Do iconic or monumental buildings still define a city’s identity? As cities change rapidly, traditional landmarks rooted in established notions of placeness are losing their symbolic power. Therefore, we need a new type of iconic building to keep pace with these dynamic urban transformations.
Due to the rapid increase in diversity, cities are changing rapidly. Iconic buildings, the most important method in city branding that shows the city’s identity, are not responding to the trend of rapidly changing cities. This issue of Iconic buildings that connect cities and people shows the threshold to the notion of existing Iconic buildings.
Breaking away from the existing concept of Iconic buildings, I would like to propose Pavilion as a new model for Iconic buildings. Through Pavilion, the project proposes the possibility of a temporary Iconic building that can respond to the dynamic city by complementing the limitations of the existing Iconic building.
Purpose
In order to capture the dynamics and diversity of Rotterdam, a rapidly changing city, I would like to express playfulness, through the pavilion as an iconic building, that contrasts with existing buildings.
(Passage 1)
(Passage 2)
(Observation Deck)
(Passage 3) + (Observation Deck)
The Las Palmas Building is a connection point between the northern and southern areas of Rotterdam, where the flow of the floating population is high. It is also a gateway that connects the city and people as a mid-area of various activity pockets around it.
The pavilion structure utilizes Le Corbusier’s Dom-Ino system. Using this method, the minimal structure connects the lower-level ground to the higher-level structure. Additionally, the legs of the structure are aligned with the columns of the existing building, Las Palmas. This alignment ensures that the extended space effectively supports the pavilion from the rooftop.
The three passages -(2), (4), and (6)- create a continuous flow, forming a linear walkway. This promenade invites visitors to wander. Moving at an average walking pace, the space unfolds in a dynamic sequence, shaped by the shifting nature of their perception. This shift in perception allows us to see the landscape, which varies at ground level, in a new way, creating a spatial cinematographic experience.
(1) Ground → (2) Passage 1 → (3), (3-1), (3-2) Las Palmas Rooftop Trail → (4) Passage 2 → (5), (5-1), (5-2) Observation Deck → (6) Passage 3 → (7) Observation Deck
The walk begins with a pathway. As you ascend the long staircase (Passage 1), you gradually glimpse the view of southern Rotterdam through a narrow window.
(Passage 1)
(Observation Deck)
The red and green colors of the pavilion symbolize Las Palmas and Rotterdam, respectively. The red color extends the hue of the existing building, creating a sense of unity with the Las Palmas structure. The connection between the red space and the green space symbolizes the relationship between the sense of place in Las Palmas and the local identity of Rotterdam.
(Passage 3)
(Observation) + (Passage 3)