A twisted tower is a dramatic addition to any skyline and doesn’t require much else to catch the eye of anyone whose sightline it may come into. But a new twisted tower from Vincent Callebaut Architectures will add a metaphorical twist on top of the literal 90-degree twist its recently topped out Agora Garden skyscraper already has. The new building will be packed with plants, vegetable gardens, and trees on each of its 22 floors, turning it into, what the architect calls, a vertical farm.
Agora Garden is looking to become the embodiment of a vertical farm and will include vertically wide planted balconies of suspended orchards, organic vegetable gardens, aromatic gardens, and other medicinal gardens as a means of producing its own organic food.
In addition to allowing the building to produce some of its own food, the inclusion of all of this greenery means the building will be able to absorb up to 130 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Image courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
According to the architect, the building will integrate the recycling of organic waste and used water, BIPV solar photovoltaic energy, rainwater recycling, and composting into its plans, as well. Vincent Callebaut Architectures’ website lists four main ecological objectives the building will accomplish:
- The reduction of the climatic global warming.
- The protection of nature and biodiversity.
- The protection of the environment and the quality of life.
- The management of natural resources and waste.
The building will include car parks, a swimming pool, a fitness center, and lobbies that will connect the indoor spaces with the surrounding outdoor spaces. The central core of the building will be a vertical twisted garden surrounded by sky entry foyers. The core itself does not pivot but is surrounded by a naturally lightened horizontal circulation loop welcoming the entry foyer dedicated to each unit. This “buffer loop” enables the main entrance to always be in the axis of each apartment despite the 4.5 degrees rotation story by story.
The tower has recently topped out and is expected to be completed in September 2017. For additional, detailed information on the project, click here.
Image courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Image courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Image courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Image courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Image courtesy of Vincent Callebaut Architectures
Related Stories
| Oct 4, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Methods, impacts, and opportunities in the concrete building life cycle
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Concrete Sustainability Hub conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study to evaluate and improve the environmental impact and study how the “dual use” aspect of concrete.
| Sep 20, 2011
Jeanne Gang wins MacArthur Fellowship
Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship winner described by the foundation as "an architect challenging the aesthetic and technical possibilities of the art form in a wide range of structures."
| Sep 14, 2011
Lend Lease’s role in 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Lend Lease is honored to be the general contractor for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum project at the World Trade Center site in New York City.
| Sep 14, 2011
Thornton Tomasetti’s Poon named to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Board of Trustees
During his 30-plus years of experience, Poon has been responsible for the design and construction of super high-rise structures, mixed-used buildings, hotels, airports, arenas and residential buildings worldwide.
| Sep 6, 2011
Construction on Beijing's tallest building starts next week
The 108 floor mixed-use skyscraper consists of offices, apartments, hotels and shopping malls on the lower floors.
| May 25, 2011
World’s tallest building now available in smaller size
Emaar Properties teamed up with LEGO to create a miniature version of the Burj Khalifa as part of the LEGO Architecture series. Currently, the LEGO Burj Khalifa is available only in Dubai, but come June 1, 2011, it will be available worldwide.
| May 17, 2011
Should Washington, D.C., allow taller buildings?
Suggestions are being made that Washington revise its restrictions on building heights. Architect Roger Lewis, who raised the topic in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, argues for a modest relaxation of the height limits, and thinks that concerns about ruining the city’s aesthetics are unfounded.
| Apr 19, 2011
15 mind-blowing skyscrapers
Our friends at Inhabitat have rounded up 15 incredible buildings—from underground cities to vertical farms to bio-fuel power plants and skyscrapers.
| Mar 22, 2011
Mayor Bloomberg unveils plans for New York City’s largest new affordable housing complex since the ’70s
Plans for Hunter’s Point South, the largest new affordable housing complex to be built in New York City since the 1970s, include new residences for 5,000 families, with more than 900 in this first phase. A development team consisting of Phipps Houses, Related Companies, and Monadnock Construction has been selected to build the residential portion of the first phase of the Queens waterfront complex, which includes two mixed-use buildings comprising more than 900 housing units and roughly 20,000 square feet of new retail space.
| Mar 11, 2011
Chicago office building will serve tenants and historic church
The Alter Group is partnering with White Oak Realty Partners to develop a 490,000-sf high-performance office building in Chicago’s West Loop. The tower will be located on land owned by Old St. Patrick’s Church (a neighborhood landmark that survived the Chicago Fire of 1871) that’s currently being used as a parking lot.
