Marisfrolg
VAN BRANDENBURG
VAN BRANDENBURG
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD Peta Carey 6
THE INTRODUCTION Professor Brian Stoddart
10
THE BEGINNING Models First, Drawings Second 12
THE INCEPTION Lake Hayes Studio - December 2007 14
THE DETAIL MODELS Dunedin Studio - 2008 Onwards 16
THE DETAIL MODELS 24
THE PEOPLE IN THE STUDIO 34
46
THE CAMPUS & THE BRIEF
Marisfrolg THE CATWALK WING AND DESIGN STUDIOS 56
70
THE ENTRANCE ATRIUM
80
THE HOTEL
88
VAN BRANDENBURG THE EXHIBITION BUILDING 102
THE MANUFACTURING & ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS
INTERIORS 122
FITTINGS & FURNITURE 140
INTERIOR LINK FROM ADMIN WING TO DESIGN STUDIO 166
MATERIALS & TEXTURES 172
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES Using Straight Line Geometry 194
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES Using Spiral Geometry 214
THE PEOPLE ON SITE That Made This Project Happen 220
250
THE MARISFROLG CAMPUS
EPILOGUE Fred van Brandenburg 264
PLANS & ELEVATIONS 286 5
FOREWORD
Peta Carey
6
When I see the images of Marisfrolg, I see the New Zealand native falcon, the scaffolding to the heights of the ‘wings’ of Marisfrolg to clad the roof;
kārearea, wings angled skyward to take on aerial prey. On some corners of the Fred’s beautiful wife, Diane, who brings the light, love, colour and sheer joy of
building I see the wings of the manta ray at the slow turn of gentle uplift. There creativity into the van Brandenburg home and everyone’s lives; the Chinese
is the giant clam, the carapace of a rock lobster, then the ocean wave itself and team in Shenzhen, enduring relationships that have been built up for well over
the prow of a waka with a following sea. a decade; and not least the close friendship between the van Brandenburgs and
Ms Zhu and her own husband and family (Ms Zhu has come to regard Damien
Delve beneath the exterior and you have the minutiae of the interior van Brandenburg as her brother, as he project-managed the entire construction
construction of the chambered nautilus and, as architect Fred van Brandenburg in Shenzhen for over 14 years) – all has resulted in one of the most exceptional
suggests, the unfurling of a leaf or fern, which we proudly know as the koru. and magnificent man made forms on earth.
Some architectural words can be confronting: ‘Curvilinear’, ‘paraboloid’, Nature then, is what inspired Marisfrolg. The design began with the brilliance
‘biomimicry’. But when you stand back and let the forms of Marisfrolg speak to and uncompromising vision of New Zealand architect, Fred van Brandenburg,
you, the words fall away. You simply understand what the essence and power of and the belief and commitment of Chinese designer and entrepreneur, Ms Zhu
this extraordinary work of art can inspire. At the 2014 Venice Biennale, where Chongyun. But its realisation – a daunting commitment to construction over
the models of Marisfrolg were first exhibited, it was a 12-year-old boy who was the last 15 years – is a result of the close connections of friendship and whānau
fixated by the structure. ‘The skeleton of an elephant,’ he exclaimed, dragging between cultures across the Asia Pacific.
his father over to see it. The beauty of Marisfrolg is that you can see within its
many forms and surfaces whatever you know and love from almost any sphere
of nature.
It’s undeniable that Marisfrolg is a masterpiece. But what is less evident is
that the genesis of the work began with another phenomenon in nature:
happenstance, the crossing of paths of inspired artists, the coming together of
like-minded souls.
Fred van Brandenburg tells his story of how he discovered and was inspired by
the Spanish architect, Gaudi, how all that Gaudi created was ‘inherent in forms
of nature’. But less well known was Fred’s serendipitous meeting with Ms Zhu
Chongyun, whose own story is one of an exceptional creative, visionary and
businesswoman. The chance of their paths crossing is where this story began.
But then it was about whānau, about the many in Fred van Brandenburg’s own
family and extended family, strong relationships with other clever and wonderful
creatives, that has made Marisfrolg what it is. Fred’s son, Damien and colleague
Griff Humphreys, quietly working away in their Dunedin studio; artist Shaz Najd,
whose careful brush work and eye for colour inspired the exterior cladding of
recycled ceramic; then designer Ashleigh Jackson, tenaciously searching for
those shards of discarded ceramics in remote provinces of China, and climbing
7
“We explore the built forms that surrounds us; we look to create forms inspired
by nature. We can’t begin to compete, but we can compliment nature”.
