DYNAMISM IN ARCHITECTURE
RESEARCH PAPER
CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE SEMINAR
SHREYA P KULKARNI
T.Y [Link],MVP’S CANS
DYNAMISM IN ARCHITECTURE
ABSTRACT:
The main purpose of this research is to present Dynamic Architecture and propose
conceptual framework for dynamic classification and design strategies. In this context, the
research represents a methodology for the definition and classification of different terms,
concepts and approaches in Dynamic Architecture. Dynamic architecture is a term devised for a
new generation of off-grid high rise structures that rotate. The paper tries to cover the philosophy
of “Dynamism”, it’s origins, design, technology of construction and advantages. The paper also
discuss about the Architect’s works of Dynamic Buildings.
KEY WORDS:
Dynamic Architecture, classification, design, new technology, future city, [Link] Fisher.
INTRODUCTION :
The rotation of these buildings keep modifying their shapes. It all started with the
desire to see the view around us, of adjusting our self to season, to follow the sun, of having a
house part of nature. Dynamic Architecture towers give sense of time, of movement to life,
rotating apartments may give a different sense to our life and create different space around us.
Above all, these buildings are sustainable , as will be hereby described. Dynamic architecture
buildings keep modifying their shape. As each floor rotates separately, the form of the building
changes constantly, you may not see the same building twice.
Dynamic architecture marks a new era in architecture. Dynamic architecture buildings
will become the symbol of a new philosophy that will change the look of cities and the concept
of living. From now on, the buildings will not be confined to rigid shapes; construction will have
new approach and flexibility. The fourth dimension has been the essence of work. The homes we
live in and the way we live are also set to change drastically with this innovative architecture.
Our buildings will no more remain the “fossilized imagination” of the architect, they will
change , constantly bringing new views and experiences to us with time. The start of a new
conception in Architecture, a concept of buildings in motion which can be found in many shapes
such as: (i)Static- Dynamic : Form, Texture, Colors. (ii)Partially- Dynamic : Specific spaces,
elevations, Interior partitions, Furniture. (iii)Fully- Dynamic : The whole building can
rotate,revolve or pivot.
HISTORY:
In 1906, American newspaper columnist George Ade described planning a
transatlantic voyage and reserving a stateroom that he assumed would be filed with sunlight and
warm breezes throughout the crossing. At the outset of the journey, however, he was
disappointed to realize that this ship had to turn around as it left the dock, and that his cabin
would actually face North “with nothing coming in at the porthole except a current of cold air
direct from Labrador”. The experience gave him an idea :
The unexpected manner in which the boat turn around has suggested to me a
scheme for a revolving apartment house. The building will be set on giant casters and will
revolve slowly, so that every apartment will have a southern exposure at certain hours of the day,
to say nothing of the advantage of getting a new view every few minutes.
Ade was not the first to come up with the idea of a rotating building, but his
description and his plans to capitalize upon it neatly typify the development of rotating
Architecture throughout the 20th century. With ever – changing vantage points revolving
buildings offered a new way of looking at the world. They rewrote spatial relationships within
buildings and reconfigured views of the world outside. With gears, motors, and ball bearings
they made nature serve the occupant, for climate or lighting control, entertainment or spectacle.
Amateur inventors, entrepreneurs, and eccentrics took a the challenge of designing a viable,
affordable version for their own use or to package and sell to the public.
DYNAMIC REVOLUTION :
The idea of Dynamic Architecture was born with the desire to have buildings that adjust
themselves to life, that are part of nature. The Dynamic Architecture building has been named as
Rotating Tower as the floors would be capable of rotating around a central axis. It will be
continually in motion, changing shape and giving residents the ability to choose a new view at
the touch of bottom. The form of building would constantly change as each floor rotates
separately giving a new view of the building as it turns. To design a successful space or building
one must first understand the entire nature of the space. According to Fisher, the building
ensures a very high resistance to earthquake as each floor rotates independently. By combining
motion, green energy and efficient construction, the dynamic tower will change architecture and
will start a new era of Dynamic living. Buildings will have four dimensions; the fourth
dimension is time. Buildings will follow the rhythms of nature, they will change direction and
shape from spring to summer, from sunrise to sunset, and adjust themselves to weather.
Buildings will be live.
After thousands of years in which buildings were static, David Fisher’s Dynamic
Skyscraper is an important step ahead towards future architecture. The Rotating Tower brings
three main futuristic aspects, three revolutions.
The first revolutionary aspect is related to the shape of the building, which changes
continuously. It is “Architecture as Part of the Environment”, adjusting to the sun and the wind,
to the view and to our momentary requirements. Each floor, in fact, can rotate separately,
changing every second the shape of the building. You can therefore wake up with the sun rising
into your bedroom and enjoy the sunset over the ocean at dinner time. The Rotating Skyscraper
takes on shapes imposed by time and life, never appearing the same in any two given moments.
