World’s Tallest Skyscraper to House a City

What does it take to build the world’s tallest skyscraper? 19,000 workers, seven months, 92 elevators, and, in all likelihood, a competitive streak. This month, yet another challenge to rule supreme over the global skyline will begin when the Broad Group starts building the world’s tallest skyscraper in Changsha, China.

Apart from demonstrating the latest in engineering miracles, the project aims to improve our chances of environmental sustainability, as it will serve as a ‘Sky City’. It’s a fully self-contained settlement, in which residents will have access to all the facilities expected in an urban area, only they’ll come with a view. 56 courtyards, each with ceilings at 30 foot, will provide scope for sporting activities, and 930,000 square feet will be committed to the cultivation of organic farms. Access to all 170 floors will be achievable via elevators, or a six-mile long ramp, which will run the vertical length of the building.

According to the Broad Group, any resident of the world’s tallest skyscraper will use only 1% of the land occupied by a run-of-the-mill, ground bound city slicker. Moreover, energy efficiency will be maximised through triple glazing, serious insulation, shading and the use of a co-generation plant, which runs on waste heat, to achieve climate control. Could this be the face of cities of the future?

[via PSFK]