Honorable MentionGerald Payto
Payto Architects, Inc.
405 the Bradley Building
1220 West Sixth Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Phone: (216) 241-6800
Website: www.paytoarchitects.com9th Avenue Parking Garage
Ohio State University
When commissioned to design a 1,000 car, 6 level parking garage for Ohio State University’s Medical Center, Payto Architects was faced with the challenge of sensitively integrating this large structure into a portion of campus which maintains a strong pedestrian orientation while challenging the typical design solutions for parking garage exteriors. As a facilitating project for the expansive new master plan being implemented by the OSU Medical Canter, it not only served the function as a solution for parking congestion, but also as a gateway to the entire Medical Center Campus. There was a belief from the moment the project started that the structure would need to contribute, in a very significant way, to the quality of the campus, and to the immediate environment.
The overall design intent was rooted in the structure being perceived as a “Building”, not simply a utilitarian, concrete box to park cars in. Aspects such as scale, security, wayfinding and visual impact on the surrounding contexts were kept at the foreground of the project. While developing the primary façade for the garage along 9th Avenue, its appearance would have to accommodate a variety of criteria. The structure would have to lend to a clarification in pedestrian movement, both vertical and horizontal. By keeping the floors of the garage level to the street promenade, the structure’s height would be diffused, while the stair towers at the ends would add vertical emphasis, further clarifying way-finding to and from the building. The final skin for the garage would have to present a fine balance between the two directions, and allow for prominence to shift when appropriate.
Aesthetically the exterior of the building becomes a veil for a large portion of the structure. During daylight hours, the skin effectively masks the interior of the garage, and the visual clutter of the cars within. On the inside however, the occupants of the building maintain a view to the context just beyond the garage, allowing them to orient themselves as to where they were, and where they needed to go, all the while creating a safe, well lit environment.
A number of material treatments were investigated throughout the design process. Perforated metal was chosen in the treatment of the façade, as it would allow for the flexible, cost effective material which allowed varying degrees of transparency and pattern. As dusk appears, the garage begins its subtle phase into a sophisticated, transparent space. The metal skin becomes a vertical stage for a display of color, and discretely shows its supporting structure that allows it to hover away from the building. The display of computer programmed color changing LED’s play across the façade, and mixes with the warm glow that comes from within the garage and brightly lit stairwells anchor the ends of the building while maintaining the utmost of safety for patrons.
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