It is the first building to have four dimensions: Designed by TIME, shaped by LIFE.
The second revolution that the Dynamic Skyscraper brings is the method of construction.
To this futuristic design solution, David Fisher has added another unique innovation:
Prefabrication. It is in fact the first building produced in a factory, giving construction a new
industrial approach. The entire building, aside from the concrete core, is made of prefabricated
units which arrive to the construction site completely finished, including flooring, water piping,
air conditioning and all finishes. These units, made of steel, aluminium, carbon fibre and other
high quality modern materials, are installed “mechanically” on site, offering luxury finishing,
very fast construction time, usage of a limited number of workers, thus reducing site risks and
enabling cost savings. The building, made of single separate floors, is structurally sound and
flexible at the same time, being of very high seismic resistance.
The third revolution is born from combining technology and luxury with environment.
The skyscraper's wind turbines, positioned horizontally between each floor, and solar ink on its
many roofs will produce energy making the tower the first self-powered building. Thus
the Rotating Tower, a unique architectural solution, becomes also a "power station" producing
green energy for the city.
PREFABRICATION THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION:
1) DYNAMIC TOWER:
Architect – David Fisher.
Location – Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Use – Hotel, Residential and offices.
The tower is expected to be architecturally innovative for several reasons:
Uniquely, each floor will be able to rotate independently.
This will result in constantly changing shape of tower.
Each floor will rotate a maximum of 6 meters per minute, or one full rotation in 90
minutes.
It will also be the world’s first prefabricated skyscraper with 40 factory built modules for
each floor. 90% of the tower will be built in the factory and shipped to the construction site. This
will allow the entire building to be built in only 22 months. The total construction time will be
over 30% less than a normal skyscraper of the same size. The majority of the workers will be in
factories, where it will be much safer. The only part of the tower that will be built at the
construction site will be the core. The core will serve each floor with a special, patended
connection for clean water, based on technology used to refuel airplanes in mid-flight. With its
perpetual revolutions, the tower will have an external structure that is fluid, changing by an hour.
The entire tower will be powered from wind turbines and solar panels. Enough surplus
electricity should be produced to power five other similar sized building in the vicinity. The
turbines will be located between each of the rotating floors. They could generate up to 1,200,000
kilowatt-hours of energy. The solar panels will be located on the roof and top of each floor.
The Dynamic Tower represents the future of architecture. According to Dr. Fisher,
today’s life is dynamic, so the space we are living in should be dynamic as well. Buildings will
follow the rhythms of nature; they will change direction and shape from spring to summer, from
sunrise to sunset, and adjust themselves to the weather. Buildings will be alive. He also says,
from now on, buildings will have four dimensions; the fourth dimension is Time. By combining
motion, green energy and efficient construction, The Dynamic Tower will change architecture as
we know it, and will start a new era of Dynamic Living.
2. FIRST ROTATING RESIDENTIAL TOWER - SUITE VOLLARD
The Suite Vollard is a rotating residential building in Curtiba, Parana, Brazil. This
apartment building was designed by a team of Architects, headed by Bruno de Franco and David
Fisher. It is the world’s first spinning building. This building is the only one of its kind in the
world, as each of the 11 apartments can rotate 360o. Each apartment can spin individually in any
direction. One rotation takes a full hour. The apartment rings rotate around a static core used for
the building services, utilities and all areas which require plumbing.
ADVANTAGES OF DYNAMIC ARCHITECTURE:
1) Quality Control : Industrialization enables much stricter and more reliable quality control
procedures.
2) Safety : On-site workers will operate in a functional and organized process and off-site
workers in a comfortable environment, because of smart and well organized assembly
procedures.
3)Tailor-made solutions : Owners will be able to customize their apartments according to their
desire and avoiding knocking down walls after they receive the key of their apartments.
4)Fast construction : An 80 storey skyscraper can be built in 22 months. Pre assembly in a
factory generates significant gains in efficiency and productivity.
5)Cost Savings : of site work and industrialization generates economies of scale and experience
effects that significantly lower cost of construction.
6)Resource optimization : Streamlined industrial processes ensure a proper planning of needed
resources.
7)Green “Construction Site” : No more noise, debris and waste materials, reduction in energy
consumption, traffic and pollution.
8)Extended building lifespan : Industrialization brings cutting edge materials and technologies
to construction, extending the product’s lifespan.
9)Low energy requirements : The increased efficiency arising from industrialization leads to
significantly lower energy requirements.
