"Minor" Tower is designed as a part of Residential Park "Timurid Chor-Bagh" in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The design of the residential complex is based on the planning model of traditional Timurid garden "chor-bagh", in which the "Minor" Towers serve the control height dominants in the corners of the complex - like the observation towers of traditional "chor-bagh" of the XIV century.

We started work on the design of the Towers from learning the rich architectural heritage of Uzbekistan, noticing that the main height accents of Uzbek architecture are the silhouettes of the minarets and towers, with or without cupolas.

Residential Tower "Minor" is placed on the basement in the shape of eight-pointed star (the symbol of Islam), that helps to situate the building in the landscape in the right way. This stylobate contains 3 floors of the services, with total area 8800 m2.

The main volume of the building is formed by alteration of the glazed and opened aivans - the residential apartments of duplex type, which are united by the cornices each two floors (total amount of 28 floors).

Traditional Uzbek aivans are very important functional spaces, like the external galleries, which unite the interior and the exterior of the building, and due to the shadow and aeration produce the favorable microclimate. That's why we see their role not only as highly decorative traditional element, but also they are very important in creating comfortable eastern environment - giving shadow to the facade and creating shaded terraces for leisure and communication.

One of the characteristic features of the "duplex" apartments is the double-spaced salon, with its huge windows opening fantastic views to the city. The other advantage of these "duplex" apartments is the exit from the double-spaced salon to the huge balcony - private "Uzbek courtyard" for each apartment.

The eight-pointed star-shaped volume under the cupola contains residential penthouses. Total number of storeys under the cupola -37 storeys. Total residential area - 30 390 m2.

The cupola contains restaurant with unique view terrace, conference-halls and penthouses. Area of the basement of the cupola is 855 m2. Design of the dome of "Minor" Tower also follows the tradition of Uzbek domes: in Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva we saw beautiful ribbed domess, they all have the double facade - inner and outer. The inner space of the dome is often decorated by the stalactites or mucarnas, forming the cell vault which strikes imagination. We decided to use the construction principle of this cell vault, but turn it inside out, to have the stalactites outside.

The towers are designed in various compositions of the main volume, with variations of domes and stylobates, and also the number of storeys: 37,30,23 and 22 storeys.

Working team: Manuel Nunez Yanowsky, Julia Suprunovych, Andrey Levchenko, Alexander Ivashchenko.

Publications and reviews:
The Mag: SPECIAL FOR UZBEKISTAN