Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Location: London, England
Client: Olympic Delivery Authority
Main Contractor: Balfour Beatty
Project Team: Alex Bilton, Alex Marcoulides, Barbara Bochnak, Carlos Garijo, Clay Shorthall, Ertu Erbay, George King, Giorgia Cannici, Hannes Schafelner, Hee Seung Lee, Kasia Townend, Nannette Jackowski, Nicolas Gdalewitch, Seth Handley, Thomas Soo, Tom Locke, Torsten Broeder, Tristan Job, Yamac Korfali, Yeena Yoon
Project Area: 15,950 sqm (Legacy), 21,897 sqm (Olympic)
Project Year: 2011
Photographs: Hélène Binet, Hufton + Crow

Design Concept

The architectural concept of the London Aquatic Centre is inspired by the fluid geometries of water in motion, creating spaces and a surrounding environment that reflect the riverside landscapes of the Olympic Park. An undulating roof sweeps up from the ground as a wave – enclosing the pools of the Centre with a unifying gesture of fluidity, while also describing the volume of the swimming and diving pools.

The Aquatics Centre is designed with an inherent flexibility to accommodate 17,500 spectators for the London 2012 Games in ‘Olympic’ mode while also providing the optimum spectator capacity of 2000 for use in ‘Legacy’ mode after the Games.

Site Context

The Aquatics Centre is within the Olympic Park Masterplan. Positioned on the south eastern edge of the Olympic Park with direct proximity to Stratford, a new pedestrian access to the Olympic Park via the east-west bridge (called the Stratford City Bridge) passes directly over the Centre as a primary gateway to the Park. Several smaller pedestrian bridges will also connect the site to the Olympic Park over the existing canal.

The Aquatic Centre addresses the main public spaces implicit within the Olympic Park and Stratford City planning strategies: the east-west connection of the Stratford City Bridge and the continuation of the Olympic Park along the canal.

Layout

The Aquatics Centre is planned on an orthogonal axis that is perpendicular to the Stratford City Bridge. All three pools are aligned on this axis. The training pool is located under the bridge with the competition and diving pools located within the large pool hall enclosed by the roof. The overall strategy is to frame the base of the pool hall as a podium connected to the Stratford City Bridge.This podium element contains of a variety of differentiated and cellular programmes within a single architectural volume which is seen to be completely assimilated with the bridge. The podium emerges from the bridge to cascade around the pool hall to the lower level of the canal.The pool hall is expressed above the podium by a large roof which arches along the same axis as the pools. Its form is generated by the sightlines of the 17,500 spectators in its Olympic mode. Double-curvature geometry has been used to generate a parabolic arch structure that creates the unique characteristics of the roof. The roof undulates to differentiate between the volumes of competition pool and the diving pool. Projecting beyond the pool hall envelope, the roof extends to the external areas and to the main entrance on the bridge that will be the primary access in Legacy mode. Structurally, the roof is grounded at 3 primary positions with the opening between the roof and podium used for the additional spectator seating in Olympic mode, then in-filled with a glass façade in Legacy mode.

http://www.archdaily.com/161116/london-aquatics-centre-for-2012-summer-olympics-zaha-hadid-architects/

 

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston | Mies Van der Rohe

After completing a master plan for the site in 1953, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was commissioned by The Museum of Fine Arts Houston to do two additions to the Caroline Wiess Law Building. Cullinan Hall and Brown Pavilion were added in 1953 and 1974 respectively. See more after the break.

The museum’s original building was designed in 1924 by William Ward Watkin in the Neoclassical style. Here, the South facade features tall Greek columns. In contrast, Van der Rohe’s addition on the North side of the museum stands as a renowned example of International style. Along with the National Gallery in Berlin, the additions to MFAH is Mies van der Rohe’s only museum work.

Utilizing 30 foot ceilings, and 6,800 square feet of open floor space, Cullinan Hall is the museum’s largest and most flexible space for events. Selections from the museum’s permanent collection of Modern and Contemporary art are generally showcased in this portion of the museum. The gently curved gallery is often used for formal events. Together, Cullinan Hall and Brown Pavilion make up over 10,000 square feet of gallery and reception space.The fan-shaped design featured by Mies van der Rohe increases floor space while the radial steel construction allows for a dramatic curtain wall facing the street. The use of modern materials of the time, such as industrial steel and large-pane glass, helped Mies van der Rohe define his “skin and bones” approach. By producing minimal framework for the museum, he implies the freedom of free-flowing open space throughout the interior volume.

Architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Project Year: 1953, 1974
References: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Photographs: Wikimedia Commons: MFAH archive, Flickr: yan.da

http://www.archdaily.com/153819/ad-classics-the-museum-of-fine-arts-houston-mies-van-der-rohe/

China Diamond Exchange Center | Goettsch Partners

Architect: Goettsch Partners
Location: Shanghai, China
Project Year: 2005-2009
Photographs: 1st Image

The China Diamond Exchange Center is a 535,500 square foot office complex designed by Goettsch Partners of Chicago, Illinois.  Located within Shanghai’s sea of massive and often overstated high-rises, this modest-by-comparison structure is brilliantly detailed, appropriately scaled, and aesthetically beautiful.  The complex was completed in 2009 with the help of associate architects Zhong-fu Architects.  The Diamond Exchange Center is sited within Shanghai’s Pudong district, an international financial and commercial hub and houses both the Exchange and additional relative tenants.

