It is, so to speak, the very epitome of technology, and its symbolism in this regard can be found from simple communication to exaggerated depictions in aesthetic approaches that use the language of images or of film. So, we see the pipe as something beyond itself, as a medium for a comprehensive horizon of meaning. We declare the pipe itself to be a communication module, use it in this respect
Facade Wien Energie
THE PIPE as a signifier for energy and its distribution
Year
2021
Venue
Vienna
State
Competition
Category
Industrial
Size
Facade: 10.210 m²
Year |
Venue |
State |
Category |
Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 |
Vienna |
Competition |
Industrial |
Facade: 10.210 m² |
Year
2021
Venue
Vienna
State
Competition
Category
Industrial
Size
Facade: 10.210 m²
We see the pipe or pipework as a medium of meaning for energy and the distribution of energy. We attribute to it the role of an archetype of industrial plants. Viewed pragmatically, it is the instrument for the transport of diverse media: fresh water, wastewater, energy, or fumes. Among all the dense and complex uses in plant components, it forms an unmistakeable part of the most important technical facilities.
The pipe becomes the symbol of an entire self-image and conveys the nature of a firm in all its facets.
as a facade module, view it as a blueprint for our facade system per se, and employ it in several quite different applications. Actually, it is very simple: as if it were taken from the plant, it is shifted to the edge of the building element and becomes an encasing figure in various agglomerations.
In some areas it is distributed sparingly, becoming just a kind of camouflage together with the components of the plant in the background, in other areas it can envelop individual objects or, arranged freely, can enclose or separate entire complexes.
The intensity of the appearance can be controlled: by means of different cross-sections, by the density, or by the layout in rows or offset. The pattern of a “composition” can be easily altered or adapted, parts can be removed and added, or openings can be integrated without any need for special measures.
The pipe can be cut in different ways, lengthwise to make a half pipe, or in segments, it can also be cut to the required length. Different materials can be used for the pipe, depending on the kind of communication aimed at or on the budget available. In the present case we were thinking of stainless-steel tube or sheet, in order to convey the shiny quality of the plant as a “clean and hygienic” structure.
The pipes also play with the element of the flue, which is a logical part of an incinerator. We here allow ourselves to take a playful approach, which is also indicated in the mission statement: TECHNOLOGY AIDS CLIMATE PROTECTION. Symbols of nature are deliberately placed on the tops of the fictitious chimneys: TREES. At these points the cross-sections of the pipes are dimensioned so that they can function as plant troughs – naturally with artificial irrigation. But technology also makes our lives easier and provides us with opportunities for fun and
entertainment: an airy balloon might symbolise the events that take place here on certain themes or at certain times, or can simply be a symbol of a light, carefree quality.
Depending on the budget and the context, the facade system based on the component pipe can allow complex readings of the facade structure and can, consequently, be employed as a comprehensive overall instrument for a communication culture.
Client
Wien Energie GmbH
Cost estimation
Thomas Mennel, gbd ZT Gmbh, Vienna
Hard facts
Start of planning: 2021
Facade area: 10.210 m²
Function: Building facade
Scope: Invited, single-stage competition
Renderings
The Digital Bunch, Warsaw
Project Architect
Pichler & Traupmann architects
DESIGN Team
Bartosz Lewandowski (team leader)
Anna Gulinska
Jakub Kaczmarek
Emirhan Veyseloglu
Florian Zeif