Pfizer's large industrial plant, located in Groton, Connecticut, was converted in 1946 from wartime service as a submarine yard to chemical and pharmaceutical production. By 1991 its main gate had become a bottleneck of tank trucks, automobiles, railroad tank cars, and foot traffic. A new main gate facility was needed that would present a positive and memorable image for visitors and passersby, relieve congestion, and provide efficient administrative offices.

To limit main gate traffic, reduce conflicting uses, and enlarge the site, the architects relocated the existing truck scale and employee entry and rerouted a railroad spur. They converted a concrete frame warehouse into administrative offices, giving vendors access without compromising security. The designers clad the exterior in a mullionless window wall that conveys the appearance of a silver cube. In its lobby, visitor functions are marked by non-orthogonal box-like vestibules, which are beige-colored, while the company's official blue color is used to demarcate the orthogonal column grid.

Adjacent to the administration building is a new oval automobile court enclosed by a steel superstructure reminiscent of the plant's maritime past. To promote legibility, the enclosure is painted white, as are all curved elements in the plant such as pipes and tanks; beige and silver are reserved for rectilinear elements. Small vertical fins in the structure's infill panels allow security officers to see the street while blocking views into the plant.

Before

Photography © Jeff Goldberg/Esto