British company Heatherwick Studio has unveiled plans to build an unusual new tower in the Netherlands. Designed in collaboration with Barcode Architects, the building is defined by a striking façade of stacked cylindrical cog-like shapes.
Dubbed Oopen, the project will be located on Jarlbrusplatz in Utrecht. There is no information about its exact height yet, but it has been described as a skyscraper, so it will be over 35 m (115 ft) but likely well below 100 m (328 ft).
Its unusual exterior creates multiple outdoor terrace areas, culminating in a rooftop restaurant. And like all recent Heatherwick Studio projects, it will be brought to life by trees, plants and other greenery. Interiors are specially designed to be easily reconfigured to accommodate sports areas, cultural event spaces and office spaces, and to accommodate a variety of uses.
Pixelflakes by Heatherwick Studio
“With Oopen, the people are central,” explained Caro van de Venne of Barcode Architects, who once worked with the Bjarke Ingels Group on the ship-shaped Sluishuis. “It aims to bring together people from different cultures, generations and communities in order to be vibrant and reflect the true diversity of Utrecht. Design is a system of different parts and programs, and gears are It’s inherently working together, the results are unpredictable, but it’s always more than the sum of its parts.”
Heatherwick Studios says it hopes the tower will become the Netherlands’ first net-zero mixed-use skyscraper. There is little information on sustainability features at this early stage, but we do know that in addition to the use of greenery, the structure will be partially made of wood and steel.
Oopen is a design that won an international architectural competition and construction is set to begin in 2025. It is developed by Edge, the Net Zero Champions behind MVRDV’s award-winning Valley. Completion is scheduled for 2028.
Source: Heatherwick Studios
