MOA
MOA
Londra, Regno Unito, 2012
Cliente/Customer
Competition
Cronologia/Chronology
2012 Progetto/Design
Progettare il rinnovamento della Battersea di Londra senza tenere in considerazione la sua importante storia sarebbe un’impresa difficile, quasi impossibile da attuare. La Battersea è sempre stata un’icona, il simbolo del XX secolo, di ciò che migliaia di uomini hanno realizzato con sacrificio e lavoro estenuante.
Emersioni di volumi incombenti, attrattivi, posizionati a coronamento di un elemento così tanto imperante come la Battersea. Si è cercato di rispettare la razionalità funzionale dell’edificio, disponendo gli ambienti in maniera semplice e facilmente fruibile, di magnificare l’importante storia dell’edificio attraverso la realizzazione di sale tematiche, come la galleria storica, e di favorirne il futuro sviluppo artistico e architettonico. Al piano terra sono state inserite tutte le attività rivolte al pubblico: la Exhibition Hall, la galleria storica dell’edificio e i vari connettivi; il piano superiore invece è stato adibito a tutte le funzioni più strettamente espositive, come le sale dedicate alle mostre d’arte e d’architettura, attraversate da una passeggiata terminante in un book shop-caffetteria. La spettacolare instabilità dell’edificio alberghiero mette in risalto l’asimmetria dell’organismo architettonico. Ristoranti, negozi, spazi espositivi e spazi adibiti alle performance degli artisti di strada: le funzioni si innestano all’interno della Battersea, non sono invasive ma non cercano di nascondersi.
Regeneration and renewal of area of the London Battersea, through the design of a series of exhibition spaces and a hotel, able to recall, in the forms and materials, the industrial past of the old factory and which promotes the future artistic and architectural development. Design the transformation of the Battersea without considering it’s important history may be a difficult process. Battersea has always been an icon of the XX century, it’s an icon of what thousand of people made with sacrifice and hard work. Our design project “Modern Times” seeks an innovative sign, daring and never ordinary. The reference to the industrial past of the building is clear, a system of gears, slabs and beams of steel, which emerge from the ground and from the Themes. Emergencies of attractive volumes, placed as sign of an iconic element as the Battersea. A place to encourage the development of artistic forms, ideas and dreams. We tried to respect the functional rationality of the building, placing the environments in a simple and fruible way. We tried to magnify the important history of the building through thematic rooms, as the historical gallery, and to encourage his future artistic and architectural development. On the ground floor there are all the activities for the public: the Exhibition Hall, the historical gallery and the different connectivities. In the upper floor there are all the most closely exhibition function, such as rooms dedicated to exhibitions of art and architecture, crossed by a walk ending in a book and coffee shop. The spectacular instability of the hotel building exalts the asymmetry of the architectural organism, showing the complex system of functions that develops at the ground. Restaurants, shops, exhibition spaces and spaces for the performance of street artists: functions are inserted inside the Battersea, revolve around, surround him, are not invasive but do not try to hide, such as sinuous elements sculpted in the steel.