A floating roof for a scenic atmosphere. Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix
01/07/2020.
[Vilvoorde] Belgium
metalocus, NADIA GHELFI
metalocus, NADIA GHELFI
Ceiling for a crater is the design made by Atelier Tomas Dirrix for a pavilion and performance stage for last years Horst Arts and Music Festival in Brussels. It takes inspiration from the ancient architecture of mythical celebrations and spiritual landmarks.
The festival took place for the first time in the ASIAT site, a once desolate urban environment in the city of Vilvoorde. The site is a former military telecommunications development along the Senne river, in northern Brussels.
The festival took place for the first time in the ASIAT site, a once desolate urban environment in the city of Vilvoorde. The site is a former military telecommunications development along the Senne river, in northern Brussels.
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Concept Image. Airship no7 by Alberto Santos Dumont.
Sketch. Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
Site plan. Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
Site plan. Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
Elevations. Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix. Photograph by Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht
Model. Ceiling for a crater by Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
The structure designed by Atelier Tomas Dirrix is build upon what is physically already there: the former foundation of the military tanker is converted into an amphitheatre, covered with a large floating roof made of two thin layers of fabric.
The structure plays with a contradictory appearance of both thinness and thickness, weightlessness and weightiness, depending on how you look at it. Its voluminous presence manifests itself as a rapprochement of the landscape motifs and the space tries to recall a mysterious and existentialistic atmosphere.
The structure plays with a contradictory appearance of both thinness and thickness, weightlessness and weightiness, depending on how you look at it. Its voluminous presence manifests itself as a rapprochement of the landscape motifs and the space tries to recall a mysterious and existentialistic atmosphere.
Project description by Atelier Tomas Dirrix
The design for a performance pavilion for the arts and music festival of Horst takes inspiration from the ancient architecture of mythical celebrations and spiritual landmarks. A single gesture of a large floating roof transforms a concrete square cut in the terrain as found to a dance floor and central stage for experimental sounds and performance art. The structure plays with a seemingly contradictory appearance of both thinness and thickness, weightlessness and an image of great weightiness.
Conceived from an economy of means, the idea for the pavilion builds upon what is physically already there. A sunken pit, a former foundation of a military tanker, is converted into an amphitheater. Two large existing trees, together with its pruned branches are used as organic columns standing in a radial layout. Both the trees and its offsprings are cladded in clay, camouflaging their nature and origin in ambiguity. The trunks hold an inflated roof consisting of two thin layers of fabric, only introducing a minimum of newly sourced material to the site. The constructive principle uses air-pressure and ropes to make a stiff body spanning over 20 meters in distance. Tolerances in the tension of both rope and fabric gives a thickness of 5 meters in the middle, allowing rainwater to drain to its sides.
The shape of the roof follows the stepping down of the terrain, and its low hanging and voluminous presence manifests itself as a rapprochement of two landscape motifs. Under it visitors descend to gather and dance in the middle, close to the belly of the ceiling. The space - made up from fabric and sticks like a tent - tries to recall a mysterious and existentialistic sense of space - rather like a tomb, a temple or cave instead.
More information
Architects
Project team
Tomas Dirrix, Léa Alapini, Ada Finci Terseglav. Structural engineering.- Util, Brussels. With the dedicated help of all volunteers involved.
Dates
2019
Location
Vilvoorde, Brussels, Belgium.
Photography
Olmo Peeters, Illias Teirlinck, Maxim Verbueken, Jeroen Verrecht.
Atelier Tomas Dirrix
Atelier Tomas Dirrix is an architecture practice based in Rotterdam working with a cultural and material notion of building. They design buildings, spaces and installations on various scales and complexities. The practice is founded in 2017 after winning the Meesterproef competition for emerging Belgian and Dutch architects, organised by the Vlaams Bouwmeester. In respectively 2018 and 2019 Atelier Tomas Dirrix won the Unfair Architect Award for the design of the biennial contemporary art exhibition, and received the ARC19 Young Architect Award. Atelier Tomas Dirrix was selected for the talent development grant by the Creative Industries Funds, along with the generous support on other research-driven projects.
Tomas Dirrix graduated with honours as Masters in Architecture from the TUDelft. Previously he studied in Mendrisio, Switzerland and Ahmedabad, India. He has worked for various offices in the Netherlands including OMA. In 2017 he established his practice Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
Tomas Dirrix graduated with honours as Masters in Architecture from the TUDelft. Previously he studied in Mendrisio, Switzerland and Ahmedabad, India. He has worked for various offices in the Netherlands including OMA. In 2017 he established his practice Atelier Tomas Dirrix.
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