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PIRAEUS TOWER 2010-CHANGING THE FACE/FACADES REFORMATION - Urban Observatory Post
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PIRAEUS TOWER 2010-CHANGING THE FACE/FACADES REFORMATION - Urban Observatory Post
“Piraeus
Tower 2010 – Changing the Face/Façades Reformation”
What
was the competition for
A
Tall Building at the port of Piraeus – the Piraeus Municipality
belongs in the urban area of the city of Athens which has a
population of 4,000,000 – is abandoned for more than 30 years. It
is 22-storey building, 84 m. tall and it is known as “Piraeus
Tower”. It is often called as “the sleeping giant” due to its
abandonment. The only tower of the area is “sleeping” in one of
the bigger ports of Mediterranean that presents a dynamic growth the
last decades.
There
is a challenge, therefore, in order for the Tower to become a
landmark at the port of Piraeus and to be highlighted, through its
modernisation, as one of the most important architectural buildings
not only for the city of Piraeus but for the whole city of Athens.
The
Proposal
The
challenge is focused to the reconstruction of the external façade of
the building. The façade interventions regard the type and dimension
of the proposed constructions either in contact or at a distance from
the existing curtain walls. The interventions may be surfacings,
facades renovations, constructions of every type and size, or all of
them. The proposed interventions may be extended over the building
within the ground boundary without, though, any height limitation.
Every vertical or horizontal construction cannot be occupied by
indoor spaces. The building indoor space is still in the existing
outline. The frame of the building shall be kept without any
intervention. However, additional support provisions shall be
introduced where appropriate and necessary.
Nowadays,
most
of the metropolitan centres have universally turned into both
business development centres and touristic “resorts”, due to the
construction of many new interesting buildings, in an architectural
aspect. However the urban anarchy, and -metaphorically speaking- a
condition of “decay” are the principal characteristics of
Piraeus, -an area in Greece which accommodates the biggest port of
the country. The lack of green areas, open public spaces and
landmarks are some of the major problems here.
Piraeus’
Tower – the so called “silent giant” of the port,- is probably
the most significant building of the area. However, despite of its
imposing presentation, this structure has been abandoned for several
years. Thus the aim of this project is to turn this building to a
dynamic urban observation post not only for its users but for all the
citizens.
The
existing structure of the building is not changed but is plated with
glass, while a continuous ramp, with 1.50 width, runs through each
one of the floors. A metallic grid is placed on the perimeter of the
building, adding in that way 5meters in each side. Balconieswithalengthof
5, 7.50,
or 10 meters are coming out from the gaps of the grid shaping an
unspecific pattern. Shadings with 40cm width are placed on specific
locations in order to cast shadows over the building during the
summer. Vertical led panels are suspended at the edge of the
balconies, which transmit with the use of projections those peoples’
movements who pass by the building every day. Cameras imprint
peoples’ movements who pass perimetrically by the building, and
render them on the panels as black figures in a white background.
However, when somebody is moving on the balconies, s/he sets in
motion micro-sensors that change the white color to green one. Thus
the building’s façade is constantly redefined and in that way is
converted to an observation post that records the urban activities.
The new escalator is located on the north-west side of the building
in a distance of 5 meters, and is constructed by glass. The escalator
and the ramp form together the linkage between all the balconies. The
basement is used as parking. The entranced will be located on the
ground floor. The 1st
and 2nd
floor will accommodate stores. A cafeteria is going to be located on
the 3rd
floor. At that point there will be an exit to a public open green
square which will be cited on the upper part of 2nds floor roof. From
4th
to 11th
floor and from 14th
to 19th
there will be offices. The 12th
and 13th
floors are unified.
Several
parts of the slabs are subtracted and some of them are turned into an
internal park, while the 20th
and 21st
floors are going to accommodate a restaurant which will be end at the
terrace of the building. Finally the 22nd
and the 2nd
basement there will be all the electromechanical facilities.
Materials:
The
new glassed envelope of the building is going to be structured with
DuPont Sentry Glass. The same material will be also used to the
external escalator. The external side of the beams of the building
will be coated with Corian, which is going to be also the material
that will covered the floors of the balconies. The same material will
be used also for the ramps. The basic structure of the ramps is going
to be metal. The shades will be wooden. The roof of the 2nd
floor will firstly be insulated with the Tyvek system and then will
be planted, reducing in that way the thermal losses at the shopping
area. In that way it will be easier for the roof to be transformed
from a useless area to an over-ground urban park.
This
proposal is worthy a second chancedue
to including the building in the urban landscape through the design
proposal and highlighting it as the landmark for the wider area by
creating a living building through the projection of human movement
on its facades. We used innovative materials and also we focused at
the interaction between the building's private space and the urban
surroundings.
