“ Obviously the structure is totally safe , but definitely there was some reluctance to be the first to try it . So we thought it was powerful that I was the first to try it — jumping into the pool in speedos in frozen water . That talks about the way we see life and architecture in my office !”
When the building is complete , the swimming pool will be located within an elevated forest that is being built as part of a leisure complex on the outskirts of the town of Murcia .
The forest , which will be enclosed by a latticework of pipes to help shade the plants , will stand on top of the three-story building that will contain a casino , as well as a nightclub and restaurants . The swimming pool will be part of a raised platform that is cantilevered on either side of two lift cores .
According to Rojo , the pool ’ s large overhang was a result of the client making the decision to add it to the project once construction had begun . “ Even though the pool was in the first sketches of the building , the client discarded it before we started the detailed design ,” he explained . “ They only decided to build it when the project was halfway of the construction process . That meant the structure was not ready to resist that new weight , so we came up with the idea of supporting it over the two more rigid existing elements , the stairs cores .
“ We strictly reinforced those foundations , not being able to touch the building in any other point . On the other side we clearly had to go through the façade to get views from the pool to the horizon . Once it was clear that it was going to be a very extreme structure , we just pushed it a little further , to the limit , producing this really fun experience for the users of swimming in a 20- meter cantilever , second in the world and probably the slimmest as far as we know .”
Rojo hopes that the building can bring excitement to the city of Murcia , which was heavily impacted by the financial crisis . “ Consider that Murcia , the city where Odiseo is being built , is as a small city , far from everywhere and extremely hit by the last crisis that devastated not only the economy but somehow the citizens ’ self-esteem ,” he said . “ Cities like this have heritage , great architecture since Roman times . The question is : What is the architecture we are building for the next generations ?”
OWNER : Resa Group SIZE : 138 feet long OPEN : March 2020 ARCHITECT : Clavel Arquitectos
Petals to the Metal
• Crown Sydney , Barangaroo , Sydney , Australia •
T he Sydney waterfront is iconic . From the elegant Sydney Opera House to the Sydney Harbour Bridge where the world welcomes every new year , Darling Harbour now has a new icon : Crown Sydney .
As befits a new building in such a storied area , Crown Sydney is an architectural gem . Inspired by nature , Crown Sydney seemingly curves 60 degrees as it rises more than 275 meters above the harbor . Its “ petals ” twist and turn , providing visitors and residents maximum views of the surrounding landscape .
Conceived by James Packer and Crown Resorts in 2012 , the arduous approval process included a concession that limited the gambling to a VIP casino aimed at Asian high rollers . The rest of the facility includes 350 hotel rooms , residences , shops and other uses . The top two floors encompass hotel suites , while hotel rooms and residences fill out the rest of the tower . Fourteen restaurants , shops and the casinos are located in the equally impressive podium .
According to the lead architect , Londonbased WilkinsonEyre , which won an international competition to design the building , the project was conceptual from the start .
“ Central to the design of the hotel is the idea that it should be a sculptural , curvilinear form , an inhabited artwork , which contrasts with the more orthogonal geometry of the tall buildings in the central business district .”
The Barangaroo project has a vertical core structure with a glass and metal skin that was designed using parametric 3D modelling and helical perimeter columns in concrete . The result is a stunning structure that stands out even among numerous other high-rises in Sydney .
With the small VIP casino , Crown Sydney was going to depend upon junket operators to fill the space with the whales who would make it a
More than half of the 22-hectare ( 54-acre ) building site is dedicated to open space , with the podium welcoming visitors to the casino , shops and restaurants
The vertical construction of the tower is then clad with a twisting and turning glass and steel sculpture
success . But troublesome regulatory concerns about money laundering and ineffective leadership caused Crown to back off that plan . The debut of the casino , set for December 2020 , may be delayed as the company scrambles to rework their business plan .
But the building remains a sculpture in the heart of the Barangaroo district . At the topping off , Crown Chairwoman Helen Coonan said it will be a new positive outlook for Sydney .
“ This building was designed to be a tribute to Sydney and a landmark recognized around the world ,” she said .
OWNER : Crown Resorts ARCHITECT : WilkinsonEyre Architects , Bates Smart , Robert Bird Group INVESTMENT : A $ 2.2 billion ( US $ 1.55 billion )
2020 CASINO STYLE 11