Vertical Campus University Central
by Taller Architects

The campus of Universidad Central is located within the historic city center of Bogotá, Colombia.

As part of the inner city’s revitalisation project, Taller Architects designed a building as a powerful architectural gesture, merging the existing urban fabric with the university campus.

This main building will become the cornerstone for the development of the university campus and wishes to consolidate its presence in the city in a significant way.

In an attempt to deliver spaces equally important to formal learning spaces, the project envisions a Vertical Campus. This tower seeks to foster knowledge through meeting and exchange spaces without the need for a particular programmatic definition.

A new public plaza gives the neighbourhood a generous and wide public space, subtly intertwining the two worlds of the city and the campus.

The project consists of three towers: in the middle, the vertical campus sets itself apart with a very light and transparent steel structure and glazed façade.

In stark contrast, the two adjacent towers feature a conventional concrete structure and façade where classrooms and administrative spaces reside.

The vertical campus is designed with a slim steel construction and full glass facade. It appears to be floating between the adjacent concrete towers.

In contrast to the open and informal character of the vertical campus, these towers contain spaces for concentration and focus.

A series of double and triple height voids on the façade break down the mass of the towers and create study rooms and terraces.

Inside a series of voids and terraces create spaces for the exchange of knowledge in an informal way.

The main floor features an entry plaza, which connects directly with the vertical campus, as well as commercial activity on street level.

The vertical campus invites the fabric of the city in and extends this collective landscape over several layers.

The transparency of the vertical campus makes it an integral part of the public space. At nightfall, the volume takes on a lighthouse effect as a beacon for the neighbourhood, highlighting the presence of the educational institution in the city.

Authors Taller Architects
Location Bogotá, Colombia
Year 2014-2019
Collaborator TAB/Daniel Bonilla
Client Universidad Central
Surface 26.466 sqm
Photography Courtesy of Taller Architects
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