Standing at 170m and 110m tall, the twin ‘Arte s’ residential towers sit at the base Bukit Gambir, a lush tropical mountain located at the heart of Penang Island in the Indian Ocean off the Western coast of Malaysia. Designed by Spark Architects, the geometry and composition of the towers is inspired the dramatic surrounding land and seascapes mediating between the steeply rising verdant mountain and the flowing currents of the Malacca Straits. The project, which began construction in 2012, is due to be completed in 2014. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The two towers are generated by the extrusion of a simple and efficient elliptical floor plate whilst the facade is brought to life with the addition of a waveform fin at each level. The varying profile of the ledges is inspired by the ocean currents of the Malacca straits which separate the island from peninsula Malaysia. The Western tower is closer to the mountain, climbing to 49 storey’s, it will be the tallest on the island offering spectacular ocean views from the upper levels of its eastern elevation whilst the Western façade looks onto the jungle covered mountain.
