BLOSSOM - CULINARY ART COLLEGE (NYC, 2012)
Annual steel design student competition sponsored by ACSA
Just like students of Culinary arts college, the play of lights and shadows on interiors and exteriors of the blossom facade is like an open invitation to communities to visit the college. The double-skin facade of the Blossom building improves energy efficiency and controls natural light. The materials on the facade range from fixed copper panels, operable copper panels, to glasses. The dynamic outer layer is composed of copper diamond components; during the day, these operable elements have governed by the needs of interior space and users. The atrium brings natural light and fresh air into the heart of the building. The structural tubes in the atrium together with the space frame in the facade are major structural components of the Blossom building. In doing so, the interiors can be freely organized depending on the functional necessities and occasional events. Formal and structural integration of the atrium does not limit to interiors; it disrupts the repetition on the east and west facade by cutting through copper panels.
The main design challenge was the integration of public and private spaces. Semi-transparent facade in lower levels invites the community to visit the restaurant and blends interior and exterior. The central atrium with unique shape embraces vertical circulation and provides continuous visual connectivity throughout the blossom building. In the first floor, the atrium merges with the public spaces; An invitation for exploring other levels and experiencing the daily life in the college. Public permaculture roof garden improves the energy efficiency of the building and provides sustainable food and resources to locals and the college; on the way up to the green roof, community explores other spaces and learns about design and technique of food preparation. Multiple Staircases and transparent elevator in the atrium create animated perspectives that alter depending on your location in the building.