Designing a building to be sympathetic to its surroundings can be tricky, especially when the building is to be on the edge of a national park. Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) 79 & Park uses greenery and a clever, pixelated design to blend into the area.
In simple terms, the green, stepped design of 79 & Park is reminiscent of BIG's design for Two Worlds Trade Center. Those elements, however, are used to a much larger extent and with different motivation.
Developed by Oscar Properties, the building will be located on the edge of the Gärdet national park, in Stockholm, Sweden. Its undulating glass and cedar wood design forms a boundary between the national park and the adjacent residential neighborhood, providing high-quality accommodation, while being sensitive to the natural surroundings.
In total, the building will cover 20,000 sq m (215,300 sq ft) and have 168 apartments, ranging in size from 134 sq m (1,442 sq ft) and 37 sq m (398 sq ft). Each apartment has 1-6 rooms, an open-plan kitchen and living area and a terrace. Most will have 180-degree views of the park.
The outdoor environment at 79 & Park is formed of multiple vertical "pixels" topped with foliage, each of which rises to a different height. The different green levels will be planted with a variety of native Scandinavian trees, bushes, climbers and flowers, with this vegetation designed to change color as the seasons change.
The pixels are lowest at the south-west corner of the building, which extends farthest into Gärdet., and rise up as they radiate from this point. The north-west and south-east corners, either side of the south-west corner, rise to the height of their neighboring buildings, giving a sense of uniformity.
Finally, the north-east corner, which would otherwise have the worst view of the park, is designed to be the building's highest point. This not only allows it to retain views of the park, but arguably makes them the best views from the building.
The unusual design will help to maximize the amount of natural light that enters the apartments. The lowest point of the building, meanwhile, is earmarked as a public viewing platform that provides 270-degree views of the park, while the ground floor will house commercial spaces.
The 79 & Park project began late last year and the first occupants are expected toward the end of 2017.
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