First Draft Text

A RE-ENVISION OF FRANK GEHRY’S

The original idea of the Vitra Design Museum grew out of a furniture producer’s wish to find and document the roots and history of his craft. The Vitra Design Museum was designed by renowned architect Frank Owen Gehry and constructed under the guidance of Alexander von Vegesack in 1989. In contrast to other museums, in which furniture design is only one subject among many, the Vitra Design Museum focuses principally upon its historical and future development.

Raising the bar for architectural innovation, Gehry displayed his openness to the concept of difference and radical juxtaposition by placing different and most unlikely elements right next to each other. The sleek design creates a prestigious image of enterprise with its technical superiority.

Inspired by the “Cross” shaped element and the white swirl forms of the Vitra Design Musesum and Le Corbusiers Notre Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier, the Re-envisioned model transforms the present furniture museum to a modern and contemporary chuch.

While keeping most of Frank Gehry’s original exterior forms, the white plaster walls are to be stripped away at chosen walls, and replaced by a series of glass panelling allowing more light into the inner chambers of the building. Combined with slots within internal walls the and the exterior glass panelling, the building shall become a contemporary comtemplative space of worship.

DRAFT CONTINUE

Inspired by the cross shape form and the white wash exterior of the original Vitra Design Museum building by Frank Owen Gehry, the re-envisioned model transforms the original museum, into a sacred place of worship - A Contemporary Church.

Following the concept of a contemporary church, the re-envisioned design works towards creating an inner contemporary space, firstly by altering the amount of light allowed into the building and secondly by structurally altering the circulation within the building. At the same time, the design strives to retain Frank Gehry’s original deconstructive style.

Firstly, lighting is altered by stripping away selected opaque exterior walls and replacing these with glass panels creating a facade of glass. Along with this, selected interior walls also have rectangular slots cut into it to allow light to pass through into the interior chambers of the building. Secondly, the building’s interior have also been structurally altered to direct circulation towards the left side of the building, so that when mass is taking place (central area) there will be a minimized amount of distraction caused by people entering and/or leaving the inner chambers.

Materially, the re-envisioned building keeps the original’s white wash plaster exterior and black roofing while changing the interior’s material to a warmer and more humane material - timber. A combination of timber walls and timber flooring has been used within the interior plus an additional use of marble has been used for the altar area within the mass chamber.

Finally, inspired by the curved forms of the building, and the “White Chapel” by Jun Aoki, the re-envisioned building is relocated to an area next to the sea on a field of grass combined with stone pavement and stone walling to accentuate the building and to create a dramatic view of a house of God.