The Rubenstein Commons at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, NJ, established in 1930, is a new commons building on the historic campus. It is sited near the Institute’s flagship 1939 building Fuld Hall where Albert Einstein spent his last thinking years.
The design for Rubenstein Commons is driven by the concept of intertwining. Exterior circulation weaves into and through the building. The building is conceived as a social condenser with a variety of flexible meeting spaces supporting community and academic life on the IAS campus. The new building follows the existing topography primarily in a single level program with gradual slopes and offers views of the courtyards and reflecting pools.
Blackboards of natural slate, a storied tradition for intellectual curiosity and exchange at the IAS, line the interiors. Custom hand-blown light fixtures illuminate the curved ceiling geometry. Door handles inspired by knot theory and custom waterspouts greet visitors at the east and west entries to the building.
Prismatic glass breaks white light into the color spectrum, energizing the interiors with natural light and color. A glass system was developed utilizing milled prismatic glass to create solar shading on south, east and west facades. The glass is milled into a custom sawtooth profile and then laminated onto an IGU to mitigate solar heat gain thereby improving the buildings energy performance. The milled surface of the glass refracts light and functions as an integrated shading device reducing heat gain from the sun, leading to savings in energy systems and long-term operating costs. These 21 prismatic glass clerestories, together with the reflecting pools on the north, south, and west, animate light and illuminate a contemplative space at the Institute of Advanced Study.
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