When fully open and upright, the 94 operable louver arms atop Florida Polytechnic University's $60-million Innovation Science and Technology building seem to salute in unison the birth of the nation's newest engineering school. Perched together in synchronous harmony, the aluminum wing-like structures stand not only as a testament to a soaring architectural vision, but also to the builders who were able to realize without compromise Santiago Calatrava's dramatic concept for the two-story, 300,000-gross-sq-ft building.
Achieving the movable rooftop shading system was key to the overall project's success, Frank Lorino, chief architect of Calatrava's New York office, told ENR Southeast earlier this year. "The movement of the louver arms is integral to the design functionally, technologically and symbolically."