Eurovea Tower model

An interactive model of the first Slovak skyscraper.

Bratislava is getting ready for its new landmark. A new skyscraper is emerging on the of the river Danube next to the Eurovea shopping mall. The apartment sale began along with the excavation works. The property developer needed a powerful marketing and communication tool: a sculpture, an architectural model that would not only represent the shape of the building but also provide extra information using animations and lighting.

Assignment

Our client JTRE was looking for an attractive marketing tool to present their upcoming project, Eurovea Tower. It was supposed to serve as a support tool for selling the 350 apartments in the emerging building. We realized that the first skyscraper in the country deserves more than just a downscaled model. We started to create a sculpture, a piece of art representing timelessness, luxury and technological superiority of the architecture itself.

  • Year: 2019
  • Type: Interactive model
  • Stage: Design and implementation
  • Photo: Petra Rjabinin
  • Client:

A marketing tool supporting the sales of 350 luxurious apartments.

The model is controlled via an intuitive app, that triggers animated highlighting of individual apartments and their groups, as well as filtering and highlighting based on parameters such as number of bedrooms, area, availability or price.

Technical solution

From the very beginning, we saw the object as a slender iconic monument reaching high in the sky. We employed its vertical ribs crossing the layers of horizontal floors as a dominant visual trait. We wrapped the internal core of the model with a custom-made LED display so that it can be used for presentations with animated visual effects. This allows us to highlight individual apartments or entire floors and immerse the building into ambient effects simulating sky conditions and weather moods. The effects are being generated by our custom software engine and controlled by an iPad app with a user-friendly interface.

Materials

We chose the materials so that they meet our durability expectations and match the overall feel of a luxurious art piece – a sculpture. The main frame, laser-cut from sheet steel, is complemented with glass and acrylic parts. Thanks to rigorous parametric computational design and precise digital fabrication, we were able to clear the model from excessive technical details. Each piece falls perfectly into its place and the entire model can be put together like a giant game of Tetris.

Transportability

Convenient transportability was a crucial requirement for the model. As a marketing tool, it travelled to several trade fairs, exhibitions, and showrooms. It was possible thanks to a simple disassembly and assembly process. We equipped the model with transportation cases, protecting all its parts including electronics, small and fragile parts and contact surfaces with delicate finish.

Features

  • The model is controlled via an intuitive iPad app.
  • The presenter can highlight specific apartments, filter them according to various parameters, such as number of bedrooms, area, availability or price.
  • For a complete immersive experience, it is possible to apply ambient effects simulating daylight, night sky, sun reflecting in the facade, clouds and more.
  • The surroundings of the buildings are visually simplified. The infrastructure and adjacent buildings are indicated in simple flat shapes, which lets the dominant tower stand out.
  • The elegant plinth is made of horizontal boards and a group of inclined pillars, inspired by the intertwined roots that support the building. They are parametrically optimized so that they appear like a complicated tangle although they were assembled from simple elements. Every detail matters.
  • The model consists 46 modules corresponding to the individual floors, which makes it simple to assemble, transport and maintain.

Technical specifications

  • 46 floors
  • 3,500 pieces
  • 5,000 LED pixels
  • width 2,000mm / 6’ 7”
  • length 3,000mm / 9’ 10”
  • height 2,000mm / 6’ 6”

Material and implementation

  • laser-cut steel frame
  • glass and acrylic detailing
  • apartments underlit with addressable RGB LED pixels
  • steel plinth with a parametrically optimized structure of pillars
  • iPad controller app
  • transportation cases

The floor modules are stacked one on top of another along the central core. The core also houses power and data wiring so that they are properly hidden.

Individual parts are put together either by a simple click or with small bolts so that the model forms a single firm piece. The number of elements forming the model requires the fabrication precision to fractions of a millimeter.

Public presentation

  • IXPO 2019, Bratislava, Slovakia

    The largest festival of technology in Slovakia where the model was displayed publicly for the first time.

  • Days of Architecture and Design 2019, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Public exhibition in the courtyard of the city hall.

  • Nuit Blanche 2019, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Enhanced with a special interactive animated game created at th event of the famous festival of light.

  • JTRE showroom, Bratislava, Slovakia

    The model became a permanent centerpiece of a showroom for a major property developer.