Archinect - News

Tower frame on what will be Japan's tallest building has been completed in Tokyo

2022-04-27T17:21:00-04:00

Construction has been completed on the structure of Japan’s second tallest building, the 330m Toranomon-Azabudai Project A District tower, which will be second only to the Tokyo Tower.

The tower is part of the larger Toranomon-Azabudai District Category 1 Urban Redevelopment Project, which will include two other buildings, all designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, that will host offices, residences, a hotel, an international school, retail shops, restaurants, and cultural facilities. Together they will form an 8.1-hectare “modern urban village” featuring no less than 2.4 hectares of greenery and a 6,000-square-meter central square.

Image: Pelli Clarke & Partners

When complete, the tower is expected to be Japan’s tallest building, just shy of the nearby landmark Tokyo Tower. The entire redevelopment complex is set to be complete by 2023.

India will complete the world's tallest railway bridge in Kashmir by 2023

2022-03-22T11:39:00-04:00

An engineering marvel in the making, the world’s tallest railway bridge being constructed over Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district is likely to come up by December next year This railway bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar- Baramulla Rail Link Project, which is the most challenging project being undertaken post-independence by Indian Railways.

The viral bridge is slightly higher up than the Najiehe Railway Bridge in China, which stands a total of 305 meters (about 1000 feet) in height. Fears by some about a potential terrorist attack had to be engineered into the span with blast-proof steel and other military-grade components owing to its connection with the volatile Kashmir region, which lost its special administrative status by order of parliament in August 2019.

India is hoping the bridge project, one of several that connects the capital region of Delhi to the strategically important city of Srinagar, will feature into its newfound push to kickstart the country’s economy through infrastructure enhancements. Last year, Prime Minister Modi unveiled a plan that would pay for such upgrades through a tax on cryptocurrencies in order to herald a 25-year period of prosperity the leader calls “Amrit Kaal.”

India builds the world’s tallest statue, 4x taller than the Statue of Liberty

2018-11-01T21:07:00-04:00

The new towering “Statue of Unity” in Kevadia, a tribute to Indian independence-era leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at 597 feet is four times as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

World's tallest (mostly) Lego tower built in memory of eight-year-old cancer victim

2018-01-02T18:50:00-05:00

Plastic building blocks are once again reaching for the sky. This time, it was the city of Tel Aviv that made an attempt to build the tallest Lego tower — or, officially, the tallest structure built with interlocking plastic bricks, not all of them made by the Danish toy giant. [...] a joint effort between Tel Aviv City Hall and Young Engineers, an organization that promotes learning with toy bricks. The tower is intended to honor a child who died from cancer.

"Omer Tower" was built in memory of Omer Sayag, himself an avid fan of the colorful plastic blocks, who lost his battle with cancer in 2014 at the age of 8.

Clocking in at a height of 35.85 meters (117 feet and 7 inches), the structure on Tel Aviv's Rabin Square beat previous world records including the most recent one in Milan in 2015.

Thyssenkrupp's rope-less, high-speed elevator opens to the public

2017-10-11T13:09:00-04:00

On 7 October 2017, almost exactly three years after the ground-breaking ceremony, the visitors‘ platform at the thyssenkrupp test tower in Rottweil will be open to the public for the first time. Located on the top floor of the artfully constructed building, it is Germany’s highest viewing platform.

Image courtesy of Thyssenkrupp

Engineers were using the Rottweil Test Tower to test the Thyssenkrupp elevator, a rope-less high-speed elevator, going up and down but also sideways. The tower was completed three years ago and is now open to the public. The viewing platform and elevator experience makes it the region's newest attraction.

Construction begins on Varso Tower, set to become Poland's tallest building

2017-01-11T13:19:00-05:00

At 53 stories tall, the Foster + Partners-designed Varso Tower is set to become the tallest building Poland. Construction has just begun on the office tower, which is being developed by HB Reavis and is part of a complex that includes two other buildings designed by Hermanowicz Rowski Architects. It will also have an observation deck—one of the highest in Europe—where tourists can ogle Warsaw’s skyline.

“We believe that Varso Tower will have a unique place on Warsaw’s skyline, but most importantly it will establish a new destination capable of revitalising this urban quarter, right in the heart of the city. The building contains high-quality and flexible office space, but it also makes an important contribution to the city with its glazed public courtyard at ground level and the spectacular viewing platforms with restaurants at the top. These public galleries offer panoramic views of the city to everyone. We are really looking forward to construction." said Grant Brooker, Head of Stu...

NYC breaks ground on One Vanderbilt, its second tallest tower

2016-10-19T11:41:00-04:00

Designed by the tall tower pros at Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects, One Vanderbilt will rise to become the second tallest tower in NYC and the tallest tower in Midtown. However, unlike the city’s other skyscraper additions noted for their slim silhouettes, this tower will be a behemoth occupying a full block between Vanderbilt and Madison avenues and East 42nd and East 43rd streets; the site is also directly adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.

