studio symbosis' aerodynamic + multidirectional air purification tower emerges in new delhi

‘verto’ by studio symbiosis can clean 600,000 cu m of air per day 

Completed by Studio Symbiosis, VERTO is a 360-degree multidirectional air purification tower that can clean 600,000 cubic meters of air per day. The first prototype was inaugurated on the 26th of August 2022 in rotates as it rises and transforms the environment in Sunder Nursery Park, New Delhi, by Dr. Philip Ackermann (German Ambassador to India & Bhutan). Derived from the word ‘turn’, VERTO rises from the ground as a rotating tower, transforming its environment by cleaning polluted air. To do so, the system is equipped with energy-efficient fans that suck in the ambient air. The air is then filtered using filters to remove fine dust particles (PM2.5, PM10).

all images and header video © Avesh Gaur

an aerodynamic + rotating tower for maximum performance 

Studio Symbiosis (see more here) designed VERTO using the principles of aerodynamics to create a form with a maximum surface area and increased wind speed for a robust and efficient performance. ‘Simulation studies were conducted to attain minimum resistance and maximum surface area to achieve this optimum design. An elliptical geometry was designed as the starting point, giving us the minimum resistance. We further developed the form by twisting the form to channel the wind along the tower’s surface in the Z direction, exponentially increasing the surface area. The rotation geometry was further developed using CFD analysis to ensure that clean air is not mixed with unfiltered air being sucked at various levels. A part of the CFD analysis was to ensure a 360-degree purification zone and maximum clean air output,’ writes the team. 

the first VERTO prototype inaugurated in Sunder Nursery Park

Beyond the form, Studio Symbiosis endowed VERTO with a triangulated component to ensure ease of execution. Each component is tapered in to create a compression of wind and thereby increase the air being pushed in. This perforation pattern is designed as a performance-driven system with bigger openings at inlet and outlet areas, accentuating the tower’s stark helical move. Based on the plug-and-play design, VERTO can be shipped in a flat pack state and assembled on-site easily, thanks to its modular architecture of GRC panels.

Lastly, the air purification tower has a control system that enables filter columns to be adjusted according to demand and thus react to current air quality. External sensors, meanwhile, record air and weather data, which are collected and evaluated in a cloud. ‘This technology has been available since 2018 and has been successfully implemented by German governmental institutions to tackle pollution levels on some of the most polluted traffic segments in rural areas to maintain the strict EU pollution levels,’ comments the team. 

an aerodynamic form

close up shot of the tessellated pattern

the tower can clean 600,000 cubic meters of air per day

VERTO’s sculptural shape enlivened at night

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project info:

name: VERTO multi directional air purification tower 

location: Sunder Nursery Park, New Delhi, India 

architecture: Studio Symbiosis | @studiosymbiosisofficial 

design lead: Britta Knobel Gupta, Amit Gupta

project lead: Gaurav Lamba, Anjan Mondal

team: Dewesh Agrawal, Kartik Misra, Nitish Talmale, Sonal Dongre Jain, Gagandeep Singh Virdi, Chinmay Chowdhary, Jitendra Farkade, Keshav Sapra, Pallav Chaudhary

filtration: Mann+Hummel

contractor: VARE – Varunodya Prefab LLP

structural consultant: Acecon

photography + movie: Avesh Gaur | @avesh.gaur