1st ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design
Job No: PD0710-67/3184Chapter 1 final_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 7/23/10 8:51 PM Page 30
Case studyThe design studioZaha Hadid: MAXXI Museum of XXI Century ArtsWhen the architect considers the building at full scale, they
must tackle another level of detail, complexity and design.
What could be legitimately represented as seamless and
flowing when represented at a small scale, as if viewed from
a distance, must be designed to cope with the junctions
between elements and the texture of materials when
experienced at close hand.
The photograph above, taken during construction, still bears
a resemblance to the earlier conceptual painting and sketch.
The complexity of reality is also revealed. The building has
a richer palette of materials; the process of construction
and the immediacy of the surrounding context are evident.
The transient qualities of the site, so difficult to represent in
architectural drawings, are immediately obvious: variations
in light conditions, growth of vegetation, and the expectation
of future change are tangible.
The building replaces former low-rise military barracks and
is set outside the city centre in a residential area. MAXXI
is horizontal in direction. Its criss-crossing layers respect,Photograph taken during
construction1st ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design
Job No: PD0710-67/3184
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