Jan 30, Caspian Sea Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group have designed the masterplan for a carbon-neutral resort and residential development on Zira Island in the Caspian Sea.  Located within the bay of Azerbaijan’s capital city Baku, the 1,000,000 square metre masterplan will include seven residential developments, which the architect claim are based on the shapes of famous mountains in Azerbaijan....more

Jan 30, Santiago A plan to build the tallest skyscraper in South America has been put on hold because of the global financial crisis. Work has already begun on the tower in the financial district of the Chilean capital Santiago. But the company behind the project says there is no point in carrying on in the current economic climate...more

Jan 29 The lovely people at the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, or CTBUH for short, has come up with a list of 2008 tallest completed buildings. The criteria that must be met for buildings to qualify is quite relaxed but the building must fulfill all of the criteria in order to be included. They should be topped out both structurally and architecturally, fully clad, no naked towers need apply and finally be open for business or at least partially occupied....more

Jan 29, Beirut A student design proposal addresses the issue of towers as being created to mark the power of a firm or the wealth of a company or a man, and not to signal an urban event or the city in its real terms.The contemporary tower dominates the city, but does not reflect its identity or the identity of its citizens....more

Jan 29, London London mayor Boris Johnson has given the final thumbs up to Foster + Partners and HKR Architects' £500m Arcadia Centre redevelopment in Ealing. The 1.7 ha scheme in West London, for developer Glenkerrin had been met with local opposition and had undergone a number of major revisions before the London borough approved the planning application last month....more

Jan 29, Chile Many projects have made great use of the insulating and air-purifying benefits of green walls. The latest to do so is this clean-lined office surrounded by the rolling Bío Bío hills in the center of Concepción, Chile. Conceived by Enrique Browne Arquitectos, the building makes extensive use of locally-sourced materials and is enveloped in a leafy green facade overflowing with bougainvillea, jasmine, and plumbago...more

Jan 28, Dubai The Burj Dubai, already the world's tallest structure, has reached its final height of 818 meters after the tower's spire was installed in late December, according to a news report from the United Arab Emirates. If the report is correct, the tower's height would turn out to be 2683.7 feet, or more than 1,000 feet higher  than the current world's tallest building, the 1,670-foot Taipei 101...more

Jan 28, Dubai DeStefano Partners have designed a 38-storey residential tower for Emaar Properties located in Dubai, UAE. Burj 34 is part of the Burj Dubai District, a master-planned community combining residential apartments, offices, luxury hotels and the Dubai Mall. The building site is adjacent to the prominent Burj Dubai Boulevard, the major roadway of the complex, and directly north of the water channel....more

Jan 28, New Delhi Five years ago, this sprawling New Delhi suburb was known as the Manhattan of India for its skyscrapers and as the Silicon Valley of South Asia for its technology corridor. But reflecting a country where hype often outpaces reality, Gurgaon's builders have yet to get the dream up and running...more

Jan 27, Austin At 680 feet tall, the Austonian, designed by Houston-based firm Ziegler Cooper Architects, will be the tallest building in Austin when it’s completed in 2010. At the halfway point in January 2009, the 56-story elliptical steel, aluminum, concrete, glass, and limestone-clad building will serve to add to Austin’s skyline with a somewhat softer (and less controversial) top than the pointy ends of the highest building at the time, the 515-foot, 33-floor Frost Bank Tower...more

Jan 27, New Orleans UK-based international architectural practice RMJM has announced details of its work on three of the biggest medical and healthcare projects in New Orleans. Official data suggests that in January 2009 there are 25% fewer hospitals in New Orleans than before Hurricane Katrina hit three years ago and there are less than 2 beds per 1000 residents, as compared to over 3 beds before the storm...more

Jan 26, Saudi Arabia The US$ 7 billion Medina-based Knowledge Economic City (KEC) project – directed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz bin Saud, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and a consortium of Saudi corporations – is considered the most important of Saudi Arabia’s Economic Cities (ECs) because of its proximity to the Holy Mosque...more

Jan 26, New York The Plaza Hotel—the century-old Manhattan landmark renowned for white-gloved service and the prestigious guests—reopened its doors last March following a $400 million, two-and-a-half-year-long refurbishment. The property’s owner, the El-Ad Group, renovated 130 suites and 152 pied-a-terres and converted the remainder of the Beaux-Arts building into 178 private condominiums...more

Jan 26, São Paulo Winning the Architectural Record's Future Project Award for overall winner and winner of the residential category is 360º Building. To be erected in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, where in 2009 over 10 million people live spread over 1,525 sq km the building creates an alternative to the typically overcrowded and compact stacked apartments...more

Jan 26, Madrid Mansilla + Tunon Architects broke ground on a stunning new project that will introduce an iconic green superstructure to Madrid’s skyline. The International Convention Center (CICCM) features a unique cylindrical building facade lined with solar panels and concave curves that suffuse its interiors with daylight...more .

