Libya government district win for Buro Happold and Léon Wohlhage Wernik
Buro Happold in collaboration with architect Léon Wohlhage Wernik and a team of international specialists has won the competition to design the new government district in Libya’s capital Tripoli.
Together with consulting engineer Buro Happold, the German architect developed a concept for a highly efficient use of conventional energy, combined with renewable sources of power. Léon Wohlhage Wernik has outlined details of the successful proposal below.
Buro Happold’s sustainability concept integrates the energy, water, waste and transportation systems to target a 50 per cent improvement in resource inputs (utility demands) and outputs (waste and emissions) compared with conventional systems.
New infrastructure will be built for the efficient, safe and secure servicing of the site with standby facilities for use in an emergency. A central Energy Farm containing all technical facilities will be connected to the administration building’s local equipment rooms by a full access service tunnel.
Buro Happold Project Principal Paul Rogers said: “The project provides an opportunity to establish environmental design standards for future projects within Libya and the North Africa region. It aims to ensure the minimum required draw on Libya’s key natural resources such as oil, gas and water, whilst consciously responding to the challenge of reducing environmentally harmful emissions through the use of renewable energy systems.”
Key features of the environmental concept include:
• A central tri-generation plant within the Energy Farm to meet the site base electricity, cooling and heating demands supplemented by a proportion of distributed renewable energy systems.
• Making full use of the sun - potentially Africa’s greatest marketable energy resource - for generating energy.
• Water conservation and re-use to reduce demand for city water.
• A waste management centre for the sorting of man made materials such as paper, glass and metals for recycling.
• A transport strategy that responds to short-term dependency on car use but makes full provision for the future integration of public transport networks, such as high-speed rail network and metro systems.
• Optimising energy demand with the integration of simple, effective building management control systems to ensure responsive but energy efficient work spaces.
For more details or images, please contact:
Louise Gaiger
Press officer
Tel +44 (0)1225 321764
Fax +44 (0)8707 874148
Email louise.gaiger@burohappold.com
www.burohappold.com
Architectural information on Tripoli Greens:
The Berlin architects Léon Wohlhage Wernik have won the international competition for the new government district in the Libyan capital Tripoli, succeeding against renowned competition such as Zaha Hadid (London), Ateliers Lion (Paris), von Gerkan Marg und Partner (Hamburg) and Kisho Kurokawa (Tokyo). The competition results were publicly presented for the first time on July 1, 2007 during an award ceremony in Tripoli.
The competition required a functional concept with a high level of design, as well as an architecture that inspires identity, representing both modern Libya and its tradition. After years of confrontation with the West and international isolation, Libya today stands at the threshold between the past and the future and is on the verge of a new beginning. The architects see the project named Tripoli Greens as an important representation of the new Libya.
The new government district is a 230 hectare site in Libya's capital and booming economic hub Tripoli. The government buildings with a planned total gross floor area of approx. 655,000 m² include the People's Congress Palace, the ministries, the official residence of the Prime Minister and the 140 m high tower of a five-star hotel with a conference centre.
The architects developed the concept in close interdisciplinary co-operation with a team of international experienced specialists: Buro Happold, Berlin, Germany / UK (Sustainability Concept), Werner Sobek Ingenieure, Stuttgart, Germany (Structural Engineering), ST raum a. Landschaftsarchitektur, Berlin, Germany (Landscape and Gardening Design), MetaDesign, Berlin, Germany (Real Identity), Harms & Jäkel Reports, Hamburg, Germany (Consultancy on Libyen Culture).
The Berlin architects Hilde Léon, Konrad Wohlhage and Siegfried Wernik have become renowned after winning numerous national and international competitions. They have been planning and implementing projects in Berlin and throughout Germany for 20 years. Their wide ranging portfolio includes villas, university campuses, designer lighting and high-rise office blocks. Other projects include the TV tower in Guangzhou (China), the SchwabenGalerie in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, the Indian Embassy and the State Offices of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (both in Berlin).
More information at www.leonwohlhagewernik.de
Léon Wohlhage Wernik Architekten
Anneke Holz (Public Relations)
Leibnizstrasse 65. MetaHaus
10629 Berlin
+49 (0)30-327600-22
+49 (0)30-327600-60
holz@leonwohlhagewernik.de
