July 27, Hong Kong

New challenges of vertical transportation arise along with the rise of ultra-tall and tall buildings in Asia. With the buildings get higher, VT engineering is becoming more complex yet critical in terms of reliability, comfort and functionality. Accurate and effective traffic analysis needs to be conducted to decide how many and where the elevators should go in the building…more

July 27, Marseille

The new Head Office tower for CMA CGM in Marseille, France rises in a metallic curving arc that slowly lifts from the ground and accelerates skywards into the dramatic vertical geometry of its revolutionary forms. The disparate volumes of the tower are generated from a number of gradual centripetal vectors that emerge from within the solid ground surface…more

July 27, Xiamen, China

"Floating" above the city of Xiamen, China like a cloud, this lofty museum takes art and culture to new heights. The brainchild of MAD Architects, the structure's organic, molten metal shape is mirrored, reflecting the beauty of the surrounding environment right onto its walls…more

July 27, Brazil

Brazilian practice Königsberger Vannucchi Architects has entered the record books with the world’s biggest augmented reality marker for its latest skyscraper. The Fibrasa Connection project allows customers and potential buyers for the office development to see the building in situ before construction work has even begun…more

July 27, Shanghai

The area that was the subject of the competition, what is known as the ‘North Bund’ in Hongkou District, covers some two sq km and plays an important role in Shanghai's urban development. The site is intended to provide the two famous districts with important services and public facilities…more

July 26, London

Frustrated with their inability to secure planning permission for the redevelopment of Queen's Market in the London borough of Newham, developer St Mowden has decided to withdraw their plans and put the scheme on ice. Overlooking Green Street and Upton Park, the project featured a 97 metre tall, 31-storey tower…more

July 26, Oak Park, Chicago

Oak Park village officials expect to grant a demolition permit to a developer who is still trying to get financing for a controversial condo and hotel tower in the western suburb. The demolition of the one-story retail strip at Lake and Forest Avenues, once home to a grocery and the Original Pancake House, had been delayed…more

July 26, Shijiazhuang

International architectural firm Woods Bagot has received first prize in the design competition for the 'Shijiazhung International Exhibition and Convention Center' in Shijiazhuaung, China. The winning master plan and concept design aim to showcase the Chinese city as a global destination for conference delegates and tourists…more

July 26, Leicester

A system for generating small quantities of electricity from waste water has been suggested by Tom Broadbent, a graduating industrial design student at Leicester’s De Montfort University. Called HighDro Power, Broadbent’s brainwave uses an in-line turbine to generate electricity from falling waste water in the soil pipes of high-rise buildings…more

July 24, Piraeus, Greece

Athens-based firms Petra Architects and Papaioannou & Associates are exploring new and sustainable ways of treating tower facades with their design proposal of the 'Tower of Piraeus'. The pre-existing structure has been abandoned for years, dominating the port and the cityscape of Greece's third largest municipality…more

July 24, Los Angeles

The Art Deco-inspired Century City condominium tower expected to be the home of wealthy widow Candy Spelling and many other moneyed residents has been completed after years of planning, demolition and construction. The dramatic 41-story Century on Avenue of the Stars is targeted at a sliver of home buyers…more

July 24, St. Petersburg

The Russian Constitutional Court has ruled against the construction of the controversial Okhta Center skyscraper. The court argued that when approving construction projects in the historical part of the city, St. Petersburg's city government should adhere to Russian law as well as international laws on cultural-heritage preservation…more

July 22, Bradford

Hopes had been dashed that the Aspire CityGate development in Bradford, a 110 meter tall tower and associated apartments in shorter buildings totaling 729 units would ever be realized following the collapse of the developer, Asquith Properties. The original proposals for the scheme featured a 22 story tower, but this was scaled up to 37 floors…more

July 22, Beirut

Plans have been unveiled for 'Beirut Terraces' a new residential development by Swiss duo Herzog & De Meuron. Situated in heart of the capital the project was revealed to celebrate the commencement of construction. The concept behind 'Beirut Terraces' offers a revival of the urban lifestyle integrating indoor and outdoor living spaces…more

