A project goal for Fulton Center transit center and retail complex was to match the aesthetics of the fire-rated curtainwall on the upper level and elevator core with the non-fire-rated curtainwall on the lower level. The fire-rated curtainwall was matched to the slender frame profiles of the non-fire-rated curtainwall by using a similar fabrication method for both.
Technical Glass Products Inc. used steel frames for the non-fire-rated curtainwall formed from tubes instead of sheets. The extrusion-like process allowed a wide range of narrow mullion profiles to be produced. It used the same fabrication method for the steel back members for the fire-rated curtainwall.
Enclos Corp. installed Fireframes Curtainwall Series fire-rated frames and non-fire-rated SteelBuilt Curtainwall System, both supplied by Technical Glass Products, for the 180,000-square-foot project. Additionally, Technical Glass Products and the design team developed fire-rated insulated glass units with Technical Glass Products’ Pilkington Pyrostop firerated glass that has the same decorative frit pattern as the non-fire-rated glass.
“Because the interior spaces are flooded with light, a crucial part of the design aesthetic was glazed curtainwalls with clean sightlines,” says Andrew Anderson, associate principal at Grimshaw Architects.
A 53-foot diameter glass oculus was installed to provide daylight down 110 feet to the low levels. “Sky Reflector-Net,” an artwork with 952 perforated aluminum panels by James Carpenter Design Associates, Grimshaw Architects and Arup, was installed below the oculus.
The two-level transportation facility’s interior has a curved form. The walls slant upward to match the angle of the oculus and create an inverted plane. Fulton Center is located in the lower Manhattan financial district and was completed in 2014. It integrates five subway stations and nine subway lines.
Architect: Grimshaw Architects, London
Daylight art designers: James Carpenter Design Associates, New York City; Grimshaw Architects; and Arup Group, London
Glazing installer: Enclos Corp., Eagan, Minn.
Glazing/framing fabricator: Technical Glass Products Inc., Snoqualmie, Wash., www.fireglass.com
