PRIYANKA AGRAWAL

B.ARCH SEM IX
URBAN ATRIUMS



Urban atrium are public or semipublic pedestrian
spaces partly or fully enclosed from the
exterior climate. Atrium provides places for
pedestrian, circulation, gathering and
socialization, with many secondary purposes such
as exhibition, dinning, retail and performance.
Their unique urban design contribution is to create
multipurpose gathering spaces, to foster pedestrian-
friendly connection between streets, plazas,
concourses and discrete building and to provide
climate moderated environments for plants & for
people.


True to its Latin derivative for heart, atrium create central concourses and
meeting places for urban life. Most often defined with large transparent
enclosures that admit outdoor, light and air, they include galleries, exhibition
halls, train shed, indoor markets and winter gardens.
Since the overhead enclosure is usually transparent, changes in daylight and
season and the bioclimatic benefits are readily available i.e. the protected
climate allows pedestrian to utilize atrium spaces and their amenities freely
throughout the day and evening.
Atriums add to the inventory of public spaces
available to the pedestrian, joining inside and
outside, and in hospitable climates, a
continuous connection and extended urban
experiences.

Atriums are also
useful in creating
access control
for public,
semipublic and
private building
users. The design
of circulation is
important to the
success of
atriums as public
amenities.


In this public
access is limited
to the street
level, semipublic
circulation is via
bridges and
tunnels, and
private access is
via high elevators.

Pedestrian way
passes trough the
atrium
Coordination between
an atrium design and a
significant urban
pedestrian area.

Atrium space within an old building is
carved by removing portions of each floor
form top to bottom. the structural
frames is left exposed to express the
original framing method and the
subsequent atrium formation.
An advantage of the atrium concept is to enable
restoration and protection of exterior of an
historic building, which is used as part of an atrium
enclosure, thus maintaining the urban fabric ,giving
the building a new interior.
Historic preservation and adaptive reuse

Atrium design offers option in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and
integration of new with old structures.

The plaza atrium is
not contained within a
given building but
exterior to and
connected to them to
interrelate several
buildings by enclosing
a large shared space.
It can be varied in
function and commonly
intertwined with
multileveled
circulation systems.
PLAZA ATRIUM

ARCADE & GALLERIA
the arcade is a public space with hard pavement, a distinctive
roof form, bright daylight and street furnishings.
WINTER GARDEN
Motivation of winter garden was the enjoyment of nature
as an art form-for its beauty and aesthetical appeal. These
motivation combined with the development of iron
structural members and glass.


DESIGN CRITERIA

The spaces should be readily accessible from existing exterior places. this
can be accomplished though direct physical linkage and/or visual
transparency.
Successful atrium spaces should be easily understood for purpose of way
finding circulation and orientation. coherent spatial form and simple
geometry will aid in achieving comprehensible circulations patterns. a strong
spatial concept executed with consistent structural and architectural
expression will aid in orientation.
Atrium space should serves a public pedestrian purpose. They should
contain pedestrian amenities and provide opportunities for socializing and
public occasion.
Technical requirements such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning,
smoke exhaust, fire suppression and electric lighting should be integrated
into a coherent architectonic expression that does not overwhelm the public
spaces.