The design of this addition to the Boris Laurie archive, began with Boris’s own artistic methods in mind. While studying Boris Laurie’s career, I found his creation of the counter movement to “Pop Art” known as “No Art” his most defining role. The “No Art” movement utilized the technique of amplifying the crudeness of modern-day art/design by abstracting it and giving it a new context. This method of criticism is the technique from which the Foundations addition originate. The addition aims to not shy away from the dullness of the existing buildings facade of horizontal stucco bands. Instead, using Boris’ own critical technique, its intent is to amplify them through abstraction, emphasizing the absurd mediocrity.

This technique of amplifying the crudeness of modern-day art/design is exactly what Boris Laurie did in his art pieces. The addition peels upward revealing a glass entryway to the cafe street level, and a second-floor event space, extending backwards/north onto the existing roof. The curved portions of the facade host the stairs, leading you to the gallery and event space. The stairs surround an enclosed core of offices, storage rooms and elevators. This separation of space gives the visitor a clear path of circulation through the building, while providing those in the foundation a separate secure entrance. The addition has multiple vertical open spaces that reveal site paths throughout the gallery and event space. This gives the interior a vertical connectivity that may not be realized from the exterior.