On a recent trip to Glasgow I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the Glasgow Riverside Museum designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The exterior of the building as well as the interior is truly breathtaking. Above are some images I took whilst visiting the building and its surroundings.
When exploring the exterior of the building I found the cladding material very interesting. The way the light is able to capture different aspects of the design, framing the windows as well as allowing the occupant to look beyond the roof and into the sky. The juxtaposition of the curved walls and angular roof create an interesting contrast allowing the occupier to move gracefully around its facade, but also encourages them to look to the roof and into the sky. On the day of my visit I was lucky enough to see how the sun would rise and set around the building, and witness the sun slowly rises and projects onto the building and within. Another interesting aspect of the design is the way in which public green spaces break up the facade and surrounding area. The architects placed these green spaces within the hidden curves of the building, allowing the public to discover them along the journey around the building.
The facade and interior are a great contrast. Unknown to me when entering the building I was greeted with large tall undulating ceilings carving into the internal space. The way in which the architects have designed the ceiling has allowed the visitors to be influenced by their movement. One area I particularly found interesting was how the roof and windows connected, creating large view framing windows, as well as allowing bright light to enter into the populated space.
An interior area which was particularly inspiring was where the architects had designed a central spiral displaying bicycles throughout time. These bicycles were placed on a velodrome structure, creating a key focal point that can be viewed through every internal window or view point. The windows also helped to frame the external spaces, most looking onto the external public squares allowing a connection with those visitors both inside and out. The windows are also placed where the facades bends, this allows the building to create large sunken windows encouraging the visitors to stop and take in the views. The size of the windows allows for an uninterrupted view of the local area.
Overall this building is a true example of how architecture can influence an environment as well as being highly inspirational to those interested in architecture as well as those who are there to enjoy the exhibits and history. The museum is completely free to visit which I think is amazing, as it allows everyone to experience both highly inspiration architecture as well as exploring transport through the ages.