3)PARTIALLY ROTATING HOUSE - SHARIFI-HA HOUSE, TEHRAN,
Based in Tehran,the Sharifi-ha House by Iranian architectural firm Next office is a
luxurious home. The seven floor residence boasts an elevator, swimming pool and a sizable gym.
More interestingly, it also features three rooms which resemble large wooden boxes and it sit
upon operable rotating plat forms. Sharifi-ha house’s three operable rooms remain in a flat or
closed position during cold weather. However, if the sun comes out each room can rotate 90
degrees outwards with the touch of a button to reveal a terraced area. While the house is in its
open state, there’s also more ventilation and light available to those inside.
The sensational, spatial qualities of the interiors, as well as the formal configuration
of its exterior, directly respond to the displacement of turning boxes that lead the building’s
volume to become open or closed, introverted or extroverted. These changes may occur
according to changing seasons or functional scenarios. The project consisted of four major parts;
the fixed volume of the structure, the void, and the fixed volume and mobile volume
respectively. When the turning boxes are closed, the building captures sunlight throughout the
space of the central void, which also connects the two fixed volumes by suspended bridges.
4) GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM :
The Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright was perhaps his most famous
commission and the first dynamic museum. Wright’s aim for the museum was that it “provide a
perfect plasticity of presentation”. This plasticity was achieved with his innovative use of both
circulation and icon. The Guggenheim museum uses a spiral plan. The exhibition is located on
circulation ramps instead of in rooms. Wright reconceived the manner in which the modern
patron views [Link] modern patron is moving while seeing art, the entire process being dynamic
in nature.
The spiral circulation ramp also ensures that the patron is moving continuously in
three dimensions spatially. Whereas in a conventional museum the patron is moving on flat floor
plates (a two dimensional plane) and encounters abrupt thresholds between floors. The spiral
works as a continuous whole, wherein the floor, ceiling, and wall act as one to produce a fluid
experience, as described by Wright, “After taking the elevator to the top, the visitor ‘drifts down’
the curving ramp, carried along by its slow regular, pulsating movement. No level horizon line is
visible across the open well – only the rising and falling shapes of the parapets, curling like
undulating 6 Levine,water.”4 Wrights ‘perfect plasticity’ was achieved with the use of a
continuous ramp that was able to dissolve thresholds between rooms and between floors.
Frank Lloyd Wright thaught in curves and straight lines which is helding symbolic
significance i.e, triangles – for structural unity ,Circles – suggested infinity, Sphere – aspiration,
Spiral – organic process, Square – integrity. The principle “form and function are one” is
thoroughly visible in the plan for the Guggenheim Museum. According to Wright’s design,
visitors would enter the building, taken an elevator to the top and enjoy a continuous art viewing
experience while descending along the spiral ramp.
Movement down the ramp was intended to “feel effortless, as if one were being
carried along the crest of “a curving wave that never breaks. Inevitably, the circulation in the
Guggenheim enables a fluid experience that instills the idea of dynamism in the building. The
Guggenheim has a very clear and expressive icon in the spiral. Wright felt that the spiral was a
symbol of “organic progress” as stated, “The spiral contained the possibility for expressing …
the idea of artistic progress and the sense of communal absorption in that process”. Not only
does the spiral symbolize the progression of art, but also society’s involvement in the process -
inherently linking the icon to the collective vision of the museum in New York City and vice
versa. Furthermore, by using the expressive symbol of the spiral, the building’s exterior is a
reflection of the dynamism on the interior.
DYNAMIC INTERIORS :
DYNAMIC FURNITURE :
Dynamic furniture allows freedom of movement and increased range of motion to users.
CONCLUSION :
Today’s life is dynamic, therefore the space we are living in should be dynamic as well,
adjustable to our needs that change continuously to our concept of design andour mood. The
architecture of the future must meet all the requirements of a person and also dynamically
change with him and his needs. As Christoph Bauder said ; “Architecture has always been
known as static, hard and heavy. Architecture in the future will physically adapt to our needs and
expectations, because change is constant process of our time, our environment needs the ability
to change. Dynamic Buildings can follow the rhythms of nature and can change direction and
shape from spring to summer, from sunrise to sunset and adjust themselves to the weather so,
buildings will be alive.
Dynamic Architecture will allow architects to develop realistic consideration of human
and environmental conditions. The result will be architecture of unique and wholly unexplored
applications that address the dynamic and constantly changing activities of today and tomorrow.
Adaptive response to change must intelligently moderate human activity and the environment
and build on the task of enhancing everyday activities by creating architecture that extends our
capabilities.
REFERENCES :
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
dynamic-architecture
[Link]/competitions/comp_essays/bhatia_njp.pdf