Skyscraper activity has been particularly high this year in
terms of project proposals, completions and construction breaking ground
Architects have also been pushing height boundaries to
deliver tall buildings that meet the expectations and design aesthetics of
their urban locations.
The year 2013 saw One World Trade Centre – the replacement
for the original twin towers – crowned the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere
while Broad Sustainable Building in China began the foundations for its
ambitious prefabricated skyscraper, Sky City, among countless other projects.
One World Trade Centre
Along with the rise of vertical gardens, new structural
aesthetics and cities contending to house the tallest skyscraper, skyscraper
activity is expected to rise in 2014 according to the Council of Tall Buildings
and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The CTBUH confidently forecasts that approximately 75
skyscrapers stretching 200 metres or taller will be completed by the close of
2013 with at least 100 buildings over 200 metres tall to be completed in 2014.
CTBUH editor Daniel Safarik offered predictions when it
comes to skyscraper construction in the year ahead.
Aesthetic:
SHoP’s Skinny Skyscraper
The newest trend for skyscrapers are slender structures that
offer dizzying heights and boutique living, as demonstrated in dense cities
including New York, Hong Kong and Mumbai.
“The advancement in high-strength concrete technology,
combined with land scarcity and plenty of billionaires wiling to spend a great
deal of money for single-or double floor unity high in the sky has made this a
new reality,” said Safarik.
One of the latest projects to be approved is a residential
skyscraper owned by JDS Development, with architecture commissioned to SHoP, at
111 West 57th Street in New York City. While the tower will rise 411 metres, it
is only approximately 13 metres wide. This gives it a width-to-height ratio of
approximately 1:30, which could make it one of the skinniest residential towers
in the world.
Rafael Vinoly’s 432 Park Avenue, currently under
construction in Manhattan, will also leave a minimal footprint spanning only
8,250 square feet.
Safarik added that building forms could also see a shift in
2014.
“Residential floor plates are more flexible than office
floor plates, so in some ways there is more freedom to manipulate the form,” he
said.
Prefabrication:
Prefabrication: London’s Ledenhall Building
Prefabrication will continue to challenge traditional
building techniques, rapidly increasing construction speed in 2014.
“By some counts it has been slowly evolving over many
years,” Safarik said, referring to the suburb of Levittown and surrounding
suburbs in Long Island, New York, which deployed prefabrication construction
methods for their housing during World War II.
London’s Ledenhall Building, due for completion early next
year, will make use of prefabrication. The building, nicknamed The Cheese
Grater for its angled aesthetic, will rise 224 metres and is expected to rise
seven storeys per month because “85% of the building’s construction value will
consist of prefabricated and off-site construction elements.”
Prefabrication: Sky City
Broad Sustainability Group’s Sky City building will push the
limits of prefabrication. The project will be 838 metres tall, 10 metres taller
than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is currently the tallest building in the
world.
Prefabrication
“It they hold to their prediction (and this is a big “if”),
then this would be the most dramatic demonstration of prefab’s potential in
history,” said Safarik. “On the other hand, they have their own record to beat
– Broad Group has already constructed numerous prefab towers with lighting
speed.”
Purpose:
With 80 per cent of those living in developed areas living
in cities and population growth set to rapidly rise, 2014 will see residential
projects reign, along with a continuing trend toward mixed-use buildings.
“The residential trend is greatest in the most populous and
rapidly urbanising countries,” said Safarik. “For example, in India, there are
about 75 buildings of 200 meters or greater, that are either under
construction, seriously proposed, or completed. Out of these, only three are
office-only; four are mixed-use.”
Mixed-use projects offer a multitude of benefits not just
for residents but for building owners as well, as they create a diverse flow of
investment and income opportunities.
Rising Cities:
Rising Cities: Abu Dhabi
Safarik also predicted that in 2014, “two thirds of (the
skyscrapers) will be in China, where the boom is as strong as ever.”
He acknowledged that previous economies that have boasted
strong skyscraper activity have traditionally collapsed shortly thereafter, but
he noted that in China, each of the buildings is at least partially
state-financed.
The CTBUH has also cited Mumbai as a leader in skyscraper
activity. The Middle East as a whole is expected to continue its skyscraper
boom in cities including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh and Jeddah.
In 2014, Jeddah will see construction continue on the
highly-anticipated Kingdom Tower, which is set to be rise one kilometre.
“More possibilities include Baku, Azerbaijan; Astana,
Kazakhstan; Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur,” said Safarik. “There have been
many supertall proposals for Seoul and Busan in Korea, but only a few are
actually going forward at the present time.”
Melbourne has been recognised as having the highest
skyscraper activity among Australian capital cities. According to the CTBUH
database, there are 25 buildings under construction or proposed over 200
metres, of which 13 are in Melbourne. Next year is expected to see the
completion of Infinity Tower in Brisbane which will rise 214 metres.
Sustainability:
Pearl River Tower, Net Zero Energy
Skyscrapers in 2013 have demonstrated some wonderful
environmental credentials including buildings featuring smart skins, wrapped in
green foliage, and advanced water and waste systems. The industry is expected
to begin exploring self-sustaining architecture, also known as triple net
zero; buildings that produce almost zero
energy, zero emissions and zero waste.
“All of the early attempts at ‘net zero’ skyscrapers have
fallen short of that goal, but we have seen attempts to harness the prevailing
natural conditions as well as active technology to generate a substantial
portion of their required energy,” said Safarik. “Part of the issue is that,
even if a tall building could generate all of its own energy, it is still a
massive structure that contains a great deal of embodied energy in its
creation.”
Currently, the 309-metre Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou
City, China by SOM is believed to be the world’s most energy-efficient
skyscraper, earning that distinction by using “a series of integrated
sustainable and engineering elements, including solar panels, double skin
curtain wall, chilled ceiling system, under floor ventilation air and daylight
harvesting.”
“So there are many fronts on which to fight this war, and
it’s far from over,” Safarik said regarding skyscrapers looking for a net-zero
effect.
Wooden Skyscraper proposed for Stockholm
The global awareness surrounding the potential and viability
of wooden skyscrapers offers another sustainable option. Wooden skyscrapers
were a hot topic throughout 2013, and their possibilities were further
highlighted by Vancouver architect Michael Green.
Green wants to see wooden skyscrapers engineered to stand 30
storeys or more in height using an available and flexible system that applies
mass timer panels to a building.
In British Columbia, Canada, the Wood Innovation and Design
Centre has partnered with Green and his firm, Michael Green Architecture, to
develop a 27.5-metre building wooden building and in June, a 34-storey wooden
skyscraper was proposed for Stockholm.
The future looks bright for skyscrapers across the globe as
they become more than mere status symbols. The CTBUH anticipates that 2014 will
see more purpose-built skyscrapers shaping skylines, housing the growing
population and delivering an urban community without eroding the environment.
Source: Sourceable.net
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