Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has revealed plans for a pair of eye-catching towers in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings will be connected by a skybridge at approximately their midpoint and feature a curved exterior that's designed to mitigate solar heat gain during summer and embrace it in colder months.
We've no word yet on how tall the Business Stadium Central's two towers will be, but since they contain eight and nine floors respectively, their height will definitely be very modest. Most of the available floorspace inside will be given over to flexible offices, however there will also be landscaped rooftop gardens, as well as two public swimming pools installed on the top floors.
The project's overall design brings to mind ZHA's Infinitus Plaza. The buildings will be connected at street level by a courtyard atrium, plus two floors of public amenities, with the skybridge installed at level five. The curving facades and cantilevering balconies will be positioned to face a historic castle tower and, as well as complementing the neighborhood's existing architectural styles, were carefully calculated to address changing seasons.
"Located within Vilnius' humid continental climate, annual solar analysis has defined the composition of the facade's louvers and balconies to reduce direct exposure from the summer sun while optimizing solar heat gain in colder periods," said ZHA. "These external shading devices are aligned with the sun's lower altitude between October and April of approximately 38 degrees and are perpendicular to the highest position of the sun in Vilnius' summer sky of 151 degrees."
ZHA says it has used its digital design expertise to minimize the building materials required. Sustainably sourced timber will be used for the interior and all building materials have been chosen to be easy to recycle when the building reaches its end of use. Natural ventilation will also be promoted inside and energy efficient heating systems will be installed. Additionally, natural light will be a focus throughout all public spaces and workplaces.
The Business Stadium Central is slated to begin construction later this year and follows ZHA's ongoing train station renovation elsewhere in Vilnius.
Source: ZHA
