By: Jessica Hamilton
The Vontz Center for Molecular Studies designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry in 1999. The building holds an important positioning in the greater scheme of the eastern medical campus, acting almost as a gateway to the area.
Many consider Frank Gehry as the most celebrated North American architect of our time. His unique style comes from a want to separate from the styles at the time, modernism and post-modernism. Much of his design inspiration comes from an unexpected source: Fish. He noted the unique movement of fish which he translated to the signature curves we see on much of his work, including some of his most famous like the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim. He even has a series of fish lamps and sculptures.
His style is predominantly aligned with deconstructivism. This style injects curvature and movement into buildings to transform them from traditional spaces. While working in a variety of materials, Gehry tends to steer towards metal with it making up the majority of his most pictured projects.
For the University of Cincinnati, working with such an acclaimed architect was incredibly compelling but came with some concerns. To many viewer’s eyes, Gehry’s work may appear to value aesthetics over functionality. However, Frank Gehry’s work is recognized in part for its functionality. For example, the Walt Disney Concert Hall was designed with a meticulous level of commitment to assuring acoustics were top-notch. For Vontz Center, Earl Walls, laboratory designer, was brought along to ensure the labs were of high-functioning quality.
With functionality considered, Gehry began to bring in his signature curves using a more unconventional material of bricks to achieve it. Instead of falling in line with the brick’s rectangular nature, the curvature brings a unique feel to the building. This is then contrasted with large expanses of glass protruding and cutting into the brick.
Vontz Center is named after Albert Vontz, who donated $5 million to the project. He played a major role in Heidelberg Distributing Company, which is based here in Cincinnati. The building went through a renovation in 2018 with Cincinnati’s Elevar Design Group. The renovation was predominantly focused on repairs to roofing, maintaining weather protection, and fixing water infiltration issues.
Within the building’s laboratories, important research for biomedical understanding takes place within Frank Gehry’s design. It continues to be a standout, even as UC continues to strive for architectural excellence.
https://elevar.com/project/uc-vontz-center-for-molecular-studies/
https://time.com/6265617/frank-gehry-interview-guggenheim/
https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/articles/frank-gehry/
https://www.routsong.com/obituaries/albert-w-vontz https://med.uc.edu/depart/cancer-biology/about-us/facilities
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