SUSTAINABLE MOTOR CITY: Foster + Partners
by Evelyn Lee, 04/10/07
Foster + Partners were recently announced as the winners of an international design competition for a new Motor City in Arago, Spain. Titled La Ciudad del Motor, the new leisure and cultural zone and motor sports center will integrate elements of sustainability throughout the design: the roof becomes a powerhouse with its integrated photovoltaic cells, solar thermal tubes, and wind turbines.
The aerodynamic roof of Foster + Partners‘ Motor city was inspired by the curves of a racing car. The resulting smooth forms were designed around solar and wind patterns, all enclosed by the lightweight roof. The form of the building along with the integrated environmental controls and the energy harnessing abilities of its roof allow for the entire complex to be carbon neutral.
The international competition for the Motor City commission included internationally known architecture firms including Jean Nouvel, Dominique Perrault, UNStudio and MVRDV.
Hi Evelyn,
Thanks for posting this interesting project.
Although building a carbon-neutral shrine to the internal combustion vehicle seems a tad hypocritical, I am glad for the sustainable measures set in place with this design.
In true Foster and Partners fashion, the design is a beautiful celebration of style, symbolism, and technology. However, the images here fail to show the beauty of the plan and general massing of the complex— in fact, they give a disorienting sense of a building with little order and differentiation. To this end, I would guide readers to the Motor City website, where a more complete set of plans, schematics, and renderings can be found ( http://www.laciudaddelmotor.com/ ).
Thanks for the article.
Cheers,
Timo
PS, I hope that Inhabitat will also continue to highlight the work of smaller firms that are making equally creative and visionary works (even if unrealized). Foster and Holl get plenty of mainstream press as it is…