Contract - October 2012 - (Page 96)

the nYU Bobst Library renovation by Joel Sanders architect encloses balconies (above) overlooking the atrium to prevent fatal falls. varying sized laser-cut rectangles (right) in each panel are spaced apart precisely to visually continue the lines of the existing balusters. Saving lives by updating an icon The recently completed interior renovation of New York University’s (NYU) iconic Elmer Holmes Bobst Library is an elegant and highimpact move to enhance the health and safety of the school’s student body while also making strides in uniting two seemingly opposing forces—print publishing and the digital age. Bobst Library, a Philip Johnson– and Richard Foster–designed building of the late 1960s, was considered by some a modernist masterpiece and by others an oppressive penitentiary. The library’s central atrium space is surrounded by and open to the balconies of the upper 11 floors. Originally, those balconies were equipped with low metal balusters, and while they complemented the unobtrusive, minimalist architecture, they were ineffective safeguards. The school knew it had to rethink the original design after, tragically, three students plunged to their deaths in the last decade. The university called upon local architect Joel Sanders, who proposed a 96 pixel-inspired makeover that manages to preserve the essence of the original building. Formed by 20-foot-tall laser-cut aluminum panels, the protective barrier is painted to match the existing bronze railing and, depending on the viewing angle, appears as a thin scrim or the opening graphic sequence of the film The Matrix. In fact, Sanders calls the perforated pattern the “Pixel Matrix,” an allusion to digital information and encoding. The grid, however, is also a play on the original language of the building’s architecture in that both are influenced by the square. There are 39 panel patterns in total, all of which meet the school’s mandate for daylight penetration, unobstructed ventilation, and access to views of both the atrium and library stacks. NYU is this editor’s alma mater, and I find that this renovation— with its commentary on our digital world and lifesaving potential—is an attractive, forward-thinking solution. —sheila kim contractdesign.com OctOber 2012 photographY: coUrteSY of new York UniverSitY renovation http://www.contractdesign.com

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

Contract - October 2012
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Exhibition: HD Boutique
Product Focus: Take a Hint
Product Briefs: Health and Wellness
Dale and Frances Hughes Cancer Center
Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health
Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation
Healthcare Environment Awards
Kaleida Health, Clinical and Medical Research Building
Old Town Recovery Center
Baystate Medical Center
Legacy Health Randall Children’s Hospital
Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Brooklyn Infusion Center
Community Hospital @ Yishun
Mercy Medical Center Rooftop Garden
Rehab + Space Center
Heart Care Center
Practice: “Next Practices” in Healthcare Design
Design: Foster + Partners Develops Master Plan for Cleveland Clinic Growth
Exhibition: Studio Gang Architects at the Art Institute of Chicago
Designers Select: Lighting
Sources
Ad Index
Renovation: Saving Lives by Updating an Icon

Contract - October 2012