The use of
slip-cast construction carries huge economic and time advantages so a vertical
extrusion becomes inevitable for any residential tower where each floor can
have the same structural layout as the next.
Hence the repetitive nature of residential medium and high rise results either
in repetitive horizontal banding, excessive glazing or arbitrary formal
escapades.
For this 16 storey condo development concept, we propose a rigid internal core
and systematic structural grid that then frees the North and South façades to
express movement. In order to make complex façade elements at a feasible cost
we devised a geometry that relies on a single set of moulds that can simply be
turned around every second level. Using double-curved bands rhythmically is a
pragmatic solution that combines the economy of repetition with an exciting and
animated visual appearance.
The façade
design engages with the social and cultural context in providing various
degrees of visual openness and enclosure so the zones behind can be occupied in
accordingly.