We have made it to the last month of the year in what would be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ in reference to Andy Williams’ classic Christmas song. I do really hope it would be wonderful with my incoming birthday, year-end staycation with family in Singapore, anticipated year end’s bonus, and of course the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Usually I would go for an outdoor leisurely walk on a fine Saturday but today I opted for somewhere indoor instead. The first place that came to my mind immediately is the National Gallery Singapore. I have been there once before (years ago) and since the exhibitions in there are ever changing, there is no reason to put off the idea of repeated visit to the gallery. I do not need to pay a single cent too to visit the gallery as I am a Singapore PR (except for admission to special exhibitions).
It’s a gorgeous looking building even from the exterior itself. The fascinating architecture of the complex that integrates contemporary elements to old buildings gave a masterful balance and harmony between heritage and modernity.
It took me over 3 hours to visit all the exhibitions (except for one that requires additional fees) that span across multiple levels of this massive gallery. I must say that the layout and circulation passages in this complex are quite confusing though. Visitor could miss out some galleries within the complex easily. Check out some of the pictures I took in the galleries below (pictures are allowed). There are a variety of exhibits on display. My principle when visiting any art gallery is that ‘you don’t need to understand art to enjoy art’. Haha…
By the way, there is also a rooftop area where visitors can observe some occasional outdoor installations, enjoy great views of the city and Marina Bay Sands, dine in the rooftop restaurant, or simply just chill up there.
National Gallery Singapore is definitely a great place to visit for both locals and tourists even if you are not the kind of people that are into arts. I have spent a good 3 hours in there today, observing, analyzing and even contemplating beyond the displayed arts.
It is Dubai!; the destination of my trip that I only thought of it two weeks ago. The idea of going on an impromptu vacation kicked in just a week before the trip itself and I immediately thought of Dubai. I always wanted to visit Dubai to see all the architectural landmarks and engineering marvels this city has built but have never done so till now. I have stopped at this city twice before on transit in the Dubai airport before continuing to fly to Europe in the past. I was not able to get out of the airport and explore the city back then which is kind off sad.
It’s off-peak season for travel to Dubai now as the unbearable summer season for the city is kicking in from next month onward (from June till September). It’s still very hot over there now (above 35 degree celsius most of the time) hence lesser tourists/crowds. The airfares and fees for accommodations and some attractions are lower during this period of time. Hence, I’m going for it with tight budget in mind and while the temperature is still manageable for me who have been living in hot tropical climate my entire life.
This was actually my first ever solo trip to oversea purely for travel/vacation. I did traveled oversea by solo previously but that was for my higher education/other purposes. Hence I do felt nervous and excited at the same time. It all went smooth and according to plan. I had a fulfilling 5 days 4 nights in Dubai (including a one day guided tour to the neighbouring state of Abu Dhabi) at United Arab Emirates. I did it in only a little over SGD 2000 including the return flight (via Singapore Airlines…first time taking this airlines too) which already costs around SGD 1200 alone. I ate mostly at food courts/fast food restaurants and I stayed in a dorm at a backpackers accommodation (quite comfortable, not many people, and the place is centrally located at the Dubai Marina area).
The only unfortunate incident was that my luggage was quite severely damaged after my flight from Singapore to Dubai. Due to me rushing to the accommodation to check in on that evening of my arrival, I didn’t report the damage to the airport’s staff. Poor handling of luggage from the Dubai airport side. I ended up spending more to purchase a new luggage in Dubai…and that makes less spending for souvenirs.
Yup…so here’s below are the highlights/itinerary of my trip:
Day 1 – 11 May 2023 (Thursday)
Head to Changi International Airport for afternoon flight from Singapore to Dubai (7 hours flight). Reached Dubai in the evening. Singapore time is 4 hours ahead of United Arab Emirates.
After checking in to the hostel (Lunar Hostel Plus), had a brief evening stroll along JBR Beach and Smoky Beach (both beaches are side by side and JBR stands for Jumeirah Beach Residence). View the world’s tallest/largest observation wheel, Ain Dubai (250m tall) from the beach.