In addition to office space on the upper levels, the building includes retail on the ground floor and a second floor that features the elevator lobby, exhibition space and a restaurant.  According to the architect description, the building was conceived as two rectangular office slabs joined by a skylit atrium.  One of the two office slabs is dedicated to the members of the China Diamond Exchange, while the other tower houses the remainder of the complex’s tenants.  The separation of tenants allows for secure transport for Diamond Exchange members within their own tower, thereby eliminating any potential security breaches for the high-profile office functions.  While distinct with regards to program,  both towers are clad with exterior aluminum and contrast the transparency of the atrium.

The atrium is the undeniable focal point of the building, featuring a 66×230 foot cable-supported curtain wall.  The immense scale of the atrium is an impressive entrance to visitors and employees and provide access to the elevators that serve as the complex’s primary vertical circulation arteries.  Not only is the atrium an impressive architectural statement, it is also integral to the daylighting scheme of the complex and brings natural light to the relatively narrow 20m wide floor plate of its abutting towers.  The primary tenants’ core business inspired the design, with  diamond-shaped elements featured throughout the scheme — these elements includes the atrium’s glass skylight, the geometry of the entry canopy, and the main lobby floor pattern.

http://www.archdaily.com/157675/china-diamond-exchange-center-goettsch-partners/

read it here from: http://trendsideas.com/Article13947/UnitedStates/OfficeDesign

Credit List

Location : China Diamond Exchange Center (Shanghai)

Architect : Goettsch Partners

Interior design, public spaces :Goettsch Partners

Construction company : Shanghai No 2 Construction

Associate architect : Shanghai Zhong-fu Architects

Structural engineer : Shanghai Tong-qing Technologic Development

Civil, mechanical and electrical engineer : Shanghai Zhong-fu Architects

Quantity surveyor : Shanghai Sunking Construction Project Management

Landscaping : ADI

Fire consultant : Shanghai Zhong-fu Architects

Cladding : Aluminium

Roof : Glass and aluminium skylight by Shanghai MeiTe Curtain Wall System Co

Facade : Glass from China Southern Glass Glazing

System : Curtain wall by Shanghai MeiTe Curtain Wall System Co

Hardware : Dorma

Flooring : White Carrara marble

Wallcoverings : Water-white glass with specialty frit from China Southern Glass

Lighting : Shanghai Hai New Century Co

Heating/air conditioning : Toshiba

Lift and escalator services :ThyssenKrupp

Story by Charles Moxham
Photography by 1st-image

Even in a substantial Grade A office tower, the potential reallocation of spaces can be a major design consideration. Together with clean, contemporary architecture, generous floor plates, and ergonomic pedestrian flows, there should be the option to repurpose the spaces as business needs evolve.
The China Diamond Exchange Center, designed by Goettsch Partners and commissioned by Shanghai Lujiazui Development Co, stands tall on Century Avenue – the main boulevard in Shanghai’s Pudong district and the city’s financial and commercial hub.
The 15-storey, nearly 50,000m2 building provides space for the China Diamond Exchange, which currently occupies one side of the building, as well as other related tenancies. In addition to office space on the upper levels, the building includes ground-floor retail facilities, with the elevator lobby, exhibition space and a restaurant on the floor above.
Partner at Goettsch, James Zheng says the building was conceived as two large rectangular structures connected by a central glass atrium, which looks like a giant sparkling diamond sandwiched between great slabs of coal.
“The core business of the major tenants inspired the design in other ways, too,” says Zheng. “Diamond-shaped elements can be seen in the atrium’s glass skylight, the structural geometry of the entry canopy, and the lobby floor.”
Essentially, the architecture of the China Diamond Exchange Center is a tribute to its stock in trade – an aesthetic that also helps it stand out from other, in many cases taller, structures nearby.
A colour palette of black, grey and red dominates the building. The two office blocks are fronted in black, which provides hard-to-read surfaces that disguise the intakes and exhausts of the mechanical systems. All building systems were pushed to the outer areas of the building in the pursuit of large, uncluttered floorplates that are both attractive to tenants and practical in terms of reconfiguring offices as required.
Exposed metal elevator cabs, stainless steel cables and other, more reflective surfaces lend a subtle contrast in grey. In addition, there are several splashes of red within the decor. With many positive connotations in Chinese culture, this colour brings a sense of warmth to the minimalist spaces.
“The translucent glass atrium and open elevator towers are the central focus of the building,” says Zheng. “Besides evoking the strength and sparkle of diamonds, the atrium creates a sense of business transparency. At the front and rear of the building, 20m x 70m net walls supported by cables admit maximum light into the cavernous central space.”
The three elevators, in the middle of the atrium, climb to sky bridges on all levels that lead to both towers. The activity of the elevators is not only visible from the lobby but also from outside, through the gleaming net wall. Similarly, activity on the street can be seen from within the atrium, further animating the ground-level spaces.
The architect and developer had far-sighted plans for this tower and the elevator banks are a clue to the ongoing viability of the building.
“With diamonds being such a valuable commodity, staff working in that tower enter through a screening room and then travel up to their floor on separate, secure elevators away from the public eye,” says Zheng. “So, while the central elevators appear to service both sides, in reality they currently only take people up to the multi-use tower.”
It is envisaged that in the future, the China Diamond Exchange will occupy both sides of the building, and at that time all levels and both towers will be accessed, via security, by the central elevators.
“We could have built separate elevator shafts for both towers, but the long-term view dictated that we build the central, feature elevators that could eventually be utilised by all,” Zheng says.
Topping the towers – and adding to their adaptive use – are upscale penthouse spaces that are likely to evolve into executive offices or exhibition areas.
“Everything about the China Diamond Exchange Center was designed with an eye on the future.”

