ON HOW FAÇADE/STRUCTURE ARE ONE AND THE SAME
We propose a building where the architectural typology is diluted or merged with the structural type. The history of modern architecture exemplifies two types of buildings where the previous statement occurs: first, the open-plan nave whose origin can be traced back to the architecture of greenhouses (Crystal Palace) and secondly, the towers with a structural façade, found in designs by engineer/architect Fazlur Kahn. These two construction types are associated with a material that belongs to the world of engineering: STEEL.
Inspired by these two typologies, where the steel structure is the protagonist of the space and the expression of the building, we propose a building made up of an ATRIUM that evokes these diaphanous steel naves and a TOWER that follows the typological guidelines of the structural tube steel frame and its proven timeless flexibility and functionality.
ON HOW THE PUBLIC ATRIUM INTEGRATES THE NEW BUILDING WITH THE EXISTING ONE
THE ATRIUM is a vestibular space that offers access and meeting spaces for the Engineering Faculty. The sheltered public space created, ceases to be the interstitial space between the two buildings to become a communal space that integrates old and new under a single entity. The facade of the existing brick building is covered with vertical gardens that serve multiple purposes: sound absorption, thermal regulation and visual appeal.
THE RESPONSE TO A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE COMES FROM HONORING THE MATERIAL
The 1,880 tons of half inch thick structural steel sheets were processed and prefabricated in a controlled environment while the excavations were progressing. A total of 81 hollow-section columns, joined 100% with continuous weld seams throughout the entire façade, helped consolidate the structural steel tube frame. They are painted in brass color, a tone that highlights the metallic character of its material and dialogues harmonically with Bogotá's sky and surrounding geography.
ON HOW A LABORATORIES BUILDING CAN HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF A FACULTY AND A COUNTRY
The project has sparked numerous research threads, collaborations and breakthroughs in the fields of engineering which are relevant to, not only the country, but a regional context. This building is one rare case where the equipment and technology harnessed within, combined with the minds and interactions it has attracted, has had a multiplying effect in various fields.
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