Jan 26, Bonita Bay A little more than one year after construction started, Bonita Bay's newest luxury high-rise tower, Tavira, has topped out. The last major roof slab on the 26-story residential high-rise has been poured, and construction is on schedule with completion slated sometime this fall, according to the developers. The Lutgert Companies and Boran Craig Barber Engel Construction Company Inc. broke ground on the building in October 2007....more

Jan 26, New York In June 2008, the Italian real estate magnate Valter Mainetti confirmed that he, along with his company, the Sorgente Group, had the majority share of the world famous Flatiron Building at 23rd Street and 5th Ave. In January 2009, Mainetti revealed his intentions for the property: a hotel conversion. The upside is that the building’s facade must remain the same, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission—it is already zoned for hotel space....more

Jan 26, Dubai KEO provides an elegant design for URC's residential complex on Palm Jebel Ali. The design solution led by Senior Principal Designer Raj Patel carves a void out of the podium’s center to create a ceremonial entrance court. A landscaped boulevard from the main road leads to the center of this entrance court providing a directional gesture to the beach beyond and ceremonial entries into the twin residential tower lobbies....more

Jan 26, Makati Construction is underway on a twin tower project in Makati, part of the ever-growing Metro Manila. Named One Rockwell due to being located on the Rockwell Centre, the towers will stand at 202 meters and 165 meters. The design comes from paper napkins doodled on by architects at Arquitectonica who are based in Miami. The tallest of the towers will be elliptical in shape and use the usual steel and glazing scheme, balconies feature as the tower rises to its peak....more

Jan 24, Jakarta Indonesia could have one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world within three years, soaring 558 meters (1831 feet) above Jakarta, an official said on Friday (January 23). Despite the world economic crisis, a consortium of local businessmen has agreed to go ahead with the mammoth “Jakarta Tower” in the northern Kemayoran area of the capital, development official Sarwo Handayani said....more

Jan 23, Tokyo Recently completed Cocoon Tower makes education design as easy as A-B-C. Standing in Tokyo's distinctive high-rise district of Nishi-Shinjuku, Tange Associates' Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower stands as a symbol of innovation and exception in educational design. It is no wonder this awesome construction was recently awarded as Skyscraper of the Year by Emporis....more

Jan 23, Nottingham More tall buildings could create a 'Berlin Wall' dividing one area of Nottingham from the city centre, it is feared. A proposed guide for the development of the city suggests a 'tall building zone' around Huntingdon Street and the Eastside regeneration area, both of which sit between the city center and St Ann's and Sneinton. Residents' groups are urging the city council to think carefully about the proposals in the Urban Design Guide....more

Jan 23, Taipei Taipei Financial Center Corp., owner of the world's tallest building, expects occupancy growth to slow in 2009 as companies delay taking up office space because of the global recession. The occupancy rate at Taipei 101 may increase by “single digit” percentage points in 2009, after rising almost 10 percentage points over the past 12 months, Michael Liu, spokesman for Taipei Financial Center, said in an interview....more

Jan 23, Bucharest Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed images of its 200 m-tall tower in Bucharest. The 100,000 m² Dorobanti Tower will house a 34,000 m² 5-star hotel, casino, convention centre, shops and 35,000 m² of luxury apartments. The project for Smartown Investment at the junction of Calea Dorobanti and St Mihail Eminescu features concrete-filled steel 'profiles' is due to complete in 2013....more

Jan 22, Evanston To the long list of mega-projects put on hold because of the recession and the credit crunch - the Chicago Spire, the Russia Tower in Moscow and the Nakheel Tower in Dubai - add this one: the Fountain Square skyscraper in Evanston. "It's not something that would move forward in today's finance environment," said the project's co-developer, Tim Anderson of Focus Development in a telephone interview Thursday. "We'll have to wait until the credit markets move forward."....more