Radian Apartments | Erdy McHenry Architecture

Architect: Erdy McHenry Architecture
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Structural Engineer: The Harman Group
Mechanical Engineer: PHY Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineer: Pennoni Associates, Inc.
General Contractor: Intech Construction
Project Area: 170,000sqf
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Erdy McHenry Architecture

The Radian Apartments are a 14-story, 500-bed residential and retail center at the edge of the University of Pennsylvania’s rapidly expanding campus. The Radian’s name is based on its angular-design feature created by Philadelphia-based Erdy McHenry Architecture, LLC. The project was initiated by a private developer in collaboration with the University, which owns the land. It is built with contested space in mind. It neither belongs to the assortment of retail spaces of West Philadelphia nor to the flat academic buildings that are signature of University City. It gracefully blurs the line between these two opposing landscapes, while upgrading the atmosphere of both.

The modular style of the Radian references the unit construction of dormitories, yet progressively steers away from their trademark rigidity. Apartments range from one bedroom to four, and are arranged differently on each floor. The flexible plan, combines a one bathroom apartment with a four bathroom apartment, creating random junctions and unexpected engagements. The connections made inside the building, expressed outside by windows etched on the facade, are unified by the single white ribbon wrapping itself around the frame of the building.

Ground-level retail pushes back from the street opening a public space for informal gathering. The residential entrance exists along this axis and public activity extends up and under the residential tower via a grand stair. This open court aligns with an adjacent quad on the south side of Walnut Street connecting with Locust Walk. Outdoor dining options are provided at the upper terrace level and allow for glimpses onto the street.

The building’s sustainable features include a green roof and a prefabricated rain-screen facade. The 10,000 square foot green roof acts as a storm-water management system, funneling water off impervious surfaces and into the garden, while controlling the release of excess water into Philadelphia’s combined sewer system. The retention basin is marked by the landscape above it, a simple grove of trees.

http://www.archdaily.com/158386/radian-apartments-erdy-mchenry-architecture/

Three PNC Plaza | Gensler

Architect: Gensler
Location, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Structural Engineer: Astorino
Sustainability Consultant: Paladino & Company
Contractor: P.J. Dick
Project Area: 750,000sqf
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Gensler

Setting the stage for Pittsburgh to become a representation of intellectual, sustainable urban growth, Three PNC Plaza is a 750,000 square foot, 23-story mixed-use development designed byGensler. The LEED Gold registered project is comprised of a Fairmont Hotel, offices, residential condominiums, ground-floor retail and below-grade parking. Recently, International law firm Reed Smith moved their corporate headquarters into the building as their signage adorns the structure’s top floors. These divers programmatic typologies within a single project in downtown Pittsburgh at the intersection of the commercial and cultural corridors of Fifth and Liberty, generates interminable activity, enhancing the vigor of the city’s urban core.

PNC is a keystone of commerce in Pittsburgh, a city which had not seen a new tower in its downtown core in more than 20 years. This project presented the opportunity to activate and revitalize the heart of the city. To that end, the aesthetic and conceptual notion of stitching was the basis of the project’s design. On the facade, disparate programmatic elements including hotel, condominiums, office, and retail, are reflected in distinct facade materials, all of which are stitched into a balance, singe structure.

Curtainwall glazing visually distinguishes the programmatic elements of the building. For example, crystal-clear glazing for the condominiums create a “jewel-box” effect, differentiating them from offices and hotel, whose low-E-glazing offers enhanced energy efficiency, and is identified by a green tint.

Office and hotel floor plates feature highly efficient core layouts and optimal lease and planning spans. Upper levels of the office floor are defined by a large horizontal notch expression that ties the space to an outdoor roof garden. The condo units are separated from the hotel rooms that share the same floor plate but are located in the portion of the building with optimal views and daylight.

At the ground level, the design goal was to activate street life by creating a vibrant environment. Lobbies for the office, hotel, and residential portions of the project are all open to the street, and are interconnected. Literally and figuratively, the design stitches the program of the buildings interior to the urban fabric.

The lobby features a dramatic high ceiling that ushers in abundant natural light, a sculptural front desk that echoes the angular quality of the building facade, and an asymmetric grand staircase leading to a restaurant located above the front desk.

Striving to create a locally authentic experience, the design team was guided by the theme “Art & Industry.” Local steel and glass can be found in design details throughout the hotel and in works by local artists such as the dramatic ballroom chandelier and glass pendant fixtures in the lobby and bar. Artifacts from the 1800′s discovered during building excavation were incorporated into the hotel’s design and are displayed in key locations throughout the hotel.

http://www.archdaily.com/158690/three-pnc-plaza-gensler/

School of Nursing and Student Community Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston / Lake|Flato Architects and BNIM Architects

Architect: BNIM Architects, Lake|Flato Architects
Location: Houston, Texas, United States
Project Team: Steve McDowell, FAIA; Kimberly Hickson, AIA; Chris Koon, AIA; David Immenschuh; David Lake, FAIA; Greg Papay, AIA; Kenny Brown
Consultants:  BNIM Architects, Jaster Quintanilla & Associates, Carter Burgess, Inc.,Ferguson Consulting, Inc., Supersymmetry, Clanton Associates, Epsilon Engineering,Walter P. Moore, Coleman & Associates, Apex Busby, Rolf Jenson & Associates, Philo & Wilke Architects, Arup, Pelton Marsh Kinsella, Worrell Design Group, Lerch Bates & Associates, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, Rocky Mountain Institute, Elements
Contractor: Jacobs/VaughnGreg Papay, FAIA
Project Area: 18,023 sqm
Project Year:  2004
Photographs: Hester + Hardaway

By improving health and reducing environmental harm, the collaboration between Lake|Flato Architects and BNIM Architects for the UTHSC School of Nursing has become a model for social and educational space that is both inspiring and accountable.Located in the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center, this building reaches out to the rest of the almost 50 medical institutions nearby, but is still able to stand out amongst its surroundings because of its promotion of health not only in function and use, but in construction and performance as well.  Given the density of the medical center and the size of its site, the building becomes a vertical campus, with a gradient of public-to-private spaces moving up from the ground level.

