Architecture

Counting the days: Our five most anticipated upcoming buildings

Counting the days: Our five most anticipated upcoming buildings
The Agora Garden Tower, by Vincent Callebaut, is one of our five most anticipated buildings
The Agora Garden Tower, by Vincent Callebaut, is one of our five most anticipated buildings
View 17 Images
Jeddah Tower will rise 1,007 m (3,303 ft), dwarfing even the Burj Khalifa – the world's current tallest skyscraper
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Jeddah Tower will rise 1,007 m (3,303 ft), dwarfing even the Burj Khalifa – the world's current tallest skyscraper
Rising over the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the Jeddah Tower's sheer size boggles the mind
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Rising over the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the Jeddah Tower's sheer size boggles the mind
Jeddah Tower requires 59 elevators, includes some 5.7 million sq ft (530,000 sq m) of floorspace, and will be so high that you'd be able to see 120 km (74.5 miles) to the horizon from the top
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Jeddah Tower requires 59 elevators, includes some 5.7 million sq ft (530,000 sq m) of floorspace, and will be so high that you'd be able to see 120 km (74.5 miles) to the horizon from the top 
Apple Park is clad in the world’s largest panels of curved glass
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Apple Park is clad in the world’s largest panels of curved glass
Apple Park's theater will be named the Steve Jobs Theater
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Apple Park's theater will be named the Steve Jobs Theater
Apple Park will run entirely on renewable energy
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Apple Park will run entirely on renewable energy
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will comprise around 275,000 sq ft (25,548 sq m) of floorspace
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The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will comprise around 275,000 sq ft (25,548 sq m) of floorspace
The original design for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has thankfully been altered from a rather awkward silver volcano-like structure to a sleeker alternative
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The original design for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has thankfully been altered from a rather awkward silver volcano-like structure to a sleeker alternative
The Agora Garden Tower is due to be completed in September, 2017
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The Agora Garden Tower is due to be completed in September, 2017
The Agora Garden Tower, by Vincent Callebaut, is one of our five most anticipated buildings
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The Agora Garden Tower, by Vincent Callebaut, is one of our five most anticipated buildings
The Agora Garden Tower takes the form of a double helix
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The Agora Garden Tower takes the form of a double helix
The Agora Garden Tower twists 4.5 degrees each floor, to a total of 90 degrees
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The Agora Garden Tower twists 4.5 degrees each floor, to a total of 90 degrees
The Agora Garden Tower will also feature a total of 23,000 trees
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The Agora Garden Tower will also feature a total of 23,000 trees
The Leeza Soho is one of the more restrained projects we've seen from ZHA in a while and looks like it'll be a stunner
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The Leeza Soho is one of the more restrained projects we've seen from ZHA in a while and looks like it'll be a stunner
The Leeza Soho is expected to reach its full height in September this year, while the tower's completion is planned for late 2018
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The Leeza Soho is expected to reach its full height in September this year, while the tower's completion is planned for late 2018
Multiple walkways offer connection between the two halves of the Leeza Soho tower
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Multiple walkways offer connection between the two halves of the Leeza Soho tower
The Leeza Soho's huge atrium twists 45 degrees as it rises to orientate the higher floors with the east-west axis of a nearby main road
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The Leeza Soho's huge atrium twists 45 degrees as it rises to orientate the higher floors with the east-west axis of a nearby main road
View gallery - 17 images

Though we've reported on many amazing buildings over the past 12 months, some of the most exciting designs are still to come. With this in mind, we highlight our five most anticipated architecture projects – either under construction, or expected to begin soon. From the world's tallest skyscraper to a cutting-edge office for a tech giant, each one promises to be outstanding.

