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Sheltered By Walls

 The Circus Maximus at Albisgüetli?

While visiting the shooting range, the ramparts of the site reminded us of the remains of the Circus Maximus. Through analysis of the Circus as well as an analysis of the site, we wanted to find out how we could create our own circus and locate it within the shootingrange. And furthermore what kind of horse race could take place there.

 Day 0: Via Praetoria - Via Principalis

As in the times of the original roman circus, riders must be able to park their horse trailers near the stadium to prepare the horses for the tournament. In order to give the riders orientation on the gravel field, curbs are laid in the ground, taken of the example by the roman castellum. The riders should be given as much space as possible to prepare well for the event. Similar to a pit lane, the horses should be saddled and groomed there to be able to participate for the rest of the tournament.

 Day I : Sheltered by Structure

The Spina is a formative and a magnificent element of the circus, therefore the dressage field is placed as part of the spina, emphasizing dressage riding. The rider and the horse can enjoy the full attention of the audience when they stand on the sand court to present their skills in the arena.  Standing spectators on and below the structure become a part of the scenery.

  Day II: Sheltered by the Rampart

The following morning rider and horse are led further into the arena. Here they can complete the course right next to the spina. Being watched by spectators sitting on the rampart or standing on the spina, they have to jump over normal elements. These could be water trenches or wooden columns but additionally they are supposed to jump over the spina, where the spectators and the riders can get very close.

 Day III: Shelterd by Hedgerow

The last day should also be the highlight of the event, the classical idea of a hippodrome is realized, by going around the spina. Therefore the riders can use the whole arena. As the rider starts at the beginning of the Spina, he follows the rampart into the forest and disappears between the trees. He then comes out galloping until he passes the wooden structure before he goes into the last bend and crosses the finish line.

 The spatial program:

Since many of the horses do not only come from the region, a place is needed where the horses can be prepared for the event. The gravel area, which is often used as a parking lot, will be redesigned. We use the ancient roman geometrical forms of the Decumanus and Cardo (Praetoria and Principalis) to structure the gravel field. The system is implemented through paving stones.

The main axis leads directly to the wooden structure. The latter is freely passable on the ground level, but it is also functions as a belvédère.

The arched structure connects to the path system which is continued on top of the earth walls. These paths then lead further into the forest. The eventing is surrounded by the three wall typologies, only the Cross Country Horse Race passes the edge of the woods.

 The three wall typologies:

The structure: it is mainly made of wood, except for the base which is made of concrete and a steel casing to absorb the inclination of the pillars and also the horizontal forces.

The rampart: in many places, especially in the front area, the ramparts are not high enough to avoid moving too much earth. Wooden supports are rammed into the ground the reduce the amount of dirt which is shifted. This has the further advantage that the arena is more strongly defined.

The embankment: In order to create a steady transition into the forest, bushes and small trees are planted near the track, complemented with tall trees in the back.

 Energy course:

Linear motion: Since the terrain is uneven or the ramparts are too small, they need to be raised once. To avoid that soil has have to be fetched from far away the earth topped on is only from the site itself.

FS 2020 - sheltered by walls

Our design project focuses on the typology of an ancient circus and houses a horse eventing. The arena is embedded in the existing structure of the mounds, between the shooting range and the police area, and expands halfway up the nowadays parking lot.

Our Circus is inspired by the already existing mounds of the shooting range. They give a boundary to the arena but aren’t fully exploited for a stadium. Therefore the question of how to form a wall occurred and we designed three different typologies.

First the walls mainly consisting of only earth. Second the mound that is more structured by vegetation. And third a wooden semicircle which incorporates the characteristics of the earth mounds.

 The arena houses the competition area of the dressage, the jumping and the cross country, the latter expands also into the forest. The rounded structure parts the inside of the arena to the street and the parking lot for the horse trailers.

The parking lot for the horse trailers follow the principle of the decumanus- cardo system, reviving the fundamental ideas of Roman structures.

  Interventions:

 The dressage square enquires a flat surface. The spina needs to be created and some of the mounds need raising. The re-shifting makes sure that the mounds gradually decrease towards the forest, thus opening the circus towards the trees. The added earth mainly consists of the removed earth of the arena, only shifting the existing around.

 There are wooden piles, supporting the mounds and helping them not to slither away, also forming the stands and the same time.

The arched structure is also made from wood and follows the shape of the mounds.

