Architects: Rewind Arch
2003
The site is at the point where the city expands over the waterfront.
The city is opaque, irregular and unpredictable.
The water is translucent, linear and austere.
The site is a point of negotiation between commercial space and dwelling. A negotiation reflecting the tension between the city and the water.
Two towers are proposed.
One is opaque, hard but fluid.
The other is transparent, linear and austere.
The opaque volume encloses the energy, expands, mutates, penetrates the other volume, negotiates its boundaries and takes over space when needed, while stretching out on the vertical axis.
The transparent volume stands firm on the waterfront, preserves stability, becomes a window for the city as well as a projection of the city to the outer world.
The opaque tower accommodates dwellings.
The transparent tower contains corporate offices, opening up to the world and projecting their image.
On the ground the two towers fold together to produce a platform area.
On the ground floor separate lobbies give access to the office tower, the dwellings and the U2 studio.
At the first two levels of the platform, the club and the bar vibrate through the hard shell, while the more transparent part, providing views to the outside, becomes the restaurant and the café.
The third and fourth levels of the platform host mixed office and commercial uses.
As the towers take shape, commercial space and residential area are separated.
The top two floors of both towers house the U2 studio, accessible separately not only from the ground level but also from the basement parking area.
LCD screens are placed on the east glass façade of the commercial tower, on which images of city life can be projected.