Originally an abandoned warehouse clad in corrugated metal, this prominent corner structure had great sculptural potential on the exterior and a magnificent volume on the interior. Our approach was to celebrate the unique features of the existing structure while creating more space for our client. The design increased the interior rentable square footage without adding to the building envelope or compromising the open volume and industrial feel of the space.

For the exterior we chose to re-clad the entire building with random orbit sanded stainless steel panels. This rich hand finish constantly reflects the changing conditions of the weather and light. The building glows with the morning sun, disappears into the blue skies, and projects shadows of the city life around it. As a single monochromatic skin, the iconic saw tooth outline is fully expressed. To maximize the natural light that saw tooth roofs create, new full height glass roll up doors were incorporated, windows were added, and new entry doors are also clear glass. The style of these additions maintain the industrial character of the warehouse and their simple rhythm complements the scale of the neighborhood.

Inside, the volume was defined by the interior height and the great expanse of the building’s existing timber trusses. To maintain the sense of volume we left the trusses as exposed as possible and let them dominate the material palette of the space. Cleaned, the warmth of the wood glows against the grey concrete, black steel, black painted pipes, white fixtures and sheetrock. A new mezzanine inserted in the space creates a horizontal datum but does not break the vertical height as perimeter walls and guardrails are glass and open cables respectively. Similarly new smaller volumes within the mezzanine are primarily glass boxes. The clear glass allows the trusses to maintain their dominant role defining the space and the open light filled volume to read throughout.