ENVIRONEMENT RESEARCH AND EXIBITION CENTRE

Prydniprovska State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Dnipropetrovsk

Project idea

Research and exibition center on the Khortytsia Island, integrating in elements of the
environment and cultural features, become a foundation for development and innovative
technopark and aims to raise public awareness in scientific progress about human and
nature. The center is a new approach to a knowledge acquisition and dissemination. Its
exhibition part with a name “platform of ideas” contributes to popularization of research and
study as a whole.

Project description

Being in the structure of Zaporizhia, the island is a separate element with unique natural features and cultural and mythological history. The reserve is protected by law, so urban processes hadn’t affected on it. But a large area of territory and interest from tourists have led to formation of recreational, educational and tourist villages and later – residential area around the research institute. But disorder of implementation and economic decline made them deserted. As a result, the city is losing rapidly its main natural and cultural feature.
A technopark with pavilions of natural history appears on the general plan of the territory. The science center is placed at the intersection of main flows of people and on the main scenery spot which keeps visual reference with the city, the island and natural element. Architecture and environment are formed on the basis of the concept of a route as a basis for shaping of new ideas, where human becomes a part of a process. Creation of park recreation area makes education a part of daily life.
Scientific and research center on the Khortytsia Island, integrating in elements of the environment and cultural features, become a foundation for development and innovative technopark and aims to raise public awareness in scientific progress about human and nature. The center is a new approach to a knowledge acquisition and dissemination. Its exhibition part with a name “platform of ideas” contributes to popularization of research and study as a whole.
Museum and research complex, becoming an incubator for technological and natural research, mobilizes creativity resources; it attracts talents to future development of our country in the context of recent trends. There are three main components: museum (openness), research (new ideas and science) and club (education).
The building is divided into two main blocks where the first part reports to natural relief and integrates and the second one tries to break away from it, bringing a new vibrancy. In this, building’s shapes are formed on the basis of technopark’s functional links and become a part of a single system where a white arc and bright hinged modular platforms are a beacon for mesmerizing journey in Khortytsia’s area. Soft borders and local materials reinforce influence of the nature, separating from administrative and household buildings and creating a space for calm workflow.
The technopark, making a connection between existent functional and natural features in the context of science and education, develops activity on the island, involving citizens, tourists and creates a new interaction between people, science and nature.
Compositional principles of building organization. Conceptual design
A way
Building space is a new approach to receiving and distribution of knowledge, where the exposition “ideas platform”, goal of which is not only to give a fact of events or facts existing, is next to research laboratories. It teaches methods and reasons of appearing new ideas, inventions with help of visual and spatial skills. To look for innovations – it’s a way, process, through which human thought passes. That’s why shared routes of the technopark must go through the building. The form appears around routes, connecting them into a single expositional area that also has horizontal orientation and direct clear functional connections.
Platforms
Onrush of the world, changing interests and directions of the research require universal space that adapts to different circumstances. In a horizontal planning of the building this is mobile partitions and other guarding temporary constructions. I propose to use modular hanging platforms-slabs, which adapt to different circumstances and become a part of a route, to increase planning flexibility of the building.
Integration and contradiction
The building integrates to environment with orientation towards main visitor traffic. But human activity has not only flexible character; human always brings something new to the world, contradicting it. So the building rapidly breaks out the landspace, rises and serves as beacon on Khortytsia’s panorama. At the same time, the overall composition from 2 different elements goes to communal harmony.
Openness and distinction
For popularization and contraction with people, the space must be aimed at transparent processes that take place inside. Also it provides a visual contact with natural environment. So facade of expositional part is made from glass. And placement has a minimum quantity of constant guarding constructions.
However, you need to create a distinction between visitor traffic and working facilities for calm daily work of researches. So cabinets will be placed in upper space, which will be surrounded by white shawl of aluminum net, creating a transparent and elusive image and hiding cabinets from prying eyes.
1.3 Space and layout design
The building is divided into 2 main parts, where one part is subject to natural relief and integrates (there are exhibition areas for up to 250 people) while the other seeks to break out, bringing a new sounding. There are administration and amenity facilities (50 workers) and lecture halls. The division into 2 parts provides separation workers from main visitor traffics, keeping the system of soft borders and unity of the system.

