TWISTED TEXAS TOWER
19 Aug 2015
Construction is now underway on a twisted tower designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma for Rolex in Dallas, Texas.
Billed as the first structure in the US city by a Japanese architect, the nine-storey Rolex Building will create a new office for the Swiss watchmaker in the uptown neighbourhood.
Kengo Kuma envisioned a series of staggered floorplates that gradually rotate to create the impression of a twisted building. This form allows a series of planted terraces to be created on every floor, plus Kuma plans to add a tree-filled garden on the roof.
Landscape architect Sadafumi Uchiyama will design the gardens, which will features rampart stone walls, reflecting pools and cascading waterfalls.
"Environment is an essential concept for the modern experience, incorporating both natural and urban surroundings," explained Kuma, adding that his aim was to create a building that "fuses nature and architecture".
"This landscape-building idea applied to The Rolex Building will result in a beautiful urban-organic icon that will fundamentally change the Dallas cityscape," he said.
The Rolex Building will open in late 2016, according to property developer Harwood International. It will become the ninth completed project in the masterplan for the 18-block area – also named Harwood.
The company previously partnered with Rolex on the delivery of the brand's 1984 building, which features a distinctive curved glass facade.
"We built the first office building in Uptown, and after 30 years, Rolex and Harwood International are partnering once again to build another addition in our district," said Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, founder and CEO of Harwood International.
"This development will set a new standard for work life in the US," he added. "We intend on creating an office that will feature a unique blend of innovative architecture and gardens that Dallas has never seen before."
The building will accommodate 136,857 square feet (12,714 square metres) of floor space, with 56,422 square feet (5,241 square metres) of that used for offices.