The Spence School Athletic Center / 2021

ArchitectRogers Partners

The project is an athletic center for the Spence School for Girls in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York. The building is a six storey 60,000 square foot new construction project, housing several athletic programs for the school designed by Rogers Partners Architects. The primary North façade, features translucent double laminated insulated glazing units which create a subtle visual separation between the street side and the students in the gymnasium. The design intent for this translucent façade was to allow a sense of connectivity with the public realm through subtle visual connections of activity within, while obscuring direct views into the gymnasium. The panels are divided roughly every 2 feet with deep mullion caps without horizontal mechanical captures, giving a strong vertical reading of the facade. The continuity of the translucent façade is punctured through three large vision picture frames at key locations to create visual continuity between the exterior and interior program.