The Sky Reflector-Net for the Fulton Center, New York

The collaboration of architect and engineer has been of particular importance to Jörg Schlaich during his professional life. The prevailing attitude that the architect is responsible for the design and details and the engineer for the statics has always been absurd to him. He believes the highest level of design is achieved when the engineer is involved from the beginning of the design process, in the conceptual design phase when architect and engineer are prepared to listen to each other and build upon a collaborative process. Such a relationship exists between schlaich bergermann und partner and the studio of artist/designer James Carpenter – a relationship that started in the 1980’s on the design of bridges, sculptures and building elements. The impetus for this long collaboration has always been to minimize structure and maximize light as a defining characteristic of the public realm.

The authors think that the Sky Reflector-Net for the Fulton Center is a good example of this fruitful collaboration, in this case between James Carpenter and his studio, James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA), architect, Grimshaw Architects, design engineer, schlaich bergermann und partner (sbp) and final design engineer, Arup working together to fully integrate this ambitious artwork within a very complex program.

Article in Stahlbau, Volume 83, Issue 11.