Entwerfen.

The changing nature of Le Touquet seafront through the different seasons.

Entwerfen.

Analysis and considerations regarding possible solutions.

Entwerfen.

Town plan and aerial view (left) and figure ground plan.

Entwerfen.

The most essential part of the architecture course here, as in the UK, is a design project. A limited number of these are taught in English, which is fantastic considering the level of my German. Several tutors in charge of design projects taught in German will also summarise what was said at the end of the studio in English, however many will not, it is also difficult to fully get involved with the studio session unless you can comprehend what is being said around the table.

Prof. Will Alsop, who is a well-known British architect, is running the course Sur La Plage with the brief to reinvigorate the French seaside town of Le Touquet and transform it into a desirable place to live and visit both on a large scale through an urban masterplan and at a smaller scale through new individual structures.

The main area of focus is the sea front which has seen a demise in its popularity over recent years, partially because it has come to act as a barrier between the main town and the sea; which is the case in many seaside towns. Reintegrating the various areas of the town initially seems to be the obvious solution as well as providing focal points and facilities at the end of these new connections that could be used all year round; not just for the summer season.

Above is an aerial view of Le Touquet. Taken from www.bingmaps.com

Baroque roofscape.

Jesuitenkirche and associated former university buildings which were constructed when the Jesuit's were granted control of Vienna's higher education by the Hapsburgs during the Catholic Reformation.

Osterreichische Postsparkasse.

Pediment detail. The marble panels riveted into the concrete core structure can be seen below the cornice, while Wagner, despite his attempts to be minimalist with his ornamentation, clearly couldn't resist including a pair of female angels holding laurel garlands to flank the pediment.

These were designed and sculpted by Wagner's collaborator Othmar Schimkowitz.

Osterreichische Postsparkasse.

The interior of the Post Office Savings Bank constructed between 1904 and 1906 by Otto Wagner; who was also responsible for the Karlsplatz pavilions. It represents a progression from the Jugendstill and Neo-Classical styles, which up until the beginning of the C20th had been the accepted architectural methods adopted for any new major building in Vienna.

This image shows the Kassenhalle, spanned by a large glass skylight constructed entirely from steel and glass. Functionally it allows for a large unobstructed space as well as using natural daylight instead of electric; thus saving money. Aesthetically it represents a celebration of modern materials and building in an un-ornamented minimalist approach; still primarily used in contemporary office buildings today.

Overall the architects intention was to celebrate modern materials by creating new forms. The shell of the building is mostly constructed from reinforced concrete, whilst the facade is clad in marble panels which are held in place with polished steel rivets. This marks a major shift towards modernist architecture and an honesty in the use of building materials rather than hiding construction and fixings behind a layer of ornamentation.