The developer of the planned new world's tallest building, Sky City, is one step closer to making the colossal structure reality. Broad Sustainable Building has received government approvals to build the 2,749-foot, 220-story tower in Changsha, China. The Building Team will begin site work next month, according to Treehugger.com.
As its name suggests, Sky City is designed to be a fully functional city, complete with residential units for 4,450 families, schools, offices, a hospital, recreational spaces, theaters, hotel rooms, and nearly a million sf of vertical farms. In all, the tower will house 11 million sf of live, work, and play spaces. Apartments will range from 645 sf to more than 5,000 sf.
A six-mile-long ramp will link the entire structure, allowing occupants to move from floor to floor without taking one of the building's 92 elevators. The design also incorporates more than 50 courtyards that will house shared community spaces, such as basketball and tennis courts, swimming pools, and parks.
The program is certainly impressive in size and scale, but the most eye-popping fact about the project is construction schedule. By employing extensive prefabrication, the skyscraper will be assembled in just three months. As Treehugger's Lloyd Alter describes: "The Broad system is based on prefabricated floor panels that ship with everything need to go 3D packed along with it, so they are not shipping a lot of air. It all just bolts together. Broad claims that by building this way, they eliminate construction waste, lost time managing trades, keep tight cost control and can build at a cost 50% to 60% less than conventional construction."
Check out renderings and plans for the project:
Related Stories
| May 9, 2013
Post-tornado Greensburg, Kan., leads world in LEED-certified buildings per capita
Six years after a tornado virtually wiped out the town, Greensburg, Kan., is the world's leading community in LEED-certified buildings per capita.
| May 8, 2013
Preventable curtain wall failures - AIA/CES course
In many cases, curtain wall failures are caused by fairly simple errors that occur during the fabrication and installation process. This presentation will highlight common errors and when they typically occur.
| May 8, 2013
NBBJ appoints Tim Leberecht Chief Marketing Officer
NBBJ, a global architecture and design firm, today announced that it has appointed Tim Leberecht as its Chief Marketing Officer. Leberecht joins NBBJ from Frog Design where he led the marketing organization from 2006 to 2013 and helped transform the company into one of the world’s foremost design and innovation consultancies.
| May 7, 2013
First look: Golden State Warriors stadium by Snøhetta, AECOM
Architects Snøhetta and AECOM have revealed their latest renderings of a new stadium for NBA basketball team the Golden State Warriors on the waterfront in San Francisco.
| May 7, 2013
Renovated bridge building will anchor Nashville riverfront master plan
Renovations to the former Nashville Bridge Company building were recently completed, including a newly-built modern wing. The facility has been re-dubbed The Bridge Building and now offers spaces for meetings, parties, weddings, and other events.
| May 7, 2013
First look: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill skyscraper designed to 'confuse the wind'
The 400-meter-high, 116-story Imperial Tower in Mumbai will feature a slender, rounded form optimized to withstand the area's strong wind currents.
| May 6, 2013
SAFTI FIRST announces 3D Autodesk Revit models for fire rated wall, window, and door systems
SAFTI FIRST, leading USA-manufacturer of fire rated glass and faming systems, is proud to announce that Autodesk Revit models are now available for its fire rated walls, window and door systems via www.safti.com and Autodesk Seek.
| May 6, 2013
7 major multifamily residential projects in the works
A $140 million redevelopment of a landmark, 45-building apartment complex in Los Angeles is among the nation's significant multifamily developments under way.
