Japanese architecture firm
Kengo Kuma has completed a skyscraper in Vancouver, Canada, featuring a curved form and a semi-enclosed amphitheater at its base. Named Alberni, the
43-story residential building features a silhouette of
"boolean scoops," which were included both to preserve views of the existing buildings on the block and to bring
light to the apartments deeper in the skyscraper.
“The result is
sculptural and iconic , distinctive on the skyline but also arising from reasons of neighborhood and experience,” said studio founder Kengo Kuma. The sides and top of the structure are clad in
glass and aluminum panels, while the apartments inside the "shell" have long balconies with wooden details. The panels are arranged in different layers on the facade, creating a
textured visual pattern reminiscent of
patchwork. The structural beams that run across the façade extend over the entrance volume and connect with the ground, creating an enclosed space where
an amphitheater and a moss garden have been created .
The interiors of the public spaces are minimal, with stone and wood details that reference the tower’s exterior. Amenities include
a swimming pool and a
music room with a selection of records and speakers built into the cork-lined walls. A
Japanese restaurant will also open in the tower.
Kuma said the structure is in line with much of his previous work, which demonstrates
how large buildings can be made from a series of "smaller pieces." “For us, a building is not an independent object, but a series of relationships made possible by architectural actions,” he continued. “Some see a building; we see
connections and
activities .”
