A new Foster + Partners-designed office building in Belval, Luxembourg has broken ground.
Dubbed ICÔNE, the 202,000-sf office complex has an interior reminiscent of an Escher painting, filled with light and greenery. The flexible layout encourages collaboration and addresses the need for safe working environments and the changes to the workplace that will emerge in the future.
“The project is designed to have open, flexible workspaces that respond to the emerging models of work today,” said Darron Haycock, Partner, Foster + Partners, in a release. “The atrium is a green light-filled space that is very much the social heart of the project, providing visual connectivity and a dynamic atmosphere for both work and play. Biophilia, the green landscaping, natural ventilation and visual connectivity all promoting collaboration and healthy wellbeing.”
The building was also designed to reference the industrial heritage of Belval and revitalize the area by making a positive contribution to the site and its surroundings. It is wrapped by an orthogonal facade and roof that emphasize the structural grid and give the building a unified industrial look. The façade is both structural and environmentally responsive, providing an integrated solution which allows for internal column-free office spaces as well as solar shading and maximized internal daylight.
The scheme releases to its neighboring buildings and addresses the different characteristics of the principal axes to the east and west. Entrances are articulated differently in response to the urban street and civic plaza while the building edge along Porte de France contains shops. Cafes and restaurants on the ground floor complement Place de l'Académie.
ICÔNE is arranged as two wings enclosing the central atrium. The atrium resolves the level changes between the street and the plaza though a series of stepped terraces that create an arrival sequence. The open circulation features communal terraces for informal meetings and break out spaces at higher levels overlooking the central volume. Glimpses of interior green spaces can be see-through a series of punched volumes that intersect the gridded structure.
The design, created in collaboration with Beiler Francois Fritsch, aims for a BREEAM Excellent rating and will be WELL Building Standard® certified.
Related Stories
| Dec 27, 2014
'Core-first' construction technique cuts costs, saves time on NYC high-rise project
When Plaza Construction first introduced the concept of "core first" in managing the construction of a major office building, the procedure of pouring concrete prior to erecting a steel frame had never been done in New York City.
| Dec 19, 2014
Zaha Hadid unveils dune-shaped HQ for Emirati environmental management company
Zaha Hadid Architects released designs for the new headquarters of Emirati environmental management company Bee’ah, revealing a structure that references the shape and motion of a sand dune.
| Dec 18, 2014
In response to ultra-open and uber-collaborative office environments
Susan Cain’s bestselling 2012 book, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking" has made an impact on how we understand our current workforce, recognizing that at least one-third of the people we work with are introverts, writes SRG Partnership's Susan Gust.
| Dec 12, 2014
COBE's striking 'concrete finned' scheme wins competition for Adidas' flagship building in Germany
Danish firm COBE has been announced the winner in a contest to design a new Adidas flagship building in Herzogenaurach, Germany. It beat out 29 other teams, including REX and Zaha Hadid.
| Dec 10, 2014
International Olympic Committee releases first images of new HQ in Switzerland
Designed by 3XN, the new headquarters is located within a park on the shores of Lake Geneva and adjacent to historic Château de Vidy, which has been the iconic home of the IOC.
| Dec 6, 2014
Future workplace designs shouldn’t need to favor one generation over another, says CBRE report
A new CBRE survey finds that what Millennials expect and need from offices doesn’t vary drastically from tenured employees.
| Dec 2, 2014
Nonresidential construction spending rebounds in October
This month's increase in nonresidential construction spending is far more consistent with the anecdotal information floating around the industry, says ABC's Chief Economist Anirban Basu.
| Nov 29, 2014
20 tallest towers that were never completed
Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The CTBUH Research team offers a roundup of the top 20 stalled skyscrapers across the globe.
| Nov 26, 2014
U.S. Steel decides to stay in Pittsburgh, plans new HQ near Penguins arena
The giant steelmaker has agreed to move into a new headquarters that is slated to be part of a major redevelopment.
| Nov 25, 2014
Behnisch Architekten unveils design for energy-positive building in Boston
The multi-use building for Artists For Humanity that is slated to be the largest energy positive commercial building in New England.