International Conference Centre - Windblown Icon

The International Conference Centre would be added to the existing International Exhibition Centre, in Riga, Latvia. The program prescribed four, individually 250 SM lecture halls, with additional supporting areas, a restaurant, small lecture rooms and additional work areas. The use of minimized energy consumption was a must. Height restriction was given by 58 meters, however this, or any other restrictions could have been omitted, if it served acceptable purpose. The submission attached here was using this possibility on two accounts. First, provided four lecture halls, but with varied sizes: one each for 325, 275, 225 and 175 person capacities. Involved in organizing conferences for many years, flexibility in size was always a requirement! The other deviation is related to the height restriction. The need for this exception came from the application of vertical-axis wind turbines, as energy sources, placed in-between the horizontal concrete-slabs of the upper ten floors. A lantern of pentagonal pyramid crowns the building. The subject of the design exploration, and its results was, that how can one exploit and extend the unrevealed potentials of a relatively dictatorial and predictable geometrical object, and transform it to the requested new WINDBLOWN ICON of Riga.