Tag Archives: skyscrapers

Toronto’s Pinnacle SkyTower Makes History as Canada’s First 100-Storey Building

Posted on by

Toronto’s skyline has reached a defining moment as the Pinnacle SkyTower becomes Canada’s first building to achieve 100 storeys, marking a historic milestone in the country’s architectural evolution. Designed by the acclaimed Hariri Pontarini Architects, the supertall tower is rapidly approaching completion and is set to officially open in 2026. Rising dramatically from Toronto’s waterfront at the foot of Yonge Street, the building is already reshaping the city’s silhouette and establishing new standards for residential high-rise design in North America.

When complete, SkyTower will stand at an impressive 106 storeys, reaching a final architectural height of 351.85 metres or 1,155 feet. This remarkable elevation will position it as Canada’s tallest residential building and one of the country’s first supertall skyscrapers. The tower will house over 950 residential units, making it a vertical community in the heart of downtown Toronto. Its upper floors will align with the CN Tower’s main observation deck, symbolically connecting two generations of Toronto’s architectural ambition and offering residents unparalleled views of Lake Ontario and the city skyline.

Designer: Hariri Pontarini Architects

The architectural vision behind SkyTower is both elegant and innovative. Lead partner David Pontarini conceived a distinctive 12-sided profile designed to evoke the form of a jewel, creating a building that captures light and attention from every angle. The tower transitions gracefully from a retail podium into a sculpted vertical silhouette, accentuated by vertical fins that emphasize its soaring height. Expansive curved corner glazing fosters visual connectivity between interior spaces and the surrounding cityscape, while buttressed balconies extend up to the 88th floor, seamlessly connecting the tower with its podium base.

Inside, residents will enjoy approximately 80,000 square feet of luxury amenities, including a pool, yoga studio, fitness center, and entertainment spaces. The building’s crowning feature will be a restaurant on the 106th floor, offering dining experiences at the same elevation as the CN Tower’s famous observation deck. The lower 12 floors will house the 224-room Le Méridien Toronto Pinnacle Hotel, adding a hospitality component to the mixed-use development. Floor-to-ceiling windows throughout maximize natural light and spectacular views, creating living spaces that celebrate Toronto’s dramatic urban and natural landscapes.

Engineering excellence underpins the tower’s ambitious height. To counteract wind-induced vibrations at such extreme elevations, the building will be topped with a 700-tonne tuned mass damper, working in concert with the 12-sided profile to manage wind loads effectively. At street level, a continuous glass canopy wraps the podium, providing weather protection while creating an inviting, human-scaled entrance for residents and guests. These technical innovations ensure comfort and safety while maintaining the building’s sleek aesthetic vision.

SkyTower serves as the centerpiece of Pinnacle International’s ambitious Pinnacle One Yonge masterplan, a transformative multi-phase development that will ultimately include approximately 5,000 residential suites across five towers. Rising from the former Toronto Star site, the project is reshaping Toronto’s eastern waterfront and represents one of the largest mixed-use developments currently underway in the city. As construction races toward completion, SkyTower stands as a testament to Canada’s growing architectural confidence and Toronto’s emergence as a city of supertall ambition.

The post Toronto’s Pinnacle SkyTower Makes History as Canada’s First 100-Storey Building first appeared on Yanko Design.

380-Meter Super-Slim Skyscraper Maybe The Newest Eco-Conscious Member Of The Dubai Skyline Club

Posted on by

Dubai-based developer Muraba teamed up with the Pritzker Prize-winning RCR Arquitectes to design the remarkable Muraba Veil. The Muraba Veil is an impressive and downright striking 38-meter skyscraper planned for downtown Dubai. It is a contemporary piece of architecture that captures the 10-year-long collaboration between Muraba and RCR Arquitectes. The skyscraper merges contemporary innovation with traditional components that draw inspiration from local heritage, creating an architectural design that is the best of both worlds.

Designer: Muraba x RCR Arquitectes

Of course, the skyscraper’s impressive height instantly draws attention, but so does its unusually slender and narrow form. It features a width of 22.5 meters while accommodating around 73 floors and 131 luxury apartments. Each apartment will run through the entire width of the building, ensuring residents have access to panoramic views from all directions. The towering structure will feature a range of premium and high-end amenities such as a spa, art gallery, padel court, restaurant, private cinema, and communal spaces that are inspired by the surrounding desert landscape.

The Muraba Veil also showcases a “veil”, as its name signifies. The veil is a porous stainless steel mesh that surrounds the entire structure. It adapts to the light and elevates energy efficiency. The veil is a unique and innovative element showcasing how modern architectural techniques can be combined with traditional regional ideas such as the inner courtyard to create a space that feels novel, refreshing, and yet welcoming. The inner courtyard is incorporated to promote natural ventilation and privacy.

