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An urban courtyard precedent by Levitt Bernstein demonstrating the integration of warm architectural lighting, level changes, and contemporary masonry insertion into a historic fabric.
- What we like about this project
- Vertical slots in the new stone facade house concealed lighting that turns structural bays into glowing lanterns at dusk.
Materials
- limestone
- brick
- glass
- steel
- concrete-paving
- timber
Visual identifiers
- paved-courtyard
- lit-grand-staircase
- limestone-facade-slots
- urban-public-realm
Style tags
- contemporary
- contextual
- urban-design
Visual tags
- public-realm
- evening-lighting
- courtyard
- urban-infill
- plaza
- masonry
- Geometry
- A stepped urban courtyard defined by a paved ground plane, retaining walls, a grand stair, and multi-story surrounding buildings.
- Facade system
- Combination of historic brick masonry and modern stone-clad facade featuring rhythmic recessed vertical light slots.
- Structural guess
- Concrete and steel framing with masonry and stone cladding
- Spatial scale
- Human-scale pedestrian plaza with multi-story building perimeters.
- Lighting
- Twilight blue hour sky contrasted with warm, integrated artificial illumination from facade slots, stair treads, and interior windows.
- Atmosphere
- Inviting and secure evening glow highlighting architectural textures and guiding movement.
- Environmental context
- Dense urban infill site surrounded by multi-story masonry and contemporary commercial or institutional buildings.
- Spatial experience
- A dynamic public realm transitioning between levels via lit stairs and open courtyard space, offering sheltered seating zones and deep portal entryways.
- Composition rhythm
- Repeating vertical luminous facade slots and rhythmic stair riser lights creating strong diagonal and vertical patterns.
- Style reading
- Contemporary urban infill with integrated architectural lighting
- Program
- Civic or institutional public courtyard
- Perspective
- Aerial/Site
- Discipline
- architecture
- Materials
- limestone, brick, glass, steel, concrete-paving, timber
- Visual identifiers
- paved-courtyard, lit-grand-staircase, limestone-facade-slots, urban-public-realm
- Style tags
- contemporary, contextual, urban-design
- Visual tags
- public-realm, evening-lighting, courtyard, urban-infill, plaza, masonry
- Geometry
- A stepped urban courtyard defined by a paved ground plane, retaining walls, a grand stair, and multi-story surrounding buildings.
- Facade system
- Combination of historic brick masonry and modern stone-clad facade featuring rhythmic recessed vertical light slots.
- Structural guess
- Concrete and steel framing with masonry and stone cladding
- Spatial scale
- Human-scale pedestrian plaza with multi-story building perimeters.
- Lighting
- Twilight blue hour sky contrasted with warm, integrated artificial illumination from facade slots, stair treads, and interior windows.
- Atmosphere
- Inviting and secure evening glow highlighting architectural textures and guiding movement.
- Environmental context
- Dense urban infill site surrounded by multi-story masonry and contemporary commercial or institutional buildings.
- Spatial experience
- A dynamic public realm transitioning between levels via lit stairs and open courtyard space, offering sheltered seating zones and deep portal entryways.
- Composition rhythm
- Repeating vertical luminous facade slots and rhythmic stair riser lights creating strong diagonal and vertical patterns.
- Style reading
- Contemporary urban infill with integrated architectural lighting
- Program
- Civic or institutional public courtyard
- Perspective
- Aerial/Site
- Discipline
- architecture