Can architecture help inspire new ideas?
That is the question Hollwich Kushner hopes to answer with the Pennovation Center, a multifunctional incubator for small-business startups, entrepreneurs and innovators at the University of Pennsylvania. Recently completed, the project — a radical reinvention of a former paint factory in South Philadelphia — is intended to form a new urban landmark and foster a culture of creativity on the east bank of the Schuylkill River. New photographs of the finished center illustrate that the project bears a striking resemblance to conceptual renderings released early last year.
The Pennovation Center has journeyed from rendering …
… to reality in Philadelphia; photo © Michael Moran,rendering courtesy Hollwich Kushner.
The external skin of the building is defined by two distinctive features, both formed by deliberate disruptions in the factory’s rigid structural grid. Firstly, a soaring triangular aperture is cut into the block, giving the entrance formal prominence and allowing glimpses of activity on all three floors of the center. Secondly, the northern facade breaks away from the grid as a crystalline web of glazed panels, forming a beacon by night and affording those inside great views of the Philadelphia skyline.
The triangular aperture shown in the original concept rendering of the entrance …
… is now reflected in the completed building; photo © Michael Moran, rendering courtesy Hollwich Kushner.
This dramatic manipulation of the masonry and concrete block was driven by Hollwich Kushner’s desire to create a quirky, unexpected gesture, reflecting the experimental and often unorthodox approaches required for creative innovation. The glass elevation also promotes a culture of openness and transparency: Passersby can see what is going on within and vice versa, so the campus is visually and psychologically connected to the outside world.
The bold intervention adds a dash of Postmodern theater to the conventional industrial aesthetic. Don’t be fooled, though, for this is no Libeskind-style attention grabber: The focal point on the north facade is actually located around the back of the building, out of view when approaching the facility’s main entrance.
Looking out through the crystalline north facade; photo © Michael Moran
Practice co-founder Matthias Hollwich enjoys the idea of this moment being hidden away, like the bonus level of an architectural computer game: “It’s as if the social energy of the space pushes through the building and explodes out the back,” he explains. By night, the fragmented wall of glazing appears as a backlit display case, animated with bustling activity as dedicated developers work into the evening.
Inside, the co-working spaces are designed to be highly customizable, allowing for a number of different shared work environments to encourage communication and collaboration. Its makeup reflects the changing working habits of young people, particularly in the realm of tech startups and online businesses. Furthermore, the design acknowledges the importance of pitching with an integrated bleacher system — located at the heart of the center’s crystalline northern elevation — for young innovators to present their concepts in front of an audience.
Open-plan workspaces throughout the interior; photo © Michael Moran
Hollwich Kushner’s architectural intervention is designed to address the growing need for workspace flexibility, with budding entrepreneurs requiring different forms of space depending on their field of expertise. However, the firm also wanted to allow for an “overlap” of programs, as knowledge-sharing opportunities and ad hoc collaboration now form a crucial part of working life for startups. The design achieves this through the provision of open-plan studio spaces that allow for both individual and communal activity, with various informal seating and desk configurations.
The plan also juxtaposes work and social functions, giving equal preference to both in the spatial hierarchy: Wet and dry labs for experimentation are located within easy access of the coffee bar. Externally, a lawn of wildflowers and native plant species — the work of David Rubin, a landscape designer from Philadelphia’s Land Collective — provides ample space for relaxation, while also serving as an outdoor library. There is even a drone-testing area, intended for confirmed tenants KMel Robotics to try out their latest quadcopters in the plaza.
Photo © Michael Moran
The rawness of the former factory is happily retained, with a healthy dose of architectural honesty in the exposed materials on both the interior and exterior of the building. Combined with well-considered landscaping and designed with future expansion in mind, the Pennovation Center strikes a satisfying balance between practical workspaces and informal social functions, creating an environment that will give rise to valuable instances of cross-program collaboration.
The completed building by night; photo © Michael Moran
For students looking to create the best-ever drone, an app to outsell Angry Birds or even the next Facebook, this may well prove the perfect place to start.
Disclosure: Hollwich Kushner is Architizer’s sister company. Architizer was co-founded four years ago from within HWKN and the two companies currently share an office. Architizer is proud of its heritage as the only global architecture platform born from an architecture firm and run by practicing architects. Nevertheless, it remains editorially independent from Hollwich Kushner and this article represents the opinion of Architizer.