The wood of tulipwood makes possible the construction of the Pavilion 'sclera', presented at the London Design Festival
The flag 'sclera' is entirely built with wood from American tulipwood, one of American hardwoods of greater height and more abundant on the East side of the United States. Thanks to the sustainable management of U.S. forest resources, their volume growth always exceeds the volume shot down in the forest exploitation. With a 'pedigree' which includes its use for sills fireplace and mouldings in the Buckingham Palace, is currently used mainly for furniture-making industry, for interior carpentry applications and for the manufacture of kitchen cabinets and doors.
David Adjaye was fascinated by the light color of the wood of tulipwood. He also attracted its availability, and bearing in mind that it is used mainly for interior applications, showed a great interest in working with the American Hardwood Export Council (Ahec) in order to extend its use to external applications through a completely innovative project. This courageous decision has been very well mark the beginning of a new era for the American tulipwood as a new and interesting material for external applications such as, for example, architectural coatings. As a result of the project 'sclera', Ahec has worked closely with Osmose, a company specialized in the treatment of the wood, in order to develop commercial applications for the treatment of the tulipwood.
To David Adjaye, as well as the anatomical definition of the term (whitish membrane covering the eye, with a previous opening that engasta the cornea), the name 'Sclera' ("white" in English) refers to a "space from my point of view". Thus, is not surprising the relevance and abundant presence of open areas in the design of the Pavilion, whose sense of spaciousness and freedom are stimulated by the lightness and transparency of wood construction.
The side entrance of this elliptical Pavilion of wood leads to the first of the two circular houses. The second Chamber, of larger dimensions, creates a strong sense of space. The interior offers visitors an experience of spatiality transmitted through the elliptical shape of the wall and soil and the gentle curves of the three-dimensional roof. The clarity of the wood and forms and spaces designed by the architect provide an intense sensory experience tailored to the visitor of moves through the Pavilion.
Bolted serrated elements cover the entire surface of the floor of the Pavilion (12 m x 90 cm). 370 posts, up 4.50 metres in length, and different sections support the vertical lining of the ellipse. On these poles are 68 beams in roof, each of them with a section of 6 x 24 cm. 910 planks, of seemingly random lengths, hanging from the ceiling create a wavy form and being responsible, along with the beams of the ceiling to which they are quietly fixed, three-dimensional effect.
The larger Chamber is the center of the Pavilion. It has an opening in the wall which offers a 'framed' view of the outside barrier-free. This perspective explains the second interpretation of 'sclera' as the term used to refer to the 'membrane with a previous opening that engasta the cornea'.
While may seem a simple design, both the construction of flag-based elements of exact dimensions as its mounting required a great mastery. While the American tulipwood is a stable sort, all sections, except the elements of the pavement, they are manufactured with two sawn boards stuck together face (Duo-Balken). A Resorcine adhesive has been used since it offers better joinings to other adhesives and a good resistance to weathering.
To achieve effective protection against the weather officers, proceeded to spray the components of wood with a first Primer of first Gen. Surfaces were then discussed in an immersion tank, with a priming oil manufactured by Osmose. In the case of larger elements, the application was made with a brush.
For the Assembly placed on the horizontal base of the street, nine carriers in the soil and the high ground of wood. He then proceeded to lift the 370 posts, fixed to the base by means of pins, along with the element of the roof. A total of five fastening systems are responsible for absorbing the side loads of horizontal forces.
Hess Wohnwerk also prefabricó the ceiling from nine essential elements. Since 910 planks suspended interior space design were part of the prefabricated elements, its positioning should be carried out with great accuracy. His fixation should be safe and permanent. Used a unit special numeric control to dial automatically and with a high degree of accuracy the positions in which finally empernarían suspended boards.
For the construction of 'Sclera' in London it took about 50 cubic meters of wood from American tulipwood, provided by the American Hardwood Export Council, with a weight of 25 tons.
From September 13 to October 12, this impressive 'eye' pavilion built in American tulipwood, result of a unique collaboration between David Adjaye and the American Hardwood Export Council, with its interior lighting, has exhibited at the London Design Festival.
The tulipwood is an unusual species. It is unusual because it is a native wood in North America, where it is widely distributed, but it disappeared from Europe during the last ice age, as evidenced by the findings of fossilized pollen. As one of the producers of seeds most prolific of all species of hardwood, the level of sustainability of the tulipwood is not less than of any other species of the United States. It is not strange to find productions of seeds of 741.000 to 1.482.000 per tree or from 300,000 to 600,000 per acre. As a result, stocks on the basis of this species have experienced a continuous increase since 1963, year in which began to perform measurements according to requirements of the federal law of the United States.
The tulipwood ('Liriodendron tulipifera' of the Magnoliáceas family) receives many confusing names. Usually called in the United States tulip poplar or yellow poplar, international level are known as tulipwood in order to differentiate it from the species of the genus Populus, as e.g. the European poplar, Álamo Temblón, which are much less harsh. It's the third most abundant species of the United States, which represents 9 percent of the production of hardwood, after the species of oak.
The tulipwood offers great advantages when the aspects that take precedence are the resistance, lightness and mechanical workability and great lengths of wood entirely free of knots. Another important advantage of this wood lies in its ability to accept treatments for the outdoor use.
