Urbanity 2 :: Skyscrapers and highrises

January 21, 2008

Cajasol Tower, Seville (Spain) / César Pelli

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The architech Cesar Pelli was chosen to design Cajasol Tower in Seville, that will be located in the zone of the Cartuje Island. With its 180 meters and 43 floors, this building will exceed the Giralda Tower height ( 97, 5 meters ), tower that has been the tallest building in the city.

The tower, main element of the complex, is an ellipse that grows over the south side of the basic plot ( 40.000 m2 ), and which main axis is oriented towards Giralda Tower position. In the top, a public viewpoint will be built, from where the whole city view could be contemplated.

Cajasol Bank President, Antonio Pulido, explained that the bank will preserve its current social headquarters at San Francisco Square in tha city center, and this new building will be the operative main office. So the bank will occupy only a third part of the new tower ( 15.000 m2). The other 30.000 m2 will be rented for perhaps 250 companies. Currently at least 100 companies have applied to occupy this new offices.

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January 18, 2008

Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japón / Kenzo Tange

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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (also known as Tokyo City Hall) is located in the financial district of Shinjuku, in the capital of Japan, where there are dozens of skyscrapers with a height of more than 150 meters. The TMGO is the building which houses the center for Tokyo’s local government, which not only manages Tokyo’s 23 Special Neighborhoods, but also all of the towns and cities which make up the metropolitan area of Tokyo.

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The building was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, who achieved international success in 1949 thanks to the Peace Museum in Hiroshima, as well as designing the National Gymnasium for the 1964 Olympic Games. In designing it, he was inspired by the Nôtre Dame Cathedral

Built in 1991, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government remained the tallest building in Japan until the Landmark Tower in Yokohama took away its top ranking in 1993. It is still the highest in Japan, at 296 meters.

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January 17, 2008

Lilium Tower, Warsaw (Poland) / Zaha Hadid

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The site of the new Lilium Tower is located in the city centre of Warsaw adjacent to the Marriott Tower. Currently parts of the site are covered by the existing Marriott podium. The prominent plot is opposite the central train station, at the junction of Jerozolimskie Avenue and Chalubinskiego Street.

Design Strategy

The proposed addition to the Warsaw skyline is a light, transparent structure with a strong sense of identity and character. Rising to a height of 240 meters, the tower’s slender form complements the Palace of Culture and other towers in the vicinity, creating its own distinctive profi le within an emerging cluster of tall buildings. With a gross area of 101,205m2 the tower comprises of 72,027m2 of leasable area; consisting of luxury residential apartments and an apartment hotel. The scheme also offers positive gains to the public realm by improving the existing public space on the lower ground level. The scheme is notable for its progressive energy strategy. The low-energy services are designed to cope with the extremes of the local climate. The design of the Lilium Tower also reflects the economic importance of structure in relation to a tower of this height. A central core forms the backbone of the structure. Whilst this arrangement is highly economical it offers uninterrupted views of Warsaw in all directions. The composition of the Lilium Tower creates a progressive and prestigious residential building for the 21st century. By avoiding sterile repetition a clear identity is established through its dynamic, ever-changing appearance.

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