High-Rise Iconic Buildings

HIGH-RISE ICONIC BUILDINGS RESEARCH DOCUMENT
NICHOLAS SOCRATES
High-Rise Iconic Buildings

2 NAMASTÉ TOWER
NAMASTÉ TOWER
Mumbai, India, 2014
Architect: Atkins, Dubai
Client: Jaguar Buildcon
Plot Area: 6500 m2
Building Footprint: 4100 m2
Gross Floor Area: 120.000 m2
Height: 301 m Cost US$: Unknown
Lifts: 15 + 3 Service
Status: Proposed
EXTRA TEXT EXPLANATION
The main programmatic occupancy of the Namasté Tower will
be hotel. The middle part houses regular hotel rooms, while
the top part mainly consists of luxurious suites. The layout
between the 36th and 44th floor varies from 3 to 8 suites per
floor. Above there is one entire layer intended to be one single
apartment, probably for the hotel owner.
The top of the building houses bars, a restaurant and
panoramic decks, enclosed by a glass roof where ‘the fingers’
of the building come together.
The lower floors contain 9000 m2 of office space and 6000
m2 of retail. All program will be accessed from the street level
where ramps go up and down to enter the parking places
or the drop-off zones at the back of the tower. The specialty
restaurantsandtheloungearepublicaccessiblefromtheretail
floors.Inside the cores, elevators provide vertical transport for
the different users. From level 10 upwards less elevators are
needed so the configuration changes. The left-over space is
used for both hotel service as corridor.
IMAGES
1. Opened-up section of the tower where becomes clear how the program is
allocated through the building. Note the various gardens inside.
2. The inspiration for the decoration of the Namasté Tower comes from the henna
tattoo tradition.
3. Applied to the elevation of the tower every view through the ‘henna tattoo’
from the interior appears different.
4. Floorplans of the luxurious hotel suites up to the 44th floor. The deep coves in
the corridors makes the building more connected to the outside.
5. Rendering view of the building on it’s location.
SOURCES
http://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/project. cfm?id=2878
http://www.atkinsglobal.com/projects/namaste-hotel
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=188468
Concept
CONCEPT OF THE ARCHITECT
Namasté means respectfully ‘greeting’ or ‘bowing’ to your visitors in Hindi.
It is an friendly expression what makes people feel welcome. The clasped
hands are the basis of the concept for this hotel tower and clearly make a
statement to invite people into the building. Since the luxurious hotel will
mainly conceive celebrating people for events like weddings and family
diners the architect expresses this even more in the façade idea. The
decoration directly comes from the henna tattoo art. Indian people cover
themselves with these decorations with the occasion of weddings and big
birthday parties. Translated to the building envelope this means a partly
coverage to keep the heat outside and collect sunlight in PV-cells. Also the
roofs of the two large canopies have an additional layer of sun collecting
cells which can provide about 12% of the total energy demand.
In between the two ‘hands’ the space for corridors of the hotel remains.
This transparent volume has a visual connection to the outside and
provides a nice view over Mumbai and the adjacent race track. It almost
feels like you are outside. This feeling is embraced by the many gardens
applied to the corridors.
On an urban level the entrance flows are wellconsidered. Besides hotel
guests, the office workers, deliveries and visitors has to be led into the
building. Distinct entrance roads and ramps regulate the movements.
Below the canopies, an urban green oasis invite people to visit the
building. Going up with panorama elevators brings them to the top floors
where a restaurant and bar provide a wide view over downtown Mumbai.
EVOLUTIONARY ABOUT THE CONCEPT
The very literal translation of the traditional Indian expression for hospitality
makes the building an icon with benefits. Instead of placing a big sign what
says ‘hotel’ at the street side the building itself acts like one. The clasped
hands decorated with the henna patterns immediately shows clearly what
the purpose of the building is. Indian people will experience it as an inviting
symbol for their natural habit to be friendly and cooperative. The icon will
become the highest building of India and become an entity in Mumbai.

3PEARL RIVER TOWER
PEARL RIVER TOWER
Guangzhou, China, 2011
Double Facade Insulation
Pearl River has double facades on the North and South facades. Hot air is
vented to the north face and is drawn out through a stack effect. Cool air is
brough in at night to cool the thermal mass of the building. The south fagade
is double glazed for insulation and ventilation purposes. The facade features
an internally ventilated double-wall system that incorporates a motorized
blind system controlled by a photocell that tracks the path of the sun.
Daylight Sensitive Lighting Controls
Sensors in the rooms detect the current lighting level and adjust the artifcial
lighting so that it supplements the natural daylight, rather than replacing or
overpowering it.
IMAGES
1. photovoltaic cells integrated in the building s skin
2. the design of the building sculpted for a better air fow
3. air fow (section)
4. air fow (foorplan)
5. Increasing wind speeds (m/s)
6. The 3x4 meters wide openings
7. Vertical axis wind turbines
8. Birdview impression
9. Section of the double facade
10. Ventilation priniciple
SOURCES
http //architectenweb.nl/aweb/redactie/redactie_de- tail.asp?iNID=6943&iNTypeID=55&extUrl=1
http //buildingdb.ctbuh.org/building.php?building_id=454
http //emileglorieux.blogspot.com/2010/03/pearl-river- tower-world-greenest.html
http //www.daapspace.daap.uc.edu/-larsongr/Larson- line/SkyCaseStu.../Pearl.pdf
http //www.iaacblog.com/selfsuffcientbuilding/fles/.../ Yashaswini-Case-studies.pdf
http //www.sincerelysustainable.com/buildings/commercial/pearl-river-tower-to-be-one-of-the-
most-energy-effcient-skyscrapers-in-the-world
http //www.som.com/content.cfm/pearl_river_tower
Concept
The city of Guangzhou, China experiences some of the worst air
pollution on the planet. China s growing economy has increased
their energy consumption this in turn has lead to a rapid increase
in carbon emissions. In response to these great problems, the
Chinese government has recently set a goal to reduce their
carbon emission by 10% by the year 2010.
The Pearl River Tower has been designed to be the most energy
effcient of all the world s supertall structures. The original goal
was to design a ‘net zero-energy building that would sell its
excess power to the local electrical grid, but now the building is
expected to consume nearly 60% less energy than a traditional
building of similar size. Economical considerations and reulatory
challenges made this goal unachievable.
The tower features both active and passive approaches to limiting
carbon emissions. The photovoltaic cells will be integrated in the
building s skin. To achieve the greatest productivity, the cells will
not only function as a source of power, but also function as a solar
shade.
What really makes this building stand out is its unique integration
of wind turbines into the maintenance levels of the building and
the sculpting of the building form to channel wind through those
openings.
The building incorporates four large openings, approximately 3 x 4 meters
wide. The building s unique curved design is intended to focus the strong
southern winds that blow through the region. Orientated to face these
winds headon, the Pearl River Tower s sculpted facade will increase the
speed of these winds (by two-and-a-half times) and channel them through
two main slots in the building where wind turbines will be located. Because
of this focusing of wind and higher speeds, it is estimated the vertical
turbines will produce up to 15 times more energy than they would if they
were standalone units. By placing vertical axis wind turbines, one inside
each of the four openings of the building, the increased power potential
of the air stream can be leveraged. These wind turbines provide power
year round. In most cases the velocity increases are more than twice the
‘ambient wind speeds.
Architect: Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)
Client: China National Tobacco Company
Plot Area: 10,635 m2
Height: 310 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Lifts: 13
Status: Constructed

