the architects
The Architectural firm ARHIS ARHITEKTI was founded in December 7, 1988. They are located in Latvia. The extent of their work comprises the development of building projects, including architectural and interior design – as well as the coordination of the design process of specific parts within the project which occur in cooperation with engineering offices or independent professionals as subcontractors.
Since its foundations in 1988, ARHIS ARHITEKTI has designed more than 900 projects. The wide and diverse scope includes: new structures, renovations and restorations, interior design, town-planning proposals and competition projects.
The successful realisations and professional attitude of the firm, together with an active promotion and popularisation of architectural ideas to the society, have confirmed its national recognition and established a dynamic cooperation with foreign partners.
Observation Tower, Jūrmala, Latvia
This observation tower in located in Jurmala, Latvia. Following the Jurmala City council’s decision, the designed observation tower for the Ragakapa Park in 2004/2005 was moved to this new location -the Dzintaru Mezaparks- and built in the year 2010. Taking in consideration that both locations were different, some changes of colour and dimensions were made.
The differing environments between the previous hill, covered with common pines, and the forested flat, required changes in the hight of the tower, which jumped up to a 33.5m from ground level. In total, including the cellular operator antenna, the tower has 38m.
When you arrive in the box at the top of the tower 36 metre above ground level you are then able to view over the top of the tall Lativian trees and a view of the sea. Due to the location of the tower there is very little close by. Documenting my observations opposite though google earth you can see every building in site is very far away.
Along the way, up the tower there are 12 balconies which allow the users rest and to enjoy the view feeling the solitary air of the place and view nature at different heights.
My inital sketching of the observation tower
STEEL
It’s a light, simple parallelepiped tower with a metallic structure covered by glued wooden elements and a comfortable, wide and metallic staircase that whirls around a squared structural core, taking us to an asymmetric platform at the very top. Along the way, 12 balconies allow us rest and enjoy the view feeling the solitary air of the place and view nature through a squirrel’s eyes.
The structural concept defined the tower’s visual appearance –a laconic, quadrilateral and elongated tower with stretched elements and randomly distributed balconies which end with a dynamic observation “cage”.
The structure of the observation tower is made of galvanized metal profiles, pine wood trusses treated with protective coats and industrial produced metallic grids which help the integration with the surrounding environment.
To protect the steel, a coating of fire-resistant and water-resistant material was applied. The fire-resistant material prevents the steel from losing its strength and integrity in a fire while the water-resistant material prevents rusting.
From google earth I could tell this tower has exposed concrete footings which come above ground, then the steel columns are bolted to them with a steel base plate and anchor bolts.
The structure according to the book ‘constructing architecture’ is a two-way frame. The columns are made from structural hollow sections which, in contrast to the I- sections, present the same connection options on all sides. Due to the height the height the columns are 4 meters and due to the function of the building being a staircase results in the staggered nature of the columns which permits the different landing heights in different bays.
The square structure columns used to hold up the tower is ideal for concentric loading. The structural hollow sections exhibit small surface development. This structure especially with the height would not stay up without the use of the steel framing. Steel is heavier than timber or concrete but can carry more loads and can last longer. Steel is used in this high-rise tower due to its strength and load bearing capacity to weight ratio.
From a sustainability point of view, the use of computer modelling before fabrication reduces the amount of scrap steel produced. Any scrap that is produced can be recycled for use in other projects. Steel is endlessly recyclable because it does not lose any inherent properties such as strength when it is melted down and recast.
Since steel frames are fabricated off-site, on-site labour can be reduced by 10%-20%. Fewer workers also mean fewer accidents.
The comfortable stair, whose treads are made of metallic grids, has 203 risers that take the visitor to the platform at 33.5m of height. The industrial grates allow transparency between the successive floor. From what I can see in the images they are bolted to a steel string which is bolted to brackets to the steel columns.
TIMBER
The tower is covered in timber slats which offer glimpses of the views surrounding the tower until you reach a balcony. I feel its an appropriate material for the tower to merge well with its natural surroundings, creating a seamless blend between the environment and buildings.
If positioned carefully and treated appropriately, timber cladding can easily last between 40-60 years, if not more. Its low carbon footprint requires less energy to produce than any other construction material.
Jurmala gets cold winters with a lot of snow so the timber cladding can withstand the cold, wind and rain, especially if appropriately placed and cared for.
Timber is very light weight material and due to the heavy steel frame work and the thin tall nature of the build it is the perfect alternative to other cladding materials.
From what I can see in photographs the timer slats are held in place by a small hidden steel framework, this is welded to the steel columns also acting as bracing bars.
The design of hiding some junctions is smart. Hiding parts of the steel columns and the timber slated joints is a much larger piece of timber. Behind it hides steel brackets connecting it to the column. I have created a 1:10 scaled representation bellow of the structure.
