Hudson Yards may appear to be a made-in-NYC development, but in actual fact, it took its blueprint from a similar neighborhood in Tokyo known as Roppongi Hills, which broke ground in the 1990s and opened in 2003. While there are a few notable differences—you won’t find any rice paddies on the roofs of Hudson Yards’ buildings, for one—the similarities are striking. But in many respects, this is no surprise—architectural firm KPF played a hand in the design of both developments. — 6sqft

One Vanderbilt is officially the latest skyscraper in New York City to claim supertall status. Located at 41 East 42nd Street in Midtown East, the imminently 1,401-foot tall office building already soars above Grand Central Station, and new steel columns continue to sprout along the perimeter and core, having now punctured the 1,000-foot mark. — New York YIMBY

Mitsui Fudosan has built a 51-story office building in New York, demonstrating Japanese developers' strong appetite for overseas investment as their home market shrinks.

The company announced Friday that it has completed 55 Hudson Yards in the heart of Manhattan. Next door, construction continues on another 58-story office development at 50 Hudson Yards. — Nikkei Asian Review

Speculations for the topping out of the 73-story 30 Hudson Yards have been swirling for the last couple months, and now the fateful day has finally arrived. [....] YIMBY received confirmation that the tallest building of the Hudson Yards mega-development has finally reached its pinnacle, with an American flag rising above the building’s parapet. — New York YIMBY

The digital production studio Visualhouse has released film and renderings of how SL Green’s One Vanderbilt will meet the street, and also remind us just how gargantuan the tower will be. According to the tower’s architects Kohn Pedersen Fox, the tower will rise 1,501 feet to its spire, making it the third tallest building in the city upon completion. — 6sqft.com

The City of London skyline is to be dominated by a newcomer after the latest version of a tower formerly known as the Pinnacle or Helter Skelter received the green light from planners.

The revived building, officially known as 22 Bishopsgate – or simply 22 – will be the tallest building in the Square Mile at 278 metres (912ft) [...].

The new design scrapping the expensive curved-glass panels at the top was the work of PLP Architecture. — theguardian.com

the Pinnacle skyscraper grew to just nine floors before falling victim to financial wrangling. Often referred to as The Stump, its stunted lift core has stood as a concrete folly ever since work halted more than three years ago.

Its days are numbered. Scaffolding is now climbing up the core in preparation for demolition. The replacement building will have a very different design. The old core must be pummelled to rubble and a new one constructed. — londonist.com

William Pedersen, 76, a founder of the architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, has designed some of the world’s most notable skyscrapers [...]. In what may look to the observer like a counterintuitive career move, Mr. Pedersen, after 50 years of designing buildings, is diversifying by taking on furniture. The line, called Loop de Loop after the stunts performed by small aircraft, includes a side chair, dining chair, chaise and lounge chair with ottoman. Eventually there will be a rocker. — nytimes.com

Coach has come to Hudson Yards and classed up the joint as only a luxury bag maker could. [...] But we know what you really care about, the tantalizing new renderings from KPF, who is planning the site and building the two eastern most office towers, the first of which will be home to Coach and open in 2015 — New York Observer

Out of the city's 20 largest firms, 12 added architects during 2010, while only four cut their staff of architects. Hiring has been across the board, from entry-level posts all the way up to the most experienced. — Marine Cole, Crain's New York Business