CHILLAPPLE Group International Architecture FREE Interior Design Pictures, Exterior Designs, : Cultural

Prism Contemporary Art I
Plastic Sensations / P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S

Architects: P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S
Location: Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA
Project Team: Marcelo Spina and Georgina Huljich, Principals in charge; Courtenay Bauer, Project Architect; Marcus Friesl, Project Manager; James Vincent, Matt Majack, Daniel Wolfe and Alex Webb, Project Designers
Fabrication and Material Development: 3Form Ruben Suare, Bryan Harris
Executive Architect: Kluger Architects, Chuck Kluger, Principal in Charge
Project area: 700 sqm
Project year: 2006 – 2009
Photographs: Joshua White

Prism is a new three-story contemporary art gallery located at the heart of the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The mission of the gallery is to become a cornerstone of artistic experimentation, carving a new niche for the arts in Southern California. Alongside the exhibition space, the galleryalso houses a bookstore with a curated selection of texts and products.
While PATTERNS’ involvement was limited to the envelope and interior,fxe this project presented the possibility of true material innovation: to be the first facade in the nation to be constructed entirely out of a resin-based composite polycarbonate.

first floor plan

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elevation

The project’s legal status as a renovation of an existing structure placed unique restrictions upon the scope of work and the inflections within the facade’s surface. An existing steel column grid left from a previous renovation predetermined floor-to-floor heights, and areas of existing stucco exterior walls from the original building provided opportunities for playful exchanges and guided the development of the design.

The gallery envelope is designed to create subtle sensations by inducing a physical and optical dynamism that both challenges and enhances the pedestrian movement along the iconic Sunset Strip. Its formal logic is the outcome of a productive negotiation between the ordering structural grid of the existing building and the intense vitality of the context.

Almost theatrically, the facade surfaces appear to lift up and then down, dramatically opening the interior while suspending its mass over the strip and projecting a sense of weightiness for pedestrian and vehicular traffic approaching from the west. Deeply inspired by the supple forms, streamlined detailing and plastic finishes of automotive design, the facade has a dual aesthetic performance associated with plastic materiality and responsive to its lively context: it behaves as a reflectively glossy surface during the day and as a viscously translucent skin when lit from inside at night.

As part of our collaboration with 3Form, a series of full-scale prototypes was developed and fabricated as an essential part of the design process. These prototypes were used to test various conditions affecting performance and aesthetics, cost and construction: from the limits of structure and its connections to mullions and polycarbonate panels, to issues pertaining to waterproofing and the behavior of a glossy translucent surface, to the examination of custom assembly details and connections that support and seal the finished facade.

The material solution for the facade involves 3/8-inch resin-based polycarbonate panels, which are color dyed and extruded in a single pull. Color and translucence are entirely design controlled. Panels were heat-formed over medium-density fiberboard (MDF) molds. All waterproofing and thermal expansion and contraction are taken up by hardware at the face of the panels, freeing the facade from any substrate or interior wall.

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: © Joshua White

: first floor plan

: location plan

: north elevation

: detailed section

: elevation

: explored axometric

The architectural proposal for the block of buildings at No.8, No. 9 and No. 10 Franciscan Square deals with restoration and addition to an existing structure offering new possibilities in terms of usage and spatial arrangement. The essence of idea lies in the nature of the historical environment of the Old Town of Bratislava seen in the principles of layering of new shapes, volumes and functions. In this case the oldest layers go back to Middle Ages when the foundations of the town were laid.
The 21th century layer is added in the form of new feature respecting the old structure without being replica of historical fabric. This so called “leg” connects all levels terminating at the highest level creating its own world at the top. Follow the break for more renderings and a brief of Frantiskanske Square.

Architects: AOCR
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Design Team: Michal Vrsansky, Pavol Senecky, Petr Navrat, Vladimir Vrsansky
Cooperation: Jana Stykova, Romana Kukulova, Rastislav Miklus
Renderings: Michal Vrsansky

The restoration approach is based not only on purification of the existing fabric and bringing buildings to their original state (architectural elements, shapes). Emphasis is put on creating harmony between the attractive historical environment and new dynamic design elements. The design provides for the interaction and mutual coexistence of both by means of added spatial elements, pursing the spirit of place, instead of trying to change it.

floor plans

Recent products, materials are used within the new structures while paraphrasing traditional building workmanship (the wall with openings). The relationship between all levels from the bottom to the roof level is established by means of slots in the masonry scattered all around the “leg”.

section

The nature of created ambient, marrying old and new, is apparent to the visitor by means of activities in new attractive premises thus ensuring favourability and occupancy. The proposed layout remains flexible and provides for variability of space arrangements.

The whole complex is designed to provide for flexibility in use and its ability to adjust according to clients requirements. (Location of sanitary accommodation and arrangement of vertical ductwork).
Restaurants and retail facilities are located on the main ground floor bringing it to life and interconnecting it with the adjoining square. At the same time it provides access to the inside of the block – the place of entertainment and cultural events with entrances to the rental space formed by the volume of the “leg” and the volume of existing buildings stripped from the additional embellishments with emphasize on extg vaults. The “leg” then rises to the roof level becoming a dominant feature of the whole block.

section

Lower levels are dedicated to culture (gallery, club, museum, exhibitions). Middle floors are proposed as offices and are interconnected with conference areas formerly belonging to Devin bank. The top floor remains flexible with the possibility of divisions using light partitions. The internal space reflects the outer shape of the proposed building.
All pipe work in this section is led in the walls and floors thus enabling even more variability. This part of the building is fully air conditioned, because of its location within the block. There is a possibility of a small cinema or conference room with capacity of 100 people with access to the roof terrace and view of the panorama of the city with Bratislava Castle.