Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park

The first LEED Platinum Comercial High-Rise sits among the giants of #NYC

The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park in midtown New York, designed by Cook + Fox Architects, is the first commercial high-rise to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

The 55-story, 2.2 million square foot project is a new addition to the towering blocks around Bryant Park in midtown and its dense context already challenges the role of the architecture. Cook+Fox establish a highly transparent corner entry, blending the public street with the private office building.

The form of the building deviates from its footprint, increasing the level of surface area exposed to day light and giving oriented views onto Bryant Park. Sustainable measures keep the building well insulated and protected from excess heat gain.

The design and high performance of this building is intended to set a new standard for commercial construction and for the office-work environment. By focusing on ways to emphasize daylight, fresh air and a connection to the outdoors, the architects redefine the parameters of the skyscraper as more than a glass box.

Anara Tower

Anara Tower was a proposed supertall skyscraper located in Dubai. It would have been 600 m (1,968 ft) tall with 135 floors. It was designed to look like a massive wind turbine. If it was ever built the tower was supposed to be a mixed use tower with offices, retail spaces, apartments, and an art gallery. Anara Tower would have incorporated sky gardens every 27 floors and would have contained a luxury restaurant. It was to have been constructed as an energy efficient tower by installing renewable sources of energy and incorporating water efficiency strategies.
The building was cancelled in 2009.

Pearl Continental Tower

Strata Blobitecture Tower in Abu Dhabi

the strata tower, a forty-story, luxury residential building is now under construction in abu dhabi and scheduled for completion in 2011. At a height of 160 meters, the strata Tower will be the tallest building in the al dana precinct, the centerpiece of aldar properties pjsc’s prestigious al raha beach development recently unveiled at mipm in cannes, france. the strata Tower is designed to be a powerful landmark on the al dana precinct’s skyline, signifying the future of Abu Dhabi as a vital city in the uae rising alongside dubai.

Dubai Rotating Tower

Gate Tower Building

One of the most curious building in Japan is the Gate Tower Building in Osaka, Japan. The 5th, 6th and 7th floors of this 16-story office building is occupied by an express highway - passing right through the building. On the building's floor information board on the ground floor, the tenants for the three floors are listed as the Hanshin Expressway. You can’t alight there tough as the elevator skips from the 4th floor to straight to the 8th.

The Gate Tower Building is actually the result of an unusual compromise between the land owner and the Japanese government. The land has been occupied by a wood and charcoal processing company since the early Meiji period, but the gradual move to other sources of fuel resulted in the deterioration of those company buildings. In 1983, the redevelopment of the area was decided upon, but building permits were refused because the highway was already being planned to be built over this land. The property rights' holders refused to give up, and negotiated with the Hanshin Expressway corporation for approximately 5 years to reach the current solution.

Aside from the intrusive highway, business at the Gate Tower Building is almost normal. The highway does not make contact with the building, and a structure surrounding the highway keeps noise and vibration out.

CN Tower

1) One of the world’s tallest free-standing having height 1,815 ft.

2) It was erected at an amazing rate of 18 ft. per day. During construction, concrete flowed from the bottom of the tower as it ascended, while aircraft-type bombsights kept the tower plumb as it went up.

3) The CN Tower can withstand 260-mph gusts.

4) The Sky Pod, a seven-story structure 1,100 ft. high, was built around the base of the tower and jacked into place as one unit. A pair of 10-ton counterweights is attached to the mast to keep the tower from swaying too much.

5) A Sikorsky helicopter hoisted the crowning antenna, for which the tower was originally erected. FM radio signals are broadcast from the base of the antenna, while television signals are sent from the top. Presently, 16 of Toronto’s media signals are transmitted from the tower.

Dubai’s Pentominium To Be World’s Tallest Residential Tower

Dubai – The Astonishing Place For Civil Engineers

To amaze the engineering fraternity, Dubai is back with a project which would test the engineering limits. As per some news, Trident International Holdings have given a project to Arabian Construction Company to build world”s tallest residential tower the ”Pentominium” in Dubai Marina.
The estimated cost of this project is staggering  400 million dollars and the builders believe that once this will finish, Dubai would again prove his superiority in civil engineering field. Professionals all over the world are really looking forward for this project as it would change the way people think about residential buildings.
Salient features of Pentominium
1. It would be second tallest building[124 floor] in world after Burj Dubai.
2. The height of this building would be 618 metres.
3. The total built-up area will be 170,000 square metres.
4. Construction duration is expected to take 48 months.
5. The Pentominium will be the tallest all-residential building.
6. It is designed by architects Aedas.
7. Each living space will have its own foyer and smart biometric access control.
8. Every apartment will consist of either a half or a whole floor (more than 600 m²)
If the builders are to be believed, then these would be the most luxurious apartments in the world having 24*7 butler service, option to use high end luxury vehicles on rent, sailing trips on Yachts and all the accessories you can think of too have a king size life. The top floors will have private theater, cigar lounge, sky lounge, business center, sky pool, health clubs, squash courts and a banqueting hall.