New Clothes for Old Skyscrapers
Skyscrapers, as well as any other buildings may age both morally and technically. And then the problem arises – either demolish such a construction or upgrade it. An interesting concept for retrofitting buildings was proposed by the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA). This sustainable and cost effective innovative plan is known as “re-skinning” and can be widely applied to other aging icons around the world. At the heart of the concept named ‘Tower Skin’ is an application of easily installed membrane, which design is presented by LAVA at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Re-skin / More with less
The design story started when International architectural firm LAVA has developed a simple, cost effective, easily constructed skin that promises to transforms aged 1960’s buildings in Sydney, into sustainable, iconic buildings.
What initially began as a speculative proposal for a bold re-shaping of the UTS tower on Broadway has evolved as a broader architectural system for re-purposing inefficient and outdated buildings without the need to demolish and rebuild. LAVA has developed a simple, cost effective and easily constructed building skin that can transform the identity, sustainability and interior comfort of an existing structure such as the UTS tower.
The ‘skin’ is a translucent cocoon that can create its own ‘micro climate’. It can generate energy with photovoltaic cells, collect rainwater, improve the distribution of natural daylight and it can use available convective energy to power the building’s ventilation requirements.
A pre-existing building is wrapped with three-dimensional lightweight, high performance composite mesh textile. Surface tension allows the membrane to freely stretch around walls and roof elements achieving maximum visual impact with minimal material effort.
The skin is also an intelligent media surface that can be used for dynamic animation and to communicate information into the public realm – effectively integrating principles of architecture, fashion, media and communication design into a new hybrid typology.
Main features
Rejuvenation ‘Tower Skin’ will create a new iconic tower for Sydney. As the Opera House is an international cultural icon facing the harbour, the UTS tower will be an icon for the inner Sydney, representing an innovative and realistic approach that addresses the challenges of environmental sustainability.
Rapid transformation and development of media, communication and technology will act as the catalyst for the rejuvenation of the tower identity, performance and user comfort. Media walls have an increasing role in city skylines. The UTS Tower will promote its own identity as a public and progressive institution with interactive, energy efficient light systems that keep up with the university’s developments in real time.
The elegance of the proposal masks a hard working intelligence and sustainable philosophy not seen within the city; an effective, strong and poetic intervention derived from LAVA’s concern with biomorphology, ecology and efficiency of a ‘minimal’ surface.
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Materials provided by LAVA