SUNCATHER

CONTEXT
Manhattan. The site is connected closely with Highline, it is situated in Western Chelsea in the intersection of 10 and 18 avenues. Footprint of the building occupies 1160 square meters. Condominium represents a portal between business city and park zone of Highline. Foster spaces guides pedestrians to otherworld park zone, otherway they open view to Manhattan from the side of Highline. It is very important to keep up a green value of Chelsea and provide communication of city life and park, business and leisure.

PLANNING
Two towers are placed on one pad and they are linked with each other on the 7th and the 11th levels through public spaces. Underground parking occupies 3 levels. The first and the second levels are mixed public and commercial. Southern Tower is occupied by vertical farm, its service and administrative clusters. The farm is linked with the southern wall and it covers the roof. Northern tower is residential,it has public spaces on the upper level . A pathway between towers is used like a transit zone between private, social and business life. It connects Street and Highline forming colossal portal. Public zones are also spreading to balconies of 7 and 11 levels. Visually condominium is connected with Chelsea district and waterfront of Hudson river. People spending their leisure time in recreational or sport zones on the roof can also enjoy a beautiful view of the city as well as landscape from the river side.

SECTORS
Southern and south-west directions are the most sun lighted, so they are considered to be used for vertical farming. South-west facade of the southern tower and its roof are occupied by constructions and automated conveyor systems for plants. Inner zones include administrative cluster, laboratories, service and storage zones 2273 square meters overall. All the service communication is proceed in the western porch behind the building. Northern tower has 10 living levels with overall area of 3360 square meters. Both towers have balconies in
living and office sectors with greenery, that keeps up a green tendency of Chelsea. Overall vertical farm volume is 11200 cubic meters.

DESIGN
The construction of the building is monolith concrete. Two inner contrary curtain walls are made of mirror glass to enforce a feeling of portal, to fill this pathway with some cosmic sense.
Framework of the vertical farm looks like a green block sticked to angular glass rocks. It is composed of carbon fiber reinforced composite elements (cores) which have different functions. The main function of outer cores is to absorb sun energy by thin-film photovoltaic covering to reduce it into electricity, which will be used to enlighten plants in the night. The framework is complemented with a glazing system with transparent photovoltaic panels which can produce an additional electricity. LED provides effective energy consumption. Thus, all these elements form a photovoltaic skin system.
Another cores are supplied with the irrigational system. All cores have inner channels for water supply, thus forming the network makes possible to irrigate plants using any of applicable methods.