Buenos Aires Velodrome - the final product

The architectural design process is just that, a process. Luckily, the process for designing an Olympic Velodrome in Buenos Aires, Argentina is over. Well, temporarily, until I go back and make a few changes and updates before using this in my portfolio. What's up next you ask... a well deserved week off of school and then the final push before thesis. Sounds like the next project is going to be some sort of housing development that focuses on sustainability. Until then, the final presentation pieces for the Velodrome are below, including a fully animated video flythrough with the soundtrack provided by Hoobastank. Enjoy!

Ed

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbsjiQmMBns]

Structure as a Determinant of Form

This project includes designing a velodrome, an indoor bicycle racing track, that will provide both a world class sporting venue for the nation and a civic amenity for the Portenas in the neighborhoods surrounding the site. The site is located between the neighborhoods of Colegiales and Palermo Hollywood just outside of the center of Buenos Aires. It is currently an under used industrial area close to public transportation, airports, and the port, and not far from many of the city's other sports venues that are located just to the north along the Rio de la Plata. The intent of this project is to explore the tectonics of long span structures; not just from the standpoint of connecting two points and supporting a roof, but creating a meaningful architectural space, shaping the volume of the building, controlling daylighting, articulating building joints, surfaces and finishes, creating an identity on the interior and exterior of the building, and relating this new form to the existing surrounding context. The entire site is encompassed in the design concept which plays off of the juxtaposition of a dynamic structure like a velodrome and the often static, rectilinear urban fabric in which the building is sited. This concept is first witnessed at the macro, city wide level, and continues down to even the smallest details.

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Buenos Aires Velodrome... will it actually stand up.

We've reached that part of the term, usually a little after the half way point, where we create wall sections and build structural models of a typical bay to see if our structure will work. This seems to be the point where my background in engineering and affinity for designing straight lines and 90 degree corners really pays dividends; especially during the model making part. Don't get me wrong, I think tensile structures, hyperbolic parabola roofs and "Bird's Nest" type structures are really cool, just not the first thing I gravitate towards when I start a design. The good news is, when comes to building these structures, my factor of safety will be very reasonable!

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Mid Point for the Buenos Aires Velodrome

In a few short days, I'll be at the half way point for my Velodrome design. I finally think I have the concept down and incorporated, now it's time to start looking at details, structural , etc. The main design intention for the velodrome is to play off of the juxtaposition between the linear, orthogonal urban grid with the inherent dynamics of this type of structure. The facades along the streets, which incorporate parts of the velodrome program as well as market space as well as space for a branch of a local university, stay tight to the sidewalk and stick to the urban fabric. The interior parts of the site, which includes new, open park space, is much more dynamic, including a multimedia, interactive curtain wall which will add to the "movement" of the interior portions of the site. Stay tuned, more to come!

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