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 1, 2022
BNIM promotes Jeremy Knoll to Director of Sustainability and Regenerative Design
BNIM'S Jeremy Knoll promoted to Director of Sustainability and Regenerative Design.
Giants 400 | Sep 1, 2022
Top 160 K-12 School Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
PBK, DLR Group, Huckabee, and Stantec head the ranking of the nation's largest K-12 school sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
| Sep 1, 2022
ABC: Nonresidential Construction Spending Increases by a Modest 0.8% in July
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.8% in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
| Sep 1, 2022
The University of Iowa opens the new Stanley Museum of Art, a public museum for both discovering and teaching art
The University of Iowa recently completed its new Stanley Museum of Art, a public teaching museum designed by BNIM.
| Aug 31, 2022
A mixed-use development in Salt Lake City provides 126 micro units with mountain views
In Salt Lake City, a new 130,000-square-foot development called Mya and The Shop SLC, designed by EskewDumezRipple, combines housing with coworking space, retail, and amenities, as well as a landscaped exterior for both residents and the public.
Mass Timber | Aug 30, 2022
Mass timber construction in 2022: From fringe to mainstream
Two Timberlab executives discuss the market for mass timber construction and their company's marketing and manufacturing strategies. Sam Dicke, Business Development Manager, and Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, Timberlab, speak with BD+C's John Caulfield.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2022
Top 80 Senior Living Facility Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Perkins Eastman, Hord Coplan Macht, Ryan A+E, and Stantec top the ranking of the nation's largest senior living facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2022
Top 70 Student Housing Facility Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Niles Bolton Associates, Mithun, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest student housing facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
| Aug 29, 2022
Montana becomes first U.S. state to approve 3D printing in construction
Montana is the first U.S. state to give broad regulatory approval for 3D printing in building construction.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2022
Top 175 Multifamily Sector Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Perkins Eastman, Solomon Cordwell Buenz, KTGY, and Gensler top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes all multifamily sector work, including apartments, condos, student housing, and senior living facilities.
