Urban Confluence Silicon Valley

This project represents how simple and complex technology can be. In San Jose territory, two rivers converge in the middle of a city, forming a center which needs to be highlighted and framed.
A circle, in the form of a silicon ring, frames the Urban Confluence. It bends upwards as high as possible, generating two interconnected large arches. Two bridges make movement in both directions possible. Made of Silicon, the essence of Silicon Valley, because it represents the digital veins of the information age.

The observer can contemplate different shapes of the silicon ring from different perspectives: a great arch, a large U-shaped structure, an infinity symbol, and, from the above, a large heart. In addition, it is possible to observe a large circle which forms a peace sign together with the rivers.
On its sides, the structure’s skin is transparent and covered by five hundred vertical elements to make the ring visible for birds. They also work as small power generators, which are rotated by wind and form an energy network for the building. Moreover, these elements work as parasols but still allowing the views of the city, the metropolitan area, and the entire Silicon Valley.
Furthermore, the silicon skin of the building contains photovoltaic panels. These cells contribute to the energy supply of the ring along with the wind generators.
At night, the building will display a light show. Mobile laser cannons, LED lights, and LED-lit outlines will highlight the shape of the ring. The vertical elements will also be lit, creating an infinite variety of effects. As a result, the ring becomes a huge lighthouse that can be seen from San José.
Many cities usually erect vertical monuments to demonstrate power in a masculine way. Vertical structures struggle to become the highest and most dominant construction.
However, as renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer affirmed, "I am not attracted to straight angles or to the straight line, hard and inflexible [...] I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual curves. The curves that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuousness of its rivers, in the waves of the ocean, and on the body of the beloved woman. Curves make up the entire Universe, the curve Universe of Einstein”.
Therefore, our building represents the strength of the empowered woman, the infinite curve of feminine power, and the delicate sinusoid of time: The Infinity Ring.