4 TAIPEI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
TAIPEI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Taipei, Cheng De Road, Shilin District
Architect: Pieter Bannenberg, Walter van Dijk, Kamiel Klaasse
Client: Unkown
Plot Area: Unknown
Building Footprint: 110 x 80
Gross Floor Area: Unkown
Height: 64 m
Cost US$: 124 million
Lifts: 25
Status: Not realized
Concept
A building simple but sophisticated, elitist but accessible, simple but
innovating. That was a challenge for NL Architects and it seems that they
managed to combine all the above elements by creating TPAC. The Taipei
Performing Arts Center could be considered a table with four legs each one
different from the others. If this sounds ordinary then you’d better have a
look at the pictures as TPAC is far away more than that. An Urban cavity, a
Proscenium Arch, an Upside-Down Skyline all in one.
TheTaipeiPerformingArtsCenteraspirestobecomeaccessibleforeverybody.
The principal act performed by the building is to elevate a substantial part of
its program. By doing so a public square is created underneath it. As such the
squarefundamentallybecomespartofthebuilding:itisincludedinsideit.This
could turn out to be a radical innovation…
In a way the building could be considered a Table: four ‘legs’ support a
horizontalslab.This‘open’blockmeasures110x80meterswithatotalheightof
64 meters. The ‘tabletop’ is 14 meters high and can in principle accommodate
3stories.Insideyou’llfindakindofMall;afragmentofthecitythatiselevated,a
public ‘browsing space’ in the sky. This will be the domain for cultural facilities:
the multimedia library, music stores, galleries, lobbies, bars, restaurants and
clubs. A gaming zone and a casino might be exciting additions.
The ‘legs’ are programmed as well; in fact they are small skyscrapers. All four
are different. One has a ‘waist’, with a large plan that narrows half way and
widens again. One has an oversized foot; it contains the Proscenium Theater
at its base. And then becomes more slender. One is small at the bottom and
expandstowardsthetop-hereyou’llfindtheGrandTheater.Byliftingthemain
plateau of the building to a level slightly higher than the adjacent structures,
wonderful panoramas are created. It becomes possible to overlook the city
and the surrounding hills.
The additional asset of this gravity-defying operation is the urban void that
comes into being. This 3D urban square creates an informal foyer for the
building as a whole. There is no interface, no threshold. Come in, we’re open!
It is a place for interaction, for performances, for concerts, for markets. It is a
square with a ceiling. Rain and Sun automatically are kept out. It is open-air,
but covered! Surprisingly the building contains more void than mass; it’s a
space-container, a 3D Plaza.
The three main programmatic elements, the Theatres, are positioned on
different altitudes. The Proscenium Playhouse is placed at the base of the
southeast ‘Leg’. The Lobby is placed under this theater so that it is flush with
the square, activating the space around it. The Multiform Theatre however, is
connected to the southwest leg close to the top. The volume of the Grand
Theaterissuspendedunderthehorizontalslab.Ithoversoverthesquarewhile
still being a part of it.
There are many ways to travel through the building. There are elevators,
stairs and escalators. It is possible to go in a direct way or to take the scenic
route. A detour is rewarding! It is no longer necessary to take the same path
on your way out. A System of Loops comes into being. Some of the elevators
are oversized. They can be used for transportation of large goods, but also for
moving large groups of people at the same time. Many elevators are placed
towards the outside. They are not hidden in a core but become part of the
performance.Ridingthemgivesyouthefeeling ofbeing partofaninteractive
urban environment. They move up and down like ants on the leg of a table.
When reaching the top some elevators suddenly move sideways, allowing
unexpected horizontal movement: Logistic Entertainment. The Grand Route
connects the Lobbies of the Theaters with a series of escalators. It ties them
together. Part of the Foyers as such will be open to everybody, but here you
will also find the ticket control. Beyond a certain point the theaters are -of
course- not freely accessible.
At the basis lies a four legged table construction that is reinforced in the corners.
Multiplevariantsof‘stiffening’areusedtocreateavarietyofidentitiesforthelegs.
By expanding the legs towards the top automatically the spans are reduced. The
structure in a way is an orthogonal version of a dome.
The ground-level square bends up to allow cars and motor cycles to enter
the parking garage. Here trucks can enter the basement. Heavy logistics will
be handled from here. Taxis will be able to drive up this ‘Hill’, culminating in
a glamorous drop off. Locally the square folds down to allow more spacious
connections to the underpasses to Night Market and the Jiantan train station.
The act of lifting the building allows for a more or less unobstructed crossing
of the square –an elegant feature, since most architecture tends to stand it the
way. Whether you are walking from Bai Lin Highschool to take the bus or you
are coming from Shinlin Market and are looking for a place to eat your lunch, the
squarewillprovideeverybodywithashelteredandexcitingrouteorplacetostay.
Balconies or terraces with several different programs activate the space.
Sometimestheyareopenandpublic;sometimesexclusiveorintimate.Ticketable,
VIP or free. They act as swimming pool, skate area, public green, play ground,
hotel garden, breakfast café, thus attracting many different ‘target groups’. The
audience can take center stage.
A Hotel could be a successful additional program. It might be beneficial for the
exploitation of the complex as a whole. It is supportive also in a literal way, since
it constitutes the fourth leg of ‘table’. The Performing Arts Hotel can comfortably
feature 60 bedrooms and additional facilities. The bedrooms overlook the city
and the spectacular Urban Interior that it helps forming. The Revolving Bar
somewhere hangs from the ceiling.
In a way, the project is an Upside-Down Sky- line. The horizontal top layer helps
to frame the space beneath. It is not so much the beauty of the form itself that is
compelling, but the space in-between. With every step you take this urban cavity
changes shape. The structure could be understood as a Proscenium Arch in 4
directions framing city life in many ways.
IMAGES
1. building image
2. section
3. floor plan
4. concept drawing, stage
5. concept diagram, creating a square
6. concept diagram, routing
7. side view drawing of TPAC , sun shading, rain
8. taipei performing art center structure diagram
9. taipei performing art center program
10. taipei performing art center image square
SOURCES
http://www.nlarchitects.nl/slideshows/TPAC/TPAC. html
http://www.thearchitectureroom.com/competitions/ Taipei_competition.html
http://www.archdaily.com/15785/taipei-performing-arts-center-proposal-by-
nl-architects/

5BANK OF CHINA
BANK OF CHINA TOWER
Hong Kong, 1989
Architect: I.M. Pei
Client: Bank of China / Hong Kong
Plot Area: 8000 m2
Building Footprint: 2.700 m2
Height: 370m
Lifts: 21
Status: Constructed
Concept
I.M. Pei designed the building with the structure of bamboo in mind.
However, the building looks nothing like a bamboo stalk, but more like a
‘glittering tower of diamonds’. The cross braces and triangular framework
of the building are designed to withstand typhoons. Because of the
strong framework of the building, there was less steel needed for the
building’s construction.
The Bank of China Tower is reminiscent of the Willis Tower in Chicago
that was the tallest building in the world for a long time. The difference
is that the Bank of China Tower is composed of triangular sections with
triangular frames and the Willis Tower is composed of rectangular blocks
and has rectangles The glass façades of the building reflect the light and
its surroundings, so it is like a bright and shiny white crystal, while the
Sear Tower appears dark and ominous.
The whole structure is supported by the four steel columns at the corners
of the building and one in the centre of the building, with the triangular
frameworks transferring the weight of the structure onto these five
columns. It is covered with glass curtain walls.
For the first time a megastructure composed of a pure space-truss was
used to support the weight of a skyscraper. The megastructural steelwork
is expressed externally by naturally anodized panels that form part of the
curtainwall
The tower was initially built by the Hong Kong
Branch of the Bank of China, but the entrance
continues to display the name “Bank of China”,
rather than BOCHK. The top four and the bottom
19 stories are used by the Bank, while the other
floors are leased out.
When the Bank of China was completed, it was
the tallest building in Asia and was the first
building outside the USA to break the 1000
foot mark (305 meter).The towers sharp corners
and bright, reflective features caused a lot of
controversy when it the designs were made
public.
The tower was contrary to “Feng Shui” for its
sharp edges and its negative symbolism by the
numerous ‘X’ shapes in its original design. That’s
why Pei modified the design to some degree
before construction following this feedback,
he decided to incorporate a few water features
around the building as a ‘remedy’ to the sharp
edges of the tower. Unfortunately, some of the
water features were incorrectly placed.
IMAGES
1. Isometric drawing
101 of the world’s tallest buildings By Georges Binder
2. Breakdown of the tower structure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_China_Tower,_Hong_Kong
3. Floorplans; A 51-66; B 38-50; C 20-37
101 of the world’s tallest buildings By Georges Binder
SOURCES
http://www.pcfandp.com/a/p/8220/s.html
http://www.archdaily.com/153297/ad-classics-bank-of- china-tower-i-m-pei/
http://whitedragonhome.com/Articles/FSBankofChina.pdf

6 EARTHSCRAPER
EARTHSCRAPER
Mexico City, Mexico, 2009
Architect: BNKR Arquitectura
Client: Evolo
Plot Area: 57.600 m2
Height: -300 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Status: Competition proposal
Concept
The main plaza of Mexico City, known as the “Zocalo” is 57,600
square meters (240m x240m), making it one of the largest in
the world. It is bordered by the Cathedral, the National Palace
and the Federal District Buildings. This is the location of the
proposed Eathscraper, an inverted skyscraper that digs down
through the different layers of Mexico City. The Earthscraper
preserves the iconic presence of the Zocalo and the existing
hierarchy of the buildings that surround it. It is an inverted
pyramid with a central void that allows all habitable spaces
to enjoy natural light and ventilation. The first ten stories are
dedicated to a pre-Columbian museum. The next ten stories
are retail areas and housing while the deeper 35 stories are
offices.
The architects think that Earthscraper may have burst the
bounds of the architectural world because it has taken a truly
new approach to escalating megacity problems like planning
for population growth, curbing sprawl, preserving open space,
and conserving energy and water. In the process, however,
the concept also incorporates respect for the city’s past, by
seeking to integrate the centuries of Mexico City’s history into
its proposed solutions to present and future problems, rather
than obliterate them.
The Earthscraper’s multi-use design is aimed at curbing urban
sprawl and its attending problems. Although by law a project
of this size would normally have to plan for 10 – 15 thousand
parking spaces. The interior design concept also incorporates
a system of gardens occurring roughly every 10 stories, to
help generate fresh air. It will be insulated by earth while the
gardens would create microclimates inside the tower.
The innovation of this utopian project is the fact that it is the
first totally underground skyscraper. In many competitions
concerning skyscrapers, groundbreaking ideas are often
suggested yet this one is by far the closest to reality. The
reverse pyramid shape of the atrium also suggests a solution to
the casting of natural light into the building which is the most
common problem in all underground buildings.
IMAGES
1. Bird’s eye view of Zocalo with the Earthscraper
2. The Reverse-Pyramid shape atrium
3. The glass plaza above the Earthscraper
4. Green Walls to increase sustainability
5. The History Museum in the palimpsest
6. Pathways under the zero level
7. Perspective section of the building
SOURCES
http://www.bunkerarquitectura.com/
http://www.archdaily.com/156357/the-earthscraper- bnkr-arquitectura/
http://www.archdaily.com/156357/the-earthscraper- bnkr-arquitectura/
http://www.ecomagination.com/earthscraper-concept- takes-sustainable-design-
underground
http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/mexico-city- considers-earth-scraper-
brilliant-or-bogus/question-2273777/
http://urbdezine.com/2011/11/24/subterranean-earthscraper/

7CANTON TOWER
CANTON TOWER
Architect: Information Based Architecture
Client: Guangzhou Construction Investment & Development Co, Ltd,
GuangzhouTV station
Building Footprint: ... m2
Height: 600m
Lifts: 6
Status: Constructed
Concept
Mark Hemel, IBA architect and director, comments, “Where
most skyscrapers bear‘male’features;beingintrovert,strong,
straight, rectangular, and based on repetition, we wanted to
create a ‘female’ tower, being complex, transparent, curvy,
gracious and sexy. Our aim was to design a free-form tower
with a rich and human-like identity that would represent
Guangzhou as a dynamic and exciting city.” The result is
a tower, very slender and tall, that EHDUV VLPLODULWLHV
ZLWK WKH ¿JXUH RI D IHPDOH, the reason that it earned
the nickname: ‘supermodel‘.
The form, volume and structure are generated by two ellipses,
one at foundation level and the other at a horizontal plane
at 450 meters. The two ellipses are rotated relative to one
another, where a tightening caused by the rotation between
the two ellipses forms a ‘waist’. The structure at the bottom
of the tower is porous and spacious, but becomes denser at
waist level that occurs about halfway up.
The structural engineering was performed by Arup. The
structural concept exists out of three primary elements:
columns, rings and braces. None of the 1100 steel nodes are
identical, but they were able to create one single type of node
to be used in all areas.
The rings are placed on the inside of the columns so that they
areconnectedbutdon’tintersectwitheachother.Thiscreates
an inside view dominated by rings, while the outside views
are dominated by the sloping columns. All rings are placed at
an angle of 15 degrees so that an opening is created for the
entrance at the base of the tower, and a sloping viewing deck
is created at the top of the building.
The columns are all perfectly straight although they lean
towards one direction, giving the tower its dynamic twist. The
columns also taper from bottom to top, further amplifying
the perspective view up the tower from the ground.
The Scala Tower is interesting because of its twist and
parametric design, which allows the use of just one joint for
the whole building. Another interesting element are its stairs
that creates possibilities for a expansion of public spaces and
transition between different public spaces on the skywalk.
The waist of the tower contains a 180 meter open-air stair walk
(“Skywalk”) where visitors can physically climb the tower starting at
170 meters and spiralling almost 200 meters higher, all the way through
the waist. There are outdoor gardens set within the structure, and at
the top, just above 450 meters, a large open-air observation deck is
encircledbyasortofFerriswheel.Theinteriorofthetowerissubdivided
into programmatic zones with various functions, including TV and
radio transmission facilities, observatory decks, revolving restaurants,
computer gaming, restaurants, exhibition spaces, conference rooms,
shops, and 4D cinemas.
IMAGES
1. Construction design build-up
http://www.solaripedia.com/13/342/4233/canton_tower_pv_shapes_illustration.
html
2. Floor Plans
http://www.solaripedia.com/13/342/4233/canton_tower_pv_shapes_illustration.
html
SOURCES
http://gztvtower.info/index.htm
http://www.solaripedia.com/13/342/4253/canton_tower_ section_dwg.html
http://www.solaripedia.com/13/342/4233/canton_tower_pv_ shapes_illustration.html
http://www.arup.com/News/2010_09_September/29_ Sep_2010_GZ_TV_Tower_opens.
aspx
http://www.arup.com/Projects/Guangzhou_TV_Tower/Details. aspx
Guangzhou, China

