FRAC Centre
An aerial precedent for inserting organic, parametric metallic architecture into a dense, historical urban context.
- What we like about this project
- A smaller protruding tubular nozzle with a glazed multi-faceted oculus juts out toward the street.
Materials
- metal-panels
- glass
- steel
Visual identifiers
- freeform-metallic-cladding
- organic-pods
- historic-urban-contrast
- triangulated-panels
Style tags
- parametric
- contemporary
- blob-architecture
- sculptural
Visual tags
- urban-intervention
- sculptural-massing
- contemporary-contextual-clash
- civic
- parametric
- Geometry
- An asymmetrical, bulbous freeform volume clad in triangulated panels interrupts and contrasts sharply with the orthogonal, traditional urban fabric.
- Facade system
- Custom triangulated metal panel system over a complex curved space-frame structure.
- Structural guess
- Steel space frame supporting non-standard curved exterior cladding panels.
- Spatial scale
- Large civic intervention spanning several city lots, dwarfing surrounding parked cars and pedestrians.
- Lighting
- Diffused overcast daylight catching flat reflections across the segmented metallic skin.
- Atmosphere
- Surreal and futuristic, creating a striking dialogue between old and new.
- Environmental context
- Dense historic European urban fabric featuring orange tiled roofs and masonry facades, with a large cathedral in the background.
- Spatial experience
- From above, the organic metallic mass creates an uncanny juxtaposition with historic streetscapes, drawing the eye toward its sculptural upturned funnel forms.
- Composition rhythm
- Irregular triangulated panel joints creating a non-repeating mesh pattern across curved volumes.
- Style reading
- Parametric contemporary landmark
- Program
- Cultural art center and exhibition gallery (FRAC Centre)
- Perspective
- Aerial/Site
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- metal-panels, glass, steel
- Visual identifiers
- freeform-metallic-cladding, organic-pods, historic-urban-contrast, triangulated-panels
- Style tags
- parametric, contemporary, blob-architecture, sculptural
- Visual tags
- urban-intervention, sculptural-massing, contemporary-contextual-clash, civic, parametric
- Geometry
- An asymmetrical, bulbous freeform volume clad in triangulated panels interrupts and contrasts sharply with the orthogonal, traditional urban fabric.
- Facade system
- Custom triangulated metal panel system over a complex curved space-frame structure.
- Structural guess
- Steel space frame supporting non-standard curved exterior cladding panels.
- Spatial scale
- Large civic intervention spanning several city lots, dwarfing surrounding parked cars and pedestrians.
- Lighting
- Diffused overcast daylight catching flat reflections across the segmented metallic skin.
- Atmosphere
- Surreal and futuristic, creating a striking dialogue between old and new.
- Environmental context
- Dense historic European urban fabric featuring orange tiled roofs and masonry facades, with a large cathedral in the background.
- Spatial experience
- From above, the organic metallic mass creates an uncanny juxtaposition with historic streetscapes, drawing the eye toward its sculptural upturned funnel forms.
- Composition rhythm
- Irregular triangulated panel joints creating a non-repeating mesh pattern across curved volumes.
- Style reading
- Parametric contemporary landmark
- Program
- Cultural art center and exhibition gallery (FRAC Centre)
- Perspective
- Aerial/Site
- Discipline
- architecture