The Project revolves around something so simple and radical as it is a straight line. A line that limits, places, orders and scales. A line that differences natural from artificial, momentary from permanent.
This line is a runway located over the green grassland next to the sea from the cold and rainy Donegal, in the north of Ireland.
During the semester, 4 different architectures have been proposed. Together they all form a small airport next to the runway. Due to the characteristics of the place, wood and steel will be principally used to construct.
The course started with a group project that consisted of developing an air traffic control tower and a hangar. After analyzing the characteristics of the place, we decided to do two organic buildings reminding us to the sea waves.
For the control tower, we took Shujov’s communications tower as reference and we choose to join some tilted hyperboloids with different radius. Due to the tilt, we could introduce the stairs in the circumferences made by the intersections between the elements.
For the hangar, we used the irregularities present in the ground plan and the section to clearly difference the office from the place where planes were parked but at the same time, maintaining an open space.
The semester is continued with another two individual projects. First a residence and finally the terminal of the airport.
In this case, the hotel and terminal were unified in a single exercise by taking and adapting the modular structure previously proposed for the residence. Due to this decision, we will directly explain the final project.
TAKING OFF is a big straight line that floats, emerges, takes off from Donegal’s green grassland creating and analogy with the runway.
The project is located at the end of that huge straight line and parallel to it. It consists of a modular structure formed by three rows of cruciform pillars that hold a big metal roof. There are two longitudinal pieces hanging from it maintaining the relation between the runway and the sea.
The whole program is contained in these two pieces. Both of them have structural metal frames and a wooden window lattice that creates a play of lights and shadows inside the building.
The bigger piece is the terminal. Being a place with few air traffic, allows having a linear path from the hall to the gate where you can access the plane going through a finger that emerges from the building itself. All airport services are present along the building. Also, it shares some common zones with the hotel such as the cafeteria and the lounge.
From the hall you can also access a walkway that is hanging from the smaller piece, the hotel. From it you can enter the rooms by unfolding a ladder that goes up to each of them.
As it is shown, the project uses the line as main shape. It is present in its design and construction. With small combinations of lines, a huge straight line which coexists with the runway has been created at Donegal’s grassland.