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Present
: Mark Loughnan, Herzog &
de Meuron Architects
Qiuni Yang, Arch 229b Graduate Student Mark
Loughnan: The original design included wood,
copper and other materials. We had wood as part of the façade. It
ran into some trouble with fire safety codes. And after a series of
meetings and discuss, we had to get rid of wood and change it into a
metal. Then we had a copper mesh idea, back up by a membrane, with a
copper surface on it as well. So it has two copper layers, one is a mesh,
and the other is a very thin membrane. After the studies of details, the
support and the structure, we decided to have a 3-dementional façade.
Then we move the current idea. Q:
When you mention ¡°we decided¡¡±, who do
you exactly mean? In other words, who made the decision on the exterior
cladding, the client, the contractor, or the architect? M:
The architect. Q:
Did the client have anything to say about the
changes? M:
That is part of the discussion. We had
meeting and we talked about each decision, explained why things changed.
And after the dialogue they agreed our decision and we moved on. Q:
I know that the tower had changes in height, configuration, and there was
a debate between using steel or concrete. Could you explain the events
that led to each of these changes, who they were initiated by, which teams
were for and against them, and how the issues were resolved? M:
The tower is a very difficult architectural element. There were a lot of
debates on whether the steel or the concrete is better. From our side,
architecturally we want a concrete tower. We were pushing parting of the
concrete tower and the steel tower. The form of the tower was influenced
by various things, one of them is cost. Others are influenced by ¡you
know the tower was a political issue in the city for a while, so there was
a lot of pressure for various bodies. The tower architecturally was a very
difficult element, we were struggling, searching, and studying , try to
make it better all the time. There were different forces playing on it,
and at certain point, they all came together. Q:
How about the response from the neighborhood? M:
I wouldn¡¯t say it was neighborhood, I think it is certain groups. They
were against wasn¡¯t just the tower, they were against a new museum. Q:
We all know that the architects are from M:
I think this site is somehow a little more obvious than other projects,
since it is a city park. I think it is a little sensitive dealing with the
type of clients and the type of arts you have for the museum, and then
being able to create a form that sits in the site context. I think it is
nice somehow to bring other ideas from somewhere to other place. Everyone
responses to the site in different way. I don¡¯t think because the
architect is from other place makes any harder necessary than some that
might be local. The most important thing is to understand what the client
wants. Q:
I know that there is an office in SF, so which one is responsible for the
de Young project, the one in SF or the one in M:
The local office will give first response and then the one in Q:
When did you set up the office in SF? And where do the employers come
from? Are they local or international? M:
We set up our office in SF two and a half years ago. We have 5 persons and
each is from different place, but 3 of us are from Q:
Did you set up the office in SF specially for the de Young project? M:
No. We did have other project but right now the de Young is the only
project. Q:
Do H&M have experience on working on earthquake zone? M:
They did a project in Q:
The base isolation system is interesting. Does it have any affect on the
form? Or how do the architects cooperate with the structural engineers? M:
Yes it does. Certain limitations have result of the system because the
forces have all go to particular point to transfer into the base isolation
system. Because of the way the structure being put together, there are
certain structural requirements, so it comes down to discussing with the
structural engineers whether we can move the columns, or whether we can
punch a wall, etc. I think that structurally this building is hard, but
with good engineers, it is flexible to consider different options. Q:
Was there anyone in particular who advocated for this system? M:
The owner. Q:
Any special problems for this building? M:
It is always the same problems. Time, quality, and money. Architecturally
the tower is difficult. Obviously the quality has to be the best. ¡¡ |