Axiom 

Studio Patrik Schumacher

Tutors Jose Pareja, Aswin Shah

Team Prasanna Balan, Siddharthan Saravanan, Yifan Zhao, Yichen Zhou

The shift to post-Fordism has accelerated the process of urbanization where the cities have undergone a profound transformation into almost unrecognizable collages of structures. Axiom responds to this growth in the urban landscapes, which often emerges in dynamic and intricate compositions, comprising a diverse array of buildings with distinct functions. Consequently, this phenomenon has given rise to what we refer to as a “collage city”. As our cities continue to expand, the chaos within this “collage” composition only intensifies. The functional purpose of each building becomes an intricate puzzle and is lost in this ever-growing visual complexity. The distinctive urban landscape blurs architectural styles and functions, making it increasingly difficult to navigate and understand the city’s underlying structure. 

To address this issue Axiom comprises a high-density urban district with a diverse programme mix where the different layers of systems and sub-systems are internally differentiated and are focused on the service of social functional values like urban legibility and identity, to facilitate orientation and navigation to the end users. Our explorations were initiated through the biomorphic networks, where the characteristics of urban network formations were studied and developed through agent behaviour - specifically chemotaxis. By adjusting the behaviour parameters, the maps of characteristic patterns were used to derive a detour network that was used as the circulation system. By analysing the urban semiotics, we created a library of visual and spatial language to create a deep relationality across all the different systems. The system of significations was created based on shape, spatial position, façade morphology and functional distribution. 

Urban district for Axiom, is not only a composition derived through density but also through visual connectivity both in terms of morphology and in terms of detailed façade articulations across the global level. These façade designs are systematically varied across the site so that the urban formations can be sensitive to both sunlight and can also act as a phenomenological device enhancing navigation and orientation. In this way Axiom weaves together an urban fabric that transcends the chaos of the “collage”, fostering a cohesive and deeply interconnected urban environment that can facilitate unity and order.