Steve Freihon/Related-Oxford
New York, New York
Highlights
- One of the key structural challenges was the curving shape of the low-rise buildings, which made coordination between form and function more complicated than in a structure with conventional geometry.
- Our engineers met early on with the architect to work out the column grids and found the solution that optimized structural efficiency and supported architectural priorities.
- At the heart of the complex, the piazza is topped by a curving diagrid of steel tubes supporting a transparent membrane of ETFE pillows.
- Because it connects to four separate buildings, each of which could move independently during a seismic event, the roof needed to be able to withstand simultaneous movement in multiple directions.
- We employed parametric modeling to identify the best balance between appearance and performance and developed a two-fold approach.
