Contract - May 2012 - (Page 137)

Key Design Highlights Using solar studies and visiting the project site at various times of day, the design team oriented ipe wood louvers for the best sunscreening results. Planters with birch and maple trees screen Grey Group’s portion of the roof from that of the other tenants. Communal tables and a long concrete bar enable Grey Group to host a variety of meetings and functions. Grey Group Roof Deck Designer Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Client Grey Group Where New York What 6,000 square feet on one floor Cost/sf Withheld at client’s request For a full project source list, see page 156 or visit contractdesign.com. Defining the edge of Grey Group’s portion of the roof, planters contain Manhattan birch and Japanese maple trees (opposite, top), and also give a level of privacy. The pavilion’s concrete bar and communal tables create an ideal setting for the company’s soirees (opposite, bottom). Ipe wood louvers add visual texture to the pavilion, but also act as a sunscreen (right). Linear patterns are carefully detailed in wood and steel in the pavilion (far right). Ultimately, it was the city’s skyline that drove the design. SOM drew inspiration from “the romantic idea we all have in New York of looking over the rooftops and seeing the water towers and metal penthouse structures,” describes Apking. The architects translated the traditional language of roofs into a modern material palette of painted metal, wood slats, concrete, and stone. The design consists of three main elements: pavilion, terrace, and annex. The 14-foot-tall pavilion is framed with steel and functions as a sunscreen. Solar studies helped the project team determine orientation for the ipe wood louvers; as a bonus, the louvers lend visual texture. Beneath the pavilion, a 60-foot-long concrete counter accommodates bar and food service during functions, and biergarten-style communal tables facilitate meetings and informal gatherings. Adjacent to the rooftop’s parapet, the designers created bleachers and an elevated stage. This installation serves a dual purpose: it provides a grandstand for music performances and films projected onto a screen in the pavilion, and it also conceals the unsightly perimeter piping. The annex, the only conditioned portion of Grey Group’s new roof deck, contains restrooms and storage space for furnishings. Light, color, action The real star of Grey Group’s roof deck is its backdrop: the city views. The deck provides a front row seat to iconic buildings such as the MetLife Clock Tower, Empire State Building, and Flatiron Building. According to Apking, the architects visited the space during several times of day to observe sun angles, as well as at night. The roof deck’s lighting echoes the illuminated color schemes of surrounding skyscrapers. Fluorescent uplighting and gels create a cool blue glow along the perimeter for added ambience. “SOM designed a gem of an urban oasis on our roof deck,” says John Grudzina, executive vice president of Grey Group. “It is a place for our people to summon their creative energies, socialize, and entertain.” It is also a rare gem: though a few hotels and bars have taken advantage of their roofscapes, these spaces are largely underutilized by commercial businesses in New York. “This roof deck could become a model for other companies,” believes Apking. “Because we spend so much time indoors, New Yorkers hunger for the ability to step outside and feel the fresh air and sun.” Cheers to that. c contract http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - May 2012

Contract - May 2012
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Coming Events
Exhibition: Coverings
Exhibition: Highlights from Salone Internazionale del Mobile
Product Focus: Enlivening the Flexible Office
Product Focus: A Collection to Define 21st Century Herman Miller
NeoCon® Preview
Hospitality’s Influence in Workplace Design
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Campus
Steelcase Office and Work Café
Shlemmer Algaze Associates
Red Bull Amsterdam
THQ
Grey Group Roof Deck
Knoll, East Greenville Headquarters
The Metrics of Distributed Work
Tools: Pinterested, by Design
Exhibition: Hallingdal 65
Designers Select: Office Furniture
Sources
Ad Index
Exhibition: Lasvit Liquidkristal by Ross Lovegrove

Contract - May 2012