Digital Rep. Studio: October 2009

The European Vitra Gallery is situated near the base of the Italian Alps in Trieste. This small Italian village has a large infamous reputation for housing Italy’s greatest portrait artists. This location is perfect for the modern Gallery, Its style and exterior may seem to stand out amongst the traditional roof tops of Trieste although its materials and features resemble the Mediterranean architecture of the area. Consisting of two floors with 2 separate entries this gallery was designed to be small enough so it can only house the most elite art, and to create a more personal feel to the space. It contains private seating areas and an interior courtyard allowing guests to feel comfortable and inviting. All the marble and ceramic tiles used within the structure are Italian made to keep the look authentic. Although its shape may seem very modern each characteristic of the building was meticulously thought out to bear a resemblance to ancient European Architecture, from the entry arcs to the interior columns and the white wash walls. The mountain slopes are replicated in the steps of the structures façade, in order for the building to sit easily in its terrain. The feel once a person first enters the building comes across as a large dominating structure although that is soon suppressed by the furniture layout and small walk ways with private seating spaces, allowing the visitors to feel relaxed and take their time viewing each artwork. The top level contains artwork from the conventional era, the earlier art works are contained on this level, the furniture was selected to reflect this era and give a more historical feel to the place. On the lower floor all the modernist artworks are held, the lighting and furniture have also been selected to reflect the time period of my most of the artworks. The furniture is modern and stylish with a relaxed feel to the space.
The construction of the building itself was well thought out in relation to its surrounding climate. All glazing is double glazed for better insulation and the wall construction is precast concrete panel to help stabilise the room temperate regardless of the surrounding climate.
The redesign of this structure can from my love for the Mediterranean style of architecture, with the whitewash walls and creative use of marble. Amongst its dominating white walls the style also uses vibrant warm colours to create a visually intriguing effect. I had selected elements of the Vitra Design museum which I found most interesting and incorporated them into my building while still putting a twist to it. For instance the cross in the roof I took it more literally and used it as a formation of my building and added inserts of glass to it. Also the circular spiral on one of the building was used as a part of the roof although i had changed the material and created it so it could form an interesting pattern of light.