Torres de Hércules. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The building height is 126 meters and has 20 floors. The last floor is 80 meters high, and above that there is a lookout restaurant. Both white towers are rising from the flat pillar of water, because the building is close to Bay of Algeciras and main highways from Seville to Gibraltar and also the Costa del Sol or Jerez de la Frontera airport. There is also parking with 200-lot space for cars based on the ground level. Some small commercial spaces are also provided with travel agency, a bank, messenger service or coffee shop.

Torres de Hércules. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The construction covers area of 19.600 sq meters and is prepared to serve as an office building. Being close to Cadiz and Gibraltar makes this building not only a landmark, but also well-placed highrise that could manage to get some money from office rental. Still, above last floor restaurant there is roof-top with panoramic view to beautiful neighborhood.

Torres de Hércules. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Torres de Hércules. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Here are some renders of this proposed skyscraper:

Miami Supertall - Miapolis 1. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Miami Supertall - Miapolis 2. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Miami Supertall - Miapolis 3. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Miami Supertall - Miapolis 4. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Beijing New South Station during construction in 2008. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The shape of this construction is oval and was designed by Hong Kong/UK company of Terry Farrel and Partners. It was also a single collaboration with the Tianjin Desing Institute. Materials used to create this monster are: almost 500,000 cubic meters of  concrete and 60,000 tons of steel. Over 4,000 workers was on construction site in three years of building. The station outer wall is covered by glass and roof contains 3,246 solar panels that create electricity for the whole complex. The stations possess 24 platforms with an ability to service about 30,000 passengers/hour. In yearly scale that gives about 241,920,000 in every twelve months. There is also large waiting area with ability to create space for almost 10,000 people. The whole complex is much bigger than Beijing National Stadium.

Beijing New South Station final look, visualization. Photo taken from skyscrapercity forums.

Beijing New South Station inside. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Beijing New South Station railway. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Miramare Business Center. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The project is based on a crossing of the two roads: Miramarska and Bednjarska. The building is supposed to join two urban city concepts: north and south. The northern side is filled with classical city blocks, and the southern consist many public and social buildings.

Miramare Business Center. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The complex contains semi-open atrium between the two buildings that is also connecting them to pedestrian space around. There is simple diversity of roles between floors: underground floors are garage spaces, ground floor will contain shops, restaurants and bars, and all higher floors will be filled with offices (around 20.000 square meters). There is also a view point predicted on the top of the higher building. The facade is made of glass modules that are pulled in and out.

Miramare Business Center. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Miramare Business Center. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

This original project comes from great architect Santiago Calatrava.

Peace Bridge, calgary. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums, copyrights by Santiago Calatrava.

Peace Bridge, calgary. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums, copyrights by Santiago Calatrava.

Peace Bridge, calgary. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums, copyrights by Santiago Calatrava.

Cuatro Torres Business Area. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Cuatro Torres Business Area means: the Four Towers Business Area. This complex is placed in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the examples how to build some interesting buildings that are high, elegant and sophisticated. Cuatro Torres Business Area consist four high towers: Torre Espacio (57 floors, 226 meters high, 774 feet), Torre Caja Madrid (45 floors, 250 m, 820 ft), Torre de Cristal (52 floors, 249,5 m, 818 ft) and Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso (52 floors, 236 m, 774 ft).

Every tower has its own original design and architecture.

Cuatro Torres Business Area. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Torre Espacio was topped out on March 19, 2007 and is surpassed by Gran Hotel Bali.

Cuatro Torres Business Area. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Torre Caja Madrid is the tallest of the four buildings, and designed by Norman Foster.

Cuatro Torres Business Area. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Torre de Cristal is designed by Cesar Pelli and filled with offices.

Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso was completed in 2008 and designed by Carlos Rubio Carvajal and Enrique Álvarez-Sala Walter.

Cuatro Torres Business Area. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Chicago Spire construction site, August 27 2009. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The tower will contain 150 floors, 1193 apartments, every floor will rotate at 2.44 degrees between floor plates, the lobby footprint will be 1,414 sq meters (15,220 sq ft). The building will have the highest elevator run (about 570 meters, 1864 feet) – this elevators will move directly from the ground floor to any floor in the building, there will be 17 of them.

Chicago Spire inside. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Chicago Spire inside. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Cost of an apartment in Chicago Spire will start from 750.000 dollars and end at 40.000.000 dollars.

The building looks similar to rotating towers in Dubai and Moscow, but the construction is a little bit different and the outside look of the building is more static leaving observers with only one look of the building. The facade is not so dynamic and it is not changing shapes.

Chicago Spire. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Chicago Spire. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Rotating skyscraper. Photo taken from www.dynamicarchitecture.net. Copyrights by David Fisher.