The most prevalent and impressive aspect of the project is its sustainability efforts. The entire UTHSC School of Nursing was built with 50% recycled materials. Photovoltaic panels and daylight strategies on the different facades respond to varying solar conditions depending on their orientation, and utilize natural light without increasing heat gain, leading to a 40% reduction in energy use. Rainwater collection allows for a 60% reduction in water use. All of these processes together lead the project to reach LEED Gold certification.

http://www.archdaily.com/156788/school-of-nursing-and-student-community-center-at-the-university-of-texas-health-science-center-in-houston-lakeflato-architects-and-bnim-architects/

Heisdorf Residence for the Elderly | Hermann & Valentiny and Partners

 

Architects: Hermann & Valentiny and Partners (HVP)
Location: Heisdorf, Germany
Client: Maredoc a.s.b.l.
Project Year: 2007
Project Area: 6,040 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of HVP

The old castle of Heisdorf, situated in a park with marvelous mature trees, has undergone numerous alterations (extensions) since it was first built in the 19th century. Nevertheless, it was too small and above all could not offer the levels of comfort expected today in a facility of this kind.

HVP approached this work cautiously. They renovated the historic building fabric of the castle, but without visible architectural changes. In contrast, the accumulated extensions were demolished and replaced by a new wing linked to the castle by an elevated glazed connecting element.

The new building is oriented north-south with large glazed loggias (known as “curiosities”) on one side, facing in the direction of the castle and projecting roofed balconies looking onto the park on the other.

Without any doubt, making the new building of exposed concrete was a risk. But the building is so convincingly integrated in the existing fabric – surrounded by a newly designed outdoor area with water, steps to sit upon, paved and carefully planted green areas – that it represents a facility with an extremely high value indeed. A great deal of wood and glass was employed and spaces are flooded with daylight, friendly and warm. Particularly important for the elderly, the residents feel protected yet unrestricted thanks to the openness in many areas, offering a view of everything going on outside.

http://www.archdaily.com/159063/heisdorf-residence-for-the-elderly-hermann-valentiny-and-partners/

Apple Reveals Plans for Fifth Avenue Cube | Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

When the iconic Apple glass cube on Fifth Avenue was shroud in barriers in preparation for renovation in June, the future of the flagship Apple store was unclear.  It was only revealed that Apple would be removing the glass cube and working on drainage, pavers, and bollards on the plaza, but just what changes were to be made to the cube itself remained elusive.

Apple has now revealed that the glass panels as we have known them will be replaced with larger panels to create a seamless appearance.  A sign now states, “We’re simplifying the Fifth Avenue cube. By using larger, seamless pieces of glass, we’re using just 15 panes instead of 90.”  There will be three panels per side of the cube, running the full length.  During the day the store is faintly recognizable as a glass encasing for an underground world; at night the store glows from the inside out.  With this new structural detailing, the building will likely appear even more subtle during the day and more brilliant at night.

This original design is an innovation by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and structural engineersEckersley O’Callahan.  The glass cube and subterranean glass staircase were trademarked in 2010, associating the vision of the architecture with Apple’s own innovations.

We recently reported that according to documents released by the city of Cupertino, Foster + Partners will be the architects of the new Apple Campus in Cupertino, California. Steve Jobs shared the following, “We’ve used our experience making retail buildings all over the world now, and we know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural use.”

http://www.archdaily.com/160138/apple-reveals-plans-for-fifth-avenue-cube/

  

 

        

pple’s second Manhattan retail store opened May 19th in New York City. Located at 767 Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets, the prominent site near FAO Schwarz and Bergdorf Goodman provides views of Central Park.”We opened our first New York store in SoHo in 2002, and it has been successful beyond our dreams. Now we’re thrilled to open our second New York store on Fifth Avenue,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With outstanding service and an amazing location open 24 hours a day, we think the Apple Store Fifth Avenue is going to be a favorite destination for New Yorkers and people around the world.”The store occupies the underground retail concourse of the General Motors Building, with entry from the plaza level above. “The new plaza in front of the General Motors building on Fifth Avenue at 59th Street is a triumph of urban design.” said James Gardner in the New York Sun. “Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, New York has a new public space that will prove to be a source of civic pride and aesthetic delight.”

Designers Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and structural engineers Eckersly O’Callahan (glass elements) in collaboration with Apple used Apple Stores’ signature structural glass vertical circulation to entice plaza level passersby down to the store’s underground main level. The 32-foot structural glass cube marking the store’s entrance makes a bold architectural statement. Housing a transparent glass elevator wrapped by a circular glass stair, the transparent cube beckons potential customers down to the retail level below. By day it is a skylight bringing natural light underground, while at night the lighted cube is a sign. “It was in Apple’s DNA to try to make something that no one else had the vision to create,” said Ron Johnson, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail.

