References and Suggested Readings

While doing our research, we came upon alot of interesting information as a group. Below are a couple of interesting websites that have helped us as well as some sites for you to check out:)

Sources:

DSDHA [Online]. Available from: http://www.dsdha.co.uk/index.php?mode=profile&sub=publication&page_offset=&page_id=&part_offset=&part_id=

Bdonline. (2007). Charred timber at DSDHA’s Parkside kiosk near London’s City Hall links the area’s past and present. [Online]. October 2010. Available from: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/buildings/technical/charred-timber-at-dsdha%E2%80%99s-parkside-kiosk-near-london%E2%80%99s-city-hall-links-the-area%E2%80%99s-past-and-present/3091943.article

Green, S. Know More London (2007). Potter’s Field Park and the Parkside Kiosk. London, Monday 18th to Wednesday 20th February 2007. London: More London Estates Management PubM. pp. 47-48

Suggested Readings:

http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/random?g2_albumId=833&g2_itemId=84497&g2_imageViewsIndex=2

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/restaurants/info/667/amano

Setting the Thames on Fire. http://www.bdonline.co.uk

Timber Weathering. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXRgs_nMWH8

Enviroment

The Parkside Kiosk gently lays on the landscape, hidden by a curtain of trees. The materials used to cover up the structure look hard and dark but create harmony with its surrounding. The timber cladding reminds the viewer of the natural world which coexists with the greenery found within the space. The surrounding buildings, on the other hand, have a complete different personality and seem to be more imposing in form and size. Both cultures harmonize with one another but are different, they live side by side but do not completely merge together.

The Kiosk is modest in both appearance and position. It lies at the end of the axis that cuts through the park yet it quietly stands with the people that surround it. Its scale and size are easily approachable and comforting as opposed to the larger more abrupt office buildings surrounding the area. The Parkside kiosk seems to stand in the perfect spot in between a harsher world. Its entrance as well as its glass openings breaks the division between the exterior and interior. People tend to easily move around the kiosk and interact with it. The reflections and openings create a shorter link between what is found inside and what is found outside the building. This allows it to be part of the exterior but still have its own identity. It could be seen as a shelter or a helping hand in a more ruthless corporate world. Despite this lack of division between the exterior and interior, the structure has an outward focus. The cantilevered roof at the entrance embraces the outside world but doesn’t force it inwards. It encourages communication with the exterior but doesn’t overshadow it.

At first glance a contrast or difference is noticeable in size, materiality and function. It does not imitate any of the surrounding buildings but tries to stand out without being a complete outsider. The aesthetics of the kiosk portray a delicate concept and tell a story whereas the office buildings look somewhat similar and lack individuality. The kiosks skin appears to bring it warmth and seems more humane and approachable. Even though the café is closed on all four sides, the transparency of its openings allows the air to flow gently within and around the space. This transparency is enhanced by the amount of light passing through the space. The closed structure appears to be more open that it actually is due to the clearness and lucidity of the kiosk.

Parkside Kiosk is situated next to the Potters field yard, one of the few remaining green open spaces along the riverside, run by the Potters Field Park Management Trust. PFPMT is non-profit organisation whose role is to manage and maintain the park. The park is a space that holds several events and activities throughout the entire year, ranging from community events to private functions. Potters Field park is mainly seen as a relaxing space that provides a green and natural touch to the entire area.

Both the environment and  sustainability were at the basis of the architects approach. The structure was designed to last in the future, considering long term economic and social value and low maintenance costs.

Interview 1

List of Questions:

1. What building do you mostly notice within the space?

2. What is your first impression of the Parkside Kiosk?

3. Do you find any resemblance between the two cafes?

4. Why did you come to this kiosk and not the other one?

       1. …The café. (Business Man)

       1.. … The benches…I just want to sit and enjoy the weather, I prefer not to look at the buildings, and they are too big. (Old woman with big coat)

       1.… The wooden one, looks quite different! (Young man)

       1. … What building don’t I notice, they take over the entire space! I remember when we could see a  bit more greenery in the city… (Old man)

       2. … I love the entrance, the columns and the wood! (Girl with a pink hat)

       2. ...The corner of the roof… it seems to be piercing through… (Business Man with a poppy)

       3. … Yes…same shape, different color… (Young Man with cap)

       3. … I had not noticed any resemblance… (Girl with flower)

       3. … Yes…I am guessing they are designed by the same architect… (Woman with a kid)

       4. …It looks busier… (Man in a suit)

