As the name implies, one can expect to experience the hanging gardens of Eden living in this apartment designed by Heatherwick Studio. The ripple configuration of the shell shaped planters is particularly dramatic seeing from the street level.
Source: Archdaily
Establishing strong connections between urban and nature, tradition and innovation, and economy and culture, SOM has designed a master plan for the Central Area of Guangming District, Shenzhen, China. A new benchmark of ecologically integrated development, the project will lead the next generation of urban growth in the Greater Bay Area.
“Central to the success of the master plan is the integration of new open spaces that build upon existing topographical, hydrological and landscape systems of the area”. In fact, open spaces account for over 40% of the total project, with the Science Park as the centerpiece of the system, with a wide range of recreational, cultural, and unique agricultural uses. Moreover, the scheme blurs the boundaries of the Science Park in order to create a stronger overall landscape system that expands into the urban environment via streets, smaller open spaces and plazas, and within architecture.
The Transit-Oriented Development project is situated immediately adjacent to two new metro stations, while the commercial business district is situated at the eastern edge of Science Park, generating commercial offices, retail, residential and cultural uses; and the northern edge consists of retail, hotel, and residential uses. Finally, the southern neighborhoods provide a unique mix of cultural and sports-oriented uses that promote health, wellness, and active lifestyles.
Defining the image of the Central Area and highlighting the “ecological genes” of the district, the 23-hectare Science Park North site is the first phase of development at Guangming Central District. Designed to incorporate a landmark tower, cultural themed retail center, residential, and the Xuefu Hill Park, this area emphasizes the integration of architecture and landscape, creating an urban platform for healthy and sustainable living. The architecture of the start-up parcels will create a new icon for Guangming that represents both its agricultural heritage and its technology-driven future. Designed to optimize pedestrian flows and provide maximum connectivity between transit, living, and working within the North district, the proposal provides convenient access to retail, commercial and hotel uses for visitors and workers, and enhance the livability of the project for residents.
As of August 2020, the ranking of world's tallest buildings are as follow:
Another iconic works by OMA although looks a bit conservative when compares to their previous works. Nevertheless, this tower enhance the skyline of Shenzhen.
Raffles City Chongqing is like Marina Bay Sands on steroid! Designed by the same architect Moshe Safdie, this futuristic mini-city drastically changes the skyline of the city of Chongqing in China.
Recent years have seen an influx of skyscrapers completed, nearing construction, or proposed in Asia. Stimulated by an exponentially growing population and, therefore, thriving economy, Asia has contributed more soaring buildings to the world’s Supertall list than any other continents combined. With the completion of the world’s tallest building at 828 meters tall, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, comes the proposition of progressively more structures which aim to surpass the prior and ascend to the number one status.
Record number of skyscrapers were completed in Asia just this last year:Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the International Commerce Center in Hong Kong, Zifeng Tower, Guangzhou International Finance Center in China . Subsequent years are anticipated to be even more triumphant for skyscraper construction, seeing that the global recession caused some projects to be halted or abandoned prior to 2010.
Of the skyscrapers which are currently under construction, most will dwarf the completed towers which hold the top ten tallest building ranking, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Structures anything less than Supertall (400 meters) will become obsolete to the skyscraper genre with the ever increasing standard.
2011 and 2012 are expected to continue on this upward trend, and more skyscrapers near completion this year: Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Saudi Arabia, the Princess Tower in Dubai, Al Hamra Firdous Tower in Kuwait City, 23 Marina project in Dubai, and Emirates Park Towers Hotel & Spa in Dubai. In 2014, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia is proposed to take the lead as the world’s tallest building, at 1 kilometer tall.
The modern tall building has drastically changed from its historical counterpart; what used to be a boastful display of a region’s wealth and prosperity in office building form is now a practical response to a dense city’s need for housing, transportation, and multi-use facilities. Asia’s, more specifically China’s, soaring population has fueled the demand for supertalls. Increasingly more skyscrapers have taken on the program of residence; Burj Khalifa, Kingdom Tower, and India Tower, just to name a few.
A number of American architectural firms have been accommodating Asia’s need for skyscrapers, of the top 10 skyscrapers under construction, 6 were designed by U.S. Architectural Firms. With reference to projects discussed, Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), Fosters + Partners, and Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill have benefited from Asia’s skyscraper craze. The skyscraper is, undeniably, the architectural symbol of the future and upward trend of Asian architecture further declare the region’s worldwide significance and prominence.
Source: ArchDaily
