A pair of landmark projects in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito is now complete, representing firsts for both BIG and Safdie Architects, respectively.

QORNER, the 24-story Safdie-designed tower, is the firm’s first residential project on the continent and serves as an extension of its founder’s indoor-outdoor vision with garden terrace-lined residential offerings from the micro-apartment to the penthouse level.

Its northern facade features a living green wall that defines a vertical core, while the staggering of its eastern and western facades creates a “hillside” form resembling a “cliff face” with room for double-height corner terraces with views of neighboring La Carolina Park. 

Finally, a tree-lined infinity pool is placed on the rooftop level in a nod to their iconic Marina Bay Sands design from just over a decade ago.

It is joined on the same block by BIG’s premier South American contribution IQON. The 32-story mixed-use tower now stands as the city’s highest structure and includes some 220 residences, 36 separate office spaces, and 5 commercial units. 

The tower’s facade is defined by a cascading series of concrete boxes that also come lined with a selection of native plants and connect the vertical plane to the park and a vegetable garden at street level.

Amenities such as a rooftop pool, gym, squash court, bowling alley, and spa are also included. Apartments in the tower will start at $123,892 USD for one-bedrooms. Safdie's offerings are slightly more affordable, with $87,000 starting prices comparatively.

Both will take their place in Quito's vertically-growing skyline and were designed for local developer Uribe Schwarzkopf. In a press statement, the company’s co-founder Tommy Schwarzkopf said: “IQON and QORNER represent the ongoing transformation of Quito into a cornerstone of architecture, design, and innovation.” 

“Not only do the new buildings contribute to the skyline of the city, but they celebrate our partnerships with the most exciting, internationally renowned architects in the world,” Schwarzkopf added. “As the first residents move in and businesses begin to take space in the building, we are looking forward to seeing each building come to life and become part of the fabric of the city.”