 Planting follows the structure, enhancing and supporting the mounds and the seating areas. The planting consists of bushes and trees. They are chosen on one hand based on the already existing plants in the area and on the other hand by the fact that they are nontoxic for horses. There is a diversity in the height of the stem and width of the treetops. This helps shaping the arena and having visual references. The bushes follow the same logic, with differences in sparsity, width, height and composition.

  Double Circulation:

 The path for the visitors goes around the arena and is set on top of the structure and the mounds and in between the trees that shape the arena. From the bus stop to the forest there is a new link that connects the two outsides with each other. The path convenes with the existing path system in the forest, creating one big net that is used by spectators during competition. This creates a relationship between nature, competitor and viewer.

FS 2020 - sheltered by walls

Our design project focuses on the typology of an ancient circus and houses a horse eventing. The arena is embedded in the existing structure of the mounds, between the shooting range and the police area, and expands halfway up the nowadays parking lot.

The arena houses the competition area of the dressage, the jumping and the cross country, the latter expands also into the forest. The rounded structure parts the inside of the arena to the street and the parking lot for the horse trailers. Visually inspired by the face of the Circus Maximus, the structure functions as an opening gate and as a preparatory room for the riders and their horses. Although the semicircle has quite a presence it still appears as a light structure.

The parking lot for the horse trailers follow the principle of the decumanus- cardo system, reviving the fundamental ideas of Roman structures.

Interventions:

At some parts of the arena, the earth needs reshifting, especially in the part where the dressage square is. Further the spina needs to be created and some of the mounds need a raising. Towards the forest, the height of the mounds gradually decreases, thus opening the circus towards the trees. The added earth should mainly consist of the removed earth of the area, only shifting the existing around.

Planting follows the structure, enhancing and supporting the mounds and the seating areas. The planting consists of bushes and trees. They are chosen on one hand based on the already existing plants in the area and on the other hand by the fact that they are nontoxic for horses. There is a diversity in the height of the stem and width of the treetops. This helps shaping the arena and having visual references. The bushes follow the same logic, with differences in sparsity, width, height and composition.

Circulation:

The path for the visitors follows the structure on top of the mounds and through the trees that shape the arena. From the bus stop to the forest there is a new link that connects the two outsides with each other. The path convenes with the existing path system in the forest, creating one big net that is used by spectators during competition. This creates a relationship between nature, competitor and viewer.

FS, sheltered by walls

Our design project focuses on the typology of an ancient circus and houses a horse eventing. The arena is embedded in the existing structure of the mounds. It expands on one side in form of a racetrack over the rounded end of the circus into the woods. On the other side it follows the circus structure, leading into the trailer park for the competitors and the warmup area; the mounds are continued by trees and bushes which illustrate the circus pattern.

The outer boundaries are further enhanced by the pathway. It follows the structure through the trees and over the mounds, from the bus stop to the path and further into the forest. This path is a permanent connection between forest and city. It convenes with the existing path system in the forest, creating one big net that is used by spectators during competition. This creates a relationship between nature, competitor and viewer.

 The earth of area of the circus needs reshifting. On the upper part of the arena earth will be degraded and used to flatten the terrain overall. Furthermore the mounds need to be raised in certain areas. For the plants which continue the mounds, we have developed a planting scheme, consisting of bushes and trees. The planting enhances the mounds and the seating areas on them, whilst shaping the path on the mound. In the lower area, the part nearer to the city, bushes and trees shape an alleyway and adapt the structural rhythm of an ancient circus.

The plants are chosen on one hand based on the already existing plants in the area and on the other hand the fact that they are nontoxic for horses. We would like to have a diversity in the height of the stem and width of the treetops. This will help shaping the arena. The bushes follow the same logic, with differences in sparsity, width, height and composition.

 In the middle of the arena a spina is located. One half of it is made from earth, the other half preferably out of timber or if necessary clay bricks. In this wooden part, infrastructure for the horse race as well as additional, flexible usages will be housed. This part faces the parking lot for the horse trailers.  The wooden construction is inspired by the outstanding structure built by the Romans, it should resemble them, but be a new take on it.

The main design approach was to analyse the existing ruins of the Circus Maximus and to look at descriptions and pictures of the intact one. A last element we were intrigued by, are the scaffolding systems used for building arches.

There are still different options we’re considering and would like to discuss:

a) This design is mostly based on doric inspirations. The idea was that there is a visual distinction between column, capitel, architrave and cornice. The roof doesn't take on a structural function, allowing to have open and closed parts.

b) The aim was to adapt the form of the stone arcade in wood. Therefore, we would try to have box beams to resemble the stones when you look at the structure in an elevation. With the rest of the structure those beams would form a type of framework that is placed on columns.