July 22, New York & Los Angeles

What will our cities look like in 2030? The question was posed to three well-known architecture firms. The results are stunning, and in many ways, revolutionary. From how we live, work, commute and play, each firm has taken a unique approach in the ways in which our cities will fundamentally change in the future…more

July 22, Syracuse, NY

Upstate Medical University has purchased two vacant apartment buildings in downtown Syracuse as part of a plan to create housing for students and medical residents. Upstate announced it has acquired Townsend Tower and Harrison House from the state and will spend about $18 million renovating them…more

July 22, Waikiki

The developer of Allure Waikiki will host a ceremony to celebrate the opening of Honolulu's newest condominium tower. The upscale high-rise on the former site of the Wave Waikiki nightclub at Kalakaua Avenue and Ena Road has achieved only modest sales amid the economic downturn, but completion of the 35-story tower is good reason to celebrate…more

July 22, Canary Wharf

A skyscraper that will become one of London's biggest buildings has finally been given the go-ahead to be started. Controversy and complications have dogged the plans for the Heron Quays West site at Canary Wharf for almost 10 years. Permission was granted in 2008 for three buildings that would eventually create almost 8,000 jobs - but progress was halted…more

July 21

Engineers in the United States are rethinking the traditional stairwell centered approach to emergency egress from buildings and embracing a more holistic strategy that includes all aspects of building design and operation, and their impacts on occupant safety. Elevators are a key component of this strategy…more

July 21

Students, architects, engineers, and designers from around the globe are invited to take part in the eVolo 2011 Skyscraper Competition. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. The aim of this competition is to redefine what we understand as a skyscraper and initiate a new architectural discourse…more

July 21

At least since Modernism emerged in the early 20th century architects have been fascinated with glass. They’ve exploited the material’s properties to make buildings that almost disappear, to create a glowing effect at night, and to enhance connectivity with the outdoors. But a mostly transparent building can be at odds with sustainability…more

July 21, Vietnam

The PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC) is planning to build a 528-m tower. The project is estimated to cost 1.2 billion USD which will be contributed by PVC, its parent company the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN), the Ocean Group and the real estate developer SSG Group…more

July 21, Barcelona

Illa Del Mar: A 675,250-square-foot residential high rise with two towers, at 23 and 27 stories each, linked via a 5-story connector. They include 252 units ranging from one to four bedrooms, along with a heated swimming pool, playground, paddle tennis court, fitness rooms, and a large communal terrace…more

July 21, Chicago

By dimming lights or lowering water temperature on a massive scale, the owners of some of Chicago’s signature skyscrapers are banking on new technology that would dramatically cut the city’s energy usage and save millions of dollars. The technology is being bankrolled by an unusual source: The Republic of Korea…more

July 19, Gothenburg, Sweden

Scandanavian C.F.Moller Architects have won the competition to design the master plan for a new housing district in the Lindholm Area of Gothenburg, Sweden. The Lindholm Area, dominated by former industrial buildings and shipyards, has been transformed in a typical manner into large-scale business districts and open plazas…more

July 19, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine

Dnipropetrovsk is a city in the Ukraine that few outside of the country will have heard of but all of that could change if a rather unique looking tower gets underway. Called Brama, the 180 metre tall 54 scheme has already been approved by the local planning authorities despite having won few fans thanks to its unusual design by Ukranian firm, Dolnik & Co…more

July 19, Houston

The iconic Heritage Plaza building, the distinctive photographic centerpiece of numerous Houston skyline pictures, is for sale. Recognized for the stepped granite feature at the top, which resembles a Mayan temple, the Heritage Plaza is attracting the interest of investors from around the world…more

July 19, Santa Ana

A skyscraping tower that would dwarf anything else in Santa Ana could be under construction by the end of 2010 if the City Council votes to waive several long-standing conditions. Construction of the proposed 37-story tower, on Broadway just north of downtown, would take around 24 months and employ some 2,900 workers…more

July 18, Singapore

Las Vegas Sands spent billions constructing Marina Bay Sands, the world's most expensive standalone resort. This massive hospitality project is set to bump Singapore's already slap happy GDP growth rate up another 0.8% as the venture is expected to generate $1 billion in profits per year…more

