Astra Montenegro, Budva, Montenegro

BBG-BBGM completes fortress-like design of Montenegro Resort
Designed by BBG-BBGM, The Astra-Montengro Tower and Wave buildings function as the dramatic centerpiece of a bold new five-star luxury mixed-use development in Budva, Montenegro. The project site, a wooded, steeply sloping peninsula along the Adriatic Sea separating the Budva and Bicice waterfronts, represents a coveted piece of this rapidly-developing region and demands an iconic form of equal drama. In order to fulfill this, BBG-BBGM's design concept involves weaving a dialogue between two complimentary forms: the iconic sail-like Tower and the attached low-rise Wave building.

The 26-storey tower building is gently curved in plan and elevation, evoking the image of two sailboats racing across the bay below. The building’s north and south ends are split to reinforce the vertical articulation of the mass into two competing exterior 'shells'. A taut, unitized glazing curtain wall system at the ends of the building is met by gently curving balconies, clad with a fritted glass rail. The inset walls at balcony level are double glazed storefront glass with sliding doors. Anodized metal panels on the face of the building visually separate these primary architectural elements. A series of horizontal anodized metal fins with back-lit glazed panels illuminate the cap of the building’s “sails.”

The base of the Tower is anchored with limestone slabs that step out of the exposed rockface, sloping dramatically to the Adriatic Sea. The entry pavilion is glazed in a structural glass system to allow maximum inside/outside visibility, and creates a separate arrival experience and identity for the residents.

In contrast to the Tower, the Wave building is linear in nature, terraced into the side of the slope. The Wave’s defining architectural expression is created by a continuous sweep of serpentine balconies. The balconies are faced in a rain screen panel and a projecting sunscreen of anodized metal louvers. The Wave’s western façade is glazed with continuous balconies overlooking the Budva Riviera, while the longer eastern façade consists of a wood panelized rain screen system. The length of the eastern wall is broken up with projecting stair and lift elements that reveal themselves through backlit frosted glass panels. The Wave’s units are accessed by a series of serpentine single loaded corridors allowing all units to be oriented to the waterfront.

Together, the Tower and Wave buildings contain a total of 454 luxury residential units and 128 hotel units.
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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