P+HS Architects’ yellow geometric commercial building was one of six designs short-listed for the international “36 The Calls” Design Competition. The competition, which is overseen by the Architects Journal with developer Citu, challenged participants to design “an inspirational landmark” building on the north bank of the River Aire in Leeds, England, in a narrow slot where a parking lot currently sits. Since this site is one of the very few waterfront properties left, it is imperative that the chosen design adhere to the competition’s requests for an iconic, creative and sustainable entity.
More about the short-listed design after the break.
Their design focused on four elements: the yellow skin, the glass box, the floor plates and the core. The bright yellow skin creates an instantly eye-catching aesthetic, “as the treatment acts as the superficial ‘iconic’ wrapping and contextualises the building with its form”, explained P+HS.
The jagged roof lines references the traditional roof lines of the surrounding buildings that line the waterfront, yet the color gives this new building an instant pop and a contemporary punch. The building meets the ground in an interesting way as the form seems to dip into the water – quite different from the surrounding buildings that rest upon grade. The connection is a stepped link that enables barges to moor up, creating a transport link, a summer garden or the start of a future walkway along the river.
On the interior, the glass box is a large flexible space meant to accommodate a variety of needs. It encloses the floor plates without detracting from the strong form of the skin. For the last element, the core physically ties the building together with the river. Pipes submerged in the water rise up through the building core and, using heat exchangers and pumps, provide a sustainable heating and cooling system.
The judges described the P+HS design as ‘eye-catching, iconic, innovative and ground breaking.’
As seen on Bustler.
