Urban Swirl by Kinchun Ma and Chiawei Liao

Urban Swirl illustrates the increasing interest for vertical city. First it explores a new kind of vertical density, that is to say "connection". Second, it acts as an organism metabolism that emerges from the city and for the city.

Urban Swirl © Kinchun Ma, Chiawei Liao. Originally appeared on eVolo

This design proposal by Kinchun Ma and Chiawei Liao for the 2011 Skyscraper Competition is more a machine than a simple skyscraper. Its goal is to design a new concept that, according to the architects, re-thinks the relationship between skyscraper and its immediate urban context.
Connection is considered as a new and powerful urban tool that permits to link verticality with horizontality. It can be a response to cities that are facing shortage of land.

© Kinchun Ma, Chiawei Liao. Originally appeared on eVolo

Urban Swirl consists of three towers and a connection of spaces between them. This strategy intends to allow for a smooth transition between the vertical and the horizontal plane.

© Kinchun Ma and Chiawei Liao. Originally appeared on eVolo

The unit programs are vertically stacked. As the programs swirl into the buildings, its intensity gets stronger. The base is the least rotated part of each building. It opens up to accommodate public programs. The higher, the more vigorous the rotation becomes. Space tightens, and partitions are formed along the rotation axis. The shortest building will have more individual spaces, and will serve as hotel building while the least rotated one would serve as office building.

Source: eVolo


Update: It is not Chiawei Ma but Chiawei Liao. My apologies for this important mistake.