bKL Architecture https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2049 en-us St. Regis Tower by Studio Gang jim@jamesgauer.com (James Gauer) http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15424 Thu, 09 Dec 2021 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/15424-st-regis-tower-by-studio-gang GEMS World Academy Lower School jim@jamesgauer.com (James Gauer) How do you give civic scale and stature to a mid-rise school in a high-rise context? This was one of the challenges faced by bKL Architecture in designing the new lower school of GEMS World Academy in Chicago.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11405 Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11405-gems-world-academy-lower-school GEMS World Academy Lower School A bold curtain wall of glass and metal panels gives this mid-rise building a sense of verticality among high-rises. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School A setback at the fifth floor breaks up the mass and provides a terrace for the dining hall. The school faces the Lakeshore East Park where one entrance is located; the other occurs on an upper pedestrian plaza to the north. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School The generous use of glass on the north wall displays the stairs on this side of the school.  Photo © 2015 Wayne Cable (.com) GEMS World Academy Lower School Common areas share a consistent design vocabulary, including walls clad in rift-cut white oak, and the manipulation of the ceiling planes, as in the lobby and the library. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School Common areas share a consistent design vocabulary, including walls clad in rift-cut white oak, and the manipulation of the ceiling planes, as in the lobby and the library. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School Brightly colored alcoves with benches and work surfaces turn single-loaded corridors into ad hoc gathering and learning spaces. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School Classrooms maintain the color palette. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School On the rooftop playground students enjoy sunshine, fresh air, and exercise amid panoramic views of Chicago’s skyscrapers. Photo © Darris Lee Harris GEMS World Academy Lower School Image courtesy bKL Architecture GEMS World Academy Lower School Image courtesy bKL Architecture GEMS World Academy Lower School Image courtesy bKL Architecture GEMS World Academy Lower School Image courtesy bKL Architecture GEMS World Academy Lower School Image courtesy bKL Architecture