SnowFlake Tower
Teheran, Iran. 2009
New mixed-use building, proposal

The snowFlake tower is the crystallization of a number of site-specific programmatic, environmental, and urban forces. It is inspired both by the snowfall that covers the nearby Alborz mountain range as well as Iran's geometric patterning found in its buildings and textiles. The tower is comprised of the following structural systems; three major vertical supports, which are at once structural support for the voronoi roof slab/beam and circulation cores; a diagonal grid network of tension rod cables suspended from the perimeter of the roof slab; and a constellation of hanging snowflake floor slabs which are supported by this diagonal network or exoskeleton. This porous exoskeleton has differentiated density throughout its length to take into account both its structural requirements and its performance as a sun shade device. Furthermore it provides lateral stiffness to the structure and serves to unify and iridize the three structural cores.

PROJECT DATA
Design: Eva Perez de Vega + Ian Gordon, partners