Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Kaiyu Xi, Fan Wu
United States

Broadway in downtown Los Angeles was one of the most famous street in United States and had the highest concentration of cinemas in the world by 1930s. The ornamental baroque style theaters witnessed the prosperity of Broadway in the past. However, with the decline of downtown and the migration of entertainment industry to Hollywood, Broadway became an abandoned area in downtown and is perceived as a dangerous location at night. This proposal is aimed to revitalize the Broadway theater district and explore a universal strategy to preserve and renovate the historic downtown area.

The decay of downtown is an inevitable problem for most U.S big cities.  The crowded street, outdated infrastructure, poor building condition, lack of public space and messed environment all become the reason to push people away from these areas, where finally became the shelter for filth and crimes. To overthrow this vicious circle, besides preserving historic buildings, we must inject new programs and create more public space to make these areas dynamic again.

“Levitated Broadway” is a plan to create a new Broadway floating on the top of existing buildings and parking lots. Instead of demolishing the historic building, we can find more space in the between and on the top of existing buildings, which provides us enough space to insert new programs and create more public space in an already high-density community. The design uses lightweight steel truss grid to fill in the negative space of existing buildings and extend the concrete core of these buildings to support the whole structure system. The open structure allows light and wind to penetrate the whole building and creates a dynamic vertical street space. Along the sky street facing Broadway, we insert boutiques, café, restaurants, bars and a large amount of activity and green space. On the backside, we create a new performing arts complex including large theater, music hall, cinema, rehearsal rooms, live-house and outdoor music stage on a pervious parking lot. The performing arts complex will be the center of future Broadway and revive the cultural activities of this area. It’s said that Broadway is the hidden gem to Los Angeles. The design is aimed to find this jewellery back and polish it to make it even brighter than before. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Jiangchen Hu, Yining Bei, Xiayu Zhao, Mingwen Zhang
China

The “Sand Dam”, built in the edge of Cairo, Egypt that border the desert, is a wall which blocks the blowing sand or even the sandstorms. In addition to alleviating the land desertification and the inconvenience of  people’s life caused by the blowing sand and the Khamsīn, the “Sand Dam” can also slow down the urban expansion due to the overpopulation of Cairo. Khamsīn , more commonly known in Egypt as khamaseen, is a dry, hot, sandy local wind, blowing from the south, in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

The“Sand Dam”is a high-rise which can move regularly because of the tank track at the bottom of the huge racks and walls. The huge dam can be called as an anti-desertification wall, as it can increase the city area as well as the cultivated area by moving outwards until the soil inside the wall reaches steady state. With this process happens periodically, people can make use of the sandstorm and the Khamsīn in Egypt to get the wind power. Moreover, a cement factory built in the middle of the “Sand Dam” can also take advantage of the local materials, which may solve the employment problem in the slum area. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Ryan Gormley
United Kingdom

The beginning of the Timber Age
Can high rise architecture act as a mechanism to manifest low carbon materials and environmental design principles allowing our cities to breathe?

In recent years, the scarcity of natural resources tied with a push for greener construction methodologies has started to change perceptions of mass timber construction systems. Global Government and industry led initiatives into improving the sustainability and Carbon efficiencies of construction partnered with technological advancements in timber technologies will result in a rise of tall timber structures. The project explores the possibilities of using timber for the creation of high rise architecture by carefully considering material sourcing, structural performance, environment, digital design and off site fabrication issues. Implementing prefabricated timber systems not only reduces carbon emissions when compared with steel and concrete, but instead captures embodied carbon within the timber itself. The rule of thumb is that an average 1m3 of timber can store 1 ton of co2. This means that architectural interventions within the built environment can act as Carbon sinks thus improving the sustainability of our cities. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Kartik Misra, Krishan Sharma, Dewesh Agrawal, Kritika Kharbanda
India

This is a skyscraper that aims to rejuvenate the indigenous salt farming community of the great Rann in Gujarat, India, namely, the Agariyas. The project seeks to become an architectural epitome that caters to the future and ambitions of the region by utilizing the abundant salt as the building block of the community’s macrocosm.An ecological and social renaissance for the people of the cursed land has been sought for by providing them a structure which endeavours to achieve better opportunities for the people.

THE WHITE DESOLATION
The vast expanse of the salt marsh is characterized by myriad salt pans disseminated with makeshift shacks. Inter societal islands arise due to isolated pattern of settlement. An absolute absence of social and physical infrastructure is observed which renders the community incapable of mutual learning. Deteriorating health because of long exposure to immense salt and solar concentration further intensifies it. The salt marsh betrays the community every monsoon, because the fields become completely submerged in water, making annual migration necessary.

HABITAT ASSIMILATION
The project induces community interaction and interdependence, coupled with efficient service delivery. Standard, systematic and non-intermittent salt production throughout the year due to juxtaposed functions which provide ease in the output cycle. Integration of vacuum evaporation plant with the building gives rise to an effortless method of production. Forging a resilient, permanent and sustainable setup with increased dependence of solar power creates a heterogeneous yet admissible ecosystem for the community. An increment in the efficiency of salt production from solar evaporation through introduction of novel methodology, machinery and community training boosts the comprehensive output. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Dimo Ivanov
Switzerland

Story 
Civilization 0.000 is a high tech structure, placed at Cape Horn in Southern Chile, that uses locally available renewable energy sources to generate electricity. Making use of the ample wind, wave, and tidal energy of this region, the structure would utilize a combination of 19 wind turbines, 4 wave power plants, and 6 tidal power turbines to create 100 million kWh of renewable energy each year. However the electricity production is only one of many important functions such as living space, education, resource management, energy storage, research and engineering.

