Iqon: : When architecture is nature's means to reach the sky
The building changes Quito's skyline. With Caesar's signature.
It is called IQON, and at 130 metres high it is the tallest residential building in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Designed according to the latest biophilic project criteria, the "big friendly giant" accelerates the vertical development of the metropolitan skyline, historically characterised by low, dense buildings.
A truly spectacular tower with 32 storeys covering 55,000 m², with a total of 215 residential units, plus offices, retail premises and common service areas.
The signature on the project is that of the Danish BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, which chose to realise the building according to an L-shaped plan and to provide it with a single façade, consisting of many exposed concrete parallelepipeds. These projecting elements are developed in a rotating movement along the curved corner of the façade to provide the flats with an outdoor terrace and a view over the city, the adjacent La Carolina Park and the Pichincha volcano.
A vertical community that celebrates the biodiversity typical of Ecuador outside as well. And so, taking advantage of the capital's temperate climate, the project sees the skyscraper become an ideal continuation of the greenery that surrounds it; the terraces are home to numerous native plants, distributed in planters integrated into the very structure of the building.
It looks like the park wants to climb up the façade to the roof through its lush vegetation.
The distribution of the flats within the tower contributes to the well-being of the residents, too. Each flat has a double view, with a balcony on both the north and south sides, providing a view that embraces the entire city and guarantees cross-ventilation in all rooms.
And it was within one of these that Caesar demonstrated the Made-in-Italy fascination of its porcelain stoneware.
Inspired by ancient quartzite, forged by the primordial actions of nature, the Clash ceramic collection has in fact graciously and discretely decorated the floors of the living room, fitting harmoniously into the clean context of the interiors.
In the 60x60 cm square size and the Spirit shade, Clash captures the green essence of IQON's soul, providing its elegance and character to designers.
Credits: JAG Studio