On Tuesday morning, developer SL Green held an official groundbreaking ceremony for the KPF-designed One Vanderbilt.

The tower, which will rise 1,401 feet when completed in 2020, will be New York City's second tallest, and one of its largest with more than 1.6 million square feet of office space distributed across 58 stories.

One Vanderbilt will also occupy an entire city block, bound by Vanderbilt and Madison avenues and East 42nd and East 43rd streets. Notably, the site is directly adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.

111 West 57th Street: The World’s Skinniest Tower Will Also Be the Hemisphere’s Tallest Residential Building

2015-01-15T14:19:00-05:00

That’s a lot of accolades for one building, but the SHoP Architects-designed tower at 111 West 57th Street is looking to sweep the supertall competition. Originally planned to rise 1,397 feet, the tower will now soar to 1,421 feet, surpassing 432 Park Avenue (the current tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere) by 24 feet, according to city records uncovered by Crain’s. It will also retain its title as the world’s slenderest tower.

Amazing LEGO Creation Breaks World Record in Budapest

2014-05-30T20:50:00-04:00

A new world record was broken just this week in Hungary, Budapest when LEGO architects placed the finishing Rubik's Cube ornament on the top of the massive Lego skyscraper. Reaching 34.76 meters (114 feet), the tower was officially registered with the Guinness book of World Records as well as the LEGO Store in Budapest on May 25.

Work to start next month on 1km Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

2014-03-24T16:00:00-04:00

Once complete the tower will be the world’s tallest, beating current record holder the 828m-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Client Jeddah Economic Company has not yet confirmed the exact height of the tower, but has indicated it will be over 1km tall. In December, contractor Saudi Bauer completed piling work for the tower, including sinking 270 piles up to a depth of 110m.

Across China, Skyscrapers Brush the Heavens

2013-08-29T18:42:00-04:00

China is home to 60 of the world’s 100 tallest buildings now under construction. But the skyward aspirations of Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, have inspired incredulity tinged with hostility. [...] the project’s scale and speed have set off a burst of national introspection in recent days about whether Chinese municipal leaders and developers have gone too far in their increasingly manic reach for the skies.

Previously: Sky City, world's tallest building, stops construction due to lack of government approval

Sky City, world's tallest building, stops construction due to lack of government approval

2013-07-31T14:11:00-04:00

Yin Zhi, head of Beijing Tsinghua Urban Design Institute, said, "The technique that Broad Group uses has no precedent in the world, and the cost they promised is very low. So they either have some record breaking techniques or it’s a lie. They are gambling. If they win, they will change the history of world architecture, but that's one chance in a million."

In China’s Hunan province, ground was broken for the next "world's tallest skyscraper". It was a brave ambition. The developer Broad Group planned to build an 838 meter tower with 202 stories, in just 10 months. The tower would surpass the current tallest skyscraper, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa by 10 meters. But the project has been halted over questions concerning feasibility and government permission.

Cayan Tower, world's highest twisted tower, opens in Dubai

2013-06-18T11:26:00-04:00

Dubai ceremony marks inauguration of world's highest twisted tower. Saudi developer Cayan inaugurated late Monday the opening of the 73-story, one-thousand-and-seventeen-foot (310-meter) tall Cayan Tower in Dubai's prestigious Marina district.

Inspired by the structure of human DNA, each floor of the 272-million-U.S.-dollar (1 billion-Dirham) tower is rotated by one-point-two degrees to achieve the full 90-degree spiral, creating the shape of a helix.

Dignitaries from diplomatic corps and Corporate Dubai joined the celebrations which closed in a gigantic fireworks display across Dubai's new tower and the Marina night-skyline.

The emirate of Dubai also harbors the world's tallest hotel, the near one-thousand-two-hundred- foot (354.7-meter) tall J.W. Marriott Marquis.

There's also the world's tallest residential tower, the Princess Tower reaching over one-thousand-three-hundred-feet (414 meters), a five-minute walk away from the twisted tower.

Cayan Projects, estimated to be worth around 2.7 billion dollars (10-billion Saudi riyal) cover a wide spectrum of developments from exclusive residential to commercial projects.

"Sky City" gets approval, to be tallest building in the world, with contruction schedule now estimated at 7 months

2013-05-23T17:13:00-04:00

Last week, Broad Group announced it has received approval from the Chinese government and will break ground on the project next month, though according to Quartz's Lily Kuo, Broad Sustainable Building has pushed the building's schedule to a more modest seven months.

Will One World Trade Center really be the tallest building in the west?

2013-05-02T18:56:00-04:00

Debate rages over whether the 125m spire counts as part of the building. Do you know your antenna from your radome?

"This definitely raises questions," said Kevin Brass, the public affairs manager for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the body that passes official judgment on such things as whether your erection is tall, supertall or megatall. "Our criteria are very specific. We include spires and not antennas. If this is an antenna, it won't be part of the height measurement. The cladding was an integral part of the design and made the extension part of the permanent look and feel of the building."

