DAVID & REVA LOGAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Technical Research Project TodWilliamsBillieTsienArchitectsisafirmbasedinNewYorkandwasfoundedin1974.TodandBillieareahusband-and-wifeteam.WilliamsstudiedatPrincetonUniversityandworkedunderforRichardMeierforsixyearspriortoco-foundingthisnewfirm.TsienstudiedatYaleandUCLAandhasabackgroundasapainterandateacher.BothBillieandTodcontinuetoteachattheuniversitylevelinconjunctionwithowningtheirownfirm.TheyalsoserveonmanyArtboardsandspeakworldwide.Althoughtheyhavealistofwell-knownprojects,theirfirmiskepttoamaximumofonlythirtypeople.

TodWilliamsBillieTsienArchitectswasawardedthe2013AIAArchitectureFirmAward.Thisawardisoneofthehighesthonorsthatcanbeachievedbyafirmandpositionsthemataverydistinguishedandrespectedlevel.They’vealsoreceived21otherlocalAIAawardand8nationalAIAawards.Theircriticsadmiretheiruseofmaterialsandtheirfocusondetailsandmateriality.Thiscouplehasfocusedonbuildingsmainlywithculturalandinstitutionalprogram.Museums,schoolandnon-profits.Theyareacknowledgedfordesigninginasimpleandelegantwaythatisresponsivetothesiteandsurroundings.ThisidealisseenintheLoganCenterespecially.Theyarealsoknowntodealwithrawmaterialslikeconcreteinwoodinauniquewaythatisbothpoeticanddetail-oriented.TheLoganCentershowsthisuseofmaterialinaspecificway.SomeoftheirmostknownprojectsincludetheRifkindHouseinNewYork,theC.V.StarrEastAsianLibraryinCalifornia,theBarnesFoundationinPhiladelphia,andtheFolkArtMuseuminNewYork.

TodWilliamsandBillieTsienArchitectsPhilosophy“We see architecture as an act of profound optimism. Its foundation lies in believing that it is possible to make place on the earth that can

give a sense of grace to life - and believing that that matters. It is what we have to give and it is what we leave behind.”

TheRevaandDavidLoganCenterfortheArtswascompletedin2012througha$35milliongiftfromtheLoganfamily.The184,000squarefootbuildingaimstofunctionasahubfortheartssceneattheuniversityandtobecomeadestinationforthelargercommunity.Classroomsandsupportspacesformusic,visualarts,theater,performance,digitalartsandmediaareallprovidedforinthisonelocation.Thegoalistoprovideaspacewheremultipledisciplinescancollaborateandmixinanorganicway.ItalsorespondstothedesireofWilliamsandTsientoemphasizesiteconditions,usenaturallightasadesignelement,andusematerialityinapoeticway.

Theideaofthisbuildingbeingahubandreenergizingthesurroundingartscommunityisrevealedthroughthearchitecture.Thetowercomponentofthecenterisdescribedasa“mixingbowlforthearts.”Thesectionalqualityofthetowertrulyshowsthismixingandinterdisciplinaryintegration.Thethreemainperformancespacesshareanopen,accessiblelobbyatgroundlevel.Thiscoordinationandsharedspacewillservetoenhanceandreinforcetheideaofcollaborationandgatheringata“hub.”

KIM MEZGER & SIENNA MATHIESEN

Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts

Barnes Foundation

Tod Williams and Billie Tsien

Folk Art Museum

C. V. Starr East Asian Library Logan Center Performance Theater

WilliamsandTsienshowtheirarchitecturalexpertisethroughartisticexpressionandprecisionintheirdetails.Muchlikethebuildingitselftakestheformofaplatform,theentireLoganCenterisplacedonaraised,pavedplatformwhichbridgestheeast-westelevationdifferenceoverthesiteandcreatesasenseofhierarchywhencomparedtoitssurroundings.Tsiendescribesthisconnectionasthebuildingbeing“weddedtotheground.” Thecourtyardbetweenthetwobuildingsutilizesthesamealigningoftreesseenthroughoutcampustocreatesemi-enclosedspace.Thetransparencyandtherelationshipbetweenstructurescreatesafluidconnectionaswell.Theverticallimestonefacadewrapsseamlesslyontothehorizontalcourtyard.Asmallpebblerevealatthebaseallowsforacleananddelicateedgewherethebuildingmeetstheground.

