Future of an Icon: Ponte Tower in South Africa

Courtesy of Philip Bloom

Ponte Tower is a residential high-rise in Johannesburg, South Africa with a unique history, and now a promising future. The crime-ridden and derelict tower, once a symbol of extreme wealth, but now inhabited by very low-income families, has received attention from investors interested in transforming it into a decent and desirable place to live.

Designed by architect Manfred Hermer in the 1970s to be one of the most desirable place to live in the city, the building has fallen into disrepair and has become an icon of poverty and indifference in the city.

Source: CTBUH

Spectacular beam breaks through clouds to bring cloudy day to life

This is the spectacular moment a bright beam of sunlight illuminated a skyscraper - while leaving the rest of the city in complete cloudy darkness. The extraordinary moment took place in West Kowloon, Hong Kong, and brought to life the 1,588ft tall, 108-floor International Commerce Centre (ICC).  

In this real-life shot the ICC, which is the tallest building in Hong Kong, as well as being the world's second tallest building by floors, was caught on camera by keen Russian photographer Pavel Kiselev. 

Source: mail online

The Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the Era of the Megatall

courtesy of CTBUH

The projected world’s tallest 20 skyscrapers in the year 2020

Source: CTBUH

The World Green Building Council’s Government Leadership Award for New York City

New York City has been named a recipient of the World Green Building Council‘s Government Leadership Awards for Excellence in City Policy for Green Buildings. The award acknowledges that New York City, as well as fellow recipient San Francisco, has made important advances in sustainable building and has innovative city-level government policies in place to help reduce carbon emissions and move us toward a greener future. 

"Reading Between the Lines", Transparent Church in Belgium

This is a church in Limburg, Belgium, completed by the Belgian designer Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh. They constructed a transparent, see-through church in the Belgian region of Haspengouw. The  structure is made of 100 stacked layers and 2000 columns of steel plates.As this 10 meters high church with a special architectural structure, whether people in the building or outside the building can be seen through walls, for whom it’s a fantastic feeling.

Plans Change Again for World's Most Expensive Building

From left, artist's impressions of Triple One, DMC Landmark Tower, and Lotte Super Tower

The developers of the Yongsan Landmark Tower have hastily altered the plans to make it Korea's tallest building. The skyscraper in the downtown Seoul business district was originally intended to be 100 stories and 500 m high, but the developers have decided to add 11 more stories and 120 m to make it the tallest building in Korea. 

The developers also decided to change the name from Landmark Tower to Triple One standing for 111 the ostensible number of floors. There are three other skyscrapers being built in Seoul that will be more than 100 stories high -- the Lotte Super Tower in Jamsil, Global Business Center next to Seoul Forest and the DMC Landmark Tower in Sangam in northwestern Seoul, which was expected to be the tallest building in Korea at 133 stories and 640 m. But the developers of the DMC Landmark Tower are scaling back their plans citing high construction costs and a low occupancy rate due to the economic slump.

CTBUH 2011 Competition Results: Why Tall?

1st prize

2nd prize

3rd pr

Images courtesy of CTBUH

The First Annual CTBUH International Student Design Competition picked up on the 2011 CTBUH Seoul Conference themes, seeking to find innovative ideas to shed new light on the meaning and value of tall buildings in modern society from the themes of green, safety, and humanity.

The Competition saw over 200 submissions from all over the world. In total, teams participated from 49 different countries. 32 Finalists were selected through a first-round judging process.  The six member second-round jury, led by Mr. Pedersen, reviewed the exhibition and scored the panels individually based on four areas: Creative Approach, Response to Site, Sustainability, and Functionality. Winners and Honorable Mentions were then determined through discussion among the jurors.

1st Prize - Entry 370: "MultipliCITY"

2nd Prize - Entry 809: "Cloud Skyscraper"

3rd Prize - Entry 628: "Vertical Neighborhood"

Source: CTBUH

CTBUH 2011 International Competition Proposal by Hoxha, Vathi, Millona

Courtesy of Ajmona Hoxha, Elis Vathi, Klodiana Millona

The project proposal for the first CTBUH international student design competition by Ajmona Hoxha, Elis Vathi, Klodiana Millona aims to redefine the gap created between the two extreme social classes of India as the widening income gap between the rich and the poor over the years has raised fears of a social backlash.
The site of the proposal is situated purposely in front of the tallest building in New Delhi.The project examines a possible redirection of social organization by new environment, in which the Tallness of the building influences the change of the skyline by giving “power” to the poor.