Gleaming within the campus of Princeton University (New Jersey, USA) is the Lewis Center for the Arts, a modern building designed by the New York practice Steven Holl Architects and completely clad in Lecce stone.
The Italian influences within this project (and in many others) result from the architect’s passion for Italian design elements from the outset of his career in the 1970s. Prior to this he had attended a post-graduate specialisation school in Rome, a period in which he had been able to study the beauty of Italian natural stone.
A winner of several gold medals, Steve Holl has always stood out for his disruptive and mould-breaking designs - for example the HORIZONTAL SKYSCRAPER in Shenzen and the Finnish Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki.
And at Princeton University Steve Holl once again hit the headlines with his originality.
The complex comprises three distinct buildings connected below ground by an 8,000 square foot reception area. Above this extends an outdoor square with a reflective pool incorporating skylights to filter natural light into the forum beneath: conceived as an “open invitation to the public”, this gateway space is intended to link up the local community with the University.
The largest of the three buildings on the site is for dance. It contains a theatre constructed in steel and smaller dance studios lined with foamed aluminium, bleached oak and concrete panels.
The music building was developed with the concept of “suspension”: above the large orchestra rehearsal room a series of practice rooms - lined in wood to provide natural sound insulation - are suspended on steel shafts.
Finally the “Arts Tower”, in Lecce stone, echoes the proportions of the historic arch of Princeton. The external structure provides a harmonious and contemporary framework in which the Lecce stone fuses with glass.
'We’re grateful for the opportunity to create this work as a way of inspiring the students of the future', said Steven Holl during the opening ceremony for the building.
FILA was chosen by Lecce stone producer PI.MAR Srl. as technical partner to preserve the majestic beauty of the building over time: following a study of the material, HYDROREP ECO was selected as an innovative and ecological product for vertical application on the cladding of the Lewis Center for the Arts. The treatment was applied at height by specialist personnel using airless pumps.
All of the exterior stone was then treated with HYDROREP ECO (a water-based hydro-repellent), which is the most suitable product for this type of stone, ensuring maximum protective effectiveness while complying with the project’s self-imposed ecological requirements.
HYDROREP ECO inhibits water absorption and damp, thus slowing down the accumulation of stains, mosses and lichens (an anti-vegetative barrier certified by tests carried out in accordance with UNI EN ISO 846: 1999) and defending the Lecce stone from deterioration caused by atmospheric agents.
HYDROREP ECO is ideal for protecting external walls, is anti-efflorescence, resistant to UV rays and can be applied to surfaces with residual dampness, greatly speeding up the operation.