Jan 22, Dubai Despite the crisis of cash the rest of the world is suffering from and the local property market there going tits up, ground-work is underway on a new tower for Dubai that will stand at 330 meters with 66 floors. Rather unusual for Dubai, the tower boasts something understated; the developer Al Attar Properties has decided this super tall tower should be simply named The Skyscraper....more

Jan 22, Los Angeles A new 26-storey building is a dynamic addition to Los Angeles’ skyline; 717 Olympic by RTKL serves as an anchor to the highly-anticipated LA Live sports and entertainment district by filling a niche for upscale housing in the city center. At street level the building is wrapped with 7,500 sq ft of retail and commercial space. The tower achieves a sense of layering and texture by articulating deep setbacks and shadow lines....more

Jan 22, Brisbane Every three months, tourists and locals alike are left puzzled and intrigued when part of a Brisbane skyscraper lifts, rotates and changes shape. Like something out of a science fiction film, a section of roof at the 48-storey Central Plaza One building on Queen Street is capable of extending and rotating a full 360 degrees. And four times a year it does just that, in order to facilitate maintenance and window cleaning....more

Jan 22, Zagreb The 40 storey skyscraper that will be constructed on the intersection of Savska Street and the northern part of Sarengradska Street could get a twin on the other side of Zagrebacka Avenue. However, before an urban-architect competition is published, it is necessary, according to the head of the city office for planning Jadranka Veselic Bruvo, open the possibility of building such a tall building....more

Jan 22, Manama Bahrain’s construction industry is bracing for a crisis, with sources predicting thousands of job losses. Industry leaders predict a major slump in the second half of the year, owing to the global economic crisis. They also blame increased costs of materials, labor fees and rocketing salaries for skilled professionals. Sources said thousands of expatriate laborers could be sent home, with investment drying up in new projects....more

Jan 22, Bangkok The listed developer Areeya Property Plc plans to launch low-rise and high-rise projects worth over four billion baht on its existing land plots this year, according to executive chairman Wisit Laohapoonrungsee. The company expects sales of three billion baht this year, slightly down on last year due to the slower market. It anticipates three to four billion baht of revenue this year, supported by the transfer of condominium projects under the 'a space' brand to buyers....more

Jan 22, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has sent legislation to the City Council that will improve the character and design of townhouses in Ballard and require environmentally sensitive building and landscaping. "Most of us would agree that multifamily development must fit better into our neighborhoods," said Nickels in a statement. "These regulations will help ensure that this housing is attractive, sensible, and welcoming, while also supporting our affordable housing goals."....more

Jan 21, China Riding the wave of new development in China, Studio SHIFT recently won a competition to design a fantastic new landmark in Miyi County. Miyi Tower will sit on the edge of the Anning river as a symbol of the new face of Sichuan province. The tower’s most striking feature is its whimsical latticework skin, which suffuses the structure with daylight and “evokes the shimmering surface of the river below.” ....more

Jan 21, Antwerp Zaha Hadid Architects had won the international competition to design the new headquarters for Antwerp's Port Authority. The 12,800 sq m scheme includes the revamp of an existing former fire station which sits below a new 6,200 sq m 'crystalline' extension – as designed to reflect the Belgian's ports link to the diamond industry....more

Jan 21, Bangkok The Baiyoke Tower II, located on 222 Rajprarop Road in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok, Thailand, is the country's tallest building. It contains the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, the tallest hotel in Southeast Asia and the third-tallest all-hotel structure in the world, with 673 guest rooms. The building is 304 m (997 ft) tall, or 328 m (1,076 ft) tall if its antenna is included....more

Jan 21, Prague Jan Kaplicky died in Prague on 13 January 2009, aged 71. The AJ pays tribute to the life and work of a visionary architect. Jan Kaplicky was perhaps best known for designing the hugely popular Selfridges building in Birmingham and the Lord's cricket ground media centre. ....more

Jan 20, Calgary When the Bow, an office tower under construction in downtown Calgary, is completed in 2011, the 58-story building will be the tallest structure in Canada west of Toronto. Designed by the London architecture firm Foster & Partners, the Bow is to have a crescent-shaped exterior, three floors of indoor green spaces for employees to enjoy and passive solar orientation to reduce energy use....more

