Reusing the Oil Silos

It occurred to me how beautiful and sculptural the old oil silos on the site are. They are even illuminated at night on Pipewellgate. I therefore want to fully integrate these structures into my design (fully decontaminated first). This reuse ties in with sustainability and cleaning the site. To reuse is always an option that can save money and keep within the historic nature of a site and within an urban grain. My intention is to use some of them (there are eight in all) to act as structural cores within the building. Additional possibilities include: use for the distilleries, lift and stair shafts, using them to secure the roof (inverted cone structures), rainwater collection, stack ventilation system, or maybe they could be re-clad for a greater sculptural appearance or like Tom suggested about the warehouse facades - keep the old aesthetic. I want to also used them internally to grow plants down, integrating the Aquaponic process using their structures. They could also be used externally and act as viewing towers on the landscape or support food producing green walls. This is a strong idea that could link the landscape into the building and something that is going to feature greatly in my design process over Easter. These industrial process structures will vertical connect with the natural canopy of the Botanical garden above, again coming back to this symbiotic relationship and the architectural language of ‘outside meeting inside’ and the cleansing/ connections within the design scheme.




Precedents:  

• Abandoned Industrial Silo Becomes Beautiful Residences in Denmark

• annie MG schmidt house designed by arons en gelauff architecten, is the winner of the adaptive reuse design competition for two former sewage treatment silos in amsterdam's zeeburg district. the design which is named after holland's most famous author of children's books, annie MG schmidt (1911-1995), is a multi-functional cultural center that will house a range of facilities including a media centre, movie theatre, tower room and shops. this project gives new life to the silos, transforming them into places of activity and leisure. one of the silo's rooftops will house an open playground, with restaurant praq op 't daq built on the other. 

•  Abandoned Silos Transformed Into a Climbing Gym

Proposed by NL Architects involves taking two of the towers and extending their roofs up 18 meters to the maxium height the towers could support. Inside tower A is a 40 meter high climbing atrium that looks like an inverted funnel with various cantelivers, wall facets, and overhangs to challenge climbers. Below the climbing atrium is a cafe and bouldering room while above is a hotel and training facility. Tower B houses a rooftop restaurant, office space, a salon, music studio, and a movie theater. The two towers are connected via a footbridge at the original rooftop height of the silos.







Off topic for this post but a relevant precedent for my botanical garden and cafe connection can be seen at Restaurant De Kas in Amsterdam. A project that grows all its own food for the restaurant with the guests dining in an actual glass green house environment.






or maybe using the fish for the Aquaponic system and create a very different atmosphere... why not?


Ithaa Underwater Restaurant:
For a truly sublime experience, try getting a table at the Ithaa Underwater Restaurant.