Granoff Center For The Creative Arts Wins Top Honors In Metalmag Architecture Awards

July 17, 2012 - PRLog -- (Providence, RI) -- Each year, the Metalmag Architectural Awards, sponsored by Metal Magazine, recognize “the best in metal design and construction across the industry, taking into account not only the overall design of each project, but also the innovative use of metal materials.”

This year, the 38,815-square-foot Perry and Marta Granoff Center for the Creative Arts at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, was not only the winning entry in the Metal Buildings category, but one of the jurors also called it “the best entry, period."

The building was designed by Diller Scofido + Renfro and features an unusual application of VMZINC Quartz-Zinc wall cladding manufactured by Umicore Building Products USA.

“It is really exciting,” the juror, architect Andre Kikoski, observed, “and it’s using a technology that we’ve seen before in a completely innovative and interesting way that has presence and differentiation within it. It creates a new architecture.”

New York–based Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed a plan for the $40 million Center that effectively crosses the boundaries between the arts, sciences, and humanities. The building is comprised of large, uninterrupted floor plates that are cut along a shear line and offset to create six half-levels.

The transparent west façade contrasts with the other three exterior walls that are covered in the VMZINC composite skin from Alcoa. The zinc skin starts flush against the building on the western edge then gradually transitions to a pleated surface as it moves across the north and south façades toward the building’s eastern edge. At the southeast and northeast corners, the pleats reveal glass walls that allow natural light to penetrate into the building.

“You look at it, you look at it again, and you keep staring at it: What did they really do here to give you that image and how did they do that with metal?” observed juror Scott Kriner, President of Green Metal Consulting, Inc. “Coming back to the creative and innovative criteria: This is certainly an innovative project, all the pictures are very good, and you’re left scratching your head as to how you can possibly do this with metal.”

“Zinc is a malleable material so forms such as this are obviously plausible and possible,” said Daniel Nicely, UBP general director. “Our congratulations to Diller Scofidio + Renfro for an exceptional project and a well deserved award.”

For more information on the 212 Metalmag Architecture Awards, go to http://www.metalmag.com/awards-and-events/.

For more information on VMZINC, visit http://www.vmzinc-us.com.


About VMZINC / Umicore Building Products USA, Inc.:  Umicore is a world-leading producer of architectural zinc and the manufacturer of VMZINC®. For over 160 years Umicore has been providing innovative solutions for building owners, architects and contractors. Umicore has offices and representatives all over the world. In the United States, Umicore Building Products USA, Inc., is based in Raleigh, NC. For additional information, visit www.vmzinc-us.com.