t he design is inspired by the nebulous spaces occupied by the subjects of theoretical physics, at once micro- and macro-cosmic, rich in informa- tion and of indeterminate form and substance. Between city and park, the Perimeter Institute expands and inhabits the improbable space of the line tht separates the two. The building defines the secure zones of the institute’s facilities within a series of parallel walls, embedded in an erupting ground plane that reveals a large relecting pool. The north façade, facing the park across this pool, reveals the institute as an organism, a microcosm of discrete elements. The south façade, facing the city across train tracks and the city’s main arterial road, presents the institute as a unified entity, but of enigmatic scale and content. Entry to the institute is possible from both the north, along the reflecting pool, and south, under the new ground. Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Waterloo, Ontario. 2003 Saucier + Perrotte architectes
Initial conceptual sketch (west view) showing the Institute expanding and inhabiting the space of the line that separates city (right) and the park (left).
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