16
INTERNATIONAL FOCUS
Showcasing the latest projects from around the world – visit
www.architectsdatafile.co.uk for full information
Q3 – TIGNÉ POINT, MALTA LOM ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
A residential and public realm project in Malta designed by LOM has broken ground. The new residential block, known as Q3, and its surrounding site development, is the final phase of the €275m Tigné Point peninsula development by MIDI plc. The €30m (£26m) scheme is currently seeing civil works being carried out by Excel System Construction. Located close to the capital, Valletta, Tigné Point has been transformed over the last 20 years with residential, leisure, retail and office accommodation focused around “restored, landscaped public realm,” said the architects. The 16 floors of residential accommodation include 63 luxury apartments across the 9,000 m2 floorplan, designed to maximise views towards the Mediterranean.
NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT HEADQUARTERS, KUWAIT CITY FOSTER + PARTNERS
Foster + Partners has recently completed the new headquarters for the National Bank of Kuwait. Located on a prominent site in Kuwait City, the 300 metre skyscraper has a “distinctive presence among the buildings of Sharq” (the city’s growing financial district), commented the architects. The building design – which brings all of the bank’s corporate employees together under one roof – combines “sustainable features and structural innovation,” providing an “energy efficient passive form and shielding the offices from the extremes of Kuwait’s climate.” To the north, the curved facade reveals the panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf. A series of concrete fins along the sun path extend the full height of the tower, providing structural support while contributing to the environmental strategy through shading.
By tapering the floorplates inwards towards the base, the design maximises floor space at upper levels and the overhanging floorplates shelter the offices below. Passive and active measures to reduce water consumption minimise energy use and improve the indoor air quality. The tower’s 63 floors are punctuated by sky lobbies, which provide a “social focus” and meeting facilities for staff. At the base of the tower, an 18 metre-high lobby greets employees and visitors. Other amenities include a double- height restaurant at level 18, a gym at level 19, and a “unique” ballroom and auditorium on level 38 with panoramic views out to the bay and the rest of the city.
The building is stepped to accommodate the apartments’ design and the south facade has a staggered profile, with large balconies providing shading. Glass reinforced concrete cladding will be used on the facades referencing local limestone, and the balconies will be edged in bronze-coloured zinc. A residents’ gym, office and communal meeting space are located at ground level, which was pedestrianised thanks to four levels of basement car parking. The building is set within 7,000 m2 of landscaped public realm that contains the restored ‘Garden Battery,’ one of a series of 19th century artillery fortifications on the island, retained as the centrepiece of the Tigné Point scheme. The landscaping has been designed to provide fully accessible public walkways, with stone terraces, stepped seating and green spaces planted with native species, a water feature and “reflection pools.” A new pedestrian bridge will link The Point shopping mall to the seafront promenade.
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF AUGUST 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
