10 February 2010

New Skin for Sixties Sydney

A sustainable shell is set to transform Sydney towers.

It seems that the Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) are all over Sydney this week, developing a gleaming and innovative ‘eco-skin’ for the city's 1960s 'icons'.

Aimed at transforming the UTS Tower, Goulburn Street Car Park and other Sydney sites into sustainable, cost-effective buildings – the project ‘Tower skin’ is a cocoon that acts as a microclimate, wrapped with three-dimensional lightweight, and high performance composite mesh textile.

The skin produces energy with photovoltaic cells, collects rain water, improves day lighting and uses convective energy to meet the tower’s ventilation requirements.

"The speculative project, ‘Tower Skin’, offers a unique opportunity to transform the identity, sustainability and interior comfort of the once state-of-the-art building,” said Chris Bosse, Australian Director of LAVA.

The project not only proposes a more sustainable change but also a new sculptural and shining look for Sydney’s skyline.

At night, the 'Tower Skin' transforms into a sculptural site with a media surface that displays communication information in real time.

Visual impact is achieved thanks to the tension of the membrane’s surface that stretches around all walls and roofs elements, giving Sydney’s ageing icons a new lease of life.

LAVA
l-a-v-a.net

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