Thomas Heatherwick

Despite the challenges and delays caused by COVID-19, 2021 looks set to be an outstanding year for architecture. With this in mind, we've chosen five exciting projects we're looking forward to this year.

UK firm Heatherwick Studio's North American invasion continues with a pair of high-rise towers slated for Canada. Defined by an eye-catching tapering design, the high-rise buildings would make significant use of wood and incorporate lots of greenery.

Heatherwick Studio already has one water-based park underway in New York City and now plans another that's even larger and more ambitious in San Francisco. The Cove would replace a ruined pier and car park with an attractive public park on the waves.

From supertall skyscrapers to private homes, we've reported on a lot of architecture projects that incorporate trees and plants on their facade lately. With this in mind, let's take a look at some of our favorite greenery-covered buildings.

Heatherwick Studio's most recent project is named Maggie's Leeds. Conceived as oversized planters, it features thousands of plants and the use of timber to provide people living with cancer, and their families, a pleasant environment to get support.

Back in the 1960s, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew introduced his vision to turn Singapore into a "city in a garden." This has led to lots of greenery-covered architecture, including a new residential high-rise tower by Heatherwick Studio.

Heatherwick Studio recently completed a high-profile project near NYC's Hudson River with its Vessel, and is now close to realizing another that's on it. Little Island is a new landscaped park supported by concrete piles that rises above the water.

Heatherwick Studio is nearing completion on an ambitious new project in Shanghai, China. As you've probably guessed from its name, 1000 Trees, the large mixed-use development's defining feature is its greenery.

Heatherwick Studio will add some nature to Tokyo with a new district defined by an eye-catching building covered in greenery.

Heatherwick Studio's Vessel is finally complete and has now opened to the public in Manhattan, New York City. Rising to a height of 150 ft (45 m), the steel structure comprises 54 interconnecting flights of stairs, 2,500 steps, and 80 landings, offering views of the city and the Hudson River.

Heatherwick Studio blended old and new with impressive results for London's Coal Drops Yard and is set to do the same again with Olympia London. The £1 billion (roughly US$1.3 billion) development will update the 132 year old Olympia exhibition center with new hotels, retail and restaurant space.

2018 was an outstanding year for architecture, but 2019 is shaping up to be exciting too, and there are already several noteworthy projects on the horizon. From a supertall skyscraper to a massive airport terminal shaped like a starfish, here's our pick of projects to look forward to this year.