Downtown One Tirana_ 티라나 다운타운 원…

알바니아의 지도를 픽셀로 형상화한 140m 높이의 복합타워

캔틸레버 형태로 돌출한 입면 패턴을 통해 수직 마을 공동체의 커뮤니티 기능을 높여줘

아드리아 해안에서 내륙 쪽으로 27㎞ 지점에 위치한 티라나는 알바니아의 수도로 정치·경제·문화의 중심지로 성장한 곳이다. MVRDV에 의해 계획된 다운타운 원은 타라나 중심가에 140m 높이의 이색적인 복합타워이다. 타워는 77,000㎡ 면적에 37층 규모로 내부에는 아파트와 오피스, 상점, 레스토랑, 주차장 등을 포함하고 있다.

건물 외관은 반듯한 직방형 매스에 중심층의 일부가 픽셀로 돌출된 재미있는 구성을 취한다. 알바니아 도시의 지도를 추상적인 아이콘으로 픽셀화하여 캔틸레버형 릴리프 패턴으로 입면에 적용한 것이다. 적당히 돌출되거나 들어간 다이내믹한 픽셀의 조합은 주변 도시 풍경을 조망할 수 있는 다채로운 테라스와 발코니를 제공하고 이웃과의 꽤나 넉넉하고 즐거운 소통을 이어준다.

MVRDV의 공동 설립자인 위니 마스는 “타워는 수직적 마을 공동체의 커뮤니티를 높여주기 위한 주거시설로 알바니아 지도를 형상화한 외관은 도시의 상징성을 드러내고 있다”고 설명한다.

다운타운 원타워는 바이람 쿠리 대로와 맞다 있지만 평행을 이루지 않아 입체적인 볼륨감을 자아낸다. 주요 외관은 스칸데르베그광장을 향해 회전하고 있고 입주자의 조망권을 풍부하게 넓혀주고 있다. 타워 내부는 그라운드층은 상업시설과 주차장이, 저층부는 사무실 공간, 상부층은 주거 공간이 자리한다. 타워 구조는 지진이 빈번한 지역의 특성을 고려해 현지 건축가와 엔지니어와 함께 BIM 설계를 협력해 진행한다.

유럽에서 가장 가난한 나라 중의 하나였던 알바니아는 1992년 민주국가로 탈바꿈했으며, 이제 풍부한 광물자원을 바탕으로 경제 개선을 위해 노력하고 있다. 이러한 흐름에 맞추어 개발하는 다운타운 원은 알바니아 도시 잠재력과 발전 가능성을 표상하는 상징적인 타워인 것만은 분명하다.

 장현아 기자

Winy Maas Principal in charge

Stefan de Koning Director, 자료_ MVRDV

MVRDV has begun construction on Downtown One, a 140-metre tall mixed-use skyscraper in Tirana that will become Albania’s tallest building. The most striking element of the 37-storey tower is its relief of cantilevered houses and offices, which form a pixelated ‘map’ of Albania, each representing a town or city, turning this building into an icon in the heart of Tirana, Albania. Completion of the building, which was designed for developer Kastrati Construction, is expected in 2024. Downtown One is envisioned as an expression celebrating the progress of Albania, located in central Tirana on the Bajram Curri Boulevard, to the south of the Lana River. On its principle facades, the 140-metre rectilinear tower features a series of cantilevered houses and offices, forming a relief pattern on the building’s surface. Every house or office represents a village or town, so that when viewed from a distance, these cantilevers form an abstracted map of Albania. The importance of the cantilevers is not only iconographic; for occupants of the building, the projecting bay windows offer spectacular panoramic views of the city and the mountains, while the terraces created enable communication and connection between residents to give the feeling of a vertical village.

Residents will also be able to identify their home by reference to the geography of the Albania: somebody will live in the ‘Tirana pixel’, somebody else in the ‘Durrës pixel’, and so on. “Albania has come a long way. Ten years ago it was the poorest country in Europe. Now it is a country with energy and ambition, working towards great economic improvements. We want to express this with our building,” says Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV. “The tower brings the feeling of a vertical village to the busy city centre, individual housing where communication with the neighbours is encouraged. Maybe it could even be seen as a vertical country! Every house or office adopts a town or city, together forming this map of Albania. The building will be visible from the nearby Skanderbeg square at the heart of the city. It forms part of the ensemble of towers that surround the square, the epicentre of the country.” With a floor area of 77,000 square metres, Downtown One will give the centre of Tirana an important boost through the mix of apartments, shops, offices, and restaurants. The 37-storey tower does not sit parallel to Bajram Curri Boulevard, but is rotated on its plot so that its principal facade faces toward Skanderbeg Square. At its base is a park with local vegetation and an educational playground, while the inside of the building is divided into several layers: above the ground floor commercial spaces and underground parking, the lower half of the tower is devoted to office space, while apartments occupy the top 18 floors. MVRDV believes Albania is a region with tremendous potential for progressive development. The tower is just a short distance from another project by MVRDV which will transform the face of Albania’s capital city: the Pyramid of Tirana. In both projects, the Rotterdam office seeks local architects and engineers as partners, and works with them according to the latest BIM guidelines. As the area is earthquake-prone, work is carried out according to the strictest European building standards and quality. MVRDV designed Downtown One on behalf of Kastrati Construction, a company of Kastrati Group. Arup is the supervisor for structure and MEP, with Albanian firms Elteknik as MEP engineers and LEAL as structural engineers.

Design: MVRDV, Principal-in-charge: Winy Maas, Director: Stefan de Koning Design Team: Sanne van der Burgh, Ronald Hoogeveen, Guido Boeters, Boris Tikvarski, Thomas Boerendonk, Stavros Gargaretas, Akshey Krishna Venkatesh, Katarzyna Nowak, Manuel Magnaguagno, Angel Sanchez Navarro, Christy Li Yu Wai, Johannes Pilz, Christine Sohar and Sanne van Manen Studio DEA: Partners in charge: Ervin Taçi, Alket Meslani, Klodiana Emiri, Team Leader: Genti Shtembari, BIM Expert: Ubaldo Soligno, Lorela Bregu, Henri Bardhi, Sonila Siço, Edona Çausholli Visualization: Antonio Luca Coco, Davide Calabro and Pavlos Ventouris Copyright: MVRDV 2018 – Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries, Partners Client: Kastrati Construction Investor: Kastrati Group Structure: LEAL & Arup MEP: Arup, Elteknik

Location: Tirana, Albania, Client: Kastrati Construction, Program: 77,000㎡ mixed-use tower to include apartments, offices, a commercial plinth and underground parking