Royal Festival Hall: Reflective Analysis - Coursework Example

Insert your names here) (Insert the name of your professor here) (Insert the name and title of the course here) (Insert date of submission here) Royal Festival Hall This paper is a reflective essay on a public building identified as Royal Festival Hall located in Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London. Royal Festival Hall is social cultural space for performance. The paper also attempts to analyse its interiors and exteriors with regard to patterns of visitors’ co-presence and space use. The analyses concentrate on a number of issues such as the component of its space, interaction of the people within space and the successful of the space among other others. This will be done based on Hayden model suggesting the application of on access and field of visibility tool, at a fine-grain scale so as to enable spatial descriptions of continuous free plan layouts (45). To begin with, architectural scholars argue that spaces such as Royal Festival Hall must be embedded on a unique architectural style (Ditlevsen 72). This is what a visit to this place provided. In addition to providing a space for different performances such as dramatic text, the Hall has multifaceted social meanings and can signify ways in which visitors relate to society as whole---immediately and historically. To conceptualise this statement, looking at its interior public space, it is noted that it has a layout that modulates spatial relations among visitors during intervals of performance. Such does not only make the space to function well but helps it articulate its role. As a matter of fact, such is also evident in a given traditional arrangements on its vertically layered foyers. The figure 1 below can help illustrate such arrangements. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxINSERT FIGURE 1 HERExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Looking at this figure, it can easily be noted that space use appears informal instead of ordered. However, when a performance is in progress, such becomes different since a visit showed that the same space has the potential for interacting among visitors and such is controlled by the building through visibility and accessibility relations between layered parts. Conversely, when inside the auditorium, stalls or boxes, seating located at the upper circle offer each a different relation of the viewer to, the audience, but also the rest of the stage, shaping accordingly, the character of the collective experience in what architectures would term as ‘enriched modernism’ (El-haram 214). Important to note regarding this space is that during the design process, there was emphasis placed on the general circulation and planning for the building to work as a whole, targeting specifically to allow visitors spend long hours in the main foyer. It is because of this feature that it can be argued that the space is functioning up to the expectation of the visitors and designers. To underscore this statement, looking at the figure 2 below, it can be seen that the auditorium is enclosed above and within the public spaces and at the same time, suspended over the main foyer at the entrance level where main activities are taking place. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxINSERT FIGURE 2 HERExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx In his analysis of the public spaces and buildings, xxxx posits that the design concepts for such buildings and spaces must be done such that people are bot the participants and audiences. This is realized when one observes horizontal layers of its upper foyers overlooking the central part of the ground level public spaces. Contrariwise, this is a multi-functional building that needs basic architectural units for its success. Comparing this statement with figure 3 below, it is noticed that the design act as a barrier between its interior and exterior environment since it serves the purpose of moisture, heat, static and dynamic loads. Though scholars such as Claesson (35) have heavily criticised its interior shape arguing that its wall designs raise issues related to adverse weather condition, the opposite end of the main entrance serves the purpose and argues against Claesson’s criticisms. In addition, the same figure shows an example of the consideration of fenestration through the structure. Some of the issues they consider in the image below include; Finish (aesthetics) Support Distribution of services and Control Figure 3: Exterior Environment of Royal Festival Hall The figure 3 above can also help in understanding the spatial analysis of the building vis-à-vis others within the vicinity. Unlike cellular building plans and linear urban networks, this case presents a building where convex spatial and syntactic axial descriptions can neither capture spatial variations nor uniquely divide space into parts among adjacent locations thus adopting Visibility Graphs (VGA) (El-haram 26). This has also gone well with the location of the building. The question apparent with regard to the feature described above is how the spatial features relate to the patterns of the development and movement of activities in the public space of this building---something that for sure is missing with regard to my analysis. Assessment for the functionality of a space is based on both the internal and external components. The observation of the building ascertains that its components meet the serviceability or durability that may be required from time to time as a result of its usage, technological demands or environmental conditions. In as much, the building has been requiring periodic upgrades and maintenance. To this regard, it can be concluded, from the perspective of sustainability that the condition under which this building operates, as well as its properties, it is comparatively uncertain to predict. In addition to this, the most interesting detail that help the Hall achieve its function is the auditorium fabric hangings. The unique and distinctive patterns of scarlet and white geometric shapes on the fabric hangings, used occasionally at the back of the boxes, do not serve the purpose of decoration but architectures have designed them to absorb sound. An award winning design regards the fossils. The exterior of the auditorium has been blended with what (Ditlevsen 58) describes as polished Derbyshire fossilized limestone that was chosen by architects around 1956. Such has well been blended with the outer space facing the pool of water as shown in figure 3 above. This indeed adds interests without any man-made decoration thus making visitors feel cultural and historical values of the space. Still on interesting details, the impact the activities at this space and the Hall has on environment has been taken seriously. For instance, at the back where packing is located (opposite side of the building as viewed on figure 3), lightings are used when they are required. This has been facilitated by motion-sensitive lighting systems at some points of the car parks which are able to switch on and off automatically or when needed. This observation shows relationship existing between spatial characteristics and co-presence. Additionally, the term public space denotes that there is potential for random encounter among diverse individuals or groups engrossed in different arrays of activities. The extent of co-presence seen locally, but changing as movement is noticed, becomes evident of a space, especially its overall occupancy thus underscoring how people interact in this space. Conclusively, perceived multi-functionality, diversity, and therefore choice, is a contribution to its informal feature. Total word count (180) Bibliography Claesson, Joseph. (2003). Dynamic Thermal Networks. A methodology to account for time dependent heat conduction. International Building Physics Conference, Leuven, Belgium: 2003: Print. Ditlevsen, Madsen. Structural reliability methods, England, John Wiley & Sons: 1996. El-haram, Marenjak. The use of ILS Techniques in the Construction Industry, MIRCE Akademy Symposium: 2003. Print. Evans, Haryott. The Long Term Costs of Owning and Using Buildings, The Royal Academy of Engineering, UK. 1998. Print. Hayden, Daley. Building capacity and sustainability prevention innovations: A sustainability planning model. Evaluation and Program Planning, 27, 135-149. 2004. Print Read More