Topotek 1 for Imperial War Museum North
Following an international design competition, Imperial War Museum North (IWMN) selected Topotek 1 as the preferred design team to develop the external spaces of the museum in Trafford. The selection panel felt that Topotek 1′s scheme, Camouflage Strategy, best addressed the need for zones of contemplation, creativity and play which would complement the Daniel Libeskind building.
Further project description after the break.
The IWMN illustrates how wars and conflicts have been and still are shaping people’s lives. The external spaces aspire to reflect that key message to expand the visitor’s experience beyond the walls of the internal spaces. IWMN Director, Jim Forrester stated, “Our stunning Libeskind building continues to generate much interest and argument…The challenge is to make the outside areas of the museum as striking, memorable and rewarding as the building and its displays already are.”
Topotek 1′s proposal addresses the fact that war not only re-configures boundary lines, but also re-shapes the landscapes where the battles are fought. ”The camouflage patterns used by the military are an abstraction of landscapes of combat. These patterns represent a visual average of the natural environment: the muted green, brown, and ochre hues of typical camouflage are a graphic summary of wild and cultivated places,” stated Topotek 1.
Four themes were selected that represent the British landscape: stone, fields, water, and forest. These four elements are arranged in a system of tilting planes, similar to camouflage, that create a continuous base for the museum. “Subtle shifts in elevation and angle accommodate a variety of programs in a relatively small area. The landscape forms a collage of dignified spaces for reflection, gathering, and play that complements the gravity of the museum’s content,” explained Topotek 1.
Initial design concepts for the exterior include a walkway with access across the water frontage, a landscaped garden built over the parking garage to provide views, a children’s play area, and a water-sculpture as a focus for contemplation and reflection. Topotek 1 will now move toward finalizing these schemes with the help of IWMN. The opening of the first phase of development of the outside areas is slated to coincide with the opening of MediaCity:UK in 2011.
For more information.
Judging by the read, this building is a fake.
Originated as a competition for a war museum, Topotek 1 chose the idea of camouflage for their creative design. Nice, then contrasted with the renders I get the feeling that something is missing, what would it be… oh yeah THE CAMOUFLAGE !!!!! The building is so evident that throws itself into the trash. Even worse doesn’t remind of a past war at all; instead, it does remind of how 2011 is going to look like.
D.Cacho
D.Cacho, I’m pretty sure they intended to use camouflage as a concept, and not a literal representation. Camouflage is a visual average of the surrounding landscape, and the external landscaping is the visual average of the landscapes that were fought on during the wars.
Besides, this building isn’t the focus of this post, It states that Topotek 1 is the preferred design team for the EXTERIOR spaces.
All that aside, I feel that none of this project matters unless the parts that are supposed to be function ARE in fact, functional. As with all landscape design, I get pissed off if I have to walk all the way around a feature, instead of directly to where I’m going. At my school, there is a huge peanut shaped planter right in the way, and there is no damn reason why it should even be there.
isn’t it beautiful!
МНЕ ВАЩЕ НЕ НРАВИТСЯ ! ! ! а именно : какие-то непонятные (для меня) врезки непонятных форм … смотрится в целом ДЕБИЛЬНО!!! какая война..? какая-то ХУЙНЯ…!
Well I think the addiction is horrible..:S
lovely i hope we get to see more
crvs of y=sinx,y=cosx and y=x^2
great job!
Perfect for a war museum and rather impressive too