The perforated triangular panels of the outer layer of the facade allowed to cause a dissipation of the building in space, particularly visible in the upper area where the terrace serves as a recreation centre for employees.
The curved canopy over the south entrance was digitally 3D modelled and then shipped to local contractors to prepare individual mockups. The fluidity of the perforated pattern was an important point when fitting the panels on site.
Description of project by FAAB Architektura
Wave One
Wave One, implemented as the first, is a diagnostic, research and development centre. On level minus 1, cold stores and reagent stores, server rooms and technical rooms are provided. There is a medical analytical laboratory on the ground floor. Most of the laboratory tests are performed on fully automated medical laboratory equipment based on robotics sorting lines of samples designated for testing.
On the first floor, there is a molecular biology laboratory carrying out research in the field of genetics. Next to it, there is a cytology, cytogenetics and virological laboratory. The second floor is occupied by a research and development centre. This centre also creates specialised software to streamline implementation and increase the accessibility of medical procedures. The software is based on the technology of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Office space has been provided on the third floor, including offices intended for the development of research projects. The roof of Wave One is divided into two parts. In the western part, devices supporting internal systems were placed. These devices are located on many levels, on specially designed steel structures. This, consecutively, made it possible to use the eastern part of the roof as a recreational terrace, available to all employees. An acoustically insulating wall was designed between the two parts.
Form and façade, inspiration and architecture
The form of the building and the facade were inspired by the series of AquaViva photographs taken by Pierre Carreau. FAAB architects were fascinated by the geometric variety and the complexity of the sea waves, captured by the photographer. The photos show arched three-dimensional forms frozen in time, which can be compared to sculpted ice blocks. Yet, at the same time, the waves are charged with energy and appear airy and light, merging with the sky. An extensive study of the photos enabled FAAB to notice a legion of small divisions on a seemingly homogeneous and smooth plane of the wave. Likewise, the visible play of light and shadow revealed an additional plasticity to the sea wave and a natural precariousness.
All these observations were translated into an architectural language and helped to develop the final form of the building's mass and facade. The building, with closed shutters, forms a continuous, homogeneous plane along the south-north axis. Alongside the length, the surface of the façade begins to bend at the top to form the "crest" of the wave. The ridge is not straight, but has a slight depression in the middle.
The mass is divided into triangular panels, formed by lines, cutting fixed and moving parts. From the east and west, the sun’s movements brings out beams and reflections from the three-dimensional façade, finished with a light-reflecting material. On sunny summer days, reflections are also transferred to the pavement, creating a fleeting and transient detail, thus enlivening the immediate surroundings of the building.
