High-rise

Fundamental Architects offers a rather unusual take on the high-rise with its Tower of the Sun concept. The eye-catching design is defined by a large circular hole at its center and would feature significant sustainable technology, drawing energy from the river it bridges.

Stefano Boeri received several awards for Milan's greenery-covered Bosco Verticale, and has since conceived similar buildings around the world. His studio's latest iteration on the Vertical Forest design is slated for Tirana, Albania, and will be covered in over 3,200 shrubs and bushes.

High-profile French architect Jean Nouvel's upcoming luxury high-rise recently topped out in Miami. Named Monad Terrace, the project is expected to be completed in late 2019 and will offer plush apartments overlooking the famous Biscayne Bay starting at US$1.7 million.

MVRDV rarely seems content to play it safe and with its latest work, Downtown One Tirana, the firm shows another example of its out-of-the-box thinking. The mixed-use building is defined by a pixelated facade that depicts the map of Albania.

The municipality of Nacka in Stockholm is moving ahead with rail extensions and real estate developments as it prepares for an impending population boom, and an offbeat new tower is set to become a symbol of its new modernity and growth.

Vincent Callebaut Architectures recently unveiled a new conceptual mixed-use tower named Arboricole. Envisioned for Angers, France, the project features Callebaut's usual blend of greenery and high-tech sustainable technology, and would produce fruit and vegetables for its residents to pick.

The Silo was once used to store massive amounts of grain but following a refurbishment by COBE Architects, it has been turned into a new mixed-use high-rise. The firm maintained the original look inside, but transformed the exterior with a galvanized steel facade.

​Singapore's Housing & Development Board recently called for proposals to automate the painting of its high-rise buildings. In response, ELID Technology International and Nanyang Technological University teamed up to create a robotic system that does the job.

We regularly cover Vincent Callebaut's sustainable architecture concepts, but have wondered how well his eye-catching renders would translate to real buildings. We need not wonder for long, as the Belgian architect's twisting, greenery-clad Agora Garden Tower is taking shape in Taiwan.

Studio Lokal is planning to build a new residential high-rise located on a former vegetable market in Copenhagen. Taking inspiration from its location, it will feature over 200 balcony gardens on which residents will be encouraged to grow their own produce for eating, selling, and trading.

Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group has completed its first stateside condo in Coconut Grove, Miami. A plush paradise for the well-heeled and their pampered pets, the Grove at Grand Bay is also aiming for LEED Gold certification and boasts a degree of sustainable design.

ODA New York has drawn inspiration from the way plants turn towards the sun while designing a residential high-rise concept. Bayside twists dramatically to offer occupants a better view than a standard building would.