THE THEODORA HIGH RISER
A site located the heart fo Nicosia, across from the tallest building in the city. The proposal was developed in collaboration with our late friend Charlie Thornton. Jason Charalambides was in charge of the conceptual design and in contact with Charlie Thornton to develop a scheme that would satisfy the requirements to use the Top-Down construction process that was developed by TGE Top Down (tgetopdown.com). Given the scale of the proposal, a number of people collaborated to form a team. Those included among others Nikos Kalathas from D&K EPS L.L.C. in Nicosia, Tony Dikaios of Dikaios & Dikaios Architects, and Dan Esparza from TGE Top Down.
On site is a building that was erected in 1970, following the technology and codes that were prevalent in the Cyprus at the time. Management allowed tenants to perform any modifications to the building that ended up an eyesore in the middle of the city.
The idea was to maximize the use and produce a result that would maximize the return on the investment. Given the possibilities that are allowed with the newly established zoning and codes, this could become a structure about as large as the one across the street. An extensive feasibility study was conducted by Andys Telemachou Appraisal LLC in collaboration with Domus Property Consultants LLC, within which a Risk analysis was conducted yielding that the optimum result was a mixed-use 17 story building with commercial entry level and mezzanine, 3 level basement, 15 stories of open floors supported by an extended central core, and a rooftop that could function as a restaurant with views toward both mountain ranges in Cyprus.
The second most efficient scenario was what was considered the “null hypothesis” of keeping the building as is, providing income with no further expense. However, given the age and the structural condition of the building, that option was proven obsolete both structurally and financially.
The scheme was ideally formed for the Top Down technology to incorporate no columns at all and every axial member to be in compression. The technology would make this building substantially lighter than any other in the area which would be a substantial structural advantage in a seismic region.
The entry was enhanced by two exterior glass elevators that lead all the way to the top that is formed by a cylindrical vault form with two hyperbolic paraboloids, giving a front elevation reminiscent of classical and baroque forms and generating a piece of sculpture in the city.