Currently, the Muraba Veil is set for completion in December 2028. It will be an exciting and impressive addition to the Dubai skyline, completely redefining and rejuvenating with its one-of-a-kind slender profile, that stands apart from the other skyscrapers on the horizon. The tower’s eco-conscious design also helps set it apart, adding an environment-friendly member to the skyline club. It will be built next to a canal near Dubai’s main transport artery – the Sheikh Zayed Road. This skyscraper is the fifth collaboration between Muraba and RCR Arquitectes.

The post 380-Meter Super-Slim Skyscraper Maybe The Newest Eco-Conscious Member Of The Dubai Skyline Club first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sustainable Skyscrapers Transform This Chinese City’s Landscape Using Urban Intercropping

Posted on by

Lately, all we see around us are existing tall buildings and upcoming skyscrapers it’s surely a beautiful sight and enhances the skyline of the city and perhaps even benefits the economy, but it is imperative to also keep the sustainable approach in mind and the adverse effects of these skyscrapers on the society and its well being. The divide between urban centers, agricultural areas, and natural ecosystems is widening, leading to significant environmental, social, and logistical challenges. Urumqi, the political, economic, and cultural hub of Xinjiang in northwest China, epitomizes this conflict between urban development and agricultural ecological resources. To address these pressing issues, the innovative architectural design concept of “Urban Intercropping” has been proposed.

Designers: Penghao Zhao, Hanyu Sun, Sinuo Jia, Jingxuan Li, Songping Jing, Yibo Gao, YuJie Zeng, and An Jiang

Inspired by traditional agricultural intercropping systems, where different crops are grown together to optimize the use of resources, the Urban Intercropping concept integrates this planting pattern with urban spatial planning. By strategically inserting architectural structures into the “gaps” of the city, a new urban system is formed. The Urban Intercropping model shifts from a centralized to a decentralized urban development approach. Architectural slicing devices are introduced into underutilized spaces within the city, transforming them into productive and functional areas. This approach maximizes the use of space and resources, addressing the issues of urban sprawl and inefficient land use.

Central to this design is the concentration of agricultural industries in high-rise buildings using a vertical intercropping planting model. This model optimizes the use of space, light, and other resources, enabling high-density agricultural production within urban settings. These high-rise agricultural hubs are composed of mechanical devices, non-mechanical facilities, and movable living units, addressing urban housing shortages, traffic congestion, and the lack of green spaces. By enhancing urban efficiency and revitalizing intermediate urban areas, these structures create a dynamic and sustainable urban environment.

Urban Intercropping emphasizes the transformation of urban morphology by integrating skyscrapers and other tall structures into existing urban spaces. These buildings are designed to connect seamlessly with the underground transportation system, alleviating traffic congestion and improving urban mobility. The incorporation of these vertical elements redefines the city’s skyline and promotes a more efficient use of urban space.

A key component of the Urban Intercropping concept is the construction of ecological corridors. These corridors are designed to preserve air quality and prevent dust storms by planting specific types of vegetation that stabilize sand and purify the air. Greenhouse membranes and platforms support these plants, creating green spaces that serve as habitats for wildlife and recreational areas for residents. These corridors also facilitate the migration of animals and provide healthy, green environments for pedestrians and transportation networks.

The design also focuses on the generation and arrangement of social unit spaces, drawing inspiration from the Eight Queens Problem. This mathematical problem involves placing eight queens on a chessboard so that no two queens threaten each other, ensuring optimal spatial efficiency. Similarly, in Urban Intercropping, functional units are arranged to allow for the smooth transfer of movable community units without disrupting other activities. This ensures flexibility and efficiency in urban spaces, accommodating changing needs and uses.

To maximize the effectiveness of Urban Intercropping, detailed structural components are optimized. Multifunctional membranes, vertical and horizontal transportation equipment, modular units, and greenhouse boxes are integrated to form an interconnected system. These components work together to enhance the overall design, making urban spaces more adaptable and resilient.

The architectural design concept of Urban Intercropping offers a revolutionary approach to urban planning and development. By bridging the gap between cities, agriculture, and nature, this concept provides sustainable solutions for modern urban challenges. Through innovative design and technological advancements, Urban Intercropping promotes ecological environmental protection and sustainable urban development, paving the way for a harmonious coexistence of urban and natural ecosystems.

The post Sustainable Skyscrapers Transform This Chinese City’s Landscape Using Urban Intercropping first appeared on Yanko Design.