Banco Ciudad Headquarters / Foster + Partners

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—by ArchDaily / Friday, August 27, 2010

Yesterday, we shared Foster + Partners‘ master plan for the West Kowloon Arts District. Today, we’re bringing youFoster’sfirst office headquarters in Argentina. Working with construction firm, CRIBA S.A. and local architect, BBRCH-Minond, Foster + Partners recently won the competition to design a new corporate headquarters for the Banco Ciudad of Buenos Aires. This huge headquarters, which will occupy an entire block, will incorporate a series of ‘villages’ that are connected by exterior circulation routes through patios and courtyards.

More images and more about the new headquarters after the break.

The undulating roof seems to be floating gracefully above the entrance plaza, leading visitors directly into a full-height atrium. Terraced office spaces are organized around this main space, all benefiting from natural daylighting and enjoying beautiful park views.

As the area has recently been identified by the city’s government as a center of technology, this new bank seeks to provide a functional corporate entity that incorporates the latest sustainable features. These include utilising the exposed thermal mass of concrete soffits with chilled beams for cooling; and reducing energy demands through shaded facades, which are oriented according to the path of the sun, and by encouraging natural ventilation.

David Summerfield, design director at Foster + Partners, commented, “The plans will create a sustainable, distinctive headquarters for the bank, while drawing on the site’s industrial past to reinforce the unique character of the neighbourhood.”