Sumit Singhal Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.
Medina Towers in Tangier, Morocco by Labscape Architecture + Lahon & Partners
THE INITIAL IDEA is based on 4 basic elements in the Moroccan landscape and typical of Moroccan culture.
Moucharabie= Hotel
The first tower, the hotel, takes as a reference point something unique in the Arabic world, the moucharabie. This device, which allows one to observe without being seen, is generally made from small pieces of turned wood assembled according to an often-complex geometrical plan, forming a closely woven grille. The Moucharabies of the Nasrides palaces are covered with decorations and stained glass, which lets soft light filter through, giving only minimal lighting to the rooms and protection from the sun. This system is completely replicated; the building rises in height through an entirely perforated concrete structure.
Program: Hotel (4+ stars), 300 Rooms, Convention center, Spa, Swimming Pools, Bars, Restaurants, Club, Casino, Parking, General Services, 200 Luxury Apartments from 2 to 5 bedrooms, Offices, Green Roofs, Commercial Center, Restaurants, Retails shop, Green areas
All the buildings rest on a horizontally “cut out” base, like the dry cracked ground. The rifts allow light to pass through and protect visitors from heat. The idea recreates a place similar to the traditional Medina, but in a contemporary and innovative version.
The 3 residential towers are positioned close together, creating a play of perspective from oblique lines, solids and voids. Like superimposed stones, each storey seems to lose its naturalness balance, forming asymmetrical apertures that horizontally delineate the frontage and open and close as required to provide the necessary protection from the sun.
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on Thursday, April 11th, 2013 at 5:26 am.
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