8 CHINA CENTRAL TELEVISION HEADQUARTERS
CHINA CENTRAL TELEVISION
HEADQUARTERS
Beijing, China, 2010
Architect: Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
Client: China Central Television (CCTV)
Gross Floor Area: 473,000 m2
Height: 234 m
Cost US$: 1.13 billion
Lifts: 76
Status: Constructed
Concept
The new headquarters for China Central Television, OMA’s largest
project to date, combines the entire process of TV-making
(administration, production, broadcasting) into a single loop
of interconnected activity. Rising from a common platform
accommodating production facilities, two towers (one for
broadcasting, one for services, research, and education) lean
towards each other and eventually merge in a dramatic, almost
impossible cantilever.
CCTV’s distinctive loop offers an alternative to the commonly known
typology of the skyscraper. Instead of competing in the race for
ultimate height and style within the traditional two-dimensional
skyward tower, CCTV creates a three-dimensional experience, that
symbolically tries to embraces the entire city.
The loop also facilitates public access to the production of China’s
media: visitors will be allowed in to a internal path circulating
through the building, connecting all elements of the program and
offering spectacular views from the multiple facades towards the
Central Business District, the Forbidden City, and the rest of Beijing.
The unusual shape of the building asked for a different structural
approach than the conventional way. The large overhang could be
realised because the outer shell consists diagonal beams and lets
the entire building functions as one stiff tube-structure. Instead of
covering the facade with large trusses and overdimensioned beams,
engineers used computer generative design based on algorithmes
to come up with a structure that directly expresses the stress
intensity.
The overhang floors have a regular grid of internal colomns, which
are supported by two storey transfer trusses on the 37th and 38th
floor. These trusses span between the tube faces and provide a
space-frame like arrangement for the tip of the overhang.
The tube system made the actual construction of the building possible. On its
own the leaning towers had enough stiffness to be constructed first and later on
suits the construction of the overhang link, which cantilever from the towers in
the temporary situation.
The flow of forces which is expressed in the structure is also visable in the face of
the building. But not the entire structure can be seen from the outside, because
only the diagonals of the structure are copied to the facade. U-shaped beams are
placed in front of the larger structure on the inside with conventional rectangular
IMAGES
1. Distribution of the program
2. The morphology of the building allows the program to have a visitors loop with corresponding renders
3. Regular diagrid; colours indicate the amount of stress distribution
4. Generative designed structure grid with equally dimensioned beams
5. Structural set up of the towers
6. Structural set up of the 37th and 38th floor
7. Construction order
8. Building overview
9. Picture of the facade
10. Facade set up
SOURCES
Architecture and Urbanism, July 2005 Special Issue, CCTV by OMA
http://oma.eu/projects/2002/cctv-%E2%80%93-headquarters
http://www.arupinbeijing.com/arup_projects/china_central_television_headquarters/overview/

9KANCHANJUNGA APARTMENT
Concept
The Tower is one of the masterpieces of Indian
architect, Charleas Correa. Kanchanjunga Apartments
is a 28 story height high end residential building built
in Bombay, 1983. It was clear that the architect has
reference to Lecorbusier’s crossover units in Unit
habitation in Marseilles in 1952. Correa planned
the 3 and 4 bedroom units interlocking with 5 and
6 bedroom units. 3-4 bedroom units occupies on
and half level, and 5-6 bedroom units occupies two
and half levels. There are small level displacement
within the units to differenciate outdoor terrace and
indoor living space, dining room and bedrooms and
so on. These change of levels hide the living and bed
rooms from the heat of sun and rains, while the big
opening of balcony could get as much day light as
possible. The whole building structure is built by
reinforced concrete. The open terrace part is a 6m
deep cantilever structure. Central core with lifts and
shafts and building services so it also provide central
stability element for lateral loads.
The appearance of the building has strong
resemblance of modern western building design.
Especially the white plain surface with concrete
construction. But the apartment design is an
interperation of traditional Indian bungalow with
verandah which is a main part of living area of indian
family.
The tower is 21m square on plan, and 1:4 proportion
onelevation,84mheight. Ithas aplainfacadesurface,
with cut away to open up double height balcony.
The tower design reinterperated the traditional
living style of indian with modern architecture.
And it is succesfully merged with environmential
consideration, and social needs in this tower. Correa’s
strong design signiture of sectional displacement
where appropriate by changes in ﬂoor surface is
most elaborated in this project. The complexity of
internal spacial organization to create level changes
and interlocking four types of units was pushed to an
extreme in this project..
The building is oriented in east-
west direction to catch the natural
wind from the sea and also this
direction has best view from city
to the sea. But this face is also most
heat up surface by the sun. The old
bungalows solved this problem by
warpping a thick layer of around
living area verandas to protect
from heay monsoon rain and sun
heat. Kanchanjuna Apartment is
applying this concept into the
apartment design.
IMAGES
1. Partial Section of two apartments
2. view from east side
3. Sectional perspective of environmential consideration
4. Diagrams of spacial organizatiion and units interlocking
5. Terrace photo from outside
6. Terrace photo from inside
SOURCES
http://identityhousing.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/charles-correa-
kanchanjunga-apartments-cumballa-hill-mumbai-1970-1983/ housing-in-
barcelona-made-with-100-recyclable-materials/
http://architectureyp.blogspot.com/2011/05/kanchanjunga-apartments.
KANCHANJUNGA APT.
Bombay, India, 1970-1983
Architect: Charles Correa
Client: -
Plot Area: 2900m2
Height: 84 m
Cost $ Unknown -
Lifts: 3 + 1
Status: Constructed

10
Architect: Aedas R&D
Client: Abu Dhabi Investment Council
Height: 150 m
Lifts: 25
Status: Constructed
AL BAHR TOWERS
Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, 2012
Concept
InAbuDhabi,itisaneverendingbattleagainstthesunsheat,mostlywithairconditioning.
The temperatures in July and August can reach till 48 degrees Celcius. Because of that
reason, the Al Bahr towers got a unique second skin facade. The north side of the second
skin is open because it never sees the sun.
The design is a new twist on an old Islamic tradition. It is inspired by Islamic patterns,
called a `mashrabiya’, which protects the most exposed parts of the building. In history,
the mashrabiya was also used to produce shade. This modern mashrabiya has been
conceived as a dynamic façade which will open and close in response to the sun’s path,
it will significantly reduce the solar heat gain and providing a more comfortable internal
environment. By using the data of the sun’s path, it was possible to let the ‘umbrella’s’
respond to the path of the sun.
The frame of the mashrabiya components is a combination of aluminium and duplex
stainless steel. It gives a high resistance against corosion, that is because the building is
near the sea. The mash is made out of fyberglass, coated with a teflon based material.
Most elements are 6 x 4 meters and weights more than 600 kilogram.
The mash wraps the whole building, only tq, north side is open because it will never
see the sun. The south facing roofs of each tower incorpo-rate photo-voltaic cells,
generating approxi-mately five percent of the total required energy from renewable
energy sources.
The Masharabiya shading system — based on a traditional Arabic shading work — is
the main concept of the winning competition. The 1000 facade panels response to
sun exposure and changing incidence angles during the different days of the year. The
second skin is saving on energy consumption and carbon emissions, it reduces the
cooling load by over 20 percent. The windows in the first facade don’t have to be heavily
tinted, so the light transmission is up to 40 % better than in comparable buildings in Abu
Dhabi.
IMAGES
1. Traditional mashrabiya
2. Closed facade
3. Open facade
4. Section of the double facade
5. Impression by night
6. Floorplan in 3D
7. The second skin is open at the north side
SOURCES
http://www.aedas.com/ADIC-Headquarters http://aedasresearch.com/features/
view/all/project/al-bahr-towers-cdr
http://www.ameinfo.com/218427.html
http://blog.punjabilokvirsa.com/2010/07/adic-head-quarters-in-abu-dhabi/
http://www.hitachi.com/New
http://www.preconstruct.com/newsblog/index. php/2011/08/03/al-bahr-towers-
by-aedas-and-arup-uses-brilliant-dynamic-shading-system/
http://www.skyscraperlist.com/showthread.php?82-ADIC-HEADQUARTERS-%7C-
150m-x2-%7C-25f1- x2-%7C-Com-(AL-BAHR-TOWERS-)
AL BAHR TOWERS

11
Architect: Lord Norman Foster and Partners
Client: Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)
Plot Area: -
Building Footprint: -
Gross Floor Area: 99000 m2
Height: 179 m
Lifts: 10
Status: Constructed
HONG KONG BANK (HSBC)
Hong Kong, 1985
IMAGES
1. Preliminary design sketch, of bridge-like construction
above the old building.
2. Axonometric drawing of the floors, trusses and supporting
structure.
3. More detailed drawing of the hanging floors system.
4. Seawater pipes in tunnel under the building; the seawater,
pumped from and back to the bay, is used for cooling and
toilets.
5. Section of the building showing the voids in the
construction (white) and the “sunscoop”, letting light into
the atrium.
6. A service module, prefab, being lifted into place to be
fixed to one of the main columns.
7. Picture of the large wind supports between the main
columns.
8. Sketch of the lobby with atrium above.
SOURCES
Bennet, D., Skyscrapers, form and function, 1995, Simon and
Schuster Publishers, New York
Concept
Fosters first sketches of the design for a new bank building, which needed to be
constructed on a site of limited size, and phased in order for banking to continue
in the old building during construction, resemble in a large part the final design.
The main themes in the design were: reflecting the essence of Hong Kong, high
rise but also to maintain the human scale. Therefore, the building reached the, at
that time, existing maximum building height in Hong Kong, at 180m. However,
soon after the opening of the Hong Kong Bank building, the maximum building
height was raised, and the Bank of China Tower, built soon after, reached much
higher.
Very revolutionary is the fact that bridge building techniques have been used
in the construction of this skyscraper. Eight large tubular steel columns on two
sides of the building, braced by rectangular beams, act as bridge supports, with
the floors suspended from them. This allows for very free floor plans with ample
floor area lost to columns. Services are also located in and around the concrete
columns. The floors are built up of sheet metal topped with reinforced concrete.
HONG KONG BANK (HSBC)

