Stefani Johnson, Precedent & Parti

The architectural parti can be explained by an understanding of the phrase “the lens that organizes the facts”. It is the main idea that shapes and regulates a major design solution to the program, site, context and even aesthetics of a building’s appearance.

The Kortrijk LLLibrary by REX in Belgium is a fluid, continuous combination of 3 major functions: a library, a learning center and a music center. With the given variety of the building’s main operations, REX sought to implement a coherent solution to connect these services by simply moving the building to the other half of the proposed site, preserving a portion of the existing music center and building directly on top of those saved elements. Furthermore, this move ultimately resolved the essential matter of establishing a stronger connection of the site to the cultural axis of the city.

The resulting parti was realized by organizing the different schemes on a continuous spiral, as opposed to the stacking of floors. This design choice allows for flexibility in imminent change of program in the LLLibrary and waives the potential failure faced when ideas for future additions or reductions of space arise. Easy, smooth growth or shrinkage of any of the programs would be limited with the traditional implementation of massing distinct and restricting floors.

My translation of this parti is manifested through the application of a spiral organization scheme as well. I combined the different aspects of our site (i.e. market, café, art studios) by placing them on a similar circling plan which coils upward, providing easy accessibility and connectivity of each function.

         I achieved this by placing the art studios beneath the ground/street level. The outdoor market, which is also below grade, is located on the exterior of the basement studios and completely wraps around them. Access to the café, which occupies the above level, is granted through stairs and elevators on the interior art studio level or through the ramp in the exterior market space.

         In contrast to the LLLibrary, my building design is of course scaled down, due to the limitations of the site and smaller requirement of usable space. Also, my design plays on the fragmentation and angulation of the 3 existing sites by splitting and cracking the planes up and adding more level changes to the ground condition. The central triangular piece of the site also plays a significant role in establishing the theme of my design. This notion of fragmentation, triangulation and sharp angles also influenced the appearance and aesthetic of my buildings exterior faces. The overall appearance of my building is a fractured, crystal like figure, placed on a pedestal thus, adding to the layering aspect. This approach is apposed to the appearance of the LLLibrary which consists of smooth, flat, orthogonal faces and a rectangular plan/layout.

         The spiral that exists in the building’s plan will successfully create an effortless merge of these three services while creating subtle sense of continuity though out the community center.