Tower 2010 – Changing the Face/Façades Reformation”
What
was the competition for
A
Tall Building at the port of Piraeus – the Piraeus Municipality
belongs in the urban area of the city of Athens which has a
population of 4,000,000 – is abandoned for more than 30 years. It
is 22-storey building, 84 m. tall and it is known as “Piraeus
Tower”. It is often called as “the sleeping giant” due to its
abandonment. The only tower of the area is “sleeping” in one of
the bigger ports of Mediterranean that presents a dynamic growth the
last decades.
There
is a challenge, therefore, in order for the Tower to become a
landmark at the port of Piraeus and to be highlighted, through its
modernisation, as one of the most important architectural buildings
not only for the city of Piraeus but for the whole city of Athens.
The
Proposal
The
challenge is focused to the reconstruction of the external façade of
the building. The façade interventions regard the type and dimension
of the proposed constructions either in contact or at a distance from
the existing curtain walls. The interventions may be surfacings,
facades renovations, constructions of every type and size, or all of
them. The proposed interventions may be extended over the building
within the ground boundary without, though, any height limitation.
Every vertical or horizontal construction cannot be occupied by
indoor spaces. The building indoor space is still in the existing
outline. The frame of the building shall be kept without any
intervention. However, additional support provisions shall be
introduced where appropriate and necessary.
Nowadays,
most
of the metropolitan centres have universally turned into both
business development centres and touristic “resorts”, due to the
construction of many new interesting buildings, in an architectural
aspect. However the urban anarchy, and -metaphorically speaking- a
condition of “decay” are the principal characteristics of
Piraeus, -an area in Greece which accommodates the biggest port of
the country. The lack of green areas, open public spaces and
landmarks are some of the major problems here.
Piraeus’
Tower – the so called “silent giant” of the port,- is probably
the most significant building of the area. However, despite of its
imposing presentation, this structure has been abandoned for several
years. Thus the aim of this project is to turn this building to a
dynamic urban observation post not only for its users but for all the
citizens.
The
existing structure of the building is not changed but is plated with
glass, while a continuous ramp, with 1.50 width, runs through each
one of the floors. A metallic grid is placed on the perimeter of the
building, adding in that way 5meters in each side. Balconieswithalengthof
5, 7.50,
or 10 meters are coming out from the gaps of the grid shaping an
unspecific pattern. Shadings with 40cm width are placed on specific
locations in order to cast shadows over the building during the
summer. Vertical led panels are suspended at the edge of the
balconies, which transmit with the use of projections those peoples’
movements who pass by the building every day. Cameras imprint
peoples’ movements who pass perimetrically by the building, and
render them on the panels as black figures in a white background.
However, when somebody is moving on the balconies, s/he sets in
motion micro-sensors that change the white color to green one. Thus
the building’s façade is constantly redefined and in that way is
converted to an observation post that records the urban activities.
The new escalator is located on the north-west side of the building
in a distance of 5 meters, and is constructed by glass. The escalator
and the ramp form together the linkage between all the balconies. The
basement is used as parking. The entranced will be located on the
ground floor. The 1st
and 2nd
floor will accommodate stores. A cafeteria is going to be located on
the 3rd
floor. At that point there will be an exit to a public open green
square which will be cited on the upper part of 2nds floor roof. From
4th
to 11th
floor and from 14th
to 19th
there will be offices. The 12th
and 13th
floors are unified.
Several
parts of the slabs are subtracted and some of them are turned into an
internal park, while the 20th
and 21st
floors are going to accommodate a restaurant which will be end at the
terrace of the building. Finally the 22nd
and the 2nd
basement there will be all the electromechanical facilities.
Materials:
The
new glassed envelope of the building is going to be structured with
DuPont Sentry Glass. The same material will be also used to the
external escalator. The external side of the beams of the building
will be coated with Corian, which is going to be also the material
that will covered the floors of the balconies. The same material will
be used also for the ramps. The basic structure of the ramps is going
to be metal. The shades will be wooden. The roof of the 2nd
floor will firstly be insulated with the Tyvek system and then will
be planted, reducing in that way the thermal losses at the shopping
area. In that way it will be easier for the roof to be transformed
from a useless area to an over-ground urban park.
This
proposal is worthy a second chancedue
to including the building in the urban landscape through the design
proposal and highlighting it as the landmark for the wider area by
creating a living building through the projection of human movement
on its facades. We used innovative materials and also we focused at
the interaction between the building's private space and the urban
surroundings.
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