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Kensington's Hanging Gardens

Part 2 Project 2014
Natalie Gall
 University of Greenwich | UK
The Le Corbusier Foundation devotes all its resources to the preservation, knowledge and dissemination of the work of Le Corbusier. The members board of directors 2014 have consequently decided upon commissioning another gallery within the heart of London in an effort to increase awareness of the foundation and the works of Le Corbusier.

The project therefore imagines a new museum space driven by the environmental experience of the space, as well as the artworks themselves. The artworks in question are Le Corbusiers early wooden sculptures.

The proposed architecture experiments with the stretching and distortion of shadow using the sculptures as a source of form. The sculptures are therefore experienced and viewed only through their shadows and not the objects themselves. This allows the artworks to become part of a time based system, using the path of the sun to project shadows into the building onto glass screens throughout the day. The distorted shadows which trace over the bespoke interiors of the museum are therefore read as a time based system against the existing architecture.

The decreasing variety of bird and wildlife species within Kensington is also of growing concern to the local council, alongside the preservation and
maintenance of the few remaining parks in Kensington. The scheme therefore also proposes new micro agricultures on its roof and hanging façade to promote the growth of new species and provide nesting opportunities for birds and bats. This comes in the form of a hanging clay jar façade with associated heating and irrigation systems. Heat recycled from waste energy emitted from the Virgin bar at roof level, and water reused from an existing artesian well, are both integrated into a bespoke wall cladding system to promote the growth of a green wall. While the recycled heat sets soft clay jars within a biodegradable scaffolding, water pipes built within these containers provide an irrigation system to water plants deposited by the visiting public. Both the setting of clay jars down the façade and the growth of specialised plant species act as a bespoke time based system dependent on internal and external environmental factors.


Tutor(s)

Mr Phil Watson
2014
Site Context: Kensington Rooftop Gardens will be the site for my proposal located in the heart of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The project aims to tackle the loss of green land within London by proposing a new garden along the buildings South façade.
Worldwide context: The mapping of existing Le Corbusier exhibition sites over the globe provides worldwide context to the proposal for a new gallery space in London for Le Corbusier Sculptures.
Environmental context: Diminishing biodiversity of the Kensington area is of growing concern to the local council. The proposal aims to encourage the nesting of endangered bat and bird species through specific environmental conditions created at roof leve
5th Floor Plan: Upper Gallery Suite
Roof Floor Plan: Roof Gardens and Plant Nursery
Short Section: This section shows the main external iron walkway with associated heating, water and clay jar systems.
Detail Short Section: This detail shows the positioning of Corbusier shadow screens with associated Corbusier sculpture capsules for projection.
Detail: External Iron Vertical Garden Walkway: Visitors can deposit seeds into the hanging clay jar façade as the make their way further through the gallery levels.
Axonometric: Le Corbusier Shadow Galleries
Structure and Services: Exploded axonometric of building water services for the irrigation of the clay jar façade and first floor condensation pipes for cooling.
Growing Façade Walkway: Breakdown of component parts, which make up the hanging clay jar façade.
Clay Jar Plant Nursery: Breakdown of component parts which make up the clay jar nurseries on roof level. Endangered plant species are grown on the roof before they are moved along the conveyor system down the building façade to flourish.
Seed Dispenser: Seed cabinets dispense endangered plant species and existing plants from the roof garden to be planted into the buildings façade.
Parasol Concept Design: Bat nesting canopy structures
Le Corbusier Viewing Capsules: Steam chambers encasing Le Corbusier sculptures are filled with steam at different points throughout the day based on the buildings internal heating system. Consequently the sculptures within are hidden and revealed as the b
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