| Architect |
Ian Ritchie Architects |
| Date
Built |
2015 |
| Location |
Howland
Street & Cleveland Street |
| Description |
|
Professor John
O'Keefe, Inaugural Director of the
Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, is quoted as
saying that, "... In addition
to providing a world-class neuroscience
research centre, we believe that the
building will add significantly to the
aesthetic quality of the area."
The facility represents a partnership
between the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and
the Wellcome Trust. On the outside the striking features on the building are its wave-like glazed façade and the colonnade on Howland Street. The construction company Kier Construction say on their website that, ".. With a façade created from over 6,000sq m of specially cast modular glass units, once complete the new Sainsbury Wellcome Centre will be an exciting and innovative structure providing a dramatic addition to the streetscape." The undulating cast glass façade, credited to Frener & Reifer, reached the final of the "International Award for Facade Engineering Excellence 2013" The façade is designed to provide high performance in terms of thermal, acoustic, light transmitting and low maintenance.  At the ceremony to
commemorate the completion of the
external structure musicians from the
Royal Academy played a piece from Bach's
Musical Offering. That music has
become a physical part of the building
because a digital printout of Bach’s
entire Musical Offering score hangs from
the ceiling of the 90 metre long
colonnade.
  The colonnade also
features a series of window displays
explaining themes including illusion,
distortion, inversion, deception and
perception.
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Sainsbury
Wellcome Building, London  Close Window  |