This week, Bjarke Ingles Group announced its latest project in Quito, Ecuador. Titled EPIQ, the mixed-use residential and commercial building will be a new "vertical city" in Quito's green neighborhood of Parque La Carolina. Driven by sustainable design priniples, BIG strives to incorporate a diverse collection of eco-friendly solutions within the development. From a greywater treatment plan to re-use rainwater, to recycled building materials and a climate-conscious structural design, BIG aims to utilize these initiatives to aid the city and its inhabitants.
The structure consists of two divided blocks merging to form a 24-story tower, with open green spaces found throughout the structure—a key feature. Rather than having a singular rooftop, BIG focused on various parts of the building to have its own exterior space. Said to encourage interaction and communal living, the structure is a series of shared spaces that compliments the city's rich green landscape. The open exteriors allow for "light and landscape to seep through the building, connecting La Carolina part to the surrounding city, rather than separating them."
In collaboration with Uribe & Schwarzkopf—the leading architectural planning, design, and construction company in the city—the building's facade incorporates the unique colors of historic Quito. According to BIG's founder and Creative Director, Bjarke Ingels, "as architects we are often a little afraid to play with color - in Quito we thought it would be interesting to use color to accentuate the different building blocks and give each volume its own shade of red." A hub for residential living and commerce, EPIQ aims to embrace a new sense of urbanism within the city of Quito.
3 Comments
If you look at this current crop of architecture du jour, it's all the same, really. Just dumb slabs spiced up with the logic of product design. Doesn't have the depth of great building and urbanism.
I guess you can blame OMA for breeding a shallow PR-driven process.
meh.
Poor use of bricks in tension (amateur mistake), as mere decoration. Pastiche. Unimpressed and overrated.
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