STATUS
IDEA
CLIENT
Private Client
TYPOLOGY
Work, Residential, Hospitality
SIZE M2/FT2
38,000 / 409,028
SHARE
BIG was asked to design a mixed-use tower on the site of a former factory that had turned into an urban neighborhood. The brief consisted of retail on the street level, offices above and condos at the top. The task was to create a project with a rational and profitable footprint for all three uses and comply with the proportions of Prague’s famous skyline.
BIG’s design for the Walter Towers is a new kind of contemporary tower which unites history, functionality and the need for a new landmark. What appears as 4 different towers is one continuous building, sliced up and pulled apart to maximize the amount of surface and façade area to create attractive offices and residences.
EFFICIENT SLAB
— The site allowed for a square 80 m wide and 20 m deep slab.
OPEN SLAB
— To open the site to the adjacent subway, BIG twisted the slab open, leaving a slit for a bridge to pass through from station to street. The two halves were 800 m2 each, perfect for offices.
ROTATE SLAB
— The split slab was rotated to refit the site, at the same time optimizing the orientation of the apartment programs towards east and west, for better views and sunlight.
W TOWERS
— As a final manipulation, the slab was cut open with two incisions to create a perfect 400 m2 floorplan for corner apartments in the upper part of the building.
Bjarke Ingels Jan Magasanik Kamil Szoltysek Niels Lund Petersen
COLLABORATORS
Adams Kara Taylor
