Agricultural Cooperatives Headquarters 1966

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The requirements of the client - two agricultural sister organizations - stipulated two separated buildings, hence the concept of separate twin towers connected by a central elevator core was adopted. The twin towers terminate in double-floor high assembly-halls extending over the whole floor area, and seating 250 people. These two square halls are hung in between the four external structural pillars.

All elevations are strongly accentuated in a horizontal direction; the deeply recessed window strips alternate with the concrete strips of the exterior walls on each floor; the four pillars projecting from the façade continue over and above the top floor, emphasizing the verticality of the building.

The whole building complex is carried out in reinforced concrete, with exposed surfaces poured in fish-grate forms in a vertical direction, creating vivid patterns of light and shade around the four elevations.

Each office tower is square in plan and the four supporting pillars are placed at opposite sides of the square. The ground floor of each tower is raised above the four, double-floor high, free-standing pillars, creating a large open space, which is accentuated by flower-beds and sculptural elements. Each tower has an additional service core in its midst, containing emergency staircase, shelter and cloakrooms. The office space surrounding the service cores is partitioned off into smaller or larger offices along a modular grid pattern. The service cores terminate with the last storey, while the four pillars continue and protrude over and above the top storeys carrying the load of the two meeting halls.