This is a whole chunk of the city housing 2500 people in over 700 apartments. It is incredibly ambitious in its notions about public space in residential environments. The complex is essentially a gated community with its back to the surrounding city and its focus on a central garden. Though there are “public” venues in the central space, they are oriented to the same exclusive crowd as the apartments. The “links” up above house more locally oriented service like dry cleaners and small cafes. The jury is out on whether this will actually work.
The skin of the residential buildings is remarkably similar to what Holl did at Simmons Dorm at M.I.T.–thin aluminum panels on the outside with embrasures in bright colors.
