Building the future – sustainably!

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The vaulted structure is supported by 28 so-called “light eyes” – organic-tectonic hollow columns that flare as they rise, opening into inverted bells. Giant skylights permit daylight and fresh air to stream into the station, so practically no energy is required for heating, cooling, and artificial lighting. The design is sustainable in other ways besides energy efficiency. Material consumption is extremely low – as is the consumption of urban space, because the concrete structure is built to support pedestrian traffic. The roof of the station forms a new urban square. In three-dimensional renderings the design by Ingenhoven radiates harmony and natural logic. The complexity of the construction goes unnoticed. Because the tracks through the station are at a slope, the 28 organic columns are graduated in height – from 8 meters to 13.5. The structural calculations are a masterly feat of engineering. The result looks feather-light, easily composed. The refined aesthetic and ecological concept behind it all seems to dissolve into weightlessness. “Main Station, Stuttgart, Germany”, by Ingenhoven Architects, Düsseldorf, Germany Christoph Ingenhoven was born in 1960 and established Ingenhoven Architects at the age of 25. The Düsseldorf architecture office designs airports, train stations, stadiums, hospitals, urban spaces and restaurants. The work of Ingenhoven Architects has achieved worldwide notice, particularly the European Investment Bank building in Luxemburg and a 156-meter-tall high-rise in Osaka, Japan, scheduled for completion in 2008. Assessment by Enrique Norten: “This pioneering project incorporates materi- als, structures and knowledge into a sustainable design for reclaiming urban space. The innovative approach is impressive, as is the efficient and refined use of technology, and the intelligent management of resources. This energy-efficient design will surely provide long-term environmental benefits and will hopefully increase public awareness of the necessity of conserving resources.” 31 Enrique Norten (USA/Mexico), founding principal of TEN Arquitectos, was a member of the jury for the global Holcim Awards 2006.
40 City upgrade Three architects are working to give the residents of a poor district of Caracas not only new streets and public spaces, but the assurance that their neighborhood is valuable. The architects received a global Holcim Award Gold for this project. Caracas, capital of Venezuela, is one of the most densely populated cities of South America. Of the city’s 4 to 5 million residents, half live in barrios, or neighborhoods for the poor. The barrios grew as poor people built their simple houses back-toback just beyond the city limits. There are no gardens or public squares in a barrio. The residents have no money for streets, outdoor lighting, or playgrounds. Government invests moderately here. Caracas sits in a valley. Because the flatland in the valley was built over long ago, the barrios spread up the very steep slopes. At the top there are no real walkways, just dirt trails that become slippery slopes in the rain. Here live the poorest of the poor. They have no infrastructure; no ambulance or fire truck can reach their homes. Barrios are so densely built that any fundamental improvement would entail extensive demolition. Neighborhoods have been relocated many times, but this is not feasible in Caracas because of the size of the barrios. In 1998 the government initiated a program to upgrade the barrios. The district San Rafael-Unido was entrusted to a team of architects who have been working together since their training 20 years ago: Silvia Soonets and the sisters Isabel and Maria Ines Pocaterra.
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Building the future – sustainably!

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