36 PROJECT REPORT: CULTURAL BUILDINGS
The interiors have been designed to be “very open” says Mucciola. “From most parts, you can see across to the rest of the building, and we hope that people will enjoy lingering in the spaces. We wanted to create a real civic centre for Dundee and for visitors.” He says that local feedback has been very positive so far, despite the bracingly modern statement the building makes, and a “sense of ownership and pride” has been reported. In terms of sustainability goals, the project is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and features natural ventilation via automatic roof vents to all spaces except the galleries. There has been a focus on sustainable sourcing of materials, “down to the paint”, and there are also various renewables such as air source heat pumps, geothermal bore holes and lighting which responds to exterior light levels to maximise efficiency. Mucciola says there is a general move to making museum spaces less strict when it comes to internal climate control: “There is a tendency now to try and relax the restrictions where possible in museums and galleries to increase energy efficiency while keeping exhibits safe.”
Concrete curves
Perhaps the most impressive design feature is the double curvature in situ concrete wall which is the main structural element of the entire building, formed from 21 sections. Due to the design’s complexity, tapering in towards the ground while linking two forms, some of these sections twist dramati- cally in and out, with several presenting extreme curvatures. The most extreme example (illustrated on page 33), Wall section 18 goes from a 33º incline towards the river then curves through 123º to a 24º incline away from the Tay, over a 15 metre length of wall.
Initially the architects used a combination of 3D modelling software, testing this against a physical model, to arrive at the right shape, but once structural calculations were needed it was easier to break the walls down into sections. Says Mucciola: “Obviously we had engineering input from Arup, and we started working with them as our own engineers very closely since the earliest stages of the project, and at all times.” He adds: “Any small modification we were doing was fed back to them so they could recalculate.”
The enormous amount of bespoke formwork (11,000 m2
) that was needed was one of the biggest challenges on the project,
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