THE LABAN DANCE CENTRE DEPTFORD, LONDON, UK PROJECT INFORMATION CLIENT Laban Centre PROGRAM Contemporary dance school SQUARE FOOTAGE 88 264 ft 2 COST 23.8 million COMPLETION February 2003 ARCHITECT Herzog & De Meuron STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Whitby Bird & Partners ACOUSTICS Arup Acoustics PROJETCT MANAGEMENT Arup Project Management CLIMATE Oceanic climate ENVELOPE TYPE Multi-storey ventilated double-façade Non-loadbearing Polycarbonate exterior cladding Translucent double-glass interior interface FABRICATION mullions + panels
elevation. plan : 1:50 500 500 500 500 2000
façade portion façade section : 1:100
1. clear double-glazing, sheet-coated, anodised aluminium frame 2. quadruple 10mm-layer polycarbonate hollow cellular slab cladding, last layer colour-coated, 500mm wide 3. 80x80mm anodised aluminium SHS mullions ; 50x50mm anodised aluminium SHS cladding transoms; 80x80mm galvanised steel SHS mullion support brackets; 50x120mm anodised aluminium RHS posts 4. 100mm rockwool thermal insulation, grey-coated, mechanically fixed on primary structure; composite insulation panels around openings; 5. double-glazed translucent glass, proprietary curtain wall framing system; 6. reinforced concrete primary structure; 7. interior finishes; 8. powder-coated galvanised steel gutter; 9. anodised aluminium cladding edge trim; 10. fixed anodised aluminium ventilation louvers; 3mm anodised aluminium sheeting; 11. plastic roof sealing membrane; 50mm polyurethane insulation; 12. galvanised steel grate 13. anodised aluminium cladding edge trim; 2 10 9 8 3 11 6 7 1 4 5 7 4 5 6 1 12 13 exploded façade portion
natural ventilation shading/diffusion of sunlight thermal insulation acoustic insulation QUANTITATIVE PERFORMANCES OF SKIN The Laban Dance Centre has a multi-storey double-façade, naturally ventilated. Air from outside is sucked in from the bottom of the interstitial space between the polycarbonate cladding and the second skin and exits from a cavity running along the edge of the roof. This air forms an outdoor air curtain, providing additional thermal insulation for the building. Additionally, this layer of air provides excellent acoustic insulation from exterior sources, something very valuable for a dance school. (Loncour et al. 10-31) The polycarbonate cladding and translucent glass walls shade some of the direct sunlight and diffuse it evenly in the workspaces, studios and classrooms. These decisions and solutions, most of which are sun-driven to a certain extent, were criticized for being inappropriate for the humid and cloudy climate of London, UK. (Tournaire and Leone, 18) QUALITATIVE PERFORMANCES OF SKIN During the day, the colored polycarbonate cladding and the dark, mirror-like glazing on the exterior skin reflect the surroundings and daylight in enigmatic ways. There is an intriguing inversion in mass and opening, the polycarbonate more transparent than the highly reflective coating of the dark windows. The curved façade of the building multiplies the angle of incidence with which one looks at the exterior surface, giving many different readings of the building s materials and of the surrounding landscape through the play of the varying reflections, translucencies and transparencies of the façade. Inside, the polycarbonate cladding and the translucent glass diffuses the light, providing an even daylighting in the spaces. At night, these interior spaces are read from the outside by the light shining through the translucent glass visible through the polycarbonate cladding. The diffuse shadows of the dancers are projected onto the façade, animating the whole building and its environment. REFERENCES Schittich, Christian. Architectural Details 2003. Munich: Architectural Press - Elsevier, 2004. pages 92-97 Richards, Brent. New Glass Architecture. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2006. pages 200-210 Loncour, X., A. Deneyer, M. Blasco, G. Flamant, and P. Wouters. Ventilated Double Façades : Classification and illustration of façade concepts. Belgian Building Research Institute, Department of Building Physics, Indoor Climate & Building Services, 2004. 49 pages Tournaire, Laurène, and Isabella Leone. Étude programmatique d une école de danse : Laban Centre, 2003, Deptford, UK, Herzog & de Meuron. Projet de fin d études M2, ISA Saint-Luc de Bruxelles, 2010. 22 pages