Graphic Design
If you are looking for a simple business card design or for a complete corporate identity, Archileb’s team will be with you from the brainstorming phase, into the creation, to the completion of all corporate identity items (logos, letterheads, invoices, receipts, brochures, etc…).
For further assistance, you can email us at services@archileb.com.
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by Don Barker
Don Barker is a freelance writer and photographer in London, who has lived and worked in Europe, Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He is a contributing editor to ArchitectureWeek and writes for several periodicals in the United Kingdom.On October 15, 2005, the winner of the United Kingdom's prestigious Stirling Prize was announced. This year the honor went to the new Scottish Parliament, which has been hailed as one of the most innovative designs in Britain today. It is a vastly ambitious and complex building, and to visit it is a hugely rewarding experience: there is so much to take in, so many architectural and metaphorical references, so many technical challenges surmounted. Early in October, the building received the Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, who described it as a "magnificent achievement" and "a rich array of symbolism." Yet it is easy to see why the project was beset by public controversy due to budget overruns and scheduling delays. Such a building had simply never been built before. The Parliament sits at the foot of Edinburgh's Royal Mile in front of Holyrood Park and Salisbury Crags. One of the key aspects of the overall design is that it nestles in the landscape rather than sitting high and aloof. Architect Enric Miralles's ambition, which he never deviated from, was to have the building "growing out of the land."
Drawing inspiration from organic shapes in the surrounding landscape and from upturned boats on the seashore, the Scottish Parliament is part of the country it represents rather than a symbol of power overlooking its people. From its siting and form comes the realization that this Parliament truly represents the Scottish people. In early 2005, the building was awarded the Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA) Centenary Medal, the highest accolade the association gives to any project. EAA President, Colin Gilmour, congratulated the winning architects for "having the vision, courage, and stamina to create a masterful piece of architecture which all of Scotland should be proud of." Scotland's ExpressionHaving been given devolved power from the United Kingdom's central Government in 1997, Scotland set about building the country's first new parliament in 300 years. A year later, the firm EMBT/ RMJM — a joint venture combining Enric Miralles Benedetta Tagliabue of Barcelona and the Scottish firm RMJM — was appointed to design a new complex.Miralles led the concept design in the initial stages. His vision was a parliament building that would be "de-institutionalized, aggregated, and organic; embracing the landscape and defying all the canonical rules of architectural composition." The firm's competition entry suggested something fresh and unusual with the building depicted in a collage of leaves and sticks. "The parliament should be able to reflect the land it represents. The building should arise from the sloping base of Arthur's Seat and arrive into the city almost surging out of the rock," said Miralles. Sadly he never saw the fruits of his labor. He died in 2000, but his fundamental principles remained firmly in place.
Many Places in OneTo refer to the Scottish Parliament as one building is a misnomer. It is a complex made up of several interlinked buildings: the private offices for the Members of Scottish Parliament (the MSP Building), the historic Queensberry House, the MSP foyer, the towers, Canongate Wall, the public foyer, and the debating chamber.Within this complex there are two primary circulation routes; one takes MSPs from their offices via a garden foyer to the committee rooms and debating chamber. The other route directs the public from the entrance lobby to the public gallery. Relationships and alignments between the land, the people, and the building ensure there is an all-encompassing identification for everyone and everything; 16,000 construction drawings are testament to that. Complex structural engineering is evident throughout. For example, the MSP formal entrance canopy is a 52-foot (16-meter) cantilever that supports two Vierendeel trusses converging to a razor sharp point. This entrance forms an almost discrete passageway into the inner courtyards. In contrast, just around the corner, is the public entrance that opens directly into the almost ecclesiastical subterranean public foyer. Twisted precast concrete columns support the concrete ceiling, with its indents of the saltire (the cross on the Scottish flag) interspersed on the surface of the concrete vaults. The spatial result resembles a cathedral crypt or an undercroft, yet it is all above ground. This grand hall contains all the welcoming and informative functions that characterize the open institution: reception, information, education, shop, cafeteria, facilities for school children, and TV screens broadcasting the various proceedings of the Parliament. Members OnlyOn the other side of the site is the MSP building, which runs along the western edge of the 4-acre (1.6-hectare) site and completes the distinctive "rigg" (built along stone ridges) plan of the medieval city which was built on a craggy landscape. This building houses the offices of the MSPs and their support staff. Up to six stories high, it steps down at its southern end to four stories in response to the parkland beyond.The inner east elevation contains a playful geometric pattern of drainage hoppers with diagonal gutters that carry rainwater down to ground level. On its west elevation is a unique, projecting window seat for each MSP office, which allows the occupant to sit "outside" the building in contemplation. The "grade A listed" Queensberry House has been restored on the outside to James Smith's design of 1697 but has been fitted with modern office interiors. The MSP foyer is at the heart of the complex, linking all the areas of the building. Its roof consists of a curved roof plane into which are nestled thirteen leaf-shaped roof lights, which allow daylight to flood the space. The roof structure is the center point of the chamber. Depicting an all-encompassing hand, its 112 nodes are themselves works of art in stainless steel. Each one was individually detailed and fabricated by MSD Design Ltd., an Aberdeen-based company normally associated with the oil industry.
Environmental EfficienciesFundamental in the design of the Scottish Parliament building was the drive to minimize the use of energy in its operations. The site was previously occupied by a brewery, which used boreholes to provide water. This water is now used for cooling.Eighty percent of the building is naturally ventilated. Mechanical air-handling and comfort-cooling are restricted to those spaces where large groups are assembled for prolonged periods. Thermal mass is provided in the extensive exposed concrete absorbing daytime heat gains and in the free cooling provided from the boreholes. All the oak used in construction was Scottish, thus reducing the energy consumption and costs of importing wood. Security for the buildings is an important feature, hence the use of various blast-resistant cladding materials including granite, slate, timber, and precast concrete. However architectural statements have not been neglected in deference to this functional requirement. As well as being blast proof, the concrete Canongate Wall commemorates the presence through history of the Parliament in the old city by a collage of quotations from Scottish literature. The natural association with the land is symbolized by diverse pieces of stone referring to the geological makeup of the landscape. If ever there was an example of grand yet nonmonumental "architecture for the people," then Scotland's new Parliament building is its epitome. |
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