The University of California, San Francisco, Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building
Completed in 2011, this cutting-edge laboratory for the University of California, San Francisco was designed to maximize the functional space within a compact urban site. The building’s horizontal organization promotes greater connectivity across departments, helps to unify the campus and creates the opportunity for abundant terraces and green roofs. The building structure is supported by space trusses resting on concrete piers, minimizing site excavation and incorporating seismic base isolation to absorb earthquake forces.
Laguna Garzon Bridge
In 2015, the Uruguayan architect returned to his home country with the completion of the Laguna Garzon Bridge, a road connecting two coastal cities that forms a ring when viewed from above. Viñoly was tasked with creating a bridge that would form a direct route between the cities of Rocha and Maldonado, crossing a scenic stretch of water known as a haven for birds and other wildlife. It was imperative that vehicle speeds be reduced within this sensitive environment, and Viñoly’s design naturally slows cars down while also providing drivers and pedestrians with ever-changing views across the surrounding landscape.
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, evokes the image of two jewels in a glass case. Verizon Hall and the Perelman Theater, the center’s principal programmatic components, are treated as freestanding buildings on a vast indoor public plaza, Commonwealth Plaza, enclosed by a brick, steel and concrete perimeter building. From the perimeter emerges an immense steel and glass barrel vault roof that
floods the interior with natural light.
20 Fenchurch Street
Nicknamed the “Walkie Talkie”, the concept for Viñoly’s distinctive London skyscraper departs from conventional architectural expression by enlarging the floor plates at the top of the building, creating additional floor area to the valuable upper stories. Vertical façade louvers provide sun shading on the east and west elevations and follow the fanning form and organic curves of the building as they open out and wrap over the roof. The tower is crowned by a three-level Sky Garden, London’s first free, public green space and observation deck at the top of a building.
Carrasco International Airport
Rafael Viñoly was tapped to expand and modernize Carrasco International Airport with a spacious new passenger terminal to spur commercial growth and tourism in the region. The design gives prominence to the public zones, including the secure runway-side concourse as well as the fully accessible roadside departure hall and terrace, by providing amenities such as open space, natural light, restaurants, retail, and landscaping, all housed beneath a gently curved roof 1200 feet (365 meters) in length. Carrasco International Airport won a double A+Award in 2013 in the Transport – Airports category.
Learn more about Rafael Viñoly Architects through their firm profile on Architizer.