pop theory

MVRDV

mvrdv: Nathalie de Vries, Jacob van Rijs & Viny Maas

bermvrdv
by Andreas Bengtsson and Sybille Paulsen introducing mvrdv After finishing their studies at the TU Delft and working for OMA Viny Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries founded their own architecture office in 1991. It is situated in Rotterdam because they felt that the incompletness of the city would give them the space to experiment with their radical ideas in architecture, urbanism and landscape design.1 The intensive studies in these fields led to a series of theoretical books like FRAMAX (1998), MetaCity/ Datatown (1999) or Regionmaker (2003). They developed their own collaborative designing process which is influenced by their early work at OMA. Due to this successful concept they were able to realise a wide range of projects including urban masterplans, housing, interior design but also installtions and product designs.2 Designing like MVRDV At the beginning of each project MVRDV gathers a vast amount of information in order to make a careful analysis. This information is converted into diagrams and maps considering the internal and external forces that are most important for the project. Factors like light & noise, laws or Pedro Gadanho CUC, Post.Rotterdam- Architecture and City after Tabula Rasa, Rotterdam 200 2 www.mvrdv.nl

constructive restrictions can be graphically represented. MVRDV calls these diagramms Datascapes. These datascapes narrow down the endelss possibilities and create a thight frame for the desired building. The realised project is therfore a logic conclusion of the collected data.3 This approach to architecture is a result of a development within the dutch society in recent history. In the 1970s the dutch began to interfer with the redesign of their cities. This democratic design process prevailed until today, requiring a new role for the architect. Unable to satisfy all the different parties involved ( client, the city and future inhabitants as well as the citizens) the architect has to provide flexible solutions and manage the design process instead of presenting one final and absolut solution. pop? The following essay discusses the pop issue in MVRDV s work.

 Bart Lootsma, SUPERDUTCH, London 2000  Bart Lootsma, SUPERDUTCH, London 2000

various landscapes for the Expo Pavilion

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pop theory

MVRDV

collage of the stacked park

computer simulation

model of the pavillion

durch pavilion at the Expo 2000

dutch pavilion today

Expo Pavilion 2000 The most popular project by MVRDV is probably the dutch Expo Pavilion from 2000. Answering the question how public space could look like in highly populated areas they created a stacked park offering artificial nature to improve living conditions. The layers consist of various contrasting natures with a wide range of recreational facilities. In addition to this program the building is self-sustaining: it has its own water cycle and produces its own energy. New technologies enable these artificial natures and its ecologial system. The building is also a perfect example to illustrate the MVRDV designing process. In FARMAX, a book published in 1998, MVRDV already proposes the idea of layerd public space as a consequence of their sociological research (datascapes). Once built the pavilion was to be sold and reused as office space. However the building was never sold and therefore remains on its original location, the Hannover Expo Area. The temporary use emphasizes the popcycle: a building equiped with the latest thechnologies and most radical thoughts gets build, used briefly and then left to rot. Hyperconsumption at its best.

stacking

functional program

dutch pavillion today

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pop theory

MVRDV

sideview

cinema on the roof

festival scene

sofa city Busan is southkoreas largest harbour city and the second largest metropolis after Seoul. Every year it is the host for asias most important film festival, the pusan film festival. In 2005 a competition was held for a central festival building located in busans new media district. MVRDV entered the competition with a design that creats a striking image for the festival and its activities. Dividing the program into functional units and then arranging them in a series of boxes conected by streets produces a building that can be interpreted as a cinematic village. The usual staking and layering that mvrdv uses in the nehterlands makes place for a single horizontal layer that fullfills all the demanded programmatic elements. This single layer then gets curled up a the edges to form a city sofa. Due to its landmark function this building is most obviously pop. Also the programmatic use of a cinema palace that was imposed by the city of busan ads to the pop image. The mix of a highly sculptural building with a cultural programm that attracts the masses, are two main ingredients for pop architecture.

computersimulated perspective from the busan film palace

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pop theory

MVRDV

Container City Interior

Container City

Container City Exterior

Silodam Exterior

Silodam Appartment Interior

Container City Container City is a case study done in 2002. It refelcts upon a city that is solely build out of 3500 containers. All the nessecary functions of a city are reduced in one building to experiment wih high density on as little space as possible. From the outside it appears as a solid block structure whereas it forms an open plaza in the inside. Staircases connect the containers and make them accessible up to the hightest floor. Silodam Container City is part of the design process for a housing project located at the shores of the river Ij in Amsterdam. The office proposed different lifestyle appartment typologies with names such as Hobby, Atelier, Panorama and Loft to the different parties involved. In this case the parties included a private developer, a social housing corporation, a management cunsultancy, various advisors and representatives from the municipality. The typologies suggested a mere hint of a certain lifestyle revealing just enough like a product ad campaign might do. After setting certain details about size, price, configuration and mix the dialogue between the office and their clients was frozen. The product of these negotiations is a building that bears a vast individuality inside. This diversity seems to break through the facade and manifest itself through different materials marking the various appartment typs. The outer appearance suggests the image of a fully loaded container ship. This also implies dutch tradtion regardeing the fact that maritime trade is deeply rooted in the economic history of the nehterlands. 1 NAi Publishers, Reading MVRDV, rotterdam 2003, p. 69-70

