Dome

Interior, cafe area inside glass atrium of Science Mall, facing base of Glasgow Tower; The STSS is prominently sited on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, next to the Weisman Art Museum at the head of the Washington Avenue Bridge. The five-story building acts as a physical and philosophical gateway to the East Bank campus. The bridge is traversed by 15,000 students daily, making it an ideal location for general student services. The building also contains science teaching classrooms, which are clustered on the east side. These are geared towards teaching with technology with raised floors, movable partitions and under-floor air distribution designed to assure maximum flexibility. A more visually open zone on the west side is devoted to the student services program and gathering spaces for students; these spaces offer panoramic views of the Mississippi River and downtown Minneapolis skyline. The rectilinear eastern façade anchors the building volume and relates to the existing campus, while the fluid western façade addresses circulation paths around the site and the dynamism of the Mississippi River. It is LEED Gold Certified. Source: Kohn Pederson Fox [firm website]; www.kpf.com/ (accessed 7/22/2012)