The Friedrichsplatz has a big and regular shape. In the past that was its main characteristic. The long line of trees defined the whole square up to the end. The park had in this way a clear entrance. With the construction of the Staatstheater the part near the park was strongly changed. The shape is not so strong now and the square is divided in two parts.
Furthermore, during the dOCUMENTA exhibition, the square suffers a strong lack of balance, because all the attention is concentrated only on one part. The square is not enough strong to offer a uniform place and the park remain separated, despite its importance in the exhibition.
A big construction with a clear form is placed at the end of the line of trees, just before the slope. So the space is crossed by a “thread”, which goes from the most crowded place (the crossing between Königsstraße and Treppenstraße) to the park. The building is divided in three parts. The “kernel” is regular and solid. It hosts the functions and the load-bearing structure. It is almost entirely closed, there are only few openings for the entrances. Then a ramp encloses the “kernel” and it is used for the movement. The outer part is composed by “drawers”, the elements that are hanged to the “kernel”. They are panoramic viewpoint and create relationships with the different elements of the square through the different heights. They have two different kinds of openings. At the end there is the external structure, which contain everything.
The structure, in turn, is divided in three parts. The main load-bearing structure is the “kernel” and is inside. The external load-bearing structure bears the “drawers” and the fifth floor, which is bigger than the others. The ramp is supported by the two structures, hanged to them. Wood is chosen as the unique material, because it has a simple and fast assembling and gives the opportunity to create different effects. Re-used wood is used for the lighter elements, whereas the structure is made of hardwood. The point is to create a shade from outside to inside.
Furthermore, during the dOCUMENTA exhibition, the square suffers a strong lack of balance, because all the attention is concentrated only on one part. The square is not enough strong to offer a uniform place and the park remain separated, despite its importance in the exhibition.
A big construction with a clear form is placed at the end of the line of trees, just before the slope. So the space is crossed by a “thread”, which goes from the most crowded place (the crossing between Königsstraße and Treppenstraße) to the park. The building is divided in three parts. The “kernel” is regular and solid. It hosts the functions and the load-bearing structure. It is almost entirely closed, there are only few openings for the entrances. Then a ramp encloses the “kernel” and it is used for the movement. The outer part is composed by “drawers”, the elements that are hanged to the “kernel”. They are panoramic viewpoint and create relationships with the different elements of the square through the different heights. They have two different kinds of openings. At the end there is the external structure, which contain everything.
The structure, in turn, is divided in three parts. The main load-bearing structure is the “kernel” and is inside. The external load-bearing structure bears the “drawers” and the fifth floor, which is bigger than the others. The ramp is supported by the two structures, hanged to them. Wood is chosen as the unique material, because it has a simple and fast assembling and gives the opportunity to create different effects. Re-used wood is used for the lighter elements, whereas the structure is made of hardwood. The point is to create a shade from outside to inside.
