towers for panama
Towers for panama
For such a small urban space, Panama City, Panama has a remarkable number of skyscrapers. Because of its unique position in the global economy, international businesses have taken advantage of the city’s real estate market to transfer value that may otherwise have been trapped offshore. This has led to an abundance of (empty) towers. As part of a quarter long travel studio under the direction of Andrew Kovacs, this model based project explores the ways that skyscrapers can create cultural and capital value simply by existing. In these paired towers, real estate and cultural capital are separated. On one side, a tower is created using existing Panama City zoning codes to maximizefloor area. On the other, a cultural tower relies on iconography to create value. By pairing them as separate towers this project distills two critical elements of Panama City’s unique skyline. This project was completed in cooperation with Benjamin Kolder.
Construction
A total of 46 unique floor plans were composed and built on a standard floor plate. Each floor plate was then placed onto a structural core, lined with plexiglass, and tied together with a series of piers along the perimeter. Each floor is completely unique, complete with furniture, wall paper, floor texture, door frames, and even artwork.
