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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