Part 2-DR Byen-Koncerthuset- Scale Material Affect

 figure 1: DR Byen from the metro train stop in Orestad.

figure 2: Unproportional scale of human to building height.

 figure 3: Blue Sheer Façade Material of the Koncerthuset.

figure 4: The External Corridor of the DR Byen (segment 3).

DR Byen- Orestad, Copenhagen, Denmark

The construction I chose to focus on is the DR Byen and Koncerthuset by Nouvel in Copenhagen, Denmark. We visited this site on a weekend travel day by taking a train to the area called Orestad, which is the new up and coming neighborhood on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen where relevant architects are developing this formerly barren land. The DR Byen is translated as the “DR City” because it comprises four buildings that interlock through bridges and facades and span over the Emil Holms Canal (seen in figure 1). The DR Byen is a Danish Broadcasting Corporation. The Koncerthuset, or “Concert Hall,” designed by Jean Nouvel is the main focus of the site in materiality and program use. It is home to the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

Scale
Referencing Allen’s ideas of site conditions as places for opportunity rather than constraints, I question whether the DR Byen takes advantage of the land available (with regards to internal circulation, public space, and external transportation to and from the site)? The site is located in an emerging area, so the scale of the four segments currently seems overbearingly large in comparison to the open landscape, which can be seen in figure 2 above. But in a few years the surrounding area will be a much more developed place; the buildings will integrate better when the urban context is built up more. Mariela stated, “The space outdoors felt strange and disproportionate to the human scale, but the lobby of the DR Byen building was much more intimate to contrast it.” The Koncerthuset lacks scale because there are limited windows or details to give clues.

Material
Nouvel’s hope for the Koncerthuset (Segment 4) was to create a sense of mystery and evoke imagination with the screen material façade and Allen states that architecture should affect the occupants individually and can deviate over time (seen in figure 3). So the two ideas coincide, but this causes me to wonder whether Nouvel’s building is successful in conjuring mystery and whether it will continue to do so for years to come? Mariela made a great point in stating, “the way that Nouvel tries to create mystery in the facade is definitely intriguing enough to spark curiosity in passers by. The building is wearing a mask which one must unveil in order to see what the silhouette behind it is suggesting.” The exterior façade of the Koncerthuset is a blue mesh material that is slightly transparent during the daytime, filtering views outwardly, and then at nighttime the façade becomes a projection screen for images to be cast upon. The uncertainty of the material façade evokes the occupants’ thoughts.

Affect
Corridors, as infrastructural pathways that promote movement, services, and function, are beneficial to the circulation of an architectural form according to Allen. The DR Byen uses internal and external corridors (figure 4), so I question if these corridors are affected by scale? Are differing emotions felt when occupying a large scale versus small scale corridor of any building? Referencing Irma’s answer, it is apparent that scale affects the occupants’ emotions. Large scale corridors create ambiguity, while small scale corridors create a sense of intimacy.