Studio Final: Plan

Digital Store / Internet Cafe'

In the ground floor plan I wanted to create an inviting, open space to allow pedestrians, and customers to easily flow into the 'Digital Store'. I utilized the undulating wall to convey a less rigid flow to the entrance. The remainder of the open exterior space on the ground floor is the Entry Plaza and Outdoor Seating for the Internet Cafe'.


The Entrance to the 'Digital Store' is angled off of the axis of the physical gateway, also a more inviting gesture. I decided to use round columns at the Entrance to further differentiate it from the rectilinear physical gateway. The round columns at the entrance will be a modern material (i.e. stainless steel) to mark customer's entrance into the "Gateway to the Future". Once inside customers can freely flow from area to area, and vertically move up the sculptural stair to the second floor.

Entrance Analysis

Digital Store / Restaurant

On the second floor of the 'Digital Store' customers will be able to continue to enjoy the pleasures of the digital future. At this same level there will be a Restaurant which is accessible from the elevator at the Cafe' Vestibule. At the second floor portion of the Restaurant diners will have the opportunity to visually interact with activities on the first floor of the 'Digital Store', which is a triple height space. Patrons of the Digital Store have access to an exterior Deck, or Balcony. The Balcony was designed to visually 'bridge' users of this building with pedestrians at the 'collector space' at Copley Square.

Digital Store / Service

The third floor contains additional the Restaurant Kitchen, Accesories Area, and operational functions for the 'Digital Store'. The diners at this level have limited space to experience the triple height space. And the walls in the Offices and Conference Room facing the triple height space are full height glazing to allow visual access of the store operations to mangers and store personnel.


Leasable Space / Observation Tower

The fourth and fifth floors are lease space, but include access to the Observation Tower and the exterior Deck on the south façade.

The sixth floor is also lease space, but include access to the Observation Tower and the exterior Deck on the south façade. The Observation Tower contains two landings that provide viewing windows along the west façade facing the New Old South Church and Boston Public Library, and along the south façade overlooking Copley Square, Trinity Church and the John Hancock Building.

Studio Final: Section

The zone designated as the ‘physical’ Gateway includes an outdoors ‘collector’ space at the ground level corner of Boylston and Dartmouth; and an Internet Café’, with outdoor seating near the northwest corner of the ground level. The triple height volume, which is defined by the undulating glass wall, is the focal point of the Digital Store. It is designed to provide openness and freedom of movement, which is symbolic for the freedom and openness that digital technology allows us.

This site section shows the triple height volume facing the store entry, and the Accessories and Software Areas, which overlook the Digital Store Showroom. The triple height volume the houses the Laptop and Desktop Areas The Kid's Room is a place where children can safely explore educational digital devices while their parents freely browse the store.

The support functions are located at the back of the store adjacent to the rear alley for ease of access for delivery or service personnel.

Section A-A facing north (northwest) and
Section B-B facing east (northeast).





Section C-C facing west (southwest) and
Section D-D facing south (southeast).

Studio Final: Elevations

The South Elevation includes the taller element constructed of puddle stone panels to tie into the 'gateway' theme. This element also includes a skylight which symbolizes the infinite opportunities of our digital future' and also allows natural light into the building. The undulating wall is a butt glass system, to allow floor to ceiling unobstructed viewing into the 'Digital Store'. The major portion of the facade is a curtain wall system, which utilizes smart glass as the glazing material to allow the option of visual interaction of the 'Digital Store' with its customers. The store can run promotions and "alter the smart glass whenever a sale is made, or when repeat customers enter the store". Fenestration at the vertical break directly behind the Balconies is a clear storefront system.

South Elevation and West Elevation

The south and west facades were broken up by introducing a setback between the ‘physical’ gateway and the smart glass panel system. This setback visually marks the entrance to the Digital Store, and provides opportunity for exterior decks facing Copley Square. These exterior decks are accessible from the second and third floors of the Digital Store, and the Observation Stair Tower on floors four through six.

