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Each year, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) hosts an international conference that brings together the brightest minds in the development, architecture, and engineering world. After jumping around Asia the past few years, the CTBUH 2015 International Conference landed in New York, the first North American city to host the event since Chicago in 2009. Locations are chosen strategically, with CTBUH focusing their attention on cities experiencing high growth. After the recent recession crippled the American real estate market, cities had witnessed a slowdown in the number of new developments being built. Now that the United States economy is on the rebound, New York City in particular is seeing a surge in massive futuristic towers that are defining Manhattan architecture trends.
Held at the Grand Hyatt from October 26 to 30, the conference theme was The Resurgence of the Skyscraper City. A series of case studies presented by leading visionaries in the industry showcased building technologies, new landmark developments around the world, and where the capital to finance these developments is coming from.
Statistics revealed the true impact and growth of global skyscraper construction. From 1930 to 2001, 282 buildings over 200 metres were completed. In the short span from 2002 to 2015, the number was 679. That represents a jump from 3.9 to 52.2 buildings per year.
An introduction to the projects shaping New York laid the groundwork for the rest of the conference. The recent increase in superslim skyscrapers like 432 Park Avenue, 111 West 57th Street, and Central Park Tower are a result of the ultra-rich investing in politically stable markets. The recession has forced many of the world's wealthy to swap credit with cash while setting their sights on increasingly scarce and expensive Manhattan land. Building a supertall building on a small lot has proved to be a profitable venture so far, with penthouse units often selling for more than $100 million.
While architecture and skyscraper fanatics are excited to see the new wave of 21st century skyscraper construction, there is a strong debate over whether the land under these towers would be better suited for public uses. Many of these luxury units will serve as vacation homes for their wealthy buyers in elongated towers which some believe lack character and are too dominating, a critique often hurled at 432 Park Avenue. Yet with more supertalls being proposed every year in Manhattan in an effort to obtain unrivalled views, the trend of superslim towers in high-density areas seems to be just beginning.
Though many developments certainly seem to cater to the affluent, urban regeneration projects across the city are transforming spaces with all income classes in mind. Transit and pedestrian connections mingle with new public plazas, retail, and a massive amount of new office space in the World Trade Center complex. A public observation deck marks the return of the dramatic views offered above the Lower Manhattan site which were lost following the terrorist attacks in 2001, while a museum recalls that harrowing day in detail.
Other projects like Hudson Yards are revitalizing former industrial land into new mixed-use destinations. The development brings together notable firms The Related Companies, Oxford Properties Group Inc. and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. The High Line provides an essential elevated pedestrian connection to the neighbourhoods south of this gargantuan development. These projects are mixing private and public uses while pushing the architectural envelope.
A number of buildings, both new and old, are incorporating the latest smart technology. Di-BOSS, the world's first Digital Building Operating System, stores data related to the energy consumption, occupancy, and temperature of a structure. Essentially acting as the brain of the building, Di-BOSS optimizes building performance and maximizes sustainability based on the weather conditions outside. In buildings like 110 Wall Street where the system has been implemented, cost savings average 12% year-over-year. With new projects often achieving LEED Gold status or higher — a sign that the environment is becoming a prime consideration in development practices — smart technology like Di-BOSS is expanding worldwide.
Skyscrapers are constantly pushing boundaries, making what had been thought to be impossible, possible. Several presentations by key delegates including the CEO of the Jeddah Economic Company Mounib Hammoud and Adrian Smith of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture highlighted the mammoth Kingdom Tower development. When completed in 2019, it will climb one kilometre into the sky to become the world's tallest building. With multiple 'population zones,' the hotel uses, residential units, office spaces, retail, and public observation levels will all be separated. Each zone will have a dedicated set of high-speed elevators, totalling 58 throughout the complex.
Case studies were presented for a number of other towers around the world, including Bangkok's MahaNakhon by PACE Development. Architect Ole Scheeren recalls the pixelated form of Thailand's tallest building, which contains the Ritz-Carlton Residences and a 150-room hotel by Marriott International and hotelier Ian Schrager. The mixed-use project incorporates amenities for residents, guests, and the broader public. MahaNakhon Terraces offers over 100,000 square feet of restaurants, cafes and a 24-hour marketplace spread across multiple terraced floors. Vegetation weaves in and out of the protruding glass boxes, adding a sense of nature to the highly urban environment. An outdoor public plaza acts as the gateway to the tower, which is topped off with a sky bar offering panoramic views of the Asian city. In his presentation, Scheeren explained that although the skyscraper originated in North America, Asia has embraced it in ways never seen before. Bangkok, like dozens of other Asian cities, is realizing that skyscrapers stand as a tangible symbol of a nation's economic clout and success.
