Another Re-design

I felt that my new version of the Rolex building lacked much of the dynamism of the original drawing, and so a re-design was in order. Returning to the original spiky idea, a sketch was drawn, much in the same vein as the original:

This was effectively a hybrid of the first two iterations of the design, and was an improvement on the second. The issue of how to project this into a three-dimensional model still remained, and I was far from happy with my attempts to do so. However, I was particularly taken with the idea of the angular podium, projecting out from a raised ground, and decided to incorporate this feature into the design. I returned to paper again, producing more sketches:

While more restrained and controlled than the previous two designs, I felt that it was a much more successful concept. By having the front and back of the structure come to a point, the issues of bulkiness and heaviness in the earlier iterations was effectively addressed. Furthermore, by having the two smaller side projections act as the entrances, the building is made more relatable and amicable to the visitor by reducing it to the human scale. The skylight section allows natural light into the building in a controlled, Soane-like way, allowing the main thrust of the building to remain uninterrupted, to dramatic effect. This new form is also more conducive to the idea of  a podium, as that structure could be designed simply as a scaled up version of the main building's footprint. With these sketches at hand, I set about converting them to a model:

I then set about producing a landscape for the building to rest in, using the contour feature of Sketchup:

I was quite happy with how the structure and its podium sat in the landscape, projecting dramatically above the surrounding land. I was also taken by the way the building changed as you neared it along the gently sloping  causeway that acts as an approach:

With the building much improved, it is now time to address the stair issue.