Architecture

Smart and stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept wins OIC headquarters competition

Smart and stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept wins OIC headquarters competition
Atelier Thomas Pucher's stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept makes a dramatic statement, but also takes a smart approach to managing heat in warmer climes
Atelier Thomas Pucher's stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept makes a dramatic statement, but also takes a smart approach to managing heat in warmer climes
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Atelier Thomas Pucher's stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept makes a dramatic statement, but also takes a smart approach to managing heat in warmer climes
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Atelier Thomas Pucher's stunning "Garden and the Tower" concept makes a dramatic statement, but also takes a smart approach to managing heat in warmer climes
A cutaway of the tower reveals the office layout, and the central atrium
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A cutaway of the tower reveals the office layout, and the central atrium
A visualization of the main hall at the foot of the tower, and the atrium which rises the full height of the building
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A visualization of the main hall at the foot of the tower, and the atrium which rises the full height of the building
The gardens are envisaged as an oasis
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The gardens are envisaged as an oasis
One of the garden's covered conference spaces
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One of the garden's covered conference spaces
A visualization of the garden areas
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A visualization of the garden areas
A visualization of the garden areas
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A visualization of the garden areas
A visualization of the tower by day
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A visualization of the tower by day
A close-up visualization of the tower's facade by night
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A close-up visualization of the tower's facade by night
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"Garden and the Tower" is Atelier Thomas Pucher's winning design for the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to be built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The design is envisaged as "a global sign, made of light." The tower, very much the centerpiece of the design, will have a textile skin which, if we understand the design intent, will not only let sunlight and daylight in by day (an environmentally friendly way of illuminating the interior) but intentionally let artificial light out by night, to dramatic effect should the visualizations prove remotely accurate. The designers' approach to managing heat gain suggests that there's beauty in the function too.

As the name implies, the tower is not the sole facet of this design, which is best thought of as a campus rather than a single construction. The 160 m (525 ft.) tower, which will house workspaces, may be the focal point of the design, but surrounding it are gardens with both internal and external spaces which are designed to "interweave" into one another (architects are obsessed with getting you indoors without your noticing - I am yet to find one who has achieved it).

One of the garden's covered conference spaces
One of the garden's covered conference spaces

The predominant feature of the garden's design are its "floating waves of concrete and drop-shaped basins," inspired by sand dunes, but in night time renderings almost resembling friendly eyes, peering out of the darkness. These concrete canopies rise out from the ground so that both indoor and outdoor conference spaces are available, broken up by pools of water, which will also be illuminated by night.

If there is genius in the design, it may rest in its approach to heat gain. Atelier Thomas Pucher acknowledges that architects seeking to design low-energy buildings that cope with the sometimes searing heat of tropical climes need only look into the past for answers - or at the very least inspiration. Architects have been using passive means of heat control for centuries, though the methods employed in this design are anything but simplistic.

A visualization of the main hall at the foot of the tower, and the atrium which rises the full height of the building
A visualization of the main hall at the foot of the tower, and the atrium which rises the full height of the building

The architects describes the tower as a "permanent sun- and glare-shield." It's claimed that the tower's concrete shell, textile membrane and window design combined reduce the need for artificial cooling by up to 50 percent. The concrete provides heat-absorbing thermal mass lacking in many of today's steel and glass skyscrapers. The solar penetration permitted by the textile membrane varies according to orientation, presumably at a maximum for the north-facing side of the tower to allow as much daylight penetration as possible, but offering the office areas more substantial defense from direct sunlight from other directions.

The building won't be entirely robbed of the drama that direct sunlight can provide, however. The main hall of the tower will be partly illuminated by an atrium that reaches the full height of the building. At noon on peak summer days, Atelier Thomas Pucher claims this atrium will provide a path for direct sunlight to punch through the building, illuminating the hall at ground level, which should prove a sight to behold.

Source: World Architecture News

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1 comment
1 comment
thomas_thibeault
Gee, just what every amature astronomer wants, more light pollution.