Walk along the waterfront of the Dubai Marina, a large artificial canal city along a shoreline. My hostel is located in this area.
Day 2 – 12 May 2023 (Friday)
Visit to Zabeel Park to view the Dubai Frame. It is the largest frame in the world with a height of 150m and width of 95m. It serves as a monument, observatory, museum and literally a frame for the views of old Dubai in the north and modern Dubai in the south. I didn’t enter inside the Dubai Frame.
Visit to Museum of the Future. It is a very futuristic-looking building that houses exhibition space for innovative and futuristic ideologies, services, and products. Some has even described the building as the most beautiful building on Earth. I didn’t enter into the exhibition space though; I just wandered in the main lobby area and around the external of the building including the adjacent Emirates Towers‘ area.
Visit to Downtown Dubai where the Burj Khalifa is. It is the current world’s tallest building/man-made structure at 828m high. Went up to the ‘At The Top’ observatory at level 124 and 125 (at around 450m above ground) of the skyscraper for spectacular views over the city. First time in my life entering into a floor level higher than 100.
Also in the area is the Dubai Mall which is one of the largest shopping mall in the world by total land area. Checked out attractions in the huge mall such as the aquarium, a real dinosaur fossil display, ice skating rink, a large indoor waterfall art installation and an area dedicated as Chinatown. Plenty of things to see in the mall besides than the shops. Lunch and dinner in the mall.
View the Dubai Fountain show which is one of the world’s largest and tallest fountain shows. A 5-minute show (different music & choreography for each show) in every 30 minutes in the evening daily. Burj Khalifa is also lit up with gorgeous LED projections in the evening daily.
Day 3 – 13 May 2023 (Saturday)
Took a one full day guided tour (by ABC Tours, a local tour agency in Dubai) to Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE.
Outside views of the Ferrari World (first Ferrari-branded amusement park in the world), Etihad Towers, Capital Gate Tower (famously known as the leaning tower of Abu Dhabi) and Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel (a super luxurious hotel complex).
Quick photostop at Louvre Abu Dhabi, the largest art museum in Arabian world. Designed by Jean Nouvel, the building appears like a floating dome structure with a large interesting web-patterned dome.
Visit to Heritage Village, a small museum complex featuring a traditional village oasis that offers glimpses of life in the UAE before its oil boom.
Visit to Abu Dhabi Marina Mall for lunch.
Visit to Qasr Al Watan, presidential palace of UAE. The palace is built in 2017 not for the residences of the royals or leaders but as a place for hosting foreign leaders, for main government’s meetings/summits and for public visit. It is an intricately designed and ornately decorated palace with massive volume and spaces.
Visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the country. It is also the largest and grandest mosque that I have ever visited. The mostly white-coloured mosque is built mostly of natural materials such as marble stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. The mosque is large enough to accommodate over 40 000 worshippers at a time. The mosque has the world’s largest carpet in the grand hall, features a courtyard of floral floor design and is considered to be the largest example of marble mosaic in the world and has seven huge chandeliers that incorporate millions of Swarovski crystals.
Back to Dubai before sunset and took time to walk along Dubai Marina again (this time walk from the other side of marina). View the Cayan Tower (a twisting skyscraper) along the marina. Visit to Dubai Marina Mall for dinner.
Day 4 – 14 May 2023 (Sunday)
Visit to The Pointe, a waterfront retail destination at Palm Jumeirah Island to view the luxurious Atlantis The Palm Hotel and Atlantis The Royal Hotel.
Take monorail from The Pointe to Nakheel Mall. Go up to the Palm Tower at level 52 to visit ‘The View at the Palm’ observatory for magnificent views over the entire Palm Jumeirah Island, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Ain Dubai, etc.
Visit to Souk Madinat Jumeirah, an Arabian bazaar complex with beautiful close view of the Burj Al Arab, world’s only 7-star hotel. Lunch in the complex.