Jeddah Tower

Jeddah Tower will rise 1,007 m (3,303 ft), dwarfing even the Burj Khalifa – the world's current tallest skyscraper
Jeddah Tower will rise 1,007 m (3,303 ft), dwarfing even the Burj Khalifa – the world's current tallest skyscraper

You could be forgiven for thinking that skyscrapers couldn't really get much taller than the 828 m (2,716 ft)-tall Burj Khalifa, but the Burj's architect Adrian Smith has designed a successor called the Jeddah Tower that will surpass it by far, rising to a kilometer high – or 1,007 m (3,303 ft).

To put that big into perspective, try and imagine two Empire State Buildings, or three Eiffel Towers, stacked atop each other if you can and you'll be in the general ballpark. Rising over the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, it will comprise 5.7 million sq ft (530,000 sq m) of floorspace, with an innovative triangular design that's inspired by the folded leaves of a desert plant helping it to withstand the punishing wind stresses at that height.

The Jeddah Tower is slated for completion in 2020.

Apple Park

Apple Park is clad in the world’s largest panels of curved glass
Apple Park is clad in the world’s largest panels of curved glass

Designed by Sir Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, Apple's futuristic new campus, recently named Apple Park, boasts some truly impressive green design and technology.

Looking something like a skinny doughnut, Apple Park's main building is clad in the world's largest panels of curved glass and hailed as the world's largest naturally-ventilated building. It will get all required electricity from a huge 17-megawatt solar panel array and will house some 12,000 employees in its 2.8 million sq ft (260,128 sq m) of floorspace.

The landscaped grounds are of note too and feature 9,000 native drought-resistant trees and grass, and walking and running paths for staff.

Apple Park is due to open in April this year.

Lucas Museum

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will comprise around 275,000 sq ft (25,548 sq m) of floorspace
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will comprise around 275,000 sq ft (25,548 sq m) of floorspace

Rarely have we seen a high-profile project endure so many ups and downs before ground is even broken, but the Lucas Museum is finally back on track. All the delays have resulted in an updated (and in our opinion vastly-improved) design by MAD Architects that somewhat resembles the Harbin Opera House.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, and funded by George Lucas himself to the tune of at least US$1 billion. It'll comprise around 275,000 sq ft (25,548 sq m) of floorspace and include the director's own collection of paintings, artworks and memorabilia, with daily screenings, exhibitions, public lectures, and workshops planned for visitors.

A restaurant, multiple high-end theaters, a cafe, lecture halls, library and a museum store will also be installed.

We've no word yet on the expected date of completion for the Lucas Museum.

Agora Garden Tower

The Agora Garden Tower is due to be completed in September, 2017
The Agora Garden Tower is due to be completed in September, 2017

We've long enjoyed Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut's thought-provoking sustainable renders, but with the Agora Garden Tower in Taipei, Taiwan, we'll finally see him put his ideas into use.

The greenery-clad skyscraper takes design cues from the double helix shape of DNA and twists 4.5 degrees at each floor, to a total of 90 degrees over its 20 stories. It will feature 23,000 trees, located both in the grounds and the balconies, and will include a rainwater capture and recycling system and a large 1,000 sq m (10,763 sq ft) roof-based solar panel array.

The Agora Garden Tower is due for completion in September 2017.

Leeza Soho

The Leeza Soho is one of the more restrained projects we've seen from ZHA in a while and looks like it'll be a stunner
The Leeza Soho is one of the more restrained projects we've seen from ZHA in a while and looks like it'll be a stunner

China's megacities are chocked full of interesting buildings of all shapes and sizes, but Zaha Hadid's Leeza Soho tower in Beijing, must rate among one of the more interesting skyscrapers we've seen in a while. Designed by the late starchitect before her death, the project shows subtlety and restraint and is all the better for it.

Rising to a height of 207 m (679 ft), the Leeza Soho tower's interior will be split into two equal halves and joined by the world's tallest atrium, which twists dramatically. The project will also include an energy-efficient curtain wall with natural ventilation, in addition to rainwater collection and a grey water system.

The Leeza Soho is expected to be completed in late 2018.

View gallery - 17 images
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