Using parametric design, a team of Polish architecture students consisting of: Jacek Czudak, Dawid Drożdż and Mateusz Nisiewicz proposed a recycled modular skyscraper. The building can be transformed and grow, and its functions depend on the users. The work was the only one from Poland to top the Top 50 list of The Skyrise 2022 competition organized by Impact Design Competitions.
The challenge of the competition was to design an innovative and iconic skyscraper that, combining multiple functions, would become a landmark in the city. The structure was to be built on a plot of 12,000 square meters, while there were no restrictions on its height. The proposals were to be characterized by exceptional aesthetics and a well-thought-out spatial organization, as well as a diverse program, including residential spaces.
Various skyscraper shapes and cross-section
© Jacek Czudak, Dawid Dróżdż, Mateusz Nisiewicz
The projects submitted from all over the world were shaded by a jury consisting of: Chris Lepine (Zaha Hadid Architects), Gideon Maasland (MVRDV), Carol Patterson (OMA—Office for Metropolitan Architecture), Elie Gamburg (Kohn Pedersen Fox), Marina Cabugueira CS (Wilder World), Ruben Urcola Pelaez (Aedas), Elina Cardet (Cardet Associates). The competition was won by a team from Ukraine consisting of: Liubomyr Podolanych and Rusiev Kostiantyn, second prize went to Alvaro Arranz and Vicky Chan from the United States, and third prize went to Duc Chu from Vietnam. The jury also awarded a student prize and special honorable mentions and published a Top 50 list, which included a proposal from Poland by Jacek Czudak and Mateusz Nisiewicz from the West Pomeranian University of Technology and Dawid Drożdż from the Silesian University of Technology.
housing problem
In the modern world, we are seeing really rapid and steady growth of cities and metropolises. In 2005, fifty percent of the population lived in cities. This doesn't seem like much, but by comparison in 1960 it was only thirty-five percent, and in 2050 experts predict that this number will rise to seventy percent. The fastest-growing cities are in Asia and Africa, where the population is already up to more than 20-30 million! This phenomenon is leading to the creation of huge cities, which can become very dense. We can already witness that due to the lack of living space in the city, some buildings have to be demolished to be replaced by new ones, leaving tons of waste and non-reusable materials. What's more, in big cities, many people are forced to live in tiny studio apartments stashed somewhere in complicated and unpleasant to look at skyscrapers. This is a very common situation in Hong Kong or Tokyo, for example, but not only. People are forced to stay in the city in order to keep their jobs, but a world in which one rents just two square meters to have somewhere to sleep, in order to go to work again at dawn, is not a world in which we want to continue living, the authors of the project explain.
As the location of the project, the authors chose Tokyo
© Jacek Czudak, Dawid Dróżdż, Mateusz Nisiewicz
universal skyscraper
The students' proposal is a parametrically designed skyscraper made of modules—thanks to this, any modifications to the building are easily made, and adapting it to the possibilities of the location and writing it into the urban fabric of any agglomeration is not a problem.
Our idea is so universal that it would fit in many densely populated cities, such as Tokyo, Hong Kong, Istanbul, for example. The best city for locations is one that is already full of skyscrapers or has to deal with a huge population density. One of them is Tokyo, which is the largest city in the world in terms of population, and it is there that we decided to locate our project, the students say.
The modules are created from recycled plastic and printed on a 3D printer
© Jacek Czudak, Dawid Dróżdż, Mateusz Nisiewicz
recycled modules
Each designed skyscraper would have a solid core, where all modules would be recy cled or rebuilt before being attached to the core facade. The skyscraper sets the grid, but does not dictate a final appearance option, leaving many options for façade design, ensuring order. The building could grow and constantly change, giving residents the freedom to decide which floor they want to live on, how they want to live, and how to arrange the space.
Types of modules in a skyscraper: residential, commercial, communal
© Jacek Czudak, Dawid Dróżdż, Mateusz Nisiewicz
What if you could buy or rent space in a skyscraper and design your own apartment, store, or choose one of the many modules already created? That way you can live the way you want with minimal costs. Once you decide to move out, you can be free, and your module can be removed, creating free space for future residents, leaving zero waste by redesigning the module for its new occupants!—assure students.
A visualization of a projected skyscraper in Tokyo
© Jacek Czudak, Dawid Dróżdż, Mateusz Nisiewicz
High-rise buildings contain a range of modules to choose from—residential and for common use, such as parks, cinemas, stores. As a result, the facilities become self-contained units and can meet most of the needs of their residents. In the interest of the environment, all modules are fully recyclable or made of materials that can be reused in future construction of new facilities.
