ryohei koike and jarod poenisch: nested skyscraper

'nested' skyscraper

american architects ryohei koike and jarod poenisch received third place at
the 2010 skyscraper competition hosted by evolo magazine for their proposal of 'nested' skyscraper.

today the city bombards individuals with buzzing electronic media and a never-ending sea
of concrete structures. koike and poenisch wanted to deviate from these rigid forms in their
proposal. the 'nested' skyscraper design gives the appearance of weightless and fragile structure
that can adapt to climatic, urban and programmatic conditions with the use of advanced materials
and robotic constructions. 'nested' skyscraper seeks to blur the distinctions between interior
and exterior, working with the surrounding nature to bring users closer to the exterior landscape.


'nested' skyscraper

projected to be situated in tokyo, the architects observed that this location is known for
its extreme climate changes, densities, earthquakes and flows. 'nested' skyscraper looks
to counteract these extremes with lightness, flexibility and transparency. using primarily
composite materials and a dual layer fascade composed of ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene),
the entire building can be lightweight and flexible, while the construction process uses far
less energy. the materials offer a high degree of transparency by capturing natural light.
the facade is composed of multiple layers of EFTE strips which thicken and grow in density
according to solar exposure, minimizing the amount of material used but maximizing
their performance. the building acts as a series of nests that stretch between and around
compressive elements as the vertical circulation wraps around and pierces through
the entire project.  together the materials and volumes create a hybrid relationship between
compressive and tension elements, public and private spaces, and static and dynamic forms.




sectional view


construction of 'nested' skyscraper in phases
phase 1: flatepack carbon sleeves
phase 2: sleeves stretch
phase 3: full stretch

construction of 'nested' skyscraper in phases
phase 4: box installation
phase 5: floor plate construction
phase 6: skin formation






construction of primary structure using climbing purtrusion robots

building this structure involves a series of robots that stretch over a network of
carbon sleeves sprayed with fiber-laced concrete. a second set of robots wraps
the structure with a steel mesh to allow for lateral movements and can increase
or decrease its density according to structural and programmatic needs.