TEH - Teheran, Geschäftshaus - Wettbewerb für United Colors of Benetton
Like a silk worm, the building and it´s various functions are wrapped and bound together in a fabric facade:- an urban cocoon. The design of the shape and construction of the building behind the silk-screen was inspired by traditional persian building techniques, patterns and themes.
The commercial section of the building have been directly influenced by the theme of the persian market:- a bazaar. A new interpretation of a traditional structure, a composition of ancient oriental arches and modern construction techniques provide a covered shopping mall situation, inviting users to walk around, browse and enter the three shops.
The office floors above unwind and open up to a spacious internal courtyard providing roof gardens with lush green areas for circulation and meeting on every floor, filling the heart of the building with life and energy:- an oasis.
The generous residential “tents“ form the crown of the building, formally completing the three sections as a whole concept. The spacious appartments are oriented to the oasis with pitched roofs taken from the shape of the dwellings of itinerant persian settlers:- a nomad settlement. These nomad dwellings paraphrase the concept and ideals of Benetton as a strong, successful entity spreading it´s roots around the world.
The cocoon envelopes the three formally and functionally contrasting segments of the building with it´s textile web and brings them together as a single idea: a persian world of Benetton the heart of Teheran.
The floor plans reflect these three “worlds“ even further. The inner core of the commercial floors provide circulation and a social area for shoppers to move between the ground and first floor, use facilities and rest between purchases.
This social area morphs seemlessly into business lounges and meeting/communication spaces for the office floors, opening up around a growing internal courtyard which can always be directly accessed from the circulation zones. The flexible office plans wrap around and face this internal courtyard yet still take advantage of light and city views from the buildings exterior facade. This layout provides complete flexibility to divide the spaces into endless types of office layout from private single offices and double rooms to group and team offices or open-plan spaces and large meeting rooms.
The inner courtyard then turns into an open semi-public area with a cafe for residents of the appartments to use. The appartments take a new twist on a classic split-level open floor plan, and each is provided with a private covered garden on the upper level and slanting crystaline glazed roof.
A fabric facade was chosen not only for it´s aesthetic qualities which bring unity to the three parts of the building, but for it´s versatility to be able to adapt to three functions with very different requirements:
Combined with stainless steel archs, the fabric covering provides double height openings in the two commercial floors, exposing the inviting floor to ceiling shop windows and providing access to the underground carpark and separate enterances to the upper floors.
The office spaces take adantage of a completely adjustable fabric facade system; the fabric blinds are set just in front of a simple glass skin with regular openings allowing users to completely control heat, light and ventilation naturally in every office.
To provide privacy in the apartments, the fabric is drawn over solid concrete walls. These are complimented by a glazed roof and inner facade supplying views into the oasis and private spaces within the building.
