Studio Vural Unveils Striking Flower-Tower Concept for Manhattan's Urban Landscape

 

Studio Vural, a Brooklyn-based architecture firm, has designed a flower-covered tower called "Lilly" for a site in Bryant Park, Manhattan. The tower is designed to push the limits of sustainable, low-energy construction and is a hybrid of 18 residential and 23 commercial floors, providing co-working spaces, large conference rooms, and recreational amenities. The lower residential units get ample natural light and air through well-insulated windows, while offices under the expansive green roof are naturally lit by side windows.

Lilly's green roof is planted with hearty, low-maintenance Asian lilies that bloom every spring and stay green throughout the year, providing natural insulation and fresh oxygen to the polluted urban centre. The tower is heated and cooled through a geothermal system, which minimizes energy loss to unprecedented levels, thanks to the triple-insulated glazing, heat-exchanging air inlets, and green roof insulation.

Principal architect Selim Vural hopes to take urban sustainability to the next level with passive-house technologies in tower design, a step yet to be realized. Vural believes that architecture can pave the way for a cleaner future and urges Congress to pass green laws, stating that "there is no Planet B."

In conclusion, Lilly is a stunning example of sustainable architecture and showcases the future of our cities. The tower's green roof, geothermal system, and natural lighting demonstrate the possibilities of passive-house technologies. Vural's call for Congress to pass green laws underscores the importance of sustainable architecture in creating a cleaner and more sustainable future.