THE Formicarium, a center between the urban and the architecture

“By interpretation, understanding, by understanding, appreciation; through appreciation, protection“ -Tilden Freeman

Formicarium in it's context

In order to arrive at the phase of protection of the architectural, cultural and natural heritage, the project proposes not not a simple building but a living space, a built part of a landscape, which will highlight the richness of the site and facilitate the understanding of its components for the target audience through its circuit program

discovery and interpretation trail

The creation of a series of interconnected spaces with organic shapes which, wrapped in earth , is inspired by the caves of the anteaters the primitive house of man, and whose walls were once a canvas for some of mankind's earliest works of art.

View on the Formicarium between the musuem of fine arts and Villa Abd-ElTif

The project is both a center and an interpretive trail, but also a unifying element that brings together all the components of the site while interpreting its environment.

The layout of the route follows the natural runoff lines, in order to interpret the natural elements of this part of the site and to offer visitors a route of discovery of the natural elements and architectural elements of the formicarium. The layout follows the concave level curves to divert the steep slope of the site while inviting the visitor to take a route that passes through the bubbles of the interpretation center. The course is laid out in a vegetated terrace and waterfalls with a sales kiosk, the course is animated by themed breaks oriented on selected views of the bay of Algiers, is on the glass roofs of the bubbles of the interpretation center.

Cafeteria 01

The style of the Cafeteria proposed goes back to the style of the museum of finew arts to interpret the style of the museum.

Visitor circuit and personal circuit

Two routes have been considered: a route specific to visitors to the center with a parallel route for staff that is different and separate from the first. As far as the visitor journey is concerned, it begins with a discovery of the site's heritage and natural riches through immersion in order to follow the logic mentioned above. After hooking the visitor and arousing his curiosity through what he was able to discover in the immersion entity, the latter will be followed by a second entity which is that of education and awareness. This is with the aim of being able to transmit to visitors the different cultural and moral knowledge relating to the site and its heritage. The route continues with the protection phase which follows the awareness phase, for this, a restoration entity brings together restoration laboratories of the various components of the material heritage have been installed, and are thus found near the Museum of Fine Arts and the previous entity. To end the visit in style, the route will end with the leisure entity where various interactive play areas will be available to visitors in order to forge links and keep good memories of the place.

Programing

According to the planned visitor circuit: immersion, education, consumption and entertainment, the spaces that make up its entities have been distributed in such a way as to meet the needs of each space in terms of lighting, sound insulation or accessibility according to the nature of the activity and the target users of spaces ranging from public to private. For example, spaces that do not require lighting such as the hologram and virtual reality spaces are buried and well soundproofed, while consumer spaces and reception areas are accessible, well lit thanks to the openings created and does not have sound insulation. However, with the existence of several accesses to the project, thanks to the connections created through the registries, access control points to the center have been designed to ensure security in the project.

Distribution of spaces

The organizational principles aim to create a museum scenography that reveals information through interactive interpretation spaces. A contemporary museum scenography has been set up to enhance the route and accompany visitors throughout the experience.

Interpretation trails

Two paths have been considere: a path specific to visitors to the center with a parallel path for staff different and separate from the first, which ensures the following social contributions. Improve and enrich the visitor's experience by helping him to understand the heritage and environmental richness of the site. Stitch captivating and thematic stories on the environmental phenomena and the history of the place, to make them respect and empower in relation to it. Stimulate in the visitor a desire to broaden the horizon of his interests and knowledge and to help him understand the great truths that lie behind any statement of facts about the existing heritage.

Sustainability

The choice to create the THE Formicarium Interpretation Center partially buried in the site was born both from the deep reverence for nature as well as the desire to protect the vulnerable ecosystem of the site which represents one of the lungs of the city of Algiers. Thanks to the Centre, the intervention site will be preserved instead of being leveled to make way for future projects, while enhancing the breathtaking view of the Bay of Algiers. the center provides for green roofs, green walls, piezoelectric tiles all along the route. Burying the project will power it using geothermal energy to reduce its carbon footprint. The difference in level between the different entities and bubbles will allow the installation of rainwater recovery tanks from the slopes of the site and the Forest Adventures that are part of the tour circuit.

STRUCTURAL LOGIC

For our case we started with the form finding process from the elements of the site to have the mesh which represents the general shape and then we opted to relax the mesh, and we ended up applying tesselation steps to the mesh in order to move on to manufacturing and execution control. For the materialization we followed four main steps during the modeling and the preparation of the digital model: digital form finding ► Structural Feedback ► Component Design ► Digital Fabrication and Assembly. The use of the stereotomic system as an approach to the design of the constructive system aims to simplify and optimize the form without intensive calculations and continuity of optimization of the form until the start of the construction works.

Concept

The transition of the concept from the urban scale to that of the architecture has as its main objective to integrate into the site, to stitch links, and to maintain a relationship between the project and its immediate environment. The principles that characterize the concept of contemporary interpretation of the context which is the data of the site (contextual information), which is materialized by the Formicarium will become. from then on, the tools of architecture that fade into its environment, giving the impression that it always exists through its biomimicry integration in the landscape and taking inspiration from the anthill. and was materialized by algorithms in Rhino Grasshopper.

Project genesis

The spatial formalization process is based on algorithmic manipulations on Rhino Grasshopper, the process takes into account the contextual parameters, the natural slope, the location on the site and the program developed upstream

Framing of views

Framing of views to the different elements of the city as an act of interpretation of the city.