image 2: Snow in Pittsburgh

The site itself was more isolated that I first believed. There is little interaction between the city and the community and little, if any, connection to upcoming development. The Waterfront development was a huge disapointment. The historical steel plant site was turned into a strip mall, placing relics in the midst of a commercial parking lot. Little attention was given to connection the site to its historical heritage and presents an even greater challenge to our site. The community itself is in need of new development to draw in the people and highlight such a rich background. I think one of the keys will be to incorporate the process that took place on the site into an engaging experience for the community.

Image 3: Overlooking our site in the snow