Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Uribe & Schwarzkopf’s is inspired by natural beauty, diversity, and the community of the city. EPIQ is BIG’s second building in the city and will feature a dynamic, porous structure clad in coloured titles to echo the beauty of Quito.

Anchoring the southwest corner of the city’s La Carolina Park, the single tower is conceived as a ‘vertical city’ that brings the dramatic natural environment of Quito into its structure, with vertical landscaping creating a synergy with the adjacent park. The varied sizes and configuration of the space’s mixed-use residential, corporate and commercial units allow light and landscape to travel through the building, connecting the park and surrounding city.

The scheme reflects the colours and patterns of Ecuador, with its façade inspired by the earth tones and herringbone tiling seen throughout Quito’s Old City. The façade colour also echoes the colours of the striking sunsets seen in the city, the Andean flora and fauna, and the weavings of the toquilla straw.

Throughout the building, a series of common exterior spaces correspond with key interior zones, which include feature pools, children’s playspaces, a squash court, a bowling alley and a movie theatre. The scheme also employs sustainable features such as a greywater treatment plant for reusing rainwater, a materials bank to reuse and reduce construction materials, and eco-efficient appliances.

The historical centre of Quito with its red herringbone sidewalks is a bombardment of forms, geometry, typography, and colour. “At the south tip of La Carolina park, our aim is to create a three-dimensional community: a constellation of building volumes of different sizes that form a holistic whole offering the residents and their families a variety of sun-filled openings, passages, parks and pockets for play, social life, work, and enjoyment,” said BIG in a statement. “As architects. we are often a little afraid to play with colour – in Quito, we thought it could be interesting to use colour to accentuate the different building blocks and give each volume its own shade of red.”

Via ArchDaily | Images © Bjarke Ingels Group