Australian-global architecture firm LAVA has joined with German developer Moritz Gruppe to design three Olympic themed towers in downtown Berlin, with the development making the finals in the 2013 MIPIM Awards.

The buildings, called THE: SQUARE³, are located near Alexanderplatz and are mixed use with residential areas, offices for sports companies and clubs, apartments, a medical and research centre, sports education facilities, a sports hotel (specifically for athletes) and a sports focused shopping mall at ground level which will be arranged around a green piazza.

The hanging plant-filled facades are articulated according to building orientation and are diagonally shaped with green roof-scapes and cascading balconies as well as integrated garden courtyards.

The three towers of varying heights will have metallic facades of gold, silver and bronze to further represent the Olympics with each volume tapered to maximise sunlight, views and ventilation.

The facades integrate photo-voltaics as a means of regenerative energy production while the interiors are naturally ventilated to minimise mechanical ventilation and rainwater is collected and reused.

Tobias Wallisser director of LAVA said:

“Re-thinking a traditional city block with different scales and typologies demanded a new approach. The building ensembles balance contemporary requirements with respect for the historic urban context.

"LAVA’s design integrates nature and future technologies – geometries in nature create both efficiency and beauty whilst future technologies enhance comfort.”

Dirk Moritz, managing director of Moritz Gruppe added:

“Gone is the ‘bedroom suburb’, all apartments with no infrastructure. In Germany, and especially in Berlin, projects usually concentrate on one utilisation concept, for example apartments or offices.

As a result there are too few supermarkets, parking spaces, jobs and school spaces. The single use concept is more common, but mixed use is the way forward,”

“For us THE:SQUARE³ is more than just a development project, it’s a philosophy. Living in a big city is an experience - you can’t just order it online."

Moritz added:

"A good mix of people, culture and lifestyles is what makes a city interesting and worth living in. Our goal is to answer the question: ‘How do we want to live in the future?'"

“And we see that this blending of commercial, social, leisure and residential facilities is the solution,”

“The sport theme runs through both the design and the utilisation concept. It references and enhances the nearby centre of excellence for high-performance sport, Sportforum Berlin, comprising Germany's largest Olympic Training Centre, by providing more facilities and services for athletes, sports officials and outdoor leisure lovers.”

To vote for your favourite design in the MIPIM People's Choice Award, click here.

Madeline Prince

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