We are talking about a complex of skyscrapers for Abu Dhabi, a new office tower in Calgary and a residential one in New York. Along with these "potential buildings", Lord Foster's workshop announced the inauguration of an already implemented project - Edgver Academy London High School in the capital of Great Britain. Although the geography of the location of Foster's buildings is, as usual, very wide, in his three new projects, despite the distance between the places of their proposed construction, there are formal similarities.
The plans of all three are irregular geometric shapes derived from a circle. According to the preliminary design of the new "Central Market" for Abu Dhabi, the three skyscrapers appear to be equipped with flutes, although otherwise there is little classic in them. It will be a multifunctional complex on the site of the old city market. It will combine office and residential buildings, as well as shops, both prestigious boutiques of well-known companies and shops of local artisans. It will occupy an area of 5.7 hectares, and the first stage of construction should be completed by mid-2008.
And in downtown Calgary by 2010, the Bow Tower, the headquarters of the local oil company EnCana, will be 59 stories high (247 m). This tower will become the second tallest in Canada, thereby satisfying the ambitions of the city, which is once again at the peak of economic prosperity: due to the increased oil prices, Calgary, surrounded by oil sands, was able to catch up with other major cities in the country, and in something - and surpass them. The $ 1 billion building is named after the river on which Calgary stands. Its plan resembles a drawn bow, which can also be inferred from its name. This solution is not only aesthetically pleasing: it will require less steel to build than a building with a more traditional plan, it will also allow more space for natural air circulation, as well as reduce heating and air conditioning costs. Combined with the extensive use of natural light, all this will reduce the building's electricity consumption by a third. Three floors will be occupied by recreational spaces with varied greenery - "gardens in the sky". The curved facades of the building allow for a window with Rocky Mountain views in nearly every office.
In New York, Foster's new building, the most interesting in relation to the tasks solved by the architect, is planned. It is a 30-story residential tower housed in a four-story 1950s Rockefeller Center-style office building. In this case, the southern part of its roof will remain free, and a garden will be laid out there. The plans for the new high-rise building are ellipses superimposed on each other, and resemble petals. This shape will allow the building to better withstand winds, and the glazed facades will generate electricity from solar energy. There will be a 10 m gap between the lower floors of the tower and its 1950s base (the new residential building will be connected to the “pedestal” by the supports and the elevator shafts brought out to the outside), which should give the impression of floating. This and the different heights of individual parts of Foster's building will give it visual lightness and fit into the existing urban environment.
All three of these projects are expensive commercial architecture designed to showcase the wealth and credibility of the owners. And the Edgver Academy School, also designed by Foster, which opened in mid-October, belongs to the category of social buildings, much more modest in cost and attracting less public attention. At the same time, the workshop of Lord Foster reported about it with equal pride. The fact is that the new construction, with its innovative solution, is intended to improve the level of education in the UK as much as possible when it comes to building. It should also become a catalyst for the renewal of the entire microdistrict from an urban planning point of view, as well as a community center for its residents.
The school is designed for 1425 students, as well as adults who want to continue their education. It is divided into elementary and high school zones, each located around its own courtyard. Within these offices, schoolchildren of the same age have their own floor at their disposal, allowing them to spend less time moving around the building and making it easier to maintain order. In the center of the complex is the main atrium, uniting both age zones, as well as the assembly hall, library and dining room. The sports halls are located in a separate wing, and a pedestrian bridge leads to the open stadium across the busy street.