As we were not satisfied by the form of our arena, we started to adjust this issue by playing with the possibilities of the area. Thereby we wanted to raise the question if it was possible to implement the parking lot of the shooting range into our project.

This brought us to the question “what does it take to be a hippodrome?”

We still think that there needs to be some earth movement to achieve certain aspects, but big parts of the arena can be made of bushes and trees. Those can be framing elements and may therefore be crucial to our idea. This gives us the opportunity to lower the amount of earth which would be moved. We think that the stadium can be shaped to its significant form by the combination of trees, bushes but as well by built mounds.

But what is the difference between an ordinary arena and a hippodrome?

Sheltered by Walls

For the last time I pet the side of Maximus as a ritual to focus on the race before I walk through the archway between the two walls. The massive wooden structure of the archway meets almost the base, only some bricks separate them. Every time when I pass the wood columns, I feel like going into an ancient arena where enthusiastic people are waiting for the show to start. But in reality there is just the sound of the wind and the claps of the hoof. The structure made from the wood behind the mound invokes a good feeling.

The first few jumps we approach in canter are always nerve-wracking but the following one with the stream in front is a simple obstacle. Simultaneously on the right-hand side the clay-brick stairs are almost tangible but on the top of the mound they seem out of reach. In contrast to yesterdays event which took place in the stadium, todays event goes alongside the terrain and so do the people. I always wonder where they are going to after they descend from the walls.

Even though I want to go faster, in fact however I need to slow down vigorously because the distance between us and the corner is getting to short. The wood chips on the ground are giving us good traction and safety during the race. There are some spectators around, but as they are worried about being hit by the hoofs they keep a safe distance to the track behind a barrier. What a contrast to ordinary days where people would walk or jog on the track. Every year the irreparable jumps are transformed into wood chips which are than distributed on the track. But besides the race the public is also able to use the track, therefore the ground layer needs to be replaced every year. Why not use the irreparable obstacles transformed into wood chips, to use those as ground layer.

 As I turn into the arena again the high walls not only surround us they rather consume us. I push my horse towards the last jumps, racing over grass. Caged by the spina and the stands which are found between the stairs, you do not want to get to close to the wooden beams of the seating. Some of the people are standing on the platform to cheer for us, whilst others remain seated, whether they wait for their favourite equestrian or the sunset is not clear.

Sheltered by Walls

At the moment the area is dominated by the walls. They evoke associations with the remains of the Circus Maximus. The Arena in Friesenberg will be designed based on the elements of the Circus Maximus, the inspiration is more focused on the inside of the Circus. We focused on the remnant and the ruins of the Roman Empire. Also, we had a look at the Stadium in Delphi, where the seating rows are built into the hill.

However we do not plan to hold an event like chariot racing, but go with the Military Horse Racing.

 The Ground Structure

To realize the forms we want to achieve, on some points the existing walls need to be raised, on other points they need to be built from scratch, further needs the arena itself some leveling out. One can do this by removing the walls that have no more function in the design. This terraforming should also be incorporated in the energy drawing. Therefore we want to use what is given on the site, avoiding to transport mud from too far.

Base Structure

The parts which connect the structure to the ground should be made out of the same materials used by the ancient romans- opus cementitium/ opus reticulatum. This should give a solid base for further wooden structures and should also provide the shelter for horses, etc.

Superstructure

The focus on the building material here is wood.

We want the wood to be recycled. First it should be used as the building structure. In its processing it produces sawdust, which is used to cover the racetrack and the floor in the stables. Secondly the beams/ wall parts will further be used for the jumps. In the end all the wood should end up as woodchips for stables and the race.

The Eventing

The event in that form (with a racetrack) only takes place a couple of times in the year but the area also functions as a training-area all year and could also house only jumping or dressage events. Therefore, it concludes that besides the “arena” and the racetrack there is infrastructure such as stables, food storage, material storage and so on (for the maintenance of the horses). 

 Notes

Slide 1: first analysis of the two components Circus Maximus and Friesenberg merged together

Slide 2 and 3: we focused mainly on the arena itself, other infrastructure isn’t planned through yet and therefore don’t show on the map accurately.

Slide 4: reference of Delphi

Slide 5: some sketches regarding the arena

Slide 6: Analysis of a possible racetrack and how the terrain could be used

Slide 7: floorplan and section of the structure in the arena

Slide 8: connection to the floor