Eco Factor: Energy-efficient shopping center design for Liège, Belgium.
Belgium will soon be getting a sustainable and energy-efficient shopping center. Médiacité, as the shopping center has been christened, will maximize the use of natural air and light to reduce the center’s energy consumption.
Designed by Ron Arad, with help from Chapman Taylor and RTKL, the center will be located nearby a new train station and will help rehabilitate the central city economically and culturally. The central location of the shopping center will encourage people to reach it on foot, by bicycle or by using over 1000 buses that go by each day.
The entire shopping center is covered in ETFE with lots of skylights to maximize the admission of natural light throughout the day. Other energy efficient strategies being employed include allowing shops limited access to electricity to reduce their consumption. Moreover, high-efficiency condensing gas boilers and a semi-reflective transparent roofing material have also been employed to reduce heat gain.
Via: Inhabitat/DesignBoom