12 LINKED HYBRID
LINKED HYBRID
Beijing, China, 2007
Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Client: Modern Investment Group, Beijing
Height: 68 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Lifts: 34
Status: Constructed
Three different public entrances connect the skyring with the
public space on ground floor. These entrances (coloured red in the
floor plan above) each offer a different variety of program. One
area for health and sportcentre, one area for recreational program
opened through the day and one area for restaurants openede
during night. The entrance to the restaurant is located next to the
acces to the cinema within the heart of the project.
FUNCTIONS IN THE RING
1. reading room
2. design/book store
3. architecture gallery
4. sculpture gallery
5. art gallery
6. viewing platform
7. dinning deck
8. ultra lounge
9. bar/cocktail
10. listening lounge
11. fitness
12. juicebar
13. group axcersice space
14. spinning room
15. office, locker rooms
16. lane lap pool
17. suspended catwalk
18. spa/massage
19. meetin place
20. viewing platform
21. hair/nail salon
22. health food store
23. tea seating
24. tea store/gaming place
25. coffee shop
26. café seating
27. book event space
28. book store
IMAGES
1. interwoven vertical and horizontal structure public vs private concept
2. core that attracts publc life
3. poetic idea of conected bodies (Matisse, la dance, 1909)
4. linked bodies after construction
SOURCES
A+T hybrids 1
Concept
Linked Hybrid projects a renewed thinking about the public space within
large scale high rise projects. Holl shows us in this project how his ideal
vertical city should work. It is his ideal city within a city.
The horizontal traditional urban structure, continuous plinth with services,
is combined with the vertical city, disrupted plinth.
Living is combined with commercial program in various towers. The
commercial program is located in the plinth and living above. An ‘urban’
ring of commercial and cultural public activities link the towers on the
twentieth floor. This skyhigh public space provides a cinematc experience
of the whole complex and the city surrounding it. A big variation of
urban functions are located in this ring, for example: a swimmingpool, a
fitness centre, a nail and hair studio, an architecture office, galeries, bars,
theesaloons and stores (more info on page 3).
To prevent the city within a city to become an isolated island, Holl
introduces the term urban porosity. He connects his ideal city with it’s
context by attracting people to the centre of linked hybrid. Urban space is
enclosed in the heart of the project. On street level pedestrians are able to
move in and out the project.
These two themes, ‘city within a city’ and ‘urban porosity’ are also the basis
for Holl’s second big housing project in China, the sliced urban porosity
block.
The ensemble of high rise towers instead of the vertical tower pinned in the
city projects a new way of thinking about high rise architecture.
The public space in heart of the large plot area connected with the highly
accesible program in the skyring makes a unique contribution to the public
life in the city.

13THE MUSEUM PLAZA
THE MUSEUM PLAZA
Louisville, Kentucky, 2005
Concept
Museum Plaza rethinks conventional attitudes towards
property development. Culture is placed physically and
spiritually at the project’s center to support the capital and
operational costs of a 3,700 m2 museum, a development
oÍ over 140,000 m2 is required. To avoid over-saturating
Louisville’s market with any single commercial program, its
uses are mixed, including luxury condominiums, hotel, offices,
loft apartments, and retail. Building development convention
would typically position the public program at street level and
the profit-making towers above. This strategy is not possible
at Museum Plaza: the site would isolate any ground-level
public program and position the towers implausibly close to
each other. To liberate these conditions, the plinth of public
program is elevated twenty stories aloft and the towers
evenly distributed above and below. Within the ’lsland’ of
public program, a rare synergy between commerce and
culture occurs. Unusual proximities enable the contemporary
art space to overcome the banal specter of museum flexibility.
The towers, in contrast, are platonic, and their areas and
proportions are dictated by efficiency ratios and financing.
To maximize rents and sale prices, the luxury condos and
offices above and the hotel and loft apartments below are
optimally positioned for views, circulation, and structural
efficiency.
Architect: Christopher Agosta, David Chacon, Stephane Derveaux, Erez Ella,
Selva Gurdogan, Javier Haddad, Uenal Karamuk, Vanessa Kassabian,
Joshua Prince-Ramus, Alejandro Schieda, Dong-Ping Wong
Client: Museum Plaza, LLC
Plot Area: 141,800 m² (1,530,000 sf)
Building Footprint: Unkown
Gross Floor Area: unkown
Height: 214 m
Lifts: 21
Status: On Hold
IMAGES
1. building image
2. site, Louisville, USA
3. section
4. floor plan
5. concept diagram
6. program diagram
7. concept model, museum
8. model, museum
9. building image, from square
10. skyline Louisville
11. model, Building
12. floorplan, low-rise
13. floorplan, mid-rise
14. floorplan, high-rise
SOURCES
a+t, Hybrids I, high-rise mixed use building
http://www.rex-ny.com/work/museum-plaza/ http://picsdigger.com/image/7665e3cb/

14 GRONINGER FORUM
GRONINGER FORUM
Groningen, The Netherlands, 2014
Architect: NL Architects
Client: Municipality of Groningen
Plot Area: 2.400 m2
Gross Floor Area: 18.000 m2 (excl. parking)
Height: 45 m
Cost US$ 81 million
Status: Unbuilt
Concept
In the competition question for the ‘Groninger Forum’ a surprising
ambition occurred: Many diverse cultural functions will be combined in
one building, The will to cooperate between four partners, Public Library
Groningen, The Museum of Groningen, Film theatre, Images en Regional
Historical Centre, City Archives / Audiovisual Archives, is surprisingly.
In a automated world, dominated by privatization and individualization
there is a lot of optimism of a new type of collective space. The
cooperation is leading to added quality of functions. The growing supply
of information (from news papers till films, from theatre till Internet) is
united in the Forum with the wish of the inhabitants to become a active
participants of the city life.
PROGRAM
The accessibility of functions is separated in two main elements: free
accessible public spaces (the cultural café and the Domains) and the
spaces that require a ticket or the ones that are only accessible for certain
persons, such as offices. A part of the functions needs daylight and a
view, wile others are explicit served by artificial lightning and controlled
conditions. In the ‘Groninger Forum’ these last functions will be used a
‘supporters’ and the other parts a backbone. Where needed windows are
added to get more light in the building. The domains will be in general
transparent, but in some types of presentation or usage it is wishful to
close some parts..
ATRIUM
Cutting part of the building away had a surprising side effect: The, in
principle, two dimensional scheme becomes spacious. The diagram
becomes 3D, the building becomes sculptural. From the Atrium become
surprising sight-lines. The Groninger Forum is a warehouse full of actual
information and presentations. On the other side the visitor receives net
spectacular insights about the traditional city.
SUSTAINABILITY
The ‘Groninger Forum’ has to become an example for sustainable buildings.
The Netherlands have high standard rules when it comes to sustainability.
The sustainable ambitions of the Forum building can be considered a
higher scale. This ambition is translated in different possible systems that
will increase the sustainable value:
• Durable energy
• Climate facade
• Heath transporting facade material
• Lightning
GEOMETRY
As an articulation of the ambition to make one building for different
activities the shape came from one volume. The maximum height is 45
meter, but surprisingly the average height is not more than 30 meter.
This goal is reached by cutting fragments off the building. These cut-
away surfaces serve different needs. They make the access of light to the
other buildings better. The geometry of the Forum makes a gesture for
the parking and entrance functions. As a result two mini-squares appear
as a so called “anti-chambre”. The access to the parking garage is left
separate from the facade. As a result the Forum is accessible from different
directions for pedestrians.
IMAGES
1. Scheme different program in public and private
2. Scheme program divided by vertical location
3. Scheme program public and private mixed
4. Scheme program designed for function
5. Vertical transport
6. Public domains
7. Facade drawings
SOURCES
http://www.nlarchitects.nl/

