skyscraper news

Saudi Arabia's Neom mega-development to include 100-mile long 'horizontal skyscraper city'
by Tom Walker | 03 Aug 2022
Plans have been revealed for a 100-mile-long structure that is set to become the centrepiece of the ambitious Neom mega-development in Saudi Arabia. Called The Line, the "horizontal city" will be 200m wide and built on a footprint of just 34sq km. Designed to run on 100 per cent renewable energy The Line will eventually accommodate nine million people, with housing, parks and public spaces, retail and leisure facilities and

CetraRuddy convert Art Deco skyscraper into lavish residences with strong wellness elements
by Andrew Manns | 05 Jun 2019
New York-based architects, CetraRuddy, have transformed the New Jersey Bell building – an Art Deco high-rise originally designed by architect Ralph Walker – into a series of upscale apartments. The architects' intervention saw the Jazz Age landmark, which is situated at 540 Broad Street in downtown Newark, New Jersey, converted into 260 housing units. The building also has strong wellness elements, including a fitness and yoga centre, a library, a

Sir David Adjaye's first residential skyscraper in US tops out in New York with extensive wellness offer
by Andrew Manns | 17 May 2019
Sir David Adjaye's first residential skyscraper in the US – 130 William – has topped out in New York's Financial District. Developed by the Lightstone Group, the 66-storey building will boast a plethora of wellness facilities, including a gym with an adjoining a yoga room and workout terrace, and a spa with three pools, a sauna, and a massage room. The 224-apartment property will also have a basketball court, a

Plans for first skyscraper in Paris in almost 50 years given green light
by Andrew Manns | 08 May 2019
Following five years of delays and challenges from local councils, the city of Paris has approved plans for the "Triangle Tower" – a translucent high-rise that bears some resemblance to the Louvre Pyramid. First unveiled by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in 2008, the 41-storey mixed-use building, which is being developed by real estate firm Unibail Rodamco, will be situated near the Porte de Versailles in the 15th

Four Seasons Boston: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners' soaring glass skyscraper features entire floor of wellness
by Jane Kitchen | 01 May 2019
Rising 61 storeys above the thriving Back Bay neighbourhood, the all-new Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston is due to open shortly in one of America's most historic cities, complete with a full-floor spa. The soaring glass skyscraper – now the city's third tallest building at 724 feet or 220 metres – was designed by Harry Cobb of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners in collaboration with Gary Johnson of

KPF to create Tel Aviv's largest skyscraper
by Andrew Manns | 07 Jan 2019
American architecture practice Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) have unveiled their design for the Azrieli Tower, soon to become one of the tallest buildings in Israel. The new 340-metre, mixed-use tower – which will rise on the grounds of the existing Azrieli Centre – will comprise extensive residential, office, and retail facilities, as well as 1,393 sq m of hotel space. The key visual feature of the building's appearance is

MVRDV conceive next gen skyscraper with porous landscapes
by Andrew Manns | 19 Dec 2018
Dutch architects MVRDV have won an international competition to build Vanke 3D City, a mixed-use development with a number of what the design practice have termed "three dimensional" public areas. The 250-metre tower, which will overlook Shenzhen Bay in China, will take the form of eight porous but interlinked blocks. The complex will also feature landscaped gardens, atriums, hotels, apartments, and offices, some of which will be built in open-air,

Eye in the sky: Foster + Partners envision the City of London’s tallest skyscraper
by Andrew Manns | 22 Nov 2018
Foster + Partners have unveiled images for the Tulip Tower, an observatory and event space intended to become the City of London’s next cultural attraction. The 305-metre skyscraper, which will stand alongside the now iconic Gherkin building, will be an office-free venue, providing panoramic views of the city. Developed by J. Hafra Group as part of the City Corporation of London’s Cultural Mile public engagement initiative, the complex will feature

Rabat Morocco to be the home of Africa’s tallest building
by Andrew Manns | 16 Oct 2018
The Bank of Africa skyscraper in Rabat, Morocco, will be the tallest building on the African continent, at 250-metres, when it opens in 2022. The mixed-use, 55-floor highrise, which will be designed by Belgium-based architectural studio Besix, will include a luxury hotel, office space, and apartments. The project, which is being hailed as an "emblematic" addition to Rabat – considered by some to be Morocco’s cultural capital – is part

World's tallest timber skyscraper planned for Tokyo, as design team pledged to 'transform cities into forests'
by Kim Megson | 16 Feb 2018
Japanese architecture giants Nikken Sekkei have partnered with construction firm Sumitomo Forest to create the world’s tallest wooden skyscraper, which they hope will inspire the transformation of “cities into forests” around the globe. Located in central Tokyo, the timber tower, tentatively called the W350, is set to be completed by 2041 to celebrate Sumitomo Forest’s 350th anniversary – a milestone that has informed its anticipated height of 350m (1,148ft). The

