TRI_ARCHY
Competition Entry / Finalist
Site Unspecified / 2025
Description:
KeyWords: : #Three #AdaptiveReuse #Renewable #Green #Developing
With the emergence of petroleum vehicles, a gas station became a vital typology, where travellers fuel their cars, have a snack and rest from tiring driving. With the shift to electric vehicles, gas stations will not perish but their program may change. While petroleum cars are fuelled in minutes, electric vehicles may require several hours to reach sufficient cruise range. This entry proposes converting the abandoned rural gas station into a charging bay with spaces for resting, educating, physically developing and socialising during the charging hours.
The TRI_ARCHY is a game of words describing three components in each design aspect. The architectural design adaptively reuses three main gas station parts: store building; canopy above fuel dispensers; and underground fuel cisterns. The vertical hierarchy includes three green spots: a wetland roof; an outdoor winter garden sheltered with ETFE canopy; and an indoor winter garden in the basement. The spatial organisation is formed around three key rooms: a development hub with an auditorium, library and self-service café; an indoor winter garden with vertical farming; and a digital & media art gallery. The sustainability strategy includes three major renewable sources: wind power, sunlight and harvested water.

Selected Site
Jury comments:
– Multifunctional charging stations for electric vehicles are highly relevant. The author preserves the primary function of a charging station while enhancing it with essential elements for comfortable, extended stops. Particularly intriguing is the neon aesthetic, which evokes associations with electricity and effectively reinforces the concept of the project. | Elizaveta Oputina