Promotion: more than 9,000 red bricks form a curved volume within the interior of this mixed-use building's lobby, which has been awarded Gold in the Commercial category at the Brick in Architecture Awards.
The lobby, which forms the entrance to an office building at Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has a brick curtain wall that was hand-laid.
It was designed to create a visually striking yet functional circulatory zone, helping visitors and employees navigate the building's wider offices, dining areas, wellness centres and community spaces.
The lobby is lined with a curved structure made from 9000 individually-laid bricks
Wrapping around the perimeter of the interior, the brick-built surface incorporates a front desk, bench seating, lighting, an entry kiosk and a staircase. The project features brick manufactured by Interstate Brick and distributed by Consolidated Brick. Local studio Merge Architects designed the space and was implemented by mason company, JAJ Co Inc The designers said they chose to work with bricks as a building material with the goal of referencing New England's local vernacular architecture.
Digital signs are installed at evenly-spaced points in one area
The project integrates interactive signage within hand-laid masonry, "overlaying the physical world with the digital", according to the Brick Industry Association.
A brick double-wythe screen paired with rectangular digital signs serves various functions: from conveying news and info...