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Berlin, David Chipperfield, Mies van der Rohe, museum

Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie reopens with Alexander Calder exhibition

The Berlin Museum was closed for renovations by David Chipperfield Architects for six and a half years and reopened on Sunday, August 22.

The largest office building in Connecticut was transformed into a multifunctional complex to meet contemporary needs.

During the postwar Cretaceous period, there were many fossils of large companies-after their parent companies closed down or fled back to the city center, remote suburban campuses were stranded. Kevin Roche's former Union Carbide World Headquarters building is such a half-mile-long lizard that climbed to Danbury, Connecticut. The state's largest office building has been transformed by Felix Charney's Summit Development into a mixed-use office, commercial and residential complex called the Danbury Summit.

However, this is not just a corral in a suburban office—Union Carbide is a deliberate effort by Roche. Instead of surrounding the building with ground parking lots like the monotonous regulations, he hides all the parking lots in a central garage. This allows the unspoiled forest to be seen from the two fractal wings around the garage. The public spaces are gorgeous, with plenty of chrome, marble, and chairs designed by Mies van der Rohe and Josef Hoffmann and others (the furniture was sold or abandoned in the 1990s).

But the timing of this building couldn't be worse. The building opened in 1982, and in 1984 the disastrous gas leak of Union Carbide's Bhopal occurred, and the fortune of the chemical company plummeted. They sold the building in 1986. For decades, the colossus did not do much, and the occupancy rate reached the lowest point of 10%. Charney purchased the property in October 2018. He has achieved a dramatic change, and now more than 90% of the rented space is used for office, education and residential purposes, as well as various convenience facilities. 

Some elements have been soiled by the previous owners (the paint must be washed off with pressure from the granite exterior wall), but a basically complete design shines through decades of negligence. Delayed maintenance is considerable, requiring 30,000 bulbs and extensive mechanical overhaul. Tiles, marbles, glass and stainless steel components only need to be cleaned once.

As the requirements and expectations for multi-tenant space in 2021 are very different from those of a single company in the 1980s, adjustments are necessary. Charney observed, "They brought everyone into this dark parking lot building. We opened up a new road that allowed us to create a new [entrance]." The road is between the west wing and the garage. The extension, brightly lit on both sides, is more popular than entering a huge garage from a weird ramp.

Union Carbide is organized into a series of autonomous pods. People must know where they are going, otherwise they may not get there. The refurbishment aims to open the complex in many ways. By eliminating the walls that once hidden the stairs, the hall becomes more transparent. Some translucent Kalwall panels on all corridor linings facing the garage have been removed to provide additional light and visibility. For complexes previously known for opacity, pathfinding is also a priority.

The layout of the building is adaptable to a certain extent. At the time, the original configuration of a single office-a spacious 13 x 13 feet-was revolutionary, but contrary to the way of working today. Most of the interior walls of the office suite have been demolished, and the main forest landscape can still be enjoyed from the "pod".

An unusual feature is its ceiling height: its external office is only eight feet, and it is lower along the corridor. Mechanical installations run on the lower office corridors and the ceiling below the other elements under the HVAC and windows. The windows take up a full six feet of space, alleviating any feeling of compression. Although the window was previously inoperable, it can now be opened.

This squat configuration brings greater challenges to residential renovations, which require gathering wet walls and risers along the inner walls to preserve the entire ceiling height of the outer rooms.

Residential development is proceeding one by one, with the ultimate goal of 180 units. A local school, Danbury Vocational College, will fill three pods. A Godard school is already in operation, as well as a gym, cafe, salon, yoga studio and barber shop. Hopefully, additional entertainment features will be added. Charney pointed out that these are all private operators, attracted by the emerging mixed-use community. "Because of our scale, we can bring a higher level of comfort to the building." He called the building a "shining example of the benefits of collaborative development." The building's meeting space with luxurious skylights is still used for various rental events.

overall. An outdated facility was renovated and renovated, and at the same time demonstrated the outstanding backbone of Roche's design. What is not yet clear is the plan for the post-modern gem cafeteria of the building, with its stainless steel stepped ceiling and ice cream pastel marble remaining intact and dazzling. This is one of the best examples of Roche’s Art Deco and Crystal Palace-Alice-Eighty The corporate wonderland stage of the 1950s. The reflective surface is one of the elements of Roche's dual strategy of creating hidden spaces. Gary Leonard, who participated in the construction of Union Carbide as a partner, pointed out that "the cafeteria was destroyed to some extent by the former owner." Stainless steel and marble are still fragments of Roche's original goal of "bringing a little charm and true contrast to the working environment."

Roche’s Ambassador Grill in New York has a very similar aesthetic and became a milestone in 2017. The operator of the dining area did not respond to a request for comment, but one can hope that this space will arouse similar appreciation.

Liz Waytkus, executive director of Docomomo USA, visited the complex in 2020 and praised the remnants of its original design in an email. "We encourage developers to prepare a historical structure report so that the history and existing conditions of the property can be thoroughly considered before major changes are made." She pointed out that "Union Carbide is a good example of the timelessness of history and landmarks. We believe it has survived for so long and can be enjoyed and reused." 

Union Carbide is not just any building, it is also a very unusual office space whose creation can only be done in a very narrow window. It's great to see such curiosity resurrected. I can only hope that its brightest features will last.

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