“Aarhus: Vertical structure in the city” approaches the aspects of high-rise and verticality in the European city context. Focus is on exploring of the innovative construction solutions by means of design concept for a tall building located in the Aarhus harbour front.
Due to the extensiveness of the vertical phenomenon, first phase of the project aimed to investigate crucial aspects of tall buildings – relation towards city and human context, and further effects which such structures could cause in means of landscape, infrastructure, perception, etc.
Contexts
Site
A cross-investigation was performed to reconstruct the evolution of vertical structures, in terms of their morphology, typology and symbolic values, but also on perception and social issues. The project focuses on emphasizing the current Aarhus landmark, but also on the realization of new and diverse functional schemes. The harbour shall serve as the welcoming spot for tourists, ships and the centre of business. It is not just a matter of city skyline, but a question of developing a new vibrant quarter.
Site urban interconnection
The shoreline edge is the very first point of connection of trade, tourist ships and ferries with the city and thus the very first point of visitor perception. The new vertical structure creates an active and well-working mixture of vertical urban spaces with sky gardens, gallery, sport platforms, functional office spaces and restaurants. The overall building organization aims to let users experience verticality and nature combined.
Floor plans
Sections
Grid application
Structural system – Skeleton + envelope principle
Skeleton + envelope principle combines a traditional skeleton system with the unique characteristic of a tensile structure covering.
Façade system
The use of a tensile covering membrane creates extra spaces around the building volume. Such spaces are used for terraces and green gardens. The tensile membrane also recalls the organic nature of the building skin, and proposes a new vertical for this kind of structural typology.
Morphogenetic input
The idea considers designing a vertical structure that expands from the harbour land, and spreads its ground floor to highest possible extent – the aim is to provide pleasant and weather protected public spaces for citizens and visitors. Ground floor spaces are naturally connected to gardens on one side of the structure, and waterfront with promenade on the other. The gardens grow vertically, together with the vertical structure.
Vertical structure as feature of eVolo 2012
Nastja Dzavik 
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