High Road

The challenge was to create an architecture of cohesion and continuity. Further, the project was to maintain as much of the existing structure as possible, while maximizing the transformation. This created inherent conflicts as the original structure presented a disjointed form that had been built and/or modified over time as a matter of experience. The parts did not work together to allow the project to read as a whole. The architectural intervention then became an effort to intervene only where necessary. The impact of effort would need to be amplified; each move became a critical one and would need to have multiple effects.
Ultimately this was accomplished by removing only what was necessary–part of the existing structure that could not be feasibly stabilized or worked around without damage were removed, along with any elements that presented maintenance problems. In some instances, materials were removed for aesthetic purposes. When components were replaced, they would serve multiple functions. A new roof, for example, would have the purpose of accommodating the form of the gallery and allowing clerestory light in. The gallery itself would form a circulation spine. This type of synergy was present throughout the design process.