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PROJECT REPORT: MIXED USE SCHEMES
The substantial facade has been broken up in a playful way using different cladding tones, setbacks and overhangs
which is “quite striking” for users, says des Courtis, as well as making “as much room as possible on the ground floor.” He adds that for hotel guests, “there’s nothing at the ground floor, apart from a hostess greeting you, then you take an escalator or a lift to the lobby.” This was partly done to avoid the base of the hotel tower from dividing the commercial centre in two, and to create a lighter space, while the lobby on the second floor is more compact.
One of the most unusual and refreshing things about this building is how the programme is revealed by the facade, as des Courtis explains. “There are different geometries unique to each programme, and each is revealed just by its shape and size, and the shape and size of its openings.” He adds: “This is due to a conscious choice to make it visible – and everybody can understand that there is something special happening in certain spaces.”
The main facade is also enlivened by the open stair running up the interior, which is fully visible through the glazing, but clearly connecting retail and office functions in an unusual way. Many of the spaces have blinds to mitigate solar gains, but the main double-height office meeting spaces have a huge fabric curtain.
Sustainable benefits of the scheme,
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beyond reusing much of the concrete structure, include a district heating approach, whereby heat recovered from cooling the commercial spaces is used for the hotels’ showers.
Conclusion
Pierre des Courtis notes that the project being a success is especially gratifying given that the son of the original architect who designed the site in the 1970s lives next door! He believes this high-profile scheme has some distinct characteristics; in particular taking a ‘third way’ approach to retaining a lot of the structure, while also making a series of key design moves. “Most refurbishments either destroy a lot more than we did, or a lot less.” Winy Maas concludes on the scheme that such an in-depth, complex scheme cannot really have an end point, although it may now be more about the fine details: “The process of transforming an urban block on such a large scale, and yet is never finished.” “To know which piece of concrete to keep and which to cut, how to occupy, redevelop, then reoccupy spaces, is a continuous conversation.” Maas adds however that this may now be a “DIY process” for the client, one which is “in permanent evolution.”
ADF MAY 2023
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