The 190,000-square-foot, 12-story building encompasses six terraces, a law library, gathering places, classrooms and faculty offices.
With its prominent location in downtown Baltimore, the University of Baltimore's new John and Frances Angelos Law Center embraces the role of academic and social nexus in the city. In conjunction with Baltimore firm Ayers Saint Gross, German architect Stefan Behnisch of Behnisch Architekten designed the 190,000-square-foot, 12-story building, which encompasses six terraces, a law library, student gathering places, a moot courtroom, classrooms and faculty offices.
Three interlocking, L-shaped volumes house the school’s separate functions; a light-filled central atrium (pictured here) connects the volumes, offering a bold aesthetic that energizes visitors and students. Vibrant green, yellow and orange furnishings and accents pop, while maple-plank spiral stairways and floating light fixtures festoon the space. The atrium houses the lobby, two coffee bars and informal work areas. Meeting rooms open into a sunken garden.
A winner of two U.S. Green Building Council awards for sustainable design, the Angelos Law Center is soon expected to achieve LEED Platinum status.
DESIGN ARCHITECTURE: STEFAN BEHNISCH, Hon. FAIA, Behnisch Architekten, Stuttgart, Germany. ARCHITECT OF RECORD: GLENN BIRX, FAIA, LEED AP, Ayers Saint Gross, Baltimore, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: THE WHITING-TURNER CONTRACTING COMPANY, Baltimore, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN WEBER.