Hasta La Ideas

A tapered concrete roof oversails glazed laboratories at this research and innovation centre that American firm Richard Meier & Partners has completed for Italian cement manufacturer Italcementi.

Located in Bergamo, northern Italy, the Italcementi i.lab provides a facility where the company can research sustainable concrete and cement technologies and the building was constructed using a bespoke white concrete that is designed to break down pollutants in the air.

“The white concrete is self-cleaning and therefore will always be white,” said Richard Meier, as he explained how the concrete was initially developed for a church the studio designed in Rome. “The church was initially designed to be poured-in-place white concrete, but in conjunction with Italcementi we concluded that 12 ton white pre-cast concrete panels would be a better way to execute the design.”

The architects designed a V-shaped building with its two wings folding around a triangular courtyard garden. Laboratories are located in one wing, while the other contains meeting areas and a double-height lecture hall with a boardroom cantilevered overhead.

Glass partitions and skylights allow natural light to permeate the building, while sunken courtyards bring light into the basement laboratories.

The building was also designed to be as self-sufficient as possible and generates its own energy for heating and cooling from photovoltaic and solar panels, as well as from geothermal walls. The glazed facades feature insulated glass to hold in the heat, while rainwater collection systems minimise water consumption.

Above: section diagram – click above for larger image

Meier concluded: “With Italcementi, we have worked together to create a new office and research building for the twenty-first century – a landmark that upholds and builds upon the country’s architectural tradition. The Italcementi i.lab reinforces our firm’s commitment to accessible, open and sustainable architecture.”

Above: site plan – click above for larger image

New York and Los Angeles firm Richard Meier & Partners has been in practice for 50 years. Recent projects include a Corian-clad members’ club in China and a 34-storey tower in Mexico City. See more architecture by Richard Meier & Partners.

Photography is by Scott Frances.

Here’s some more information from the architects:

Richard Meier & Partners completes the Italcementi i.lab in Italy

Richard Meier & Partners celebrates the opening of the Italcementi i.lab in Bergamo, Italy. The new building is a benchmark of sustainable design in Europe and it has attained one of the first LEED Platinum accreditations in Italy.

Above: ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Italcementi i.lab, the new research and development center for Italcementi is intended to reflect the company’s position of leadership, technological advancement and commitment to research and innovation in the use of concrete.

Prominently positioned at the eastern end of the Kilometro Rosso Scientific Technology Park in Bergamo, Italy, the Italcementi i.lab is a benchmark in sustainable design in Europe. One of the top five cement manufacturers in the world, Italcementi is internationally recognized for its dedication to integrating Sustainable Development with its long-term growth plans.

Above: upper floor plan – click above for larger image

Each element of the building’s organization reflects an ambitious effort, both in Richard Meier & Partners focus on sustainable architecture and in the innovative use of efficient materials and construction solutions. One of the first projects in Europe with LEED Platinum accreditation, the building addresses the LEED rating system including sustainable sites, water efficiency, design and innovation, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The v-shaped building reinforces the boundaries of the triangular site and incorporates a program of technical and administrative spaces into two wings that surround a central courtyard. The interior organization of the laboratory wing responds to the highly specific functional requirements of the program. A simple structural grid and a central circulation corridor allow efficient and flexible layouts for various sectors. The south wing houses conference rooms, a two-story multipurpose hall and a sky-lit board room that cantilevers over the second floor. Additional below-grade courtyards provide fresh air and natural light to basement-level laboratory and mechanical spaces.

The roof of the structure forms a virtual fifth façade perforated with a system of skylights directing natural light into offices, circulation corridors, and laboratory spaces and animate the interiors with the changing natural light.

Above: east elevation – click above for larger image

The implementation of an innovative high-strength, white reinforced concrete developed by Italcementi specifically for this structure will significantly abate pollution caused by car emissions and industrial activities. The white TX Active® concrete reacts with ultraviolet rays breaking down harmful pollutants. In line with the firm’s continual efforts to address issues of energy conservation and environmental performance, the building uses high-performance custom facades, low-e insulated clear glass, and incorporates geothermal and renewable solar energy systems. Photovoltaic panels, solar panels and geothermal wells provide close to total energy self-sufficiency, meeting all of the building’s heating and cooling requirements.