Silodam building with the Ij

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pop theory

MVRDV

Unit dHabitation in Marseille

Roof of the Unit dHabitation

Drawings by LeCorbusier

Section of an oceanliner from La Vilee Radieuse

Unit dHabitation The idea of a whole city in one building is not new. Analizing the problems of society LeCorbusier already suggested the vertical city as a ultimate solution in the 1940s. All his theoretical thoughts can be summarized in the Unit dHabitation which he first was able to realize in Marseille. The building consits of 337 L-shaped duplex appartments which are staked and lined up. On each floor they are arranged around a long hallway suggesting the image of a village with a mainroad. Moreover the building also includes a kindergarden, shopping and recreation facilities as well as a hotel. The whole complex is surrounded by a park. The Unit dhabitation was build in several cities in france and germany but non of its followers came as close to LeCorbusiers original vision as the one in Marseille. MVRDV as well as LeCorbusier cope with the problems of density. Both approach their projects through intensive studies about society and their needs. They find a graphic language which communicates the thoughts behind their desing process. LeCorbusier not only invented his own measuring system the modulor based on the human body but also worked with explanatory drawings to communicate his thoughts. The aforementioned datascapes are mvrdvs way to research and communicate. These graphics ease the dialogue with their various clients whos wishes they have to respect. Compared to LeCorbusier they are managing the design process instead of dictating the design. The 15 appartment types from the silodam project are not categorized by size but by lifestyle whereas the typology of the Unit dHabitation offers 23 different appartments varying in size. This crucial difference can be explained by the fact that nowadays we live in a democratic society yearn-

ing for individuality. On the contrary LeCorbusiers vision is clearly based upon the thought of social equality. An anglogy to a maritim theme can be seen in both projects the silodam as well as the Unit dHabitation. Fascinated by the functional yet minimal design of an oceanliner LeCorbusier already mentioned it as a section of a house in La ville Radieuse in 1935. MVRDVs analogy is referring directly to an image amsterdam citizens are acustomed to and therefore it helps them to identify with the building. Semiotics are an essential part of Poparchitecture. They can evoke a characterisitc image that turns an ordinary building into a memorizable landmark. In comparison these projects reveal a lot of similarities as well as differences. The basic idea of the Unit dHabitation gets recycled and customized by MVRDV to suit todays needs. They dont have the goal to offer one ultimate solution for any city in the world but they customize the building to a certain clientel. Therefore their buildings are unique solutions for a particular location, time and inhabitants. By customizing their projects MVRDV fulfils the yearnings of the masses and ,hence, creats a pop product. However, the afformentioned projects also define themselves as pop due to different parameters: they are consumed and thrown away like the Expo Pavillion or they create a lanmark like the Sofa City.

Containership

Relationship between The Unit and Silodam

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SOURCES Books

pop theory

MVRDV

Vronique Pstteeuw Hrsg., Reading MVRDV, NAi Publishers, Rotterdam 2006 Bart Lootsma, Superdutch, London 2000 Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Richard Koek, FARMAX, Rotterdam 1998 Pedro Gadanho CUC, Post.Rotterdam- Architecture and City after Tabula Rasa, Rotterdam 2001 Cecilia, Fernando Marquez & Richard Levene, 1997-2000 Stacking and Layering: MVRDV, Madrid 2000 LeCorbusier, La Ville radieuse. Editions de lArchitecture dAujourdhui, Bologne-sur-Seine 1935 webpages www.mvrdv.nl IMAGE CREDITS www.mvrdv.nl: mvrdv: Nathalie de Vries, Jacob van Rijs & Viny Maas,
city images as well as the images for container city and silodam. durch pavilion at the Expo 2000, all sofa

FARMAX: various landscapes for the Expo Pavilion, collage of the stacked park , computer simulation for the
Expo Pavilion.

Post.Rotterdam: model of the pavillion, stacking diagram. 1997-2000 Stacking and Layering MVRDV: functional program La Ville radieuse: Drawings by LeCorbusier, Section of an oceanliner from La Vilee Radieuse. www.ivarhagedoorn.com: dutch pavillion today l & ll www.ca-schleppy-chaux-de-fonds.ch: Roof of the Unit dHabitation

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