15ELBPHILHARMONIE
ELBPHILHARMONIE
Hamburg, Germany, 2013
Concept
The new Philharmonic will be not only a site for music; it will
include an extensive complex of flats and adaptable facilities
for a wealth of cultural activities. The core the major concert hall
seating 2200 and a multipurpose hall for ca. 550 listeners will be
complemented by a 5-star hotel with a projected 220 rooms,
with built-in services as restaurants, a health and fitness centre
and conference facilities, as well as some 35 luxury flats.
The Kaispeicher A has long been a relatively mute monument to
the postwar era, through it is occasionally rented out for one-
off events; after its renovation, it will become a vital centre for
musicians and music lovers, attracting both tourists and the
world of business, the latter able to enjoy the use of state-of-
the-art technological facilities as well as the luxury of a first class
hotel in this centrally-located historical landmark.
The bold new Philharmonic will inject the surrounding
neighbourhood with energy and dynamism. Similar cultural
‘implants’ in other cities provide impressive proof of the way in
which such projects contribute substantially to urban renewal,
enhancing the attraction of urban districts and, indeed,
functioning as agents of change. This will also be the crowning
achievement of the ‘Hafencity Hamburg’, an ambitious project of
urban expansion.
The main entrance to the Kaispeicher complex lies to the east.
A breathtakingly long escalator will run diagonally across the
entire warehouse, transporting visitors from the way up to the
plaza. Situated on top of the Kaispeicher and under the new
building, it will function as a gigantic joint between the old and
new, forming a spacious public area with a unique panorama:
to the north, downtown Hamburg and a view reaching beyond
the Aussenalster; to the east, west and south, the River Elbe and
its vast, sprawling harbour.
The new building has been conceived as an extrusion of the
warehouse, an iridescent, multifaceted crystal with an identical
ground plan, placed flush on top of the brick Kaispeicher. But the
top and bottom of the crystal are different: the broad, undulating
sweep of the roof rises to a total height of 100m. at the Kaispitze,
sloping down to the eastern end, where the roof is som 20 m
lower. The Elbphilharmonie will become the crowning symbol of
the expansion of Hamburg’s city centre towards the south into
the harbour district along the shores of the river Elb.
IMAGES
1. Concept
2. Major concert Hall
3. The Kaispeicher A
4. Entrance, schematic
5. Entrance model
6. Plaza
7. Plaza with view of Hamburg
8. Design process
9. Plaza as a transition between old and new
10. Actual use of the building
11. Plaza defined by stairs
12. Small multifunctional hall
SOURCES
http://www.elbphilharmonie.de
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbphilharmonie
http://www.dezeen.com
http://de.academic.ru/dic.nsf/dewiki/734027Poveda, P.: El Croquis,
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Client: ReGe Hamburg
Plot Area: 5.885 m2
Height: 100.0 m
Lifts: 12
Status: Constructed
The lobby will be the overture or the echo of the large concert hall.
Mounted under the belly of the great hall, a landscape of stairs an
Escherlike sculpture climbs in all directions.
The great hall and the lobby are stacked on top of each other like
bowls; the floor of the hall doubles as the ceiling of the foyer, while
the foyer in turn forms a vaulted ceiling stretching to the floor of the
Plaza and incorporating its visitors in an alien landscape that steadily
climbs past several floors all the way up to the highest galleries of
the concert hall. Everything is stairs: floors, ceilings and walls become
almost indistinguishable. Climbing the vast carpet of stairs, the visitor
reaches horizontal areas that intersect at each level,using bars or
cloackrooms. The festive atmosphere already appararent in the foyer
is heightened in the grand hall. There, the warm white of the foyer
gives way to an intense amber; the surfaces shimmer and sparkle,
reflecting the light. The orchestra and the conductor are placed in the
midst of the audience; the galleries sweep into each other, overlap
and form a steep amphitheatre.
The architecture dissappears in a sea of faces; the house seems to
consist only of people, of listeners whose intense concentration on
the music becomes physically palpable.
The smaller, multifuntional concert hall belongs to the ‘shoe box’
family; seating out 550, its flexible technology allows a wide variety
of different uses.

16 486 MINA EL HOSN
486 MINA EL HOSN
Beirut, Lebanon 2009
Architect: Lan Architect
Client: HAR Etudes, Bank Med
Plot Area: 9950 m2
Height: 142 m
Status: Competition proposal
Concept
The project is located at Beirut, as architect said, the city is an
“unfinished” superposition of histories, contexts architectures
and situations. They want the project to be an interface to
generate new connections and create new view axis to observe
the history, the present and the future. The project is divide into
3 parts with 3 approaches corresponding to programme demand
and diverse scale in the project.
1. Urban integration through topographical/territorial
and spaial scenery. The BASIS is the bottom part of the
project, which is located between Marina and Solidere
district. Through site analysis by the architect, they
found the lack of public space and over green space is
an important character of the site. The BASIS made use
of the site’s 8m level difference, created three levels of
retail space combine with green area and pedestrian
road connected to the North, East and West of the
plot. The spacial quality of BASIS is inspired by existing
urban morphology of Beirut.
2. Above BASIS is the CLUSTER HOUSE, a the residential
part of the project. The housing typology is a react
of traditional oriential patio house, which has a
rich relationship between interior and exterior. The
apartment design is structures around a central patio
for natural ventilation and distribution between
different units.
3. The TOUR is the central object of the project, a tower
with 145m height. The architect want the tower to bear
a new meaning as a catalyser of the city, restores the
concentration of history and culture. therefore the
material consists the city’s images, lights, tranforms,
and renews. The architect chose a material with
characteristics of weightlessness, glass and finely
hatched steel. The envelope reflects the surroundings
and the change of lights, and is consists of sliding
panels with preforated sheets of metals with mirror
polish finish. the tower would become disappear
depending the lights shining on it and the angle from
which it is perceived.
IMAGES
1. Diagram of images reflected on TOUR envelope
2. Street view of TOUR
3. View from apartment
4. Diagram of typical unit layout
5. Sectional diagram of unit types distribution
SOURCES
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/10/29/486-mina-el- hosn-by-lan-architecture/
www.lan-paris.com/project-486-mina-el-hosn.html
www.undo-redo.com/LAN/The_Journal_LAN_n1_ANG.pdf
The project succesfully demonstrates the design of a residential tower in
three different layers: the urban integration at the street level, the apartment
design which is a mothology of traditional housing typology and the overall
perception of the whole building as an intention to concentrate the history
and cultural value of the Lebanon through the design of envelop. All three
layers are related to the local situation and value, and has perspective to the

17LEADENHALL ST. TOWER
LEADENHALL ST. TOWER
London, United Kingdom, 2002
Concept
The context of this building is quite remarkable as the
famous Lloyd’s building is across the street and some
churches of old are mere yards away. this building will
replace the old P&O office building from the 60’s and is
situated on a square which is mainly used as passage area.
these issues are addressed with a sense of public and
private space with which the public square is preserved
and even extended into the building with a grand atrium
and totally open facade. the atrium will contain shops,
cafe’s and also have room for exhibition area’s. there is
a mezzanine level (1st floor back of the building) which
provides access to office elevators etc.
The shape and form of the building are radical design
decisions based on daylight and Building structure.
the Leadenhall Tower will be Climatically sound and
structurally spacious.
Richard Rogers organization of the building more or
less caries his trademark very obvious. next to the
understanding of structure and face mechanics there is
a distinct separation of served and servant space which
is noticeable from both drawing and building form. at
the back of the building Rogers situates all the vertical
transport and services for the building keeping the
floorspace clear from obstruction and additional building
structure which ends up in a net to gross ratio of 77%.
The Leadenhall building is a very rational approach to all
the direct aspects of its surroundings, the sunlight, the
views, The neighbouring buildings and the public space.
This public space is an aspect of this building which shows
a very uncommon solution. The public hall is a great space
and a necessary space for high rise building types. The
amount of threshold in a tower is dramatical low compared
to its capacity, This public space within the building acts as
a buffer to organize all traffic and facilitate the normal plinth
facility’s.
IMAGES
1. Building envelope projected upon existing situation.
2. Context diagram.
3. Sketch design comparison diagram.
4. Facade Study diagrams.
SOURCES
Antonino Terranova, New Urban Giants, White Star Publishers, 2008.
Architect: Richard Rogers and Partners
Client: British Land
Plot Area: 5.295 m2
Height: 225 m
Status: Constructed

18 SHENZHEN INTERNATIONAL ENERGY MANSION
SHENZHEN INTERNATIONAL ENERGY
MANSION
Shenzhen, China, 2016
Architect: Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG)
Client: Shenzhen Energy Company
Plot Area: ? m2
Building Footprint: ? m2
Height: 200 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Status: Unbuilt
Concept
The Shenzhen Energy Company headquarters rises 200 meters
creating a new landmark visible from the highway in the cultural,
political and business center of Shenzhen. BIG envisions combining
a practical and efficient floor plan layout with a sustainable façade
that both, passively and actively reduce the energy consumption
of the building. The façade is conceived as a folded skin that
shades the office complex from direct sunlight and integrates solar
thermal panels, reducing the overall energy consumption of the
building. The folded structure of the facade also creates special
niches and unique spaces inside the office floors as well as on the
streets around the building.
New curtain wall principle.
1. The traditional curtain wall glass façade has a low
insulation level and leaves the offices overheated by
the direct sunlight. This results in excessive energy
consumption for air conditioning as well as the need
for heavy glass coating that makes the view seem
permanently dull and grey.
2. By folding the façade in an origami like structure a
structure was achieved with closed and open parts.
Theclosedpartsareprovidingahigh-insulationfaçade,
while blocking the direct sunlight. On the outside the
closed parts are fitted with solar thermal heat panels
that are powering the air conditioning and providing
dehumidification for the working spaces.
3. The folded wall provides a free view through clear
glass in one direction, and creates condition of
plenty of diffused daylight by reflecting the direct
sun between the interior panels.
4. Even when the sun comes directly from east or
west, the main part of the solar rays are reflected
off the glass due to the flat angle on the window.
The reflected rays increase the efficiency of the solar
thermal energy panels. The combination of minimal
passive solar heating as well as active solar panels
will reduce the building energy consumption with
more than 60%.
IMAGES
1. The building follows the lines of the existing skyline
2. The facade up close
3. A new type of curtain wall is being created
4. Facade diagram: traditional curtain wall
5. Facade diagram: solar thermal heat panels
6. Facade diagram: view and diffuse daylight
7. Facade diagram: the angled glass reflects solar rays for higher effeciency
8. Indoor render of the offices
9. Difference characters of the facade. Open and closed
10. Model (bird’s eye view)
11. Outdoor render showing the direct surroundings
12. Specific modifications: Commercial entrances
13. Specific modifications: Lobby entrance
14. Specific modifications: Meeting rooms with views
SOURCES
http://www.big.dk/projects/sem/
http://www.archdaily.com/34496/shenzhen-international-energy-mansion-big/
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/7505/big-shenzhen-international-energy-
mansion.html
http://www.bustler.net/index.php/article/big_to_de- sign_shenzhen_international_energy_
mansion
“We propose to make the Shenzhen Energy Mansion the first specimen
of a new species of office buildings that exploit the buildings interface
with the external elements – sun, daylight, air humidity, wind – as a
source to create a maximum comfort and quality inside.
The Shenzhen Energy Mansion will appear as a subtle mutation of
the classic skyscraper – a natural evolution rather than a desperate
revolution.” - Bjarke Ingels, BIG

