Australian Design Review

This fibrous concrete shell tower compresses the structural and tectonic hierarchies of contemporary tower design into a single shell whose articulation self-organises in response to commonly conflicting design criteria.

The initial topology of the shell’s articulation is algorithmically generated through a cell division procedure in response to the tower geometry. The shell is at once performative and ornamental. It operates as a non-linear structure with load being distributed through a network of paths, relying on collectively organized intensities rather than on a hierarchy of discrete elements. The load-bearing shell and thin floorplate enable the plan to remain column free.

While the articulation is geometrically complex, it operates within the thickness of a comparatively simple shell geometry, enabling the use of conventional formwork techniques to construct a highly differentiated tower.

*Team* Designers: Roland Snooks, Robert Stuart-Smith