Museum of Confluences by Coop Himmelb(l)au - Starchitecture?
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Welcome back to the channel! Let me know your thoughts on this Museum of Confluences by Coop Himmelblau, located in Lyon!
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#coophimmelblau #lyonconfluences #lyon #lyonarchitecture #guggenheim #guggenheimbilbao #superarchitects
very interesting
When the project is a graceful dolphin jumping in the sea, and the building is a smelly whale washed up on the beach.
Very accurate! And this happens too often, unfortunately...
I watched the whole video with one eyebrow raised, trying to think of a word I could use to describe it. It just seemed to be a shape to be a shape. Then you said you thought its design was "arbitrary", and that was the perfect word.
of Coop H. buildings. ECB Frankfurt, Cinema Dresden, BMW & school München, museum Groningen (visited this last weekend!)
The BMW museum works better with his architecture, I agree. Perhaps due to the "dynamism" of the car concept
Is this Starchitecture? I would like to know your opinion, VOTE BELOW
YES
NOPE!
Yes, but its not bad for an iconic museum.The final result seems a bit bulky and heavy. It is still a very interesting project, an attractive tourist spot, welcomed by public and connected well to the surrounding.
I would say yes. Form over function really. Great video tho, well paced, and your observations were really interesting!
Thanks Fin! Glad you liked it!
A missed opportunity.
I have an ambivalent view on "star architecture": On the one hand, many such buildings are extremely appealing visually and often quite impressive. They often stand out from their surroundings - but that's a drawback too! Indeed, on the other hand, in my opinion many factors which qualify architecture as "good architecture" are too often neglected when talking of such "star-buildings".
For instance, take Zaha Hadid's MAXXI museum in Rome: Her project is fantastic from many points of view: It communicates with the city and is impressive, no doubt. But it is far from practical for exhibiting art, due to its curved walls and the difficult orientation for visitors. Furthermore, it turned out very expensive. And it is not very sustainable either, I guess. The curved walls probably need much concrete, and the large, open spaces are complicated to ventilate. Does the building fulfil its function satisfactorily? Only to a limited extent, I would argue.
Kengo Kuma's Victoria and Albert Museum in Dundee is visually pleasing, no doubt, and reminds of Scottish dunes with its form and colour. Yet, the space is again used extremely inefficiently.
Frank O. Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is impressive and dominates the city - yet it does not really connect with the old town - it could stand anywhere else in the world too, making it quite exchangeable. Moreover, I feel like a museum should give the best-possible surroundings for the art inside it - here, in contrast, it feels as if the beautiful building hides the fact that the Bilbao Guggenheim's art collection is completely underwhelming. The building is an artwork in itself, but does not leave enough room for the art it shows to reach its full potential. Nevertheless, I must say that the Guggenheim museum is one of the better "star-architecture" highlights, as Gehry managed to combine an extravagant form with relatively practical exhibition spaces. Still, it's a shame that the museum is more famous than many others with much stronger collections, but less extravagant, though no inferior-quality buildings.
Libeskind's Jewish Museum in Berlin too is interesting due to its crazy form and symbolic meanings. But again - the space could have been used much more efficiently, and a less expensive building could have been built! I am not sure whether Libeskind's overt symbolism is the right way to commemorate Jewish history either.
When it comes to Coop Himmelb(l)au, it often feels like the weird shapes and ramps have no other function than create an architectonic icon - but they often lack any specific function. This is what the Museum of Confluences feels like: Built to impress visitors, but not built to give the museum a perfect "home". The exaggerated glazing is visually impressive, yet causes problems with temperature, the weird cloud shape may be a drawback for the exhibition spaces, and the many ramps make orientation more difficult.
There are some positive examples too, however.
As I mentioned, Gehry's Guggenheim museum in Bilbao has enormous qualities.
A further positive example would be Sir Norman Foster's Gerkin Tower in London - as a skyscraper, it is built to stand out from its surroundings.
Herzog & de Meuron's CaixaForum in Madrid and Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg are masterpieces too, as they masterfully joined together existing and new parts (although one must say that the latter had one huge drawback characteristic of "star architecture": the costs!).
And Coop Himmelb(l)au's BMW Welt in Munich is fantastic because the extravagant form reflects the innovative attitude of the company as well as the extravagance of its cars. Thus, it enhances the experience of seeing the exhibited cars rather than impeding it.
