Bell Labs – Holmdel, New Jersey
Bell labs is wrapped in reflective glass, with six floors and two million square feet of interior space set on a campus of 473 acres. The Master Plan was completed by Sasaki, Walker and Associates. The design was meant to encourage employees to develop a strong community and foster collaboration. The large open spaces and flexible design allowed the individual labs to expand or reorganize as the company grew and changed. Outside monuments were constructed to honor the innovative work done here. A sign marks the spot where the Jansky Antenna was built. There is also a famous water tower shaped like an early transistor.
While phone service and the first telephone dated to 1876 and Alexander Graham Bell, the first mobile phone was built by Bell Labs in 1946. Bell Labs has helped to improve the quality of life for people. In 1929, the first artificial larnyx was developed, giving the power of speech to those who could not speak without it. That same year journalists were the first to see another Bell Labs invention – colorful television. Broadcasts traveled 100 feet and onlookers saw images of a colorful bouquet of roses and an American flag. By the 1960s Bell Labs was creating the first computer generated animations and 3D images. Then in 1989 scientists used video compression algorithms to create digital HDTV software. IT would be decades later until broadcasting standards were able to handle the processing necessary for HDTV transmission. Magnetic Resonance Images, commonly known as MRI, were developed at Bell Labs by Biophysicist Seiji Ogawa.
View of one small part of the exterior curtain wall at Bell Labs. It goes on endlessly enveloping the enormous space inside.
Upon entering one is greeted by a great entry lobby with information desk floating in the center of an area with recessed seating. Because of the barriers people are not encouraged to pass through or sit here. Still, it makes for quite an architectural statement.
The sawtooth roof allows for ample light to come in while covering the large open spans running the length of the building.
In the center of the building it is possible to look to either side where there is a large rectangular shaped concrete wall.
Distinctive furniture, some of which is movable, helps to realize the placemaking potential of this sizable space. It is possible to sit down and not feel crowded at all with tables amply spaced apart from one another.
Most of the ground floor spaces have been filled, with just a few exceptions.
The Pop-up Studio for artist Renee Levin activates a vacant storefront. A plaque on site explains how the storefront will be used as pop-up working art studio to utilize while the artist is preparing a collection for a Solo Exhibition to be held in Charleston, South Carolina, preparing a seven piece restaurant collection, and working on private residential commissions. Previously the artist concluded an Artist Residency for The White Elephant Nantucket Hotel consisting of a 21 piece collection of commissioned works.
Wayfinding and Circulation
An effort to help navigate the site begins even before arriving. Large wayfinding signs line the drive as people in vehicles approach the building. Once inside, there are digital kiosks that further serve to direct people and to inform them about the businesses and activities on site.
Bike racks are available though during our visit around noon on a weekday in May, no one seems to have taken the site management on the offer to bike in to Bell Labs.
As we were leaving it was enjoyable to get one last view of the water tower.
