Frankfurt am Main · 2007.0220
The European Central Bank (ECB) has revealed the outcome of the preliminary planning phase for its new facility in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The facility, designed to accommodate 2,500 employees, will be located on the site of Frankfurt’s Grossmarkthalle (former wholesale market) on the Main river. The architecture firm for the project, Vienna, Austria-based Coop Himmelb(l)au, has modified its design in several ways. To comply with historic preservation requirements, the grid structure of the existing concrete facade will be maintained, and the skyscraper and entrance building will be located west of the originally proposed location. The skyscraper design features a new slanted roof, for reasons of aesthetics and energy efficiency. Also, the skyscraper’s facade will now include state-of-the-art solar protection to make it highly energy-efficient and to enable the use of a more conventional cooling system. In addition, the landscape design of the site has been redefined and further developed, largely to accommodate the the ECB’s security requirements. Construction is planned for early 2008 through late 2011.
Pasadena · 2007.0219
Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California, has announced that Pritzker Prize-winner Frank Gehry will begin a two-phase pro bono design project for the Playhouse's Carrie Hamilton Theatre, a performance space intended to engage new and diverse audiences. The first phase is the imminent redesign of the interior of the existing Carrie Hamilton Theatre, dedicated in July 2006 in honor of Playhouse board member Carol Burnett's late daughter. The second phase features a proposed new 300-seat Theatre as part of the Playhouse's long-range strategic plan.
Nevada · 2007.0216
Ash Place Historic Developers and the Kansas City, Missouri, office of architecture, interior design, and planning firm Rosemann & Associates, P.C. recently completed the renovation of historic Ash Place Apartments in Nevada, Missouri. Once an abandoned state hospital, the four-story building is now a senior residential community. Forty of the apartments are affordable, four are accessible, and one was specifically designed for visually impaired residents. Rosemann & Associates worked to both preserve the building's historic integrity and reduce the stigma of its hospital past. The firm softened the exterior with accent lighting and landscaping, and transformed the interiors to include living room-like public spaces, public kitchens, and a library with high-speed internet access.
Wexford · 2007.0215
The Wexford County Council has revealed the winning design for its new headquarters in County Wexford, Ireland. The proposal by NORD Architecture (Northern Office for Research & Design) of Glasgow, Scotland, organizes the council building like part of a town within a glazed skin. One main interior "street" leads from the main building entrance to connect all the council departments, with landscaped courtyards interspersed. A tower above the main entrance houses the council chamber. The exterior symbolizes transparent government and also provides a thermal buffer. The landscape design features a terraced garden with native plants, local stone, and shallow pools.
Colorado Springs · 2007.0214
Construction continues on the $28.4 million expansion of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (FAC). David Owen Tryba, principal of Denver firm David Owen Tryba Architects, designed the two-story, 44,000-square-foot (4,100-square-meter) expansion to complement the original 1936 building designed by John Gaw Meem. The FAC’s Taylor Museum of Art will feature nine permanent collection galleries, two galleries for traveling exhibits, and a tactile gallery. The renovated theater, event space, new art school studios, and other facilities opened in December. The grand opening of the renovated and expanded facility is scheduled for August 2, 2007.
Golden · 2007.0212
Construction is complete on the new 71,000-square-foot (6,600-square-meter) Science and Technology Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. The Phoenix, Arizona, office of SmithGroup provided full architectural, interior design, lab planning, and mechanical and electrical engineering services for the project. The building features flexible and open laboratory spaces to encourage collaboration. Energy-efficient features such as daylighting, integrated automatic lighting control systems, and a state-of-the-art mechanical system should reduce energy consumption by over 40 percent compared to similar new federal buildings, and also qualify the facility for LEED Gold certification. The multistory building’s footprint is about 45,000 square feet (4,200 square meters), helping to conserve land for future NREL expansion. The facility received a 2006 Design Excellence Award from the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners.
People and Places Last Week
People and Places Archive
ArchitectureWeek Professional Directory
ArchitectureWeek Web Directory
Send us your People and Places items
