Kalwall
Creates Stunning “Hall of Light” For New York Hall
of Science
 Fresh
from the unveiling of the Clinton Library, the renowned architectural
firm of Polshek Partnership has unveiled a dramatic creation
that has already received the highest acclaim from the New York
architectural community. The recent dedication and grand opening
of the New York Hall of Science in Queens, New York, is also
a tribute to Kalwall Corporation. The $88 million, 55,000-square-foot
Hall of Light is a dramatic addition that bridges the past with
an inspiration for the future.
“The
inspiration for this museum is the evolution of a movement that
is spanning the globe,” explained museum director Alan
J. Friedman, Ph.D. “Science museums have traditionally
been dark, foreboding buildings void of any forms of natural
daylight. But all of that has changed. From Paris to California
and now here in New York City, we are seeing the leading wave
of the future in science and learning. Today’s New York
Hall of Science is an exciting, living museum.”
 Glare-free
daylight creates an ideal atmosphere for interactive, hands-on
exhibits demonstrating the laws of science. The facility is
also utilized for educational training and scientific workshops
involving students, instructors and research scientists. The
museum serves as a place of inspiration, training and experimentation
for the next generation of scientific learning. More than a
quarter of a million spectators will visit the museum each year,
with over 2,300 teachers participating in training.
The week after the opening, the New York City Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects (the organization’s founding
chapter), awarded special recognition to the architect. This
design redefines the visitor experience, transforming the image
of an interactive science museum, and Kalwall is a major factor.
In the words of Todd Schliemann, design principal of Polshek
Partnership Architects, “creating the Hall of Light would
not have been possible without Kalwall.”
 Twenty-two
thousand square feet of Kalwall’s proprietary translucent
panel walls and Skyroof™ fills the interactive
science museum with stunning, glare-free daylight. “The
addition is a long, low volume of muted, white light that extends
north from the dark spaces of the existing building and serves
as a horizontal counterpoint to the Great Hall constructed as
part of the 1964 World’s Fair. It forms a new, iconic image
for the institution.” Inside the Hall of Light, Kalwall
panels form walls and skyroofs that bring daylight deep into
the building by day, free from glare, harsh shadows and accompanying
eye strain, and generate a glowing translucency when seen from
the outside after dark.
“Kalwall is renowned for its unique ability to daylight
large spaces with glare-free, highly energy efficient translucent
building systems,” explains Kalwall’s Bruce Keller.
“But the company and its products are also world leaders
in the green-design movement. Creating environmentally friendly
buildings has long been a company-wide mission. The energy efficiency
of Kalwall helped the New York Hall of Science project qualify
for $400,000 in additional grant funding from the state of New
York. Annual energy savings are estimated to be about $47,000,
which in turn reduces the production of greenhouse gases. The
expanded Hall of Science is a model of environmental sustainability.”
 The
Hall of Science also serves as a stunning backdrop to the outdoor
Rocket Park, home to original examples of early, NASA spacecraft
that have been on static display since the 1964 World’s
Fair.
“As we enter our 50th year in business, it was especially
meaningful to us to return to the site of the 1964 World’s
Fair,” says Keller, with no small amount of pride. “Kalwall
played a pivotal role in the late Philip Johnson’s monumental,
twelve-story, open-air Tent of Tomorrow that was the entrance
and symbol of the 1964 World’s Fair. The world’s largest
suspended cable system roof of its time was fitted with Kalwall’s
own lightweight, structural, translucent composite panels and
was considered to be an architectural marvel of the era. That
original structure is still there, well within sight of the
new museum.”
The New
York Hall of Science
Architect:
Polshek Partnership LLP
Kalwall
Panel Specifications:
Total Panel Area: 22,476 square feet
Light Transmission: 8%
Panel U-Value: .18
NFRC Systems U-Value: .38 walls, .42 skyroofs
Exterior Panel Color: Crystal
Interior Panel Color: White
For more information, contact:
Bruce Keller
Kalwall Corporation 603-627-3861 (800-258-9777 N. America) |
