sou fujimoto master plan with outlook tower

sou fujimoto master plan with outlook tower

sou fujimoto‘s outlook tower and water plaza are part of a confidential master plan project that includes souk mirage, a monumental, modular system of arches, which designboom has recently covered here. reinterpreting the inherent beauty of vernacular islamic architecture, the shapes of the buildings are referring to harmonious silhouettes of bedouin tents. from afar the volumes are perceived as a gateway connecting the corniche sea with the mainland while having an overall mirage-like appearance.

sou fujimoto master plan with outlook tower – view towards avenue

different sizes of arch modules (3, 6 and 12 meters) are stacked one on top of another. this simple system organizes the entire site, providing unity and coherence, as well as a unique and timeless architecture expression.

elevation

by incorporating multiple waterfalls, instead of one large, different mountains of water are created feeding the avenue. the total footprint is 44.000 square meters.

observatory floor

wind tower

strong winds from the north can be blocked by the building. a vertical funnel helps the descending air into the space below. the circulation of air provides a cooling breeze. south facing facades bring indirect natural light into indoor spaces avoiding overheating. solar panels are installed on the roof. a geothermal heatpump loop system provides cooling in hot weather.

water dock

once again, the architect has questioned the relationship between nature and artificiality. what is architecture to the living environment surrounding us? in spite of accusations about its integrity and impracticality; fujimoto has been bold enough to challenge the stereotyped building theory. ‘if we go back to the origins, houses and cities must have been indistinguishable, just as houses and forests must have been indistinguishable. if that is the case, I think it is possible to create a place that is simultaneously a house, a city and a forest,’ sou fujimoto. ‘I believe the architecture of the future lay within some being akin to a forest. within a forest, from leaves and insects and the seeds it carries, to the grand scale of the tree trunks, myriad of truly diverse matters interrelate and coexist. it is this diversity that I am strongly attracted to. richness born from space between order and chaos. thus if architecture akin to a forest can be created, it will be a place of complexity, rich in diversity far beyond preexisting architecture and cities of today. and its inhabitants will organically be a part of this diversity.‘