SOM designed Singapore's tallest and most environmentally friendly skyscraper

/ Architecture /

The new 305-meter tower 8 Shenton Way will appear in Singapore in 2028 and will include offices, a hotel and 34 floors of luxury residences. The skyscraper will have a total of 63 floors.

As of CNN, the building was designed by the American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. His team already has experience in creating the tallest building in the world - Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

 

Closer to nature

The architects were inspired by bamboo forests to create the design of the skyscraper. Digital renderings show a series of cascading rectangular forms topped by rooftop terraces.

The main driving forces of design are health and well-being

The project will include more than 32 square meters of green spaces with plants specially selected so that birds and insects will find shelter there in the future. Most of the landscaped areas will be open to the public.

Image: SOM | Bezier

Energy efficiency

8 Shenton Way will be one of the "most sustainable" skyscrapers in Asia. According to the architects, the 305-meter-tall tower will consume 55% less energy than needed to achieve the highest environmental rating required by the local government. Energy savings will be achieved thanks to facades made of terracotta, reinforced bamboo and heat-saving glass. 

Image: SOM | Bezier

The horizontal and vertical fins running along the exterior of the tower will reflect sunlight. This will help keep the surface cool in Singapore's tropical climate.

The tower will also be connected to the city's cooling system, an underground network of pipes that run chilled water into air conditioning units to reduce electricity demand.

 

The question of height

The skyscraper will be built on the site currently occupied by the AXA cylindrical tower, opened in 1986. Work on its dismantling has already begun. During construction, part of the existing foundation will be reused, which will save materials and reduce the carbon footprint.

Image: SOM | Bezier

Despite the fact that Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, its skyline is relatively low compared to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen. The size of the country is half the size of London, but there are several civilian airports and several military air bases. 

Currently in Singapore there is a legal restriction that buildings in the central business part of the city should not exceed 280 m due to the proximity of a military air base.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore declined to comment on why 8 Shenton Way was approved at its proposed size (305 metres). A representative of local authorities told CNN that "the permissible height of buildings depends on the technical requirements and is also evaluated based on the appropriate design and the context of the area."

Image: SOM | Bezier

Currently, the only other building in the country taller than 280 meters is the nearby Guoco Tower, which was completed in 2018. The skyscraper, also designed by SOM, is 290 meters tall and includes a penthouse. In 2019, British billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson bought the residential area for 73,8 million Singapore dollars (then $54,2 million).

By the way, in addition to the Burj Khalifa, SOM also designed two of the 10 tallest buildings in the world: the CTF Financial Center in Tianjin, China, and One World Trade Center in New York. The design for 8 Shenton Way was created in collaboration with local Singaporean firm DCA Architects.

 

 

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