Design Principals: Richard Meier, Dukho Yeon
Project Architects: Vivian Lee, Simone Ferracina
Collaborators: Roberto Mancinelli, Dongkyu Lee, Amalia Rusconi-Clerici, Robert Kim, Cedric M. Cornu, Wen-Yu Tu, Guillermo Murcia, Luca Aliverti, Tetsuhito Abe,

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American architects Richard Meier & Partners have unveiled designs for a 34-storey tower in Mexico City.

Glazed curtain walls will cloak each elevation of the Mitikah Office Tower and will be subtly faceted on the south and east faces.

A rooftop restaurant and bar are to occupy the top floor of the tower, while a domed conference room and surrounding garden will be located on floor number 19.

The building was designed as part of a wider masterplan by American firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and is scheduled to complete in 2014.

Other projects by Richard Meier that we’ve featured on Dezeen include an extension to a California gallery and a Jewish candle-holder – see them all here.

Here’s the full press release from Richard Meier & Partners:

Richard Meier & Partners Designs New Tower in Mexico City

New York, January 16, 2012 – The third project designed by Richard Meier & Partners in Mexico – is revealed today. The new Mitikah Office Tower will be a state-of-the-art building in the Delegacion Benito Juarez in Mexico City.

Mitikah Office Tower will be part of a mixed use master plan designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and developed by IDEURBAN/IDCity from Mexico. The scheme consists of commercial space, low-rise residential buildings, and a hotel and residential tower. Located at the southwest corner of the master plan, the tower offers an extraordinary opportunity to develop an architecture that mediates between the commercial core and the nearby residential community. Mitikah Office Tower will be the visual transition between the Av. Rio Churubusco, an elevated highway, and the pedestrian boulevard of the retail plaza.

Design Partner-in-charge Bernhard Karpf comments: “Mexico City has always been among the most important cultural and commercial centers in Latin America. The new tower will undoubtly contribute visual significance to the skyline of the city and to the neighborhood. The design is inspired by a modern interpretation of Aztec forms.”

The architectural massing of the new building combines a slender and elegant 34-story tower that rises above a transparent and translucent building base. The building lobby has been carefully positioned to be visible from all approaches to the site, and it anchors the building to the exposed retail plaza and to the adjacent commercial space.

A six-story underground garage provides joint parking not only for the building but for the other components of the master plan. The design of the office tower with its refined formal vocabulary reflects the distinct orientation of the site while addressing requirements of sustainability, maximum efficiency and flexibility. The South and East facades of the tower are composed of a continuous high-performance curtain wall modulated by subtle folds and reveals that create a memorable sculptural expression.

The North and West elevations are composed by a curtain wall system with modular and orthogonal expressions that reference the proportions of the surrounding context. A sky garden with an integrated conference pavilion on the 19th floor, and a restaurant and sky-bar on the 34th floor provide unique destinations for the mix-use development.

All facades of the building boast floor-to-ceiling glass walls with unparalleled views of downtown Mexico City, the surrounding mountains and the central valley. The selection of an efficient curtain wall system with clear and fritted Low-E glass maximizes the use of natural daylight throughout the office building while reducing the solar energy intake. The interplay of natural light and shadow animates the interior office space giving its occupants a quality that changes throughout the day. Mitikah Office Tower is expected to be LEED-certified and to be completed in 2014.

Here are some images of an office building designed by American studio Richard Meier & Partners, currently under construction in Prague, Czech Republic.

Called City Green Court, the building will feature glass façades interrupted by protruding vertical fins and balconies.

The eight-storey building will be organised around a central open-air atrium with a large tree in the middle and a wall covered in plants at ground level.

Walkways spanning across the courtyard will provide access routes from opposites sides of the building.

This is the third building to be designed by Meier as part of a masterplan for the Pankrác Plains in Prague.

Construction on the tower began in September last year and is due to be completed in 2012.

Renderings are courtesy of Vize.

