The Secret of the Skywalk

OIST has a distinctive look, inside and out, and the details that make it so are not just aesthetic. Most of that style has a reason, be it convenience, safety, energy efficiency, or some combination thereof. One example of this can be seen in the dark wood benches on the Skywalk. Perfect for relaxing and enjoying the view, these benches hide some pretty amazing technology. The Skywalk is suspended between the Center Building and Lab 2, exposed to strong winds and vibration, but hidden underneath these benches are vibration dampers that prevent oscillation caused by winds and earthquakes. Complementary movable joints are hidden in the interface between the Center Building and the Skywalk to accommodate longitudinal movement. So in architecture as in research and most other things, it pays to be flexible.