Spire hoisted to top of One World Trade Center

2013-05-02T14:27:00-04:00

Construction crews at the World Trade Center hoisted a flag-bedecked spire to the top of the site's signature One World Trade Center building Thursday. Workers raised the spire to a temporary work platform atop the structure's roof, where ironworkers can later permanently attach it. When fully installed, One World Trade Center will stand a symbolic 1,776 feet high, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The 408-foot spire will serve as a broadcast antenna.

Shard builders Mace to project manage Saudi Arabia's Kingdom tower

2013-02-22T12:53:00-05:00

The British company that built the Shard skyscraper in London will manage the construction of the Kingdom tower in Saudi Arabia, which will be the world's tallest building when completed. The Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal unveiled the plans, by American firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, 18 months ago as part of a new £13bn Kingdom City development on the Red Sea coast to the north of Jeddah.

Could Australia’s Tallest Skyscraper Be the Fastest to Build?

2012-11-30T14:58:00-05:00

While becoming the tallest in architectural terms will always garner attention, taller building often harbour some of the lengthiest development periods. With a rise in the prominence of prefabrication, however, large is no longer necessarily equated with lengthy.

Russia's Mercury City tower cuts the Shard down to size

2012-11-17T13:25:00-05:00

A towering beacon of pink mirrored glass has overtaken the Shard to become the tallest building in Europe. Moscow's Mercury City tower, which topped out on Thursday, now rises to 339m, making it 29m taller than London's own crystalline pyramid. The building joins a motley cluster in the emerging Moscow International Business Centre, a $12bn complex initiated by former mayor Yuri Luzhkov as a playground for rival oligarchs to demonstrate their penile might.

Largest skyscraper on West Coast, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, approved for San Francisco Transbay Transit Center

2012-10-19T14:04:00-04:00

A 1,070-foot tower that will become the largest skyscraper on the West Coast received its final approvals from the Planning Commission on Thursday.

Clarke also showed the Planning Commission the actual metal and glass that will be used on the exterior of the building. He explained that the skin of the building has been augmented to add metalwork that will grow deeper and denser at the bottom of the tower. Clarke said adding the metal to the glass exterior will give the building a light texture that will glow in an ambient way.

The metalwork also was used to make the building safer for birds and to help control the flow of water down the structure.

Some people speaking about the project decried the tower as being too large and criticized its design.

NOTE: image has been update per Mark Hogan's tip in the comments

Sky City: World’s tallest building, to be built in 90 days

2012-06-15T18:48:00-04:00

It took Dubai more than five years to build the 828-meter Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building (for the moment, anyway). But Chinese architects and engineers reckon they need a mere 90 days to leave the Emiratis in the dust. At least, that's what they've claimed.

BSB is renowned for its eye-opening construction efficiency. Its portfolio includes assembling a 15-story building in six days in June 2010, and erecting a 30-story hotel in 360 hours in December 2011.

The key to achieving such stunning speed is an innovative construction technique developed by BSB.

Most of the company’s buildings are pieced together with prefabricated components from its factory. In this case, 95 percent of Sky City will be completed before breaking ground.

BSB explained to Xinhua that its goal of building Sky City is not to erect a new landmark in China, but to develop and put into use a “medium-cost, super-saving utility building and to promote a futuristic urban lifestyle.”

Highest ever crane installed in London as work begins to complete Shard skyscraper

2011-09-26T16:58:27-04:00

Builders will use the machine to complete the spire of the Shard skyscraper near London Bridge in south London. When fully extended the crane will sit at 317 metres or 1,040 ft above ground level, making it seven metres taller than the building's eventual highest point (310 metres). The Shard will become the tallest building in the European Union and the 45th tallest in the world when it is completed in 2012.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture win competition to design world's 4th tallest building

2011-06-21T18:18:00-04:00

Chicago-based architects, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, have just shared with us news that they have won the competition to design China's Wuhan Greenland Center. Press release follows...

CHICAGO, June 21, 2011—Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is pleased to announce that it has won an international competition to design Wuhan Greenland Center, which at 606 meters (1,988 feet) will likely be China’s third-tallest building, and the fourth tallest in the world, when completed in about five years. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer in Wuhan near the meeting of the Yangtze and Han rivers.

A project of the Shanghai-based Greenland Group, the 119-level Wuhan Greenland Center will be comprised of about 300,000 square meters of floor area, including about 200,000 sm of offices, 50,000 sm of luxury apartments and condominiums, a 45,000 sm five-star hotel, and a 5,000 sm, 27-meter-tall private club with spectacular views at the tower’s penthouse level.

AS+...

Children build 'world's tallest' Lego tower in Brazil

2011-04-14T01:22:00-04:00

Thousands of children in Brazil have built what organisers say is the world's tallest Lego tower - with a bit of help from parents and a crane. Organisers say the tower, which was made with 500,000 pieces and measured over 102ft, beat a previous record held in Chile.