“For the creation of The Cloud project, we were inspired only by the clouds, as if“penetrated”by skyscrapers. We have been looking for new forms for the hackneyed typology of a skyscraper for a long time and in this project we were guided only by the location [of the object], the parameters of insolation, we tried to create a high quality environment for the residents of the complex and for the city as a whole. We ask forgiveness from everyone whose feelings might hurt. " This is how the architects of MVRDV formulate their position in response to criticism circulated in the media and online blogs.
Two residential towers with a height of 260 and 300 meters each (54 and 60 floors, respectively) will be built in Seoul by the end of 2015 and will become the main attraction of the new elite Yongsan;
its general layout was developed by the bureau of Daniel Libeskind). The area of the MVRDV complex will be about 128,000 m2. The lower floors will house luxury townhouses and apartments ranging from 80 to 260 m2 with gardens and recreation areas, some of which are planned to be two-level. And the upper floors are given over to penthouses of 1200 m2 each with private roof gardens.
A distinctive feature of the project is a "pixel" cloud, hovering between the 27th and 37th floors. It was this cloud that united the two towers that made it possible to win additional space and place public areas accessible to all residents of the city. Cozy gardens (specially designed for this project by landscape architect Martha Schwarz), swimming pools, various patios, an atrium, an observation deck, a beauty salon, a fitness room, a congress center, restaurants and cafes will occupy a total of more than 14,000 m2. The so-called office-hotel with an area of 9,000 m2 will also be located here - a typical hotel typology for Korea. In order not to disturb the residents of The Cloud, the visitors of the "cloud" will be delivered upstairs by special high-speed elevators.
In almost every country in the world, an elite residential quarter is a highly closed organism, having little effect on the daily life of the city. MVRDV architects break this controversial template, proving that public areas and an active social position not only do not interfere with apartment owners, but even generally improve the quality of life in the complex. And this is the uniqueness and main advantage of The Cloud project.