Thesawtoothroofisavisuallyexpressedstrategyfordealingwithnaturallight.BecausetheLoganCenter’sprogramincludesgalleryspace,paintingstudios,workshopsandotherlight-sensitivespaces,directsouthernlightisnotalwaysideal.Thepitchoftheroofissuchthatthenorthernsideismuchsteeperandthesouthernismoreshallowandexpansive.Thesmaller,steepernorthernfaceofthesawtoothallowsforindirectdiffuselighttoenterthethirdfloor.Themoreshallow,broadersouthernfacehasphotovoltaicpanelsinstalledinordertocapturethemostlightandsupplementenergyforthebuilding’suse.Afterstudyingtheareasaffectedbythesesawtoothskylights,itwasestablishedthatthecontrolofthenaturallightwasnotadequate.Thepaintingstudioshavehadtoaddsupplementaryshadingdevicestoreducethediffuselight.Furthermore,itwasnotedthatthespacesthatdidwantoptimallightandwereconnectedtothenorthernskylightswerestillusingadditionalartificiallights.

Theprimarystructural,mechanicalandsystemcomponentsoftheLoganCenteraregenerallymaskedorconcealedwithafinishmaterial.Ononlyafewoccasionsdowegetaglimpseintotheinnerworkingsofthebuilding.Thesefewmomentsareoftencelebrated,keymoments.Theblackboxtheater,forexample,integratesalargeamountoftechnologyandexposesitcompletely.Thecantileveredentrieshaveadifferentlevelofarticulation;thetruebulkoftheprimarystructureiscompletelyconcealedwhilethelighter,moredelicatesecondarystructureisvisibleandexpressed.Theskylightstothenorthallowforanexpressionofbothlightandstructuresimultaneously.

Manyoftheperformanceandpracticespacesrevealthesoundtechnologyusedtomanipulateacoustics.Inthepracticerooms,theacousticpanelsareexpressedinadramatic,boldcolorratherthanchoosingtoblendthemintothewall.TheDelgiornodeckonthetenthfloorshowsthecanopy’sexaggeratedtiebacktothemainstructure.Themainstairtower’sstructuralconcreteisfullyexposedandrevealedandcelebratedbyaddinganotherlevelofterrazzo-styleconcretetothefloor.

PROGRAM & CIRCULATION PROGRAM & CIRCULATION

N S

Program: Plan Program: Section “Mixing Bowl”

Sawtoot Roof: Integrating Northern Light

Pebble reveal & consistent materialsLogan Center Model

Lighting:Themainlightingfeatureislocatedontheroofoftheplatform.Tenskylightsallowindirectnorthlightintothestudiobelow.

TsienandWilliamshadacompleteunderstandingofthesiteandsurroundingswhenundertakingthedesignoftheLoganCenter.Theytookcuesfromtheirsurroundingsbutalsoalteredspecificaspectsinordertoaccomplishtheirownaestheticgoals.TheLoganCenterisonthesouthsideoftheUniversity’sMidwayPlaisance.Tothenorth,historicNeo-gothicspiresdominatetheuniversityskyline.ItwasimportanttoWilliamsandTsienthattheLoganCenter,andthetowerspecifically,mirrorandcomplimentthedominancetothenorthandtakeonasenseofsolidityandmass.Thelong,horizontalorientationofthelimestonecladdingenhancesthesenseofcompressionandsolidity.Thelargeglassexpanses,cantileveredentryandbulkofthetowerareatvariancewiththeNeo-gothiccounterpartswhiletheheightandlimestonecomplimentthesurroundingstructures. Althoughthetowerhasapredominantlymassivefeeling,italsohasamplewindowsandasenseoferosion.MuchlikeachangeinmaterialitydefinesthepotentialforspecialspaceswithintheLoganCenter,smallmomentsofinterconnectednessarevisibleaswell.Theexteriorcourtyardhasaverylarge,transparentconnectiontotheinteriorcirculationcorridor.Thisvisualconnectionismirroredwhentheuserisinsidethethree-theaterlobbyandhasavisuallinkthroughthetranslucentandtransparentlayersofthelobbystair.

