Teheran, Iran
Benetton Office
The initiatory moment of the project is an image of a chair. the image displays the articulation of frame and skin interdependently. The project, stemming from this assertion, explores and articulates the intricate relationship between structure, skin and space as prominent elements of architecture that shapes a commercial building in a urban setting with a strong sense of identity as it creates its own sense of place. the project evolves around the challenges of the site. unlike the buildings along vali asr street, the proposed building endeavors to be a glowing object, a jewel set among these boxes along the tree-lined street. the crystal-like building is characterized by its luminous folded skin. The overlapping layers of skin creates a unique veil through the interplay of light, shadow, transparency, translucency and reflectance. in an urban setting, good architecture has to take into account light and air. the setting of this site, being at the corner of a wide, tree-lined street and an alley where it is framed by buildings on two sides, brings up the challenge of capturing light, getting it deep into the building itself while reflecting it to its neighbors. A wall is the threshold between inside and outside, secure and insecure, open and closed, welcoming and rejecting, underlining the dualities that may exist on the two sides of itself, tension and harmony concertedly. it embodies many qualities in itself; surface, depth, texture, mass, penetrability. each wall plane could take on distinct characteristics. from the thick, masive wall of former ages to the intelligent facades of our century, the wall transforms in its response to the demands of man and offerings of technology.layering, overlapping and shifting wall planes could further enhance its complexity. The folded, luminous front skin unfolds as an urban gesture. the natural light is transformed with the positioning and layering of the ribbons of the facade. the facade expands through the skin and is interwoven with the interior spaces. you can stand inbetween two overlapping ribbon walls, where you are both inside and outside of the facade. The boundary between the interior and the urban fabric dissolves. the concrete wall is monolithic, almost sculptural. it is thick in contrary to the thin, transparent front skin. it is bare, site cast concrete, with no clad or added layers. it acquires its strength from the folds. it bears all floors and technical systems of the building. It opens up to the vistas of the site through breaks. as one moves along the ramp from one floor to another, the space expands from one side to the other side of the wall to the entire depth of the building, from retail to atrium, from atrium to office. the wall delimits, yet it also weaves the spaces, unlike the detached lives induced by stacked up floors of many urban buildings. It shields and houses the vertical paths along with the mechanical and electrical systems of the building. through careful integration of its elements, materials and systems, the building strives to be a LEED silver project. among many strategies proposed are the use of green roof, access to daylighting and views, the raised floor and double skin, gray water re-use, use of regional & recycled content materials, controllability of systems, use of low emitting interior materials, providing bicycle storage and changing rooms, quality and quantity control of stormwater, water efficient landscaping, use of certified wood, construction waste management, purchasing green power, optimized energy use & innovation in design.
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