De vera, John Vincent I.

August 24, 2021(T)

AD5 (lec) Ar. Allan Christopher Luna

 London City Hall

1. Its shape is derived from a geometrically modified sphere, developed using a

computer modelling techniques. This form achieves optimum energy
performance by minimizing the surface area exposed to direct sunlight. A range
of active and passive shading devices is employed; to the South: the building
leans back so that its floor-plates step inwards to provide shading for the
naturally ventilated offices; and the building's cooling systems will utilize ground
water being pumped up via boreholes from the water table. these energy saving
techniques mean that chillers will not be needed and that for most of the year the
building will require no additional heating. Overall, it will only use a quarter of the
energy consumed by a typical air-conditioned office building.
2. The building has an unusual, bulbous shape, purportedly intended to reduce its
surface area and thus improve energy efficiency, although the excess energy
consumption caused by the exclusive use of glass overwhelms the benefit of
shape. Despite claiming the building “demonstrates the potential for a
sustainable, virtually non-polluting public building.” Energy use measurements
have shown this building to be fairly inefficient in terms of energy use. It has been
compared variously to a helmet, misshapen egg, woodlouse, “Glass Testicle”,
“The Glass Gonad”, “The Onion”.
3. London City Hall is one of the few building constructed using diagrid/diagonal
grid. Diagrid is used only support the glass façade, this makes the City Hall a
unique building. Diagrid structures create triangular with diagonal support beams.
Its Construction is a serious issue in using diagrid because its nodes are way
more complicated than those of conventional orthogonal structures.
4. Yes, it possibly can be built in the Philippines since the aim of the design is to
promote to be as green as possible/ sustainability. The hybrid form of the building
is designed to minimize the surface area exposed to direct sunlight. Here are
some of the environmental strategy in the design: Windows are open for natural
ventilation, bore hole water, cooling, heat recovery, displacement ventilation
system, no chillers required.

 Seoul City Hall

1. The Seoul New City Hall has to be a future shape architecture which goes with
the Korea terrain that adapts to the Seoul citizens cultural emotion. The familiar
horizontal line of Architecture and deep shade of roof is suitable form for Korean
terrain and climate. The spatial relationship between Architecture and urban
structure of Seoul is very different from the western one. The Korean living space
has no axis or façade which can be seen from entry, because it consists of
mountains and valleys. Koreans think experience of space is more important
than optical object, so entry of Architecture is diverse space like open or close,
 not just straight line. The design comes from Seoul square. Seoul square is a
symbolical center of Seoul and the only existing outside public space.
2. The Seoul city office is arranged in back of the vertical square and cultural facility
is in top space. The cultural facilities are hanging. The multi-level hanging
terraces are liked linking to this culture facilities. The breathing curtain wall which
is designed for wind-circulation hugs vertical square, culture facility and multi-
level hanging terraces. The space where hanging terrace surrounded by this
curtain wall is ecology square that have sustainable ecosystem and green wall.
3. I think there are no flaws in the construction of the new Seoul City hall, is it tha
because it was redesigned and revised several time to come up with a perfect
Architectural symbol and pride of Seoul. Its concept came up to a Korean culture
and tradition such as protruding curved eaves, and horizontally, with
contemporary expression that made it look futuristic. The new City hall are not
only part of the branded built environment but are the site for the spectacle of the
public. The public appeared as a key discourse with an emphasis on the ideas
and openness and accessibility, and the crowds assembled in the plaza
displayed public participation.
4. Maybe No, because Seoul City Hall is designed for the people in Seoul/Korea
and how the building adapt to the environment in Seoul. The concept are in lined
with culture and traditions of Koreans which aren’t familiar for everybody. The
futuristic style is not suitable for the common buildings here in the Philippines.
But for its sustainable features it can possibly work with tropical climates.

