In this unbuilt competition entry for a project in Dublin, Hernán Diaz Alonso embraces a figurative architectural vocabulary modeled on the biological world. The dragon-shaped, glass-enclosed tower inhabits the site like an animal crouched at the ready, and its sensual, undulating mass blurs the boundaries between surface articulation, decoration, structure, and enclosure.

Disposed diagonally as well as horizontally and vertically, the multistory structure resembles a city more than a typical office building. Commercial and residential spaces — lofts, shops, offices, restaurants, and a recording studio — intermingle on the upper levels, while a series of pedestrian lobbies creates a dynamic continuum with the urban surroundings.