In 2013, Quito, Ecuador’s capital, opened its new airport, which had been relocated from the metro’s center to an agricultural site 12 miles northeast of the city. Since then, Quito’s skyline, which before that move had been a dense array of mostly low-rise buildings, has been reshaped by new, vertical structures that include the 24-story tower QORNER, designed as a “hillside of terraces” by Sadfie Architects and opened in 2020; and the 24-story mixed-use EPIQ Residences, designed in the shape of a quarter circle by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), and scheduled to open in 2023.
Uribe Schwarzkopf was the developer on both projects. That firm also hired BIG in 2017 to design IQON, a 390,000-sf mixed use building with 215 apartments, commercial units, office space, and various amenities. IQON, BIG’s first project in South America, rises 427 feet, which will make it Quito’s tallest building when it opens next year.
These towers “represent the ongoing transformation of Quito into a cornerstone of architecture, design, and innovation,” states Tommy Schwarzkopf, Uribe Schwarzkopf’s co-founder.
IQON is positioned as an extension to the 165.5-acre La Carolina Park. The building features a notable curved corner, wrapped by terraces that continue around the building’s perimeter with views of the park, city, and the Pichincha volcano.
![The 427-ft-tall IQON will be in sharp contrast to Quito's mostly low-rise skyline. Image credit: Pablo Casals Aguirre](/sites/default/files/inline-images/_DJI_0005%20copia%202_2288px.jpg)
Individual “pixels” are stacked 32 floors high and rotated to provide the best possible views while simultaneously creating terraces for the apartments. “Each apartment floor features through-units—apartments that have terraces on both the north and south facades—which not only allow for views across the entire city, but also offer the opportunity for cross ventilation and a sense of openness,” explains Thomas Christoffersen, a Partner at BIG.
Bjarke Ingels Group's high-rise design highlights Ecuador’s biodiversity
The building integrates greenery wherever possible to take advantage of Ecuador’s temperate climate and ecology. (The country reputably has the most plant species per square meter in the world.) Quito’s biophilia is carried from the public spaces below into the private domain of each home via the sculptural planters that are integrated into the architecture of the building. The planters become a unique concrete sculpture inside the apartments, while transforming the façade of the building into an exclamation of the city’s verdant biodiversity.
![Trees planted in terraces at IQON](/sites/default/files/inline-images/_0X3A2122%20copia%202.jpg)
Once the vegetation planted on the terraces outgrows the planter, it can be replanted in parks all over the city.
The building’s ground floor plaza includes public spaces, retail units, and public art. It also provides a pathway that connects the park to the rest of the neighborhood. Upon entering the lobby, the material palette transitions from the raw, pared-back exterior to a more refined aesthetic: marble stone pavers complement the custom millwork reception desk, and concrete touch points nod to the façade. Deep emerald-green tones are utilized on the ceiling tiles, mailboxes, and through to the elevator lobby, located beyond a blackened-steel portal.
Other amenities include an integrated lap pool and terraces at the top of the building, a gym and squash court, a spa, a bowling alley, entertainment rooms, and a business center. IQON is the first mixed-use building in Quito to have a preliminary EDGE certification, granted by GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.) and IFC (International Finance Corporation).
Joining BIG and Uribe Schwarzkopf on IQON’s building team were the structural engineers Rene Lagos Engineers and Fernando Romo, the wind consultant CCP Wind Tunnel, the civil consultant Geo Estudios, mechanical consultant Trialmech, plumbing consultant Incoayam, and electrical consultant Consel.
Related Stories
Smart Buildings | May 28, 2015
4 ways cold-climate cities can make the most of their waterfronts
Though cold-climate cities pose a unique challenge for waterfront development, with effective planning waterfront cities with freezing winter months can still take advantage of the spaces year-round.
Sponsored | Coatings | May 14, 2015
Prismatic coatings accent the new Altara Center
This multi-use campus will contain a university, sports facilities, medical center, and world-class shopping
Mixed-Use | May 10, 2015
Construction on Orlando’s massive ‘innovation hub’ is finally starting
The $1 billion Creative Village development will create a business and education hub.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center
Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.
Building Owners | May 6, 2015
Hackathons and RFCs: Why one developer killed the RFP
In lieu of an RFP process, Skanska Commercial Development hosted a three-week "hackathon" to find an architect for its 2&U tower in Seattle.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 30, 2015
Atlanta Braves partner with Omni Hotels & Resorts to build hotel near new Suntrust Park
The Omni Atlanta Northwest Hotel will feature 16 floors with 260 guest rooms and suites, rooftop hospitality suites, 12,500 sf of meeting space, a signature restaurant, and an elevated pool deck and bar overlooking the plaza and ballpark.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 29, 2015
OMA unveils design for the Netherlands' largest hotel
Once completed, and if approved, the structure will add three stacked cubes to the Amsterdam skyline.
High-rise Construction | Apr 23, 2015
Size matters in NYC, where several projects vie for the city’s tallest building honor
The latest renderings of 217 West 57th Street show a tower that would rise higher than the World Trade Center’s pinnacle, when elevations are included.
High-rise Construction | Apr 22, 2015
Architects propose sustainable ‘vertical city’ in the Sahara
Designers aim to make the 1,476-foot tower sustainable, relying on rainwater collection, solar power, and geothermal energy.