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ONVEY THE
TELL THE
TRUCTURE
ONMENT.
What’s the biggest challenge and opportunity with
such a large, multi-purpose complex?
We felt there were really two issues; the functional
agenda and understanding of site. At it’s most basic
level, that’s it. Those two needed to be resolved
and then brought together seamlessly. That’s the
beginning of finding the answers to such a project.
We had no desire to shoehorn in a particular form.
It’s a question of a functional sequence of spaces
and events and bringing those together as a special
experience for the visitor/user.
How does your choice of materials influence the
way you explored solutions?
The palette of materials is integral to a convincing
sequence of spaces and for that unfolding story to
become something of a book. We wanted visitors
and staff to be conscious of the structure. Materials
are the vocabulary to convey the story and glass
definitely helps tell the story here by revealing both
the structure and the internal/external environment.
Architecture is sometimes loud in its search for
an identity, or statement. This is a large building,
but it’s really quite restrained.
We’ve often said our buildings are a setting for their
activity rather than the show-stopper in themselves.
How do you layer design from the masterplan right
down through to those almost invisible details?
It’s very much like designing a city, community or
suburb. You want the result to be vibrant and that
requires a confluence of energy and activity rather
than activities occurring in parallel or isolation.
This project is campus-like, encouraging informal
circulation. It’s important that visitors easily find their
way around and throughout the activities and have
the opportunity to experience a stimulating range
of visual and social connections.
Guiding Light