Concrete Design Competition 2013/2014
Used Software: Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign
Elegance is an abstract concept that is very hard to describe because it is very subjective and it can overlap with the concept of beauty. From my point of view, elegance should be simple and noticeable with a single look. Just see and know, this is elegant. Therefore, I chose a set of symbols that, in my opinion, embodies the elegance of each in a different way. The symbols are dance, beauty, and speed. The concept is based on purity and smoothness inspired by dance, precisely, ballet and dancing cranes, curvilinearity and simplicity inspired by the shape of flowers and curves of a woman’s body, lastly, elegant/intelligent solution and the Golden ratio inspired by speed, particularly, running cheetah and Aston Martin.
Materiality is about purity. High-performance concrete, where the components of the mixture and the final adjustment of the surface control the aesthetic and structural features. Steel, a material that is closely bonded with concrete by its use as reinforcement in the form of bars, ropes, or cables. There is no doubt that stainless steel is the purest and most elegant version of steel in its appearance. Wood, a material that has its connection with concrete mainly because of its use as a form-work. All these materials, all pure and smooth, emphasize by their essence the elegance of the proposed observation platform.
The shape of the platform is based on symmetry, curvilinearity, simplicity, and the Golden ratio. First, the mass is created by two differently curved hyperbolic paraboloids, one creates the top and the other on the bottom surface of the observation platform. The edge of the volume is vertical. The Golden ratio was used to introduce more natural proportion and appearance. The aim was not to apply a precise ratio but to get close because the small imperfection makes the result even more unique and elegant. The hyperbolic paraboloid carries another big advantage, that is, it can be constructed by using straight lines or form-work elements during the construction process. This reflects the elegant/intelligent solution as well as simplicity. The hyperbolic longitudinal section also gives a clear sight of the small stage for dancing or other performances that will enrich life in a park near the city center of Prague.