- Fred van Brandenburg
9
Ms Zhu and Fred van Brandenburg.
INTRODUCTION
Professor Brian Stoddart
This is more about the people who produced and made Marisfrolg happen than those who want to delve deeper into his architectural philosophies for a project that
about the project itself. Because this enormous undertaking, perhaps half-a-dozen commenced most unusually. Ms Zhu visited the Lake Hayes studio unexpectedly
buildings rolled into one campus, was not achieved by any one person. It was a huge and, after a brief introduction, said through her translator:
team effort, beginning with the van Brandenburg family producing the first models.
“When we have our land, you will be the architect”. Fred heard nothing further
Ms Zhu Chongyun and Mr Yao Jianhua from Marisfrolg had an unwavering belief until a fax arrived nearly two years later: “We have our land, can you come to
it would succeed. It was achieved thanks to the able contractor, Jiangsu Huajian China”. He wishes he had kept that fax.
Construction, and willing workers with whom the van Brandenburg team formed a
special relationship. Many came to site as skilled craftspeople and left as specialized Di and Fred set off to China, and the first thing Ms Zhu showed them was a
artisans. The guiding project philosophy was to teach everyone involved a new mesmerizing video from one of her catwalk shows. The introductory footage of
skill and demonstrate how second-hand material could be re-cycled from waste to her then most recent Autumn Collection had a flock of birds, ducks mainly, flying
wonderland. over autumnal country-side displaying colours and textures, then over medieval
European cities before a sudden cut to the fashion shots of Ms Zhu’s designs.
From the outset, product designers and their computer software were as important All that was accompanied by a thrilling soundtrack. The van Brandenburgs knew
as architects Fred and Damien van Brandenburg. Damien, already a talented immediately that Ms Zhu was the “real-deal”.
architect and skilled user of technology in architecture and design, was heavily
assisted by Dunedin’s Otago Polytechnic Product Design (Industrial Design) That unforgettable “bird-in-flight” sequence drove the design concepts from the
INTRODUCTION graduates. Griff Humphreys, with his ability to visualise in 3D and his drawing and outset and the team was told later it was chosen deliberately to convey Marisfrolg’s
aspirations: to soar gracefully into the future.
mathematical skills, was first to join. He was quickly followed by many other product
designers, interior designers and artists including the hugely talented Ashleigh
(Ash) van Brandenburg (nee Jackson). Griff and Ash have just as good an eye for Mr Yao then made a significant input: he wanted the building to stand and inspire
architecture as any architect. people for at least a hundred years. Recycled ceramics, stone and brickwork,
immediately became the build materials, specifically to protect external porous
Matt Sutton, head model-maker and another Otago Polytechnic graduate, headed surfaces for the longest possible time.
the team producing models by way of laser cutters and 3D printers to within
a millimetre accuracy, whatever the scale. That team included Adam Gorrie, Here, then, is that amazing journey in pictures. It shows we can use nature as a
Alex Smith, Abe Hunter, Bess O’Donnell, Curtis Stent, Daniel Roberts, Fernando source for all our structural engineering ideas based on simple geometry that nature
Chiavassa, James Robert, Jakob McDermott, Julian Goulding, Katherine Jackson, Niall itself uses: witness a tree trunk’s foundation in a series of hyperbolic paraboloids; a
McColm, Nina Daniels, Patrick Gallagher, Stuart van Turn and Lorne Secord. Shaz van paraboloid arch is the only form found in nature and can self-support to very large
Brandenburg (nee Najd) created the artistic finishes applied directly to the models, load levels; nature grows in spirals from a core, and we can build spiral ramps from
presenting tones and colours appropriate to the design philosophies. a centrepiece. The team also explored the idea that a leaf cantilevers from its stem
using a hyperbolic paraboloid shape so as to reach far distance without support;
The team’s superb models were transported to China as communication tools and that some seeds have a parabolic conoid shape (again to span vast distances)
prototypes to give builders the confidence that if the structures could be modelled, relative to its size so it can fly as far away as possible.
they could be built.
