Living Metal
Living metal was my first project in university, serving as an introduction to architecture through the foundational principles of building design. The thesis behind this project was to develop a comprehensive understanding of materials, form and space through an in-depth study of architectural precedents.
Art Building West at the University of Iowa was the primary precedent for the project. The curvature of corten steel and cantilevered masses inspired the use of heavy materiality and an exploration of structural composition.
ABSTRACTIONS: Using simple curvature, planes, and vertical/horizontal forms, these abstractions assisted in the development of a general concept.
Connecting each sculpture site is a winding river-side path. As visitors enter the site, the building acts as a threshold and a vista.
PHYSCIAL MODEL: The use of Corten steel in this structure is meant to reflect the phenomenological experience that one gets from Serra’s sculptures.
PHYSICAL MODEL
PHYSICAL MODEL
The site was self-generated to fit the mold of this project. The surrounding landscape was created to house sculptures of famed sculptor Richard Serra, whose work consists of impossibly contorted masses of steel.