The King

COMPETITION ENTRY
MIXED USE BUILDING, LEEDS, ENGLAND – 2009

DESIGN TEAM:
2A+P/A (Gianfranco Bombaci, Matteo Costanzo)
Angelo Grasso

This project develops a superimposition of different functional areas: a public space directly connected with the river, two floors of commercial activities and three floors of offices encased within a glazed balloon frame with a “crown” of sloped roof patio houses. The structure’s façades reflect this functional stratification: over the square on the ground floor there is an enclosed volume covered by a three-story iron balloon frame. On top of this, the patio houses are covered by a golden aluminum envelope. The building is also equipped with a watermill to harness energy from the flow of the river.