Skyscrapers are the marvels of modern building technology and in the past, these huge and impressive buildings were considered a great achievement and a rare spectacle, but today they can be seen in many places around the world. Of course, this means that the people behind them have a much higher bar to reach when creating an extraordinary skyscraper, and the designers who do this work become bolder as construction capabilities progress. As evidence of this, you’ll find in the following article 7 unusual skyscrapers built in different countries, a few of which have just started to take shape.
Dynamic Tower – Dubai
In recent years, many skyscrapers have been built in Dubai, but such a structure has yet to be seen – the first skyscraper in the world to turn. This imaginative idea was conceived by Israeli-Italian architect, David Fischer, who designed the building so that the floors in it could rotate 360 degrees in both directions and allow each tenant to see different views from their apartment windows. The magnificent tower will consist of 80 floors, some of which will be privately owned and the rest will be part of a hotel. Among other things, a special elevator is planned here at the concrete core of the tower where residents can park their car right next to their apartment.
The Big Bend – New York, USA
If Greek architect Ioannis Vikelas’ plans come to fruition he will build the world’s tallest high-rise skyscraper – the Big Bend in Manhattan. The structure, which is planned to be built in the form of a reverse U-shaped, will be 1,200 meters from one base to the other. The proposal is to build a thin 600-meter building that will include elevators that can turn and even move horizontally, with a Baptist church between the two connected buildings. The shape of the Big Bend was seen as an attempt to circumvent the building regulations limiting the height of skyscrapers in Manhattan, and in response to the prosperity of these luxury buildings in the city.
Kingdom Center – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom Center is the third largest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia and holds the title of the third tallest building in the world “with a hole.” The large opening at the end of the building is lit in constantly changing colors, and many people describe it as the necklace that adorns the city. The skyscraper serves as a shopping mall, hotel, and residential apartments, and the two ends of the building connect a 56-foot-high covered passageway that is open to visitors and can be reached by elevators. For the benefit of visitors and tenants, there are 45 elevators and 3,000 parking spaces in the building. The total cost of construction here is estimated at $453 million.
Al Noor Tower – Casablanca, Morocco
Another future development is the El Nour Tower, slated to be built in Casablanca, Morocco, and will be the tallest tower in Africa. The height of the building will be 540 meters – to symbolize the 54 African countries existing on the continent – and will consist of 114 floors. The tower will include offices, hotels, commercial areas, restaurants, entertainment facilities, and a vast residential area. Al Noor was designed to imitate a wedding dress, as the French architect who designed the look of the building though.
Tower Q1 – Queensland, Australia
Q1 or Queensland Number 1, is a skyscraper located in the city of Surfers Paradise, Australia. The impressive building is used only for residential purposes and as a result, it shares the title of the tallest residential building in the world with the Eureka Tower in Melbourne. The tower rises to 323 meters and is inspired by the Olympic torch. The Q1 includes 527 spacious apartments as well as prestigious penthouses that are defined as the highest residential apartments in the world; The tower has 80 stories, while on the 77th and 78th floors there are observation points that can accommodate up to 400 people at a time.
W350 Tower – Tokyo, Japan
The W350 Skyscraper is a 70-story building to be built in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese company that is slated to build the tower plans to construct 90% of the building using wood and only 10% using steel, with construction costs estimated at $5.6 billion, which is twice the current amount usually shelled out for a building of this size. The tower will include an internal earthquake-resistant system, which is commonplace in Japan, and a system against structural changes resulting from winds.
Agora Tower – Taipei Taiwan
On an extensive plot of land in Taipei, Taiwan, the Agora Tower, also known as Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, is being built. The vast and winding structure is designed to accommodate as many tenants as possible in urban areas and to prevent damage to nature and its sources. In order to reduce the use of artificial energy, double glazed windows have been installed that combine shutters to prevent the penetration of solar radiation in the summer and to reduce the need for winter heating.