19THE SHARD
THE SHARD
Tower Bridge, London, 2012
Concept
Because the Shard is the first really tall building and
has no reference with an existing skyline it has and
360 degree orientation. The form of the building is
tapered with the smaller residential floor plans in the
top of the building and the big office floor plans at its
base. The concept of Renzo Piano was to create a mixed
use vertical village where could be lived, worked and
for leisure. The shape of the building consists of eight
shards that are leaning towards each other. These shards
are made of double skin glass façades, with a cavity in
between them. The outer skin is made of single glazing
while the inner skin is made of double glazing. To reduce
heat gain the double skin façade is ventilated and has
roller blinds in the cavities to increase comfort levels and
allow the maximum level of natural daylight to entre. If
there is excess heat generated by the offices that will be
used to heat the hotel and apartments. Any additional
heat excess will be led outside. In between the ‘cracks’
of the shards there are (outside) gardens, where people
have access to.
This is the fist time a double skin façade is applied on
a building of this scale. A second-skin is literary a glass
layer around the entire building and contains a layer of
air that acts as a buffer in front of the interior façade.
URBAN INTEGRATION
The Shenzhen Energy Company headquarters rises 200 meters creating a new
landmark visible from the highway in the cultural, political and business center
of Shenzhen. BIG envisions combining a practical and efficient floor plan layout
with a sustainable façade that both, passively and actively reduce the energy
consumption of the building. The façade is conceived as a folded skin that
shades the office complex from direct sunlight and integrates solar thermal
panels, reducing the overall energy consumption of the building. The folded
structure of the facade also creates special niches and unique spaces inside the
office floors as well as on the streets around the building.
The Shard has multiple viewing galleries, the mid-level
public viewing galleries are approximately at the same
height as the London Eye (ferris wheel) and the top deck
at 310 meters will provide views from a height that will
be the highest in the UK, and Europe.For the first time
in the UK there was used a new type of elevator during
the construction of the building. There was a ‘Jump Lift’
installed. This is a self-climbing elevator that uses the
building’s permanent/final elevator shaft and moves
higher in the shaft as the building gets taller. With this
system it is possible to continue construction at the levels
above while the lift is operating in the same shaft at the
Architect: Renzo Piano
Client: The Sellar Property Group
Height: 310m
Lifts: 36
Status: Constructed
IMAGES
1. fragment of the façade
renzo piano website
2. principle of a second-skin façade
by author
3. second-skin façade applied at the Shard
by author
SOURCES
http://www.rpbw.com/
(renzo piano website)

20
Architect: Belgiojoso, Peressutti and Rogers (Studio BBPR)
Client: -
Plot Area: 1200m2
Building Footprint: 800m2
Gross Floor Area: 9000m2
Height: 106 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Lifts: 7
Status: Constructed
TORRE VELASCA
Milan, Italy, 1958
Concept
The architecture trio BBPR (Banfi (who died before the
design process of the Torre Velasca started), Belgiojoso,
Peressutti and Rogers) formed a renowned Milanese
architecture partnership, founded in 1932.
The moment of design came at a time when the first
generation of Italian modernist architects were in
a proces of reviewing the international rationalist
movement. Although the Torre Velasca in Milan follows
the strict rules of the modern movement, it is at the
same time reacting to its context, unlike the Pirelli tower,
built around the same time but in a different style.
Especially the “dialogue” with the cathedral, the towers
within the city and most importantly ‘Castello Sforzeso”,
also in the city center (image #1). The dialogue refers
to the colour of the facade and shape of the tower.
The colour is similar to that of medieval, especially
Lomabrdian, fortresses and towers. The shape is also
similar to older towers, which generally consisted of
small lower floors, providing storage and workspace,
and larger upper floors for living quarters. Exactly the
same division is used in this design, with shops and
offices on the lowers floors and housing on the upper
floors.
However, the traditional tower shape is not merely an
esthetical issue. The shape is largely defined by the
location and surrounding built volumes. Only in second
case is it inspired by traditional castle and tower shapes.
At the time of construction the plot (image #2) was
already surrounded on all sides by existing low building
blocks. This did not allow a wide base with a slim tower,
which would provide a strong connection with its
immediate surroundings, and provide a lot of space for
retail. The architects opted for the opposite, designing
a slim base with a wide upper part of the tower,
thereby reacting to the dense existing building blocks
surrounding the plot.
Also revolutionary in the high rise built environment for
the time is the combination of modern techniques with
traditional form.
IMAGES
1. Google Earth screenshot of the view of the Torre Velasca from the Castello Sforzeso.
2. Torre Velasca in its dense surroundings
3. Torre Velasca towers above the surrounding buildings.
4. Supports of the upper levels.
SOURCES
http://eng.archinform.net/projekte/553.htm (sections and plan drawings)
http://www.edilone.it/Torre-Velasca_opere_y_35.html
(Italian article)
http://www.exibart.com/notizia.asp/IDCategoria/208/ IDNotizia/6173
(Italian article, published on 17 dec 2007)
http://www.olivari.it/designers/bbpr.html
(Italian article)
TORRE VELASCA

21
VIENNA TWIN TOWERS
Vienna, Austria, 2001
Concept
The complex, housing mainly offices but also leisure and shopping facilities
in the base and the deep basement levels, stands on the southern edge of
Vienna, Austria, on the site of the former Wienerberger quarries and brick
ovens. This company is still owner of most of the land.
“The concept unifying the entire project, which first appears in base of the
building, is the architect’s intent of creating a continuous fluidity in the urban
context, in creation of a complex which is more than just functional: a true
pulsating heart of city society, maintaining an ongoing dialogue with its
urban setting, which it intersects and overlaps.”
This concept is visible in the many open spaces on different levels, the
skylights letting light into the deep basement levels but simultaneously
allowing views through the skylights on the glass facades of the towers, and
of course the transparent towers themselves.
The towers have been positioned at a 59 degree angle between themselves,
but, together with the base, woven into the strict urban fabric using slim
objects with beautiful, attractive lines which link them to their urban setting
and make the complex an attractive place to work and enjoy.
These two towers with its base are not necessarily revolutionary in their
shape or buildup, but most definitely in both the way the complex has been
woven into the urban context and the extreme trasparency.
As explained above, the towers and the base are well adapted to the location,
allowing visual, mental and also physical connections by the many views,
transparency, ramps, stairs and al- leys.
Secondly, by implementing a column construction (as can be seen in the
plan) together with integrating the entire energy system into the thin floors,
the facade is entirely unobscured and the glazing is fully visible. This allows
even the higher floors to have a connection with the urban surroundings.
IMAGES
1. View of the facade of the two towers, with the five, multi-storey
glazed bridges in between the towers.
2. Image of the connection between the commercial area
(underground) to one of the towers.
3. Image of the hall, in the base. Clearly visible are the large sky
lights allowing views on the towers, and also the depth of the
basement levels.
4. A second section, in this case of the lower tower.
5. Floorplan of the base level, with the outline of the towers
visualized
6. View of the complex, from the western area outside the city.
SOURCES
Molinari, L., Massimiliano Fuksas, Works and Projects 1970-2005,
2005, Skira Edi- tore, Milano
website: http://www.floornature.com/proget-
to.php?id=4182&sez=30
VIENNA TWIN TOWERS
Architect: Massimiliano Fuksas
Client: Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie AG and the Immofinanz
Immobilien Anlagen AG
Plot Area: -
Building Footprint: 2 x 1400m2
Gross Floor Area: 100000m2
Height: 138 m & 127 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Lifts: 2 x 9
Status: Constructed

22
EWHA CAMPUS
Seoul, Korea, 2008
EWHA CAMPUS
Architect: Dominique Perrault Architecte
Client: Ewha Campus Center Project
Status: Constructed
Concept
The EWHA Campus can definitely claim to be the first
horizontal skyscraper. Apart from horizontal it is also
80% underground and that makes the prject even
more unique. The complexity of the immediate site
through its relationship to the greater campus and the
city of Shinchon to the south demands a “larger than
site” response, an urban response, a global landscaped
solution which weaves together the tissue of the EWHA
campus with that of the city. This gesture, the “campus
valley”, in combination with the “sports strip”, creates
a new topography which impacts the surrounding
landscape in a number of ways. The Sports Strip, like the
Valley, is many things at once. It is a new gateway to the
Ewha campus, a place for daily sports activities, a grounds
for the special yearly festivals and celebrations, and an
area which truly brings together the university and the
city. It is most importantly a place for all, animated all
year long.
Like a horizontal billboard, the sports strip presents the
life of the university to the inhabitants of Shinchon, and
vice-versa. Once through the sports strip, pedestrian
movement and flow through the site is celebrated. A new
“Champs Elysées” invites the public into the site carrying
students and visitors alike through the campus center
northwards, bringing together the different levels of the
site.
The pastoral nature of the campus is perhaps its most
remarkable quality. It should be permitted to grow
outwards, or inwards in this case, covering the campus
center with trees, flowers, and grass. An idyllic garden
is the result, creating a special place for gathering,
conducting informal classes, and simply relaxing
The EWHA Campus is revolutionary because it is one of the
first built projects to combine linear building, underground
architecture and landscape design. 70.000sq.m. of program
would be easier to build on stacked floors and form an
iconic high-rise building, yet the architect innovates and
creates an even more iconic building by placing it into the
ground. It is a notion of weaving together the campus is
again evident, blurring the distinction between old and
new, building and landscape, present and past..
IMAGES
1. The Campus filledwith students
2. First Render of the concept
3. Night views
4. View of the monumental staircase from the lowest part
5. The schism on the ground is revealed. Generous gesture to provide natural
light
6. View from the interior. Sunlight casts and pen- etrates the earth.
SOURCES
Per Fernandez A. & Mozas J. (2008), Hybrids II – Low Rise Mixed-Use Buildings,
A+T EDICIONES, Spain
http://archide.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/ewha-womans-university-campus-
center-by-dominique-perrault/
http://www.perraultarchitecte.com/en/projects/2459- ewha_womans_
Les Champs Elysées
A new seam slices through the topography revealing the interior of the EWHA
campus center. A void is formed, a hybrid place, in which a variety of activities can
unfold. It is an avenue, gently descending, controlling the flow of traffic, leading to
a monumental stair carrying visitors upwards, recalling les Champs Elysees or the
Campidiglio in Rome.
• An entry court, from which access to the various departments exist,
• A node, or point on a trajectory to another destination,
• A forum for the exchange of ideas as students gather after class to discuss their
views,
• A piazza, with the cafeteria spilling out creating a real “place” to stop and relax,
• An outdoor theatre, as the stair can be used in an amphitheatre like fashion,
• A sculpture garden, where indoor gallery events can push outwards.
It is precisely this flexibility (conceptual and real) which permits the New EWHA
campus center to inevitably weave itself into the landscape sometimes a building,
sometimes a landscape, sometimes a sculpture.
The campus centre is designed to offer a new sense of direction for higher education
in the 21st century. It establishes organic relations between the centre and
surrounding areas of campus as well as between above ground and underground
spaces.

