Xin-yu Wan unvieled a proposal  to replace St. Stephen Cathedral in Vienna. The project was designed during the Excessive Workshop of Hernan Diaz-Alonso in The Institute of Architecture of Vienna  the overall concept is based on a fantasy about the architectural history of Vienna. That is to say: if Art Nouveau had had a greater influence and had lasted for a longer period in Vienna; if the articulated geometries not only work as ornaments or enclosure as is the case for the Secession, but also serves as real structure to hold the main parts of the building, what would a new cathedral be and what its sublime and magical effects.

This project is based on two kinds of elements and their respective mutations. The white elements, which combine to form both the soft curvilinear and the hard straight body. They are the main structure and first layer of the enclosure. The black elements are more of an organic nature and work as the second layer of enclosure on the outside and as floors inside. The contrast and transition between these elements give the project its unique character. Read the rest of this entry »

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company opened The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, located in the International Commerce Centre (ICC) designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF). Soaring 490 meters above Victoria Harbor, the hotel occupies floors 102 to 118 of the building, and boasts a 360-degree view of the entire city and surrounding islands.

With interiors by Singapore’s LTW, the hotel will offer 312 guest rooms, all providing spectacular city and harbour views. Other hotel amenities include six unique dining venues, an 860-square-meter spa by ESPA, a glass-enclosed infinity pool with LED screen ceiling and an outdoor terrace with a glass-enclosed bar, both on the 118th floor.

ICC is the essence of Hong Kong in one destination: world-class hospitality, high-powered finance, global tourism, and luxury shopping, all in a single tower built over a sophisticated transportation network spanning the Pearl River Delta.

KPF Managing Principal Paul Katz said, “We applaud Sun Hung Kai Properties Group on the completion of the final element of the building, and on the opening of the highest hotel in the world. This building type is very important to us, especially in Hong Kong, a city that has taken the lead in high rise development. ICC speaks to the promise of the tall building as a sustainable paradigm, in which individual buildings form part of a larger ecosystem of vertical centers linked by horizontal networks of public transportation.” Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Nicolas Jomain, Boriana Tchonkova
France

The Porifera Skyscraper is a new project for the city of Paris that will produce bio-fuels through different types of algae synthesized with sunlight exposure. The tower is located at the base of the Seine River. It is divided in three main towers for hotel, housing, and offices – its geometry is based on marine sponges; the outside structure is based on Voronoi subdivisions that allows for large and diverse openings.

The building harvests solar, wind, and kinetic energy. Apart from the main habitation areas, sky gardens and hydroponic green houses are located at various levels which produce vegetables and fruits for the community. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Tomas Kozelsky, Patrick Bedarf, Dimitrie Andrei Stefanescu
The Netherlands

The deforestation rate of a country describes the annual destruction of its natural forests. Confronted with this acute challenge this high-rise is a prototype for the usage of wood in a sustainable and innovative manner through the combination of research and tourism. The project introduces the novel technology of laminated wood construction as load-bearing material and as a space partitioning thick lattice.

Located in Coari, Brazil, at the heart of the Amazon forest, this conceptual tower would be constructed in several phases. The idea of the skyscraper is to create a sustainable skyscraper that allows tourists to explore the Amazon forest while creating global awareness of its alarming destruction rate.

First, conventional shipping containers are prefabricated and equipped according to the specific requirements and technical systems. Second, punctual foundations with minimal footprint are built on site, providing the basis for elevators and staircases. Afterwards, a thick-latticed three-dimensional framework consisting of prefabricated laminated titan-wood elements is erected on site and floor plates are attached into the exoskeleton. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Lee dongjin, Park Jinkyu, Lee Jeongwoo
South Korea

