The Stories We Construct

The concept behind this events center design is driven by a multi-tiered plan and circulation that urges visitors and occupants of the building to experience every part of it. Promenade is defined by a grand linear staircase, traversing all four stories, and giving people a clear path of circulation to explore the building. The initial impression is made upon approach and entry of the building, where guests walk through a vestibule into a double-height lobby with vast window walls. The lobby features a cafeteria and multiple spaces for seating, encouraging guests to use the space to relax and unwind before heading to the auditorium for the main event. They would then travel up the staircase and into the pre-function area, featuring a bar and a loggia, where people could socialize prior to entering the auditorium. This pre-function space acts as a mezzanine level to the lobby, with windows looking into the lobby below. From there, guests walk up the stairs again and into an intimate hallway, before transitional double doors reveal the vast auditorium, which is the primary space of this building. The auditorium is dimly lit to highlight the stage, with one single narrow window defining the path of circulation inside the space. After events, guests would then walk upstairs towards the fourth floor, then exit out the doors and into a large outdoor terrace to enjoy the views to refresh post-show. Their experience of the building would end here, after which they would return to the first floor to exit. This concept of the multi-tiered promenade is translated in the building façade. Curtain walls define the first two floors, bringing light to the preliminary spaces. On the third floor, the auditorium is highlighted on the façade as a point of hierarchy, with its wall extruded out, and a narrow window being accentuated by a solid angular frame forming the wall surface. On the fourth floor, a setback is accommodated by a terrace, featuring an overhang defined by the building’s monumental left wall. Tightly spaced wood louvers rhythmically open towards the right, creating a gradual reveal of the view for guests on the terrace. The overall stacked quality of the façade is an interpretation of the process of experiencing the interior.

Previous
Previous

Harper's Ferry Adventure Center →

Next
Next

U Street Music Library →