Designing in a new region is always a special challenge for the project team, because apart from the historical and cultural landscape, each place is a concentration of norms, rules, local regulations, as well as climatic, environmental and other features that can affect the volume and spatial solutions of objects. At the same time, each project is a unique experience of immersion into the local context, communication with local experts and a joint search for ingenious solutions. That was exactly the first project of the bureau in Uzbekistan – located on one of the central squares of the capital.
Located in the heart of Tashkent - at the intersection of Karatash Street and Bunyodkor Avenue, the complex overlooking the Peoples’ Friendship Palace occupies a central site where the old city is connected with its history and traditions and modern, dynamically developing districts. The nature and culture of Uzbekistan have become fundamental sources of inspiration for the two completely different project concepts designed to form a fundamentally new morphotype of urban development.
The first concept reflects the physical and geographical features of the region: the main elements of the facade plastic are wave-like lines repeating the outlines of sand dunes of sultry deserts. Organic and at the same time futuristic architecture creates the effect of the fusion of nature and innovation. The building is performed in beige and brown shades with elements of textured concrete, corrugated glass and Corten steel - smooth bends of the material are associated with a sandy landscape. By analogy, small architectural forms and elements of landscaping are framed - the building seems to “flow out” into the chaotic, but prevailing landscape of the city.
In the second concept of the complex, one can clearly feel the inspiration of the local culture and traditions: the facade of the building echoes the geometry of Uzbek patterns and national motifs. The building is made in the structural glazing technique with the addition of perforated metal elements and acute-angled metal plates, which create the effect of an ornament on the facade.
The two towers of organic form - ten and sixteen-story - create a smooth transition between the contrasting buildings of adjacent areas. Terracing volumes can significantly increase the area of improvement - creating mini-oases on each floor of the complex.