PRECEDENT ANALYSIS: MUSEUM OF OCEAN AND
Steven Holl Architects
Biarritz, France | 2011
A: Cobblestone System
Steven Holl Architects
Biarritz, France | 2011
A: Cobblestone System
The Museum of Ocean and Surf is a museum of oceanography. The aim of the project is primarily to educate about the health of the ocean and to also incorporate local surf culture. The building exterior is constructed from textured white concrete; the aggregates locally sourced from the South of France. The plaza is constructed from Portuguese cobblestone with natural vegetation and concrete. The insulating glass units (IGUs) are made with clear and acid etched layers that animates visual dynamics. The interior material is primarily white plaster walls with wooden floors.
The defining systems of The Museum of Ocean and Surf I have identified are the Cobblestone System (A) and the Inserted Glass Boulders (B).
A: Cobblestone System
*connects visitors to the coast
*continuation of the landscape
*gathers people
*Portuguese cobblestone with natural vegetation and concrete.
*it is a part of a larger site that flows seamlessly from the plaza to the ocean
*one side moves you toward the ocean horizon, and the other side cups the gathering space.
A: Cobblestone System
*connects visitors to the coast
*continuation of the landscape
*gathers people
*Portuguese cobblestone with natural vegetation and concrete.
*it is a part of a larger site that flows seamlessly from the plaza to the ocean
*one side moves you toward the ocean horizon, and the other side cups the gathering space.
B: Inserted Glass Boulders
*Inserted into System A
*contains social spaces: restaurant, cafe, surfer’s kiosk
*allows sunlight to enter the interior below
*IGUs with clear and acid-etched layers that animate visual dynamics.
*“glass rocks on concrete waves”
