Alpha Project / XVSTUDIO
Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
XVSTUDIO (Xavier Vilalta Studio) shared with us their Alpha Project, which won an international competition for a mixed-used development in Doha, Qatar.
More images and architect’s description after the break.
Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
The ALPHA PROJECT´s is a completely self-reliant, innovative development.
The project aims to sensitively capture the essence and culture of the city of Doha, with ancient design traditions forming the fundamental basis of the plan and modern building technologies used as a tool of expression. It is an independent Ecosystem that demonstrates a combination of advanced building design with a historical heritage.
The design is generated and molded by the surrounding environment, with which it works in harmony to take full advantage of the available natural resources. With passive design elements inspired by the vernacular architecture to provide stable conditions in the harsh climate and the energy harnessed from wind, water and sun as the primary energy sources, it becomes a sustainable development that combines the passive and the active systems.
Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
The structure and planning of the scheme is efficient, advanced and sustainable. Connections made across the towers improve the accessibility and efficiency for users. The towers and bridges blend together to work as a whole and frame the core, public space. The towers and bridges work together to create a new typology of High Rise buildings.
The unique skin of the building is based on the ancient Arabic pattern of the GIRIH tiles, which is also used as the backbone of the planning. It defines and shades the semi-outdoor spaces throughout the interior of the building and extends outwards, strengthening the connection between the interior and exterior of the building. The exterior pergolas shade the pathways that wind through the landscaped gardens.
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
-
- Courtesy of XVSTUDIO
Human scale?
For an idea like this to look good it needs a lot more work
Ever seen something so bad that YOU feel embarrassed? I’m feeling that way right now…
Seems like Rojkind´s Nestle Chocolate Pavillion concept in a vertical approach. Rojkind´s is better though. At least in my opinion.
Very interesting, unusual, original project!
This looks amazing and at the same time it is reliable and comfortable, a lot of space and ligh.
The project of future, without doubts!
i see people don´t understand anything. after looking at the images and the texts i am surprised seeing this comments from people. luckily, some of them understood the project but it seems to me that the ones that didn´t they have never been in the middle east for sure. Have you ever seen a building that protects itself from the sun in such a climate?have you ever seen masterplan that folds the landscape into the high rise? have you understood that the shape of the building has to do with the solar panels that are in the façade?
i give my support to the alpha project, 100%
Very interesting, unusual, original project!
This looks amazing and at the same time it is reliable and comfortable, a lot of space and ligh.
The project of future, without doubts!
great project.
people need to actually look at the images and diagrams carefully. only then you can begin to understand the complexity of the design and the great integration of the technology and tradition. there are some beautiful spaces that are created by the different facets and angles of the design. and definitely much better and more sensitive than the tall glass skyscrapers that are popping everywhere in the middle east…. and yes i have been to the middle east and am born and raised in the middle east!!! and i know that we need more designs like this and less like ones going up in dubai that are nothing but modified grasshopper scripts!!
Talking about aesthetics which is subjective. This building is really missing a point here. Shape don’t look very well balanced, a bit flat cause of its wideness (no much character). I think XVSTUDIO could do better with the shape. My judgment is based on the 3d makings, maybe on a scale model, it looks better.
a wonderful asset, a yoke of shadows and lucinon only horizontally but also vertically!
amazing!
-SELF-RELIANT: DOES IT BUILD ITSELF, PAY FOR ITSELF, CLEAN ITSELF, DEMOLISH ITSELF? AT LEAST, MAYBE CAN IT UNDESIGN ITSELF?
-INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT: PLEASE SHOW ME WHAT IS NEW. I CAN’T SEE IT.
- I ALWAYS HEAR THIS ALL OF THE TIME HOW BUILDINGS ARE AN INTEGRATION OR AN EXTENSION OF IT’S NATURAL SURROUNDINGS, ENVIRONMENT, AND PEOPLE. I SEE ARAB PEOPLE AND PALM TREES IN THE 2ND YEAR STUDENT LEVEL RENDERINGS, BUT THE BUILDING ITSELF DOES NOTHING TO SAY IT’S A ‘QATAR’ BUILDING OR A BUILDING OF THAT REGION. I MEAN, PLEASE, COME ON.
- THIS CONNECTING OF HIGH RISE BUILDINGS WITH BRIDGES IS NOT A NEW TYPOLOGY.
- IT MAY HAVE WON A COMPETITION, BUT FORTUNATELY, THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGE OF PROJECTS WHICH WIN COMPETITIONS IS VERY, VERY, VERY LOW.
agree w/ Mima
It looks like two people holding hands and looking at each other in love.
lol, i find this nice, maybe this should happen also with real arabian and european people…don’t you think?
Alpha Project. http://bit.ly/d90CZx
i think u guys are all jealous and that’s why you are giving bad critics. i love the shape, the masterplan and the images.