       4. … It is right in front of my office building… (Man in suit 2)

       4. … This is where I come every day for lunch (Man in suit 3)

1. What aspect of the Kiosk mostly attracts you?

2. What is the first thing you think of while looking at the Kiosk?

3. Do you think it belongs in this environment?

       1. …The pointiness and character of the building, it is different… (Girl with coffee)

       1. … The wood… (Small boy)

       1. … The size and form of the café… (Lady with a balloon)

       1. … The fact that you can sit outside and still feel sheltered… (Man with red jacket)

       2. … Olden days...historic… (Girl with dog)

       2. … Chalet up in the mountain… (A Couple)

       2. … Trees… (Little girl)

7.          3. …No not at all, it doesn’t look like anything around it… (Student)

       3.… It doesn’t belong there but it makes us feel comfortable, there is something we can relate with…  (Two girls)

       3. … This type of area needs something that appears to be out of place… (Old man)

                   
October 18th, 2010                December 13th, 2010

 16 High/ 12 Low                  9 High/ 5 Low (Showers)

The effects of the weather on the circulation is quite obvious. The weather was nice and dry on October the 18th, and the entire space was filled with people. Tourists, workers and people from all around the city were walking around the park and enjoying the day. December the 13th was a wet and cold day in London. Many workders preferred to stay in their office buildings or rush in and out of the kiosk as quick possible. Mostly all of the people chose to go into the cafe rather than staying outside despite the presence of the cantilevered roof at the entrance.

Construction

At first glance, one doesn’t notice the detail and work put into constructing such a space. The walls forming the kiosk are solely structural yet the materiality of the walls seem to be aesthetic. The columns at the entrance attract ones attention at a physical level but are masking the functionality of the columns. The dark timber looks heavy and obscure but the material itself is very natural and depicts a certain flow and lightness.

Both the walls and columns flow gently out of the ground and gather to form an organic shape. The contrast in forms, shapes and materiality portray a harmony and unanimity between two different cultures.

Several layers come together from the structure, the skeletal frame followed by the addition of different materials that unite the structure and the cladding that wraps around the kiosk and hides the various layers.

DSDHA worked along with timber subcontractor Martin Childs who developed a precise technique of charring timber. Together they were able to transform timber into a more durable and resistant form of cladding, which would help with costs and maintenance. The method used was very similar to Yakisugi, a Japanese method highly used in construction in Japan. The technique is mainly based on a cladding finish that uses burnt or charred timber.  The technique of attaining a hardened and long lasting charred finish was developed at a commercial level with help from the subcontractors.

The construction process was efficient and fast and was divided into steps that would facilitate the entire procedure.  A skeletal steel structure or frame was first built in order to achieve the form of the total space. The pieces of charred timber are shaped into wide panels that are individually fixed to the joists of the steel frame. The burning of the panels was done by Martin Childs who set up an automatically programmed furnace with several gas burners to scorch the totality of the timber used for the finishing. After this step, a high pressure water jet was used to blow off and extricate debris found on the panels. The panels had to be completely dried off, and were taken to the site.  Many imperfections are visible on the panels but the lumps and bumps add a textural element to the surface. Everything was prefabricated and taken to the site to put together. 

 

Structure

The Architects were highly concerned with the positioning of the kiosk, as they wanted to move away from the robust and corporate architecture found around the site. They had to find a way to transfer between the glass, steel and limestone elements in their surroundings. Their solution was to find an arrangement, materiality and shape that would link the modern structures and the natural sceneries of the park.

Timber was the architects’ first choice as it one of the most common materials used for park structures. It is a material that can be easily manipulated and transformed.  The hardest part was to come up with a technique in order to burn such a large building. After much experimentation, DSDHA architects had learnt that wood, if burnt, is very irrepressible and sturdy. Carbon is also very robust and if charred, wood will not be able to burn again. If wood is heated, it can build a stronger resistant against bug infestation and decay. The wood had to go through a heat treatment process and later had to be both water blasted and abraded.

The Parkside Kiosk is enveloped by 19mm-thick by 94mm wide charred cladding. The panels are secret-fixed to the boards and joist set in the kiosk’s steel frame that forms the skeletal structure of the building. A large canopy cantilevers out 9m at the entrance of the kiosk and provides shelter for those entering the café or sitting outside. The inner space doesn’t have any columns supporting the structure to allow better circulation within the space. But we do find two large and irregular columns right outside the entrance. The columns look very similar to naturally formed stalactites falling from the canopy. They are built out of 94 by 94mm-thick timber pieces. Even though the entire kiosk is charred black, it appears to be gently lying on the park.  

http://www.propertyweek.com/buildings/technical/charred-timber-at-dsdha%E2%80%99s-parkside-kiosk-near-london%E2%80%99s-city-hall-links-the-area%E2%80%99s-past-and-present/3091943.article

The colour of the timber is observed darker with irregular patterns of water marks on the garage door compared to the side where it is more exposed to the Sun light. From the picture above, there are obvious marks on the pavement caused by the movement of the garage door.