23
300 NORTH LASALLE
Chicago, United States, 2006-2009
300 NORTH LASALLE
300 NORTH LASALLE
The 300 North LaSalle building is a typical example of a high-
density development within a highly urban context. With a height
just over 236 m it is one of the highest buildings in Chicago. Mainly
consisting of generic office space, the key features of this project
are the design of the public space in the plinth and the delicate
treatment of the facade.
URBAN INTEGRATION
The position of the tower alongside the Chicago River Bank,
currently undergoing a large-scale redevelopment, is the main
reason to integrate different levels of public functions in the lower
part of the tower. The combination of an upper level lobby and café
and a lower river level restaurant is very characteristic for Chicago.
The tower itself has been shifted away from the riverside towards
the inner streets, broadening the river bank and thus providing
space for a comfortable terrace facing the south.By employing two
routes through the different levels, one external and one internal,
and several entrances on both levels, the tower is fitted perfectly
within its surroundings. By providing the generous inside public
space with a strong visual connection towards the outside, the
public character of both is emphasized.
FACADE APPEARANCE
Although contemporary in appearance, the tower is very much
anchored in the past. With its slenderness and high-tech verticality
the tower resembles the modern Chicago architecture, originating
from pioneers such as Mies van der Rohe. The employed curtain
wall system with its vertical reflective fins is a direct interpretation
of the ‘classic’ steel frames of for instance the Seagram Building.
Not only do the stainless steel fins emphasize the verticality of
the building, they also express the structural system both behind
the building and its facade in an honest way. The light reflective
stainless steel is very visible and contrasts with the large amount
of highly transparent glazing and the dark surfaces in front of the
floors.
Also, these stainless steel frames are part of the different
stages in perception of the building. From a distance, one
notices the verticality through the shape of the building and its
setbacks, creating a feeling of slenderness. Once approaching,
the fins become visible and the verticality is dominant. Then,
when viewed in detail, the difference in size and shape between
these fins stands out, expressing the structure. Because of this,
the tower seems to change from every angle, also along with the
time of day and the amount of direct sunlight.
However, there seems to be a difference between the intention
of the architects shown in the renders and the actual built reality.
In the renders the seven fins facing south along the river are very
predominant, which in fact is not at all the case. Personally, I find
this a quality. The building should not expose everything at first
sight, but should be discovered and perhaps even keep some
secrets.
FACADE CONSTRUCTION
The facade is built up out of different elements, hoisted up on
site and mounted on the floors as seen in the photographs on the
next page. Each element consists of a steel framework containing
both glass and a closed panel. By minimizing the visibility of the
frame around the closed panel from the outside, the individual
elements cannot be easily distinguished providing the facade
with a smooth character.
While almost the entire tower is standardized, especially in the
lower parts underneath the cantilevers several different elements
have been used. The hinges, which usually are placed on top of
the concrete floors also differ here. As shown on the photograph
on the bottom of the next page the elements are connected to
hinges attached to the bottom of the floor. The lowest elements
just above street level cover both floors underneath and above.
Architect: Pickard Chilton
Developer: Hines
Plot Area: +/- 400 m2
Net Floor Area: 117.735 m2
Height: 236,2 m (775 ft)
Building Costs US$: 480 million
Selling Price US$: 655 million (2010)
Lifts: 24 (+2 freight, +2 garage)
Status: Constructed
SOURCES
http://www.archdaily.com/146450/300-north-lasalle- pickard-chilton/
http://www.property-website.com/pws/sites/112/live/
http://www.worldpropertychannel.com/ featured-columnists/deal-of-the-
week-300- north-lasalle-charles-schreiber-jr-hines-interests-lp-mesirow-
financial-holdings-inc-donald-miller- piedmont-office-realty-trust-2749.php
http://archrecord.construction.com/features/ GDGB/2011/300_North_LaSalle.
asp
IMAGES
one, two and four: Renders by PC.
three: drawings by Pickard Chilton Architects, analysis on services and vertical
transport.
five: construction photographs from: http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.
php?t=369238

24 NORDDEUTSCHE. LANDESBANK
NORDDEUTSCHE LANDESBANK
Hannover, Germany, 1996-2002
Architect: Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner
Client: Norddeutsche Landesbank
Net Floor Area: 71.600 m2
Height: 83,52 m
Building Costs US$: 193 million
Lifts: 16
Status: Completed
NORDDEUTSCHE LANDESBANK
Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner is a collaboration between Stuttgart
based architects Gunther Behnisch (1922-2010), his son Stefan
Behnisch (1957) and his partners. Their style resembles a lot of features
from modern German Bauhaus architecture, such as the industrial use
of standardized materials, the employment of grid structures and the
large amount of transparency used to define space.
However, their architecture transcends the modern by accepting these
principles and using them to form a specific anwser to each individual
brief. Their ‘Situationsarchitektur’ can be seen as an organic approach
to certain functional demands, while trying to exploint the conditions
of the context. Most of their projects read as sculptural volumetric
expiriments, almost moving towards deconstructivism.
URBAN INTEGRATION
The design for the Norddeutsche Landesbank is situated south
next to the historical centre of Hannover, a medium-sized city in
the heart of Germany. Directly adjacent to the rectangular plot lies
the Friedrichswall, one is of the busiest roads in the region and the
former medieval wall. Furthermore, the plot lies directly next to a large
theater, a park and several museums.
Part of the competition brief was to be respectful to these surroundings,
as well as to avoid the notion of monumentality. In reaction to these
demands the architects decided on a simple four-storey perimeter
block to house the necessary program. However, when they won the
competition the client desired more office space to be added to the
design.
Since the architects could not increase the height of the perimeter
block due to the height of the surroundings they designed an internal
tower instead. To avoid a monumental image the tower was split
up into several volumes. Looking at the project one can challenge
whether or not they really succeeded in this.
The tower looks immensely complex, though the idea behind it
seems clear. Each volume emerging from the core represents a
different function. While the perimeter block houses all the generic
office functions, the tower is literally the heart of the building and
contains a cafeteria, several conference rooms and ends at the top with
the executive director’s office.
Then, as a contrast to the perimeter block, which reacts on the orthogonal
grid of the direct surroundings to the south, the orientation of the volumes
in the tower relates to the organic geometry of the historical city towards
the north.
So in fact, both parts of the complex relate to a different part of the city,
and still they strengthen one another. The lower part literally protects
the inner tower and by opening up towards its surroundings provides for
a public courtyard, where visitors can enter and are sheltered from the
noise outside. In this way the tower is integrated in the urban context.
SUSTAINABILITY
The environmental solutions in this project came forth both out of the
wish to surpass the German regulations and to reduce costs during the
lifespan of the building. Transsolar Energitechnik focused on three main
subjects: ventilation, daylight and cooling.
1. Ventilation
The building uses an almost entirely passive ventilation system. Fresh air
is let in naturally from the courtyard, where due to the large pond and the
green roofs the air quality is very good. Via the offices the air flows into
the lowered ceiling above the corridor, and from there eventually passing
through the passive chimneys towarads outside. The chimney effect is
based on the difference in temperature and pressure between the in-
and outlet air. This current can be strenghtened by small mechanical fans
installed in the office spaces.
2. Daylight
The external sunshading louvres are divided into two parts. The lower
part reflects the sun outward and reduces solar gain and glare, but still
allows for the employees to look outside. The upper part reflects the sun
upward, so that light falls on the ceiling, providing lighting deep into the
office area. To allow natural light to also enter the corridor the partitions
are partly made from glass as well. Because the louvres are placed at a
distance from the facade the cavity behind the louvres is ventilated and
reduces heat gain. In the courtyard mirrors are used to reflect the light
towards every corner and lighten shaded areas.
3. Cooling
In response to the daylight reflection system, the project employs a
cooled ceiling to minimize heat gain from the indirect solar radiation
and to provide cooling for the internal heat load. The low-temperature
radiant slab system uses polyethylene water tubes which run through the
lowest part of the exposed concrete ceiling. The water is cooled to about
17 degrees by running this through the foundation piles. In wintertime
the system is reversed and a heat exchanger is used to heat up the water
from 6 to 25 degrees.
All these systems prove to be higly functional for the generic office spaces.
Also, the amount of integration between the reflective louvres and the
cooling ceiling is admirable. This has been one of the first projects where
these aspects have been executed in an extensive system of monotoring,
and is therefore innovative.
IMAGES
1. Landesgirokasse, Behnisch, Hannover
Very similar project also on Friedrichswall from 1997.
2. Eye-level view from northwest:
Tower seems not te be that visible, but from a somewhat larger
distance it is very prominent.
3. Birds-eye view
4. Tower view
Visible is the stacking of volumes askew from one another, relating to
the historical city to the north.
5. Inner courtyard with pool
6. Climate system diagrams
7. Situation 1:2000, Ground Floor 1:1000.
SOURCES
https://www.nordlb.com/press/press-material/
http://www.behnisch.com/projects/44
http://nu-mad.com/theory/dissertation_vassar.pdf
http://www.architecture.uwaterloo.ca/faculty_projects/

