Reaching new heights through architourism
Center — all in New York City — and tourists have the chance to visit parts of these world-famous structures because of available tours and exhibits. The trend of constructing tall buildings in the United States lasted 86 years until the inauguration of the Petronas Towers in Malaysia as the world’s tallest building in 1998, signaling the movement of the tall building trend to Asia. At present, the most numerous and tallest skyscrapers can be found in Asia and the Middle East. According to CTBUH’s book, by 2020, 53 will be located in China and 21 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The authors of the book observed that an attractive, modern feature of high- rise buildings today is its shift toward the mixed- use typology. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at present the world’s tallest building, is a combination of office, residential, and hotel space. It is the world’s first tallest building to include residential space; on the 123rd floor, one will find the world’s highest library located in The Residences ( burjkhalifa. ae). From the outside, the 828- meter skyscraper serves as a centerpiece of Downtown Dubai, taking visual cues from the geometry of a desert flower and patterns found in Islamic architecture. But with a capacity to contain 35,000 people, the Burj Khalifa is the size of a small town, and it certainly seems to be the case!
The Burj Al Arab also attracts tourists to the Middle East. It is known as the most luxurious
the world. Its iconic design, which resembles the sail of a ship, is a symbol of modern Dubai.
China on the other hand, is rapidly setting the benchmark for tall building design in the region. The third to sixth tallest buildings of the world in 2020 will all come from this economic power in Asia. At 729 meters, the Suzhou Zhongnan Center, when completed in 2020, will be the third tallest, next to the Burj Khalifa ( the Burj Khalifa will be surpassed as the tallest building by the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah by 2020). What captivates me and so many siteseers about the tall buildings in China and around the world is their ability to showcase the unique culture and lifestyle of the people living there. For instance, the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, the third tower in the trio of signature skyscrapers at the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, functions as more than just a landmark in the modern vertical city. Apart from the way its curved facade and spiraling form symbolize the dynamic emergence of modern China, it also serves as a connection of the Chinese to their roots as a community. It is designed with sky lobbies that recall the city’s historic open courtyards that merge interiors and exteriors in a landscaped setting ( CTBUH). As one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, the Shanghai Tower operates on several forms of renewable energy harnessed by technology.
The emergence of officetels ( such as those found in the Lotte World Tower in South Korea), the integration of view decks and sky lounges like those in the Willis Tower in Chicago and Burj Khalifa, and the development of underground linkages that connect the building to the rest of the urban environment such as in the Federation Towers in Moscow, are only some of the new models architects and planners are using to give people the optimum urban experience. They are also a growing testimony to the mark architourism is making in the world today.
The advancement of energyefficient technology through skyscraper design and the landscape opportunities and interconnectivity solutions designed to construct the world’s tallest buildings are some interesting aspects of architecture that we can learn about and appreciate as we explore the new heights that architourism is moving us toward. The sky no longer seems to be the limit.