flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

World's tallest pair of towers to serve as 'environmental catalyst' for China

World's tallest pair of towers to serve as 'environmental catalyst' for China

The Phoenix Towers are expected to reach 1 km, the same height as Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's Kingdom Tower, but would set a record for multiple towers in one development.


By BD+C Staff | June 17, 2014
Renderings: courtesy Chetwood Architects
Renderings: courtesy Chetwood Architects

U.K.-based Chetwoods Architects has revealed plans for a pair of skyscrapers that will be the tallest in the world when completed. The Phoenix Towers are expected to reach 1 km, the same height as Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill's Kingdom Tower, but would set a record for multiple towers in a single development, inhabitat reports.

The towers will be built on a 47-hectare island within a lake in Wuhan, China, the most populous city in central China. They are the focal point of Chetwood's four-pronged master plan for projects in China. 

Outfitted with wind turbines, solar panels, thermal chimneys, and rainwater harvesting systems, the architects said that the towers will act as an "environmental catalyst" for the rest of the city.

On the towers' name and inspiration, the firm cites the traditional Chinese phoenix, which involves two birds: the male Feng and the female Huang.

 

 

"The plan was generated from yin-yang form to represent perfectly balanced union. Symbiotic: the Feng tower uses cutting edge technology to feed the Huang tower with renewable power," Chetwood Architects said in a statement.

More from the architects:
Arching bridge-like over the surrounding boulevards, each tower will have a unique personality and attributes: the Feng tower will lean towards the commercial zone, the Huang tower towards the cultural and recreational zone.

The project’s key emphasis is on the harmonious combination of 21st century Western technological know-how and experience with Chinese tradition and culture. In response to the Client’s wish to develop a new style of architecture that emphasizes Chinese identity, the use of a pair of towers reflects the dualist elements of Chinese culture in contrast to a more Western monolithic form.

 

 

The scheme will provide the environmental catalyst to re-invigorate the city, actively avoiding the disastrous consequences of developments elsewhere in China. It will form the nucleus of a wider green strategy linking Wuhan’s lakes environmentally and socially with the region’s landmark destinations and lake district along a 20km Green Wall of China to a new lakeside cultural tourist destination.

This landmark project will showcase social, economic and environmental sustainability within China, providing an entertaining and instructive experience for local people and visitors.

Structural features: Steel superstructure; concrete core with ‘hat’ truss; trussed structure at base; out-riggered for lateral stability; concrete buttresses.

 

Related Stories

Architects | Sep 30, 2016

Ugly soviet parking garage takes on appearance of a cascading waterfall

Architect Ignas Lukaskas worked in conjunction with Vieta and the Vilnius Street Art festival to transform the building.

Architects | Sep 30, 2016

HOK partners with Delos to accredit its designers as wellness professionals

They are also working on the first WELL-certified city district, in Tampa, Fla. 

Architects | Sep 29, 2016

Design culture in Dubai draws increased international attention

Innovation and sustainability drive an increasingly global design culture in Dubai.

Architects | Sep 29, 2016

Space architecture is making the leap from science fiction to reality

3D printed domes and inflatable living spaces are just some of the ideas for how to create habitable spaces on Martian planets.

Reconstruction & Renovation | Sep 28, 2016

Architecture conservation efforts begin at Salk Institute of Biological Studies

Getty-led research and funding leads to important site repairs and long-term conservation management planning.

| Sep 26, 2016

RELIGIOUS FACILITY GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top religious sector design and construction firms

Gensler, Leo A Daly, Brasfield & Gorrie, Layton Construction, and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest religious facility AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.

Architects | Sep 26, 2016

Explore the world through architectural adventures

A new travel program offers design enthusiast travelers 10 global destinations.

Architects | Sep 21, 2016

DLR Group broadens its practice range and market penetration with addition of Westlake Reed Leskosky

The merger, say company officials, creates “a global design leader” in a consolidating industry.

Architects | Sep 21, 2016

Design for the transition from thinking to creating

While heads-down work continues, the changing nature of learning and work has resulted in a shift toward frequent and spontaneous exchanges.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Great Solutions

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021