SOM’s Gravity-Defying Floating Glass Cube in DTLA

SOM has floated a glass cube above a large stepped civic plaza, negotiating a sloped site in downtown Los Angeles for their United States Courthouse project.

The building’s pleated glass envelope contains 1,672 energy efficient panels that uniquely respond to its location.

The facade is comprised of a unitized 6′ wide by 20′ tall panel, organized into a ‘pleated’ zigzagged surface. By reconciling the downtown Los Angeles street grid, which runs 38 degrees east of true north, with optimum solar angles, the facade managed to reduce solar heat gain, harvest natural daylight, and maximize views into and out of the building.