The Salk Institute East Building
“Optimize, don’t compromise,” was the inspiration Dr. Jonas Salk expressed to the project team responsible for constructing a new landmark for scientific research at the world-renowned Salk Institute for Biological studies in La Jolla, Calif. Built on a campus master planned by famed architect Louis I Kahn in the early ‘60s, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies’ East Building stands approximately 125 feet east of the main complex.
Design and construction of the building addition was much like the scientific studies at the Salk Institute itself — a collective effort to discover solutions to complex problems. The predominant feature of this facility is its smooth, stone-like architectural concrete finish that adorns the structure’s exterior frame and interior walls. In context with the existing campus structures, the building’s facade also incorporates mill-finish, stainless-steel detailing and a frameless structural glazing system at the front entrance. All of the materials were chosen for their simplicity and ability to last generations with minimal maintenance.
Forming a new entrance to the Salk Institute campus, the three-level, 116,000-square-foot addition consists of two, mirror-image wings joined by an open-air plaza at the entrance and underground. Each wing contains undifferentiated, contiguous lab space, as well as lab support areas. The basement houses dry-lab functions, while the top level accommodates flexible wet labs and a seven-foot high interstitial space that simplifies maintenance and alterations. Reception, administrative and research offices are located at grade level of each wing, with a special-events lobby, a 300-seat auditorium and meeting rooms housed below.