Innovations Blend
Four Skyscrapers named Regional “Best Tall Buildings” for 2012 by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Best Tall Building “Worldwide” will be announced at October Awards Ceremony. The competition organizers and award jury members noted the high activity of skyscrapers construction around the world: in the prosperous pre-crisis 2005, were commissioned only 32 towers, in 2011 - 88, and this year are scheduled for completion 96 high-rises. First place in the number of tall buildings takes Asia, followed by the Middle East. The best building in the Asia & Australasia region for the first time in the history of the competition became Australian skyscraper of 1 Bligh Street in Sydney, designed by German architect Christoph Ingenhoven.
A difficult site in Sydney’s central business district was transformed by the elliptical tower, which offers tenants several ground-breaking technological advances. The centerpiece is Australia’s tallest naturally ventilated skylit atrium, trimmed in glass and aluminum, which soars the full height of the building. Other innovations include a double-skin, naturally-ventilated glass facade and a hybrid system using gas and solar energy to generate cooling, heating and electricity for the building. “The dramatic, naturally-ventilated central atrium connects the office workers with nature at the inner depths of the plan, giving a sense of openness for the entire building. The series of communal spaces throughout the building, and especially the fantastic rooftop garden, add greatly to the quality of life for the tenants.” - said Werner Sobek, award juror, founder Werner Sobek Group.
1 Bligh Street
Location: Sydney, Australia
Owner: DEXUS Property Group; Cbus Property
Architecture: ingenhoven architects; Architectus
Completed: July 2011
Height: 135 m
Number of floors: 28
Purpose: Office
Structures: Enstruct Group
Communications Engineering: Arup Sydney
Doha Tower
Location: Doha, Qatar
Owner: H.E. Sheikh Saoud bin Mohamed bin Ali al-Thani
Architecture: Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Commissioning: March 2012
Height: 238 m
Number of floors: 46
Purpose: The Office
Structures: Terrell International
Engineering communications: Terrell International
Palazzo Lombardia
Location: Milan, Italy
Owner: Regione Lombardia
Architecture: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Associated architects: Paolo Caputo Partnership; Sistema Duemila Architettura e Ingegneria srl
Completed: March 2011
Height: 161 m
Number of floors: 40
Purpose: The government
Structures: Thornton Tomasetti
Communications Engineering: Arup
Absolute Towers
Location: Mississauga, Canada
Owner: Fernbrook and Cityzen
Architecture: MAD architects
Associated architect: Burka Architects
Commissioning: August 2012
Height: Tower 1 - 179.5 m; Tower 2 - 158 m
Floors: Tower 1 - 56 fl., Tower 2 - 50 fl.
Purpose: Residential
Structures: Sigmund Soudack
Engineering communications: Stantec
Al Bahar Towers
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Owner: Abu Dhabi Investment Council
Architecture: Aedas Architects Ltd
Commissioning: June 2012
Height: 145 m
Number of floors: 29
Purpose: The Office
Associated Architects: Diar Consult
Structures: Arup
Communications Engineering: Arup
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Materials provided by CTBUH