The Challenge:
Hoping to attract a younger, hipper class of tenants, owners of the eight-story Academy Tower office building, which sits in the heart of the thriving North Hollywood Arts District, decided it was time to refresh the dated pink marble lobby with a cleaner, more modern aesthetic.
Inspired by the unique entryway, the design team from BAM Architecture Studio wanted an architectural gesture that would draw people into the space. “The entryway is a wedge that pinches at the end,” explains Mark Guerrero, project manager, BAM Architecture Studio. “When one enters the building, the lobby feels like it’s far away. The perspective is forced because the walls are drawing closer.”
To accentuate that perspective, the design team envisioned a ceiling element made up of long, silver metallic ribbons that would reach across the 2,247 square foot lobby to make it look longer than it is. The ribbons would include narrow, slot-shaped perforations that would allow the lighting behind them to penetrate the space. “We wanted the perforated slots to convey the look of stars when traveling at light speed,” adds Guerrero.
The design team turned to the You Inspire Solutions Center at Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions to make the unique ceiling design a reality.
The Solution:
After reviewing the drawings, the design professionals at the You Inspire Solutions Center were able to realize the design intent with METALWORKS Torsion Spring ceiling panels in Silverlume.
The ceiling is made up of about 100 2' x 4' METALWORKS Torsion Spring panels installed in a series of ribbons below the existing drywall ceiling. To achieve the desired random look, the panels are customized with four different perforation patterns. “Instead of each panel having a unique set of perforations, which would have driven up the cost, we were able to achieve the same random look with four sets of panels with different perforation patterns that we were able to rotate and lay out randomly,” says Guerrero.
The ceiling ribbons extend in an angled design across the lobby and down the three elevators where they converge with the custom 2' x 4' METALWORKS WH1000 wall panels in Silverlume that surround the elevators. Each panel was field cut in a unique pattern to accommodate its specific location in the ceiling design
Project: Academy Tower Lobby
Architect: BAM Architecture Studio
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Products: METALWORKS Torsion Spring Custom