Jan 20, New York The latest development dispute in Dumbo involves a proposal that has, for many residents, tinges of a Faustian bargain. Many among them want a local middle school for their children. But they are not sure they want it badly enough to accept its proposed packaging — an apartment tower that would block views of their neighborhood’s most prized landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge....more

Jan 20, Atlanta Atlanta now has a neighborhood of sky dwellers. The City Council recently approved its first “vertical neighborhood” — Buckhead Heights, made up of 500 homes in three condominium towers near Lenox Square. Councilman Howard Shook, who was instrumental in Buckhead Heights’ formation, said the new neighborhood “means Atlanta is maturing as a city.”....more

Jan 20, Prague Six months after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) opposed the new skyscrapers at Prague's Pankrác, City Hall has issued a planning permission approving the criticised high-rise buildings. The World Heritage Committee, whose representatives visited Prague in the spring of last year, said the problem was that the new buildings are too high....more

Jan 20, Berlin The city of Berlin has long been trying to decide what to do with the monumental Tempelhof airport, built in the heart of the city by the Nazis. Some of the most recent proposals include a 1,000 meter mountain and a gigantic red-light district. "The mother of all airports" is how star architect Sir Norman Foster once described Berlin's Tempelhof airport. The impressive terminal stretches 1.2 kilometers around one end of the airfield....more

Jan 20, Vienna The largest business school in the European Union, the 20,000-student Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, has increased its head count by two a half times since 1981. Yet it has accommodated this explosive growth hastily, scattering four academic campuses throughout its home city. In October 2007, school and government officials announced the university would consolidate into a 22.7-acre site just south of the city’s fairgrounds....more

Jan 19, Gothenburg Nestled beneath an undulating series of rolling green roofs, Kjellgren Kaminsky Architects New Heden project transforms a vacant city block to a self-contained sustainable city interspersed with cycling paths and walkways. Envisioned as a “green lung” for Gothenburg, Sweden, the development will introduce a beautiful expanse of fresh green space to an area currently consumed by parking lots and football fields....more

Jan 19, Las Vegas GSG Development recently renewed its lawsuit against former partner Harcourt Development of Dublin, Ireland, over costs associated with a failed high-rise project in the southwest Las Vegas Valley. The war of words last year led to Clark County District Court. In April, Las Vegas-based GSG Development charged Harcourt with nonpayment of expenses related to Sullivan Square, a planned $1 billion mixed-use complex at Durango Drive and the Las Vegas Beltway....more

Jan 19, Nigeria Last Tuesday, January 13, 2009, fire again gutted Lagos zonal office of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Marina. The fire lasted for about one hour, razing vital documents and other office equipment. Although no casualty was recorded in the inferno, it has again brought to the fore preparedness of relevant authorities and even owners of such high-rise buildings to combat any such eventuality....more

Jan 19, Chicago Like the situation in retail sales in which the hefty discounts benefited the shoppers, but created headaches for shops, a similar phenomenon is happening in the rental market in the U.S. Landlords are suffering from high vacancy rates as existing tenants downgrade rental rates, those who have some extra cash are moving into upscale addresses at lower costs....more

Jan 19, Seoul Incineration facility shortened chimney to meet regulations, putting residents at risk, while planned Lotte skyscraper received government help. The government’s recent decision to allow Lotte Group to build a 555-meter skyscraper near Seoul Airport, south of Seoul, is raising temperatures in the nearby city of Seongnam....more

Jan 19, Bucharest A new skyscraper has been proposed for the capital city of Romania, Bucharest. Coming from the drawing boards of Zaha Hadid Architects, it will stand at a height of 200 metres and be named the Dorobanti Tower. The tower will be situated in the heart of the city, and opts for a classic oblique diamond shape that mixes it with a highly distinctive patterned façade creating what the architect hopes will be an iconic focal point for the city....more

Jan 19, Singapore A luminous sail-shaped skyscraper is nearing completion in Singapore, proving that there’s always room to grow despite the constraints of urban density. Designed by NBBJ Architects, The Sail @ Marina Bay consists of two smoothy sculpted skyscrapers inspired by the sun, wind, and water. Due for completion later this year, the project is expected to earn Singapore’s Gold Standard of Sustainability badge....more