Cape Horn – The first 0.000 unit
The first ever designed 0.000 unit will be placed at Cape Horn, the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile. This unit will be specialized in generating electricity. If we take a look on the global energy maps, we’ll recognize the enormous amount of wind-, wave-, and tidal energy concentrated in this area. The choice to design the first 0.000 unit there is almost self-explanatory.

Design
Form follows force – There are three main forces, that define the whole structure – wind, wave & tidal energy. Through a series of different experiments and optimizations according its aqua- and aerodynamic features, the building is composed of three main structural and functional areas – tower, platform & tidal power station. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Estelle Filliat, Charlotte Ferreux, Duc Truong, Elias Vogel
France

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world. The armed conflicts raging for several months are deteriorating an already critical situation. In addition to causing terrible human suffering, these attacks are destroying Yemen’s unique cultural heritage, which is the repository of people’s identity. Yemen has architectural masterpieces. Shibam is probably the most emblematic example of them. The 16th-century Walled City of Shibam remains the oldest metropolis in the world to use vertical construction, this construction is called « tower houses». The mud-brick high-rises, which stretch up to seven stories high, were constructed from the fertile soil surrounding the city. One of Unesco’s experts, Jacques Heyman, stresses the urgency of the situation : «Today almost nothing has been done to stop the ruin of this city, which is accelerating. If Shibalm is not restored immediately there won’t be much left to restore in 10 years’ time ». It seemed essential to put a spotlight on this threatened city. We must reverse the situation !

The idea is not to resolve an international conflict but to project into a peaceful future. The idea is to propose a sustainable extension of the city of Shibam. The development of the city is both constrained by its ramparts and by the constructive boundary of the mud-brick. The extension of the city is limited both horizontally and vertically. The only possible solution is in the ground itself. The idea is to dig the existing streets. The new Shibam, a natural extension of tower houses, are all roots that directly use the richness of the ground : the heat of the depths, the water of the groundwater, the thermal inertia of the ground, the mud as material and the depths as architecture. The tower is extended from a tower-house to a true skyscraper. Using existing resources under the city, Shibam steers clear from Yemen’s extreme import dependence. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Ngai Hang WU, Han-Hsun, Hsieh, Man Nguyen
United Kingdom

A POST-WORK, POST-CAPITALISM WORLD
Hong Kong, in the near future, where automation has taken control to the full extend. A place where A.I and Robot have replaced 90% of the works. A universal basic income system has been delivered for all unemployed citizens. Human kind progress to a new kind of society: a post-work, post-capitalism world. As most of the white-collar jobs are fully automated, office towers will become useless and empty. However, the need for housing is never reduced. Indeed, since most people have no works, they will spend more time at home and enjoy their freedom. In exchange, people’s hobbies will turn to become their main activities. Thus, this lead to a mass reduction in office spaces, but an increment in housing space. Therefore, a logical policy from the autonomous governments will be executed to re-occupy, renovate and re-alter office towers to become a new type of housing for people, a truly bottom-up approach which create dynamic and democratic community across the ex-economical area of Hong Kong. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Kang Tae Hwan, Kim Min Jeong, Yun Seo Jun, Lee Se Won
South Korea

Have you ever thought about a life without water? If you think of the forest desertification image that you saw through YouTube, you can see little impact of water on human life. It is not well known that when water is not available, it contravenes water human rights, such as discrimination and a threat to safety, and can’t escape from poverty. In particular, water is more than just a drink in India. Every Indian loves their river, crossing over the religions and languages of the times. Before daybreak, Hindus take a bath and pray in the nearby river, they wash themselves with bronze water bottles as a religious ceremony. When religious festivals are held, tens of millions of people in the city are bring together.

Despite efforts to solve the water system, which is based on international and India domestic law, India’s water demand appears to have failed to meet the demand. As urban population continues to grow with the rapid industrialization, additional 1.5 percent of waste water per day for each increasing in population has been made. Water pollution is serious in India, as the sewage treatment facility can only handle 30 percent of the total waste water and the huge volume of waste water is poured into rivers every year. Furthermore, the long lasting culture in India has accelerated river pollution. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Jun Ho Han, Yungi Jung
United States

Blocks in Manhattan are like small fortresses. The high dense development has rendered the whole block to become an interiorized space. There are only a few entrances to these 243,000 square feet of space and it does not lead you to a public space. Is there any way to develop these blocks in New York to have more connections to the community and become less isolated? And could there be a strategy to achieve that while making the block even denser?

The Columbia University campus in upper Manhattan has a potential possibility to achieve this strategy. Although the block of Columbia University has a strong formal boundary than other blocks in New York, because of the intention of Mckim, Mead & White, who wanted to make the inside of the block comparable to the surrounding, it acknowledges the necessity of providing their space to the public, and developing the block as a whole.

On the boundary of the campus, there are ascending entrances to enrich the feeling of spatial shift, and makes the contrast more distinctive between the mundane streets and the open campus. This strategy could go further and create an unexpected open space by filling up and connecting the space in between buildings on the boundary.  Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2018 Skyscraper Competition

Seunghwan Jung, Ryeojin Jeon
South Korea

We propose a skyscraper to get fresh water from the waters using the principles of nature. This building has a form that can best collect water vapor condensed in the sea. The condensed water flows to the stem through the trumpet and is fed to a vertically stacked farm.

To reduce discarded water, the water used in each layer is used again in the lower layer after some water purification. The water used up to the ground level is stored in the lower part of the building after being purified. The stored water and harvested crops are transported to the ground through the ship. Utilizing the power of water falling from a height of about 2 km, hydroelectric power is generated inside the stem to produce energy. Read the rest of this entry »