Louvers
Case Studies
North Carolina Museum of Art
The context:
NCMA, the first American art museum collection to be formed by state legislation and appropriation began a challenging expansion project right on the brink of its 60th anniversary. Following this initiative, the new construction was set to occupy 127,000 square feet (11,800 square meters), enough space to host the permanent collection of over 5,000 art objects. Also, the expansion transformed the existing building into a temporary exhibition center, administrative and educational offices, along with gardens and outdoor galleries, all conceived to create the nation’s largest art museum park.
The challenge:
Inspired by the artistic and educational goals of the project and stirred by the marvelous exterior scenery, the architect sought assistance to create a vaulted roof that would match the neighboring hills, while allowing controlled daylight into the buildings. In order to enhance visitors’ experience with art and help preserve the masterpieces hosted by the museum, the architect needed a system to filter UV rays and allow only a controlled amount of light to seep in.
Based on a successful work relationship developed in time, Thomas Phifer & Partners appointed Unicel Architectural to provide a custom-made sunscreen. The ultimate goal was to turn light into art with the help of technology.
Unicel’s solution:
For the NCMA sunscreen, Unicel developed a specially-designed blade to effectively control the amount of daylight that reaches inside the building. The blades were conceived to filter the UV radiations that could damage the exhibits and to allow only a reduced quantity of light to penetrate. Once it passes the sunshades, a system of vaulted ceiling coffers filters and softly diffuses the light at the galleries.
The sunscreen comprises 376 curved panels of 20' x 6' (6m x 2m) made of clear anodized aluminum.
Because of the number of panels, their shape and the daylight efficiency challenge, the NCMA sunshade was a very complex project in terms of design and manufacturing.
Key parameters:
Location: Raleigh, NC
Gross square footage: 127,000 square feet (11,800 m2)
Sunscreen: 45,000 square feet (4,180 m2)
Completion: 2009
Program: Expansion, galleries, courtyards, public spaces
Team:
Owner: North Carolina Museum of Art
Architect: Thomas Phifer & Partners, NYC
Sub-Contractor: Super Sky
