We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Chrysi Vrantsi about their original and creative Cultural Center design work. Chrysi Vrantsi is an award-winning architectural designer, that makes our world a better place with their original cultural center works.
Chrysi Vrantsi ("CV") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Argo Cultural Center. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
CV : The building is named after the ship Argo. According to the Greek mythology Argo was the first ship to sail the seas. Argo's main characteristic was its extremely light weight. The Argo Cultural Center looks like a breathtaking ship on land.
CV : To make a connection between Man, Art and Nature. Argo makes full use of the resources of the natural environment and uses contemporary techniques to achieve the main aim of the design
CV : It took me about two years to design this particular design.
CV : I decided to start a project to pursue this inspiration i had and express myself through this design research.
CV : It depends on the scale of the project and the complexity of the structure. Many times we coopate with companies to produce our designs.
CV : I wanted to design a public building that people would have access to for this reason i decided to design a cultural centre.
CV : This is a public building and there is no specific customer for it
CV : Argo is a contemporaty building enhancing the citizens connect both with culture and nature.The project is influenced by the geographical features, the social features as well as the history of the site. Extensive research was carried out during the design, including historical, technological aspects and simulations. The objectives of the research are to create a building which is energy efficient uses high tech materials in a futuristic design and highlights the cultural identity of the area
CV : According to the Greek mythology Argo was the first ship to sail the seas. Argo's main characteristic was its extremely light weight, which facilitated its transportation through land by its own crew. The design of the structure captures the exact moment when the Argonauts carry the vessel, ready to launch it into the sea.
CV : The main design geometry was developed in rhino software and parametric design tools.
CV : The purpose of the building is to make a connection between Man, Art and Nature. Argo makes full use of the resources of the natural environment and uses contemporary techniques to achieve the main aim of the design.
CV : The Argo project has been developed entirely by me.
CV : The role of technology is very critical. The structure is a combination of steel frame and reinforced concrete. The external cladding material is Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete which is dirt repellent and self-cleaning. The facade panels of high-performance white cement and glass fibres offer a lightweight construction. The building designed with energy efficient materials, it uses high quality insulation and insulated glass. The structure has a harvest system that collects rainwater from the roof and then channels it through gutters to an underground storage tank. A part of the roof is covered by solar panels that provide the necessary energy for net zero energy consumption.
CV : The project is influenced by the geographical features, the social features as well as the history of the site. The design has developed using parametric design tools. The result of the project combines history with contemporary architectural design.
CV : There were geographical and material constraints that had to be overcome. Argo responds to current demands. it is a contemporaty building enhancing the citizens connect both with culture and nature.
CV : I wanted to share my design idea and make it public .