Of course this is only a project but interesting enough to write about it. This can be a start of new wave of moving buildings that will have changing architecture.  The plan predict that this building will have 70 floors and 400 meters high (that is 1312 feet). Potential cost of that building is estimated at 400 million dollars. At first the building construction should start in late 2008 and be finished in 2010, yet, during the financial problems it has not started yet.

Rotating skyscraper. Photo taken from www.dynamicarchitecture.net. Copyrights by David Fisher.

This could be one of the most interesting buildings in the world as long as there will be only few of them. This can really be some kind of architectural revolution that will show us totally new ways of projecting, planning and building skyscrapers.

Rotating skyscraper. Photo taken from www.dynamicarchitecture.net. Copyrights by David Fisher.

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The Nakheel Tower will allow more than 55 thousand people to live there and another 45 thousand will get job while building the complex. The tower will contain 10.000 parking spaces, and the whole complex more than 950.000 sq meters of commerce space and retail, more than 19.000 residential apartments, more than 3500 hotel rooms (with exclusive 100 room hotel inside Nakheel Tower).

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Nakheel Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The investment is currently on hold and predicted start is set to early 2010.

Burj al-Arab. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Burj al-Arab was built in 5 years time between 1994 and 1999. It contains only high-class 202 penthouses, the smallest one covers the area of 159 quadratmeters and the biggest about 780 quadratmeters. The building contains also many restaurants, view platform, two big swimming pools, two deep diving pools, eighteen health rooms, hydrotherapy and massage rooms, solarium, jacuzzi, sauna, fitness studio, museum, library, chopter landing pad and few stocks-high aquarium with the whole living coral reef.

Burj al-Arab's hall. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

All items, equipment and furnishing was especially designed or chosen for this hotel. The most luxurious penthouses have golden elements of furhishing. Every guest has an indyvidual butler for his disposal 24/7. If demanded personal cook, additional security and a car with driver can be given to guest.

Burj al-Arab one of many restaurants. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

There are six hotel emplyees falls on one guest. Prices for one place to sleep starts with 1300 USD for twendy four hours. But the two floor-penthouses prices are up to 35.000 USD per night.

Burj al-Arab corridor. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Burj al-Arab penthouse. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Stary Browar Part 1, main entrance. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Stary Browar Part 2. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The whole complex idea came out of Grazyna Kulczyk (wife of one of the richest men in Poland), which also owes Fortis – company that became the investor that builded Old Brewery.

A part of Old Brewery that is surrounded by fog of mystery is The Blow Up Hall 50 50 Hotel. It is an unique element of complex, not easy to access with very original architecture and artistic design. The hotel has only23 rooms and no receptionist. The key to each room is iPhone, that also uses to communicate with hotel’s staff. Every room looks different and was projected as a complete element of the hotel.

Blow Up Hall. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Blow Up Hall, room. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

For Poznan’s inhabitants Old Brewery (Stary Browar in Polish) is more than just a building. It is a standing prove that Polish people  can build greatest buildings without any abroad financing – using their own hands. All stores, restaurants, museums, coffee shops and public spaces are place where Poznan inhabitants often meet and. The building is now one of the places visited by tourists (next to Poznan’s rich offer of beautiful historic buildings).

Inside Stary Browar Part 1. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Stary Browar Part 1, the main hall. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Third part of the coplex is planned by Ms. Kulczyk, which will contain museum for her huge collection of modern art. This part will be placed underground (under a park) and will be projected by world-wide known Japan architect Tadao Ando.

Stary Browar Complex with surroundings. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Construction site in mid 2009. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Plans of creating financial district in Shanghai were announced in 1993 and included plans of three huge supertalls. Two of them are already standing (Jin Mao building – finished in 1998 and Shanghai World Financial Center – finished in 2008).

Shanghai Tower finally approved project in surroundings of other Shanghai supertalls. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

After years of proposals government chosen design from Gensler. This very innovative construction spins and twists around the central core surrounded by a curtain of glass. The project is based on nine cylindrical cores sticked to each other and rising in twisted shape. This design is supposed to reduce the wind pressure on the whole construction (wind loads will be reduced by 24%). Used materials and unique shape will highly reduce the energy consumption.

Another view of futuristic Shanghai Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The construction is not only innovative but beautiful. Surely this will be one of the most impressive supertalls ever rised. The facade is changing in all directions showing China’s connection to the world, time and space. There will be six sky gardens in building’s parameter. The exterior and interior skin of the building will be transparent. There will be also places for atrium and inside civic squares which makes building open to the world and giving people a lot of public space.

The story started when Chinese government announced a competition for the project of new National Stadium. Many architectural offices signed in and presented amazing visions of China’s most important arena. But I must admit that from all those great propositions they have chosen the best. The winner was Herzog & de Meuron architectural company from Switzerland (with help from Stefan Marbach, Ai Weiwei and CADG lead by Li Xinggang).

