[ BIG ] Walter Tower

Walter Towers by BIG
September 30th, 2008


Danish architects and designers Bjarke Ingels Group have unveiled their design for a tower on the Walter site in Prague, Czech Republic.

The building will be a combination of office and residential spaces.

“What will appear as four different towers is actually one continuous building that is sliced up and pulled apart to maximize the amount of surface and facade area to create attractive apartments,” say the architects.

The following information is from BIG:

Prague – The Golden City… The City of Hundred Towers…

How can you build a modern tower in this great line of beautiful towers that has become the trademark of Prague? Is it possible to build a tower that fits in the historical framework and the architectural tradition of Prague and at the same time create an image that is so powerful that the tower can become an icon or landmark of the Walter site?

By uniting the tradition of building towers in clusters, which is seen in the old Prague, with the rational way of organizing tall buildings as we know it from the American skyscraper, it is possible to make a new kind of contemporary tower that unites history, functionality and the need for a new Walter site landmark.

What will appear as 4 different towers is actually one continuous building that is sliced up and pulled apart to maximize the amount of surface and facade area to create attractive apartments.

A series of manipulations of the slab is turning an ordinary apartment slab into a series of towers.

By twisting the building, it is “opened up” towards its surroundings - letting in people and light.

W CREDIT LIST
Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels
Project Architect: Niels Lund Petersen
Projekt team: Jan Magasanik, Kamil Szoltysek

PROJECT : Walter Towers
TYPE : Competition 1st prize
SIZE : 38.000m2
CLIENT : Red Group
COLLARBORATORS : AKT
LOCATION : Prague, CZ
STATUS : Ongoing