Competition For The Planning Of Savoy
Open competition on a European level organised by the Savoy High Gastronomy School
The project of a building’s expansion, always involves the necessary investigation of a link of the new project with the pre-existent.
The composition of the new project should therefore move up from the investigation of a tonal consonance with the existent architecture. Inevitably, this is produced based on the main characteristics that define the pre-existence. In this way, a fundamental relation is produced that allows the project to look towards the pre-existent as well as the contemporary.
The presented project investigates this relationship with the Savoy building interpreting its composing elements: mass and surface.
Savoy, forming part of a composing tradition of the 18th century, is expressed through a Cartesian volume that marks the place and surfaces modelled with respect to the context, where the principal façade was the one of the river.
The project of the expansion reflects this double composing relationship of mass and surface: the new mass is defined by the alignments, in plan as well as in section, with Savoy, while the surfaces are composed in a search for continuity with the façades of the existent building.
In this way, the project depends volumetrically from Savoy, establishing a tension between the two monolithic masses. Furthermore, the construction of a pure volume, reducing the connection to a fine and transparent element that does not change the composition of Savoy, allows the project to be inserted adequately in the built environment, according to the configuration of the place itself, organised on the basis of isolated volumes immersed in the area’s vegetation.
Composing the surface of this new isolated volume, in consonance with the composing order of Savoy, allows a subtle and abstract relationship with the later.
It is the rhythm that links the two buildings. The underlining composing rhythm of Savoy’s facades is exported and applied on the new volume.
Therefore, a unique rhythm underlines both buildings, even though in the case of the new building the tonality changes. If formerly the main concern of making a place, as well as a noble river-side promenade imposed a dominant volume, now, with the urban composition of the area completed, the new building can be subtly inserted between the other buildings and dissolve in-between the trees.
The vegetation becomes a principal characteristic of the environment, an essential element of its urban identity. Hence, the project relies on it, or better, gets diffused and immersed in it, in order to strengthen its presence.
The full-height glass surfaces mark punctual views of the surroundings, while externally, are distributed uniformly and treated in a way that stresses the reflections. This gives the building an isotropous aspect, like in the case of Savoy, and offers an image of an abstract, dark and noble volume that dissolves in nature.
Open competition on a European level organised by the Savoy High Gastronomy School
The project of a building’s expansion, always involves the necessary investigation of a link of the new project with the pre-existent.
The composition of the new project should therefore move up from the investigation of a tonal consonance with the existent architecture. Inevitably, this is produced based on the main characteristics that define the pre-existence. In this way, a fundamental relation is produced that allows the project to look towards the pre-existent as well as the contemporary.
The presented project investigates this relationship with the Savoy building interpreting its composing elements: mass and surface.
Savoy, forming part of a composing tradition of the 18th century, is expressed through a Cartesian volume that marks the place and surfaces modelled with respect to the context, where the principal façade was the one of the river.
The project of the expansion reflects this double composing relationship of mass and surface: the new mass is defined by the alignments, in plan as well as in section, with Savoy, while the surfaces are composed in a search for continuity with the façades of the existent building.
In this way, the project depends volumetrically from Savoy, establishing a tension between the two monolithic masses. Furthermore, the construction of a pure volume, reducing the connection to a fine and transparent element that does not change the composition of Savoy, allows the project to be inserted adequately in the built environment, according to the configuration of the place itself, organised on the basis of isolated volumes immersed in the area’s vegetation.
Composing the surface of this new isolated volume, in consonance with the composing order of Savoy, allows a subtle and abstract relationship with the later.
It is the rhythm that links the two buildings. The underlining composing rhythm of Savoy’s facades is exported and applied on the new volume.
Therefore, a unique rhythm underlines both buildings, even though in the case of the new building the tonality changes. If formerly the main concern of making a place, as well as a noble river-side promenade imposed a dominant volume, now, with the urban composition of the area completed, the new building can be subtly inserted between the other buildings and dissolve in-between the trees.
The vegetation becomes a principal characteristic of the environment, an essential element of its urban identity. Hence, the project relies on it, or better, gets diffused and immersed in it, in order to strengthen its presence.
The full-height glass surfaces mark punctual views of the surroundings, while externally, are distributed uniformly and treated in a way that stresses the reflections. This gives the building an isotropous aspect, like in the case of Savoy, and offers an image of an abstract, dark and noble volume that dissolves in nature.