Portfolio S1: Model

The next step was the create a study model and actually translate our ideas to 3D spaces - not 2D representations of 3D spaces. We were given only the dimensions of the site and height restrictions, along with program requirements - no indication of the facades of the surrounding buildings to play off. We first designed the inside of the space, and then the shell.


The first photo is taken of the interior of the physical model at the ground level, and the second photo is taken a level above. The concept of organic flow and combining zones led to the model consisting of folding planes, floors that become walls that become ceilings, to create program spaces and the "experiential concept." The columns that can be seen help reinforce the idea of flow through the space - as there is no clear path or direct connection, one must navigate around the columns. As can be seen in the photos, the columns lessen as one rises through the spaces and the space becomes more light.

In the Boylston Street elevation, the spaces created by the folding planes begin to break down the skin. The lower left corner is the entrance - entering into the compressed space enhances the space opening as one moves through the building. The skin of the building is set back from the site line, allowing the space inside to protrude into the streetscape.

In the Dartmouth Street elevation, the skin becomes part of the interior of the building, beginning to fold and create interior spaces. This elevation takes on a depth that the front elevation does not. The openings are large near the top of the building, allowing light into the upper floors.

The roof of the AppleStore becomes these undulating ribbons that create a useable space. Some interior zones protrude into the roof area - the roof becomes the zone for using Apple products and experiencing them as they are meant to be experienced. With minimal openings in the elevations, and the mass of columns deteriorating as you move upward through the spaces, the roof is the climax of the movement - open, organic, light. While the interior of the building is at a scale for many, the scale of a room, the roof is at a more intimate scale.