NL Architects' Taiwan Tower #1: Tower of Power

Dutch practice NL Architects has shared with us not only one but two tower concepts they recently submitted to the Taiwan Conceptual Tower International Competition. In this article, we're presenting entry #1: "Tower of Power" (click here for entry #2 "Tower of Change").

The design team comprised Pieter Bannenberg, Walter van Dijk, and Kamiel Klaasse in collaboration with Gen Yamamoto, Nicolo Bertino, Bruno Dias, Tan Gaofel, and Shuichiro Mitomo.

Project Description:

The ambition to create a 300-meter high freestanding tower with sightseeing and recreational functions that will serve as a “model green building” is inspiring.

Hidden in the endeavor to create an icon landmark building that “minimizes the use of the earth’s resources and to produce architecture with the least possible waste” is an even more stimulating opportunity:

The Taiwan Tower could combine the symbolic potential of an observatory in the sky with the capacity to actually produce energy!

The Taiwan Tower could become a combination of Landmark Tower and Wind Turbine…

Towerof Power

Tower of Power features 2000 rotors that together produce 8 MW.

Tower of Power is not just a symbol of good intentions; it actually produces green energy. Instead of being yet another ‘empty’ icon it actually is a usable object: next to its required functionality as sightseeing tower and telecommunication baseit is an environmentally friendly Power Plant!

Towerof Poweris power plant without the obligatory technical appearance of wind turbines as we know them. Tower of Power is an attempt to investigate how power plants of the future can be turned into objects of beauty.

By simply combining the two typologies of windmill and observation tower, the Tower of Power in one single operation aspires to change the ‘content’ of the new generation of tourist towers and at the same time the appearance of future wind energy generators. Tower of Power as such tries to take renewable energy production to new heights.

Lace

Tower of Power features an exo-skeleton; a structural net wrapped around the building that together with the building’s core supports the required programmatic elements. The structure as such is perhaps reminiscent of Bamboo weaving or Bamboo scaffolding. The weaving of the structure creates an intricate pattern of void spaces. These empty spaces can now be occupied by so-called Vertical Axis Wind Turbines. Tower of Power does not propose to use a new category of turbines; it deploys an existing type: the eddy. These flower-like turbines are just orchestrated in a refreshing way.

Meet eddy

Eddy is a wind turbine: strong, affordable and silent. Because of the vertical axis design eddy can produce energy with wind from any direction. It can be mounted virtually everywhere…

Bamboo Basket                     

The functionality of the required program - lobby, parking, museum, offices, conference center and observatory - results in a specific shape for each unit. The program is stacked and positioned on specific heights. As such a kind of ‘totem’ comes into being that is wrapped by an intelligent skin.

Taichungcan become the birth place of a new type of optimistic buildings.