25ROBIN HOOD GARDENS
ROBIN HOOD GARDENS
London, United Kingdom, 1966-1972
Architects: Peter Smithson (1923-2003)
Alison Smithson (1928-1993)
Client: Borough of London
Plot Area: m2
Building Footprint: m2
Gross Floor Area: m2
Net Floor Area: m2
Height: +/- 30 m
Building Costs: Unknown
Lifts: 2
Status: Awaiting regeneration proposals
Concept
Peter and Alison Smithson
Within the scope of this analysis discussing the entire
architectural development within the work of Peter and
Alison Smithson goes too far. In this case it will suffice to
say that the Smithsons were amongst the leading post-
war modern architects and prominent members of Team
X, a movement originating from CIAM.
Due to their particular interest in the city and its
sociological aspects, they searched within their
architecture for new concepts on how to adress this
‘social fabric’. Their ideas about architecture and public
space already formed in the early start of their careers in
the 1950’s.
GOLDEN LANE HOUSING
Although the plan for the Robin Hood Gardens was
not designed until 1966, we see an enormous similarity
between this project and their Golden Lane Housing
proposal dating back from 1952. In fact, the designing
of Robin Hood Gardens brought the opportunity to
realize the ideals that had been behind the Golden Lane
Housing proposal. For at the time, they did not win this
competition, but were still appraised for their idea of a
‘street-in-the-air’.
Their concept was that of a spacious gallery, designed
as if it were a street, providing access to the dwellings
both above and underneath, but even more importantly:
a space for social interaction. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s
‘rue intérieure’ in the Unité, the Smithsons decided to
move the corridor to the outside, extending the homes
and offering an outdoor space for people to sit and meet,
children to play.
ROBIN HOOD GARDENS
The proposed project consists of two parallel buildings,
partly enclosing a large green space in the center of
the plot. Both buildings, the one seven and the other
ten storeys high, together contain 213 maisonette
apartments. These can be accessed on every third level
by the galleries along the outside perimeter of the plot.
Towards the park in the center, all dwellings are provided
with small balconies over their entire width. As early
sketches from the design process show, this has not
always been the case. At first, the architects designed the
galleries on the opposite side, oriented towards the semi-
public park.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Despite the development of this new typology, the project
was far from succesfull. Being executed in a low-income
neighbourhood in East-London on a site which was
enclosed by busy roads, the project became isolated from
its surroundings. Quickly, there rose a gap between the way
the project was intended and the reality. Downfall struck,
criminal rates were high and the buildings decayed.
As for typology itself, it did not prove to be the space for
social interaction the Smithson had intended. The dwellings
could not be extended towards the gallery, simple because
they were not there. No living spaces adjoined this gallery,
creating a public blind space which was therefore highly
prone to criminality.
Although several groups of achitects proposed to get the
building listed as a monument because of its historical
significance, the municipality did not approve of this.
Since then, the project is currently awaiting different
proposals for its redevelopment. It is still unclear weather
the buildings will be kept and refurbished, or there will be a
completely new development.
If we look closer at the floor plans, we
see that all living rooms are oriented
towards the outside perimeter above
and below the gallery. The kitchens
are placed towards the inside green
space on gallery level, while the
bedrooms fill up the remaining
gaps. Along the galleries themselves
only entrance zones are placed,
due to the large amount of doors and
necessary vertical transport behind it.
Due to the complex distribution of
dwellings three different types are
formed. Because these types are
executed mirrored to one another
both above and beneath the gallery,
six unique dwellings exist One block
of these six apartments forms the
module for the entire complex. This
module is sometimes adapted to
unique situations, such as the rotation
within the volumes or the necessary
cores which house the vertical
transport.
IMAGES
1. Photomontage Golden Lane Housing.
2. Idem. Visible are the ‘streets-in-the-sky’ and the building volumes from
ground level. Notice the generated rythm in the facade, due to the galleries.
3. Early sketch of the building in relation to the semi- public park. Eventually,
the galleries were placed towards the outer perimeter.
4. Typical section of the developed typology.
5. Photograph taken from the park, illustrating the generated rythm in the
facade.
6. Design proposal by (?)
7. Original situation in the 1970’s.
8. Existing situation and degradation.
SOURCES
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/dec/05/robin-hood-gardens-
east-london
http://www.bustler.net/index.php/article/robin_hood_gardens_design_
competition_the_results/
http://l78z.org/architecuture/ad-classics-robin-hood- gardens-alison-and-
peter-smithson/
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report. aspx?compid=46486

26 CUBE TOWER
CUBE TOWER
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico 2005
IMAGES
1. Model of the tower
2. Tipical floor
3. Facade materialization
4. Entrance
5. Facades
6. Under construction (slabs)
7. Empty and open central space
8. Inside the offices
9. Under construction (plan)
10. Inside the cores
SOURCES
www.cpinos.com
www.noticiasaqruitectura.info/especiales/torre_cube en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php?title=Cube_
Tower
www.e-architect.co.uk/.../cube_tower_guadalajara
TORRES, Ana Maria. Carme Pinos. Monacelli 2003
Concept
Opposition of the offices that require employees to work enclosed
within four walls, Pinós raised an architecture designed not only in
terms of sculptural beauty, but primarily designed to offer a better
experience for users.
The project stems from the desire to create office ventilated and
lighted all with natural light, and in that given the good climate of the
city of Guadalajara air conditioning was not necessary.
SUSTAINABILITY: The fragmented volumes, which creates high terraces
converted into windows of urban space and the large-central porti- co,
which opens the building to get a landscape- architecture that loses autism.
The center of the building, namely the space between the three clusters
of vertical movement, is an open space that is illuminated by deleting
laterally alternately three floors of offices and modules that, while they
become windows of the space center, lets the air circulate by the possi-
bility of removing the air conditioning.
These “cores” function as the main structure of the building, and each has
all the elements of services, there is an elevator in each of them, a ladder
and public toilets.
Architect: Carme Pinós
Client: Cube Internacional
Plot Area: 2.500 m2
Gross Floor Area: 14.500,5 m2
Height: 70 m
Lifts: 3
Status: Constructed
CONSTRUCTION: The building was developed from three cores of
concrete which are the only structure for securing the entire building.
Of these emerging big blown up to 10 m with slabs of up to 22 m. that
were raised by the use of massive slabs postensadas and innovative
wall metal beams. These three cores contain all the facilities and vertical
circulations.
This allows us to develop a very free parking and offer modules for
office without any hindrance.
Torre Cube plays with gravity, with the balance of its parts, which is
entrusted to a rational system of pieces of concrete.
FACADE: White concrete and wood are among the materials that
accompany the conventional concrete, steel, glass and aluminum to.
The exterior facade is composed of a body of latticework of wood with
sliding doors that make umbrellas and the interior of operable windows
with steel frames. This “double skin” to provide enough natural
ventilation building that rarely require the use of air conditioning
(remember, is in Guadalajara).

27SCALA TOWER
SCALA TOWER
Copenhagen, Denmark, 2007
IMAGES
1. Skyline of Copenhagen
2. Series of Concept Diagrams
3. Structural Sheme of the Twist in the Tower
SOURCES
http://www.archicentral.com/tag/bjarke-ingels-group/
Bjarke Ingles’s Facebook;
Concept
“This building by BIG is conceived as a reinterpretation of the
historic Copenhagen tower, consisting of two elements: a
base relating to the scale of the surrounding buildings, and
a slim tower becoming a part of the skyline. The base houses
shopping, conference center and the new Main Library of
Copenhagen. The tower is a luxury hotel. The tower and the
base are morphed together in a spiral-shaped cascade of
stairs leading to a public roof top plaza overlooking the City
Hall square.’ Visible from the city’s Central Station, Town Hall
Square and Tivoli Gardens, the project strives to extends
the area’s vibrancy, with its mix of functions allowing for a
variety of uses and users throughout the day. Even with the
complexity of the twist from podium to tower, the design
illustrates the direction for housing multiple functions in
singular object. This is opposed to an approach that expresses
each function individually. BIG’s design addresses both its
immediate context and the wider context of Copenhagen. The
architects conceptually melded two types of towers present in
the city: spiraling church spires and glass box office buildings.
While created a hybrid via a particular response to the city’s
skyline, the twisting shaft of the tower opens up immediate
views to its surroundings on its raised public space. Steps
(scala) from the street level (paralleling the library’s circulatiton
underneath) provide access to the plaza, vertically aligned with
the neighboring buildings. The generous amount of outdoor
space afforded to the public must be partially attributed to the
city’s desire to house their Main Library within Scala Tower, as
well as the architect’s response to the site and program that
led them to house everything in one volume. Conceptually
these two truly.
(R)EVOLUTIONARY ABOUT THE CONCEPT
Architect: Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG)
Client: Centerplan
Plot Area: 5.295 m2
Height: 117 m
Cost US$: Unknown
Status: Competition, Decision Pending
The Scala Tower is not interesting becouse of its derived form from
the traditional tower morphology, its not special becouse of this
twist between tower and platform either. it is interresting becouse
of what this twis in combination with stairs creates for posibilitys;
a vast expansion of public space and with this an intergration with
effodless/unobstructed or bridged transistion from excisting public
space onto the newley created.

28 SEAGRAM BUILDING
SEAGRAM BUILDING
New York, USA, 1958
Architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Client: Seagram Liquor Company
Plot Area: 2240 m2
Height: 157 m
Lifts: 18
Status: Completed (1958)
Concept
The Seagram Building, build in 1956-58, is the only building
in New York City designed by architectural master Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe. Carefully related to the granite and
marble plaza on its Park Avenue site, the elegant curtain
wall of bronze and tinted glass enfolds the first fully modular
modern office tower.
Mies located the thirty-eight story office tower, which
occupies only fifty-two percent of the entire site, 30 meters
back from Park Avenue. Using the glass-enclosed lobby and
raised tower, and a slab marquee and continuous pavement
(see floorplan), Mies provided the Seagram Building with a
unity between indoor and outdoor spaces. This, in addition
to the monumental spaces for a bar and restaurant located in
the opposing wings behind the lobby, satisfied the program’
s demand for a large public space on the ground story.
In its monumental simplicity, expressed structural frame
and rational use of repeated building elements, the building
embodies Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s philosophy that
“structure is spiritual” and “less is more.” He believed that
the more a building was pared to its essential structural and
functional elements, and the less unnecessary imagery is
used, the more a building expresses its structure and form.
The New York zoning law, forbidding a building to rise from
the sidewalk without progressive setbacks above a certain
height due to sky exposure. The different approach of placing
the building further away from the streets stayed true to
this law and created an open public square, what made the
Seagram Building one of a kind. It was the first evidence that
architectural gain had taken priority over economic return. It
provided the citizens the possibility to get a clear look of the
building without having to cross the street. The plaza offers a
IMAGES
1. Aerial view of the site
2. Breaking the rhytm of the urban grid.
3. Comparison of pedestrian views on a typical New York building and the Seagram Building.
4. View from across the street.
5. Simplicity of the building can be well seen during nighttime
6. ‘Miesian corner’
7. Horizontal detail of the facade
8. Internal blinds.
9. Entrance lobby
SOURCES
Mies van der Rohe, A Critical Biography by Franz Schulze (1989)
http://nyc-architecture.com/UES/UES002.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilio_guer-ra/6013072329/
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/history_project/his- tory_project2.shtml
That the architect put a lot of effort into detailing is clear from the
distinctive ‘Miesian corner’ that goes up all 38 storeys. It is a method
that expresses the primary structure and consists of a steal column
encased in fireproofing concrete and covered with bronze cladding.
This type of corner-detailling is a trademark of the International Style,
withMiesvanderRoheasoneoftheleadingfigures.Thefacadeconsists
of alternating bands of bronze plating and “whisky brown”-tinted glass.
Between the windows, there are vertical decorative bronze I-profiled
beams attached to the mullions to emphasize the vertical rise of the
facade. Van der Rohe personally stated that this was his only building in
the United States which met exactly his European standards.
Other details ensure an uniform appearance throughout the elevations.
Each window contains a Venetian blind which may be adjusted to only
three levels (open, half-closed, and fully-closed) and the angle of its
slats is set at forty-five degrees so that during the day the exterior has a
harmonious composition.
welcome moment of spatial relief in the repeated rhythm of the New
York grid and was an prime example within the new requested zoning
law to implement public space with each new development.

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