Peace Pentagon Competition: a call to action (2009)
Reconstruction of a 3 store building into a public functions center339 Lafayette st., Manhattan

THE PEACE PENTAGON COMPETITION - A CALL TO ACTION

BANNERS ON THE ROOF

The vertical extension of the 339 Lafayette building is shaped by its proposed use as an Event Space and by the gradual stacking of the textile strips, reminiscent of protest banners often used on the roof of the existing building.

The single volume of the Event Space emerges as a clear form and an independent structure over  the reconstructed 3-storey original building.

The glazing of this 'event box' is enveloped and protected by semi-transparent layers of engineered fabric. These are horizontally retractable and thus the building's façade is at dynamic variation.

Text concerning the activities of the Peace Pentagon organizations as well as the scheduled meetings or exhibitions of the multi-purpose loft can be written or projected (temporarily or permanently) on these fabric banners.

The high ceiling volume of the Event Space occupies the entire vertical extension. Ten mobile platforms (five per floor) allow occupants to change the levels of the intermediate floors. Each platform can be raised by a four-post hydraulic floor lift to suit each individual event.

The floors are connected by folding stairs located in the gap between adjacent platforms. A variety of spatial configurations is possible, from a single high-ceiling hall to a number of multi-level spaces. Separate events can take place simultaneously.