The Discovery Center (DISC), UK

AstraZeneca is establishing a new global research and development facility, named The Discovery Centre (DISC) in Cambridge, UK, on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC). The architecture makes it visible with a porous building that is accessible from three different sides. The new building is a triangular glass disc with rounded edges that loosely follows the shape of the site; it is defined by a saw-tooth roof that runs East to West to provide optimal natural light inside the building. The saw-tooth roof carries on through to the facade creating a tighter and larger vertical zig-zag geometry. The hovering glass disc with a saw-tooth roof and stepped facade give the building its characteristic appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The DISC sits on six rectangular glass boxes grouped in three pairs. They form an open courtyard, which in combination with the low-rise building structure, references the historical colleges in central Cambridge. The rectangular glass boxes run vertically through all floors and house the main element of the building, the laboratories. The glazed perimeters of the above ground blocks promote maximum transparency across the floor and through the building, making science visible for employees and visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The workspace is an open plan layout, offering employees a range of alternative workplace settings from private study spaces and quiet booths to informal employee collaboration spaces. Along the inner ring, the main circulation space around the courtyard on the upper floors, there are additional complementary zones providing a range of diverse spaces for exchange, informal meetings, and on-floor catering. All the amenities – conference centre, auditorium, café, and restaurant – are concentrated on the ground floor with direct access from the main entrance to make them equally accessible for the entire building.

 

 

 

 

 

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References:

www.herzogdemeuron.com

www.archdaily.com

www.arcrealestate.ir