MVRDV has revealed the design for The Hills, its first project in South America, to will be realized along the riverfront of Ecuador. The project is designed for Quito-based developer Uribe & Schwarzkopf, the project is located on Guayaquil’s Guayas river. Overall, the complex will stand as a cluster of six residential towers atop a mixed-use plinth, suggesting a lush, naturally carved “valley.”
The team at MVRDV notes that “the design is inspired by the many juxtapositions found in Guayaquil itself—from the broad expanse of the river contrasted with nearby mountains, to the sight of modern high-rises on the shoreline set against the colorful hillside settlements of the Santa Ana hill.”
The project will be sited in the upscale neighborhood of Puerto Santa Ana, extending the boulevard that is gradually being consolidated along much of the city’s waterfront. The six residential towers of The Hills range from 92 to 143 meters (300 to 470 feet), rising taller as they step away from the riverfront, thus echoing the way the city ascends from the waterfront.
Between the four towers located closest to the river and the two towers at the rear of the development is a deeper “canyon,” which will host extra spaces for retail and creating a route for pedestrians to cross the site at ground level, while also allowing for the project to be built across two phases.
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