IBM Watson is heralding in the next technology revolution from its new 150,000-sf headquarters in Manhattan’s Silicon Alley, designed by interior architect The Switzer Group.
Transforming floors four through seven of Fumihiko Maki’s glass-and-steel structure at 51 Astor Place, Switzer Group created an incubator for new applications of IBM’s breakthrough cognitive computing technology, and a design studio for next-generation programs, software, and apps.
The dedicated IBM Watson headquarters was conceived as a showcase for Watson’s capabilities, and as an inspirational workspace for Millennials and idea generators of all ages. Functionally and stylistically, the facility represents a departure for Switzer Group’s work with IBM, which dates back 40 years to the design firm’s opening in 1975—the same year IBM launched its first portable computer, weighing in at 50 lbs.
To represent Watson’s capabilities, the Building Team designed a total sensory experience on the office’s fifth floor. Architectural fins that change color with the voice of Watson surround the circumference of an immersion room, where clients can interact directly with the technology.
“Our primary goal at 51 Astor Place was to create a spirit of excitement, openness, and collaboration in order to move IBM’s business forward and help introduce Watson to developers and industry,” says Lou Switzer, CEO of the Switzer Group. “The new building’s core and shell, with floor to ceiling windows, high slab to slab height, column-less upper floors, and 360 degree light, served this objective well.”
The Switzer Group set the tone with a clean, timeless look for the interiors, combining terrazzo and textured metallic Laminam materials in the elevator banks, and lots of glass, acoustical wood with walnut veneers, European-inspired furnishings and LED lighting throughout. The fourth floor design studio is a totally flexible, open floor plan, divisible by hanging panels that double as marker boards.
Desks with all white surfaces are moveable and can be raised and lowered for standing or sitting. To counterpoint the wide open spaces, seating areas and niches for small group gatherings, and glass enclosed “phone booths” for increased privacy, are strategically situated.
“The design approach was to create a blank canvas from which IBM could operate in an ever-changing environment, one that is fluid and expansive rather than static and fixed,” says Switzer Group Creative Director Luc Massaux.
Image: The Switzer Group
The Watson experience
As demonstrated in its 2011 winning debut against top players on the game show Jeopardy, IBM’s Watson processes information more like a human than a traditional computer. The system understands natural language, develops evidence-based hypotheses, and “gets smarter” as it receives and integrates feedback.
To represent Watson’s capabilities, IBM and The Switzer Group, along with Cosentini MEP engineers and AV Services, designed a total sensory experience on the office’s fifth floor. Architectural fins that change color with the voice of Watson surround the circumference of an immersion room, where clients can interact directly with the technology. A 40 ft video wall equipped with Oblong Industries’ futuristic Mezzanine system allows visitors to move data from one screen to another with a wave of their hand.
“The real challenge was finding the best way to integrate the audiovisual and technology with the aesthetic," says Switzer Group Executive Principal Beth Holechek. "Everything had to be planned to extreme tolerances. Sensors had strict placement requirements, with a precise amount of a light, air and space needed for the system to function properly.”
Completed on an ultra-fast track in October of 2014, IBM plans to roll out Switzer’s interior design approach for IBM Watson worldwide, with work currently underway for facilities in Texas and North Carolina.
Image: The Switzer Group
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Office complex will incorporate a bit of Summit, N.J., history
Greenock Capital Management and CB Richard Ellis have broken ground on the 46,570-sf Claremont Corporate Center in Summit, N.J. The two-story, Class A office complex will incorporate the adjacent turn-of-the-century Risk Mansion, family home of Dr. William H. Risk, who settled in Summit in 1873. The mansion will be the focus of the facility, with new, modern offices and below-grade parking cons...
| Aug 11, 2010
RMJM unveils design details for $1B green development in Turkey
RMJM has unveiled the design for the $1 billion Varyap Meridian development it is master planning in Istanbul, Turkey's Atasehir district, a new residential and business district. Set on a highly visible site that features panoramic views stretching from the Bosporus Strait in the west to the Sea of Marmara to the south, the 372,000-square-meter development includes a 60-story tower, 1,500 resi...
| Aug 11, 2010
Utah research facility reflects Native American architecture
A $130 million research facility is being built at University of Utah's Salt Lake City campus. The James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building—a USTAR Innovation Center—is being designed by the Atlanta office of Lord Aeck & Sargent, in association with Salt-Lake City-based Architectural Nexus.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction begins on Louisiana State Sports Hall of Fame
Heavy construction and foundation work has started on the new Louisiana State Sports Hall of Fame and Regional History Museum in Natchitoches, La. Designed by Trahan Architects, Baton Rouge, the $12 million, 28,000-sf museum will be clad in sinker cypress planks as a nod to the region’s rich timber legacy and to help control light, views, and ventilation throughout the facility.
| Aug 11, 2010
Modest recession for education construction
Construction spending for education expanded modestly but steadily through March, while at the same time growth for other institutional construction had stalled earlier in 2009. Education spending is now at or near the peak for this building cycle. The value of education starts is off 9% year-to-date compared to 2008.
| Aug 11, 2010
'Feebate' program to reward green buildings in Portland, Ore.
Officials in Portland, Ore., have proposed a green building incentive program that would be the first of its kind in the U.S. Under the program, new commercial buildings, 20,000 sf or larger, that meet Oregon's state building code would be assessed a fee by the city of up to $3.46/sf. The fee would be waived for buildings that achieve LEED Silver certification from the U.
| Aug 11, 2010
Goettsch Partners wins design competition for Soochow Securities HQ in China
Chicago-based Goettsch Partners has been selected to design the Soochow Securities Headquarters, the new office and stock exchange building for Soochow Securities Co. Ltd. The 21-story, 441,300-sf project includes 344,400 sf of office space, an 86,100-sf stock exchange, classrooms, and underground parking.
| Aug 11, 2010
Five-star resort breaks ground on the Black Sea
Construction work has commenced on a five-star resort and leisure destination along the Black Sea coast in Batumi, Georgia. The RTKL-designed resort consists of two towers rising 86 and 58 meters over a two-story podium. The larger tower contains 250 guestrooms and suites while the smaller tower offers 78 residential apartments.
| Aug 11, 2010
Outdated office tower becomes Nashville's newest boutique hotel
A 1960s office tower in Nashville, Tenn., has been converted into a 248-room, four-star boutique hotel. Designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with PowerStrip Studio as interior designer, the newly converted Hutton Hotel features 54 suites, two penthouse apartments, 13,600 sf of meeting space, and seven "cardio" rooms.
| Aug 11, 2010
New hospital expands Idaho healthcare options
Ascension Group Architects, Arlington, Texas, is designing a $150 million replacement hospital for Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho. An existing facility will be renovated as part of the project. The new six-story, 320-000-sf complex will house 187 beds, along with an intensive care unit, a cardiovascular care unit, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgical suites, rehabilitation clinic, and ...
