Tag Archives: tower

Massive Climate-Resilient Tower On An Artificial Dune Can Handle A Once-In-A-Thousand-Year Storm

Posted on by

This extraordinary structure is known as the Silt. It is designed to be a massive boulder gently rising out of an artificial sand dune. It is designed by ZJA and is inspired by the Belgian coastal landscape. The impressive structure can withstand a harsh beating from nature and can tackle rising seas and extreme storms as well. The structure was first revealed in 2020 and draws inspiration from the Testerep – an island that was located close to the coast of Middelkerke, Belgium in the Middle Ages. As time passed, this island became connected to the mainland through embankments and sea defenses.

Designer: ZJA

The Silt Tower was designed as an initiative to improve and elevate the local defenses from the North Sea in Middlkerk, and its unusual aesthetics have some utility as well. The artificial dune base expands a public square, which provides stunning views of the coastline. The dune-like building accommodates a casino, restaurant, and event space, while the tower hosts hotel rooms.

“The essence of the design lies in the integration of all the significant aspects, from the experience of the public to coastal reinforcement and economic impetus,” said ZJA. “With the once bleak Epernay Square as its center, the sea embankment and coastal defenses are now fused together, and an extensive new experiential landscape has arisen. Underground parking ensures that is a car-free zone, giving full scope to the public space above. The ground level is thus dedicated as a public space. Marram grass, the dune basin, and sand channels leading to the beach give back to Middelkerke the characteristic landscape it holds dear. The climb to the top of the new dune offers breathtaking views and becomes a tourist attraction in its own right,” concluded ZJA.

Essentially, the Silt includes a chunky concrete base with an attractive boulder-like section which includes a glass and concrete tower covered with latticed beams of Accoya engineered wood. The tower section also contains integrated lighting, which allows it to glow like a lovely beacon in the night. It features a massive sea wall and sturdy construction which allows it to deal well with the extreme climatic conditions of the region, including a once-in-a-thousand-year storm.

The post Massive Climate-Resilient Tower On An Artificial Dune Can Handle A Once-In-A-Thousand-Year Storm first appeared on Yanko Design.

Towering speaker gets the party started with 360-degree lights and powerful bass

Posted on by

The majority of new home speakers coming out these days embrace more minimalist and discreet designs that make them blend with the rest of the room. After all, it’s really their sound that counts more than their appearance, though aesthetics also play an important role when it comes to integrating such devices into your overall interior decor. Of course, there will always be exceptions, including speaker designs that are meant to be seen with their more artistic and elegant appearances. This large and tall speaker, however, is none of those but unabashedly makes its presence known with psychedelic lighting and overwhelming audio output, making it better suited for home parties than a mellow movie night.

Designer: Sony

There’s no escaping how speakers need to be large in order to be really loud, though there are designs that try to get around this physical limitation through tricks and sleights of hand. The new Sony ULT Tower 10 speaker, however, makes no excuses for its size. In fact, it uses its hulking form to its advantage, making sure that partygoers not only feel but also see the power that it holds inside its towering form.

As part of Sony’s new ULT POWER SOUND series, the ULT Tower 10 bears two specially marked buttons that activate bass-related features. One enables deeper, low-frequency bass while the other turns on powerful, punch bass, presuming you can differentiate between these two distinct modes. Either way, the omnidirectional audio coming from this large speaker is more than enough to fill a whole room, ensuring all your guests hear the rumbling music as they dance to the beat.

The Sony ULT Tower 10 is made for parties in more ways than just its powerful output. With 34 different LED light zones, the tall speaker also boasts 360-degree light shows that can synchronize with the music. And given how many people love belting out songs during these parties, the speaker actually comes with a wireless microphone in addition to two other mic inputs. And though it was designed for such music-filled gatherings, the speaker can also connect wirelessly to other sound systems and TVs for an immersive movie-watching experience.

Given its size and power, not to mention its 29kg weight, it’s no surprise that the Sony ULT Tower 10 speaker isn’t something you’ll want to move around a lot, unlike its more portable ULT speaker siblings. It also needs to be plugged in, which limits its outdoor use. Besides, only its top, which houses the physical controls, is splashproof, which is meant to protect it more from accidental beverage spills than a rain shower. Admittedly, this speaker seems to target a very specific and niche market, one that will be willing to spend $1,199.99 for a speaker that’s clearly made to party.

The post Towering speaker gets the party started with 360-degree lights and powerful bass first appeared on Yanko Design.

Tiny Timber Tower Was Airlifted And Tucked Into The Green New Zealand Landscape

Posted on by

Tucked away in the beautiful native bush of Eastbourne, Wellington, New Zealand is the Karka Tower, an architectural structure that embodies the innovation and evolution of the architecture world. The compact and distinctive structure is designed by Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication and is intended to be an intelligent solution to the difficult terrain, and the client’s brief. The client wanted an additional dwelling on a challenging and steep site, next to his main home. To meet the owner’s requirement, the studio designed a tiny tower-like structure that functions as an annex to the pre-existing home.

Designer: Arête Architects and Makers Fabrication

The studio wanted to maximize the tower’s interior space, as well as its footprint, hence they stacked various modular volumes on top of each other. The volumes are prefabricated off-site from eucalypt rainscreen timber, and then moved to the site. Since it is difficult to access the site, the tower was transported in three parts, using a helicopter. Each volume weighed up to 2425 lb, and the fact that they were airlifted helped to reduce potential environmental impacts.

The Karaka Tower is nestled on a dense forest hillside, and it effortlessly blends with its surroundings, while providing stunning views of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. The tower occupies 97 square feet, and it contains a supplementary bedroom and an art studio. The structure’s interiors remind you of a treehouse accentuated with exposed macrocarpa timber framing. The tiny tower also features a panoramic open-air rooftop terrace, which provides access to uninterrupted views across treetops.

The Karaka Tower has an impressive thermal performance that is optimized for year-round comfort and energy efficiency. It features a comprehensive waterproofing system that is developed with Viking Roofspec, which provides airtightness and thermal insulation. The various modules have a double TPO membrane and a batten system for quick weatherproofing.

The post Tiny Timber Tower Was Airlifted And Tucked Into The Green New Zealand Landscape first appeared on Yanko Design.