Jan 18, Cincinnati Dozens of concrete trucks are invading downtown Cincinnati Sunday as the massive foundation is laid for the city's newest and tallest skyscraper. The Great American Tower at Queen City Square will be 41 stories high; nearly 50 feet higher than Carew Tower. The top of the building will look like a tiara, a fitting crown sitting atop the Queen City....more

Jan 18, Atlanta Although they had never lived in a high-rise, when Holly and Rick Wolfert, both 54, were looking for a second home in Atlanta, it was high-rise living that attracted them. Their primary residence is at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, but since Rick has recently launched a commercial finance company, they knew they would be spending more time in Atlanta during the week, as well as time on the weekends enjoying the attractions the city has to offer....more

Jan 16, Ukraine As night falls, puzzler enthusiasts gather outside a residential block in Ukraine in an attempt to decipher the world largest crossword. But unlike your newspaper variety, this puzzle is more than 100ft high and fills the entire external wall of a tall building in the historic city of Lvov. Clues to the massive puzzle, which is 19 squares across and 34 squares high, have been scattered around the city's major landmarks and attractions....more

Jan 15, Sacramento A local businessman wants to build a new skyscraper in Sacramento that looks like a golden spike, but the plan is stirring controversy. Walter Horsting came up the idea and says it would be perfect for the downtown rail yards. But the developer of the downtown rail yard project isn't sold on the idea. It's not the comparison Walter was looking for, but he isn't deterred.....more

Jan 15, Dubai A 380-metre high real estate project is set to provide some of the most luxurious homes in Dubai, with a world record for the number of swimming pools in a single building. A Hircon International scheme, ‘23 Marina’ will be an “iconic skyscraper” with all the duplex apartment homes boasting their own plunge pool. A statement from Hircon said owners of the unique homes would also have a piece of one of the world’s tallest residential buildings....more

Jan 15, London A fin-shaped skyscraper designed by Make Architects has been refused planning permission in central London. Lambeth City Council has ordered the architect to scale back the plans for fear the structure would block sunlight to neighboring buildings. The mixed-use scheme, comprising mainly apartments, was to have been built on Albert Embankment and was to have stood 23 stories (75m) tall....more

Jan 15, Evanston Confusion and disagreement about building heights dominated the Evanston Planning and Development Committee meeting Wednesday, January 14, 2009. After the extended debate, the committee agreed to establish a central core district downtown, with maximum building heights between 27 and 35 stories, depending on circumstances....more

Jan 15 The financial crisis has led to the cancellation of spectacular construction projects in the previously booming metropolises of Dubai, Moscow and Abu Dhabi. Does the demise of overblown architecture spell an opportunity for sustainable building? They were certainly heady years. In cities like Shanghai, Moscow and Dubai, the urban landscape was re-invented at breakneck speed....more

Jan 15, New York The floor-to-ceiling height of the upper apartments in the tower that the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have designed for New York is four meters. The architecture of high-rises has truly entered a new phase. The hunger for square meters has been displaced by an appetite for luxury. The only 7-star hotel in the world is a high-rise. And now New York builds a stack of lofts up to 253 meters....more

Jan 14, Dubai In a further sign that the property bubble in Dubai has popped, Nakheel, the state-controlled developer, said it was halting work on a skyscraper that would have stood one kilometer tall, or roughly twice the height of the Empire State Building in New York. The suspended building is part of a growing list of projects that have gone cold in what was one of the hottest real estate markets in the world....more

Jan 14, Doha The design of the new Doha Convention Center and Tower by Murphy/Jahn architects creates an iconic symbol for the Doha skyline – a 550m high tapering obelisk, containing a total of 112 storeys. It begins with offices in its lower levels, followed by apartment floors, a hotel and penthouse residences in the upper levels of the narrower building shaft. At the top of the Tower an exclusive Private Club occupies a 60m high glowing glass cylinder.....more

Jan 14, Cairo With the growing demand for housing and office space in the greater Cairo area, leading developer Sorouh has appointed global design firm Callison to master plan and design a 42.3 million sq ft mixed-use development just outside the city center. The new Sorouh City will house 40,000 residents and provide a balance of live, work and entertainment facilities, all within close proximity to schools, hospitals and the Cairo International Airport......more