Renderings revealed for Rafael Viñoly's latest New York skyscraper
by Kim Megson | 11 Jan 2018
A host of luxury leisure amenities have been revealed for the latest high-profile tower designed by architect Rafael Viñoly for New York. Global real estate firm Bizzi & Partners Development are overseeing the creation of the 88-storey, 912ft tall luxury condominium skyscraper, called 125 Greenwich Street, which is situated a block from the Santiago Calatrava-designed Oculus in Lower Manhattan. Viñoly – who is best-known for the Walkie Talkie in London

Renderings reveal Jean Nouvel's sculptural skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan
by Kim Megson | 06 Nov 2017
French architect Jean Nouvel has revealed a preview of the 1,050ft (320m) high tapering tower he has designed for New York, with renderings showing the development that will fill a condo with culture. Building work on the project, called 53W53, has reached the 58th floor, and it is already towering over the adjacent Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which will be incorporated into the new development. New computer visualisations illustrating

Shimmering skyscraper to bring culture and commerce back to downtown Detroit
by Kim Megson | 05 Apr 2017
New renderings have been revealed providing a glimpse of the mammoth leisure district being developed on the site of a famous former department store in downtown Detroit. In 2013, SHoP Architects were selected following an invited competition to study the possibilities for using the J.L Hudson’s Store site at 1206 Woodward Avenue as a catalyst for the ongoing revitalisation of the city. To encourage growth, attract residents back to the

Bending the rules: Architects propose 'world's longest skyscraper'
by Kim Megson | 24 Mar 2017
New York architecture studio Oiio have unveiled an eccentric design concept to counter the city’s strict building height restrictions: a looping skyscraper called The Big Bend. Described by the studio as both “a modest architectural solution” to zoning limitations and as “the world’s tallest building,’ the thin structure – 4,000ft long if measured end to end – resembles an enormous upside down U-shape. Renderings of the project imagine it looming

Leisure developers dream big as skyscraper construction reaches record high
by Kim Megson | 16 Jan 2017
Developers around the world are increasingly looking to the skies, with more buildings over 200m (656ft) completed in 2016 than in any other year. In its review of the year, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has determined that 128 buildings of 200m height or greater were completed around the world – a marking the third year running the record has been broken. The figure represents a

Molecular 'glue' could hold the key to building towering timber skyscrapers, research finds
by Kim Megson | 06 Jan 2017
Molecules 10,000 times narrower than the width of a human hair could hold the key to building towering wooden skyscrapers in the future, new research has found. A father and son team at the Universities of Warwick and Cambridge in England have unlocked the mystery of how key sugars in cells bind to form strong, indigestible materials – a finding they believe could lead to the creation of super-strong skyscraper-supporting

GSM to design New York's One Vanderbilt skyscraper observation deck
by Kim Megson | 09 Dec 2016
Experience design studio GSM Project has announced it will design the upcoming observation deck attraction at One Vanderbilt, a 1,400ft (426m) skyscraper scheduled to open in New York City in 2020. The indoor-outdoor platform will offer panoramic views of the cityscape, including nearby landmarks the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. Located more than 1,000ft (304,8m) above the ground, it has been dubbed “the most exciting observation deck experience

Ground broken on Santiago Calatrava’s record-breaking skyscraper
by Tom Anstey | 13 Oct 2016
Ground has been broken on the Santiago Calatrava-designed Dubai skyscraper, set to be the world's tallest when it opens in 2020. The groundbreaking ceremony, which took place this week in Dubai’s Creek Harbour development, marks the start of construction for a building that will top the city’s own Burj Khalifa, giving it the record of world’s tallest tower. Emaar Properties and Dubai Holdings are behind the US$1bn (€910m, £823m) plans,

Evian Spa to occupy 86th floor of Lotte Group’s soaring Seoul skyscraper
by Jane Kitchen | 10 Oct 2016
Evian Spa will expand its presence in the Asian market with a new spa on the 86th floor of Lotte Hotel Group’s Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea. Lotte Group, South Korea’s fifth-largest conglomerate, is building the 555m-high (1,821ft) tower, which will be Seoul’s first super-tall skyscraper and the sixth-tallest building in the world. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the 123-storey tower will include department stores, cultural facilities,

Eric Parry's Undershaft skyscraper could host Museum of London outpost
by Tom Anstey | 03 Jun 2016
The Museum of London is looking into the possibility of opening a viewing gallery at the top of London’s upcoming 1 Undershaft. The towering skyscraper – which will be as tall as the neighbouring Shard if approved to open in 2022 – will be located in the heart of the capital's financial district. When Eric Parry Architects unveiled the plans in December 2015, the design envisioned large areas of public