Structural: Thetower,madeofcast-in-placeconcrete,containsload-bearingwalls. Theboxandplatformsharearegularcolumngrid.Thisgridoccasionallybreaks,however,bothsystemsaredependentuponeachother.

Circulation:Circulationspinerunningnorthtosouthconnectingbothentrances.Branchesofftomultiplestairways.Themostprominentstairwayislocatedinthetower.Itisirregularinpatterncreatingintentionalspacesforseating.

Envelope: Limestoneandglassconsistentlyplaythroughoutthefaçade.AsolidandvoidpatternismadeprojectingviewsouttothesurroundingcityofChicago.

Mechanical & Plumbing: Inthetower,systemsrunverticallyalongthesouthwallfeedingeachfloor.Intheboxandplatform,systemsrunhorizontallywiththefloorslabs.

Structure

Envelope Mechanical & Plumbing

Circulation: Plan Circulation: Axo

Lighting DesignerRenfroDesignGroup

Construction ManagerTurnerConstruction

Acoustic & AudiovisualKirkegaardAssociates

Theater DesignSchulerShook

LEED ConsultantStevenWinterAssociates

Façade ConsultantAxisGroup

Elevator ConsultantVanDeusen&Associates

Film Projection ConsultantFullApertureSystems

Civil EngineerDavidMasonAssociates

Standing Seam RoofingRheinzink

LightingStudio1thousand

Interior TilesHeath Ceramics

Interior Felt WallsTWBTA Liora Manné

Exterior CladdingEarthworks(limestone)

CONSULTANTS2012Chicago,Illinois

ClientUniversityofChicago

Site Area4acres

Building Area184,000sf

ArchitectTod Williams Billie Tsien ArchitectsNewYork,NY

Design PrincipalsTod Williams and Billie Tsien

Project ManagerFelixAde

Project ArchitectJohnnyCho

Project TeamAbell,Bowker,Fox,Frazier,Korntreger,Kushe,Paradiso,Rashidi,Ripley,Ryan

Associate ArchitectHolabird&Root

Structural EngineerSeverudAssociates

MEP/FP EngineerAmbrosino,DePinto&Schmieder

Landscape ArchitectHargreavesAssociates

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen,Susie.“RevaandDavidLoganCenterfortheArtspreviewperiodtobeginMarch26.”UChicagoNews.news.uchicago.edu.Mar262012.Web.Oct202014.

Bey,Lee.“RevaandDavidLoganCenterfortheArts.”ARCHITECT.ArchitectMagazine.Nov272012.Web.Oct202014.

Jill,John.“RevaandDavidLoganCenterfortheArts.american-architects.com.Web.Oct202014.

“RevaandDavidLoganCenterfortheArts:PressKit.”UChicago.arts.uchicago.edu.Mar262012.Web.Oct202014.

Scott,Rory.“TodWilliamsandBillieTsienAwardedNationalMedalofArts.”ArchDaily.archdaily.com.Jul252014.Web.Oct202014.

Integration:Building

Integration:Building

KimMezger

Sienna Mathiesen

INTEGRATION COMPONENTS

Integration:Room

Integration:Room

Integration:Detail

Integration:Detailconcealedmechanicalalongwindowstructure+light