Visit to Jumeirah Mosque for outside view only. Opened in 1979, the mosque is said to be the most photographed mosque in all of Dubai.
Visit to Old Dubai area. Visited the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (one of Dubai’s oldest heritage sites with much of original infrastructure and narrow alleys preserved and intact). Also visited the adjacent Al Seef Heritage Street where traditional Arab souks lined this beautiful heritage district.
Took abra (traditional water taxi) to cross Dubai Creek over to Deira side of the city.
Visit to various souks in Deira region, particularly the famous Dubai Gold Souk, a traditional market of over 380 retailers, most of whom are jewelry traders. The Dubai Gold Souk is also host to the largest ring in the world weighing 64kg.
Back to Downtown Dubai again in the evening for shopping for souvenirs at the Dubai Mall (and dinner) and one last look of one of my favourite skyscrapers, Burj Khalifa. View the Dubai Fountain from the other side of the artificial Burj Khalifa Lake. Also visit to the Time Out Market(Souk Al Bahar), a retail mall famous for culinary hotspots which is also adjacent to the lake.
Day 5 – 15 May 2023 (Monday)
Visit to Dubai Miracle Garden. It is the world’s largest natural flower garden and only opens generally from October to April every year. For this year, it opens until early June. There are plenty of beautiful floral sights in the garden including a life-size version of the Emirates A380 which also broke the record as the world’s largest floral installation. The garden also features hearts tunnel, floral castle, Smurfs village, lake park, etc.
Visit to Mall of the Emirates, another large mall with beautiful architecture (particularly the huge domes and arched glass roof). The mall is also host to Ski Dubai (the Middle East’s first indoor ski resort and snow park). Shopping and lunch in the mall.
Return to hostel to check out and head to Dubai International Airport in the afternoon for flight back to Singapore. Arrived in the early morning next day (16 May 2023).
It was an awesome and fulfilling trip. You may check out more pictures posted in my social media (Facebook and Instagram) posts too. I managed to see and admire all the sights that I wanted to including the Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. I have to admit that it was a bit rushed though to fit all into just 5 days. Anyway, did you notice that most of the attractions in Dubai are some sort of record holders (world tallest, world largest, etc)? If it isn’t big or grand, Dubai is not going to build it! Haha.
It’s a miracle that I was able to fit so many places into just 5 days 4 nights (technically only just 3 full days in Dubai and 1 day in Abu Dhabi in total). The consequence is that my legs are feeling the pain now from all the excessive walking I had in Dubai for the past few days. Literally around 30 000 steps each day (tracked from iPhone health data).
This trip was also there to clear off my leave (had quite a lot of accumulated annual leave from my company) and also to clear off my mind for a while after undergoing down moments since end of March. At least the planning and the trip itself gave me a much needed distraction and excitement.
I enjoyed the trip overall. If I can have one more day, I would go on one of the popular things to do in Dubai; desert safari. I missed that one because I have done similar activity in Egypt few years ago and that I didn’t plan that one extra day earlier. Hmm…hopefully my next travel would be in this coming July to Hong Kong only if I am able to get the tickets to watch Sammi Cheng’s concert which will be on public sale this Wednesday. Once a trip was over, it’s time to think of the next one. Hehe…we have a world to see!
After being postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dubai 2020 World Expo finally opens on 1st October and will run until 31 March 2022 for a period of 6 months. This is the third world expo I have covered in my blog after Shanghai 2010 and Milan 2015. If you do not know, world expo is a large-scale international exhibition designed to showcase participating nations and organizations and is held once in every five years at different host cities.
It is a global event similar to those huge international sporting events like the Olympics but received way much smaller attention. World Expo certainly deserves more publicity as it involves large-scale participations and efforts especially by the host city to prepare and build a dedicated area for the various pavilions. There are also some very cool architectural highlights in each and every world expo not to be missed.
