DESIGN COMPETITION
The reconstruction of the external facade has been inspired by the boat traffic in and out from the port of Piraeus. Europe’s largest passenger port is never asleep: Day and night hundreds of boats, different routes different destinations. Boats arriving and departing constantly, leaving behind a trail of intersecting lines that shape the waters of the Saronic Gulf. Almost like a web, this notional trail map is wrapped around the tower which is now becoming its new face, creating a new point of reference for the port, a new landmark. The new reconstructed facade of the tower becomes the new facade of the port of Piraeus.
The tower is separated into three main elements: the base, the main body of the tower and the roof top. The base of the tower (floors 0-3) will house commercial space, retail and cafe units. New openings through the slabs will create a 3 storey high void providing a dynamic atrium space allowing views to the top of the tower from inside. The terrace on the third floor will consists of some outside cafeteria space with lots of greenery and bamboo gardens.
The main body of the tower will house office space (floors 4-21). The woven metal facade that wraps around the building externally will provide solar shading without blocking the views from inside the tower. DuPont’s SentryGlas frameless triple glazed curtain walling system is used for the glazing and a titanium zinc cladding system for the solid skin of the tower. At the rear of the tower a new fire protected stairwell provides fire escape from all inhabited floors. Together with the stairwell, a new vertical ventilator will naturally ventilate the building using the stack effect reducing the use of energy for mechanical ventilation. The top floors of the tower (floors 21-22) will house restaurants and a cocktail bar enjoying panoramic views of the port. M+E plant rooms and am external roof garden is proposed for the top floor. The head of the fire protected staircase together with the ventilator will join together at the top forming together a new ‘spine’ at the top of the tower possibly at 105m high making the Tower of Piraeus the highest building in Greece.
PV cells are installed in various locations around the building and on the building fabric providing the energy required for the external lighting of the building. Strip LED lights will recreate the intersecting line effect of the facade during the night.
PETROS TSOUKALAS ARCHITECT 