Perceptual Twist / Parabol Studio

Courtesy of

Parabol Studio shared with us their project Perceptual Twist, an art gallery for a Single Stage Architectural Ideas Competition for the city of Maribor, . More images and architect’s description after the break.

Courtesy of Parabol Studio

This proposal for the new art gallery in Maribor, Slovenia is based on a relationship where the new building creates a dialog between its local environment and the larger urban context of Maribor. The project sets to create a dynamic relationship between the old city of Maribor and the new Art Gallery by creating a constant state of fluidity through the site, becoming a vital cultural hub along the Drava River. The building is composed of four continuous loops that merge into one space. Each loop contains it own separate program-the Children’s Museum, the Architecture Museum, the Creative Industrial Museum, and the Digital Arts Museum.

Courtesy of Parabol Studio

By allowing the museum program to be separated into four distinct programmatic and topological elements a space is created that is simultaneously public and private. With the new art gallery being located along the Drava River Front, it became critical to crate a landmark that that would enhance and contribute to the regeneration of the city both locally and globally. While the new art gallery naturally erodes the sites initial spatial qualities the four components come together to frame and create unobstructed vistas towards the Drava River and the city’s surrounding local landmarks.

Architects: Parabol Studio
Location: Maribor, Slovenia
Principals: Brian de Luna and James Vincent
Size: 14860 m2

Cite: Jordana , Sebastian. "Perceptual Twist / Parabol Studio" 16 Aug 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 26 May 2013. <http://www.archdaily.com/73337>

12 comments

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    Interesting plastic exercise, not much more I’m afraid. Good example to discuss the side effect of computer graphics: the obiquitous axonometric perspective. It made most western architects forget about vanishing points as a useful design resource. The result is many missed chances for beauty and landscape ‘storytelling’ at the eye level. It’s not by chance that most images here are bird-eyed and the ground level is bare (although I recognize this is a pre-study, the ground level is a major factor for any design. It guides the user through the building and connects the building with its surroundings). Is the computer connecting or detaching architects from their creations? Any thoughts?

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  3. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    It just looks like a 3D studio max work implemented onto a site plan. It’s a nice form and has got lovely effects, but apart from that the design appears rather forced onto the site and context. Unfortunately I don’t quite see the conceptual idea coming through – but maybe that’s just me

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  4. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    Zaha should give them a job…

    I agree that the form is detached from the context. Perhaps it will be better if the curves are integrated into the landscape so that it will seem the form is emerging from the site.

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  6. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    they certainly have put in a lot of effort into the presentation, the grid and structural layout makes it looks buildable and real (unless the software is really so powerful to make all these effortless), but every time when i see these competition drawings i can’t help thinking whether it is really worthwhile for all these talented designers to put in such efforts, when the design itself is not particularly convincing

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