In other words, nature’s shapes have developed to perform a practical function.
This book reveals a creative process based on the maxim of “models first, drawings This was the basis for all the shapes you see in the photographs here. So, in a direct
second”. sense, nature drove this Marisfrolg project, and that is something from which we
can all learn.
So the very complex drawings come at the end, as does Fred’s personal journey for
11
THE BEGINNING
Models First, Drawings Second
THE INCEPTION
Lake Hayes Studio - December 2007
15
Fred, Damien, Jude and Luca working on concept models for Marisfrolg.
THE DETAIL MODELS
Dunedin Studio - 2008 Onwards
18
Early concept models and prototypes.
19
Early concept models and prototypes.
20
Concept models of The Administration and Manufacturing Buildings and the Central Tower.
21
Concept models and prototypes of T he Exhibition Building.
22
Concept models of The Atrium Entrance, The Design Studios, The Hotel and material studies.
23
Concept models of The Atrium Entrance, Design Studios, Hotel and Fire Exit Buildings and Central Tower balustrades.
THE DETAIL MODELS
Of Marisfrolg Campus
24
25
26
AVB Studio - Dunedin - Entrance Atrium 1:25 scale model.
27
AVB Studio - Dunedin - Entrance Atrium 1:25 scale model.
28
AVB Studio - Dunedin - Fernando working on the Entrance Atrium and Hotel 1:25 scale model.
29
AVB Studio - Dunedin - Full Marisfrolg 1:100 scale model .
30
AVB Studio - Dunedin - Hotel Rear Facade 1:100 scale model.
31
AVB Studio - Dunedin - Design Studio Wing 1:100 scale model.
32
AVB Studio - Dunedin - The Exhibition Building 1:50 scale model.
33
AVB Studio - Dunedin - The Exhibition Building - Painted sectional model, 1:25 scale model.
THE PEOPLE IN THE STUDIO
Dunedin Studio - 2013 Onwards
34
35
The AVB team in the Dunedin Studio (Damien, Fred, Griff, Matt and Curtis).
36
The AVB team in the Dunedin Studio (Ash, Damien, Kat and Nina).
37
The AVB team in the Dunedin Studio (Ash and Shaz).
38
The AVB team in the Dunedin Studio (Damien, Griff, Matt, Nina and Luca).
39
The AVB team in the Dunedin Studio (James, Nina, Damien, Griff, Ash and Kat).
40
The Exhibition Building - Ash developing a material cladding design on a sectional prototype 1:1 scale model.
41
The Exhibition Building - Ash developing a material cladding design on a sectional prototype 1:1 scale model.
42
The Design Studio and Catwalk Wing roof - Material study - Sectional model 1:1 scale.
43
The Entrance roof - Material Study - Sectional model 1:5 scale.
44
The Design Studio roof joiner - Material study - Sectional prototype 1:1 scale model (Adam amd Ash).
45
The Hotel rear facade - Material study - Sectional prototype 1:5 scale model (Ash and James).
THE CAMPUS
The Various Components
THE BRIEF
- Production and Administration Wing
- Design Studios linked but not separated from a Catwalk and Events Space;
- A boutique hotel with independent access
- Exhibition spaces;
- Restaurants
- Flag-ship fashion stores;
- An undercover 250 car parking space
- A garden for staff to reflect and relax in
The building needs to represent Marisfrolg’s aspirations to soar into the future.
46
CENTRAL TOWER (VERICAL CIRCULATION) 36M HIGH
50 ROOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL
EXHIBITION BUILDING
ROOF TOP GARDEN 400M2
SOLARIUM 67M X 67M (50M HIGH)
FASHION DESIGN STUDIO 12,500M2
PRODUCTION/ADMINISTRATION
RESTAURANTS/CAFES (300M2)
250 CAR PARKING BELOW POND
CATWALK AND EVENTS SPACE
FLAGSHIP STORES / SHOPS (300M2) ATRIUM ENTRANCE 35M HIGH
POND 650M2
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION 190,400M2 SITE 12.35 ACRES
47
48
Material visualisations of the exterior cladding for the Entrance Atrium and Design Studio and Catwalk Wing.
49
Material visualisations of the Design Studio and the Solarium.
50
Material visualisations of the Marisfrolg Campus.