Emmanouil Polydakis RIBA Part I Portfolio

Contents:

Casa Professa - Corte d’Appello

Looking at the development of the city of Milan through the lens of the 20th century, an exploration into the Milanese monument and the idea of the urban artefact led me to look into the modernist masters of its architecture, and understand their work.

A need for the improvement of the facilities in the Italian legal system prompted an architectural response in codesign with the existing and the original architects of the site, and allowed me to develop my understanding of the city and its history by focusing on a site in central Milan, north of the Duomo Cathedral.

The site’s history started in 1597 when the archbishop of Milan commissioned Pellegrino Tibaldi to design a Jesuit church and housing scheme which were named Chiessa San Fedele (Church of St. Faithful), and Casa Professa (House of Confession) accordingly.

In 1773 the Casa Professa was converted into the Civic archives, and in 1837 it was joined by the Police headquarters, giving it a relationship with both the civic and legal dimensions of the city.

The 1943 allied bombings saw the Casa Professa destroyed and in 1959 Figini and Pollini’s Palazzo per Uffici Libreria Hoepli joined the site, followed in 1964 by BBPR’s Chase Manhattan Bank.

Working in co-design with the architects who designed the site before me I developed an architectural proposal that allowed the site to become a propelling monument to the city of Milan while providing a new space for the operation of the Milanese Court of Appeals.

The architectural representation on this project was inspired by the works of Milanese photographer Gabrielle Basilico. His photography was defining of 20th century Milan and his subjects were mostly related to the city.

His photography made use of unpopulated streetscapes to provide an otherworldly feeling devoid of scale. His high contrast use of black and white conveyed strongly the subjects textural qualities and explored their relationship to light.

Through my representation I was aiming, like Basilico, to convey my works’ strong relationship to light, while allowing for not only textures but also materiality to become visible through the use of muted subtle colours.

The use of colour also allowed for the differentiation between the four segments of my scheme, as well as the separation of the architectural attitudes of it, explored thematically throughout my work.

Acting through the lens of Historical Revisionism, my work aimed to use tools of traditionalism (retention), revisionism (addition), and negationism (removal), in order to interact with the existing built fabric.

In the centre of the main courtyard passes a colonnade forming a galleria, and acting as a segment of the procession leading people through the scheme and into the courtroom where the judgement will be made.

While also acting as a pedestrian passage, accessible to the city and the public and propelling the scheme to a monumental level within the city.

Gallery in Usk

A retrofit redevelopment in the heart of Usk, aiming to bring artists, residents, and visitors together in one creative space

This project proposes the introduction of a creative and exhibition space for the town of Usk. With a focus on the relationship between interior and exterior spaces, following the pattern of experientially open and closed spaces, this project seeks to explore how transitions in spatial experience can affect the human perception of a building. With facilities ranging from a café, a metalworking studio, an art studio ,and several gallery spaces, this project seeks to address all possible space uses.

The ground floor of the opposing building being restored to its historical open marketplace state, allows the space to be used for both public and private events. The basis of the project was a series of changes to Usk that were made in a

master-planning level including the pedestrianisation of the high street, and the redirection of the busy A-Road, as well as the introduction of several parks.

With its defining sawtooth roof and curved rooftop facing North, this project makes use of a historical artefact built into one of the two retrofit buildings to build on the character of the development. The artefact in question is a well preserved Georgian store-front with two round bay windows which inspired the design of the curved roof. The North facing sawtooth rooftop makes use of indirect lighting to achieve ideal lighting conditions for the metalworking studio and the café. A bridge connects the first floor of the old town hall (large gallery space) to the rest of the project, while also providing an opening to the outside in-between the two galleries.

Architectural Photography

My architectural photography acted as a means to explore values which would go on to shape my work. They are largely inspired and influenced by the likes of Gabrielle Basilico, (add two photographers).

These photos are mainly focused on the relationship of light with the built environment.

In creating my photographic collections I went through a process of selection. This was a selection of my most visually prominent memories of the city

Going through my photos I had to choose what to remember and what to forget in order to create a curated version of the city through my eyes.

The themes of the collections act as loci and shape the collections the same way by affecting the selection of the featured photos.

Light, how spaces interact with it and the effect that it has on human perception.

The relationship of connecting buildings, how the old and the new connect in the built environment, as well as, how visual harmony is achieved.

Textures, the smallest scale I focused on was the qualities of texture and its importance in detail and creating beauty.

My photography has been detrimental to my understanding of essential architectural concepts through observation, and has largely affected not just my designing but also my architectural representation.