Leopold tower mock-up

Given both the scale of the LEOPOLD project and the level of detailing prefabrication requires, a mock-up has been installed on site. The all-white double-skin envelope replaces the original 1970's dark and dull pre-fab version, proposing instead an insulated timber facade panel equipped with large sliding windows, a 1,6m deep terrace, and perforated sliding screens. Hands-on, all participants can take the time to see, touch, and therefore understand what works and what doesn’t before production starts. Dimensional tolerance between the existing 1970’s concrete structure and the facade is a critical issue, just as absorbing deformations due to the terrace’s overhang is. Patience pays : the skin in its final version will be on site within the next few months, hoisted up and plugged in at brisk pace.