London-based Robin Monotti Architects shared with us “White Cube for London”, their entry for the Living Architecture and Artangel “A Room for London” Competition, for a roof-top hospitality structure to be built in the year of the 2012 London Olympics. More images and architect’s description after the break.
The white cube straddles the edge of the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the South Bank Centre. It is positioned for the interior to have both a wide over the Thames and Westminster and towards sunset. Due to the slight overhang, passersby will see the white cube as a roof-top feature from the terraces below.
DAY: THE WHITE CUBE The white cube straddles the edge of the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. It is positioned for the interior to have both a wide view over the river and towards sunset. Due to the slight overhang, passersby will see the white cube as a roof-top feature from the terraces below.
NIGHT: THE CUBE GLOWING ON AND OFF When the occupants switch on the light at night, white LED lights behind the recycled glass cladding light up the whole cube. When the occupants switch off the light before going to bed at night, the LED lights also switch off and the cube blends back into the darkness of the roof and the night sky.
INSIDE THE CUBE The interior of the cube is seven metres long, seven metres wide and seven metres high. A large picture window positioned centrally within the room reveals the view towards Hungerford Bridge and Westminster. A smaller window adjacent to a seating area looks to the South towards the Royal Fesval Hall and the Millennium Wheel beyond.
A SQUARE OCULUS A two metre square opening in the middle of the double height ceiling allows a constant view of the changing sky from the reclining posion on the mattress of the four poster cube bed directly below.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: SUSTAINABILITY AND CARBON FOOTPRINT The Structure of the Cube will be constructed in Timber Timber construction is lightweight yet heavy enough to resist uplift. Across its product lifecycle timber has the lowest energy consumption of any building material. Timber structures are carbon negative. Timber acts as a carbon sink. A solid timber Carbon Home contains 30-40m3 of timber, equivalent to approximately 32 tonnes of CO2. Recycling timber products into energy releases more stored energy than was used in the products production.
Cladding in Recycled Glass Glass can be recycled indefinitely as part of a simple but hugely beneficial process, as its structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed.
Cladding Lighting in white LED Lights LEDs are an extremely efficient form of lighting. They produce far more light per watt than do incandescent bulbs – this is useful for energy conservation. LEDs also have an extremely long life span.
Cavity in timber construction filled with Sheep Wool Insulation Wool itself absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. During its lifetime, the average sheep absorbs more than 30kg of CO2 in its wool. In the UK, about 70m kg of CO2 is absorbed in the wool of the country’s sheep flock every year.
Walkway in British Recycled Products Recycled Plastic Decking The decking is made of 100% high quality recycled mixed waste plastics from post Industrial and consumer use, and where necessary selected process additives.
A Cube for London Project Team: Robin Monotti Graziadei & Fannar Valur Haraldsson
