The new design for an existing storage center in Heidelberg, Germany attempts to take an existing boring cylindrical tower and turn it into a knowledge center, tourist attraction, and symbol of the transition towards renewables.
The Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) won a competition that sought a design for an energy park and accompanying energy storage tower. The tower will replace a gas storage tank with a water tank. Wind and solar energy harvested on site will heat the water, which will then be sold.
The new tower, which will be one of the tallest buildings in Heidelberg, is a multi-layered façade structure inspired by the geometries of nature. An inner shell colored in different shades of blue wraps around the building. Tilted elliptical rings are positioned around the cylinder and continue in the outer façade with “energy loops” that circle the structure all the way to the top. A cable network between the steel rings forms the outer façade layer.
Rendering courtesy of LAVA.
The building will receive its striking appearance courtesy of 11,000 diamond-shaped plates made of thin stainless steel. These plates are hooked with a connection system to a steel network that allows them to twist up to 45 degrees in the wind, which makes the building appear to move and fluctuate with the sun and wind.
Visitors to the new tower will enter through an elliptical entrance level where two elevators take them up to the roof, which comprises staggered terraces, event spaces, and a bistro. The roof can also be reached via a spiral staircase that travels around the outside of the tower.
Rendering courtesy of LAVA.
The building has recently broken ground and will rise 56 meters with a diameter of 26 meters. The accompanying energy park site will occupy 10,000 sm. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2019.
Rendering courtesy of LAVA.
Related Stories
Urban Planning | Jan 21, 2016
Anders Berensson Architects re-imagines Stockholm as a city of skywalks
The Swedish firm’s "Klarastaden" plan connects the city via clear skyways that weave in and around the city’s buildings.
Sustainability | Dec 23, 2015
Hospitality sustainability measurement tool will be an industry game-changer
The Hotel Sustainability Measurement Tool will allow hoteliers to compare energy and water use as well as their carbon footprint in a clear and concise platform.
Green | Jul 23, 2015
NASA: U.S. headed for worst droughts in a millennium
Data from NASA shows carbon emissions could be the driving force behind devastating water shortages and record droughts in the western U.S.
Green | Jul 7, 2015
Philips sheds new light on growing fresh food indoors
A research center in The Netherlands is testing the latest techniques in urban farming.
Green | Jun 24, 2015
6 steps toward better water management [AIA course]
When it comes to water conservation, Building Teams tend to concentrate on water-efficient plumbing fixtures, irrigation controls, graywater capture, and ways to recycle condensate from air-conditioning systems. Yet many of the best opportunities for saving water begin with big-picture thinking in a project’s earliest phases.
Green | Jun 19, 2015
3 steps toward sustainable landscape architecture
A water-conscious, sustainable landscape is easily achievable, and the options for native and drought tolerant plants far exceed cacti and succulents, writes LPA's Richard Bienvenu.
Green | May 5, 2015
Top three 2030 Challenge trends
The growth of IPD is among the key takeaways from the USGBC Region 7 Conference.
Wood | Apr 26, 2015
Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?
The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems.
Green | Apr 7, 2015
USGBC survey shows Fortune 200 companies prioritize green building
The world’s top-performing companies are prioritizing sustainability as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, and a majority of them are using LEED to achieve their goals, according to the new survey.
Green | Apr 1, 2015
Global wind power installations expected to slow through 2019
After a 20% falloff in 2013, the global wind power industry made a strong comeback in 2014, with a record 51.2 gigawatts installed. But a new report from Navigant Research forecasts a curtailment in growth.