Dome

Detail, weathered steel plate cladding; The specific building shown is part of the Institute of Technology and Materials (Instituto de Tecnología de Materiales). It is part of the Polytechnic City of Innovation (CPI), a science park of 140,000 sq. meters, with 130,000 sq. meters built. In 2000 the Polytechnic University issued a competition to house research institutes each with very different requirements, and with the need to build in three phases. The architects invented a general system that can accommodate very different individual briefs; the weathered steel clad base unifies and surrounds buildings in a courtyard topped with building units wrapped with colorful silk-screened glass that identify the research units. The initial buildings cover 72,000 m2. Source: VIA arquitectura [website]; http://www.via-arquitectura.net/ (accessed 8/6/2013)