Bird’s Nest is tremendous example of modern architecture and Chinese power of huge investments. The whole construction was built in just 4 and a half a year, which is not very long for such big project. The cost if this investment is estimated about 423 million dollars and is world’s biggest steel structure.

China National Stadium's steel exterior. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

China National Stadium's steel exterior - night view. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The design is based on “nest theme” and the whole building is supposed to look like a giant bird’s nest. That idea ended with brilliant project of unique building not comparable to any other all over the world. At first the construction of the roof is based on 24 trussed columns encrasing the inner field (each one weight about 1000 tons). But after accident of the roof with similar construction in France the project was reinvented. 9.000 seets were removed and the whole huge roof construction never seen the daylight. Removing huge steel construction also helped to reduce the cost of building. The new look was more opened to the outer world, more resistant to potential seismic activity. The upper part of the roof was changed to protect the audience from negative weather conditions. Building’s capacity was set to 91.000 seats during the Olympics and 80.000 after the big event.

Grand Opening of Summer Olympics 2008. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Nevertheless the  final result is outstanding. The stadium is one of the most beautiful sport objects in the world and one of the most impressive. Comparing to investor plan the whole investment should start giving real profits in about 5 years after the grand opening in 2008.

Bird's Nest. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Bird's Nest. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Sagrada Familia. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The building was sopposed to look like one giant organism, and this architect thought forced the constructions to carve every single elementyof the building manually – that is because like in any natural organism every part is one and unique. The building started on 1882 and at first other architect was supposed to design it, but he was inflicted in a conflict with the financial associacion of the church. Then Gaudi was invited to join the group and he reworked the whole project to give it his own recognizable style. He sacrificed last 15 years of his life only to this building rewriting, reworking and improving the project until his tragic death in 1926.

Sagrada Familia. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Sagrada Familia. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Church’s towers were finished in 1920. The last (4 th) bell-tower was ended in 1930. During the war many parts of the church was destroyed and rebuilded in next decades. In 1978 was a year when the build of nave walls was started. The internal nave was winished in 1998, and the last improvement was 2006 building of Lord’s Glory Facade choir.

Sagrada Familia inside. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Sagrada Familia inside. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Sagrada Familia inside. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Sagrada Familia outside view. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Aqua, Chicago. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The building will consist eight-floor base with wide terrace with gardens, pools, hot tubs, gazebos, fire pit and running track. The building has balconies stretched up to 3,7 meters (12 ft) what gives the irregular shape and makes facade an undulating. This solution is very simple and effective, especially when looking from the ground level. Looking on the building from far away makes the irregular shape almost invisible. That is the only flaw that could be seen here, but the whole idea and construction itself are outstanding.

Aqua, Chicago. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Finishing the building is scheduled on 2010. Aqua will be filled with 474 rental units filling 33 stores. Fairmont Hotel was supposed to rent 15 floors from the buildings space, but in Augus 2008 worth 84 million $ conctract was terminated, compared to economical environment changes.

Aqua, Chicago. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Aqua, Chicago. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

This is my first post and I’m gonna start from the highest construction in the world. Burj Dubai is one huge skyscraper with height of 818 meters (2,684 ft) and 162 floors. The construction started on late 2004 and it is almost finished. By January 17 this year, workers reached the top. Interesting thing is that Burj Dubai has the biggest elevator installation and the fastest elevators in the world rising at speed of 60 km/h (55 ft/s).

The building was designed by SOM (Skidmore, Owings and Merrill) who are known from many other constructions (including the latest project of WTC1). Building is supposed to have similar look to the flower Hymenocallis. It contains a central core and three elements around. Burj Dubai is also famous from enormous exterior cladding which is around 142,000 quadrat meters (that is 1,528,000 sq ft).

Detail of Burj Dubai, image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

The building is supposed to have a mixed use with Armani Hotel containing 37 floors, private apartments from 45 to 108 floor and offices. 78 floor will contain a swimming pool. The building will also contain 26 terraces.

Planned opening is set on December 2, 2009.

This amazing construction will be the highest building made by human being for many years. But there are some concept projects including even two miles high self-sufficient cities, but this is a case of future. There are still no materials that could be used tu build such monster. Burj Dubai become one of the most recognizable landmarks years before the counstruction completed.

Burj Dubai 2009, image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.

Dubai seems to be unique place for such constructions. The place that twenty years ago was mainly desert now becomes the new definition of highest and the most amazing buildings in the world. Still, the amount of highrises in Dubai is not that big, but the place is slowly taking the fame from New York’s Manhattan. Dubai constructions are more diversed and, what is the most important – higher. New WTC1 (also known as the Freedom Tower) will rise up to about 541 meters (1776 ft), which is impressing but that high. Many skyscrapers that are being built right now will be higher Tokyo Sky Tree, The Pentominium, Shanghai Tower or China 117 Tower.