‘tower of piraeus’ by petra architects and papaioannou & associates in piraeus, greece all images courtesy of petra architects

athens-based firms petra architects and papaioannou & associates are exploring new and sustainable ways of treating tower facades with their design proposal of the ‘tower of piraeus’. the pre-existing structure has been abandoned for years, dominating the port and the cityscape of greece’s third largest municipality. the proposal aims to assimilate the building within the urban fabric with an external skin that perpetually changes and adapts to the elements.

supported by a metal frame substructure that spans the tower, thousands of small translucent photovoltaic leaves provide supplementary protection for the majority of the building’s surface. the wind creates a rippling effect on the faces of the buildings while the leaves capture both solar and wind energy for consumption. the translucence of the material provides additional shading while unhindering the view from the work space.

petra + papaioannou: tower of piraeus exterior view

petra + papaioannou: tower of piraeus building skin

petra + papaioannou: tower of piraeus perspective rendering

petra + papaioannou: tower of piraeus

petra + papaioannou: tower of piraeus elevation

petra + papaioannou: tower of piraeus detail