The atrium in Target Northern Campus Building D is one of two projects recognized with the highest prize in the Commercial category.
Completed in the fall of 2006, the 250,000-square-foot office building (Building D) was split into two components of 100,000 and 150,000 square feet, connected by a central atrium. For this high traffic and aesthetically important space, Ellerbe Becket’s interior design team selected Italian tiles from Ceramiche Caesar to be laid on the floors. “These large-format Italian porcelain tiles provided the exact qualities we desired,” said Sandra Becker, Ellerbe Becket’s Lead Interior Designer. “We were looking for a material that would give us the density; endurance and appeal of natural stone when viewed up close and offer the elements necessary to create a subdued pattern that would have impact when viewed from the upper levels of the atrium. We wanted the feel of a monolithic floor surface with some interesting detail. We introduced the color red – characteristic of our client’s brand – by cutting 1/8” diagonal lines into the field of tile and filling these lines with red grout.”
This atrium acts as the connecting link between the building’s two wings, while also serving as the heart of the employee community. The unique tile pattern was derived from the geometry and organization of the two sections of the building. The diagonal red lines follow the direction of one wing and the main tile pattern follows the alignment of the other.
Wendy Fimon, Ellerbe Becket’s Director of Interiors, presented the project and accepted the award on behalf of the design team at an international press conference held in Chicago April 18 at Coverings 2007, the premier exhibition of ceramic tiles in the United States.
Sponsored by Confindustria Ceramica and the Italian Trade Commission, the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition invites North American architects and interior designers to submit residential, commercial and institutional projects that make use of Italian tile. An international panel of design professionals judges the projects on overall design, innovative use of tile, tile design, quality of installation and the degree that the tile enhanced the setting.
An innovator since its founding, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, interiors, engineering and the construction industry, with office locations worldwide.
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