BIG and Dialog's TELUS Sky Tower recently broke ground along 7th Avenue block in the heart of Calgary, Canada, a city full of corporate towers surrounded by low-density suburban neighborhoods. Unveiled in 2013, the 761,235 sq.ft commercial tower integrates both working and living environments into one structure that aims to make Calgary's city center more varied and walkable. The tower's textured glass façade complements yet stands out from its environment.

According to the TELUS Sky website, the 59-story tower will begin with dining and retail spaces as well as access to adjacent buildings. The tower also has 26 floors of office spaces ranging from 7,636 sqft-18,997 sq.ft, followed by 29 floors of residential spaces consisting of 326 executive rental suites.

"The large floor plates for workplaces recede to achieve the slender dimensions of residential floor depths. The texture of the façade in a similar fashion evolves from a smooth glass façade enclosing the work space to a three-dimensional composition of apartments and balconies," BIG describes in a project statement. "The resultant silhouette expresses the unification of the two programs in a single gesture – in rational straight lines composed to form a feminine figure." Completion is scheduled for 2017.

More info about the TELUS Sky tower here.

Previously: Canadian telecom giant TELUS taps BIG for landmark tower in Calgary