The two residential towers, Residence B and Residence C, sit on a three-storey podium enclosing shops, restaurants and car parking, and are entered via a pavilion that links the various points of access.

Each tower is composed as a series of layers, expressed in a palette of materials: a deep terracotta plane is punctuated by recesses which reveal a layer of Jura limestone that extends to form the four corners of the building, while the vertical grooves of the lift cores are clad in blue glazed tile. Further animation of the elevations results from variations in the internal planning.

Inside, apartments combine the European notion of the open plan with the Japanese framed view. While certain elements of traditional Japanese planning, such as the entrance step and seclusion of the master bedroom, are retained, boundaries between other spaces are opened up and corridors rationalized into axes and vistas.

Nature in the heart of the city informs the design concept, both inside and out. Balconies are ‘micro-landscapes’ of white concrete planters, timber handrails and decks, and etched-glass screens. Three apartment types—‘forest’, ‘desert’ and ‘mountain’—are based on different material themes. ‘Forest’ is timber-clad, with end-grain woodblock flooring, and walnut and cherry panelling; ‘desert’ combines red sandstone with walnut and oak; ‘mountain’ marries black limestone with blue-white nubuck leather.