Princeton University, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton, New Jersey
From Archiplanet
| Princeton University, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics | |
| Designer | Rafael Vinoly Architects PC, New York, New York, USA |
| Location | Princeton, New Jersey, USA |
| Date | 2004 |
| Building Type | Research, Academic |
| Street Address | |
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| Building Details |
The mission of the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics is to conduct pioneering research into fundamental questions of biology by integrating perspectives and analytical tools of molecular biology, chemistry, physics and computer analysis. To help achieve these goals, the Carl Icahn Laboratory, among the first fully integrated labs in America, was designed to unite researchers from a variety of disciplines and encourage a free exchange of thoughts and findings.
Situated between the science complex of brick-clad buildings and the historical campus of traditional stone, the building bridges both contexts with its skin of pre-cast concrete panels that have the proportion and color of brick and a texture that mimics the richness of stone. In plan, it is composed of a curved glass façade positioned on the south edge of the site and two rectangular lab blocks on the north and east. Beyond the specific program needs of individual labs, the design was determined by the need for flexibility over time as research and researchers change with the pace of genomic science.
The space between the lab volumes and the curved boundary of the “quad” is spanned by a steel truss roof that shelters an open communal area known as the “atrium.” This space is enclosed by a glass curtain wall with thirty-one vertical louvers that track the movement of the sun in the southern sky. Their synchronized rotation throughout the day keeps them at the optimal angle for shading the interior, while also limiting thermal loading on the cooling systems.
The functional arrangement, flexible spaces, ample provision of natural light, and distinctive safety features help promote the initiative of the institute and inspire scientific inquiry.
