Winner of the Hong Kong Pixel Homes competition, "Towers Within a Tower" offers a bold new vision of a high rise. Its "stacked" apartments aim to do more with limited space.
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
Winner of the Hong Kong Pixel Homes competition, "Towers Within a Tower" offers a bold new vision of a high rise. Its "stacked" apartments aim to do more with limited space.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/BeeBreeders
Using the same total floor space as typical a small apartment -- from 344 to 452 square feet -- the architects spread their homes over four stories.
Towers within a Tower by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
Using the same total floor space as typical a small apartment -- from 344 to 452 square feet -- the architects spread their homes over four stories.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
As the tower is comprised of stacked "boxes", the designers say it can be adapted to suit different landscapes across Hong Kong.
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
As the tower is comprised of stacked "boxes", the designers say it can be adapted to suit different landscapes across Hong Kong.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
The proposed building's pink and orange frames match the pastel colors found across the city's residential areas.
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
The proposed building's pink and orange frames match the pastel colors found across the city's residential areas.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
By removing the need for corridors, the plan makes the most of small spaces.
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
By removing the need for corridors, the plan makes the most of small spaces.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
"In Hong Kong, everyone's apartment is horizontal -- you don't really experience a vertical spatial quality within (people's) houses," says project co-designer Lap Chi Kwong. "So we thought about making a tower out of each apartment unit, and then stacking them."
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
"In Hong Kong, everyone's apartment is horizontal -- you don't really experience a vertical spatial quality within (people's) houses," says project co-designer Lap Chi Kwong. "So we thought about making a tower out of each apartment unit, and then stacking them."
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
Here, the designers have envisaged their project on one of Hong Kong's smaller, low-rise islands.
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
Here, the designers have envisaged their project on one of Hong Kong's smaller, low-rise islands.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
By creating public spaces, the designers hoped to address the psychological isolation that can arise from living in horizontal "slices".
"Towers Within a Tower" by Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, and Kevin Lamyuktseung —
By creating public spaces, the designers hoped to address the psychological isolation that can arise from living in horizontal "slices".
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
Competition entrants were asked to design an innovative high rise with a footprint of just over 1,000 square feet. A total prize fund of $6,000 went to the three winning entries.
"Vertical Village" by François Chantier and Maria Fernandez —
Competition entrants were asked to design an innovative high rise with a footprint of just over 1,000 square feet. A total prize fund of $6,000 went to the three winning entries.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
The competition's runners up, Maria Fernandez and François Chantier, envisaged multi-story homes with internal roofs.
"Vertical Village" by François Chantier and Maria Fernandez —
The competition's runners up, Maria Fernandez and François Chantier, envisaged multi-story homes with internal roofs.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
"Sometimes (in Hong Kong) you find very tiny apartments where the toilet and kitchen are in the same place," says architect Maria Fernandez. "It can be better to live vertically."
"Vertical Village" by François Chantier and Maria Fernandez —
"Sometimes (in Hong Kong) you find very tiny apartments where the toilet and kitchen are in the same place," says architect Maria Fernandez. "It can be better to live vertically."
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
While the brief focused on Hong Kong, competition organizers received entries from countries as far afield as Jordan and Canada.
"Vertical Village" by François Chantier and Maria Fernandez —
While the brief focused on Hong Kong, competition organizers received entries from countries as far afield as Jordan and Canada.
courtesy of Hong Kong Pixel Homes/Bee Breeders
Making the most of limited space is an ongoing challenge for Hong Kong architects. The <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdemographia.com%2Fmedia_rls_2017.pdf" target="_blank" target="_blank">Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey</a> has named the city's housing market as the world's most unaffordable seven years running.
"Upside-Down Mechine" by Yukang Yang and Jingwen Cui —
Making the most of limited space is an ongoing challenge for Hong Kong architects. The Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey has named the city's housing market as the world's most unaffordable seven years running.
courtesy of Hong Kong pixel homes/bee breeders
Third place winner, "Upside-Down Mechine" proposes that residents live in cylindrical drums built inside a rigid frame.
"Upside-Down Mechine" by Yukang Yang and Jingwen Cui —
Third place winner, "Upside-Down Mechine" proposes that residents live in cylindrical drums built inside a rigid frame.
courtesy of Hong Kong pIxel homes/bee breeders