The main site of Dubai 2020 World Expo is a 438-hectare area located between the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It has a masterplan that is organized around a central plaza and enclosed by three large thematic districts. Each one is dedicated to one of the sub-themes of this expo – Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. 192 countries participated in this expo alongside with over 20 other participating partners and organizations making it the second largest world expo ever (behind Shanghai 2010).
Here are some of the cool architecture or attractions from the expo:
Al Wasl Plaza – the central plaza of the expo that features the world’s largest projection dome. The dome is made up of trellis of steel frameworks weaved into the ringed logo of Dubai 2020 World Expo.
Expo Entry Portals – They are the gateways to the expo site woven from carbon fibre to create 21-metre-high mashrabiya-style lattices. Mashrabiya is a traditional architectural element in Islamic design, encompassing latticed screens often showcasing intricate and complex geometric patterns that shade exterior windows and balconies.
Expo 2020 Water Feature – Giant sheets of water tumble down 13-metre-high vertical walls like a waterfall. By night, the water will defy gravity and flow upwards. Visitors can walk to the base of the falls to see how the water disappears through the stone. At the feature’s centre is a “mysterious circle of fire” that produces enormous bursts of flames in hues of red, green and yellow.
Terra Pavilion
Alif – The Mobility Pavilion
United Arab Emirates Pavilion
United Kingdom Pavilion
Russia Pavilion
Japan Pavilion
Singapore Pavilion
Australia Pavilion
Austria Pavilion
Korea Pavilion
Poland Pavilion
Saudi Arabia Pavilion
Pakistan Pavilion
France Pavilion
Malaysia Pavilion – leaving the last for my country. Won’t miss it.
There are quite a lot more interesting pavilions in this Dubai 2020 World Expo but I just couldn’t feature all of them here. The next world expo will be at Osaka, Japan in 2025.
(Images in this post are from various online sources)
Recent years, the Pritzker Prize (highest honor of architecture to individuals) tend to recognize the less famous architects who still contribute significantly to the built environment. Well, at least it introduces us to these architects whom we would have not known before they won. This year’s winners are Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, founders of Lacaton & Vassal architecture office based in Paris, France.
Below are the extracts from Archdaily article on their philosophies and some of their works:
The French duo are renowned for their multiple sustainable housing projects and for the Palais de Tokyo, a contemporary art gallery in Paris. In their three decades of work, Lacaton & Vassal always prioritized the “enrichment of human life”, benefiting the individual and supporting the evolution of the city.
“Good architecture is open—open to life, open to enhance the freedom of anyone, where anyone can do what they need to do. It should not be demonstrative or imposing, but it must be something familiar, useful and beautiful, with the ability to quietly support the life that will take place within it.” — Anne Lacaton
Praised for their approach that renews modernist hopes of improving the lives of many and reexamines the definition of the profession itself, the French studio generates interventions that “respond to the climatic and ecological emergencies of our time, as well as social urgencies, particularly in the realm of urban housing”. Re-thinking the notion of sustainability, the duo believes firmly in the “never demolish” principle, taking the opportunity to upgrade and transform, while allowing enduring properties of a building to remain.
Having met in the late 1970s at École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et de Paysage de Bordeaux, Anne Lacaton (1955, Saint-Pardoux, France) and Jean-Philippe Vassal (1954, Casablanca, Morocco) built their first joint project in Niamey, Niger, a temporary straw hut, constructed with locally sourced bush branches that relented to the wind within two years of completion. At that time, they vowed to “never demolish what could be redeemed […] extending through addition, respecting the luxury of simplicity, and proposing new possibilities”. In 1987, they established Lacaton & Vassal in Paris, focusing on generous spaces and freedom of use through economic and ecological materials. So far, they have completed over 30 projects throughout Europe and West Africa, ranging from private cultural and academic institutions to public spaces, social housing, and urban developments.