Technical information

Territorial zoning
The proportion of areas
Total area – 72,467 sq.m. (100%)
The building – 5,000 sq.m. (7%)
The utility zone – 700 sq.m. (0.9%)
Pavilions – 3,000 sq.m. (4.1%)
Open expositions – 10,500 sq.m. (14.4%)
Parking – 6,600 sq.m. (100%)
Access roads – 6,200 sq.m. (8.5%)
The building is divided into 2 main parts, where one part is subject to natural relief and integrates (there are exhibition areas for up to 250 people) while the other seeks to break out, bringing a new sounding. There are administration and amenity facilities (50 workers) and lecture halls. The division into 2 parts provides separation workers from main visitor traffics, keeping the system of soft borders and unity of the system.
The first part:
The entrance area (1,465 sq.m.) has 2 main entrances; one draws people who come from the promenade (under hanging part of the building over relief), the other – draws those who come from the dendrological park, where the square in front of the building is deepened into earth on 13 metres. It allows to create one-tier space. The separate entrance for visitors to the lobby with stairs that lead to the second part.
The entrance area includes: 2 platforms, lobby with recreation and waiting zone and information unit (846 sq.m.), wardrobe (40 sq.m.), souvenir shop (23 sq.m.), place for guiding staff (40 sq.m.), cafe (195 sq.m.), its storage spaces (80 sq.m.) that have separate entrance, access road and toilets (40 sq.m.), storeroom (40 sq.m.).
The main expositional areas – it’s a free universal area with hanging modular slabs (1,320 sq.m.). maximum area of hanging slabs is 550 sq.m.. There is a separate entrance.
Working spaces consists of storage spaces for artifacts (500 sq.m.), workshops (50 sq.m.) are placed in underground part of the building and have separate exits for loading of artifacts.
The second part has separate entrances for workers and visitors of lecture halls and libraries.
The form creates 2 difference in elevation points, rising.
Area for workers: platform (16 sq.m.), lobby (50 sq.m.), security desk (10 sq.m.), meeting room (47 sq.m.), work-room (150 sq.m.), storerooms (48 sq.m.), toilets (34 sq.m.), hall with kitchen (100 sq.m.), laboratories (525 sq.m.), toilets (20 sq.m.), administration offices (110 sq.m.).
Common area: lobby of cinema and lecture room (80 sq.m.), cinema and lecture room for up to 100 people (172 sq.m.), small lecture hall (100 sq.m.), library (213 sq.m.) that has additional storeroom, methodological room (26 sq.m.), toilets (34 sq.m.).
Main settings:
• Construction site - Zaporizhia, Khortytsya island;
• Climate region II. [one]
• Wind region III. The characteristic value of wind pressure is 0.5 kPa [2];
• Seismicity - 6 points [3];
• Snow region IV. Standard snow load is 1.5 kPa. [2];
• Wall thickness in icing - 19 mm. [2];
• The coefficient of responsibility (reliability by purpose) of the structure - ?n = 0.95 [4];
• Seasonal soil freezing - 0.9 m [2];
• The degree of fire resistance of the structure by the applied structures - IIIa. [5];
• Illumination - natural, with side and top illumination and artificial.
• The building is heated.

Constructive solution
The constructive scheme of the museum is a frame-bond frame formed by pipe-concrete columns and metal bolts in both directions.
The foundation is a pile foundation with a block for each supporting column. Section and number of piles is determined by calculation
Columns - 4 types:
Type 1 - made of monolithic reinforced concrete with a diameter of 600 mm cutting to the full height. Clas of concrete C20 / 25. Located in block 1 in axes 6-8.
2nd type - from monolithic reinforced concrete of circular section with a diameter of 450 mm. Class of concrete C 20/25
Type 3 - pipe-concrete column with a diameter of 355.6Х10 taken according to GOST 10704-91 Longitudinal electric-welded pipes
4th type - columns for support mounted self-supporting facade system. Made of rolled metal of rectangular section with a section of 160x120x4 mm taken in accordance with TU 67-2287-80.
Coatings and Covers
           Ribbed floors - in the underground part of the block - monolithic ribbed slab. The cross section of the main beam is 650x300 mm, the secondary beam is 650x300 mm. There are 3 beams in the span (4 meters each). The plate thickness is 200 mm.
In the underground part above the workshops, the main beam is 500x450, the secondary one is 500x300. Plate thickness 200 mm.
Concrete class C 20/25
In all other parts of the blocks, the overlappings are made in the form of spatial plates, which are located inside the metal girders forming separate rigid blocks.
In axes 2-9 from D to J, suspended modular plates are attached to the crossbars.
I-beam crossbar 800 80Б1 according to GOST 26020-83.
Spatial plate section 40Х2 according to GOST 10704-91, straight-welded electrofusion pipes.