Jan 14, Shenzhen Shenzhen on the Chinese border with Hong Kong could get the world's second tallest building if a new development goes ahead. The main building will be the new headquarters for one of China's largest financial companies, Pingan Insurance who are aiming for something truly big with a 115-storey tower that will reach 646 metres to its tip.The scheme is a needle sharp tower with a pointed spire and strong stone vertical lines running up the cladding.....more

Jan 14, London  An online petition has been launched against plans to introduce some of London’s tallest skyscrapers into Croydon. The Addiscombe Labour Party wants as many people as possible to stand up against the planning application by firm Menta for the construction of four skyscrapers. Menta want to redevelop land next to East Croydon station on Cherry Orchard Road and have submitted an application to demolish the existing buildings. ....more

Jan 12, Woolverhampton Woolverhampton student halls to be tallest modular build in Europe Designed by O'Connell East Architects of Manchester, Woolverhampton's new student halls are comprised of 805 modules. Featuring a 24 storey block it will be Europe’s tallest modular building and will provide 657 student bedrooms plus 142 post-graduate student apartments. The full build will take just 27 weeks to complete....more

Jan 12, Stratford Adding to an already impressive collection of tall buildings in Stratford by Stock Woolstencroft is this new 28-storey scheme they have designed to stand on Stratford's High Street at numbers 2-12. 82 metres in height, the building contains 174 apartments plus an additional 1,450 square metres of commercial space. Parking is provided for 46 cars whilst cycling is encouraged thanks to the inclusion of an impressive 174 secure bike spaces.....more

Jan 12, Calgary Construction is underway for the first of what will eventually be two new skyscrapers in Calgary, Canada. The towers come from the sketchpads of architects Pickard Chiltern and are being developed by Hines. Named Eighth Avenue Place they are located between 8th and 9th Avenues and 4th and 5th Streets and will offer stunning views of the city below and the famous Rocky Mountains....more

Jan 8, Rochester Midtown Tower will either be torn down or almost entirely rebuilt. The city is seeking developers who are interested in turning the 17-story building into residences, offices, and retail. The building has been part of Rochester’s skyline for nearly 50 years.....more

Jan 8, Ireland Developers hoping to erect Northern Ireland’s tallest building have appealed to the government to overturn a planning decision to reject the £90m project. The company behind plans for the 37-storey Aurora building in Belfast has written to Stormont ministers urging them to intervene and rescue the proposal....more

Jan 8, Shijiazhuang A new exhibition centre featuring a skyscraper has been proposed for the Chinese city of Shijiazhuang, China. Creatively named the Shijiazhuang International Convention and Exhibition Centre it will if approved include a tower standing at a height of 365 metres as well as a low level structure. At the moment a competition is running to see who can come up with the final design and so far it has been whittled down to three finalists.....more

Jan 8, Glasgow Aedas's plans for Bothwell Street in Glasgow have been condemned as a 'missed opportunity' by Architecture + Design Scotland. The 18-storey scheme includes 320 hotel rooms and 32,000m² of office space and would replace the demolished Albany Hotel, adjacent to Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's 1859 St Vincent Street Church. The grade-A listed church is the last of the architect's still fully intact.....more

Jan 8, London The developer behind Rafael Viñoly’s controversial £4.5 billion scheme for Battersea Power Station has warned that blocking its revised tower — now 250m high rather than 300m — could jeopardise the wider Nine Elms area regeneration.Treasury Holdings’ Rob Tincknell told the Evening Standard on Tuesday that London mayor Boris Johnson should back the landmark “eco-chimney”....more

Jan 8, Israel It was a good year, 2008, for international architecture, maybe too good. Just like the mortgage and stock market businesses, in architecture it seemed anything was possible - just because anything was possible. The sky was no longer the limit....more

Jan 8, Rotterdam The city of Rotterdam has been allowed to evolve into what is now considered as the ‘high rise city of the Netherlands’. But local architect Jan Willem van Kuilenburg, principal of Monolab Architects has derided this label as ‘a joke’ calling for an extension to the local authorities’ planned high rise zone to the south and proposes Rotterdam's first super-tower, the 450 m high City Tower.....more