In the last few years we have seen many projects for vertical agriculture but the Circular Symbiosis Tower is the first skyscraper that proposes a vertical farm for actual livestock. The main concept is to create a new habitat to raise cattle within the city. The skyscraper consists of spiraling platforms or grass fields where cows will be free to roam. After 30 days of habiting the same pasture they will rotate to the next level. At this point other animals like chickens will use the previous field until its grass has grown again. Transportation costs will be non-existent and the raised animals will have a better quality of life. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Rochambeau Cyrille, Bertin Joel, Herizo Randrianarison
France

How to integrate a skyscraper into the historic urban fabric of Paris? After the controversial construction of the Montparnasse tower, this project seeks to develop a middle ground between super-high skyscrapers and the existing Haussmannian fabric of the city – a challenge characterized by the desire to create a coherent link between the existing context and the various programs of the skyscraper that would bring the city to the 21st century.

One of the strategies is to create a new pedestrian layer for the city through the utilization of the rooftops – a link between the traditional horizontal city and the new vertical extensions or contemporary Parisian skyscrapers. These new buildings are designed using the existing fabric as reference, where you will be able to find little squares, picturesque streets, parks, housing, and many cultural facilities. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Fan Shuning, Zhang Xin
China

China extracts an average of 2 billion tons of coal each year to satisfy its energy demands. Apart from the environmental concerns, coal mining is an extremely dangerous profession which leads to more than 6000 deaths every year.

The main concept behind this proposal is to make use of the immense coal mines as an underground city where miners will have access to a better quality of life through modern housing and recreational areas. This underground metropolis will coexist with regular cities and will integrate them through an exchange of goods and services. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Wendy Teo Boon Ting, Linda Hagberg
United Kingdom

Located in Taipei, Taiwan, engulfing a central part of River Danshui and the Taipei Mainstation, HydroThermal Organ is a recreational spa and a new transport hub that functions as a first landmark on approaching Taipei. Seeking to create a physical and mental link between the city and nature, the proposal uses the water from the river to extract heat from the transportation infrastructure.

It replaces the existing river buffer wall with a filtering system that heals the polluted river water and a landscape that allows different levels of water to enter the site. This technology is based on the potential temperature difference between river water and the transport infrastructure. The two products from this heat extraction process, hot water and steam, are used in the landscape and Spa Hotel for aesthetic quality and hot baths. The level of heat extracted depends on the level of transport and circulation through the main station at a particular moment and the amount of hot water and steam depends on the flow of water from the river. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

André Serpa, Bernardo Daupiás Alves, Egle Bazaraite, Jutta Rentsch, Marco Braizinha
Portugal

The main idea of this proposal is to create a skyscraper that could be defined as a city by itself. It combines the density and vibrant life of the contemporary city with the tranquility of the suburbs. The central part of the structure is conceived as the city, where offices, commerce, entertainment, and transportation areas will be located. A spiraling system of vertical transportation will communicate all levels without the need of cars. At the edges of the structure the residential units will be located. These units are large and resemble life in suburbia; some of them will even have outdoor gardens overlooking the city.

The Skyscraper structure is made out of a concrete and steel core while the structural skin is primarily steel frames that follow a cell-like pattern that allows for large spans that accommodate the residential units. Larger openings will be used for recreational parks and other recreational areas. Read the rest of this entry »

Finalist
2011 Skyscraper Competition

Ku Yee Kee, Hor Sue-Wern
Malaysia

This design tackles current environmental issues, specifically at abandoned oil rig structures all around the world. The idea is to revitalize these structures and transform them into livable hubs. This activation process will use green energy and create a sustainable urban habitat. Solar energy will be harvested with a large photovoltaic membrane located on the roof while wind turbines will be located at strategic places along the four façades and tidal energy collectors at the bottom.

This design explores the possibility of living on the oil rig, above and below the ocean level. The general population can live above the water while specialized researchers such as marine biologists will work in underwater labs. The in-between zone will be used for housing and recreational areas. The existing structures could be strengthen with the use of peripheral steel beams that allow for high velocity wind to filter through the platform without obstructions. Read the rest of this entry »