Visitors descend the glass stair or travel in the all-glass elevator, entering a carefully tailored stainless steel and stone environment where Apple’s products take center stage. Custom-designed wooden store fixtures, stainless steel ceiling and wall panels and an Italian stone floor make an elegant, yet restrained backdrop.

Awards

2008 Honor Award
AIA Pennsylvania

2007 Award of Excellence for Design
AIA New York State

2007 Excellence in Architecture
AIA San Francisco

2007 American Architecture Award
Chicago Athenaeum

2007 Honorable Mention, Best Retail Space
Travel + Leisure Magazine Awards

2006 Design Award
Business Week/Architectural Record Awards

http://www.bcj.com/public/projects/project/82.html

The Barnes Foundation on the Parkway | Tod Williams + Billie Tsien

The last chance to see the Barnes Foundation’s artwork in its original setting has passed. It is now being prepared for the move to its new home in downtown Philadelphia. Architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien designed the new building for the Barnes Foundation with respect for its strong history and as a reflective addition of the foundation’s mission. The building is scheduled for completion in late 2011.

The Barnes Foundation was initiated by Albert Barnes in the early 20th century to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts” and horticulture. The foundation has been located in Merion, Pennsylvania for almost a century where Barnes built a gallery around his collection of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings.

Barnes himself arranged the paintings for display in Merion, and retaining the original placements is a priority for the foundation as well as the architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. In order to accomplish this, the galleries in Philadelpia will replicate the scale, proportion and configuration of the Merion galleries, but will benefit from a glass canopy to allow in natural light for improved viewing conditions. Other spaces in the new building are entirely original to the Foundation’s expansion.

Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects combined the galleries with spaces to compliment the secondary teaching and horticultural missions of the Barnes Foundation. Classrooms and interior gardens neighbor gallery spaces on each level and there are vast public gardens surround the exterior. Additional program new to the Philadelphia expansion includes a café, auditorium, special exhibitions gallery, and facilities for painting conservation and restoration.

Along with the preservation of gallery designs from Marion, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien worked with Olin landscape architects to recall the Marion gardens in the new site. The design concept by the architects is a “ gallery in a garden” accomplished through the beautifully designed public gardens surrounding the building sited in the center.

The grey and gold limestone clad building sits on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and will quickly become a new feature along this stable cultural route. The rectangular glass protrusion covering the length of the building allows light into the galleries through the day, and at night will glow. It is another asset to the artwork and the Barnes Foundation, and a spotlight highlighting the move to its new city, Philadelphia.

Architects: Tod Williams + Billie Tsien
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Project Year: In Progress
Photographs: The Barnes Foundation

http://www.archdaily.com/158892/the-barnes-foundation-on-the-parkway-tod-williams-billie-tsien/

 

 

Fabrikstrasse 15,Basel | Gehry Partners

Sunlight penetrates the protective glazing of Frank Gehry’s Fabrikstrasse 15 — even through the photovoltaic-cell panels of the roof — filling the interior with light. A skylight integrated into the campus grounds (center) brings daylight light down into the lower-level auditorium above the stage.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

Completed in 2009, Frank Gehry’s Fabrikstrasse 15 is an icon on the growing Novartis Basel campus. In the evening its brilliant sculptural form is underscored by layers of light — all on the interior — that gently wash the facade, illuminate the workstations, and glow from within its core.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

A central atrium brings daylight to interior Gehry-designed workstations and glass-enclosed “private rooms” at the heart of the office floors. Adjustable metal-halide up and downlights illuminate this space when necessary and reflect off overhead white lamellas (a radiator-like array that also diffuses sunlight from the glass roof and provides radiant cooling).

Photo © Thomas Mayer

Photovoltaic cells are integrated in the glass roof surfaces to generate renewable energy for the electrical lighting and to provide an effective sunscreen against solar gain in upper levels of the building.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

Below grade, a 600-seat auditorium can be divided into two sections. It features: a wood-lined acoustical wall perforated with a subtle graphic pattern by the New York–based graphic design firm 2×4; a flexible glass-ceiling system that evenly distributes the light of cool, daylight-quality linear fluorescent lamps; and amber LEDs that create an atmospheric glow into the room from under the seats.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

Employees sitting at workstations designed by Frank Gehry are protected from the sun’s glare by a sophisticated system of saillike shades, controlled by daylight sensors. Artemide Tolomeo desk lights provide additional task lighting for a more personal, intimate environment.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

L’Observatoire installed cool white fluorescent lamps above the auditorium’s glass ceiling that blend imperceptibly with the daylight coming into the space from a skylight above the stage that Gehry incorporated into the campus green.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

A large trapezoidal skylight in the floor of the first office level brings light into the center of the ground floor café below it, as well as through a second skylight that continues the flow of light into the lower level learning center and auditorium lobby.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

Light from a central skylight in the café of Fabrikstrasse 15 penetrates into the lower level learning center and auditorium lobby, as well as into interior classroom windows.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

LED-backed-veneer media columns feature directional graphics and signage in the public lobby, lower levels, and ground floor dining areas.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

Multi-directional chandeliers above conference tables designed by Gehry Partners cast ambient fluorescent light up towards the ceiling and more directional beams from halogen lamps down onto the table.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

The giant floating “Mama Cloud” light fixture designed designed by Frank Gehry floats above a long table at the entrance to the café from the campus green.

