Synthesis — DESIGN FOR URBAN HERITAGE SITES
Synthesis — DESIGN FOR URBAN HERITAGE SITES
Over the past three decades, Grimshaw has enjoyed collaborations with arts clients and historic interest groups alike on a variety of projects. Each project was carefully conducted and gave the practice the opportunity to lead a team creating contemporary designs, often for heritage and landmarked sites. Throughout this time, each project’s unique knowledge has built upon the last, informing our approach and strategy, allowing us to deliver award-winning projects for clients around the world that are sensitive to their site and architectural history.
International Student Service Tower London, United Kingdom, 1970
Wapping Hydraulic Power Station London, United Kingdom, 1994
1970s / 1980s
Grand Union Canal Walk Housing London, United Kingdom, 1988
Ludwig Erhard House Berlin, Germany, 1998
Paddington Station: Phase One Redevelopment London, United Kingdom, 1999
1990s
Waterloo International Terminal London, United Kingdom, 1993
Victoria & Albert Museum Boilerhouse Extension London, United Kingdom, 1996
Royal College of Art Extension London, United Kingdom, 1999
Caixa Galicia Art Foundation A CoruĂąa, Spain 2006
Horno3: Museo Del Acero Monterrey, Mexico 2007
LSE New Academic Building London, United Kingdom, 2008
2000s
Thermae Bath Spa Bath, United Kingdom 2006
University College London: Paul O’Gorman Cancer Institute London, United Kingdom, 2006
Fulton Center New York, NY, USA 2014
2010s
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center Troy, New York, 2008
Queens Museum New York, NY, USA, 2014
London School of Economics New Academic Building London, United Kingdom
Grimshaw’s New Academic Building for the London School of Economics is an extensive remodeling of an existing Edwardian building, which formerly housed the Public Trustees Office. As the New Academic Building bridges the urban environment of Kingsway to the west and the open space of Lincoln’s Inn Fields to the east, it has a dual role to play: to function as a world-class teaching building, and to express LSE’s presence within the immediate urban context. A number of subtle interventions open up the facade to articulate the presence of a contemporary remodelling within. An internal street links the entrances on either side of the building and the compressed spaces of the adjacent reception areas open onto the nucleus of the building, a light-filled, triple-height central atrium. More than half of the building’s original fabric is retained, making the New Academic Building an excellent example of the value of reusing an existing building. Sustainability was integral to the development and a range of strategies have been employed to help achieve the building’s aim of a BREEAM Excellent rating.
Place / Date: London, UK / 2005—2008
Architect: Grimshaw
Client: London School of Economics
Structural Engineer: Alan Baxter and Associates
Area: 12,700 sq m / 136,650 sq ft
Quantity Surveyor: Davis Langdon
Awards: Camden Building Quality Award
Main Contractor: Geoffrey Osborne
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Roof Plant Roof Pavilion & Terrace Departmental Floor Forecourt & Cafe Terrace Lecture Theatre (& Function Space) Lightwell Facade Atrium Roof Atrium Sounding Board Entrance Foyer Precast Ribs Main Lecture Theatre
S ELECTED PROJECTS
The basement of the building contains four spaces for lectures and seminars
EXIST ING ST R UCT UR E
Aerial view of the building during construction and sectional drawing showing existing and new structure
NE W ST R UCT UR E
“The New Academic Building, at long last, provides us with an academic environment consistent with our academic reputation.” — Howard Davies Director, London School of Economics
Fulton Center New York, NY
Situated in the heart of Lower Manhattan, Grimshaw’s Fulton Center transit station is designed to be a catalyst for the redevelopment of the area. Handling an average of 275,000 passengers per day and linking nine subway lines, the station complex is one of New York City’s busiest underground transit interchanges. The MTA appointed Grimshaw, with Arup, to develop designs for the new transit hub, with re-engineered platform and passenger access below ground. The Transit Center is organized around a grand civic space at its core, a three-sided structure tying into the adjacent Corbin Building, a historic 19th Century structure recently refurbished as part of the overall redevelopment. This atrium design is topped by a glass oculus and defined by a hyperbolic paraboloid cable net, stretched within a cone, developed in partnership with artist James Carpenter. This cable net supports an inner skin of filigree metal reflector panels, optimised to capture and distribute year round daylight to the deepest levels of the transit centre. The plan of the building is organised to streamline the transfer of passengers around the central space, providing an intuitive means of wayfinding.
Opposite and Above: Natural light enters the station’s central atrium through a tilted oculus before reflecting off metal screens affixed to a cable net structure. The screen and cable net structure, developed with artist Jamie Carpenter, reflects the light deep into the multi-level station. Left: The historic Corbin Building was preserved as part of the Fulton Centre’s construction. Architects Page, Ayres Cowley Architects, LLC are responsible for the preservation architecture.
