New+Architecture

 By Meir Lobaton + Kristjan Donaldson
 * New Architecture **
 * Torre Cuajimalpa **



Meir Lobaton + Kristjan Donaldson recently shared their design for a 36 story residential tower in Mexico City, Mexico. The project addressed the balance between the desire of living in a single-family residence with the cost of the land. The residential tower provides the family the luxury of living in an apartment building without sacrificing the comfort of a backyard. Gardens located on every level try to break with the dichotomy between land and building, and, more importantly, provide an area that is attractive and functional for the family members.

Each floor plan is organized around a single apartment type that is 400 square meters with a gardened extension of approximately 160 square meters. By rotating the apartments 90 degrees at successive levels, the gardens sit above the cantilevered bedrooms of the apartment below.

The shifting horizontal floor planes provide adequate space for full trees to grow. This shifting also balances the greenery, creating a blend of structure and nature, rather than allowing one element to dominate and the second to feel like an after-thought. The internal living areas are organized to take full advantage of the gardens which adds a feeling of openness to the residences.

Due to the volatile seismic condition that characterizes Mexico City, a system of deep shear walls and Vierendeel trusses stabilizes the structure while accommodating the rotating floor plans.

Date: July 2008 – March 2009

Expected year of completion: December 2011

By Zaha Hadid
 * Dancing Towers **



Dancing Towers is an office, residential, and hotel development in Dubai. Designed by Zaha Hadid. The towers are inter-twinned to share programmatic elements and rotate to maximize the views from the site towards the creek and neighbouring developments.

Zaha Hadid’s design for the Dancing Towers confirms the role of Business Bay Development at the very forefront of Dubai’s rapidly changing future. The three towers rise above the creek and project themselves as an icon for the surrounding developments and for the gulf region.

The tower’s striking design creates a new presence that punctures the skyline with a powerful recognizable silhouette. The fluid character of the towers is generated through an intrinsically dynamic composition of volumes.

The design quality of the towers to act as a symbol and icon extends beyond their scale and location. These qualities are derived from the boldness of the architectural concept, from the choreographed’ movement that combines the three towers in one overall gesture and weaves’ with a series of public spaces through the podium, the bridges and the landscape beyond.

The three towers will be conjoined two by two, with the offices and hotel at the base and the hotel and residences at the top.

On Level 7, the floor spaces of the hotel and the office towers will merge to create a link to the hotel business centre with meeting rooms, office facilities and services for guests.

The residential tower merges into the hotel on level 38, for residents to share collective leisure facilities, including the indoor swimming pool and other amenities.

On level 65 of the hotel, the three towers meet again to share a panoramic restaurant offering spectacular views of Dubai Creek, Business Bay, Burj Dubai Downtown, and the Arabian Gulf beyond.

‘The advantage of conjoining the three towers in one design is to allow people to live a full day cycle between the offices, residences and the hotel,’ said Al Dabal.

Business Bay is Dubai Properties’ 80 million square feet master development, located along the extension of the Dubai Creek. It aims to provide world-class environment and infrastructure for global businesses, as well as a self-sustaining lifestyle for residents.