Photo © Thomas Mayer

1. plaza-level lobby restaurant and café
2. office floors
3. atrium
4. auditorium
5. IT learning classrooms
6. skylight
7. campus green

Image courtesy Gehry Partners

Photo © Thomas Mayer & Image courtesy Gehry Partners

Breaking the bounds of of Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani’s master plan, Fabrikstrasse 15 by Frank Gehry stands in a surprising juxtaposition to the serene array of rectilinear buildings that dominate the Novartis campus. It is located at the geographic heart of the campus, in full view of the company’s renovated 1939 Forum 1 International Headquarters building, and across the street from a refined stretch of porticoed offices and labs by Adolf Krischanitz, Rafael Moneo, Lampugnani, and Yoshio Taniguchi. The highly visible, independent site gave the architect freedom to exploit his expansive, free-spirited style.

Relieved from many of the constraints binding the other architects, Gehry and his team created a voluminous 209,896-square-foot building that manifests the Novartis commitment to an open and environmentally responsible workplace in its crystalline transparency and intricate sustainable strategies.

Anchored to a load-bearing reinforced-concrete skeleton that sits on a rigid 56-foot-deep basement box, the building’s structural steel shell supports an active triple-glazed envelope that is tied to its natural ventilation and lighting systems through a centralized building facility-management system. Like a finely tuned machine, the building performs unobtrusively to provide comfortable surroundings for its occupants. Sliding glass doors on the ground floor and operable windows discharge excess solar yields and facilitate the flow of outside air, aided by a mechanical fresh-air system around the perimeters of the upper levels.

Home to the human resources (HR) department, as well as to a top-floor campus reading room, a 600-seat multiuse auditorium and IT learning center (both below grade), and a ground-floor restaurant and café that spill out onto the campus green, Fabrikstrasse 15 is a hub of activity. The warm, wood-lined interiors feature whimsical LED-backed-veneer media-columns and modular Gehry-designed furnishings and workstations.

In accordance with Novartis chairman Daniel Vasella’s versatile “multi-space” office concept, the architects arranged the HR floors on the five upper levels with flexible, open-plan work spaces and glass-enclosed “private rooms,” bisecting them with a central atrium and serpentine stainless steel stair to bring light down through the core of the volume. A series of skylights strategically inserted into the floor and grounds around the building carry daylight to the café, the lower-level learning center, and the auditorium stage.

According to Gehry Partners project architect Kamran Ardalan, daylight is harvested and managed in several ways: The low-E glazing is articulated with ceramic frits on the facade to reduce direct solar gain; an orchestrated series of low-E-coated, saillike interior shades operate on sensors to minimize glare and additional heat; and sound-absorbing lamellas under the roof diffuse sunlight and further compensate for the thermal load by serving as cooling radiators filled with slightly chilled water. In addition, photovoltaic cells integrated into the glass roof panels not only generate enough power for the building’s electric lighting, they supply an additional layer of solar shading.

“The amount of daylight inside the building is consistently monitored,” says Ardalan. Electric lighting is used only when there isn’t enough daylight, he adds — and to illuminate the building at night.

Looking frosted and icy-white on a bright afternoon, the building assumes a brilliant clarity as the sun sets, revealing its inner workings like a child’s “visible engine” kit. This effect stems from a perceptive, energy-efficient electric lighting scheme by the New York–based L’Observatoire that balances program and architecture.

It was a challenge, says principal Hervé Descottes: “It’s such a transparent building that you could lose its sculptural aspects.” To achieve a soft, lanternlike glow, Descottes and his team layered the structure with light from within.

Initially, they created a layer by washing the mullions of the facade with metal-halide uplights installed inside the perimeter of the first level. Then they added a second layer of ambient and task lighting on the office floors, using compact fluorescent lamps. Here the lighting team kept the general light levels lower than usual to emphasize the glow of the fixtures at each desk, a tactic used to establish an intimate ambience for employees.

Next they installed linear fluorescent fixtures to wash the wood walls on all the levels, and inserted cool T5s above awninglike glass ceiling panels in the auditorium that create a seamless transition with the sunlight penetrating the skylight.

Last, they lined the atrium with adjustable metal-halide fixtures from the ground floor up to the roof, directing them up and down, and reflecting light off the white lamellas. This move, perhaps the most important, brightens the center of the building and underscores its voluptuous form.

During a recent visit on a warm and sunny summer morning, the offices were bursting with light — without a hint of glare — and wonderfully temperate minus the chill of air conditioning. A holistic tour de force, Fabrikstrasse 15 is illuminating in its transparency and ability to harness the aura and power of light — both generated and from the sun. Such a building defines the spirit of Novartis as an enlightened workplace.

Owner: Novartis Pharma AG

Completion Date: June 2009

Gross square footage: 19´500 m2

Total construction cost: Confidential

Architect:
Gehry Partners, LLP
12541 Beatrice Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Tel: 310-482-3000
Fax 310-482-3006

People

Architect:
Gehry Partners, LLP
12541 Beatrice Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Tel: 310-482-3000
Fax 310-482-3006

Personnel in architect’s firm who should receive special credit:
Frank Gehry – Partner In Charge
Edwin Chan – Design Partner
Terry Bell – Project Partner
Kamran Ardalan & Herwig Baumgartner – Project Manager / Architects

Principal Project Team:
Sven Newmann
Patricia Eva Schneider
Ron Tannenbaum
Narineh Mirzaeian
Manoucher Eslami
Vartan Chalikian

Schematic Design Project Team:
Joshua Morey
Yoram Lepair
Timothy Paulson
Frank Mahan
Earle Briggs
David Dorn
Andrew Fastman
Frank Weeks
Manuel Blanco-lonqueria
Lukas Raeber
Jeffery Garrett
Randolph D’amico

