SKYHIVE SKYSCRAPER COMPETITION - COSMOPOLITAN COMMUNITY

Philadelphia has been a keystone in American history and continues to grow as a modern city. It was named a World Heritage City in 2015 by UNESCO and has a reputation for celebrating the different backgrounds of its citizens. Cultural identity is important and the best way for people to celebrate theirs is by sharing their traditions with others. This high-rise is designed to create a community that embraces the cultures around the world and celebrates them through sharing the history, food, and experiences with the people of the city. The Cosmopolitan Community is uniquely up to the task, having a cultural heritage museum inside the atrium of the office and residential tower. The tower is placed along JFK BLVD in line with the other skyscrapers of Philadelphia, but has the advantage of being next to the Schuylkill River. The plaza level connects with the Schuylkill’s pedestrian path and extends it through the site and back up to JFK BLVD. The Cosmopolitan Community has a visible mega structure inspired by the construction of DNA, symbolizing the joining of different pieces into a strong unity. The Cosmopolitan Community is a unique high-rise due to it being comprised of two buildings working together as one. The DNA inspired mega structure creates the structural support for the retail shops, office floors and residential apartments. It also acts as the main circulation housing a stair or elevator bank per column twisting in the clockwise direction. Moreover, the air is kept fresh and clean because the mega structure twisting in the counter clockwise direction expels the stale air when the fresh air is brought in from the top of the tower. This design results in no need for a solid core and therefore the center of the building was removed all together and replaced with a full 500-meter-tall atrium. Inside the atrium is the cultural heritage museum which is divided into multiple cubes connected by a series of open escalators. The open exposure of the museum’s circulation animates the everyday use of the sky scrapper differently and creates opportunities for all the users to interact and experience the many aspects of the building.