At approximately 443-feet-tall, Top Tower would become the tallest building in Prague. And while, especially in today’s world of Supertalls closing in on 2,000 feet, the height may not seem too impressive, another element of the proposed building would serve to make it one of the most unique buildings in the world: a giant sculpture of a shipwreck that rises the length of the building (and beyond).
Designed by sculptor David Černý and architect Tomáš Císař from the studio Black n´ Arch for developer Trigema, Top Tower looks like it would be more at home in the world of Mad Max than Prague’s new pedestrian zone. The LEED Gold targeted building will feature rental housing with offices on the lower floors. Retail shops will be located on the first and second floors with public parking underground. A multifunctional cultural center connects to a publicly accessible roof garden.
The shipwreck sculpture is meant as a warning to unchecked climate change, evoking a vision of a post-apocalyptic future. The bright red sculpture rises vertically with the building, culminating just above the roof garden. Here, accessible by ski lift, the sculpture becomes the tallest viewing deck in Prague, providing views of nearly the entire perimeter of the City.
See Also: KPF-designed CITIC tower is Beijing’s tallest
Top Tower also includes the revitalization of the public pedestrian zone between the entrances and exits of the Nové Butovice metro station. Trigema is hoping to begin construction on the tower in 2021 and expects construction to take fewer than three years.
Related Stories
| Nov 6, 2014
Hines planning tall wood office building in Minneapolis
The Houston-based developer is planning a seven-story wood-framed office building in Minneapolis’ North Loop that will respect the neighborhood’s historic warehouse district look.
| Oct 31, 2014
Dubai plans world’s next tallest towers
Emaar Properties has unveiled plans for a new project containing two towers that will top the charts in height, making them the world’s tallest towers once completed.
| Oct 27, 2014
Studio Gang Architects designs residential tower with exoskeleton-like exterior for Miami
Jeanne Gang's design reinvents the Florida room with shaded, asymmetrical balconies.
| Oct 15, 2014
Final touches make 432 Park Avenue tower second tallest in New York City
Concrete has been poured for the final floors of the residential high-rise at 432 Park Avenue in New York City, making it the city’s second-tallest building and the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere.
| Oct 14, 2014
Richard Meier unveils design for his first tower in Taiwan
Taiwan will soon have its first Richard Meier building, a 535-foot apartment tower in Taichung City, the country’s third-largest city.
| Oct 6, 2014
Moshe Safdie: Skyscrapers lead to erosion of urban connectivity
The 76-year-old architect sees skyscrapers and the privatization of public space to be the most problematic parts of modern city design.
| Oct 3, 2014
Herzog & de Meuron unveil design for Manhattan hotel-condo tower [slideshow]
Herzog & de Meuron will partner with interior designer John Pawson to design a 28-story tower for Manhattan's Bowery district. The majority of the building will house a 370-room hotel, with 11 luxury residences on its top.
| Sep 30, 2014
With its 'stacked volumes' scheme, 3XN wins bid to design high-rise in Sydney
By dividing the 200-meter building into five separate volumes and placing atria throughout each volume, the spaces become smaller, more intimate social environments, according to the Danish architects.
| Sep 23, 2014
Cloud-shaped skyscraper complex wins Shenzhen Bay Super City design competition
Forget the cubist, clinical, glass and concrete jungle of today's financial districts. Shenzhen's new plan features a complex of cloud-shaped skyscrapers connected to one another with sloping bridges.
| Sep 22, 2014
Swanke-designed Eurasia Tower opens in Moscow
The 72-story tower—the first mixed-use, steel tower in Russia—is located within the new, 30 million-sf, 148-acre Moscow International Business Center.