I have never been such a suitable proposal for the middle east, I have been there twice and all I was able to do during the day is stay in a shopping center with air conditioning all time, because it was impossible to walk around the city without protection. All buildings (i might say european or american buildings) needed so much energy for refrigeration that I found them as pasted from an existing building in a northern country. Now that I see that someone has payed attention and from Europe has made a concious proposal I feel proud of their work.
Come on guys! do not get afraid of making new proposals like this! that’s what they need there, fresh ideas to have refreshing spaces!
you’re assuming firstly that what they say is true- just like the bridged linking of towers is a new typology? and the arabic patterned skin of the building is unique? come on- every proposal i’ve seen in the middle east involves these now trite geometric patterns.
you don’t think they’ll have to air-condition this? 45 degrees or more in the middle of summer and people can be completely comfortable in the geometrically ‘shaded’ space? sure there is some shading on site, but it’s still hot as hell. plus, is there a shaded walkway which will connect you to every other building from this building in the city? or are you going to take a car and get dropped off at the entrance. i think the latter.
one thing i would say- xvstudio may have been more convincing- even of the form- if they had depicted the project better; it takes alot of work to make clumsy forms look believable if not attractive. plus its so damned gray and gloomy.
all for fresh ideas, just not this one.
I imagine the nice views from the last floor of the towers, the site is amazing and also the way this shape come out from the park landscape.
amazing!
In my opinion it is an exceptional project among the all-alike glass-jar type skyscrapers that can be found in Doha or Dubai. It is agreat idea to use patterns in the facade that actually have some connection with local culture instead of, again, glass. And the way the whole site plan is solved, as a continuation of the building, is unique. Human scale, which of skyscrapers is human scale? It is true, eco ideas are not a new thing, but applying them more in reality is what we need. We need projects like this, that do not forget they are consuming enormous amounts of energy and apply technologies to balance it.
I would like to know a little bit more about the process of this shape because it seems really complex. I find that it will be really nice when it will be built, at last their are going to have a nice building there, after all these unsuitable buildings we can see in the images….
Apparently those who dislike it and very critical of it are just blindly jealous!People in this region have the money to do it so let them be. No one ever criticized the West when ridiculous buildings are being built, then why criticize what’s going on in the East?
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!
Jealous, no. Frankly, I’m thrilled it’s not a project where I live, and if it were, I would probably like it even Less. Let’s not put this as east against west- mind you a Spanish office ( in Catalonia) designed this comprised mostly of western designers, most of which are accounting for the possitive remarks. I checked.
AMAZING! GORGEOUS. Full of creativity and appeal.
This project looks airy, gracious and lively.There is a magical movement inside it.
I like it so much! It seems an ancient rock guarding the bay, a sort of pagan temple joining the natural elements: air (the sky), water (the sea), fire (the hot sand of Quatar) and, finally, earth (the buiding).
_____H______
This is absolutely innovative, I really like it! Great job!
Yes, I almost jumped the gun to say that this was a joke till I read all comments and saw the sections –
If the building get built without cost cutting with all the tech in place to sustain it’s purpose, great. If not, then it’s another “mine’s bigger than yours” statement.
I see in a lot of comments people speaking about a masterplan … where is it ? (not a rethorical question … so far)
I only see another stand alone design and no clue making me expet anything but what the last comment says another “mine’s bigger than yours”.
It’s alos quite fun to see people claiming perfect sun protection and lot of natural light at the same time in such extremes conditions. The translucent night view in a
And com’on in the middle east who needs a building shaped by solar pannel (if it’s realy the case because it’s hard to perceive them in the renderings) … it’s not like this area is suffering of a lack of spot to build solar centrals.
hey sorry, forgot to end a sentence :
The translucent night view in a funny way looks more logic.
http://www.archdaily.com/40829/paris-children-hospitals-cases-bp-architectures/
+
Stretch
+
Scale
= this
Great project with deep integration between space and surfaces.
it needs a lot more work, but…well it’s just a competition, i think we will need more drawings an information to understand all the process,so lets wait until it’s built!
i agree with you, needs more work but i like a lot the concept and the vision. i think they should get more into detail so the project gets filtered by the construction and the structural systems. this may make it cleaner and simplier.
Everything what is new is sometimes hard to understand.. and it always was like this! I am happy this project comes from the future and I am glad I understand and like it!
Ox,
Interesting to see that you have understood what i haven’t. Please explain to us so we all can be enlightened.
Please check out this link where you’ll find another proposal for the project Alpha.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1144113
1:09 PM Jun 14th
RT @archdaily: Alpha Project / XVSTUDIO http://archdai.ly/cK1Dho #architecture
7:31 AM Jun 15th
Alpha Project. http://bit.ly/d90CZx