Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

Hou de Sousa (Nancy Hou and Josh de Sousa) has completed construction on Raise/Raze and Sticks, two competition winners for temporary installations in Washington, DC and New York, respectively.

Through Raise/Raze, the firm reused plastic balls from Snarkitecture’s “The Beach” at the National Building Museum to create an installation in DC’s Dupont Underground, a contemporary arts and culture space repurposed from an abandoned trolley station. Raise/Raze opened on April 30, and closed on June 1.

Located at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens, New York, Sticks is a multi-purpose pavilion space made of standard dimension lumber and accented with scrap wood found on-site. The pavilion opened on July 9, and will close December 31.

Raise/Raze, Dupont Underground, April 30 – June 1, 2016

Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

From the architect. The site is a long and narrow curved hallway. Expanding upon this particular site condition, the proposal divides the space into a series of zones that present visitors with unique situations and scenarios, while also reconfiguring how one circulates through the site. When accessing Dupont Underground from the main entrance at New Hampshire Ave, visitors are surrounded by the most compressed zone, a crystalline cave, which forks into two windy paths. The Southward path leads to a forest-like colonnade of twisted trunks and stumps for resting on. Beyond this grove lies a series of large spherical shells that define a meandering path while simultaneously enclosing small pockets of space. As one passes through this valley of domes, a group of scaled down buildings begins to appear; the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Supreme Court Building. Conversely, if at the cave’s foyer one forks towards the North, then the visitor encounters and passes through a space of massive letters and walls of text.

Sticks, Socrates Sculpture Park, July 9 – December 31, 2016

Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

Courtesy of Hou de Sousa

From the architect. Sticks is a straight-forward assembly of standard dimensional lumber interconnected to form a structural space-frame. The system has been molded to fit the existing conditions of the site, but these contextual adaptations extend beyond the realm of the purely functional, and although quite minimal, ornamentally illustrate the strategies being deployed. In addition to providing a sheltered space, Sticks also serves as a storage and display system. The webbing that binds the lumber together protrudes outwards at the facade so as to support an assortment of linear materials. By doing so, scrap material becomes a dynamic decorative element while also shingling away precipitation along the outer wall and diffusing light when placed within the roof trusses. The 18 inch thickness of the structural exoskeleton essentially acts as shelving and is capable of storing sculptural works in progress or serving as a display case for curated events.

News via Hou de Sousa.

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Courtesy of Flickr user Flemming Ibsen

Six million yellow bricks on a hilltop just outside Copenhagen form one of the world’s foremost, if not perhaps comparatively unknown, Expressionist monuments. Grundtvigs Kirke (“Grundtvig’s Church”), designed by architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen Klint, was built between 1921 and 1940 as a memorial to N.F.S. Grundtvig – a famed Danish pastor, philosopher, historian, hymnist, and politician of the 19th century.[1] Jensen Klint, inspired by Grundtvig’s humanist interpretation of Christianity, merged the scale and stylings of a Gothic cathedral with the aesthetics of a Danish country church to create a landmark worthy of its namesake.[2]

It was decided in 1912 that Grundtvig, who had passed away in 1873, had been so significant to Danish history and culture that he merited a national monument. Two competitions were held in 1912 and 1913, bringing in numerous design submissions for statues, decorative columns, and architectural memorials.[3]

Courtesy of Flickr user seier+seier

It was purportedly while fuming over only taking second prize in a church design competition in Aarhus that Jensen Klint designed and submitted his own proposal for Grundtvig’s monument. He worked under the belief that, whether or not his entry was chosen, he should still produce a church he felt Grundtvig deserved – a modus operandi which may explain how the construction cost for Jensen Klint’s proposal ballooned to twenty times that of the other submissions. Nonetheless, the judges felt confident that donations from the Danish people, doubled by the government, would be sufficient to sponsor the project and announced Jensen Klint as the winner in 1913.[4]

via grundtvigskirke.dk

In his design, Jensen Klint referenced a particular brand of nationalist romanticism for which Grundtvig had been known. Grundtvig had played a large part in the proliferation of folkehojskol, or folk high schools, that welcomed young Danes from every social class to come and study their country’s language and history. These schools embodied Grundtvig’s rejection of classical academies, which he criticized for favoring the elite and eschewing Danish in favor of Latin.[5]

via grundtvigskirke.dk

In many ways, Jensen Klint’s creation is surprisingly traditional. Spatially, Grundtvig’s Church is laid out as a typical cruciform cathedral, with columns separating the nave from two flanking aisles. Like Gothic cathedrals, the church uses soaring pointed arches and windows to define the sacred space with light.[6] Jensen Klint was also prone to designing elements in triads: most notable are the three towers, as well as the three entries on each side of the church – a religious metaphor for the Trinity common throughout Christian churches around the world. This latter design gesture creates a total of twelve portals – a reference to the twelve entryways to the New Jerusalem as depicted in the Biblical book of Revelations and a nod to the apostolic disciples.[7]

Courtesy of Flickr user Flemming Ibsen

Just as Grundtvig had touted the importance of maintaining Danish cultural tradition, so too did Jensen Klint strive to represent his homeland’s vernacular architecture in his design. The crow-stepped gables of the exterior call back to the façades of traditional Danish country houses and churches, albeit on a far grander scale. Deference to Denmark’s own building canon also influenced the choice of building material: handmade yellow brick. Other than the baptismal font and the roof, the entire church is composed of these bricks.[8] Though crafted and assembled by several different masons, all the bricks came from Zealand (the island on which Copenhagen is situated), as did the roofing tiles. Vast numbers of bricks were required for the job; a single pillar contains roughly 30,000.[9]

