250 words on feelings

The Silkeborg museum evokes feelings of fluidity, knowledge and power through the use of its striking cylinders and smooth curves, contrasting with its strong edges. The building, as implied by the initial sketches done by Utzen strongly proposes the hypothesis that power, and strength, can be gained from knowledge. This mantra is a suitable one for the museum, given that it is a place of learning and of knowledge.

The building consists of complex, organic shapes, which aid in putting forward Utzen’s vision for the building, as architecture which integrates with the human lifestyle, allowing interaction between the building and the people inside it to be on a more humanised level. This makes the chance that an average viewer will make an emotional connection with the building much higher, creating empathy and a stronger response to the architecture.

I believe this to be Utzens purpose in designing the building, to create something humanist, which proposes a strong correlation between the process of learning, knowledge itself, and power.

In terms of the materiality of the building, it is hard to say what Utzen intended for its construction, however, based on my interpretation of the building; I believe that wooden floors, coupled with striking brickwork would provide the intended humanist-power blend that integrates with the mood of the rest of the architecture.

As for re-interpretation of the building, sticking closely to the original designs during modelling in 3ds max, and then building on and subtracting details where they aid in building upon the knowledge/power relationship would be my preferred path of development