OWNER'S
STATEMENT
The design competition consists of two separate works of art; one
a glass sculpture for two windows over the front entrance and the
other a sculpture of either glass, ceramic, metal or mixed media on
the patina copper right front side of the laboratory. The design for
the two windows should be a glass sculpture, not stained glass; it
should be simple and respect the design and color of the building
and the nearby winter garden. For the side of the building, if the
artist chooses to design a glass sculpture, it would be possible to
light the sculpture from inside the wall. And please no butterflies
or DNA helixes. New England Biolabs has a large collection of contemporary
art; most from local artists and Finnish sculptors. The existing art
is displayed in the interior and on the grounds surrounding the
building.
Dr.
Donald Comb, Owner, New England Biolabs, Inc.
ARCHITECT'S
STATEMENT
New England BioLabs is presently constructing a new building of
approximately 204,000 gross square feet to accommodate primarily
their laboratory and production facilities. This project was originally
offered to the architectural community by an open international
competition. The winner of the competition was Weston Williamson
of London, England. Jung/Brannen Associates of Boston, Massachusetts
was chosen to collaborate as architect of record developing the
design as well as providing the construction documents and construction
administration.
A main challenge of the design was the location of the building
in relationship to the existing brick and limestone Mansion as well
as three magnificent specimen Copper Beech trees.
The building program includes research and production laboratory
spaces with associated support functions such as a 250-person lecture
hall, employee meeting spaces, a cafeteria and a glass enclosed
winter garden. The building is organized around an interior terraced
"street" which serves as the main circulation spine of
the building, an art gallery for the owner's art collection, as
well as the primary gathering space for employees.
The exterior wall materials of the building are primarily pre patinated
copper clad paneling and aluminum curtain wall glazed with high
performance insulated glass.
Mart
Ojamaa, Principal, Jung/Brannen Associates, Inc.
|
