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Printed Glass: Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Perth
Art and Science collide at Ralph & Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute. The 850sqm facade is the largest ceramic printed facade in Australia at the time of completion. This award winning, curtain wall design is a benchmark example of closely linked architectural design, creativity and technical excellence.
The impressive dark glass curtain wall of the Ralph & Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute is a striking and unmissable façade feature. Located alongside the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, the clean lines of the entrance frames the contrasting black and white canvas produced with ImagInk digital ceramic printing. The artwork sprawls boldly across 850 square metres of tinted high performance glass making it the largest printed curtain wall façade in the country.
Built to accommodate four of WA’s premier neurological research organisations, the project was conceived by the highly distinguished, Professor Bryant Stokes and supported by the philanthropic Sarich family. It houses a world class medical facility designed for collaboration, providing the opportunity for complementary expertise to share state of the art specialised equipment. Over five levels, the 8,900sqm building is an extremely important and positive project delivering lab access, assessment and treatment rooms, facilities for neuroscience and physiology research, experiments, and cryogenic archival storage.
Pairing an external print with SuperGrey™ glass for high contrast
Super Grey tinted glass was chosen for its suitability for the curtain wall structural glazing system and dark colour, allowing it to become the canvas for the single colour, digitally printed design. The durability of the ceramic inks allowed the design to be positioned on the exposed surface of the glass, creating a stunning high contrast effect between the dark grey of the glass and bright white ceramic inks.
In addition to the contrasting black and white, the ceramic inks are less reflective than glass, creating a further visual distinction between the glass and printed surface. This aesthetic is particularly apparent when viewed in direct sunlight. Non-ceramic decorative glass products are typically warranted for installation on the inside surface of the glass panel, or as encapsulated in a laminated makeup.
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An example of the original neuronal imagery as supplied courtesy of Paul Rigby from the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia
Layered neuronal images ensure biological accuracy within the facade design
Neuronal images were selected after considerable research to ensure biological accuracy. They were layered and manipulated using Photoshop by the in-house design team at Cooling Brothers. The end result being a triple layered image – each layer designed to print in variable transparencies.
This creates a shifting, floating, effect on the lightest background layer, but focused and defined on the most opaque foreground layer. The sun striking the length of the dark façade certainly creates an element of drama, some interpretations describe it as “electric” or like “lightening!” Main describes :
"The printed image on the curtain wall is an integral element to the building form. A white enamel like blade wall runs east to west through the building, screening service areas and the more pragmatic research laboratory to the south. The pattern black glazed curtain wall further illustrates the building program, representing the three research floors against the back drop of the blade wall."
NORM BATEMAN
Bateman Architects