Increasing living space “inexpensively”, the architects first integrated greenhouse technologies through winter gardens and balconies. Their initial application was in the Latapie House in 1993 (Floirac, France) before progressing to bigger scales, and transforming La Tour Bois le Prêtre in 2011 (Paris, France), a 17-story, 96-unit city housing project originally built in the early 1960s, alongside Frédéric Druot. Rejecting city plans calling for the demolition of social housing, they removed the original concrete façade and extended the footprint of the building to form bioclimatic balconies, making every unit bigger. This framework allowed a dramatic visual reinvention of many social housing complexes. In fact, in 2017, they transformed 530 units within three buildings at Grand Parc in Bordeaux, France, with Christophe Hutin architecture, Frédéric Druot, designing from the inside out to prioritize the welfare of a building’s inhabitants.
Always within the same concepts of maximizing usable space, in their most recent transformation of Palais de Tokyo (Paris, France 2012), Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal increased the museum by 20,000 square meters, to accommodate changing needs. On another hand, for the Atelier de Préfabrication no. 2 (AP2), a postwar shipbuilding facility, the duo chose to erect a second building, identical in shape and size to the first, instead of filling the existing void. Working with academic institutions, the architects were able to almost double the areas outlined in the brief of the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Nantes in 2009 (Nantes, France), creating spaces that are deliberately un-prescribed and adaptable.
Current works in progress comprise the housing transformations of a former hospital into a 138-unit, mid-rise apartment building in Paris, France, and an 80-unit, mid-rise building in Anderlecht, Belgium; the transformation of an office building in Paris, France; mixed-use buildings offering hotel and commercial space in Toulouse, France; and a 40-unit, private housing, mid-rise building in Hamburg, Germany.
So here are my thoughts; although I do find their works slightly too humble and simple, but I do understand the notion of ‘beauty in simplicity’ in some of them. There isn’t any imposing or awestruck designs coming out from them but I do admire their strong and consistent push for adaptive reuse. This area is getting more and more significant now due to the rising issues of abandoned or dilapidated buildings over time worldwide. Why demolish when with a careful and creative thought, an old unused building can be transformed into something spectacular and above all, useful and ‘alive’ again!
Here’s a Youtube video by Skyrun Malaysia that best summarizes the latest progress of construction of the world’s second tallest building, PNB 118 Tower in Kuala Lumpur. The views of the city skyline together with the tower are already spectacular despite it still being under construction now.
Construction of the central core had completed few months back (hence it is currently structurally topped out officially) while the construction of the full 118 floor plates appear to be nearing completion too as seen at the top portion of the tower from that video. The floor plates at the top appear to reduce as it rises to one edge where the spire will sits on top on that edge. The base of the tower’s massive spire also starts to take shape. It is this massive spire that pushes the tower close to 650m high and becomes the world’s second tallest building (overtaking 632m tall Shanghai Tower).
Sharing similar thought with most others, I felt that the spire is slightly too long. The spire itself is around 150m tall and that is already equivalent to the height of a 40-storey skyscraper. The excessive spire also makes it slightly disproportionate with the tower itself as seen quite obviously from the various elevation drawings of the tower available to the public. It made it more obvious to the world too that Malaysia love to use long spire to ‘cheat’ on the height too (similar situation with Petronas Twin Towers last time on claiming the title of the world’s tallest building from Willis Tower due to the spires).
I’m not against spire but its design must be thoughtful, proportionate and needs to be integrated to an overall tower’s design rather than just appearing like a thin needle from the top of a tower. At least, I’m a bit relieved that the PNB 118’s spire itself has a proper design to it (also shaped in diamond pattern similarly to the tower). Anyway, the spire itself is still excessively long (would look better if it’s only around 100m while the building itself can be more taller with few more floors to add up to that height). Besides that, I do know from somewhere recently that part of inside of the spire is actually accessible to the public (hopefully!) as an additional observatory level. That would be cool (seeing the city from inside the spire). I would love to experience it when it opens.