 Manila City Hall

1. The Manila City Hall in Neoclassical style is one of the distinct landmarks in the
capital city of Manila, Philippines. The edifice, with its hexagonal tower with three
red-faced clock on three of its facets, received unfavorable reviews in its initial
years because of its austere Architectural design, lack of entrances and the
placement of the clock tower. The buildings floor plan had been dismissed as
similar in shape to a coffin or like the shield of knights templar.
2. What’s special about Manila City hall is its Architectural style which is
Neoclassical that are distinguished by an attractive clock tower that is beautifully
illuminated at night. It was built in 1939-1941, destroyed in world war, and rebuilt
in 1964. The tower looked similar with the “Big Ben” in London.
3. After its completion, Manila City Hall received negative reviews from people for
its lack of Aesthetics, lack of entrances and how the tower was placed. The look
of the building is very simple and not so detailed,. Since it is one of the historical
building here in the Philippines, it is acceptable to let it look like that because its
design is very much of a Philippine Architecture.
4. No, the building approach is not advisable for tropical climates, the building
should have more openings so that prevailing winds will pass through around the
building. And the material used to built is concrete which is not very tropical thing.
The building is strong through the use of columns but it lack of being sustainable
due to its historical significance.
 Boston City Hall
1. Boston City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Boston,
Massachusetts. Architecturally, it is an example of a brutalist style. Together with
the surrounding plaza, City Hall is part of the Government Center complex, a
major urban redesign effort in the 1960s. Hovering over the broad brick plaza,
the City Hall was designed to create an open and accessible place for the city’s
government, with the most heavily used public activities all located on the lower
levels directly connected to the plaza. At a time when monumentality was seen
as an appropriate attribute for governmental Architecture, the Architects sought
to create a bold statement of modern civic democracy, placed within the historic
city of Boston.
2. Kallmann, McKinnell, and Knowles designed the Boston City Hall government
building in the 1960s as a symbol of openness and transparency. It would be an
understatement to say the design of Boston City Hall had been greatly
underappreciated by Bostonians since it was first built. The scheme made it
possible to begin recasting public perception through a series of more engaging
design initiatives.
3. According to some, the buildings popularity declined as the tide turned away from
modernism to more traditional and post modern styles in the 1970s and 1980s,
as the newness wore off, as architectural monumentality fell out as vogue, and
as the idea of a “new” era and a “new” Boston became old-fashioned. As well as,
the experience of the building is also colored by the lack of maintenance and
finish that has characterized following the present administration that time. City
hall suffers from a lack of lighting, often-poor maintenance, and inadequate
decorations with Art, paintings, and furniture. Public found that City hall
unpleasant, dysfunctional, and dispiriting.
4. Yes, Boston City hall is a Brutalist Architecture just like CCP and PICC in the
Philippines. And I think these buildings here gives different environment suits for
governmental building/structures. The beauty and uniqueness of the style is
beyond beautiful.

 Makati City Hall

1. Makati’s cityhood brought about new needs for the city that needs to be
addressed, in this case the need for more spaces for its growing bureaucracy
that the municipal building then could no longer accommodate. Thus, it was
decided that a new city hall building would be constructed not only to serve the
needs of a city in boom, but also would serve as a status symbol of sorts
signifying Makati’s status as a primier urban hub.
2. The towering Makati City Hall is the first local government office building of its
kind in the country. With 22 stories and 2 basement levels, the edifice is
considered one of the earliest intelligent buildings in the Philippines, employing a
full building management system. Its exterior boasts of a fully unitized, double-
glazed curtain wall system. The building houses the different departments of the
local government of Makati City, as well as court rooms and city prosecutors’
office. The upper floors house the offices of the city councilors and the city
 mayor, with its own receiving areas and meeting rooms. The topmost floor
houses the session hall.
3. The construction of this structure was not without controversy as allegation of
overpricing have been raised over the years, even today in conjunction with that
of a new building in the complex.
4. Yes, the building suits well in Makati City since it’s a booming city where tall and
skyscrapers building are seen. Construction of the structure is good, the building
is tall and didn’t occupy so much of its land mass wherein they allotted areas for
vegetation and public use.
REFERENCES:

 London City Hall - Famous Buildings and Architecture of London. (n.d.). Design

Book. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from

http://www.designbookmag.com/londoncityhall.htm#:%7E:text=London%20City

%20Hall%20is%20noted,of%20energy%20efficiency%20in%20mind.

 Sánchez, D. (2020, December 10). Seoul New City Hall / IARC Architects.

ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/457570/seoul-new-city-hall-iarc-

architects#:%7E:text=The%20Seoul%20new%20city%20hall%20wants%20to

%20be%20a%20future,vertical%20extension%20of%20Seoul%20square.

 Manila City Hall: Manila’s Distinct Landmark. (n.d.). Vigattin Tourism (ARTICLES)

- Philippines. Retrieved August 24, 2021, from

https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Manila-City-Hall-Manilas-

Distinct-Landmark

 Cogley, B. (2021, May 25). Boston City Hall renovation preserves

“straightforward honesty” of brutalist building. Dezeen.

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/22/boston-city-hall-renovation-utile/#:

%7E:text=Completed%20in%201968%20by%20Kallmann,portals

%20overlooking%20the%20space%20below.

 Makati City Hall, Makati City | GF & Partners Architects. (n.d.). Makati City Hall |

Makati City | GF & Partners Architects - Archify Philippines. Retrieved August 24,

2021, from https://www.archify.com/ph/project/makati-city-hall