Continuidad Vertical Del Parque
The building is located in Alicante, a city on the south-east of Spain, known for its low, horizontal skyline. Only three significant tall buildings are located in the city and compete with the Santa Bárbara Castle. The tower seeks to complete the skyline, becoming the tallest yet respecting the landmark castle. The building is sited in an area of current transformation including the transformation of a railway train station into a large central park. The building attempts to be the main access point to the new park and acts as a transition from the park to the city.

Rejecting the traditional model of a singular vertical tower, the project proposes twin towers connected to each other by a base that forms a continuous façade at the ground floor. The different height of the two towers favors the integration of the building within the environment. The main tower works as a point of reference while the low one relates with the neighbor buildings. The proposal opts for the creation of a multidisciplinary area hosting shops, restaurants, offices, hotels and luxury apartments. Combining workplace and dwelling will favor communal life, as the aim of the project is to create a public space where people can interact with each other.

The base makes the transition from the city to the park by creating two façades; a vertical, continuous one with strategic accesses to the street, and another lower, more permeable façade incorporating small ramps, green stairs, and continuity to the park. This continuity moves from the heart of the building to the highest part of the towers by means of a central yard, generates natural ventilation, and reduces the building temperature. The structure of the building is composed of a system of big central pillars with a metallic truss enveloping them. Struts hang from these trusses enabling pillar-free viewpoints used to host machinery, waste treatment plants, or fertile land spaces to grow plants and trees.

The exterior skin counteracts the effects of the high level of solar radiation by acting as a sunshade protecting the façade. Depending on the season, the skin can be permeable (ventilation) or closed (greenhouse effect). The skin consists of square, low emissivity glass with photovoltaic cells which rest on vertical girders. These provide shadows (passive sustainability) and produce energy (active sustainability), so the building is capable of being self-sufficient and providing electricity. The density of the photovoltaic cells is a system of colored pixels ranging from a dark to light blue emulating waves of the sea.