July 18, Louisville

Two hotels at the Museum Plaza skyscraper. Two new hotels in the Whiskey Row block. And another adjacent to the Henry Clay building. In all, developers are proposing to add at least 840 rooms in downtown Louisville in the coming years. And both they and local tourism officials are confident the rooms will be filled…more

July 18, Chonqing

The enormous scheme called Jiangbei District spans three city blocks, and is of the scale that many of the larger property developers are aiming for - no longer are single buildings enough for them, they want to develop entire urban districts where development can be done en masse…more

July 18, Hamburg

The top of a bright orange, 42-foot-tall observation tower, wasn’t much of a stretch to look down at the thousands of amateur runners, all wearing the same white T-shirt as they jogged a four-kilometer route through Hamburg, and imagine them as streams of worker ants, rushing through an enormous, half completed designer colony…more

July 17, China

The new Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS), designed by Rotterdam-based Neutelings Riedijk Architects as a sixty-meter-high tower landmark in Antwerp, Belgium, has been completed. During one week in May 2010. Now the MAS will be closed for another year to move the collection and set up the exhibitions. Official opening is foreseen in Spring 2011…more

July 17, China

China will add more than 17 million people to its urban population in 2010. To house this unprecedented wave of migration from the country side, cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou are building countless high-rise residential towers at breakneck speed. The construction sites are almost impossible to enter but once inside, it’s like entering a science fiction novel…more

July 16, Sydney

Frasers Property has gained project approvals for the first stages of its massive Central Park building project at Broadway. Two residential towers designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, with 593 apartments, have been approved. They will sit above a five-level retail podium on Broadway…more

July 16, China

Despite the “Better City, Better Life” theme of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, many argue China’s cities are becoming ever less habitable. Southern Metropolis Daily reporter Zhang Chuanwen discusses the problems facing China’s cities with Professor Zhang Song of Shanghai Tongji University’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning…more

July 16, Vietnam

The mushrooming of high-rise buildings in HCM City's central districts is causing severe traffic problems, experts warn.  In the last five years, 63 housing complexes were developed in the city center.  Since 2007 around 85 office buildings, hotels, and shopping malls with a total area of nearly 1.1 million square meters have been licensed…more

July 15, Beirut

Damac has teamed up with Italian designer Versace to bring this new tower proposal to the rich in Beirut.  With 28 stories, the residential tower is intended to stand overlooking the Mediterranean in the Solidere district, Beirut's equivalent to Knightsbridge or Beverley Hills.  The design of the building features a rippling façade…more

July 15

While it looks a bit like something that Queen Amidala might wear on her head, this incredible tower is actually a concept for a multi-use skyscraper for the city of Yerevan in Armenia.  Designed by Vahan Misakyan, the insect-like building consists of “structural geodesics” that link up via habitable bridges…more

July 15, New York

Zone it and they will come.  At least that's what the developer of a proposed behemoth of a tower on the site of the Hotel Pennsylvania is hoping now that city planners yesterday approved zoning changes needed to build a skyscraper taller than the Chrysler Building.  The approvals more than double the size of a building that could go up on Seventh Avenue…more

July 14, Sweden

The 'treehotel' is set to open this weekend.  Located in Harads, Sweden about 60 km south of the arctic circle - currently consisting of four rooms: the cabin, the blue cone, the nest and the mirrorcube.  The project was conceived by Tree Hotel Co-Founder Kent Lindvall, a former guidance counselor who came up with the concept with his wife Britta…more

July 14, Los Angeles

Los Angeles-based Aecom Technology has acquired Tishman Construction in a $245 million deal, the companies announced today. New York City-based Tishman, one of the largest construction companies in the country, has overseen numerous high-profile projects including the original World Trade Center, One Bryant Park -- the first LEED-Platinum skyscraper…more

July 15, Atlanta

For the Young Architects Forum Atlanta’s 10UP! National Architectue Competition, participants were challenged to create a temporary installation for Atlanta. The winning 45 ft tower, Periscope, designed by Brandon Clifford and Wes Mcgee of Matter Design Studio, is an “inhabitable installation with iconic implications to advocate bold architecture.”…more