Place / Date: New York, NY / 2006—2014 Client: Arup/MTA NYC Transit Area: 34,000 sq m / 366,000 sq ft Architect: Grimshaw Structural Engineer: ARUP – Ricardo Pittella Services Engineer: ARUP – Fiona Cousins
“I’m really a little breathless about it. It’s perfectly juxtaposed to what’s going on at the World Trade Center. It makes what was a mess into something beautiful.” — Peter S. Kalikow Chairman, Metropolitan Transport Authority, New York Times
Thermae Bath Spa Bath, United Kingdom
Thermae Bath Spa is is the first of four Millennium projects designed by Grimshaw, marking the revitalisation of the city’s spa quarter. It comprises a new building and the sensitive environmental restoration of five listed buildings, including the Cross Bath, the Hot Bath and the Hetling Pump Room. Simple geometric forms define the building. A complementary palette of traditional and contemporary materials gives the New Royal Bath its character, which includes high-performance glazing, stainless steel, concrete and golden Bath stone. A delicately designed glazed outer envelope follows the street line. Inside, a freestanding stone cube raised on columns contains the new spa facilities. The difference in levels between existing buildings has been resolved using split-level planning and the articulation of the connecting spaces with transparent bridges that open up vistas throughout the complex. Grimshaw’s extensive use of frameless panelled glazing has a cohesive effect, creating a counterpoint between the old and new buildings. Thermae Bath Spa is the only functioning natural spa with hot spring water in the UK. It has pools at ground floor level and on the rooftop, providing views of the other baths and the surrounding hills.
Place / Date: Bath, UK / 1997—2006
Architect: Grimshaw
Client: Bath & North East Somerset Council & Thermae Development Co.
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Area: 3,650 sq m / 39,288 sq ft
Services Engineer: ARUP
“Grimshaw is palpably at ease working in one of the world’s most sensitive historic contexts. It has demonstrated that uncompromised Modern architecture can acknowledge history and can exist fruitfully alongside restored ancient buildings – and in doing so, both can gain from the other… This is clear-headed, practical urbanism.” — Hugh Pearman Architectural Record
University College London Paul O’Gorman Cancer Institute London, United Kingdom
Grimshaw was appointed to design a new post-graduate medical school for University College London following a competitive interview in 2000. The site lies adjacent to the undergraduate medical school on Huntley Street. The earliest part of this structure is listed by English Heritage, and the building was partially refurbished internally but left externally unaltered to preserve the current streetscape. The building design provides a site for heavily-serviced research laboratories and teaching spaces in a modern large-span structure. By contrast, the listed building was restored to provide accommodation for staff offices, administration and other back-up facilities. The two buildings are separated by a recess, allowing the old and new structures to retain a distinct design identity. The internal layout separates the practical laboratory space from the write-up area. The design focus is on the Huntley Street elevation. The precast concrete panels of the facade retain the details of their own construction, reflecting the mechanisms and structures of biology. A terracotta louvre-bank is suspended across the front of the panels.
Place / Date: London, UK / 2000—2006
Architect: Grimshaw
Client: University College London
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold
Area: 10,496 sq m / 112,980 sq ft
General Contractor: Skanska Construction UK
NEW FACAD E
EXISTING H ISTOR ICA L FACA D E
NEW FACAD E
E X IST I NG H I STO RI CA L FACA D E
EXISTING H ISTOR ICA L FACA D E
“This building, which houses the new UCL Cancer Institute, does something exciting by opening up an often opaque and private area of study. The transparency and accessibility of the building reflect a desire to enhance UCL’s national and international profile in cancer research” — Professor Chris Boshoff Director, UCL Cancer Institute
Queens Museum Queens, New York
The Queens Museum is located in the landmarked Flushing Meadows Corona Park campus, historically significant as the site of two World’s Fairs and the United Nations General Assembly. The design called for a building who’s historic park-facing eastern façade was carefully renovated, and a contemporary update to the highly visible western façade seen by drivers on the Grand Central Parkway, one of New York’s busiest arteries traversed by millions of residents and travelers annually. Grimshaw’s design expands the building to fill the approximately 105,000 sq ft New York City Building, adding a range of new exhibit spaces complete with ‘back of house’ facilities including art storage, exhibit preparation space, and a wood shop. The expansion will allow the Museum to expand their permanent collection, which will at last have adequate space for exhibitions. The museum also has a significant educational component, and its expansion comprises several new classrooms.
Above and Right: The building pictured during the early stages of construction and the completed gallery space.
Place / Date: New York, NY / 2005—2014
Architect: Grimshaw
Client: NYC Dept. of Design & Construction
Structural Engineer: Ammann & Whitney
Area: 9,750 sq m / 105,000 sq ft
Services Engineer: Buro Happold
“Our one word mission statement is openness. I think that Grimshaw, the fabulous architects who have done this renovation, have expressed that openness in this space – open to ideas, open to the future of art, open to the community and open to the sky.” — Tom Finkelpearl Executive Director, Queens Museum
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