can be entered from the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail that teems with walkers, joggers, and bicyclists at various times of the day. Seeking shade along the inner edge of the building – protected from the sun by the cantilevered, continuous open-air corridor above – also gives access to functions on the ground floor, including the main office, classrooms, a lobby area that is currently used as a gallery, and a large multipurpose room. This area is one of most memorable spaces on the ground floor, as upon entering one is surprised to find shimmering reflective pools on either side of the room that seems to float in between. Here the detailing of the concrete floor, glass mullion with silicon joints, and gyp-board ceiling is particularly precise. Proceeding to the shaded open-air corridor again brings the visitor to the multipurpose room. Upon entering this soaring space one is struck by the meticulous detailing and good acoustics. A freestanding stair in a shaped enclosure gives access to the second-floor open-air corridor that is covered and shaded. The corridor leads to classrooms and a gallery space at one end. The gallery space is a very brightly lit space with carefully detailed finishes that receives natural light from two large radial skylights above. Interior shading devices will be added in the future to control the light in this space. The material palette of the MACC is intentionally limited, like much of the work of González de León. Here the major materials are white, exposed aggregate concrete panel cladding, white gyp-board partitions, aluminum and glass handrails, aluminum and glass storefront, metal or white plaster ceilings, and floors of either exposed concrete, light colored wood, or gray carpet. Structural framing and mechanical ducts are exposed in studios and classrooms. The tectonic exploration of concrete is particularly innovative in the project. To achieve the desired finish, all the pre-cast concrete cladding in the project was shipped in over 150 truckloads from Mexico City. The precast concrete cladding, mixed with integral white cement, was finished with sharpened #4 rebar chisels by craftsmen from Mexico to reveal the colored stone aggregate. The tilted pre-cast concrete vertical louvers are perceived as transparent when viewed frontally and opaquely when viewed at an angle. They continue of the exploration of a strategy utilized by González de León in projects such as the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (1994)
56
t e x a s
a r c h i t e c t
8
4 9 3 5
3
6
6 7
1
2 3
9
Floor Plan 1 Plaza 2 Entry Court 3 Exterior Circulation 4 Multi-Purpose 5 Lobby 6 CLassRoom 7 Offices 8 Dressing Room 9 Future Phase
7 / 8
2 0 0 8