BIG designs the new Albany Marina Residences and its adjacent public plaza in The Bahamas – a 175,000sf (ca. 16,000sqm) Honeycomb building with a private pool on each balcony overlooking the marina.
The Honeycomb will be the tallest structure in the paradise-like beach and golf resort community, Albany - making it a landmark on the resort, and a beacon from the ocean.
Surrounded by extraordinary views of the marina and its surrounding community, the residences in the building offer a variety of floor plans that will suit the diverse lifestyles of its tenants.
To emphasize the relationship with its surroundings, the building has a full glass façade and is wrapped in balconies, connecting the interiors with the natural beauty of the Island.
Since the prime views are towards the south, these balconies are deep enough to not only provide an outdoor space, but also summer kitchens and a pool sunken into the balcony floor of each unit.
These unique pools have a transparent edge towards the plaza, eliminating the visual barrier between the pool and the surrounding environment and allow bathers to become fully immersed in the view of the marina and the ocean beyond.
The additional weight of the water is supported by a floor-high beam below, while also providing privacy between adjacent apartments. The repetition of this motif creates a hexagonal pattern in the façade, alluding to natural geometries found in certain coral formations or honeycombs.
Different unit sizes introduce dynamic irregularities in the pattern that further amplify this notion. The transparent front of the pools that span each balcony unit literally becomes the face of the building. At night they are illuminated, creating lively reflections on the ceilings of the balconies and activate the façade.
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Architects: BIG
Partner in Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen
Project Leader: Sören Grünert
Project Team: Benzi Rodman, David Spittler, Jenny Shen, Karen Shiue, Lujac Desautel, Romea Muryn, Brian Foster
Collaborators: Hks And Mda
Size: 175.000 m2
Year: 2013
Client: Tavistock Group And New Valley Llc
Status: In Progress