The task of the architects was to create a structure that occupies half a block without the monotony and massiveness typical of such buildings. It was also important to avoid dividing the façade into two inconsistent zones: a glazed shopping podium (13,000 m2) and an impenetrable living space above it.
The wedge-shaped forms on the facade have become a way out: at the base they are very narrow and therefore do not argue with the showcases of the two lower floors; expanding into the residential area, they include apartment balconies. UNStudio chief Ben van Berkel compares them to balloons that are ready to take a building into the sky.
The façade facing the courtyard is calmer, defined by the horizontal lines of the balconies. In the courtyard itself, there is a garden with an area of almost 3 thousand m2, it is raised to the level of the first residential floor. Residents of the house climb a curving white staircase to the lobby, also located above the mall.
72 apartments vary in area from 50 m2 to 750 m2, ceiling heights - from 2.7 m to more than 3 m. The central place in each apartment is occupied by the kitchen area, around which the space is organized.
The complex has a nursery and parking for 330 cars.
