Photo © Magda Biernat
…A soaring 105-foot-tall sloped atrium of sorts — really a glazed structure with an oculus — tops the center’s gathering space to mark the direction to the navigational beacon known as Polaris. Central to its design is a truss system of horizontal plates that act both as shading and reflecting elements. LED floodlights ringing this structure’s base uplight the structure at night as well as reflect light off an array of mirrors to illuminate the spaces below.
Jury comments: “The light is so beautifully transformed in this project that you really feel the power of the architecture and symbolism of each space within. The oculus inside the Honor Board Room is as inspiring as the oculus of the Pantheon.”