July 14, Warsaw

A court has blocked further work on Orco Property Group's signature Złota 44 high-rise project in Warsaw. The decision sends a discouraging signal to international investors.  The fate of Złota 44, the Daniel Libeskind-designed skyscraper which currently stands incomplete in the very heart of Warsaw, hangs in the balance after a recent court decision…more

July 14, London

During the recession, construction of London’s most grandiose building schemes ground to a halt.  Now architects are dusting off their old plans and our skyline is once again being transformed.  But is this era of austerity really the time for extravagant towers, asks Kieran Long. …more

July 13, Louisville

At more than 60 stories, the multi-tower, mixed-use Museum Plaza was set to redefine the skyline of Louisville, Kentucky, when it was unveiled in 2006. After the REX-designed project was put on hold due to the financial crisis, however, many assumed that a project of that scale and complexity would never rise, given continuing lending scarcities…more

July 13

Engineering News-Record, a sister publication to Architectural Record, has released its list of the 10 largest construction projects around the globe. The projects range in scope and purpose, from creating a vacation hot spot in the Persian Gulf to diverting water to quench North China’s thirst. The projects here have been ranked by cost, based on U.S. dollars…more

July 13, New Haven

In late May, a 60,000-pound fuel cell nearly the size of a freight car was hoisted onto the site of 360 State Street, a mixed-use highrise under construction in downtown New Haven. The 400-kilowatt unit is the first large-scale fuel cell to power a residential development anywhere in the world, according to the building’s developer…more

July 13, Taipei

Pixelated designs are apparently in vogue, and BIG adds to the typology with Taipei City Wall, a community tower composed of stacked apartment blocks. BIG arranged the layout of the boxes in a way that maximizes the site area in order to provide more light for each residence and access to green space as well as recreational areas…more

July 13, St. Petersburg

Russia's state authority for project examination and approval gave a green light to the construction of a 400-meter skyscraper in downtown St. Petersburg, considered a UNESCO world heritage site. The ruling, which concerns technical aspects of the construction, paves the way for final approval of the highly controversial project…more

July 13, Cincinnati

Cincinnati's newest skyscraper, the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, officially becomes the city's tallest building. The final piece of the signature tiara structure on top of Great American Tower was put into place. The keystone of the tiara will make the new skyscraper over 54 stories tall at 665 feet…more

July 13, Brussels

The Belgian design studio Lab[au] transformed Dexia Tower in Brussels into a light-based weather forecasting installation. The project uses the large tower as a public canvas to visualize the next day’s weather forecast. The installation uses real time data to project the temperature, cloudiness, precipitation and wind using colors and different geometrical patterns…more

July 12, Amsterdam

Netherlands-based architecture firms RAU and Powerhouse Company have proposed a super-efficient luxury hotel for Amsterdam that is powered by water. The H2Otel is a prototype for a new hotel typology that uses water as its main source of energy for heating, cooling, cooking, and the generation of electricity…more

July 11, Chicago

Newport Beach’s KBS Realty Advisors LLC has struck a deal to buy a Chicago skyscraper in what appears to be the priciest office buy an Orange County real estate company’s ever made. KBS has agreed to buy 300 N. LaSalle Drive, a 60-story office tower in downtown Chicago. The price for the 1.3 million-square-foot tower is about $655 million…more

July 11

The Sprawl Project by Danish firm The Sum Things is an attempt to redefine the role of the skyscraper in the larger context of the city fabric and thereby address a restructuring of cities to accommodate future challenges, such as increased urban population, transportation and the subsequent requirement of urban buildings to be flexible and adaptable…more

July 10, Seoul

Frits van Dongen of de Architekten Cie. has won an international invited competition for 1400 units of social housing in Seoul, South Korea. This competition for Seoul Gangnam District is an initiative by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (KLHC) with the objective of providing affordable public housing for low income families…more

July 9

The annual awards, presented by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, recognize projects that have made “extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level.”…more

July 9, London

It rises 143 meters above central London, making it the district’s tallest residential structure. Its nickname is ‘The Razor” owing to its sharp angular design. It’s also one of the first skyscrapers to have electricity-generating wind turbines built into its core design “fabric”. London is starting to take advantage of one of its more plentiful, renewable resources: wind…more

