PRESERVATION AS PROVOCATION: RE-THINKING KHAN'S SALK INSTITUTE,CALIFORNIA. ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION
The Special Mention Diploma in the Russian Federation's competition “ GoldenChapiter” in the nomination “Structures. Young architects” for the work “Preservation as provocation: re-thinking Khan's Salk Institute, California”
The world-renowned architect Louis Kahn provided spacious, unobstructed laboratory spaces that could be adapted to the ever-changing needs of science. The building materials had to be simple, strong, durable, and as maintenance-free as possible. Important to note are Kahn's imaginative uses of space and his high regard for natural light. Kahn flooded the laboratories with daylight even though the first two stories had to be underground. He designed a series of light wells to bring daylight into the lowest level.
The next challenge was to utilize materials that could last for generations with only minimal maintenance. The materials chosen for this purpose were concrete, teak, lead, glass, and special steel. The poured-in-place concrete walls created a first bold impression for visitors. Once the concrete was set, he allowed no further processing of the finish—no grinding, no filling, and above all, no painting. The architect chose an unfinished look for the teak. The building's exterior, with only requires minor maintenance looks today much as it did in the 1960s.
The Salk Institute has been described as the single most significant architectural site in San Diego.
The concept MOLD is best described by the theme “Preservation as Provocation”. Our complex is similar to a mold preserving, existing structure: it has the style of a building but at the same time it has a provocative ability to expand into different directions. The whole complex in general is presented as a network of branch structures with multiple identical nuclei. It can be considered as a single organism, inside which all buildings are connected with one another. This entire web is attached to the main Salk Institute building and cannot exist without it as any mold cannot exist without growing on something. The entire complex has a structure similar to a live organism, meaning that it can develop and fulfill space around with new units.
The Science Center is fitting the existing landscape relief and is similar to a mold because of its role in biodegradation. Its sustainable design has the ability to degrade, transform and accumulate a large amount of important compounds, and it adapts itself to changing environmental conditions.
The residential Facilities are units can be attached to each other by specially designed joints and because of that they can be used separately and to be transformed into any structure and spread anywhere as mold spores and visually flies in the air foe the impression that nothing can stop it's spreading.
Alevtina Gorskaya, Nastya Ryabkova, Alena Gorbunova
