Volumes of Exception
2016
Co-Partner: Saeed Maseeh Kayyani
Explore floating spaces.
Seven unique volumes suspended within a cage. Volumes of Exception presents seven distinct entities—three serve as inhabited oculi, one as a completely enclosed light well, two as sectional light wells, and one as an interior, sealed supervolume, the auditorium. This structure has three distinct access points: from the Transbay Terminal, the adjacent park, and the street. The façade features a grid made of frosted cast eco-resin, seamlessly blending structural mullions with the windowpanes.
Welcome to productive disorientation.
The design invites a deliberate sense of spatial confusion, challenging your understanding of space and orientation.
Materials first.
The interplay of light wells and oculi shapes the building's volume, reminiscent of the Gehry DZ Bank's precedent. Two contrasting elements—mass and volume, translucency and transparency—create a shifting experience. Orthogonal floorplates and an opaque exterior skin orient the occupants to the site, but frosted panels obscure a direct view, blurring clear orientation. Relief comes from the transparent oculi crowning each volume, immediately revealing your place within the structure. Yet, the non-planar forms of these volumes break away from the building's mass, adding a further layer of intrigue.
Navigate the program.
The building's functions unfold as you ascend: the ground floor serves as the lobby and public circulation area. The second floor hosts a café and administrative offices. Floors three through seven are dedicated to LINE offices, while floors eight to ten house PACE galleries. PACE administration, a restaurant, and an outdoor sculpture garden occupy floors eleven through thirteen.
Invert the ordinary.
Volumes of Exception flips the familiar. It echoes Gehry's DZ Bank through sectional volumes and a massive cage, yet it reinvents the concept by floating these volumes rather than enclosing them. The auditorium acts as a sculptural supervolume, perched like a centerpiece within an expansive courtyard, similar to Gehry’s conference room. Accessed by ramps and stairs, it stands as an inversion of traditional design, delivering both homage and innovation.
Beautiful on the inside out.
Crafted with parametric engineering technology using Karamba 3D, Volumes of Exception is not just a sight to behold—it’s a feat of structural ingenuity. Karamba provides precise analysis of the building’s spatial trusses, frames, and shells, ensuring the beauty lies both within its form and its engineering.
