New Building Facilities – Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology

architecture | culture and education | urban and landscape

The design of a new building for the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts, of the Cyprus University of Technology in Limassol, is a challenge in itself, due to the large requirements in area and volume of the spaces. Even more so when it has to be placed on the given, relatively small, plot, located within a pure urban space.

A major issue that concerned us during the planning was the best and gentlest possible integration of the new building into the urban fabric. Being a building program “heavy” in need of spaces, a typical layout would create a massive and tall building, in complete contrast to the prevailing condition of the wider area. This fact led us to the design-catalyst decision to submerge the entire building one floor below ground level, thus creating a new ground floor level, and gaining one floor in height, in favor of city.

Subsequently, it was decided to organize the spaces around a large central atrium, in order to optimally illuminate this sunken ground floor. For better light management, on the West-East axis, the spaces begin to recede as we go up in height, thus achieving the exploitation of the northern, constant light, which is ideal for the laboratories of the Department. At the same time, placing the highest height of the building on the street side, blocks the strong southern light from the atrium, protecting it from overheating.

In turn, this layout gave us the possibility to create a roof in the form of a ramp, which starts from the eastern end of the plot, and crossing it around the perimeter, ends up again at the same point, but four floors higher. The ramp is characterized by a gentle 10% slope, which allows the movement of pedestrians on it, connecting the street level to the top floor of the building, where one has the possibility of a panoramic view of the city of Limassol and the Mediterranean. The roof is planted and can be given to the entire urban community, in the form of a public park, which co-operates with the university during its operating hours, while closing all the rest.

Through all these movements, an effort was made to render a modern and dynamic building, based on the principles of sustainability, bioclimatic design and the thermal comfort of its users, being at the same time a functional and pleasant space for learning, research and innovation. An incubator of ideas, which can be a point of reference for the Second Pole of development of the University, but also of the entire city.