2555 Park
This Palo Alto office building with a full level of below grade parking is a 38,000 sf ground up construction project designed in a classic mid-century modern style. Its facade is composed of raw board-formed concrete stair towers balanced against light weight wood railings and trellises. Expanses of floor to ceiling glass on three sides of the upper floors open to views across Palo Alto to the Western hills while its vertical fins act as shading to keep the building’s solar heat gain in check. Its design allows ample access to the outdoors with exterior break out spaces, terraces, and balconies on all three levels for employees to gather and enjoy the fresh air. The facade is softened by a uniquely designed green wall that provides a striking layer of visual interest. The magic of this green wall is that it hides a secluded ground floor parking structure while bringing the three-story building down in scale. The upper floors seem to float over the live green wall, further eroding the building size while the pedestrian friendly bench along the front of the building creates a layered effect between the building, green wall and the street level access.