CRISTIANO LUCHETTI

Sketching remains the essential tool for understanding and investigating places’ spatial potential. These are drawings I made during my explorations in the city of Abha in Saudi Arabia. They are preliminary studies done at the beginning of a project for the urban redevelopment of its center, the river, and the surrounding areas.

The Tripoli Special Economic Zone (TSEZ) launched an international architecture competition in February of 2019 to design a hub for Technology and Innovation on part of the Rachid Karami International Fairgrounds in Tripoli. The site is both politically and emotionally charged due to the abandonment that resulted from the Lebanese Civil War. The concrete structures designed by Oscar Niemeyer turned into modern monuments that have long stood as scars in the face of the city’s bright past and hopeful future. With a considerable emphasis on the sensitivity of the site and a jury composed of multiple UNESCO and heritage preservation experts and progressive architecture figures, the competition brief placed significant emphasis on respecting the existing master plan and architecture. The brief equally emphasized the project’s complex program requirements and budget limitations.

The charged nature of the site enticed the collaboration of Pragma and Professor Luchetti, who both share interests on issues of Middle Eastern architecture and urbanism.

The proposal operates on two primary premises. One is based on Niemeyer’s massing strategy that relies on an interplay of expansive horizontal surfaces and geometrically eclectic sculptural “objects” sitting within a vast open field. The proposed masterplan morphological maintains – sometimes even emphasizes – this strategy.

The other premise was that of a pragmatic approach to program distribution and budget constraints. The excavated soil is re-used within the project to model a new artificial topography. In fact, the program requirements that exceed 60,000 sq.m. of phased development within the given plot boundary mandated a set of multistory structures that unless partially submerged underground would exceed the heights of the existing Niemeyer structures. A cost-effective strategy required limiting the excavation of the site to what would be optimally enough to maintain height limits that respected the datum height lines of Niemeyer’s existing buildings.

The project proposes a combination of linear bars that sit atop manmade landscape hills and sculptural towers that perform as solar chimneys drawing stagnant air out of sunken courtyards and plazas. The towers, besides housing special programs, are landmarks signifying a new life inhabiting the long-abandoned site.

The system of internal squares also defines functional clusters. They mitigate the monumentality of the intervention by establishing an analogical relationship between the architecture of modernity and a contemporary approach to the design of more functional and less representative spaces.

The development and general conditions of the contemporary economic scenario are undoubtedly challenging to predict. For this reason, a project of this size and impact must be able to best interpret the cost-effective changes at the regional and international level. The proposed planimetric types provide maximum flexibility allowing variations of functions and spatial perception. The required functional brief is respected, but the project can go further. If needed, buildings can be adapted, through their simplicity, to functions that could also be typologically and functionally different from commercial uses. Most buildings can easily be converted into residences, host educational facilities (like a university campus), or become a shopping center. This flexibility is achieved through a clear and systematic structural organization, circulation, and provision of technical services. Furthermore, the spatial simplicity of the internal spaces of the buildings allows low-cost modifications that could be implemented over time. The notion of simplicity and cost-effectiveness also extends to the materiality and articulation of the building envelopes relying on conventional construction techniques and local know-how. The facades are composed of pigmented concrete for the linear bars and bush-hammered concrete for the sunken plaza levels. Vertical concrete bris-soleil diffuse direct sunlight and prevent overheating and glare. Perforated metal screens cover the towers rendering a monolithic character but also screening against direct sunlight exposure.

Design: Pragma – Ahmed Khadier (Partner in Charge) and Cristiano Luchetti

Collaborators: Nihal Halimeh, Jafar Abbas, Fayez Najeeb, Mariam Salama, Yasmine Fahmy, Marina Nassif, Abanob Zhory

Sustainability Consultant: Abeer Manneh

With: Islam Elmashtooly / Mouaz Abouzaid

The Egyptian pavilion at the Biennale Architettura proposes the theme of strategic redevelopment of spontaneous commercial spaces across the entire country. The phenomenon of ‘free’, unstructured, often illegal, trading is predominant in many urban and suburban areas. The traditional souk is no longer confined to narrow streets and interstitial spaces of historical areas. Indeed, the space of commerce extends its tentacles seamlessly along the lines of urban streams without any rule. The project for the pavilion focuses on these strategic spaces, but also on their content. The trading of ‘roba becciah’ is a large portion of all market activities. Disused items produced and dismissed by consumerist societies are first collected, and then stacked in areas creating mono-functional enclaves for future trading. The ‘roba becciah’ represents an important metaphor of the anthropological-urban condition of the modern world. The re-design of the ‘urban market’ seeks rethinking and the role of ‘free space’ within the dense morphological and social fabric of the city. It is a proposal that aims at the upgrading and ‘governance’ of large urban areas allowing a ‘free use’ that contributes to a better living of contemporary metropolises.

Project: Oval Park + Interchange Station, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi 2009

Master planning and architecture concept design for a new public square (GFA 89.000-sqm) and tram station including retail and underground parking.

