GAS WORKS FACTORY | 2008

With the program of yacht manufacturing on a site as loaded as the Gas Works Park in Seattle, WA, 21st Century Shed begs to be more than a functional enclosure for a factory. The floor reacts to the earthen mound of the park, continuing the topography to form an architectural plinth that extends out into the water. A large roof is laced with the functions of the factory, supporting the elements of the program and organizing the fabrication process. Ultimately, the building is a twenty-first century shed set atop a sculpted landscape. The shed takes on the problem of surface as well as service. Unlike a typical shed, which stands as a large rigid volume, the skin of this mercurial span is articulated through folds and creases. As in automotive design, the surface organizes visual perception, encouraging the eyes to rest on longer break lines and hurry through tight curvatures with quick reflections. Functionally there are no pleats around the lower level in order to meet the occasional needs for privacy. All light enters through a series of skylights that are designed to catch the views. In turn, these apertures are sited specifically to enhance the image of the building from the surrounding bridges. The distant vantages display the building as a whole, further encouraging the reading of the full surface instead of a series of assembled facades.

The project is featured in “Composites, Surfaces, and Software: High Performance Architecture”.