The tower is expected to be architecturally topped out (means that the spire is completed too) by end of the year and is targeted to complete next year. Then, it looks likely that it will be open only by end of 2022 at the earliest. Currently, the tower stands at a height of slightly over 500m and it is already the tallest building in South East Asia. The final height of the tower still remains a bit of a mystery although official information from CTBUH (Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) stated that the tower will have a height of 644m.
(Images in this post are from Skyscrapercity Forum)
Building skyscrapers appear to be the norm for any growing cities across the world. China has been the forefront for over a decade in race to build supertall buildings. However, recently, the country approved multiple laws that prohibit future buildings in the country from exceeding 500m in height, ban copycat architecture, restrict construction of strange-looking buildings, etc. This move made a number of on-going skyscraper proposals in the country to be scaled down and we are no longer looking at China for new huge skyscrapers at the time-being.
Hence, we shall shift our focus back to the West…or specifically back to New York City; the city that witnessed the birth of skyscrapers from about a century ago. New York City is a super dense city that are packed with buildings from classical to contemporary style. In recent years, a particular area in the city known to be the ‘Billionaires Row’ is getting the attention due to the rising of several new skyscrapers. They are no ordinary skyscrapers and they carry one similar characteristic; super thin.
The city’s zoning loopholes that allow a developer to acquire unused airspace nearby and add it to their own lot enable construction of super thin/skinny/slender buildings and the result is what we saw now at the Billionaires Row which is located at southern end of the Central Park. These luxurious towers (mostly residential buildings that offer some of the country’s most expensive penthouses) that took advantage of views of Central Park seem to defy gravity with jaw-dropping width-to-height ratio.
One57 Tower is the first in a series of supertall skyscrapers built along that area in Manhattan which maximises on the city’s zoning loopholes mentioned earlier. The 306m high, 75 floors tower is completed in 2014.
However, it was the 432 Park Avenue Tower that caught our attention when it is built in 2015 due to its super slender design. The 90-storey tower reaches a height of 426m and an impressive building width to height ratio of 1:15. This building is the first ever super slender skyscraper in the city (if not, the world).
The next slender tower to rise is the 53W53 Tower that rises to 320m tall with 77 storeys and width to height ratio of 1:12. This tower sculptural form makes it look cool and futuristic.
Expected to be completed this year, the Central Park Tower will be the tallest residential building in the world. Soaring to over 472m with 98 floors, the tower has a building width-to-height ratio of 1:23. That is crazy…
Now, this next tower is even crazier; it has a width-to-height ratio of 1:24 and claims the title of world’s thinnest skyscraper. It is the 111 West 57th Street Tower, also set to be completed this year. Standing at a height of 436m with 82 floors, its slenderness is out of the world. It looks as thin as a piece of paper! Would the tower sway a lot?!. But with advanced engineering these days, the structure’s stability had all been considered to ensure occupants’ comfort in the building.
Overall view of the Billionaires Row below. I would love to get a penthouse unit there, in one of those towers…it’s not even 10pm and I’m already dreaming…haha.
(Images in this post are from various online sources)
Before I begin with that, let me start by taking this opportunity to wish to all my Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya Haji! Another long weekend for us to enjoy! And that happens for the next weekend too as it coincides with Singapore’s National Day that falls on the next Sunday (hence the following Monday will be a replacement holiday). Wonderful…
It’s so quick that we have reached yet another end of a month. We should have gotten our salary for the month and it is timely; we can spend a little of it during this cool long weekend to treat ourselves. We deserved it.
Let’s get back to the main topic of the post; the currently under-construction PNB118 Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have been constantly following the progress of its construction these few years (checking on its status like latest images and videos almost once every week). It is currently the tallest building under construction in the world. Previously, the over 1km-tall Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia claimed that title but its construction has been put on hold due to financial reason for quite some time already. And now with the authority in China banning construction of skyscrapers taller than 500m, Malaysia is able to take the top spot in the list of tallest buildings currently under construction now. Time for us to be proud a little…
Designed by Australian firm, Fender Katsalidis Architects, PNB118 Tower will be the second tallest building in the world with 644m in height with 118 floors when completed. It will be just right behind the 828m tall Burj Khalifa which has been the record holder of world’s tallest building for over a decade. PNB118 Tower is expected to complete next year and by looking at its current progress, it is highly likely that it will indeed complete in 2021.