Bjarke Ingels: ‘BIG don’t do anything just for fun’
by Kim Megson | 20 Apr 2016
Bjarke Ingels has insisted that his unorthodox buildings "are not just for fun", and demonstrate how architects can respond to new development restrictions in unique and interesting ways. Speaking in an interview with the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the founder of architecture studio BIG – who have unveiled a spate of high-profile new leisure projects in recent months – said that for every new project he identifies

Starwood brings St Regis to Belgrade with hotel and residences in twisting landmark skyscraper
by Kim Megson | 20 Apr 2016
Hotel and resort giant Starwood has agreed a deal to open a 125-room hotel and 220 St. Regis-branded residences in Serbia’s tallest mixed-use tower. The Kula Belgrade – a 550ft tall and twisting glass skyscraper designed by the Chicago office of architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Global – is scheduled to open in 2019, when it will form the centerpiece of a major new waterfront development in the capital

Will our skyscrapers soon be built from timber?
by Kim Megson | 11 Apr 2016
Timber skyscrapers can improve our built environments and urban experiences, according British practice PLP Architecture and researchers from Cambridge University. To give credence to this theory, the architects and academics have joined forces with engineers Smith and Wallwork to present mayor of London Boris Johnson with conceptual plans for an 80-storey, 300m high wooden mixed use tower integrated within the Barbican arts centre in the capital. The use of timber

CLAD's concepts of the week: Two mile-high structures proposed
by Kim Megson | 27 Feb 2016
This week, two architecture studios have announced concepts for structures over a mile high. The first scheme, called The Mile, is from international design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), who have proposed the world’s highest vertical park and observation deck. Developed together with German engineering firm Schlaich Bergermann & Partner (SBP) and British digital design studio Atmos, The Mile would be the tallest man-made structure ever created –

One Undershaft: City of London's tallest skyscraper will offer free public access to capital's skyline
by Kim Megson | 09 Dec 2015
Plans to build the tallest skyscraper in the City of London have been unveiled by Eric Parry Architects, who say it will feature the UK’s highest free public viewing gallery. At a height of 309.6m (1,000ft), Parry’s commercial tower, named 1 Undershaft, will be as tall as its Renzo Piano-designed neighbour The Shard – currently the tallest building in western Europe. It will be located in the heart of the

Iconic New York skyscraper and lush Sao Paulo gardens to house Oetker Collection hotels
by Jane Kitchen | 08 Dec 2015
Luxury hotel brand Oetker Collection is expanding into the Americas with the launch of two hotels – one in Sao Paulo and one in New York – within the next three years. The New York location is slated to open in Q2 2018 in the former Sony Tower, originally designed by American architect Philip Johnson. The building is an iconic New York landmark, known for its ornamental ‘Chippendale’ roofline and

Atkins and Arup combine to create Vietnam's tallest skyscraper
by Tom Anstey | 07 Aug 2015
Ground has been broken on what will be Vietnam’s tallest building – the 460m (1,509-ft) Vincom Landmark 81 – featuring 25 separate rooftop gardens and an observation deck as part of the development. A collaboration between Atkins and Arup, the 81-storey development will come up in Ho Chi Minh City’s Vinhomes Central Park. In addition to the rooftop gardens, many of which will be accessible to the public as visitor

Beyoncé video inspires Elenberg Fraser’s Melbourne skyscraper and hotel
by Jason Holland | 10 Jul 2015
A new 160-room hotel in Melbourne will give guests the chance to stay the night with Beyoncé – or at least inside a curvy skyscraper inspired by the global superstar. Australian architect Elenberg Fraser’s 226m (741ft) high Premier Tower features a series of curves and bulges and its form pays homage to Beyoncé’s ‘Ghost’ music video – in which naked dancers gyrate while wrapped in stretchy fabric.

Paris could be set for skyscraper revolution after Herzog and De Meuron’s Triangle Tower is approved
by Jason Holland | 03 Jul 2015
Herzog and De Meuron’s Triangle Tower – which features a 120-room four-star hotel and panoramic restaurant – is to become Paris’ first skyscraper for more than 40 years after getting the green light from the city council. The controversial pyramid-shaped structure was initially rejected by councillors, but the November 2014 vote was annulled by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo. In the re-run, the project was approved after receiving 87 votes in

Studio Gang reveals triple-tower mixed-use skyscraper for Chicago
by Jason Holland | 17 Apr 2015
Striking designs for a new skyscraper in Chicago have been unveiled by Studio Gang Architects. The 1,100ft (335m) high, mixed-use Wanda Vista Tower has a facade of reflective blue-green glass and would sit at the north edge of the thriving Lakeshore East community, adjacent to the Chicago River. The development would include more than 1.8m sq ft (167, 225 sq m) of hotel and residential space, and the distinctive design
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