pixelated ceramic tiles and folded aluminum compose electrical substation’s facade in virginia
atelier manferdini wraps the crystal substation in arlington, with invisible, an infrastructural facade that pairs generative ceramic tilework and folded anodized aluminum panels with programmable RGB LEDs.
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DOMINION ENERGY SUBSTATION WRAPS IN MULTI-TIERED FACADE
Designed by Atelier Manferdini, inVisible is an architectural envelope intervention that wraps Dominion Energy’s Crystal Substation at the corner of South Hayes Street and South Fern Street in Arlington County, Virginia. Developed as part of an infrastructural upgrade to replace aging equipment, increase capacity, and support rising energy demand in National Landing, the project conceals utilitarian power conversion equipment behind a multi-layered civic facade composed of custom ceramic tilework, folded aluminum rainscreens, and programmable LED lighting systems.
CERAMIC TILEs and FOLDED ALUMINUM COMPLETE the ENVELOPE
The exterior envelope is bifurcated into two horizontal zones that contrast in material, texture, and visual weight. The lower plinth features glazed ceramic tiles in three modular dimensions, 2, 4, and 6 inches, designed by Atelier Manferdini to visually reflect internal step-down voltage conversions. Clad in a ten-hue gradient palette, the tiling layout was generated using custom scripts in the Processing creative coding environment, which introduced synthetic visual glitching patterns that suggest dynamic electrical currents. Above this pixelated ceramic datum, the upper band consists of folded, monochromatic anodized aluminum panels. The angular origami-like folds catch daylight and cast shifting shadows across the metallic skin throughout the diurnal cycle. After dark, integrated RGB LED arrays wash across both materials, modulating light intensity and color temperature to animate the perimeter of the civic utility site.
project info:
name: inVisible – Dominion Energy Substation
architect: Atelier Manferdini | @atelier_manferdini
local architect & project engineer: Dewberry
client: Dominion Energy
location: Crystal City, Virginia, USA
materials: custom painted precast concrete, anodized aluminum, and ceramic tiles
photographers: Dave Huh, Coulter D. Toatley IV
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. See more project submissions from our readers here.
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