Glass Mural by MVRDV pays tribute to Detroit’s historic Eastern Market
by Zohra KhanOct 07, 2020
by STIRworld Published on : Oct 24, 2020
In preparation for the World Horticultural Expo 2022, Almere, a city in the Netherlands, recently welcomed MVRDV’s new design in the façade of the Flores Tower. Taking inspiration from the arboretum, also designed by MVRDV for Floriade Expo 2022, the eye-catching artwork took 1800 images from several different databases and university libraries to create a layered composition, which lays on the tower’s façade.
Designed by Klunder Architecten on behalf of Dura Vermeer and Amvest, the 43.5-metre-tall tower is set to display the complete collection of trees, plants and flowers from the World Horticultural Exposition. The tower is located at the centre of the Floriade site and the artwork on the building vertically summarises the arboretum's planting catalogue: the smaller the plant’s image, the further away it is. The legend is integrated into the plinth of the tower, with the text size and line thickness also pointing to how much further away each plant or tree species is from the tower. In this way, the legend works as a map and as reference work at the same time.
MVRDV co-founder Winy Mass, who is also a member of the Floriade quality team, mentions, “In a competition between artists for the representation of the arboretum, Alex Verhaest came up with the idea of the summary panorama. We then systematically linked that to the arboretum. Like librarians in the mould of a contemporary Alexander von Humboldt, we have converted 1,800 species into images, a truly painstaking job. Alex's artistic signature then yields this picturesque total work of art”.
The artwork has been given the name Sympoiesis, which is in reference to the stellar work done by American Sociologist Donna Haraway, where she advocates a symbiosis between man and nature.
The Flores Tower is not only an aesthetically pleasing structure, but has a dual purpose to serve the city in the long run. The tower will be primarily used as a hub during the Floriade Expo, with catering establishments, shops and a first aid point on the ground floor, while a restaurant and viewing point on the top floor.
Post the Floriade Expo, it will function as an apartment building with 80 rental homes, and will also have the captivating panoramic work preserved. After the Expo in 2022, the surrounding site will be further developed into a green and sustainable residential area known as Hortus, following Dura Vermeer and Amvest’s vision for a new municipal area.
Name: Flores Tower Façade
Location: Almere, The Netherlands
Year: 2020
Client: Gemeente Almere
Architect: MVRDV
Founding Partner in charge: Winy Maas
Director: Gideon Maasland
Design Team: Sanne van der Burgh, Leo Stuckardt, Boudewijn Thomas, Yayun Liu, Cas Esbach
Building Architect: Klunder Architecten
Contractor: Dura Vermeer
Landscape Architect: ZUS
(Text by Shreeparna Chatterjee, editorial trainee at stirworld.com)
by Jincy Iype Mar 02, 2021
Celebrating a union of the man-made and natural, The Lap Pool House is a handsome Greek home realised across three volumes that extend into and from the dry island they inhabit.
by Anmol Ahuja Mar 01, 2021
Designed by German product designer Emilie Burfeind, Sneature is a waste-generated sneaker that looks at innovatively upcycling protein based waste material.
by Jincy Iype Feb 25, 2021
Formafantasma’s second lamp for Flos, WireLine, converts the usually hidden power cable into the main body of the suspension light, and balances a ribbed glass fixture in the middle.
by STIRworld Feb 25, 2021
Commissioned by COIMA SGR and Milan municipality, Stefano Boeri and DS+R have designed a botanical tower beside the existing Pirellino tower as part of the Pirelli 39 revival project.
get regular updates SIGN UP
Don't have an account?
Sign UpOr you can join with
Already signed up?
LoginOr you can join with
Please select your profession for an enhanced experience.
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Comments