The rationalised and simplified structural and facade design for a highly architectural, complex 75’ high twisting stone facade with minimal depth, all to a tight budgetary constraint.
Eckersley O’Callahghan were tasked with the structural and facade design of 277 Mott street; a 70000sf seven-story retail building situated in Manhattan’s Little Italy district. We were challenged with the architectural intent of a 75’ tall twisting stone facade with vertical slot glazing within a 18-inch depth zoning constraint, whilst keeping the details appropriately simple and rational enough to meet the tight budgetary constraints.
The front facade consists of CNC-milled granite stone panels with structural silicone sealed glazed strips in between. The custom-fabricated stone is milled solid with all returns and the glass is glazed to blackened stainless steel profiles. As weather and light conditions change, different facade colorations are produced: the stone may appear silver, grey or matte black, shifting in appearance and twisting as one approaches or moves away from the building. Local fabricators and installers were sourced to handle all of the glazing, framing, and installation with the exception of the stone.
Special attention was paid to the support of the stone cladding at the front facade of the building by providing torsionally and flexurally stiff HSS beam. As the facade engineer of record, we provided signed sealed permit and construction documents for the envelope.
It was crucial for the design team to ensure an ample amount of daylight entered the building, therefore the rear elevation of the structure is clad in a glass curtain wall backed by twisting chords of aluminium, which serve as shading devices whilst producing visual interest.
The building’s primary structure has been engineered with load bearing masonry lot line walls with steel framing and concrete and metal deck slabs.
Location
New York, USA
Architect
Toshiko Mori Architect