Jan 8, Kuala Lumpur The International firm take their first tower in Malaysia to its capital. A 30-storey building, fronting the street Jalan Sultan Ismail, will be the first building in Malaysia created by internationally acclaimed New York architects Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF). The Class 'A' Green building, close to the iconic Petronas Towers, is destined to be the Malaysian headquarters of leading property and real estate group Mulpha Properties. ....more

Jan 8, Seoul The Lotte Group was given the green light yesterday for its long-cherished skyscraper project after the Lee Myung-bak administration decided to make some changes in the operation of a nearby military airbase. At an administrative meeting hosted by Cho Jung-pyo, minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, the government decided yesterday to rewrite operation plans and take flight safety measures at Seoul Airport, also known as Seongnam Airbase....more

Jan 7, Sheffield One of the most famous International styled buildings in the country, the Arts Tower, at Sheffield University is due a makeover to simultaneously modernise it and restore it to its original glory. Led by HLM Architects, the project will see the building that originally came from the pens of Gollins, Melvin and Ward Partnership reclad with improved environmental performance on the building enve....more

Jan 7, New York City Many people, in many ways, serve the best interests of the construction industry. The editors of ENR have chosen the following individuals for innovations and achievements featured in our stories in 2008. Those cited here will be honored on March 26, 2009, in New York City. One already has been chosen to receive the Award of Excellence, ENR’s highest honor, and will be the subject of a cover story in the magazine’s March 30 issue....more

Jan 7, Sydney After countless shelved transport and urban development plans, the government is again attempting to convince Sydneysiders to build up, not out. A joint state and federal government study into the $8.1 billion West Metro rail line suggests it is looking at high-density hubs dotted along a mass-transit subway network between Parramatta and the central business district....more

Jan 7, New York City Downtown New York will greet its first ultra-luxury high-rise hotel when Trump SoHo New York opens in Fall 2009. Located at 246 Spring Street in the heart of the fashionable SoHo district, the dramatic, 46-story, 400-room glass tower neighbors numerous art galleries and chic boutiques. In addition to panoramic views, cutting-edge design, and expansive suites -- including the largest penthouse suite on the East Coast .....more

Jan 7, Johannesburg DMD Architects is to design a mixed-use residential development in Johannesburg, South Africa. The young London-based practice, set up in 2007 by ex-Allies and Morrisson staff Neil Dusheiko and Eric Martin with Nikolai Delvendahl from Adjaye Associates, has already completed the The Fitness Café in St John's Wood and a houseboat for Yo!Sushi founder Simon Woodroffe. ....more

Jan 7, San Francisco It isn’t surprising that architects in the earthquake-prone San Francisco Bay Area incorporate robust and sophisticated seismic technologies into their buildings.One of the area’s innovative seismic retrofit projects is part of developer TMG Partners’ plans to transform a vacant and fortresslike tower at 680 Folsom, in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, into desirable office space....more

Jan 6, Vancouver Plants may soon reach higher than ever before if the efforts of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Valcent (OTCBB:VTCPF) come to fruition. The company says it plans to complete construction of its first full-scale commercial High Density Vertical Growing System project at its El Paso,Texas research facility in mid-February. The first crop is due to be harvested in March of this year.....more

Jan 6, New York City Initial scoping plans have been put forward for a new supertall skyscraper to be located at 15 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York. The proposal has been put forward by developer Vornado Realty Trust who are working on the joint venture with their partner, Related Companies.The 180,000 square metre scheme would stand at a height of up to an impressive 373.38 metres on a site currently occupied by the 100 year old Pennsylvania Hotel....more

Jan 6, Los Angeles Jean Nouvel’s Los Angeles debut has been delayed. Construction of 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard, a 45-story condominium tower designed by the French architect and 2008 Pritzker Prize winner, has been put on hold due to financing problems.....more

Jan 6, Abu Dhabi Agence France-Museums, in partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), have announced the firm of Nathalie Crinière as exhibition designers for for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, one of the five major institutions being planned for Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island Cultural District....more

Jan 6, Sydney Sydney will be reinvented as a high-density metropolis serviced by mass-transit subways under a transport blueprint. Powerful new legislation underpinning a proposed metro network costing $13 billion will enable transport and planning officials to reshape the inner suburbs of Sydney, paving the way for apartment towers as high as 15 storeys as well as large-scale retail and office blocks....more

