Swietokrzyska Tower, render courtesy OneByNine studio

Swietokrzyska Tower - Diagram, drawing courtesy OneByNine studio

Poland-based firm OneByNine studio recently has designed the Swietokrzyska Tower located in the center of Warsaw, Poland, next to the main street in the city. The shape of a building are created by two simple twisted blocks. The shape is adjusted to the sun movement.

Swietokrzyska Tower, render courtesy OneByNine studio

Swietokrzyska Tower - Orientation diagram, drawing courtesy OneByNine studio

OneByNine tried to minimize southern facade which is most exposed to the sun while the west facade are also being protected from the sun. The building is connected with independent entrance with subway station “swietokrzyska”.

The structure is based on bracing on the facade that to avoid structural columns inside the building in order to get more office space.

Swietokrzyska Tower, render courtesy OneByNine studio

Swietokrzyska Tower, image courtesy OneByNine studio

+ Project credits / data

Project: Swietokrzyska Tower
Design: OneByNine studio
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Gross internal floor area: 50000 sqm
Design Year: 2010
Height: 49 story office building – 208 m

+ All images and drawings courtesy OneByNine studio

Dutch architectural practice UNStudio‘s UNStudio Office Tower in South Axis business area Amsterdam, has been recently realised. The façade of the UNStudio Tower plays with the juxtaposition of a horizontal and vertical articulation, conceptually relating to the principles upon which the moiré effect is based.

In the design for the tower it was important for us to create a connection between the façade and the interior spaces; to see the building as whole, almost like a piece of furniture.

Ben van Berkel

UNStudio Office Tower, image courtesy UNStudio | Photo by Christian Richters

The recently completed 21 storey UNStudio Tower forms part of the Mahler 4 urban complex, a cluster of six buildings located in the heart of the South Axis in Amsterdam. The South Axis connects Schiphol Airport to the major business areas of Amsterdam South.

The Mahler 4 urban complex houses 38.000 m2 of residential spaces, 162.000 m2 of office space and 30.000 m2 of street level retail, cafes, restaurants and a sports centre. The six towers in the Mahler 4 complex range in height from 85 to 100 meters, with each building carrying the name of its designing firm. The Mahler 4 complex has been nominated for the FGH Real Estate Prize 2010.

UNStudio Office Tower, image courtesy UNStudio | Photo by Inga Powilleit

At a height of 82.5 meters, the UNStudio Tower contains 20 floors of office space and a ground floor with mezzanine. The Royal Bank of Scotland currently occupies 9 floors of the building and the South entrance with commercial space on the Gustav Mahlerlaan.

UNStudio Office Tower, image courtesy UNStudio | Photo by Christian Richters

UNStudio Tower

The façade of the UNStudio Tower plays with the juxtaposition of a horizontal and vertical articulation, conceptually relating to the principles upon which the moiré effect is based.

The horizontal articulation is provided by white, aluminium bands which wrap the tower, whilst their varying size, depth and transparency ensure the correct balance of sun screening and light penetration to the interiors on all levels of the building.

UNStudio Office Tower - Conceptual plan diagram, drawing courtesy UNStudio

Vertical accents are formed by voids, recessed into each face of the building and spanning differing numbers of floors. These voids serve to create an inside-outside relationship which extends the façade envelope and turns the surface of the tower into an active medium with a profound effect on the quality of the interior user space.

UNStudio Office Tower - Elevational diagram, drawing courtesy UNStudio

Custom coloured glass panes are incorporated into the vertical voids, offering different identities and light qualities to the communal spaces which surround each void in the interior. These voids further facilitate daylight penetration deep into the extensive 40m x 40m floors.

Voids are often placed at the center of a building, but here they are placed at the perimeters. This has three major advantages:

• The voids are easily transformed into (internal and external) balconies
• The usable floor space is larger and can be planned more flexibly. The depth of the floors further ensures a high façade to gross floor ratio, whilst the building as whole has a 90% net to gross ratio.
• The quality of the void spaces is affected by their location. Instead of public circulation space, these voids offer space for small meetings or personal reflection.

UNStudio Office Tower, image courtesy UNStudio | Photo by Inga Powilleit

User experience

Whereas conventional office buildings with their strict separation of inside and outside can be experienced as somewhat confining by contemporary office workers, the transparency of the primarily glass façade, in combination with the vertical voids, offers the user a gradient experience of the inside-outside condition, as well as the perception of an open and light interior. The outdoor spaces which are incorporated into the recessed voids in the form of roofed balconies allow for transition from inside to outside during free time or breaks. In addition, a roof terrace with a sky view towards Amsterdam Old South can be accessed for larger outdoor gatherings.

UNStudio Office Tower, image courtesy UNStudio | Photo by Inga Powilleit

Attaining sustainability

UNStudio  sees sustainable design as an integral aspect of contemporary architecture. Sustainable solutions are not treated as add-ons, but related to each and every building element.

In the design for the UNStudio Tower integrated sustainable solutions include:

• Materials: the reduction of replacement frequency through the use of high quality durable materials and equipment throughout the building, along with the incorporation of a lightweight frame (resulting is less construction material usage in the foundations).
• Climate: the façade design incorporates sustainable considerations with respect to orientation, with lamellas of differing heights, widths and depths controlling both direct sunlight penetration and noise pollution to each face and level of the building.
• Thermal glazing allows for sufficient daylight, whilst reducing direct sunlight.
• Energy saving installations: an underground energy storage system reduces energy usage by 30 to 35.7%. Energy efficient fixtures with motion sensors further control lighting level differentiation and thermal comfort. Sanitary installations include water saving cisterns and grey water usage.

UNStudio Office Tower - Typical residential layout plan, drawing courtesy UNStudio

UNStudio Office Tower - Typical office layout plan, drawing courtesy UNStudio

Incorporating flexibility

Flexibility with respect to future change of use with an ambition towards minimum alteration was paramount in the design of the UNStudio Tower. Extensive research was carried out in collaboration with the client in order to determine where maximum flexibility could be incorporated into the design from the outset. As a result, the floor plans of the UNStudio Tower incorporate the potential for future residential use with no structural alteration required.

The vertical voids recessed into the façade of the building also offer the potential to be transformed into individual balconies on each floor for residential use in the future. The façade design further incorporates a system whereby the glass panes can be replaced with minimum intervention should a change of use become desirable.

A grid system was introduced into the UNStudio Tower which creates flexibility with a view to potential change of use in the future. There are currently many empty office buildings in Europe which cannot so easily be transformed, but the UNStudio Tower is designed in such a way that it could also one day be turned into housing. This provides an essential sustainable flexibility to the building.

Ben van Berkel

+ Project credits / data

Project: UNStudio Tower
Location: Gustav Mahlerlaan, Zuid-as, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Program: offices
Building area: 28.280 m²
Volume: 118.878 m³
Height: 85m, 21 floors
Status/phase: Realised
Client: Mahler 4 VOF, Consortium G&S Vastgoed,  ASR Vastgoed, ING Real Estate
Architect: UNStudio
UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Gerard Loozekoot with Wouter de Jonge, Erwin Horstmanshof
And Holger Hoffman, Kristin Sandner, Miklos Deri, Jesca de Vries, Nanang Santoso, Lucas Galehr, Dennis Ruarus, Nanang Santoso.
Photographer: Inga Powilleit & Christian Richters

Advisors:
Executive architect: van den Oever Zaaijer & Partners
Technical Engineering: Van Rossum, Amsterdam
Installations: Techniplan, Rotterdam
Contractor: G&S bouw