Residential air purifying towers - Bratislava Downtown

Project idea

The task of the diploma thesis was to design a multifunctional residential complex in the newly emerging urban district of Bratislava - Downtown. The plot is located on the corner of Košická and Prístavá Street. The construction of a new tram line is planned in the area, which passes through the plot, along the main traffic routes. The area is characterised by the industrial part of the Winter Harbour and the development part of the new housing estate. The Winter Harbour is considered to have great potential for the future and is part of the main development axis. The landmarks of the area are Klingerka, Sky park, Panorama towers and especially the highest residential tower Eurovea tower. In the future, Downtown is to grow with other projects such as Portum, Klingerka 2 and 3 and others. The design is intended to represent a gateway, completing the city's silhouette and responding to the main compositional and pedestrian axes. The creation of the Dominant will create a new focal point that connects the industrial and development districts. The multifunctional residential complex is to integrate the basic city-forming functions into a zone with housing and amenities. The winter harbour is envisaged as the next stage of the development area, which will concentrate several national cultural monuments and will add urbanism and public spaces to the high-rise development. The appropriate choice of functions is also important to provide basic amenities and a quality environment for people. This will be taken care of by an active parterre, which includes the necessary services and connects to the public spaces. The residential function is complemented by the office, which is strategically suited for the location to the busy traffic routes. The design should take into account the potential of the area and complement the absence of green and public spaces. The main idea of the concept was to respond to the gradual build-up of the area and thus the increased movement of both public and private traffic and the associated loss of greenery. Greenery and trees are one of the main prerequisites for a quality urban environment. They alleviate the heat in summer, create a more beautiful and pleasant environment, reduce noise, promote biodiversity and improve the air. The construction of Downtown and the tram line will connect the area to the wider surroundings and thus densify traffic. This results in an increase in noise and a deterioration in air cleanliness which has a direct impact on the quality of life and health of residents and visitors to the area. People are most likely to stay in a good quality and healthy environment, so it is important that the newly proposed facilities create a place for people to return to.

Project description

The multi-functional residential complex consists of two high-rise residential towers with separate cores and sixty-nine and forty floors. These towers are connected by an active ground floor above which is a four-storey office building with two separate cores. Below the entire complex is an underground parking garage up to four underground floors connected by an underground road to the parking house, offering a total of one thousand thirty-two parking spaces. On the ground floor, in addition to services and shops, there are also entrance areas for both residential and administrative areas. There is also a pedestrian passage that connects the tram stop with the public space of the Winter Harbour, and directly connected to the passage are a grocery store and a canteen with a dispensing counter for fast food. At the top of the high-rise dominant is an imaginary crown formed by an observation tower with panoramic views and a place for study and relaxation.

The design of the architectural expression is divided into several sub-categories that shape the proposed volume into its final form. The shape, site location and the need for a high number of residential units resulted in two towers. Of these, the corner position, which is already perceptible from a distance, is the ideal location for the landmark of the area. For this reason, the corner mass is almost two hundred and thirty metres high and the southern mass, closer to the Danube, is one hundred and thirty metres high. The height of the lower mass is based on the height of the surrounding buildings and completes the panorama of the city.

Wind - one of the first factors influencing the shape of the building is wind. Bratislava is considered to be a very windy city and this should be taken into account when designing high-rise buildings. For this reason, I rounded the corners, so that the wind does not create a strong horizontal load. Another element is the articulated façade, which
helps to disperse the wind currents and thus mitigate the formation of wind eddies, and the vertical ribs create a lee on the loggias. The omitted storey between the office and residential areas also contributes to wind flow.

Sun - recessing the dwelling units and creating loggias around the perimeter of the mass aids natural shading in the warm summer months while letting in winter rays, aiding thermal comfort in the winter. Opening perforated panels are used on the office building, with which the level of shading can be customised. The perforated panels also form a transition between the industrial character of the environment and the development area.

Air Purification - There is a grid of openings on the building that serve as community terraces through which air is drawn to the core of the building where it is drawn into internal purification cores. The openings also house vertical turbines that convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. The cleaned air ptm gets back into the air. The towers, functioning as air purifiers, are thus able to create a pleasant and healthy environment for the inhabitants and actively combat air pollution caused by dense traffic and the construction of new buildings.

Noise - location at the intersection of main traffic roads and the newly proposed tram line generates a lot of noise that could interfere with the comfort of the residents. Therefore, the ground floor, the roof
trees and low foliage are proposed on the roof of the office and in openings on the building to effectively buffer the noise. Same
effect are the loggias, which set the apartments further away from the urban bustle.

Technical information

Foundation structures - due to the high level of groundwater near the Danube, they are designed as a waterproof reinforced concrete structure in combination with a dilatation-free foundation slab supported by piles. The slab is divided on the basis of the expansion units of the upper structure by a pair of supporting columns. The location of the piles under the load-bearing parts of the building takes into account the height level of the individual parts of the building as well as the geological conditions.

Supporting system - the residential towers are designed as the main supporting reinforced concrete tube (communication core) in combination with reinforced concrete columns in the module of 7.5m. In the technical floors, horizontal structures (outriggers) are placed on the skeleton, which are connected to the load-bearing communication core. These structures provide higher stability and resistance of the building against wind and other undesirable influences on the structure.A damper (seismic damper) is located in the elevation dominance, due to the improved static properties of the building and reduction of the movement of the structure. The underground parking and administration are designed with large-span pre-stressed cavity panel structures up to 400mm thick and 250mm thick reinforced concrete floor slabs are used for the 7.5m module. The large-span structures in the garage and administration allow freedom of layout.

Documentation

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