Top high-rise innovations of 2015

Last month, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat released its annual yearend review of innovations and trends in the tall buildings industry. The report, Top 12 Tall Happenings of 2015, includes Jerusalem’s pyramid-shaped tower, Colombia’s crowdfunded skyscraper project, and the world’s tallest wood building. 

Here’s a recap of CTBUH’s “Top Tall Happenings of 2015” (text courtesy CTBUH; see full list):

Bogotá’s crowdfunded skyscraper architecturally tops out. The under-construction BD Bacatá skyscraper in Bogotá, Colombia reached a milestone when it architecturally topped out in September. The project is notable not just because it will be the tallest building in the country when completed, but because it is the first skyscraper to be crowdfunded, having been financed to the tune of $170 million by more than 3,800 Colombians.

New York's 111 West 57th Street gets final approval. The slender tower at 111 West 57th Street received final approval by the New York City Department of Buildings on January 6, 2015. The 426-meter supertall tower is one of several luxury skyscrapers along 57th street that are reshaping the skyline of Midtown Manhattan.

Jerusalem’s downtown to get pyramid-shaped high-rise. In a marked shift from the city’s typical built environment, a Jerusalem municipal committee approved the construction of a high-rise building as part of a drive to revitalize the city’s downtown core. The pyramid-shaped skyscraper will feature a boutique hotel, luxury apartments, retail amenities, a rooftop restaurant, and a public plaza.

At 35 stories, the Baobab in Paris could become the tallest wooden building in the world. Rendering courtesy Michael Green Architecture (MGA)

World’s tallest wood building proposed in Paris. Architects specializing in wooden buildings proposed what could become the tallest wooden building in the world for Paris. The 35-story Baobab was developed as a carbon-neutral proposal for the city’s Réinventer Paris competition, which aims to alleviate the city’s urban housing challenges.

Paris receives first housing project of 50 meters since 1970s. After more than three decades, Paris completed its first housing project over 50 meters thanks to a change in building regulations that allow for high-rises in the city’s 13th arrondissement. The new complex features 200 apartments with terraces that spiral upwards. It seeks to connect to the rigid grid of the surrounding neighborhood while transitioning the built environment from horizontal to vertical.

Bosco Verticale named CTBUH 2015 Best Tall Building Worldwide. The CTBUH Awards Jury selected Bosco Verticale as the “2015 Best Tall Building Worldwide” at the 14th Annual CTBUH International Best Tall Building Awards Symposium, Ceremony & Dinner, celebrated November 12 at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago.

See the full list.