An environmental synthesis of ice falls, this immersive cast glass water feature literally and figuratively transports occupants accessing the tower’s elevator lobby.
ICE FALLS
HEARST TOWER, NEW YORK CITY, USA
2006
BackImages
THE ARTWORK ACTIVATES THE ENTRY EXPERIENCE WITH SOUND AND LIGHT
THE WATER FEATURE HARNESSES LIGHT FROM THE TOWER'S CLERESTORIES AND SKYLIGHTS
THE CAST GLASS WATER FEATURE IMBUES THE INCLINED PLANE WITH LIGHT
THE ICE FALLS IS BOTH A LIGHTING AND COOLING DEVICE
GLASS BLOCKS PUNCTUATE THE FILED OF GLASS PRISMS
Description
The new Hearst headquarters preserves the original building’s six storey façade adding a one storey high clerestory and glass roof, through which the Foster and Partners’ 46 storey Hearst Tower emerges. The building articulates a unique layering of old and new and a dramatic transition in elevation from the modest street level entry lobby to the large mezzanine lobby above where the tower’s elevators are accessed and where a café encourages social interaction. JCDA conceived of a water feature enveloping this transition with light and sound resonant of Manhattan’s subsumed ecologies.
Acting like a periscope, the cascading water and cast glass prisms capture the light from above and project it out towards the street, suffusing the space with sparkling light and ambient sounds. Reinforcing Foster’s innovations the water feature is fed by the roof’s rain catchment system and chilled as part of a primary cooling strategy, while the pattern created by the placement of the cast glass prisms and accent blocks extend the tower’s diagonal grid structure.
Client: Hearst Corporation
Architect: Foster + Partners / Adamson Associates Architects