Coop Himmelb(l)au - Expo.02 - The Towers of Biel and Open Architecture - The Power and the Freedom

Coop Himmelb(l)au
Expo.02
The Towers of Biel and Open Architecture:
The Power and the Freedom
Forum Arteplage Biel, Switzerland

The three Arteplage towers, symbols of power, weigh 350 tons and took almost a month to erect... piece by piece... screw by screw.

Photo © Gerald Zugmann

Towers have always been regarded as signs of power and symbols of freedom. They are also architectural archetypes, erotic signals of the human desire to be the "monarch of all I survey" - as shown in the parable of the Tower of Babel.

Photo courtesy Expo.02

The design concept for the Expo.02 was orientated on the strategies of urban construction, in order to create outstanding points of reference for further developments. All functional preconditions were integrated into a master plan of urban planning, thus enabling the designers to react to any changes in a flexible way.

Photo courtesy Expo.02

The site of the great exhibition has been conceived as a roofed platform jutting out over the lake, ending in a space with three towers. Its resemblance to an aircraft carrier is not a matter of coincidence but fully intended. Underneath the roof the platform is available to all kinds of utilization and gives room to the exhibition pavilions - just like the buildings of a town.

Photo © Gerald Zugmann

The towers are visible as giant signs by day and experienced as sculptures of sound and light by night, thus emphasizing the vivacious transistor-like character of the Expo.02.

Photo © Armin Hess

The artificial platform covers a site of approx. 16,000 m2 and offers its stage to four exhibitions, two changing activity spaces, and restaurants and bars four meters above the water surface of the Lake of Biel.

Photo © Gerald Zugmann

The tower designs consist of twisted steel constructions, covered with layers of zinc dust, with a height of 35 to 43 meters, and housing activity spaces and event stages, as well as an escape route for the connecting bridge.
The roof is also held in place by steel buttresses at 16 meters above the platform, but it is really supported by a wooden structure.
The outer layer stretching across the primary constructions consists of a kind of grid foil stretched over a frame and inserted like a panel.

Photo © Gerald Zugmann

A spiral ramp, the "Helix", links the platform to the bridge and the exhibition sites on the mainland, thus enabling the visitor to experience vertical space.
All constructions and materials have been conceived and chosen for their later re-usability.

Drawing courtesy Coop Himmelb(l)au

Planning:
Coop Himmelb(l)au
Wolf D. Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky + Partner

Client:
Schweizerische Landesausstellung
Neuenburg, Switzerland

Expo.02
May 15 - October 20, 2002

The sixth Swiss National Exhibition, with five arteplages and 38 expositions, is the guest of the Three Lakes Region.
Bienne and its towers, Neuchâtel and its pebbles, Morat and its monolith, Yverdon-les-Bains and its cloud, the Jura and its boat. Each site is well represented by its icon.
The Expo sharpens your senses, provides you with something to dream about, to laugh about, to think about and invites you to get to know yourself and other people, amidst a whole series of fireworks, exhibitions and events.

Photo: Gerald Zugmann

Photo: Armin Hess

July 29, 2002

Coop Himmelb(l)au arcspace features





				Features
		Coop Himmelb(l)au Expo.02 The Towers of Biel and Open Architecture: The Power and the Freedom Forum Arteplage Biel, Switzerland The three Arteplage towers, symbols of power, weigh 350 tons and took almost a month to erect... piece by piece... screw by screw. Photo © Gerald Zugmann Towers have always been regarded as signs of power and symbols of freedom. They are also architectural archetypes, erotic signals of the human desire to be the "monarch of all I survey" - as shown in the parable of the Tower of Babel. Photo courtesy Expo.02 The design concept for the Expo.02 was orientated on the strategies of urban construction, in order to create outstanding points of reference for further developments. All functional preconditions were integrated into a master plan of urban planning, thus enabling the designers to react to any changes in a flexible way. Photo courtesy Expo.02 The site of the great exhibition has been conceived as a roofed platform jutting out over the lake, ending in a space with three towers. Its resemblance to an aircraft carrier is not a matter of coincidence but fully intended. Underneath the roof the platform is available to all kinds of utilization and gives room to the exhibition pavilions - just like the buildings of a town. Photo © Gerald Zugmann The towers are visible as giant signs by day and experienced as sculptures of sound and light by night, thus emphasizing the vivacious transistor-like character of the Expo.02. Photo © Armin Hess The artificial platform covers a site of approx. 16,000 m2 and offers its stage to four exhibitions, two changing activity spaces, and restaurants and bars four meters above the water surface of the Lake of Biel. Photo © Gerald Zugmann The tower designs consist of twisted steel constructions, covered with layers of zinc dust, with a height of 35 to 43 meters, and housing activity spaces and event stages, as well as an escape route for the connecting bridge. The roof is also held in place by steel buttresses at 16 meters above the platform, but it is really supported by a wooden structure. The outer layer stretching across the primary constructions consists of a kind of grid foil stretched over a frame and inserted like a panel. Photo © Gerald Zugmann A spiral ramp, the "Helix", links the platform to the bridge and the exhibition sites on the mainland, thus enabling the visitor to experience vertical space. All constructions and materials have been conceived and chosen for their later re-usability. Drawing courtesy Coop Himmelb(l)au Drawing courtesy Coop Himmelb(l)au Drawing courtesy Coop Himmelb(l)au Planning: Coop Himmelb(l)au Wolf D. Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky + Partner Client: Schweizerische Landesausstellung Neuenburg, Switzerland Expo.02 May 15 - October 20, 2002 The sixth Swiss National Exhibition, with five arteplages and 38 expositions, is the guest of the Three Lakes Region. Bienne and its towers, Neuchâtel and its pebbles, Morat and its monolith, Yverdon-les-Bains and its cloud, the Jura and its boat. Each site is well represented by its icon. The Expo sharpens your senses, provides you with something to dream about, to laugh about, to think about and invites you to get to know yourself and other people, amidst a whole series of fireworks, exhibitions and events. Photo: Gerald Zugmann Photo: Armin Hess July 29, 2002 Coop Himmelb(l)au arcspace features