The Building Tower Plaza is one of a set of two office towers with 17 floors above ground situated in Vila Nova de Gaia, facing O’Porto. The towers embrace symmetrically the main roundabout of Gaia Nova on V8 Avenue. The project conception profit from local morphology and stressed the visual relationship that is easily established with O’Porto city and its river. The higher floors offer breathtaking sights of the city stretching from downtown to the ocean. The two towers are the higher volumes in this area and frame the beginning of the V8 Avenue – a characteristic that makes them highly visible. Tower Plaza sets a strong identity urban wise as a prominent architectonic piece. The tower has 3 underground floors for parking, a ground floor dedicated to commerce, 16 high-rise floors for offices and the top floor used for
facilities. Inner organization The building was designed according to the client demands in commercial terms. Its inner organization is based on an office module with 110 square meters. This module can be divided in smaller divisions of 50 square meters or in larger units of 300 square meters by aggregating a maximum of three modules. The office unit’s area distributed along a longitudinal corridor, with emergency stairways at both ends and two elevators sets at the centre. Three green interior and highly lighted patio, with four floors height each, define the circulation across the offices. The abundant transparency induces a very pleasant environment, typical of lower buildings. The four floor high patio is crowned by an office floor that gives closure to this vacuum. The pattern of four plus one floor sets the rule for the entire building, creating 3 layers of these units, totaling 15 floors. Finally, two top floors complete the 17 floor building.
The facades The facades design makes a stand by creating a technological visual in which the interior layout is projected to the outside. The facades clearly draw a grid with a specific vertical rhythm set by the inner five floor high patio, further divided in a 2+1+2. This arrangement creates a net that emphasizes large transparencies in contrast to opaque surfaces. The essence of the north, south and west facade emerges from this logic. The east elevation however privileges the relationship with O’Porto landscapes, thus reducing the presence of metallic net. The metallic grid is highlighted on the north and south surfaces. Its quasi-transparency reveals the vertical presence of the stairways and technical areas. A very contemporary mix of visual stimulate is thus created with the dialogue of the shiny finishing of the glass surfaces and the lively texture of the equipments. It creates an aesthetic pattern enriched by the materials contrasting diversity.
