Cultural center of Glyfada

Students: Athanasiadi Christina, Giaramanis Stavros, Maragdouli Anastasia
Supervisors: Nikos Barkas
Democritus University of Thrace
Submission date: November 2013

 

The purpose of this diplomatic is the configuration of part of cultural center. We designed a library for free lending and study of books, the spaces of which were studied in energy levels. At the same time we managed the growth of cultural activities with an auditorium. This particular space was studied acoustics ensuring  thus the cover of problems of sound with the selection of suitable materials.

 

 

FEATURES OF THE LAND
The plot is located in Glyfada, near the foot of Mount Hymettus and is orientated towards the sea. It has triangular form and is described by three roads (Aigaiou- Trikorfon and Despotou Karavasili). The gradient of plot is quite strong (total altitude difference 10 m.). The plot area is 11.000 m², while we developed a part up to 6.000 m².

BUILDING PROGRAM

Interior auditorium 325 individuals (950 m²)
Library (1160 m²)
Coffee place (240 m²)

EXTERIOR SPACE

Park of traffic education (480 m²)
Outdoor parking lot (30 places)

AUDITORIUM
We have chosen the placement of the auditorium in a central point of plot, because it constitutes the most crucial area of the cultural center. This volume includes a reception area  and a theater (327m²) of 325 seats with 6 seats for disabled people, a theatrical warehouse- wardrobe and dressing rooms.

LIBRARY
The library is constitutes by three areas: room of books, lending and reading room. We preferred therefore each area to be unique and in separate level. Primary issue for us was the reading room to have an outdoor or semi-outdoor space with view. Since it is a room that requires high light levels, we selected to place it in the highest level (+4.00m.) of the cultural center and to have direct access to the roof of the auditorium. Having in mind however the orientation and the problems that would produce the southern openings, we created two big foreheads in the East and West.

We included the coffee place in the southern part of this level (+4.00m.) This is a quite large room with a specially designed loft and a longitudinal opening in the south for recovery of sight to the sea and the lasting illumination.

The lending room and room of books are found respectively on the ground floor (±0.00m) and basement (-3.00m) of a common building. In the ground floor the visitor can find the main lobby of the library, while the room of books is a more controlled and isolated place as there are old and rare books and a lecture hall. At each level there are restrooms for the service of public.

PARK OF TRAFFIC EDUCATION
The road safety park is a completed educational unit, that aim for children of  preschool and school age to learn the basic principles of traffic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DETAIL OF POLYCARBONATE SHELTER
The roof is a curved surface that covers the connecting volume of the cultural center. Her curved form is shaped by archers steel joists, which are mounted on columns by armed concrete. The filling material is an opaque polycarbonate with 10mm thickness.

 

 

ACOUSTICS PLANNING
The acoustic research of this project concerns the design of the auditorium,  that is intended to host various events of the cultural center.

DESCRIPTION OF THE AUDITORIUM
For acoustics and architectural reasons we chose a circular theatrical framing in the angular provision of the scene Bell Geddes, which refers to a configuration where the seats are arranged in gradient curves around a scene of circular sector of 90 degrees.

The provision of the seats is amphitheatrical and  with "psathoti" framing. Between the hall and the foyer is placed the zone of technical support booths : projection booth, booth of sound-lights and translation booth.

 

REFLECTORS
Following the planning of reflectors in the roof in axial section, three reflectors had resulted. The first and the second are inclined, while the third is horizontal at the same level with the furred ceiling.

Following the planning of reflectors on the wall (side reflectors) in ground plan, three successive panels of 2.50m length had resulted, 14,93 ⁰ inclined to the direction of the side walls.

MATERIAL SELECTION
To avoid delayed, negative echoreflections and annihilation of the echo is necessary to predict suitable coatings in distant surfaces.

 

 

The cultural center was studied in energy levels at the library rooms.
More specifically, in the room of books, we aim to minimal lighting (max 150 lux), because it contains the oldest and most valuable books. In the lending room we aim to low lighting levels (150-300 lux) as there are modern books for short reading. In the reading room, we aim to sufficiency light for reading (300-500 lux). At all tests we applied acceptable limits deviation ±20%.

METHODOLOGY
The 3D model of the library was tested via Ecotect analysis software, while the energy tests of lighting/ shading were implemented in Desktop radiance software. We chose as dates of research the solar data on June 21st (summer solstice) at the hours: 09:30, 13.00 and  19.00, and on December 23 (winter solstice) at the hours: 09:30, 13.00 and  16.00. All tests were performed sequentially with the use of wooden movable shutters, in successive trials until the achievement of goals. The shelter was filled with an opaque material, while perimetric skylights under the shelter are also of low permeability.