NEW STUDIOS
New York, New York PLATT BYARD DOVELL WHITE ARCHITECTS
{PR OGR AM} {LIGHTING} {MATERIAL} The New 42nd Street Studios is located in Times Square, New York City, adding to the broadway district with its ten stories of studio spaces. Part of its appeal is the colorful lighting on its facade, enhancing the New York City streetscape. From the facade, one can view a screen of louvers that are reflecting colored light--the source of the light coming from the catwalk between the louvers and the building volume itself. These fins serve as brise soleil and a visual screen for the rehearsal studios inside. The lighting used is from the company “vortex lighting.” The lighting is a key element in assisting the facade to come alive. The book “Materials for Design” incorporate this building for its use of dichroic glass, which is used in the lighting fixtures themselves to allow for the “lights to be ‘played’ as if notes from a musical instrument. The facade, through this method, is reflection of its program. Dichroic glass, described as a color film wedged between two layers of glass, is a material that adds to the dynamism of the building. However, show in section, the use of steel is an element that dominates the facade. The fins are scratched painted steel to reflect colored light. Though not visually apparent, steel also composes the structural beams that support the floor plates. The beam is large in scale to support the layers of flooring that endure the live loads of people dancing, etc.
BONNIE NETEL SECTION: 1 1/2” = 1’-0”