Architect of record
Local architects, general management, realization planning and site management:
Planergemeinschaft Arcoplan / Nissen& Wentzlaff, Basel
Project management: Daniel Wentzlaff, Thomas Oetiker, Timothy O.Nissen

Project Team:
René Keuter
Hendrik Johannsen
Karl Reiter
Paul Luternauer
Michael Sauer
Silvia Barben
Christiane Bouhraoua
Raymond Gaëtan
Soran Jester
Stephan Schweizer
Stefan Herrmann
Michael Geiger
Thomas Ligibel
Bettina Fritsche
Senad Catovic
Heiko Müller
Hans Münchhalfen
Wulf Oschwald
Ueli Raeber
Karl Sowa
Silke Techen
Daniel Hofer
Daniel Reinhardt
Ulli Blümmert
Andreas Schön
Isabel Frey
Lionel Combebias
Christian Hafenmayer
Martin Schlegel
Moritz Rusch

Interior designer
 Gehry Partners, LLP

Engineer(s)
Building services planning: ADZ- Aicher De Martin Zweng, Lucerne, Switzerland: Gregor De Martin, Walter Wüthrich, Bruno Wigger, and Ralf Haebig
Building automation: ADZ- Aicher De Martin Zweng, Basel, Switzerland: Urs Winkler
Building physics: Gruner AG Basel, Switzerland: Martin Beyerler
Structural engineer: Schlaich Bergermann und Partner, Stuttgart, Germany: Jörg Schlaich, Hans Schober, Michael Werwigk, Kai Kürschner

Consultant(s)
Acoustical: McKay Conant Brook, David Conant/ Dr. Markus Ringger, Gruner AG Basel, Switzerland
Audio-Video planning: Virtually Audio GmbH, Suhr, Switzerland: Daniel Zurwerra, Thomas Rüetschi
Catering planning: Planbar, Zurich, Switzerland: Walter Widmer
Graphics, signage: 2×4 Inc. New York, U.S.A: Michael Rock, Lee Moreau, Yoonjai Choi, Albert Lee
Electrical planning: Scherler AG, Basel, Switzerland: Thomas Roth
Energy concept: Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH, Munich, Germany: Matthias Schuler, Wolfgang Kessling, Christian Oberdorf
Fire prevention concept: Mario Fontana, Zürich, Switzerland: Alfred Spinelli, A+F Brandschutz, Pratteln, Switzerland
Façade planning: Emmer Pfenninger Partner AG, Münchenstein, Switzerland: Hans Emmer, Kurt Pfenninger, Martin Friedli, Steffi Neubert, Jeanette Leu
Landscape: Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten, Zurich, Switzerland: Günter Vogt, Ralf Günter Voss, Uta Gehrhardt
Lighting: L´Observatoire International, New York, Hervé Descottes, Socorro Sperati, Beatrice Witzgall

CAD system, project management, or other software used
 2d Drawings in Auto CAD and 3d Modeling in Digital Project/Catia

Products

Structural system
Steel-Structure Facade: Müller Offenburg GmbH: Offenburg, Germany in collaboration with Josef Gartner GmbH: Gundelfingen, Germany. Christian Gäßler, Wolfgang Mayr, Ladislaus Balint, Sebastian Utz and Torsten Nörr.
Concrete Structure: Implenia AG, Switzerland

Exterior cladding

Metal/glass curtain wall: Josef Gartner GmbH: Gundelfingen, Germany.

Glazing

Glass:Curtain Wall: Glass by BGT Bischoff Glastechnik: Bretten, Germany, Curtian wall engineering and installed by Josef Gartner GmbH: Gundelfingen, Germany. 
Auditorium Glass Ceiling – Hunsrücker, Kirchberg, Switzerland
Exterior Balustrades: Andreas Oswald GmbH, Oberschleissheim, Germany
Ground Floor Interior Glazing: Senn AG, Oftringen, Switzerland
Interior Glass Balustrades: glass manufactured by Blaser, Basel, Switzerland, installed by Imbau AG, Pratteln, Switzerland
Conference Room Glazing: Andreas Oswald GmbH, Oberschleissheim, Germany
Meeting / Interview Rooms: Röthlisberger Innenausbau, Gümlingen, Switzerland
Interior Windows (wood framing):  Jos. Berchtold AG: Zürich, Switzerland
Design Stairs Mainbuilding: Arnold AG, Friedrichsdorf, Germany

Skylights: 
Exterior Auditorium Skylight: Andreas Oswald GmbH, Oberschleissheim, Germany
Interior Skylights: MTV Metallbau – Technik Villmergen AG: Villmergen, Switzerland

Doors

Entrances: Josef Gartner GmbH: Gundelfingen, Germany
Metal doors: Senn AG, Oftringen, Switzerland
Wood doors: Jos. Berchtold AG, Zürich, Switzerland & Dreier AG, Kleinlützel, Switzerland (doors back of house)
Sliding doors: Josef Gartner GmbH: Gundelfingen, Germany
Fire-control doors, security grilles: Senn AG, Oftringen, Switzerland / Jos. Berchtold AG, Zürich, Switzerland / Dreier AG Kleinlützel, Switzerland (doors back of house)
Revolving Door: Blasi GmbH, Mahlberg, Germany

Hardware

Locksets: Frank O. Gehry Design, Valli e Valli, Italy
Closer &, Panic Hardware: Manufacturer: Dorma GmbH
Exit devices: Manufacturer: Dorma GmbH
Pulls: Frank O. Gehry Design, Valli e Valli, Italy / Glutz AG, Switzerland

