Mejok Tower

A great deal of contemporary architecture is involved in the issue of monolithic structures, sweeping envelopes and scale. The very size of these designs makes a statement, even if not intended. And so it is preferable to deal with the issue at hand, rather than allow the necessities of function and economy decide for you. Larnaca is a small city, on a small scale. There is nothing for the multistorey volume of the design to hide behind. For the time being Mejok Tower will stand out for being just that, a tower. And so it is that the treatment of its surface, restrained but fragmented, broken down into smaller elements serves to create an object that, although neat and compact, does not read as a singular mass but a series of episodes. Horizontal louvers and slabs divide cleanly. A plethora of plants then come along to soften the surface and provide a sea of green in what is a dry, urban landscape. From another point of view the nature of the design also enjoys a range of functions that help to ensure that this is not a one-dimensional existence. Both public and private parking invade the lower reaches of the tower, while the commercial zone at its base and the common facilities on the 13th level provide an enriched environment to inhabit. The view, for a few years to come, is likely to be stunning.