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Click for larger image

The following information is from the architects:

Richard Meier & Partners third building breaks ground in Prague, Czech Republic and receives LEED Platinum pre-certification

Richard Meier & Partners Architects is pleased to announce the construction of City Green Court which has recently started last September 2010. This is RM&P’s third building within the Master Plan of Prague 4- Pankrác that began almost a decade ago with a local Czech developer and named the CITY Project. Based on RM&P’s Master Plan of the superblock on the Pankrác Plains, this once neglected area of Prague has now been transformed into a multi-functional, vibrant and revitalized business, commercial, and residential district filled with green public spaces and amenities.

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City Green Court has been modified and re-designed to the new owner Skanska’s sustainability goals and high standards to achieve the highest level of LEED certification. The project has recently received a LEED Platinum Pre-certification. With City Green Court, Richard Meier & Partners completes the northwestern corner of the superblock along M. Pujmanové and Hvĕzdova Streets with a cluster of three buildings. Conceived as a geometric volume in dialogue with the near context, City Green Court also offers respected contrast to the surrounding buildings. Like its earlier siblings City Tower and City Point, it is inspired by the language of Czech Cubism with an expressive façade that responds to issues of conservation and sustainability articulated with forms reminiscent of this avant-garde movement.

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When completed in early 2012, it will be a welcomed and key addition to the Pankrác superblock. “We are working together to make City Green Court a benchmark for green building design in the Czech Republic, said Richard Meier. “This assignment has been particularly challenging as it also meant addressing the historic beauty of Prague and at the same time creating a modern image of the City for its future.” Distinctive vertical solid panels with fins angled according to the sun’s orientation are integrated into the design of the curtain wall, emerging from both the south and west facades to minimize solar heat gain and to provide balanced shading and comfort within the interiors while maximizing daylight and views.

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In contrast, the north and east facades do not need solar protection: shading is unnecessary to the north, and City Tower, the adjacent high rise standing on the neighboring site shields the building to the east. White spandrel glass replaces the fin panels producing facades which are calm, sleek and uniform. The four facades when juxtaposed create a harmonious and dynamic envelope that can be perceived differently from close and distant vantage points. The eight-story building is organized around a central sky-lit atrium surrounded by highly efficient office floor spaces. To the south, a grand canopy marks the formal entrance to the building that leads into a single height lobby which then opens into the multi-story atrium.

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Atop the seven office floor plates, the partial mechanical penthouse level is covered with an extensive green roof and a skylight. Nestled in the atrium is a singular black olive tree and green ivy wall, with bridges spanning above from one side of the space to the other while a free standing stair connects the first four floors promoting movement and interaction, and encouraging less use of elevators. The exterior and interior of City Green Court are intertwined visually and physically with landscape elements spilling into and reappearing in the atrium.

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“Skanska Property Czech Republic, our Associate Architect CUBOID and our local consultants in Prague are fast becoming experts in green building design,” said Partner in Charge Dukho Yeon. “With its tautly composed form and elements, City Green Court embodies a certain discipline and restraint; designed within the framework of Skanska’s green initiative. We hope that we continue to educate each other and influence future development with a critical outlook on architecture and social responsibility.” City Green Court is expected to achieve LEED platinum certification in the Czech Republic by drastically reducing energy consumption.

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In addition to the very efficient building envelop, some of the most important measures towards LEED certification include natural ventilation of the atrium during the summer, state-of-the-art mechanical systems, reduction of water runoffs and storm water collection, green roof, indoor air quality control and the use of local and recycled materials.

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“We are proud to cooperate with Richard Meier & Partners Architects on the redesign of City Green Court to meet the growing interest in green, modern and flexible office space that offers a stimulating work environment,” said Britta Cesar, Managing Director of Skanska Property Czech Republic, and continued: ”Together with the enthusiasm and commitment from Richard Meier & Partners Architects we managed to achieve LEED platinum Pre-certification.”

“Above all we hoped this Master Plan for the Pankrác Plains would be a catalyst for growth, said Richard Meier. “After 10 years of hard work and dedication we are now seeing the result – which is an incredibly robust neighborhood, a new urban fabric rich with activity, and an optimistic view of urbanism for Prague.”

See also:

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Office building by de Carvalho and Palmero Cabezas	Central Business District Wenzhou by Henn Architekten	Crystal Clear by C. F. Møller & Kristin Jarmund Arkitekter

American architect Richard Meier & Partners have completed an extension to the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, California. (more…)