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Philadelphia
MGA Partners, Architects
Photography © Barry Halkin
A pioneering move enlivens a marginalized
campus area
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"This
rather humble and modest project makes many, many
inventive moves, with an amazing facility as a
cumulative result."
—Toshiko Mori,
Architect
Architect
MGA Partners, Architects www.mgapartners.com
Client
University of Pennsylvania www.upenn.edu
Key
Player(s)
CVM Engineers (structural); Marvin Waxman Consulting
Engineers (mechanical)
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Program:
Facility departments at universities typically inhabit
uninspiring spaces, and the University of Pennsylvania facilities
was no exception. Overcrowded and dispersed among several
buildings, the department needed to reshape its image and
improve its function. It underwent a major restructuring,
intending to demonstrate with its new quarters the value of
good architecture and planning in an academic environment.
Utilizing the track level of a massive abandoned 1929 railroad
warehouse on the eastern end of the campus, the client consolidated
the scattered parts of the department into this industrial
facility. Additionally, the project revived a vacant industrial
quarter of the city, extending the campus boundary eastward
toward downtown, providing a center for future development.
Solution:
The architecture of this new space is a celebration
of the industrial character of the warehouse. The project
has brought positive energy to what was previously an undesirable
edge of campus, and the perception of the department by the
architectural, university, and business communities has significantly
improved. The project's success is evident on many levels:
A post-occupancy survey revealed increased morale and improved
communication, and administrators report greater ease in recruiting
and retaining personnel.
For more images please see the November
2002 issue or Architectural Record.
The Winners: Abercrombie
& Fitch | Allsteel
| Cellular Operations
| Gateshead
Millenium Bridge | Multi-Use
Centre | Paul
Brown Stadium | Texas
Children's Hospital | Toys
"R" Us | Trumpf
Customer & Technology Center | Univ.
of Penn. Dept. of Facilities and Real Estate | Valeo
Electrical Systems
The Finalists:
Arcs
de Seine | Boeing\
Leadership Center | Gasometer
B | Hansen
Construction Office | ING
Direct | KeySpan
Park Stadium | Matha
Stewart Living
Unbuilt Projects:
BMW Event and
Delivery Center | Hollister
Headquarters
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Video