Jan 6, Chicago After the underlying steel structure for the Trump Tower spire is finally in place, how--and when--is the fiberglass covering for the spire going to be installed? Tim Snyder, construction manager for The Trump Organization: "The fiberglass will be attached to the spire sections during the time, weather permitting."....more

Jan 6, Istanbul Turkey’s Green Buildings Association, is organizing its first training session on green buildings and global environmental certification systems. The training day will consist of sessions on leadership in energy and environmental design, or LEED, certification training and a presentation on building research establishment environmental assessment method, or BREEAM....more

Jan 6, Garmisch-Partenkirchen The new Olympic ski jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany has been officially opened. Designed by German architects terrain: loenhart&mayr the design was inspired by the local topography of mount Gudiberg with the connecting lines of the jump reflecting the curved lines of the foothills of the mountains....more

Jan 5, Birmingham Housing bosses have been accused of wasting more than a million pounds in compensation to pay for a mass high-rise eviction that need never have happened. Birmingham City Council shelled out up to £5,000 to each tenant to clear the tower blocks in Bromford after they were earmarked for demolition more than two years ago....more

Jan 5, Seattle Watching the dizzying phalanx of new high-rises sprouting in downtown Seattle and Bellevue, you'd assume they're all about economics -- betting on maximum return from minimum footprint on ground -- and you'd be mostly right. Nietzsche explained the rest: Architecture is the expression of human pride, our triumph over gravity, and the "oratory of power."....more

Jan 5, Milan Milano Santa Monica is a lush green super city that is scheduled to sprout up just outside of Milan. Envisioned as a stacked series of high-rises overflowing with flowering terraces, the self-contained development will employ principles of bio-architecture in addition to photovoltaic panels and solar-thermal water heaters to cut down on energy use....more

Jan 5, Guangzhou Recently, the 432-meter Guangzhou International Finance Center, the tallest skyscraper in Guangzhou and South China, was topped off successfully, making it one of the top 10 highest buildings in the world. The Guangzhou International Finance Center is located at the core of the financial and business district in the southwestern area of Pearl River New City....more

Jan 5, Niagara The steel company puts finishing touches on roof of new 58-storey Hilton. Construction on Niagara’s Hilton began January 2007. It’s expected to be complete by April 2009. It’s a $200-million, two-phase redevelopment of the Hilton site owned by Vice DiCosimo Sr. At 550 feet, the hotel’s top floors look down on the observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower....more

Jan 5, Huelva Proposals have been put forward for a new tower that will form part of a new high-speed rail station for the AVE network in the Spanish city of Huelva and shows just what a big deal modestly sized places in Europe make of this new infrastructure. The new station is designed by Spain's favourite architect Santiago Calatrava and features a low-rise structure accompanied by a skyscraper reaching 353 metres....more

Jan 5, New York New changes in the Department of Building's regulations aim to maintain high-rise construction safety and prevent fatal fires. Standpipes will now undergo weekly inspections to make sure there are no breaches throughout the building. Water connections and valves on each floor below the construction will be inspected daily....more

Jan 4, Shanghai Construction has started on what will be China’s tallest building and one of the ten tallest buildings in the world. The 120 storey Shanghai Tower will spiral upwards to a height of more than 2070 feet.The new £1.5 billion tower will be in the shape of a soft triangle with two walls made from glass and steel that rotate as they head skywards and finish in an open top design....more

Jan 4, Malaysia The iconic buildings of the future will no longer be grandiose but green. With shrinking resources and ever rising energy costs, it makes sense to design or modify buildings to comply with Malaysia’s first Green Building Index. The Malaysia’s Green Building Index will provide guidelines for environmentally friendly construction....more

Jan 4, Singapore Singapore’s Moulmein Rise Residential Tower, won a jury citation at the prestigious triennial Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The building borrows low-energy strategies from vernacular housing instead of relying on mechanical systems for climate control. By reinterpreting traditional elements such as monsoon windows and the perforated wall, air circulation is maximised and energy for cooling is reduced....more

Jan 3, Chicago In a sky-high drama that few would have anticipated after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks chilled America's appetite for building tall, construction workers on Saturday installed the underpinnings for the spire atop Donald Trump's Chicago skyscraper, which ranks as America's second-tallest building after Sears Tower....more