FROM PLAY TO DISPLAY | Penn Design Architecture School

Architecture can be seen as an act of resistance. In order to resist, architects PLAY, MAKE, and DISPLAY. The project for Penn Design’s new Architecture school is imagined as a Fun Palace where every classroom has a different morphology. The central and monumental atrium is reconfigurable. During reviews, the gantry hauls up an extra floor to create additional review space. It can move a classroom to another location or be used to move material and projects around. In terms of materials, the façade is made of polycarbonate, which in addition to its sustainable properties, creates a variation of light throughout the day and night. The site strategy consists of an urban tunnel made of reflective material which addresses the corner condition. The tunnel becomes an icon as much as a gateway to the entire campus. Architecture Schools are occupied 24/7. At night, the colorful classrooms are glowing and produce a playful atmosphere. During the day, the tinted polycarbonate allows for light to enter the spaces creating an ethereal atmosphere. The idea of “Play” is carried throughout the entire project. It allows for physical, even unexpected interactions between the students and their environment. This physical connection to their surrounding space should enrich and inspire them as future architects.

U-Penn University, Philadelphia

Fall 2014 // Critic: Mark Foster Gage