Arch2O.com

Arch2O.com - Architecture & Design Magazine
This small tower ‘ Mixed use Strasbourg Building ‘  has been built in the historic Krutenau district in Strasbourg. The city has a number of ?hollow teeth? ? vacant plots that are too small to be of interest to promoters. In exchange for an attractive price, the consultation called for the production of an exemplary building guaranteeing the achievement of high energy performances, the use of bio-sourced materials, and a mixed-purpose project.
Courtesy of Dominique Coulon & associ̩s РPhotographs : Eugeni Pons, David Romero-Uzeda
On a plot measuring just 120 square metres, we proposed a programme of offices and accommodation, with a kitchen garden and an organic swimming pool on the topmost terrace. Courtesy of Dominique Coulon & associ̩s РDiagrams
The skin is in scorched wood (larch), a technique often utilised in Japan that makes the material long-lasting by scorching its outer surface. The facade masks the interconnection of the programmes. The openings in the walls appear to be random, not corresponding to any functional requirements, and their different sizes make it difficult to distinguish the different levels of the building. This is contained freedom. Towards the top, a volume of rough concrete pivots through 10°, appearing to detach itself from the black mass of the wood base and producing a dynamic corner. The orange and silver-coloured projecting blinds add a touch ...