Interior finishes

Acoustical ceilings: Two prodcuts used:
BASWAphon Acoustical Finish – BASWA Switzerland & STOSilentPanel – STO Switzerland

Suspension grid:
Auditorium Operable/Acoustic Partitions:  Industrial Acoustics Company (IAC): New York, U.S.A; Craig D’ Anna
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Jos. Berchtold AG: Zürich, Switzerland
Paints and stains: manufacturer: Dold AG: Wallisellen, Switzerland
Wall coverings: Vertical Grain Douglas fir interior Wall claddings/Windows- Jos. Berchtold AG, Switzerland / Meeting-interview room- Röthlisberger Innenausbau: Gümlingen, Switzerland
Bathroom Stainless Steel Partitions: BTS – Partition System: Munich, Germany
Bathroom Tiles: Villeroy & Boch
Auditorium Leather Paneling: Leather provided by Poltrona Frau, Italy, Fabricated and Installed by Pfyl & CO Schreinerei AG, Schwyz, Switzerland
Perforated Wood Paneling: (For Auditorium) Pfyl & CO Schreinerei AG, Schwyz, Switzerland
Perforated Wood Paneling: (For Main Building) Jos. Berchtold AG: Zürich, Switzerland

Plastic laminate:
Wood Surfaces: Vertical Grain Douglas fir veneered wood paneling – Central Wood Supplier: Sauter Paul AG, Münchenstein, Switzerland
Special surfacing: Cooling Ceilings/Walls: MWH Barcol-Air AG, Stäfa, Switzerland
Floor and wall tile (cite where used): Wood Floor – Senn Parkett, Dussnang, Switzerland
Resilient flooring: Dispoxid 472, Caparol Farben AG, Nänikon, Switzerland
Carpet: manufacturer: Shaw, U.S.A.
Raised flooring: Type FLOOR and more N 30 x L/A, AGB Bautechnik AG, Switzerland

Furnishings

Office furniture: Gehry Partners LLP, with Vitra International
Reception furniture: Jos. Berchtold AG, Zürich, Switzerland
Fixed seating: Jos. Berchtold AG, Zürich Switzerland / Röthlisberger Innenausbau, Gümlingen Switzerland
Workstation Task Chairs: Meda Pro by Vitra International
Conference/Meeting/Interview room Chairs: Eames Aluminum Group by Vitra
Workstation Tables: Gehry Partners LLP, with Vitra International
Upholstery: leather covered auditorium fixed seatings: Poltrona Frau, Italy: Fulvio Giustiniani
Custom Furniture: Conference rooms tables, meeting & interview rooms tables, reception desks, shelving, banquets, etc. – Designed by Gehry Partners, manufactured by various contractors.

Lighting   
Manufacturer: Erco, Neuco, Regent, Schmitz, Reggianni, Philips, Regiolux, Zumtobel

Pendant Lighting: Restaurant – Mama Cloud designed by Frank O. Gehry; Manufactured by Belux.
Custom Lighting: Conference Rooms – Designed by Gehry Partners, LLP: Tschudin AG, Basel, Switzerland
Task lighting: Tolome by Artemide
Dimming System or other lighting controls: various manufacturers

Conveyance

Elevators/Escalators: Schindler AG, Switzerland
Accessibility provision (lifts, ramping, etc.):
(Auditorium) Gilgen Logistics AG, Oberwangen Switzerland

Energy
Energy management or building automation system:Neuberger Gebäudeautomation AG, Rothenburg, Germany
Photovoltaic system: Schüco International KG, Bielefeld, Germany

Other unique products that contribute to sustainability:

Façade Components:

1. Highly selective triple glazing (low U-Values) with double fritting.
2. Internally movable shading made of low-e –coated textile fabric.
3. Façade openings in the upper and lower area of the façade for back ventilation of the façade (air circulation between the façade and shading).
4. Internal Cooled/Acoustic lamellas under the roof of the central atrium – MWH Barcol-Air AG, Switzerland.

Air-conditioning Technology:

1. Acoustic/Cooled ceilings in office areas.
2. Floor Heating/Cooling
3. Heating/Cooling panels along floor slabs in the façade areas.
4. Decentralized Heating/Cooling convectors (under the floors).
5. Source ventilation with fully air-conditioned fresh air.
6. Air outlet of the re-circulating air for convection cooling of the façade areas.

Project awaiting Minergie Certification.
Minergie is a sustainability brand for new and refurbished buildings. It is mutually supported by the Swiss Confederation, the Swiss Cantons along with Trade and Industry and is registered in Switzerland and around the world and defended firmly against unlicensed use.

Additional building components or special equipment that made a significant contribution to this project:
Shading System Contractor – Clauss Markisen GmbH: Bissingen, Germany: Klaus Westenberger, Klauss Vogg
Shading Fabric – Ferrari (SOLTIS 86) Stamoid AG, Eglisau, Schweiz
Interior Design Stairs – Arnold AG, Friedrichsdorf, Germany
Cooling Lamellas – Barcol-Air AG, Stäfa, Switzerland
Auditorium Glass Ceiling – Hunsrücker, Kirchberg Switzerland
Auditorium Projection Screens – Stewart Filmscreen Corporation, Torrance, California
Cafeteria Buffets – Buob Kühlmöbel AG, Rorschach, Switzerland
LED Column – LED elements by Tweaklab AG, Basel, Switzerland; Installed by Jos. Berchtold AG: Zürich, Switzerland

Cafeteria LED signage – Tschudin AG, Basel, Switzerland

By Linda C. Lentz

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/lighting/2011/08/fabrikstrasse-15.asp