Phase 3: Final Design

Elevator B[ee] is an iconic gesture of the regeneration of the Silo City site, both naturally and economically. The material properties of the tower represent the cluster of material manufactures around the site while housing the colony of bees. Visitors enter the bee tower from below and look up at it, similar to the silos and bins of Marine A. The hive is contained within a bee cab, a separate object from the tower structure hung within. It provides protection, warmth and separates entry access between bees and humans. Professional beekeepers gain access to the hive by lowering it, which allows them to ensure the health and safety of the bees. This feature also caters to school groups that may visit the site allowing children to get a close up view. The panels on the tower are oriented to protect the hive and visitors from the wind, allow for solar gain and shading, and to grant viewing of the cab from outside the tower. The tower’s orientation also frames key views of the surrounding historic grain elevators and the new upcoming developments of Silo City.