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Specs Optical Facade

A celebration of optics and transparency and “seeing differently”

Design
Bespoke
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Year
2010
awards
2010 AIA MN Honor Award
2012 AIA National Small Projects Award
The irony of an optical shop that can’t be seen on one of the busiest commercial streets in Minneapolis was not lost on the business owners. Landscape beautification installed by the city obscured the storefront, and sign code limitations prevented the shop from using signage that would be visible behind the trees and bushes.
Design
Bespoke
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Year
2010
awards
2010 AIA MN Honor Award
2012 AIA National Small Projects Award

City codes were investigated to leverage technology and create architecture inseparable from the idea of a “sign.” The solution was craft arising from machine fabrication—a crystalline envelope of 5/8-inch thick greenhouse polycarbonate skin, manipulated to form offset and distorted frames around the existing windows.

Low-power LED spots are programmed to slowly shift color over the facade, boosting nighttime visibility.

Photos by Alchemy.

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