Aesthetically wise, the presence of the metal barriers cause visual distraction even though its purpose is for the safety of the public when operating the window cleaning crane.

The metal joints of the door to the wall, damages the cladding of the adjacent timber when the door opens. Constant use of the door worsens the cracks on the side wall and the base of the door.

This picture was taken in the morning after it has rained and followed by sunny weather. It is clear that the right side of the building is almost dried whereas the other side remains damped. It shows how the weather has an impact on the building. This was observed at noon thus the position of the Sun shone from above and as the structure of the garage is in an angle,  it perceives less light than the East side where the glazed cafe windows are lit. Also the overhanging roof on the left creates shadowing effect resulting of the timber beneath to dry slowly.

 

Materials

The entire structure is covered with a brown timber cladding, but one can easily notice the difference in timber used for the columns and the back shed of the building. Two sides of the kiosk, have long rectangular window panels, stretching all across the wall planes. The window frames are made of metal and the interior roofing system.

 

The wooden timber is found in both Russia and Siberia. The process followed in selecting the material was a set of studies done with timber. These tests were done to study the different effects of burnt timber, and to test the melting points and the different reactions of such a specific texture. The larch was chosen knowing that it contains a number of tough grained qualities that stands up to burning and allows it to catch the fire but not fully burn. The effects are thus distinctly left behind on the material. Once the Seberian Larch is charred, it has greater resistance to rot and insects and also it is appropriate for people who have allergies.

After having observed the timber cladding, one can easily see how the horizontal cladding of timber sits on 10cm thick concrete cement that is exposed at the bottom which is hardly noticeable from a distant. Moreover, a steel wire mesh covers the exposed concrete for camouflage. In the picture on the right, the wire mesh (crisscross) can be seen between the gaps of timber which is layering the rearward of the strips of wood.

The panels of timber pieces are fixed to the boards and are supported in the steel frame of the structure. The irregular twisted column is bolted with metal screws (as shown above).The picture below portrays the texture of the timber and shows the unique patterns in the wood.

The main aim of the architects was to have less visual disruptions from the surrounding buildings and not to make barriers between the people using the park. Therefore the Kiosk was carved and twisted on the side where it’s mostly seen from the park and the architects used lots of glazing to create a more inviting and friendly surrounding. The use of glazed windows also enhances the twisted structured column and the reflected surrounding. Also a metal piece is visible at the top of the Kiosk.

An Introduction to the Parkside Kiosk

Discreetly standing amongst a tall set of structures is the PARKSIDE KIOSK designed by DSDHA by the Thames in London. The unique yet modest kiosk rests at one end of the strip of the landscaped area, on the axial pathway that cuts through the public space. It clearly stands out from the more modern and corporate larger developments that surround it from the western side. 

The design concept was based on innovation, sustainability and was a reaction to the historical past the site had gone through. This lead to the distinctness in both the materiality and the technique used to portray such a reaction.  

At first glance, the kiosk is hidden behind a thin layer of trees that camouflage it well within its context. Yet the closer one gets to it, the more comfortable one seems. The organic geological pattern of the façade is surprisingly tactile and welcoming yet equally intriguing and tough. 

                         Cafe at the opposite side of the Parkside Kiosk.

 

These images have been taken at different times during the day. Time has a great effect on the kiosk as well as the entire space surrounding it.

 

 

The Kiosk is in complete harmony with the floor covering, the dynamic lines seem to continue through the kiosk. The size and form of the roof create alot of shadow, especially during the day. The shadows exentuate the entire area around the structure. The Parkside Kiosk looks like a cave-like structure, coming out of the ground and sheltering those around it. The kiosk takes over another character as the light fades away. It appears to fade away in the darkness while the shadows of the larger buildings envelope it. The lights are positioned right above the ATM machines, pointing out their exact location. It is the only area that is functional at that time of the day. The entrance on the other hand, is completly uninviting and unwelcoming. Lights have been used to communicate with the people, directing them towards the kiosk and telling them how to relate to it.