Seven of the latest skyscrapers designed by BIG
Following the completion of The Spiral in New York, we take a look at seven of the latest skyscrapers designed by its architect, Danish studio BIG, along with a "landscaper".
From CapitaSpring in Singapore to O-Tower in China, a mix of recently completed projects and others still under construction make up the list of towers by the studio, which was founded in 2005 by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels.
Common threads throughout the projects are the incorporation of greenery to bring occupants closer to nature and unusual forms that challenge traditional boxy skyscrapers that dominate many city skylines.
Read on for eight of the latest skyscrapers designed by BIG:
Appropriately named The Spiral, this 304-metre-tall supertall skyscraper is defined by a series of stepped terraces that wind up and around its exterior.
The terraces were intended as a continuation of the High Line, the raised linear park positioned beside it. Ingles said this "expands the daily life of the tenants to the outside air and light".
Completed in 2022 in collaboration with Carlo Ratti Associati, CapitaSpring is a 280-metre-tall skyscraper in Singapore with dramatic facade openings.
These sculptural openings frame pockets of greenery, including a four-storey vertical park named the Green Oasis placed in the middle of the tower.
"CapitaSpring is like a vision of a future in which city and countryside, culture and nature can coexist, and urban landscapes can expand unrestricted into the vertical dimension," said Ingels.
The shortest building on the list is Iqon, a residential skyscraper completed by the studio last year in Quito. Yet, at 133 metres in height, it is the tallest building in the Ecuadorian capital.
Iqon is animated by a facade of cascading balconies dotted with planting, arranged by BIG to frame views over the city and the Pichincha volcano.
BIG opted for a "feminine silhouette" when creating Telus Sky Tower, in a bid to diversify the skyline in Calgary, Alberta.
"Surrounded by blocky skyscrapers occupied by petroleum companies, Telus stands like a lady in a cluster of cowboys," Ingels said.
Its pixelated facade twists diagonally 222 metres upwards from its base, signifying the shift between the office and residential programs inside.
The form of 155-meter-high Vancouver House in Canada also twists upwards from its base. However, in this case, it is a response to site constraints.
According to BIG, the sculptural silhouette sets the building back 30 metres from an adjacent bridge and prevents the overshadowing of a local park. BIG's ambition is for the project to serve as a blueprint for transforming awkward sites in cities.
Qianhai Prisma Towers (under construction)
A pair of leaning volumes that taper upwards towards the sky will define Qianhai Prisma Towers, which are currently under development in Shenzhen, China.
The skyscrapers, which will contain a mix of residences and offices, are designed with "open seams" that are filled with outdoor gardens and terraces.
While the office tower will reach 250 metres in height, the other will reach 300 metres – reaching the height required to be classed as a supertall skyscraper.
Another skyscraper currently under construction by BIG is O-Tower, designed for Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO in Hangzhou.
It will be distinguished by its unusual infinity-loop shape that will frame an open courtyard at its centre. According to the studio, the circular skyscraper is intended to serve as an "iconic landmark and gateway" to the Future Sci-Tech City.
Google campus (under construction)
Stretching to 330 metres in length, the upcoming Google headquarters is not a skyscraper but rather described as a landscraper. In fact, it is longer than the Shard – the UK's tallest building – is tall.
The building, currently under construction in London is being designed in collaboration with Studio Heatherwick and will feature a rooftop garden and a running track.