Leadenhall Building BIM case study

122 Leadenhall, The City, London. Cityscape Digital animation

This wonderful video shows how 122 Leadenhall in London will fit into it's surrounding once constructed.

3D New York City with Google Earth

20 Fenchurch Street, City of London

Statistics

• Estimated completion 2014
• Height 525ft (160m)
• 36 floors
• 94,000 sqm
• Architect Rafael Vinoly

On 19th October 2010 Land Securities and Canary Wharf Group announced the formation of a partnership to develop 20 Fenchurch Street which had been one of several larger city projects to be shelved due to the economic downturn. The site had already been cleared for construction before the project was halted and subsequently sold to the Partnership for £90.2m

Following the formation of the partnership construction was announced to begin immediately on the substructure to bring the building up to ground floor level by February 2012 and although there is little activity on site at the moment, Land Securities reaffirmed today that progress is on track as per their last press release.

The overall design of the building by New York City based architects Rafael Vinoly has courted controversy with it's top heavy shape which features a sky garden overlooking the River Thames on the top three floors although the publicly accessible observation deck will provide arguably the best views of Canary Wharf, the Shard, the West End and The City from a single 360 degree platform.

On the skyline, 20 Fenchurch Street has been criticised as being somewhat bizarre looking, however the important chords for the design of this building were more about contributing sensitively to the built environment at street level. According to the architect, the building form is drawn back from it's maximum possible footprint to mirror the city street pattern while simultaneously establishing a visual connection to the emerging cluster of high rises, receding from nearby historic buildings and opening views through the site to contribute meaningfully to the immediate public realm.

Heron Tower, London - model display

As Heron Tower on London's Bishopsgate nears completion, these videos by model maker Kandor show how the building will look once completed -

World Trade Center Construction Update

Architectural models - Freedom Tower

This short video by Fox News illustrates the role that model makers play in the planning and public relations for new projects, specifically here, the Freedom Tower in New York City.

Synchro Professional 4D Construction Simulation AVI: The Shard, London

11 Times Square, New York City

Statistics

• Completed 2010
• Height 600ft (183metres)
• 40 floors
• Architect
• 1.1 million sqft

The construction process of 11 Times Square was the first time in New York's history that a core was completed before the steel superstructure. The design features a sculptural composition of forms sheathed in various combinations of sheer glass curtain wall and unique "silk glass"panels. In keeping with the Times Square streetscape there are large-scale illuminated features including a 40' diameter iconic globe at the corner. 11 Times Square is LEED certified and is a state-of-the-art, environmentally responsible building with high performance glazed curtain walls which facilitate ample penetration of daylight, optimize views and provide excellent environmental control.

This compilation of stills shows the time lapse of the building's construction.

Shard becomes London's tallest building

Statistics

• Due for completion 2012
• Height 310m (1,017ft)
• 72 floors
• Architect Renzo Piano

Congratulations goes to London and the Shard which yesterday became the tallest building in London and the UK, surpassing 1 Canada Square which has held the title since 1991. Here is a short video tracking progress of the building to date, courtesy of hodderr1 on youtube.

Hearst Tower, New York City, distinctive and sustainable

Statistics

• Constructed 2003-2006
• Height 597ft (182m)
• 46 Floors
• 80,000 sqm (861,100 sqft)
• Architect Foster & Partners

The Hearst Tower was the first tower to break ground in New York City after September 11th, 2001. It was also the first green skyscraper in the city shifting building technology in New York into a new era and became the city's first LEED Gold designated building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The building features a tank in the basement which stores rainwater collected from the roof which is used for the cooling system, plant irrigation and also in the water sculpture in the main lobby. It's diagrid triangular framed design even uses about 20% less steel than conventionally designed and constructed skyscrapers. Water is circulated under the flooring through polyethylene tubing for cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.

The atrium of the Hearst Tower is befitting of a corporation whose publications include magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Harpers Bazaar and Marie Claire and you could be forgiven for thinking the atrium was part of an elaborate art gallery. The escalators run through 'Icefall' which is a 3 storey water sculpture featuring thousands of glass panels which cools and humidifies the air in the lobby and is complemented by a 70 ft tall painting called 'Riverlines' by Richerd Long making the Hearst Tower a truely unique building for Hearst employees and visitors.

The Shard, London

Statistics

• Completion due May 2011
• Height 1,017ft (310m)
• 87 Floors
• 1,199,000 sqft (111,400 sqm)
• Architect Renzo Piano

The Shard at London Bridge is to be the centrepiece of what will be known as the London Bridge Quarter, a large regeneration project around London Bridge station. The project was the brainchild of London developer Irvine Sellar, although nowadays, halfway through the tower's construction, the project is being backed by a Qatari consortium with Sellar Properties owning a much smaller stake in the project. The birth of The Shard as a project was a result of Irvine Sellars trip to Berlin to meet the architect Renzo Piano and discuss what would be built on the site of the old Southwark Towers site, which had previously been occupied by a non descript 24 storey 1970s office building. The design was initially and notoriously scribbled on to the back of a napkin at lunch and considering Piano's dislike for tall buildings, it is a miracle that The Shard is to become the tallest building in the European Union once it is finished.

The Shard is a multi purpose skyscraper which will feature office space, restaurants, residential apartments, viewing galleries as well as an open air observation deck and a Shangri-La hotel on floors 31-50. The sophisticated use of glazing in the building with expressive facades of angled panels will created the illusion of the building changing with the seasons and the weather. Piano likened the design as being like a Shard of Glass. One thing is for certain, as modern skyscrapers go, The Shard is elegant in design and delicate in it's appearance on the London skyline as the city's first supertall building. This film shows the impact the building will have on London once completed.

2 WTC, 200 Greenwich Street, New York City

Statistics

• Estimated completion 2014
• Height 1,350ft (411m)
• 79 floors
• 2,530,000 sqft (235,000 sqm)
• Architect Foster & Partners

It's easy to overlook how immense this building will be as it is the second tallest building being built at the new World Trade Center but will be the third tallest in New York City once complete. Foster & Partners have designed the building to take forward many of the features implemented in the Hearst Tower (see seperate article) and similarly aims to achieve the gold standard under the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Programme (LEED).

Built at the North East corner of memorial park, the building incorporates a slanted roof designed to address the memorial and which will cast no shadow on the memorial park on September 11th due to it's slant. The design is arranged around a central cruciform core, currently in the early stages of construction. The building is designed as four interconnecting shafts which are column free allowing for flexible office space allowing tenats to adapt floors to suit their specific needs.

Here is a reminder of how this magnificent building will look in it's new surroundings.

Empire State Building: Leadership in American Progress in Sustainability

This interesting short video on the Empire State Building by the Rocky Mountain Institute outlines the plans for sustainability for the Empire State Building coming into the 21st century. The Empire State Building is looking at a retro fit which will tackle the problem of higher energy consumption in older buildings which is something that could save older buildings and energy in cities around the world.

New York's Future Cityscape

London's Future Cityscape