alvaro siza: novartis campus – virchow 6 view from the rhine river

 

 

 

author: christoph merian verlag publisher: Merian, Christoph Verlag year: 2012 size: 79 pages, 24.5 x 31.5 cm ISBN: 978-3-85616-547-5

 

http://www.merianverlag.ch/index.cfm

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designboom rating: alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 _____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

‘this transparent layering creates a contextual, even a contextualist building. on the side that faces the rhine, the building- with its facade sealed behind an additional glass shell- appears to the passing ships and pedestrians on the riverside promenade as the prestigious product of a globally active pharmaceutical company. where it faces the physics garden, virchow 6 opens up to employees and visitors in the corporate city…’  – christoph merian verlag, author

 

content completing the 13th part of a series illustrating the basel novartis campus, this volume showcases portuguese architect  alvaro siza’s virchow 6 building. much of the content covers the conceptual moves he made and speculates as to their consequential social impacts within the context of the city and the novartis campus. the book includes a multitude of photographs depicting varying scales of the completed work, several sketches, and technical drawings, in addition to a brief explanation illustrating the ideas behind each space in the building and the conceptual strategies implemented in the design. additionally, you can enjoy some personal information about siza and his design process with regards to this project.

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 southeast view from rhine

 

 

within the existing cartesian grid mandating the novartis campus, pritzker prize winner alvaro siza adds a culturally and architecturally subversive project. virchow 6 cedes to the pre-established order in footprint, but truly results in a complete juxtaposition to the existing traditions of both the site and the architect. the exterior of the building constitutes a series of transparent layers realized by a vast curtain wall facade which is echoed into the interior. this transparency not only leaves the structure’s symbolic form unconventionally ambiguous to novartis standards, but also provides an open interior workspace encouraging collaboration amongst its users. 

the open floor plan of the interior is organized around two white-marble cladded concrete cores, offset from the north-south axis creating a metaphorical criticism of the social issues existing between north and south europe. this radical change isn’t the only disruption: the southeast corner of the building literally juts out almost over the rhine, and the northwest entrance is recessed into a curvilinear courtyard space, both of which make bold statements against the existing orthogonal orders in society and design.    

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 exterior view of southeast corner

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 double skin curtain wall extends beyond the footprint

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 corner detail

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 upward view of corner detail

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 roof top technology center

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 interior spaces

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 conference rooms

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 conference room with curtains open

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 view of the rhine river from the workstations

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 floor plan / level 0

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 floor plan / level 1

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 floor plan / level 4

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 roof plan

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 technology center on roof

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6

section

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6

section

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6

east elevation

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6

south elevation

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6

north elevation

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6

inside cover spread showing northwest entrance image © designboom

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 spread showing interior lab spaces image © designboom

alvaro siza: novartis campus - virchow 6 book cover image © designboom