July 9

The iconic buildings of the 20th century, barring a few notable exceptions, were built around straight lines, squares and rectangles, incarnated in the flat-topped, “big box” skyscrapers of the post-World War II period. Thanks to a revolution in digital modelling, architects are thinking outside the box, replacing straight lines with curves…more

July 9, Huangshan, China

Following Keppie's successful design proposals for the new Community Theater at Grand View, Huangshan, the Yuanyi Group commissioned Keppie to prepare masterplanning proposals for an area of approximately 2.5 sq ml, near Huangshan Airport on the western edges of the main urban areas…more

July 9, Sarasota

To fix severe design and construction flaws that have caused a key concrete support to fail, engineers plan to jack up the 15-story Dolphin Tower like a car with a flat tire. Lifting the fourth-floor concrete support is critical to fully stabilize the 117-unit downtown condominium building, an engineer hired to salvage the structure told a crowd of residents…more

July 9, Calgary, Canada

A 14-meter-long vertical steel girder was to be added to a Calgary skyscraper under construction July 8th, 2010, a step that will made the Bow tower the tallest building in Canada outside Toronto. The girder is the first link in the steel skeleton that makes up the 55th through 57th floors. The Bow is to be 218 meters…more

July 9, Darwin, Australia

The developer of the Mantra Pandanas building in Darwin's CBD says every glass panel on the building's balconies will be replaced because of a manufacturing fault. It is believed three glass panels have shattered since they were installed in 2008, including one mid-2010 that sent glass showering onto a car parked below…more

July 8, UK

Britain's largest student developer, the UNITE Group has announced its latest quarterly results. The company provides beds for 19,468 students and owns the tallest student accommodation in the world, Sky Plaza in Leeds, a 103 meter tall 37-floor tower designed by Carey Jones Architects. UNITE owns 57 other properties around the United Kingdom…more

July 7, Astana, Kazakhstan

Just because there's a credit crunch that doesn't mean countries have stopped building crazy structures. The latest to be completed is Norman Foster's Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre, which is the world's tallest tent - or "tensile structure" if you're writing an architectural press release. The building is basically a modern big top with a central pole…more

July 7, Louisville, USA

The state Department for Local Government expects to formally apply by Friday, July 9th for a $100 million federal loan guarantee to help finance the stalled Museum Plaza skyscraper complex in downtown Louisville. A decision by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would then take at least two months…more

July 6, New York

After weeks of negotiations, a front-runner has emerged in the search for a private partner at 1 World Trade Center, the $3.3 billion skyscraper under construction at ground zero. Douglas Durst, whose family owns 10 Midtown office towers, is favored by some officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey…more

July 6, New York

Hidden behind blue plywood fencing on 47th Street, the heart of the Diamond District sits what is perhaps New York's next modern office building: the International Gem Tower planned by mogul Gary Barnett and his Extell Development. It also has the distinction of being the latest piece of New York City commercial real estate to receive a pledge of government assistance…more

July 6, Athens

Italian architect Marco Acerbis has received third prize for the CTBUH-sponsored ‘New Face of Pireus Tower’ international competition. Located at the port of Piraeus in Athens, Greece the 'Piraeus tower' has been abandoned for more than 30 years. It is 22-stories high standing at 84 meters tall. It is often called 'the sleeping giant' due to its abandonment…more

July 6, New York

A stroll along Washington Square South provides a good primer on NYU’s approach to development in recent decades. On one side is the park, former stomping grounds of O’Neill, Dylan, and Jacobs. On the other, a stretch of stone-faced institutional buildings, their imposing facades beckoning exclusively to students and faculty…more

July 5

With finance hard to come by and sustainability paramount, supertalls seem to have the odds stacked against them in 2010. When Dubai's Burj Khalifa reached its final height of 828 meters - becoming the tallest building in the world by over 200m - it did so against a background of global financial uncertainty…more

July 5, London

The sale of London’s first skyscraper came a step closer to completion after it emerged that Chinese Estates Group had entered exclusive discussions to buy Tower 42. The group, chaired by Hong Kong-based billionaire Joseph Lau, is said to have won a three-month auction with a bid near the asking price of £300m…more

