CAUSING A STIR INTERNATIONAL CULINARY INSTITUTE
OF MYRTLE BEACH
Any chef will tell you that a successful dish requires layers of flavors. Seasoning at every stage of the process helps to balance ingredients and textures to create an integrated composition. In the finished dish, we can read the hierarchy of the elements; some central, some subtle, but all contribute to the multi-sensory experience.
So it is in DESIGN. 3
a FLAGSHIP building LS3P teamed with Myrtle Beach architecture firm Mozingo Wallace on the design. Mozingo Wallace had studied a number of culinary arts precedents for their design proposal, and among them was LS3P’s design for the Culinary Institute of Charleston. This informative case study process led to engaging discussions between the architects and, ultimately, a productive and serendipitous professional relationship. In addition to serving as the expert in higher ed culinary teaching facilities for the project, LS3P was responsible for the interior architecture and building planning, and collaborated on the overall building concept. Horry Georgetown Technical College needed a flagship building for its Grand Strand campus in Myrtle Beach, SC. The existing campus buildings, part of a former government complex, were serviceable, but the construction of the new culinary school offered HGTC the opportunity to re-brand the campus, bring a new energy to the built environment, and expand its already popular program.
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HGTC wanted the building to be modern and streamlined with a “convention center� aesthetic which would create a prominent gateway into the campus. Just down the road from the exuberant architecture of Myrtle Beach, the new building invited connections to the coastal landscape, and to the high-impact brightly colored signage of the local tourist attractions which exist at the edge of sensory overload.
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LAYERS upon LAYERS From the beginning, the team envisioned bold design moves. The building’s dramatic form is long and linear, with monumental rounded corners. The concept of layers permeated the architecture. To provide visual interest and texture without overwhelming the interior, the architects layered shapes, patterns, and textures throughout the facility, keeping most of the layers a monochromatic white. Bright pops of color are allowed to overtake certain elements, while others remain muted but part of the visual tapestry. The design balances playful forms with high-performance spaces.
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designed for TRANSPARENCY HGTC wanted the facility to serve the wider culinary community, so the design celebrates the entry points with bright accents, finishes, and forms. A generously proportioned gallery unites the building’s public spaces along a central spine, doubling as an event space. The gallery’s high ceilings and expansive windows fill the multifunctional volume with natural light during the day, and showcase the activity inside when brightly lit at night.
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The gallery connects the conference room, training kitchen, restaurant, and administrative offices. A dynamic feature wall with alternating gold, orange, and red sculptural forms creates a sense of motion and anchors the space. Topsy-turvy ceiling tiles and undulating floor patterns reference coastal elements in an aquatic color palette of blues and greens, softening the hard lines associated with the contemporary architecture. The two training kitchens/ baking labs, visible from the gallery, put the hands-on curriculum on full display and engage guests in the learning process.
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high PERFORMANCE spaces The design of the state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen incorporates the full sensory experience. Occupying a round volume reminiscent of a chef stirring a pot, the kitchen incorporates bold colors and undulating vertical fins which articulate the space and create a sense of movement. The graduated seating, along with integrated technology for up-close viewing of techniques from every seat, accommodates 60 students and guests. Felt acoustic panels tiered along the walls add color and texture while moderating sound.
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REAL-WORLD skills
The 100-seat restaurant, open to the public, allows students to showcase their skills in a sophisticated hospitality environment which feels both timeless and of-the-moment. The deep blue and turquoise color palette combines with mod patterns and subtle textures to create a space which is unique without being kitschy. Following the trend in restaurant design to bring some of the production out into the open, the layout incorporates an island cooking suite.
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Throughout the dining area, whimsical details provide visual interest and color. Orange tiles at the double-height entry pair with vertical cylinder lights to draw the eye upward and highlight the vertical axis gyp boxes suspended from the ceiling create a more intimate scale for dining. Modular windows and glass fiber reinforced bricks frame views and allow natural light into the restaurant, while inset paned of colored glass interact with the sunlight and disperse color as the light shifts. Wine storage adds another layer to the design and provides visual interest, and a chef’s table provides a venue for special events and tastings.
The International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach has already become a popular venue as well as a signature building for the Grand Strand Campus. Visiting the facility is a multisensory experience, from the sights and sounds of the building to the layers of textures to the smell- and most importantly, the taste- of cooking.
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