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels noted that "architecture is always, at its core, an effort to make the existing environmental conditions more hospitable to human life." He gave numerous examples of his past and current landscape-altering projects, from Durst Fetner Residential and Sidney Fetner Associates' VIA 57 West to Westbank's Vancouver House. He believes most highrises being built in North America are fairly generic glass structures with a simple crown on top. He hopes to change the dynamic of building construction by attacking the traditional conventions that have typically informed architectural design. New technology and ways of doing things, he says, open up the opportunity to drastically alter the accepted form of a building.
Daniel Libeskind discussed his projects, from the original World Trade Center proposal to Milan's Il Curvo. He emphasized the need for architecture to balance the wishes of the client with public spaces that give back to the community. He argued that buildings should be high density and dynamic, but also fit within their context and the human scale. Involving the public in the design process is key to creating a true sustainable city, not simply incorporating the latest innovative technologies.
Israeli-born architect Moshe Safdie made similar comments, noting that a building's impact at the ground level must take the public realm into account. He argues that towers have become too privatized, ignoring their relationship with their surroundings. Safdie's designs are noted for their ample consideration of light, air and nature, elements widely visible in Montreal's Habitat 67. His Chongqing Chaotiamen project in China links eight towers with a conservatory bridge at their midpoint. This expands the public realm horizontally high above the busy streets of Chongqing. The stepped facades of Sky Habitat in Singapore by Shimizu Corporation, Mitsubishi Estate and CapitaLand Limited creates openings in the volume that give residents sweeping views of the city. The project is characterized by pools, vegetation, and large balconies that reinforce the human connection with nature. “We must recognize that towers do not function as freestanding objects in the urban landscape," said Safdie. "They cast shadows, block light, and impact their surroundings. Therefore, they must be conceived as additive, connectable elements that define and intertwine active and passive pedestrian places.“
These all-star architects provided thought-provoking insights into the world of building design, construction and technology. Yet none of this would be possible without a huge influx of capital. Investment in Asian markets has skyrocketed over the last ten years, partly because of the American recession. China's good fortunes have attracted developers and architects from around the world as disposable incomes in these countries surge. However, this disposable income is subject to restrictions on foreign investment by the Chinese government. That has driven Chinese nationals to invest in the local real estate market, leading to rapid growth in the sector. In response, the government has introduced new rules limiting each family to one investment property.
With investment options dwindling in China, the Immigrant Investor Program in the United States is attracting Chinese money. More than 80% of program participants are from China, representing an influx of money that American developers are actively seeking. The largest private-sector project under construction in the United States, Brickell City Centre, is being developed by Swire Properties with the design by Arquitectonica. The developer with interests in Hong Kong and Mainland China had established an office in America 30 years ago, but is now lending their expertise to the landmark Miami development.
Australia is also seeing strong investment from Asia. Singapore-based Aspial Corporation launched plans with Fender Katsalidis Architects to build Australia 108 which could become the tallest residential tower in the southern hemisphere. The Melbourne tower is one of many that is backed by overseas money, including another Aspial project at 58-64 A'Beckett Street by Elenberg Fraser. The United States, Australia and other developed nations offer a relatively safe and stable environment in which Asian developers can diversify their assets. Capital from the oil-rich Middle East also continues to flow across the globe. With this much money moving between countries, globalization has certainly taken root in the development industry. An increasingly interconnected world of new ideas will continue to shape the architectural designs of the future.
The first two days of the conference were dominated by these panelist discussions and presentations. The event's final days left the confines of the hotel and ventured out into the skies of Manhattan. Numerous building tours gave delegates the opportunity to view the interiors of some of the biggest skyscrapers now under construction and recently completed in New York, including Four World Trade Center, 30 Park Place and 50 West Street. We will return soon with an exclusive peek inside these landmarks.
Until then, visit the Database files linked below to learn more about the projects mentioned in this article. You can also post your photos and get involved in the discussion via the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
| Related Companies: | Adamson Associates Architects, Multiplex, Walters Group |
