Architecture x 2 Pieces

Howard Raggatt (Australian Born Architect)

Melbourne Recital Center
& the
National Museum of Australia

Howard Raggat

An Australian born architect, an architect 'activist' known for innovation in design practice and theory, mainly known for the design of the National Museum of Australia and the design of the Melbourne Recital Center, he is a lead role of a well known architectural firm called the ARM (Ashton Raggatt McDougall) their firm is situated in the main city of Melbourne, Victoria.
Howard mainly focused on the use of computers in architecture, experimenting new ways of digital representation. As observed he saw ‘architecture as idea’ knowingly placed in a local contemporary culture. This formative work had a mind blowing impact and has focused a continuous culture of new architectural methods and the internal thinking on investigation of new and bold ideas.
In 1982 he was awarded the RAIA presidents award to young architects, his work has been widely published and presented and became an example in the Charles Jencks' book. The Architecture of the Jumping Universe. His work is displayed in numerous galleries including the Melbourne museum, the museum of contemporary art in Sydney, hybrid objects in Japan and the State of Design.

The National Museum of Australia, it was opened in 2001 Canberra, Sydney located at the tip of the Acton Peninsula on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. Within this Museum it displays a wide amount of Aboriginal Art.
The building is composed of several individual spaces pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, forming a semicircle around the Gardens of Australian Dreams. The architects developed a post modern structure reflecting on the impact of the Museums collection. The design feature that stands out of the Museum is the big sculptural loop at the entrance, color is extensively used within the interior and exterior. Textures range from the smooth finish of the anodized aluminum panels that clad much of the building, within the entry displayed a great light and open space with curving walls, windows and ceilings, described as a huge rope knot seen from the outside. One major of the Museum's special features is the presentation of exhibition and building design, for the exhibition the design color was a main to communicating stories about Australia.

The Melbourne Recital Center was opened in 2009, located on the corner of Southbank Boulevard and Sturt Street, Melbourne, known as a "modified shoe box", shaped music venue.
with a complex and detailed honeycomb facade and cave like interiors.
The Hall is constructed with timber, ply-wood panels are routed to present the grain, like wooden ivy over the walls, which in turn makes the architectural aesthetic of the area.The whole timber interior forms a exquisite instrument, the purpose is designed to complement and enhance chamber music performances. The interior surfaces incorporate an organic element that diffuses the sound to boost the timbre and blending of musical instruments. The exterior external form of the front main entrance facade needed an extensive use of glass reinforced concrete and the selection of different wall cladding materials and construction types, a huge deal of lighting basic shapes and stand out colors make this building more that it really is.

Images of both pieces of Architecture shown above.

References

Image Source #1: http://lukatomas.tumblr.com/
Image Source #2: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULAMkoGEbaObGfjT7RAdQ09nGPsS4d4Im5uInJXwy8GmfwNo1LwE4Ch_hTnZlHHsr0XPfdWWUvBiyZWB7q7BWzO7g4vJYe-rzb_COkBCBhATVyxsSp0OOLbvKDZe5A8MjSEkZ3aBT4H4/s1600-h/melb1.jpg
Image Source #3: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/4282/melbourne-recital-centre-by-ashton-raggatt-mcdougal.html
Images Source #4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinaren/430498127/
Image Source #5: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2543411090010625255OnDIOs
Image Source #6: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonolist/3147105282/

National Museum Of Australia - http://www.nma.gov.au/about_us/the_building/
Melbourne -http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=11019
Howard Raggatt : http://www.a-r-m.com.au/people_Raggatt-H.html
www.architecture.com.au/i-cms_file?page=4219/Citation_HowardRaggatt