Axis Mundi
John Beckmann, CarloMaria Ciampoli, James Coleman, Nick Messerlian, Pauline Marie d’Avigneau, Taina Pichon
United States

Project submitted to the 2010 Skyscraper Competition

As the city takes stock in a post-boom era, architect John Beckmann sees this as the time to rethink the tall buildings that have become synonymous with New York City’s identity.  

“Instead of disguising the rich potential of towers that have a mix of uses, we looked for a way to express that diversity,” Beckmann explained. The firm used parametric computer-modeling software to test a wide range of possibilities. Out of this iterative process, Beckmann and his firm, Axis Mundi, propose a new way to organize and express tall buildings: the Vertical Neighborhood. “A more diverse, complex, heterogeneous, and environmentally minded city need no longer be represented on its skyline by one-note architecture that makes a singular visual image and little else,” explained John Beckmann, the founder of Axis Mundi, a Manhattan-based architecture firm. 

Rethinking Hines Tower Site
Beckmann proposes a conceptual alternative to business-as-usual, choosing the site of the proposed 53W53rd, among the city’s largest skyscraper proposals in one of the most overbuilt parts of Midtown. Hines, the developer, engaged Paris architect Jean Nouvel, who designed an 82-story hotel and residential tower higher than the Chrysler Building. Read the rest of this entry »

Doonam Back, Yann Caclin
Korea / France

Project submitted to the 2010 Skyscraper Competition

While the majority of skyscrapers focus on height, the concept behind this proposal is its fragmentation in a series of buildings around a central courtyard for recreational activities. The different fragments are configured according to program and orientation. The result is a cluster of crystals linked by promenades, gardens, and plazas. Read the rest of this entry »

Architect Vincent Callebaut designed a sustainable tower in Paris to filter air particles and harvest wind and solar power. The project would be located in the 19th Parisian district which characterizes for being an extremely polluted area surrounded by old factories.

The project is divided in two; a “Solar Drop” located on top of abandoned railway tracks and a “Wind tower”. The Solar Drop is designed to transform polluted into clean air through a system of filters covered with titanium dioxide which break the pollutant particles. Along with the green technologies, the building is equipped with recreational areas for the city such as gardens, pools, galleries, and commerce. The Wind Tower equipped with turbines in its entire façade produces enough energy for the neighborhood and houses a museum and learning center on renewable energies. Read the rest of this entry »

CHROMAesthesiae: An installation of modular color

SOFTlab’s latest installation, CHROMAesthesiae, arrives at Devotion just in time for spring. CHROMAesthesiae is a flourishing landscape of color, blooming across the ceiling in high contrast-gradated clusters. This installation is an investigation on the spatial and chromatic perception of space. SOFTlab uses modularity as a core modality in order to generate complexity from repetitive form, allowing for rapid expansion or contraction of every piece created. With the motto, “everything changes,” the ability to adapt and grow conceptually underpins their entire body of work. This customizable installation is made of discrete, laser cut paper structures held together with binder clips: everyday objects are repurposed and precisely recombined. Forms evolve and shift color throughout the exhibition. Read the rest of this entry »

Project submitted to the 2007 Skyscraper Competition

The main concept of this project is to create a green open core for four towers with different architectural programs. The four skyscrapers integrate with the landscape as legs peeling from the ground that offer a variety of cultural and recreational spaces. The green core is equipped with water recollection systems, terraces, and gardens. Read the rest of this entry »

Project submitted to the 2007 Skyscraper Competition

The Skyarch is a new type of skyscraper in which two arches intersect at 90 degrees. Skyarchs can be built to link cities and different neighborhoods within a city. Read the rest of this entry »

Project submitted to the 2006 Skyscraper Competition
Designed by: Alex C. Remigio

Skyscraper of the 21^st Century is a human habitat in the sky made possible by an architectural structure. Our proposal is a living place for retreat and utilities. It is an integrated space for work that motivates career advancement and productivity. It is a mix use of bank, hotel, convention center, library and a museum. It is a hub for recreation like cinemas, fitness, sports, aquatics, and nature park leisure. This structure will sum up the whole package complex. Read the rest of this entry »

Project submitted to the 2006 Skyscraper Competition
Designed by: Yaroslav Usov

This multifunctional complex is located on the coast of Himkinskoe in Moscow, Russia. The main design element is the displacement of the floor plates which are arranged as a spiral staircase. The main idea is to create pockets or public areas to be used for different types activities. Many of these spaces will be used as private gardens and public parks. The building is also equipped with the latest technologies for water recollection and harvesting of solar and wind power. Read the rest of this entry »

Project submitted to the 2007 Skyscraper Competition

One of the greatest problems of skyscrapers is to integrate different programs in the same structure. A visual connection between different areas is commonly neglected and there is no interaction between diverse functions. The quality of a horizontal city is the flow between activities and spaces.

The main concept of this skyscraper is to design a true vertical city with horizontal qualities. The idea is to explore the rich fabric of cities like Paris or Amsterdam and transform them into a vertical structure. Read the rest of this entry »

Project submitted to the 2007 Skyscraper Competition
Designed by: Nelson Byun, Laddawan Prawatyotin, Travis Delingua

This proposal examines the possibility of building a plane of mirrors suspended in the sky where we will be able to walk and experience being free in the sky. This project joins other continuous monument ideas like the ones proposed by Superstudio. Read the rest of this entry »