Archinect - News

Plans for world’s tallest residential tower unveiled in Dubai

2024-04-27T08:00:00-04:00

Hospitality brand Six Senses has unveiled plans for a new residential tower in Dubai Marina, set to be the world’s tallest. Sprouting up in Dubai Marina, the Six Senses Residences will be the second Dubai location to come from Six Senses, joining the nearly-opened Six Senses The Palm Jumeirah hotel. The tower is said to boast an impressive 122 floors, when it is eventually completed in 2028.

The height of the new Six Senses Residences Dubai Marina tower is equal to the under-construction Burj Azizi tower nearby, a $1.5 billion commercial project that was announced to have broken ground in January and will be completed the same year.

Image credit: Select Group

They will become two of the world’s six 120+ story structures. Reported amenities include a 109th-floor lap pool and cryotherapy chambers, crystal sound healing room, movie theater, and spa.

Image credit: Select Group

Despite the size, only 251 high-end residences are included. The current record-holder for tallest residential building, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture's Central Park Tower in New York City, has 179 units over 131 floors.

Image credit: Select Group

WSP Middle East and Woods Bagot are reportedly in charge of the architectural design.

Grimshaw reveals final designs for City Rail Link, New Zealand's largest ever infrastructure project

2022-06-10T16:29:00-04:00

Grimshaw has released the final designs for City Rail Link (CRL), the largest infrastructure project ever in New Zealand. Situated in Auckland, it includes three train stations, designed in collaboration with WSP as part of the Link Alliance, a consortium of seven companies delivering the main station and tunnels for the project. Upon completion, CRL will double the capacity of the city’s rail network and will serve as a powerful expression of Māori cultural heritage and history of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Te Wai Horotiu Station. Image render courtesy of Grimshaw.

CRL is New Zealand’s first completely underground railway line. It comprises a 2.14-mile twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 138 feet below Auckland’s city center. The project also includes the transformation of the Britomart Transport Center into a two-way through-station, the construction of two new underground stations, and a new interchange station.

Karanga a hape Station. Image render courtesy of Grimshaw.

The station desig...

Long-awaited LaGuardia Airport Terminal B renovation approaches completion with new skybridge

2022-02-24T16:33:00-05:00

New York City's LaGuardia Airport opened its second skybridge to passengers on Jan. 28, marking the final milestone of the nearly six-year renovation of Terminal B. The old airport was notorious for its poor condition; former Gov. Andrew Cuomo called it "outdated, overcrowded and unworthy of the Empire State."

With construction costs, the HOK and WSP-designed Terminal B renovation is valued at $8 billion. According to a spokesperson for LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the overall project is now about 95% complete. The final portion of the original terminal must be demolished in order to open the remaining gates and the airplane taxiway underneath the new western skybridge.

Previously on Archinect: Another look at HOK's new La Guardia Airport terminal

The 485-foot skybridge provides a direct route between the western concourse and the Arrivals & Departures Hall with views of the Manhattan skyline. It was built with over 2,500 tons of steel. According to airport officials, LaGuardia is the only airport in the world to have dual pedestrian skybridges. The first of the two, serving the eastern concourse, opened in May.

Two options for the "new" Penn Station proposed

2021-04-22T20:35:00-04:00

Governor Cuomo has unveiled two new reconstruction options for transforming Penn Station into "a world-class, 21st-century transportation hub." New images released Wednesday afternoon show how transit officials hope to reinvent the dreary subterranean Midtown labyrinth into a modern, light-filled transit destination. The proposal lays out two distinct options, both of which would retain Madison Square Garden, but also require its purchase.

The designs are the work of FXcollaborative and WSP.

CDC to build nation's "most advanced" infectious disease lab in Atlanta

2020-07-01T13:00:00-04:00

A new 160,000-square-foot High Containment Continuity Laboratory (HCCL) facility is heading to Atlanta, where the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is planning to construction the nation's most advanced infectious disease research center.

According to Building Design + Construction, the new, facility will be part of the CDC’s 2025 Masterplan at the Roybal Campus in Atlanta. The multi-story research building will increase the CDC’s research capacity to sustain its diagnostic mission and will support its public health mission by helping communities prepare for, detect, and respond to consequences of public health hazards. The HCCL building will be a Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) facility and accommodate approximately 80 laboratory researchers.

The CDC has selected Flad Architects, Page Southerland Page, and WSP to design the HCCL building. McCarthy Building Companies will function as Construction Manager as constructor (CMc).

AECOM reportedly discussing deal with WSP

2020-01-15T19:09:00-05:00

Canada’s WSP Global Inc. has approached rival engineering services firm Aecom about a possible deal, according to people familiar with the matter. [...] Aecom shares opened up 4% Tuesday, valuing the company at about $7.7 billion. WSP fell 0.4% to C$93.22 apiece in Toronto, giving the company a market value of about C$9.9 billion ($7.6 billion).

"Meanwhile, WSP's acquisitions of U.S.-based construction and engineering firms go back several years," reported Construction Dive, detailing the Canadian company's strategic shopping spree that included notable acquisitions of companies like Berger Group Holdings Inc., Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Ecology and Environment Inc.

A deal with Los Angeles-based industry heavyweight AECOM would grant WSP further access to the U.S. market and result in significant cost savings, according to Bloomberg.

Mia Lehrer and WSP recommended for LA River's Taylor Yard

2017-09-22T13:21:00-04:00

Regardless of the pricey remediation, the 41-acre property has long been considered a key element to the large-scale ecological restoration of the LA River. The city purchased the G2 parcel in March, paying nearly $60 million.

The city’s bureau of engineering recommends engineering firm WSP, with Landscape Architect Mia Lehrer, for the transformation of the G2. WSP and Lehrer are collaborating with Mujeres de la Tierra, a non-profit public health organization based in Cypress Park, on the project.

Part of Taylor Yard, the Southern Pacific's former classification Yard, the G2 parcel has been named the crown jewel of the LA revitalization project by LA Mayor Garcetti. The site, now abandoned for over three decades, is highly contaminated and unlikely to open as park for another three to five years.

The city's recommendation has been shared with the public works department which will have the last word on the G2 contract.