The tower has now reached approximate height of over 480m (already the tallest structure in Malaysia) with its core now sits somewhere around 116th floor. There’s only two more core floors to go, and then to be followed by the completion of the remaining floors, facade works, interior works, and the installation of its majestic-looking spire. The spire alone is over 140m tall (equivalent to height of a nearly 40-storey building). It is the spire that helps to push the height of the tower to beyond 600m mark and for it to be qualified to be called a ‘megatall’ (buildng over 600m tall).
The tower so far already looks very good (even before it is complete). Its interesting triangulated form (including its spire design) and the full glass cladding that reflects the surrounding sky and buildings are mesmerizing. I also look forward to its podium, linear park, and the lighting design. Can’t wait for it to be completed!
(Images in this post are from various online sources)
It has been quite some years since I last made a check on the list of tallest buildings in the world. When I researched on this topic again recently, I was quite shocked to see many new buildings popping out in the top 10 list. I do periodically write a post on this topic once in a few years and I think it’s time now to write another one for the updating purpose.
Now, each of the present top 10 tallest buildings in the world is at least half a kilometre tall. That’s 500 metres. About a decade ago, a skyscraper is sure to join top 10 list when it reaches beyond 400 metres mark. Now, that is no longer possible. Once the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101 is now at the very last spot in the top 10 standing. Burj Khalifa still maintains the title of the world’s tallest building (also world’s tallest man-made structure) for a decade since 2010 when it is first completed. 9 out of 10 skyscrapers in the top 10 list are in Asia. Well, that is not surprising as many countries in this continent observe huge growth and high demand for construction of tall buildings especially China.
Here’s the current top 10 tallest buildings in the world (information correct as of April 2020, information comes with building’s name, city, country, height, number of floors, and year of completion). Do be reminded that this official list is obtained from the international governing body in worldwide tall buildings called ‘Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’ (CTBUH). This list does not include telecommunication or observation towers, antennas, masts, non-habitable structures and buildings which are still under construction. Only completed buildings are qualified to the list.
My country’s famous Petronas Twin Towers which are once the tallest buildings in the world too are now at 17th place. That’s quite far behind. Nevertheless, they are still the current tallest twin buildings in the world, at 452 metres tall each. Soon, we will see a skyscraper in Malaysia to appear again in the top 10 list with the expected completion of Merdeka PNB118 Tower next year (2021). The tower, located in Kuala Lumpur will be 644 metres tall with 118 floors when completed. It will be ranked 2nd tallest in the world, just behind Burj Khalifa. As of today, the core of the tower has reached 112nd floor.
Seeing Burj Khalifa holding the record for more than a decade now, I’m starting to hope that some day soon, another taller tower will take the title from it. Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower will be that tower possibly. The 167-floors Jeddah Tower will be 1000 metres tall (that’s 1 km!) and is currently under construction. However, there seems to be little to no progress to its construction in the last few years due to financial reason. There is no estimated completion date for this massive megatall and its fate is still uncertain for now.
(Images in this post are from various online sources. Buildings’ information is from CTBUH as highlighted earlier)
Whenever the Pritzker Prize (architecture’s highest honor) winner is announced every year, I would do a bit of research on what the winning architects have done, their impressive projects and their impacts to the architectural field. Same goes for this year. Although the winners this year are names that we most probably never heard of, but their contribution are certainly worth our admiration. Anyway, popularity shouldn’t be a criteria in judging the recipient of architecture’s most prestigious honor.
With more than 40 years of professional experience, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, partners and co-founders of Dublin-based Grafton Architects, are the first women to be jointly awarded the Pritzker Prize.