CONTINUE TO "OLDER POSTS" TO SEE PERSPECTIVES

Studio Final: Model and Perspectives

The building is “interactive” with the customers so that the metaphorical Digital Gateway idea has more depth and interest to people passing by the store. This has been addressed by opening the exterior form of the building at the ground level and by using materials that are on the cutting edge, such as smart glass.
Exterior view looking up Dartmouth at Digital Store and New Old South Church.





Exterior view from Copley Square from the south looking at front of Digital Store.







Exterior view at Entry Plaza looking at Store Entry. (Outdoor Seating Area to the left)





View from Digtial showroom Ground Floor looking back at Entry.




Interior View at Third Floor looking into main Digital Store showroom.

Plans & Sections

In the ground floor plan I wanted to create an inviting, open space to allow pedestrians, and customers to easily flow into the 'digital store'. I utilized the undulating wall to convey a less rigid flow to the entrance. The remainder of the open exterior space on the ground floor is the Entry Plaza and Outdoor Seating for the Internet Cafe'.

The Entrance to the 'Digital Store' is angled off of the axis of the physical gateway, also a more inviting gesture. I decided to use round columns at the Entrance to further differentiate it from the rectalinear physical gateway. The round columns at the entrance will be a modern material (i.e. stainless steel) to mark customer's entrance into the "Gateway to the Future". Once inside customers can freely flow from area to area, and vertically move up the scultural stair to the second floor.


On the second floor of the 'Digital Store' customers will be able to continue to enjoy the pleasures of the digital future. At this same level there will be a Restuarant which is accessible from the elevator at the Cafe' Vestibule. At the second floor portion of the Restuarant diners will have the opportunity to visually interact with activities on the first floor of the 'Digital Store', which is a triple height space. Patrons of the Restuarant will also have access to an exterior Deck, or Balcony. No dining will occur on the Balcony since this feature was designed to visually 'bridge' users of this building with pedestrians at the 'collector space' at Copley Square.


The third floor contains additional Restuarant seating, Kitchen, and operational functions for the 'Digital Store'. The diners at this level have limited space to experience the the triple height space. And the walls in the Offices and Conference Room facing the triple height space are full height glazing to allow visual access of the store operations to mangers and store personnel.


The South Elevation includes the taller element constructed of puddlestone panels to tie into the 'gateway' theme. This element also includes a skylight which symbolizes the infinite opportunities of our digital future' and also allows natural light into the building. The undulating wall is a butt glass system, to allow floor to ceiling unabstructed viewing into the 'Digital Store'. The major portion of the facade is a curtain wall system which utilizes smart glass as the glazing material to allow the the option of visual interaction of the 'Digital Store' with it's customers. The store can run promotions and "alter the smart glass whenever a sale is made, or when repeat customers enter the store". Fenestration at the vertical break directly behind the Balconies is a clear storefront system.
The major space is the triple height volume the houses the Laptop and Desktop Areas. The Kid's Room is a place where children can safely explore educational digital devices while their parents freely browse the store.

All ow the support functions are at the back of the store adjacent to the rear alley.

Site Analysis

I have included this site analysis of the viewsheds directed towards the building.

This view shows the site looking north up Dartmouth.




The vehicular traffic flowing from the South End is visually directed towards the building. And Copley Square serves as a transition space between the South End and the Back Bay area to the northwest. The building will play off of the Old South Church to form a gateway to the Back Bay area.

Section Studies

The zone designated as the Gateway includes an outdoors ‘collector’ space at the corner of Boylston and Dartmouth; and an internet café’, with out door seating near the northwest corner of the ground level. Also included in this zone is a restaurant in the second and third floors. I wanted to study the triple height volume, which includes a sculptural stair, which is centered in the digital store.

This site section shows the triple height volume facing the store entry, and the restaurant, which includes seating, which overlooks the digital store showroom. From comments I received from the study model, I explored breaking up the Boylston façade by introducing a setback between the gateway and the smart glass panel system. This setback visually marks the entrance to the digital store, and provides opportunity for exterior decks facing Copley Square. These exterior decks are accessible from the restaurant area.

This section shows the undulating glass wall at ground level and the sculptural stair, which links the triple height volume with the single height spaces near the rear of the digital store.

The wall sections simply illustrate materials. Panels made of Puddingstone, and Smart glass.