Feasibility study looking at improved access and cost effectiveness for an ongoing office renovation project

As part of an extensive renovation project of two office towers and at the request of the developer, RB-Architects recently participated in a competition looking at ways to improve the interconnecting access between the two buildings.

With limited information and a very short deadline, our design proposal focused on developing an elegant, clean, contemporary architectural project, with a visually striking principal entrance in the form of a wide triangular-glazed tunnel linking the two towers at equidistance, improving access and circulation by bringing light and fluidity into the space. In developing the project design, several difficulties must be taken into account:

• As the building work is to be carried out on an “occupied site”, a phased construction programme will be necessary, which may lead to longer time delays and a more complex site management procedure.
• The technical equipment is outdated and incorporating ecological design solutions is made more difficult due to the existing structural design of the project – limited floor heights, complicated to increase the density without new staircases being installed.
• The facade needs extensive renovation work, thus increasing the budget quite considerably!

View of interconnecting corridor between the two towers at Le Doublon