ZIKZAK Architects is pleased to announce the completion of a project in Limassol, Cyprus for an international IT firm. The architectural studio created a new expressive and futuristic facade for the building, which will serve as Limassol’s decoration and focal point.
The new building, with a total area of over 4400 square meters, will be built with an accent facade designed by ZIKZAK Architects, on which the team worked for over 3 months. The structure will house the headquarters of an international IT firm. The project was large and complex, but the tasks marked with an asterisk only serve to motivate ZIKZAK Architects’ architects and designers.
The existing four-story L-shaped building and the adjacent two-story cylindrical building will occupy a large portion of the courtyard and will be visible from the street. The team was tasked with creating an expressive architectural composition out of these buildings that would intrigue and attract passers-attention.
Following a series of brainstorming sessions, ZIKZAK Architects devised a one-of-a-kind creative solution: a shell of large-format wooden slats that envelops a two-story cylinder and serves as the composition’s focal point. According to the team, the intricate shiny pavilion of Pakistan from Expo 2022 was one of the inspiration factors for such a futuristic facade design.
The cylindrical and L-shaped structures are linked at ground level. The cylinder is surrounded by lamellas that form an intricate shape that changes depending on the angle of view. Wooden slats wrap around the building at various angles, creating passageways reminiscent of tunnels or caves. When viewed from the side of the road, the observer sees a striped cylinder of regular shape, but on the reverse side, he sees a different, curved form of the building. The lamellas provide sun protection as well as a creative and futuristic visual solution. Pergolas built into the cylinder provide additional shade.
In the evening, the accent cylindrical structure creates an even more spectacular impression, as it has programmed LED matrices that cover the long ends of the rails. The animation displayed on each of the rails is assembled into a coherent image. At dusk, a bright media installation is visible from afar, broadcasting across the entire area of the cylinder shell.
The structure has a large number of panoramic windows. Given Cyprus’s hot climate, a solution to protect it from the scorching sun was required. To keep the room cool and comfortable to stay in and work in, automatic Japanese curtains were installed on each of the windows. They move around the perimeter in accordance with the predetermined scenario. While roller shutters are commonly used in offices, Japanese blinds have emerged as one of the non-standard solutions used by designers to enhance the aesthetics of the building facade.
The project provides functional and concise phytodesign. Thoughtful rhythms of plant compositions are planted on the balcony and terrace of the building for decoration and freshness. Lush greenery, placed in the fence, which is adjacent to the road, separates the territory aesthetically and naturally and is a barrier between the yard and street dust.
The architecture of the office is another vivid example of ZIKZAK Architects’ creative bold solution to a difficult customer task.