July 3, Jeddah

Luxury lifestyle developer Damac Properties has announced that it has awarded the main contract for construction to commence at its Al Jawharah project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After the completion of enabling works on site, Drake and Scull International Centre for Contracting Ltd has been awarded the main contract worth SR450m…more

July 2, Oklahoma City

Devon Energy's new tower is nearing the same height of the expanded 10-story former City Center West Garage. The job employs 425 workers as the tower is up to five stories tall. Within the next few weeks the tower is expected to rise at a rate of one story every week. The $750 million, 50-story tower is expected to open in 2012…more

July 2, Kakaako

Alexander & Baldwin Inc. has bought undeveloped land in Kakaako approved long ago for a high-rise condominium, and plans to build a 40-story residential tower in 2012. The company, through its real estate development affiliate A&B Properties Inc., bought the site next to the existing Hawaiki and Ko'olani luxury condo towers for $16 million…more

July 2, Bartlesville

Price Tower Arts Center announces new tour packages for visitors to the National Historic Landmark in downtown Bartlesville. Three new options have been added to the line-up of tours at the Frank Lloyd Wright designed skyscraper. "Our goal is to share our one-of-a-kind building with as many people as possible"…more

July 2, Newark

The address 744 Broad St. has been a beacon of Newark’s resurgence since that autumn day  when a switch was thrown to bathe the city’s tallest skyscraper in light after a historic $55 million makeover. The lights still shine. But in a New Jersey courtroom, a shadow has descended on the landmark art deco tower…more

July 2, Mumbai

The Bombay High Court sought a reply from the Union government on a petition alleging breach of rules by the Navy while granting an NOC to a high-rise project near its base here. The 70-story building is 125 meters from the boundary of INS Trata, the Naval base in Worli, while rules do not allow any construction within 300 meters, the petition says…more

July 2, Cairo

Cairo deserves an eco-skyscraper just as much as any other city and they couldn’t ask for much more than this spiraling eco tower, designed by Mohamed Abdel-Aziz. Called Space-Scraper, the eye-catching mixed-use development is composed of three twisting towers – one each for office, hotel and residential space…more

July 2, Paris

Recipient of an AJAP prize – a French distinction by the Cultural Ministry to promote young architects – Stephane Malka’s ambitious designs will be exhibited in La Cité de L’Architecture et du Patrimoine until September 5th, 2010. These images of his concept design ‘Auto-défense’ are a sneak peak of the quality of architectural artistry on show…more

July 2, Istanbul

Skyscraper after skyscraper is being proposed for the Turkish city of Istanbul, with the latest being this tower. Fehmi Kobal Design Architects have been working on the Regnum Tower, a 180 meter tall 38 floor office building that once complete will offer 70,000 square meters of space…more

July 1, United Arab Emirates

The site is a parcel of land directly facing the Persian Gulf with a park on one side and the density of the development on the remaining two sides. The concept for the design solution is to locate the mass of the building along two sides of the site perimeter, allowing a maximum open area of the site to be utilized for pools, gardens, and outdoor spaces…more

July 1, Ostrava

The City of Ostrava is bidding to become the 2015 Cultural Capital of Europe. Ostrava organized a competition to express its ambitions to catalyze cultural development and urban transformation. NL architects received a special mention for their entry. The proposal included designs for residential buildings, a concert hall, an exhibition hall…more

July 1, Mexico City

This skyscraper by Mexican studio Rojkind Arquitectos is about to commence construction in Mexico City. Called R432, the project unites 12 plots of land and will extend 52 floors into the air. The first three floors will accommodate restaurants and shops, with residential apartments above them on 35 storeys…more

June 30, Suqian City, China

Allen Jack+Cottier won a limited competition to design a mixed development on the east bank of the Grand Canal in Suqian City, Jiangsu province, China. The development includes a five-star hotel, serviced apartments, villas, retail and golf course. The design, submitted in conjunction with ASA Architects, uses the Grand Canal as its design source…more

