WEST END LABS
New York Life Sciences Lab Space
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First built in the 1920s as an automotive showroom and repair facility for the Chrysler Corporation, 125 West End Avenue has undergone a significant transformation. Now redeveloped as West End Labs (WEL)—a state-of-the-art research and development hub—this structure is purpose-built to foster a new generation of scientific discoveries and achievements.
Embracing its industrial roots, WEL retains integral components of its existing structure, including the original automotive helix. These elements now support and parallel the needs of the life sciences industry. Once designed to move and repair cars, the reinforced concrete structure now propels ideas through a new physical and cultural framework, reimagining the aesthetics and systems necessary for cutting-edge R&D.
In this vibrant setting, WOOD-SKIN plays a pivotal role in redefining the building's interior landscape. The lobby features a dynamic installation of WOOD-SKIN, using a Tailor Made Geode surface, this installation, a result of our close collaboration with Perkins & Will, spans the entire length of the lobby, transforming their initial vision and concept into an intricate, three-dimensional geometric reality that engages and inspires
Despite its visual complexity, WOOD-SKIN facilitated the surface's assembly directly on-site in just a few days, with no need for a rear structure and only 200 pieces to assemble. This innovative cladding is dry-installed and designed to be repurposed at the end of its current design lifecycle, embodying the principles of sustainability that are central to the redevelopment of West End Labs.
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PHOTO CREDITS: JRM Construction Management
