IQON tower features 215 homes in exposed-concrete “pixels” arranged to provide best views
Bjarke Ingels Group has completed a 32-storey tower that is the tallest building in the Ecuadorian capital and the practice’s first project in South America.
The 130m tall IQON building is opposite La Carolina Park, which is at the heart of Quito’s central business district. It has 215 apartments, commercial units, office space and a lap pool and terraces at the top of the building.
IQON’s curved façade features stripped back raw concrete “pixels” which are apartment terraces rotated to provide the best possible views of the park, the city and the Pichincha volcano. Each has an sculptural planter integrated into the fabric of the building, creating root space for trees on the terrace of the apartment above.
BIG said the building sought to add greenery wherever possible, to take advantage of Quito’s famously diverse range of plant species and its temperate climate.
“We’ve tried to take all the iconic qualities of Quito – such as the enjoyment of living in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, in a city on the equator where the seasons are perfect for both human and plant life – and bring that experience into the vertical dimension,” BIG founder and creative director Bjarke Ingels said.
“IQON is an entire vertical community of individual homes; an extension of La Carolina Park that now climbs all the way up to the rooftop.”
Each apartment floor features through-units – apartments that have terraces on both the north and south facades – that not only allow for views across the entire city, but which also offer the opportunity for cross ventilation and a sense of openness.
The building, which was designed for developer Uribe Schwarzkopf, also features a gym and squash court; a spa; a bowling alley; and entertainment rooms.
A second BIG project for the business, the 24-storey EPIQ building, is due to complete next year in the same neighbourhood.
2 Readers' comments