June 30, Tirana

The Albanian capital of Tirana is constructing ten new towers in its city centre, the latest of which is called 4-ever Green, a building that will most definitely take after its own name. The scheme has been designed by Italian firm Archea Associati who beat off entries in a competition…more

June 30, Miami

Three, multi-dimensional crystalline volumes engage street and sky, creating park, residential, amenity, parking, office, and commercial spaces allocated on desire and value maximization. Pure in form and materiality, the project establishes optimum abstraction within the sky-scape while maintaining openness and contextual sensitivity at the street…more

June 30, Lexington

Lexington officials met to consider the latest CentrePointe design, as the high rise once again takes center stage. A design review board unanimously approved a scaled down version of the CentrePointe project proposed for downtown Lexington. But there's still no movement on the development itself…more

June 30, New York

After the community board voted down an ambitious $1.2-billion plan to turn the landmark Domino Sugar Refinery site in Williamsburg into a residential complex with 2,200 apartments and four acres of public park, it looked as though the project would collapse. But Mayor Bloomberg offered up enough concessions to win Levin's approval…more

June 30

More people than ever are growing food in cities, which happen to be where most of the world’s people live. In windowsills, on rooftops and in community gardens, they’re burying seeds in Havana, Kinshasa and Hanoi—and in Chicago, Milwaukee and Atlanta…more

June 29, Brussels

The post world war rebuilding of European cities was based on principles of repetitive techniques and initiated the transition to a modernism devoid of ideologies: The International Style. The task on this project will be to embrace and nourish a modern life based on diversity, identity and ideals…more

June 29, Paris & London

For many years building skyscrapers outside of La Defense was considered unthinkable but recent proposals have seen this change for the first time since the sixties. In London meanwhile Boris Johnson used the anti-skyscraper bandwagon to great effect when he ran against pro-development Ken Livingstone. BBC Radio 4 is running a programme…more

June 29, Boston

Ever since the Boston Redevelopment Authority finalized its study setting heights along the post-Big Dig Rose Kennedy Greenway, the fate of developer Don Chiofaro’s Boston Arch has been very much in question. The city is recommending no more than two towers rising to 200 feet on the site, saying it will cast shadows on the politically sensitive park…more

June 29, Guiyang, China

One of the more unusual looking buildings in the world that is under construction is the 201 Tower in the People's Republic of China. What makes the building unusual is the structure. The central core is a structural steel shaft, and from this ten glazed blocks will hang off it to serve as different office modules each connected to the central core…more

June 29, Seville, Spain

The city has approved plans for a controversial tower designed by Cesar Pelli, the Argentine architect, despite objections from UN culture chiefs who fear the new construction will have a detrimental effect on the city's historic center. Seville secured a place on the World Heritage list in 1987 for its Cathedral, Alcazar and the Archivo de Indias…more

June 29, New York

To the south the building presents to the street a public space that could be occupied by a community use or a business. This space is developed as a semi-detached structure that breaks down the scale of the tower, mediating to the human-scale experience of pedestrians on the street…more

June 29, Los Angeles

Hines, the closely held property investor with $22.9 billion in assets, plans to sell the 40- story Union Bank Plaza office tower in downtown Los Angeles. The company hired Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. to market Union Bank Plaza, a 625,838-square-foot (58,142-square-meter) tower it purchased in 2005…more

June 28, Shenzhen

The Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SSE) designed by OMA as the new home for China’s equivalent of the NASDAQ Exchange for Hi-Tech Industries – topped out at 246 meters. The building consists of a raised podium suspended 36 meters over a public plaza and projecting 54 meters from the tower base…more

June 28, New York

For those who follow real estate trends, One Madison Park, the new luxury residential tower at 23rd Street and Madison Avenue, is a choice example of the hubris that led to the financial crash. Earlier 2010, just as workers were putting the final touches on its glittering facades, the building went into foreclosure, halting construction…more

June 28, Shenzhen

Austrian architect Hans Hollein has finished a design concept of a 42-storey office tower in the heart of Shenzhen, China. The 'SBF Tower' is situated adjacent to the Town Hall and Shennan Avenue, a major road in the business district of Futian. Rising to an overall height of 200 m, the building repeats a simple 45 m x 45 m square plan into two different zones…more