Courtesy of Flickr user Flemming Ibsen

While Jensen Klint synthesized two medieval styles for his design, he did so with striking restraint. The cavernous interiors of the church are almost entirely devoid of ornament; the massive columns rise to pointed arches and ribbed vaults with little to no visual interruption.[10] The dramatic simplicity of the design is highlighted by the church’s gaping windows, which allow the sunlight to stream in and reflect off the polished bricks within. Taking his cue from medieval master builders, Jensen Klint based the proportions of the interior on traditional aesthetic ratios intended to give it a pleasing appearance without the need for additional ornamentation.[11]

Courtesy of Flickr user Flemming Ibsen

Exactly where to build Grundtvig’s Church was a matter of significant debate between the competition’s end in 1913 and the beginning of construction in 1921. After a number of sites were considered, it was decided that the memorial would form the centerpiece of a new hilltop community at Bispebjerg, a suburb of Copenhagen. Though some complained that the location was too remote and empty, others rebutted that the church would find useful service once the new neighborhood was built around it.[12]

via kk.dk

The design of the new housing development ultimately fell to Jensen Klint too, who adapted the Classical layout proposed by Copenhagen’s city planners into a less rigid medieval plan. He also inverted the initial decision to have building heights rise from the boundaries to the church; instead, he flanked the church with low-lying houses, allowing it to loom more dramatically over its surroundings. Stylistically, the development is clearly linked to the church at its core, with similar crow-step gables and yellow brick walls. Ever mindful of keeping the houses affordable, Jensen Klint greatly limited the complexity of their structure and decoration; the most elaborate architectural gestures were the articulated doorways unique to each group of homes.[13]

via kk.dk

Construction of Grundtvig’s Church lasted 19 years, during which time the building was erected in two phases under supervision by three different architects. Initially, the money raised only covered construction of the western bell tower, which opened in 1927 as a temporary church with seating for a congregation of 200. Once work commenced on the rest of the building, the flooring material changed from brick to tile, a difference that is reflected in the floor of the completed church to this day. When P.V. Jensen Klint died in 1930, supervision of the work was taken on by his son, Kaare Klint. Kaare’s son Esben also worked on the project, meaning the construction of the church was overseen by three generations of the same family.[14]

Courtesy of Flickr user seier+seier

Grundtvig’s Church was consecrated by the King of Denmark on September 8, 1940 – 19 years to the day after construction began, and on N.F.S. Grundtvig’s birthday. The building was fully packed for the ceremony, as it was the day after and for many Sundays following its opening. What was once a field of rye before 1921 is now the site of one of Denmark’s largest and most memorable churches, a monument not only to Grundvig, but to Danish culture, Expressionism, and the architect who combined them all into a stunning orchestration of hand-crafted brick.[15]

Courtesy of Flickr user seier+seier

References

[1] “Grundtvig’s Church, Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark.” Manchester History. Accessed July 12, 2016. http://ift.tt/2adWW2E.
[2] The History of Grundtvigs Church – Short Introduction. PDF. Copenhagen: Grundtvigs Kirke.
[3] The History of Grundtvigs Church.
[4] Remar, Dorte. “Folkets Kirke På Bjerget.” Torsdag, July 22, 2011. [access].
[5] Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. “N.F.S. Grundtvig”, accessed July 14, 2016, [access].
[6] The History of Grundtvigs Church.
[7] Remar.
[8] Glancey, Jonathan. Eyewitness Companions: Architecture. London: DK, 2006. p422.
[9] The History of Grundtvigs Church.
[10] Hughes, Dana Tomić. “Majestic Simplicity of Grundtvig’s Church in Copenhagen.” Yellowtrace. November 2, 2015. [access].
[11] The History of Grundtvigs Church.
[12] Remar.
[13] “Grundtvig’s Church, Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark.”
[14] Remar.
[15] Remar.

• Architects: Peder Wilhelm Jensen-Klint
• Location: På Bjerget 14B, 2400 København NV, Denmark
• Architect In Charge: Peder Vilhelm Jensen Klint
• Project Year: 1940
• Photographs: Courtesy of Flickr user Flemming Ibsen, Courtesy of Flickr user Rune Brimer, Courtesy of Flickr user noona11, Courtesy of Flickr user seier+seier, Courtesy of Flickr user Emily, via grundtvigskirke.dk, via kk.dk

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Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

TA.R.I Architects has won second place in the competition for a Women’s and Family Facility Complex in Seoul, South Korea, with its proposal, Space Salim. Based on the idea of welcoming the community and fixing its problems, the proposal centers on a diffuse system to represent the complexity of society.

Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

The design results from a careful analysis of Seoul fabric settlement, and of the ongoing dialogue between the area and the urban context. It would become a piece of the city, not a single stand building, where socialization would be possible in the public spaces, enhancing relational network, and welcoming the vulnerable minor social groups said the architect in a press release. 

Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

The design seeks to be seen as “the starting point of a new urban and social consciousness,” and a way to fill the community with passion, emotion, and creativity.

Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

• Architects: TA.R.I Architects
• Location: Seoul, South Korea
• Project Team: Marco Tanzilli, Claudia Ricciardi
• Area: 20900.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of TA.R.I Architects

News via TA.R.I Architects. 

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