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FORM & FUNCTION PT. 2
Architecture now becomes integral, the expression of a modernism reality : combination of both form and function in contemporary architectural culture, which signifying that even the time had passed for decades but with the process of adaptive reuse and further renovation we capable to reinstate the qualities of the particular building, either for its material's life cycle or its sustainability.
“ IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THE USE OF BUILDING DOES INVOLVE A SPECIAL KIND OF EXPERIENCE, IT MIGHT THEN PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN USEFULNESS AND AESTHETICS ”, said Richard Hill that convinced the real relationship is where the aesthetics and usefulness able to constitute or modification the qualities of architectural work to a better ways.
Cigarette Factory reborn as a
Light-filled City Hall in Brussels
BELGIUM
In this modern epoch, many buildings were renovated or reuse to emphasize a greater way in the usage of space and its function ; changes of the user’s lifestyle. One example that we could look through is the cigarette factory in Belgium.
Cigarette factory originally was built as a factory that produce and packaging cigarettes which is to be sold out. As time passed, the factory slowly worn off and now it had became an abandon building. Mamout
architects, LD2 architecture, and Stéphanie Willocx has shed its smoky past for a new life in civil service ; by transforming the industrial structure into a two-story city hall branch in Brussels, Belgium which is a multicultural municipality.
The factory original shape and form.
From a fully covered façade, the architects had renovated it with large windows to allow natural light coming in. This design is to emphasize the connection and transparency with the community and had successful bringing out functionalism (same space , different purpose, different function). They had remained much of those existing structure but only renovated the facade with a large glazed sections and improvements for better energy performance.
The changing for interior space are only for the high ceilings, changes of colour of palette, and a connection to the outdoors through the large windows as well as for the access of natural light. Tables, windows, and counters, are aligned with the concrete beams for a clean and orderly appearance. Some remaining from the building’s history were preserved and still can be seen throughout the adaptive reuse , such as the grey pavers and aging concrete beams and columns.
The factory after rennovation.
In short, form and function are similar to the wall and structure in contemporary architecture today where both are chained together. For my opinion, when a building is worn off and abandoned, its form might be out of the shape as well as its function and purpose as the building, but however, after some renovation and reuse, the building is now having a new function and purpose; hence a new program to the new user. “ FORM AND FUNCTION THUS BECOME ONE IN DESIGN AND EXECUTION IF THE NATURE OF MATERIALS AND METHOD AND PURPOSE ARE ALL IN UNISON… ”, remarked by Frank Lloyd Wright which telling us that when designing a building we had to consider about how the humanism integrate its purpose but yet we also have to consider the aesthetics and usefulness of the particular building.
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