The Green Silhouette | Archismith Co., Ltd.

The Green Silhouette is a renewal project, rebuilt from an abandoned structure that was part of a masterplan with 3 buildings on the same plot. Considering recent changes of market trends, the old structure had to be torn down since it no longer fit the new unit layouts. However, following the authority’s requirement for resubmission, the building could not be demolished completely resulting in the reuse of existing foundation and retention of existing column layout on ground floor with some addition of new structure. Above the ground floor are 3-meter-deep transfer beams carrying different structural grid above.

The existing masterplan comprises of 3 identical buildings so the team had to start the redesign process with this inherited building form, sort of cardboard-box shape. It was a difficult task to get a striking form since any addition on top of the previously approved building frame was not an option and removal meant loss of saleable area. After a few rounds of frustrating façade design study, the design team decided to make use of the bulky form as a billboard to create building character out of it instead.

Contextually, the main selling point of the development is a large, park-scaled green area with fully grown trees and its location adjacent to a popular fairytale amusement park. With this ‘double park’ condition, the design team imagined a magical tree growing out of the vast green area as a design concept which is thoroughly used as a common theme for architectural, landscape and interior designs; root/cave for ground floor, tree hole for facilities at 22nd floor and tree canopy for the rooftop. A giant mythical tree with bird nests and tree friends conforms with the tagline, imagination is everything, set by the marketing team.

The façade design composes of rows of precast concrete fins twisted and tapered at specific points to create an image of tree silhouette. Due to the complexity of the pattern, there are more than hundred variations of module. The precast panels at gable end walls have recessed pattern mimicking tree bark texture. Communal facilities at 22nd floor and roof terrace are wrapped with warped strips of spectra aluminium composite panel that change colours when seen from different angles. The iridescent strips combine into double curvature surface to represent bird nest on the tree. Such surface is peeled apart for light and view to the rooms and pulled back at the roof level to create a viewpoint for an observation deck.

The project is earmarked by the developer to be their first green condominium so besides providing water saving sanitary wares, EV charger, solar cell rooftop, and so on, natural ventilation is encouraged wherever possible to emphasize the idea of living with nature. Large sliding doors at lobby can be fully opened on nice weather days. Residents can open folding doors at rooftop fitness if they wish to use treadmill without air conditioner. Horizontal fins on the façade not only portrays the building image but also provides shading for the rooms.