UWM School of Fine Arts
DOMES GREEK ARCHITECTURE AWARDS BEST DESIGN
COMPETITION THIRD PRIZE
Location: Florina, Greece
Year: 2019
Status: Completed
Area: 5600 sq.m.
Team: K. Grivas, S. Zerefos, C. Giarlelis, I. Papakonstantinou, K. Apostolopoulou, V. Bali, N.E. Sotirchou, , E. Chrysochoidou.
The proposal aims at empowering the freedom of creation by the formation of a volatile central space that becomes the centre of public outreach, discussion and art education. Within this area, each art-lab can be customized and developed freely. Lightweight and temporary structures at multiple levels create a dialectical relationship between the workshops and the rest of the space, easily favoring possible changes of the curriculum over time. The supporting functions are shaped into wings, east, south and west, embracing the central area and completing the educational activities of the School.
Light plays an extremely important role in the shaping of the building both as a volume and as an envelope. The sawtooth roof, provides the space and feel of a ‘factorial space’ to the art-labs and the upper level. Also, the double skin facade with its translucent outer envelope, diffuses optical boundaries, as does the Sinyaki – the local fog – and creates a dialogue of the interior to the exterior space, an ambient intimacy that invites the passer-by to see inside.
The choice to include all areas of the School in a clean and compact rectangular shape follows the local traditional architecture. The climate of the area is cold enough in winter and the solid shell helps to save energy due to the reduced exposed outdoor surfaces. Also, its dense structure allows rational use of the limited square meters of the building depending on its use, as it is not wasted in spaces with unclear shapes.
The building is located northeast of the plot, thus ensuring its uninterrupted sunlight and solar energy utilization. The north orientation provides diffuse illumination to the entire central space of the art-labs. The bioclimatic design strategy adopted is the use of a double skin facade in orientations that accept solar energy. The double skin façade has some key advantages corresponding to the climate conditions of the area, while at the same time adapts to the project’s architectural conception.
The outer shell is used for basic protection against the elements, but also for diffusing light throughout the building, choosing as the basic material the polycarbonate panels, mounted on an aluminum frame suspended from the roof and the bearing elements of the building.
Natural lighting throughout the building is sufficient, not only to reduce energy consumption, but also to the increased quantitative and qualitative requirements required to create art. The diffuse illumination of the polycarbonate panels, combined with the northern light emanating from the wide apertures of the roof and the north face, create the ideal conditions for optimum color and sculptural performance.
Publications:
https://www.archetype.gr/projects/scholi-kalon-technon-sti-florina-g-vravio
https://popaganda.gr/life/brave-ellinikis-architectonikis/
https://www.tanea.gr/print/2020/07/17/greece/i-kalyteri-arxitektoniki-stin-ellada/#id_2