“Their approach to architecture is always honest, revealing an understanding of the processes of design and construction from large-scale structures to the smallest details,” the jury’s citation said. “It is often in these details, especially in buildings with modest budgets, where a big impact can be felt.
“We’re not afraid of monumentality and making important gestures when necessary, but we’re also not afraid to recede and be in the background,” she said. “We think about a heroic space and at the same time think about how a human being feels in our space. We think about our agenda as being a humanist agenda, and that’s at the forefront.” said Yvonne and Shelley in a phone interview.
This attention to the human experience is apparent in projects like North King Street Housing in Dublin (2000), where an inner courtyard offers “a welcome respite from the adjacent busy streets,” the Pritzker jury said. Similarly, their Urban Institute of Ireland (Dublin, 2002) “employs what the architects call a ‘crafted skin,’” the jury said, “to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials responding to openings, folds, needs for shade and other concerns.”
North King Street Housing, Dublin (2000)
Urban Institute of Ireland, Dublin (2002)
In 2018, Farrell and McNamara co-curated the Venice Architecture Biennale, world’s most influential architectural event. The proposed theme, Freespace, sought to explore generosity, reflection, and engagement through the practice of architecture. The UTEC project in Lima, Peru is perhaps the one that has brought most recognition outside Europe to the Irish duo. In 2016, it was awarded the first RIBA International Prize. This year, the office was awarded the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Promoted by RIBA every year, the Royal Gold Medal is the highest honor awarded to an architect or architectural firm in the United Kingdom.
UTEC Building, Peru (2015)
“We are interested in going beyond the visual, emphasizing the role of architecture in the choreography of daily life.” “We see the Earth as client. This brings with it long-lasting responsibilities.” the two said.
Their other landmark projects below:
Kingston University Town House, UK (2019)
Universita Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy (2008)
Offices for the Department of Finance, Dublin (2009)
Some awesome projects that I have not heard of previously… Their thoughtful response to site and monumental celebration of building materials are intriguing.
The future tallest building in Malaysia, PNB118 Tower is currently at the midst of its construction at the city of Kuala Lumpur. With the projected final height of approximately 644 metres, it will easily dwarfs the Petronas Twin Towers by almost 200 metres.
The tower now started to make its presence on the skyline of the city. With the current height of around 330 metres (despite only about half way to go), the tower looks massive and has already making a statement particularly on its area (old district of KL filled with only low-rise buildings).
I think this tower is expected to be completed two years later (2021), and once completed, it will be the second tallest building in the world (only behind the current tallest building record holder, the mighty 828 metres tall Burj Khalifa at Dubai). The rendering of the tower below:
Here are some latest construction photos of the PNB118 Tower, shared from skyscrapercity forum webpage, the site that I always go to to check for recent updates of skyscraper’s construction across the world. I particularly like the last photo below where the highlight is on the contrast between the old (shophouses at the foreground) and the new (modern skyscraper at the background).
Comparing the design of this tower to the Exchange 106 Tower, I prefer the former as it has at least a bit of a design/concept as compared to the latter that is only enhanced by its crown but comes with poor lighting design. The only obvious thing I don’t like on the design of the PNB118 Tower is its massively tall spire that doesn’t quite fit well to the proportion of the building. I would prefer to shorten the spire slightly (we don’t need to further push up the height of the tower for goodness sake) or redesign the roof portion so that it slants up for a smooth transition before ending with the thin spire.
Now, I heard of some unconfirmed news of another supertall skyscraper planned in the city too. The skyscraper is nicknamed ‘Tower M’ currently and is expected to rise above 700 metres tall. Wow…Why we need so many massive skyscrapers when we are facing oversupply of office space in the city currently?
These photos above must have been taken at least a week or two ago. Why? You would not get a clear picture of the city right now due to the current haze.
(Images in this post are from various online sources)
Vincent Loy's Online Journal 