Katrin Schwermann
Cologne Science Centre. RWTH Aachen (Germany)
Site
The site is located in Cologne, directly at the „Zoobrücke“, near the river Rhine.
It is determined by its infrastructure. The project creates two urban spaces and achieves to be noticed as a landmark by its sculptural volume.
Theme
The image of the universe changes. The Chaos Theory and the Science of Wholeness start from the statement that “everthing influences everything”. The intention is not to foresee one possible future, but to accept the complexity of the whole and existence of chance. In nature the term “self-similarity” describes the phenomenon that on different scales same forms are found. It can also be taken as a metaphor for interdisciplinary working and the search for analogies.
The mathematical expression are Benoit Mandelbrot’s fractals.
Concept
The term “self-similarity” allows contemplation on different levels and therefore appeals to experts as well as to laymen.
The project starts as a square. It develops over a series of rectangles into a square on another scale (analogous to the generation of a fractal: initiator (X1) – generator – initiator (X2)…).
In nature the proportion of the golden section is found nearly everywhere. The Fibonacci number sequence (2, 3, 5, 8, 13…) puts this proportion in numbers. It forms the basis of a raster with different fieldsizes which can be perceived in space, façade and structure.
Program
The building serves mainly as an exhibition and conference centre. All spaces can be reached from the foyer, situated on the groundfloor underneath the tower.
Experience
The exhibition passes through the whole building which makes the “spiral movement” of the building comprehensible.
The different exhibiton levels are bound together by big openings. They allow complex exhibition-conceptions and make the whole volume of the halls perceptible.
The façades are completely glazed to maintain direct contact with the outside world and to allow for maximal light and reaction.
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