WEEK 5: The Hero and The Detail

Example 1:  The National Stadium in Beijing, by Herzog and DeMeuron.

The Hero-shot

A building designed by the Swiss architects practice with a truly unique form.
Nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest” due to its outward appearance, the USD $428M stadium is wrapped in a seemingly random steel frame that was developed to hide the structure supporting a retractable roof.

The Detail - Shot 

 

The first detail shot here lends itself perfectly to your work for Assessment 2.  The stairs embeds perfectly into it's surrounding architectural structure and hopefully inspires your stair design and the seamless integration into your building.

Example 2: Zaha Hadid's Reinhold Messner Museum

The Hero - Shot

 

Embedded within the summit of Mount Kronplatz, 2,275m above sea level at the centre South Tyrol’s most popular ski resort, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones is surrounded by the alpine peaks of the Zillertal, Ortler and Dolomites. Established by renowned climber Reinhold Messner, the sixth and final Messner Mountain Museum explores the traditions, history and discipline of mountaineering.
As you can tell this a a rendered section view of this building. However, this is not a "traditional hero - shot" but still an excellent example for our assignment 1.  due to the organic integration into the natural, mountain and below - ground environment.

The Detail - Shot

 

Example 3: Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye

The Hero Shot



Completed in 1931, Villa Savoye is one of the most important houses of the 20th century. A key building in the development of the International Style of Modernism, it is one of the only houses in France to have been declared a national monument during the architect's lifetime.

The Detail Shot

The selected detail shot here  portraits the elegant stairwell in the Villa Savoye. The form, colour and material choice make it stunning minimalist composition very coherent with the other parts of the Villa.

Example 4: Tadoa Ando's, Poly Grand Theater in Shanghai

Inaugurated at the close of 2014, it presents a box of reinforced concrete with a gritted glazed skin, and it is perforated by steel tunnels clad with aluminium panels that resemble wood in finish. The sculptural volume contains the main auditorium, seating 1,466, and two partly open-air smaller theaters.

The Detail Shot 

Subtracting voids from a solid shape here is another fantastic example for creating architectural structures. This method relates to your work in the underground floor of your building.
Beautiful details, like timber rips emphasise and justify the simplicity of form here.


 

Example 5: The Light Pavilion by Lebbeus Woods

The Hero Shot

 

The Detail Shot(s)

 

I chose 2 detail shots here to  show you the essential structural interruptions that made the artist, architect Lebbeus Woods famous and furthermore the interior illuminated view of the stair case of the Light Pavilion. Please also check out these amazing drawings and models by Lebbous Woods.


 

Further advice and information:
When you create your rendered Hero - and detail shot I would like you to consider these images like looking through the camera lens of an architectural photographers. Please look at the work of John Gollings and Richard Glover.


 


A great tutorial on Photoshop for architects. 
Perspectives in Architectual photography.