Black Swans Towers, Strasbourg

The Black Swans Towers are an excellent example of a reversible construction, and house accommodation, hotels, student halls of residence and retirement flats. The project architect, Architectures Anne Démians, aimed to “provide a moderate and homogeneous structure able to adapt to any requirements and changing projects in a district undergoing an instantaneous metamorphosis”.

Each tower is built based on the same logic, streamlining project costs to begin with. The towers also benefit from access balconies encircling the different floors, ensuring that individual users can access the different indoor areas whether partitioned or other. All technical components are located at the centre of the platforms, making it easy to open and re-partition spaces during the transformation process.

An industrial approach would appear logical. Lengthy preliminary work ensures that the prefabricated components fit smoothly together to produce a quality, reliable and long-lasting building. An industrial approach allows for this type of solution, which traditional construction methods cannot offer.