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

Master planning and architecture design for a 431,000-sq.m. site with 261,000 sq.m. G.F.A. residential development including villas, townhouses, apartments, kindergarten, and a clubhouse.

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

Master planning and architecture design for a 50.000 sq.m site with 192,000 sq.m. G.F.A. residential development including high and low rise apartments, clubhouse, and retail.

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

Master planning and architecture design for a 280.000 sq.m. site with 278.000 sq.m. G.F.A. residential development including townhouses, low-rise apartments, kindergarten, offices, mall and a clubhouse.

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

Master planning and architecture design for a 194,000 sq.m. site with 319,000 sq.m. G.F.A. residential development including 15 towers, 59 villas, community center, and a clubhouse.

Master planning and architecture design for a 40-ha site with 512,000 sq.m. G.F.A. residential development including 49 towers and community facilities with a clubhouse and sales pavilion

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

The Context

 Chennai, the 'Gateway to South India', capital of the Tamil region, is a city of contrasts and diversities. Blessed with the wealth of arts and literature, it is showcasing performing arts such as Dance, Music and Drama at its best. Moreover Tamil literature is very rich in content and preaches ancient morals and values. Today, the city has gone through a tremendous change and is developing rapidly. There are a number of industries such as automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The Automobile industry in Madras is one of the leading industries in the country. It is also the second largest exporter of Information Technology in India. Apart from this, the city is a leading player in the fields of education and sports. There are a number of reputed educational institutions and stadiums here which mark the significance of the two in Chennai.

 Masterplan

 The 40 acres site, located 30km from the center of Chennai, sits on a beautiful natural setting. The overall massing consists of two main strategies surrounded by a perimeter ring road. A long sinuous background of towers defines the western edge of the site, while four clusters of towers are located along the east boundary. The curvy linear series of buildings faces a large central green spine that connects the entire site north to south. The clubhouse is part of the green spine and its architecture reflects its nature of a landscape feature. The creation, on the east side, of a series of clusters enhances the sense of community establishing visual funnels and access permeability thorough and from the main access road. Every group of towers surrounds a central open space where all main entrances, drop off, and a convenient car park area furnished with a green canopy are located. Differences in height of towers have been designed so that a great sense of variety characterizes the perception of the entire complex, enhancing a greater skyline effect. Underground car park is conveniently located under every cluster and all under the western edge.

 Unit Organisation

The residential towers are organized around two traditional typology blocks, a “4 units to a core” and “3 units to a core”. These two typologies constitute the building blocks of the residential massing. With an overall development of 2,984 apartment units, the units range from 2br +2bath simple unit ( +115 m2 ), 2br +2bath simple unit with Servant quarter ( +110 m2), 3br+3 bath simple unit with Servant quarter ( +145 m2), Penthouse 4br duplex units ( +210m2). Total gross floor area is well over 513,000 m2.

 Architectural Expression

The strategy for the architectural expression of the residential project is to emphasize traditional architectonic characters through an aesthetic abstraction. The resulting image of towers façades is a contemporary interpretation of local visual inputs. Colors and decorative motives are main actors of this scene. The wide color palette used in the project, lead toward a strong identity of clusters and linear sectors. Different combinations of colors, covering the entire spectrum are applied on balconies and windows, standing out from the pure white of towers. The relationship with the ground level is solved by the design of a large podium cladded with ebony sandstone tiles. Colorful volumes colonize penthouses crowning while landings at every floor are signed by a traditional full height screen wall motif that will regulate sunlight and will cast dramatic shadows into the common areas.

 Club House

 The peculiar function and the need for a strong identity led the design to consider the building embedded part of the landscape more than a self standing object. A large curvy roof embraces a “family” of volumes that contain the program of the clubhouse. The wide dimension of the roof provides not only covering for the volumes but it also creates a frontal covered buffer space that mediates between outdoor and indoor space. Every function has its own, dedicated, volume, therefore specific sizes have been planned in order to satisfy very different programs such as common spaces, gym, restaurant, lounge, etc.. All volumes are connected by a back wall that addresses a wide pedestrian internal promenade. The open area in front of the clubhouse is given to amenities such as pool and playground for kids. 

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

With Paolo Caracini

Full service for a residential, retail, public realm and marina development in Ras Al Kahimah of 410.000 sq.m. G.F.A, including yacht club, beach club, Souk with 45.000 sq.m. retail

Role: Senior Associate / Lead Designer RMJM HK

Master planning and architecture design for a SEZ park with 285,000-sq.m. G.F.A. including 11 office towers and facilities, and an IT office building of 49,000-sq.m

Residential Development Project

Role: Associate Director / Lead Designer BE Asia

Master planning and architecture design for a 625,000-sqm site with 158,000 sq.m. G.F.A. residential development of luxury villas, 35,000 sq.m. Multifunction village and 25,000 golf hotel

Role: Designer

Concept design for a private residence of 400 sq.m. in Hua Hin, Thailand

Concept design for twin villas Mirissa Sri Lanka