Sorry for the very very long comment. I am just VERY interested in this topic! I'd love to hear more of your view about "star-architects" on this channel.
Well, I also have some conflicting views in regards to Starchitecture. The problem I mentioned in the video I think is an important one - the fact that perhaps you settle to have an icon in your city, hire the architect, spend the crazy money, to then not work.
It worked in Bilbao, but it shouldn't be the starting point of the project. And Bilbao worked, in a context of many other changes that were done in the city. The fact the city was in such a bad situation/condition, contributed to the "miracle" of the Guggenheim.
It is a very unique building, probably one of the most recognizable ones in the last 30 years. But formally is not very far from the Walt Disney Auditorium in LA, which is famous, but not at the same level.
Regarding the Liebeskind museum. I quite like it, perhaps the fact that is not so massive in scale makes it easier for me to digest it, and I think the simbolism in that project is quite interesting. The language he used, and how it was implemented. Though, without leaving Berlin I find more interesting and abstract/poetic the antimonumentalism of the Eisenmann monument for example. - Also, seeing tourists take selfies in that place is contradictory, to say the least.
From the ones you mentioned by Herzog & de Meuron, I like the human scale of the CaixaForum more.
Regarding this one by Coop Himmelblau and other buildings....every time I see the size of these projects, the final cost, and most importantly, what they "solve", in the end, I think its a bit a lost opportunity. One of this starchitects said that his/her building was cheaper than a fighter jet that would get destroyed in the war, so it wasn't a bad spending. What comparison is fair? buildings with planes, or buildings with buildings?
@@FourthWallArchitecture Thanks for your opinion!
Maybe sometimes it's more the reaction to the building than its architectural qualities which should be seen sceptically. As you say - it's a contradictory reaction to take selfies in front of a commemorational place like Liebeskind's Jewish Museum in Berlin. And it is the hype around buildings like the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao which overshadows the art they display.
5 times over budget 😮 almost makes the V&A Dundee good value for money.
There are some other projects even worse. Check the City of Culture in Santiago by Eisenmann. 4 times over budget, only partially completed, no real program, completely out of scale, and isolated from the city center.
I haven't visited the one in Dundee, and don't know much about the project. But I like Kengo Kumas work in general. Its scale seems to be less overpowering. Does it evoke a boat with its shape?
@@FourthWallArchitecture ha, fair point! I think overall Kuma did a decent job, the scaling is good and it looks well made from the outside. The interiors are admittedly a little awkward tho, the atrium is almost as large as the galleries and most windows don't really showcase views very well (too small and weirdly placed). It's lovely to live near to, tho it definitely gives the ambiance of sea cliffs with the North sea wind.
@@finnersmcspeed5646 What do you think of its materials and size? To be honest, when I saw it, I was not only negatively surprised by its terribily inefficient form, but also underwhelmed by its height - I actually think that it blends too much into Dundee's cityscape, especially when approaching the city with the bus.
I also dislike the materials chosen by Kuma: The concrete body is too prominent and the concrete slabs counter the impression that the building is reminiscent of a dune - they don't look "natural" enough.
Some aspects are positive though: I love that visitors can walk beneath the building to reach a platform looking onto the sea. This also helps to naturally lead visitors into the museum.
Unfortunately, due to Covid, I haven't yet been able to see the interior. But I live nearby too, so I should definitely visit rather soon!
@@loveartandscience6289 I don't mind it's size or materials. It's a matter of personal taste really on them both. I enjoy how it comes in and out of view from different points (particularly from Union Street). It was never meant to be a big building, emphasis on 'outpost' of the V&A (though spatially inefficient it is). I quite like the brooding aesthetic it gives although it would have been nicer in stone as was planned originally. I certainly recommend a visit !
@@finnersmcspeed5646 Yes, I agree that its shape is fascinating as it allows interesting views from different angles.
I didn't know it was originally planned in stone. I'll have a look at the renderings. Thanks for this!
I think it's not one of their best works because the "cloud" idea is not communicated very well. It works better in other works of theirs that treat the building as a composition rather than a body, like the BMW Welt. But I always admire their bravado. Coop Himmelb(l)au express a Dionysiac ecstasy that Frank Gehry doesn't.
Yes, perhaps their take on the BMW building works a bit better, with the dynamic concept of a car!