Category Archives: Buildings

Architecture: Iconic Hotels Of Istanbul

Istanbul has no shortage of spectacular hotels, from former sultans’ palaces to intimate boutique properties. The crème de la crème is the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, the oldest remaining part of which was built as Sultan Abdülaziz’s palace in 1871. 

By Laura Itzkowitz June 8, 2021

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “If the earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.” Spend a week there and you’ll begin to understand why. This massive metropolis of 15 million people quite literally bridges Europe and Asia. It has witnessed the rise and fall of empires, from the Roman Empire to the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Empire, each of which has left its trace on the city. For this reason, Istanbul is a playground for design lovers, who can gaze upon incredible palaces and mosques, shop for ceramics and textiles in the Grand Bazaar, drink and dine in stylish restaurants and bars, and sleep in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels.

Read and see more at Architectural Digest

Views: Woolworth Tower Pinnacle Penthouse (4K)

“The Pinnacle Penthouse, developed by Alchemy Properties, is New York’s preeminent residential offering. Reaching 727 feet high, this five-story home encompasses 9,680 square feet of interior space and a private 408 square foot observatory terrace. Exquisite highlights include 125 windows, 24-foot ceilings and an in-residence private elevator. Delivered in architect ready condition, this offering has sparked the imagination and design talents of two of the most noted architects of our time,

Thierry W Despont and David Hotson. Despont is the world’s foremost designer of extraordinary restorations, opulent private estates, and legendary hotels. His vision for the Pinnacle embodies grand areas for entertaining along with ornate touches that make this penthouse unlike any other prized property in the world. There is an alternate design, which includes the acquisition of an additional floor, provided by David Hotson who is well known for his expertise in voluminous, residential spaces. His remarkable work at The Skyhouse Penthouse, at 150 Nassau Street, was awarded “Best Apartment of the Decade” by Interior Design Magazine in 2015. The acquisition and completion of what has been called, “One of the last great unclaimed spaces in New York City” is now available to be celebrated and transformed into an architectural masterpiece which can never be replicated!” https://thewoolworthtower.com/

City Views: Summit One Vanderbilt Observation Deck In New York City

A new skyscraper in New York’s midtown Manhattan that towers 150 feet above the Empire State Building transports visitors in glass elevators up the sides of the building to an observation deck high above the city.

One Vanderbilt is a 1,401-foot office tower next to Grand Central from developer SL Green and architects Kohn Pedersen Fox. The 77-story, 1.7 million-square-foot skyscraper is NYC’s fourth-tallest tower. It officially opened to office tenants this past September, and still to come are $220 million in public open space and transit infrastructure improvements.

Climate: The Empire State Building’s Green Upgrade

Energy usage by large, old buildings like the Empire State Building represents a huge obstacle to cities’ dreams of carbon neutrality. New York City’s buildings account for 70% of its carbon emissions, for example, and half of those emissions are produced by the largest 5% of its structures. But retrofitting old buildings to make them more energy efficient represents a formidable challenge, both from an engineering perspective and in terms of convincing owners that doing so is in their financial interest.

Views: How Singapore’s ‘Gardens By The Bay’ Was Constructed (Video)

The ‘Gardens by the Bay’ are home to 100,000 thriving plants–but for the entire setup to work, the designers had to figure out a way to protect the eerily-designed structures against the strong winds that hit Singapore.

The Gardens by the Bay is a nature park spanning 101 hectares in the Central Region of Singapore, adjacent to the Marina Reservoir. The park consists of three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden.

Views: London’s ‘Royal Albert Hall’ At 150 Years

Over the 150 years that have passed since this opening, the Royal Albert Hall has established itself as one of the most important public venues in Britain, instantly recognisable as a backdrop to everything from the BBC Proms to comedy shows and from sporting events to theatre.

John GoodallApril 4, 2021

As described by Marcus Binney (COUNTRY LIFE, March 25, 1971) and The Survey of London, vol 38 (1975), the future Royal Albert Hall was one product of this initiative. The idea of building a music hall on the estate was first proposed in 1853, but, two years later, Prince Albert suggested something more ambitious: a music hall within an enclosing quadrangle of shops and flats inspired by the Palais Royale. He also directed that his exiled compatriot, Gottfried Semper, the architect of the Dresden opera house, design it.

Read full article in Country Life

Construction: Top Ten ‘Megaprojects’ Of 2021

Top 10 construction megaprojects completing in 2021! In this video, we go over the largest megaprojects in the world! For more skyscraper & megaproject content be sure to subscribe to Top Luxury. Thanks for watching this video: Top 10 Megaprojects Completing this Year

Architectural Views: ‘The Seagram Building’ By Mies Van Der Rohe (NYC, 1956)

The Seagram Building is a skyscraper at 375 Park Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building, completed in 1958, stands 515 feet tall with 38 stories and a large plaza. 

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright, he is regarded as one of the pioneers of modernist architecture.

360° Virtual Tour: Empire State Building, New York

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from “Empire State”, the nickname of the state of New York.

Green Buildings: ‘Science & Energy Complex’ At Harvard (Video Tour)

Harvard’s much-anticipated Science and Engineering Complex (SEC) in Allston is complete. The SEC is home to a portion of Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Labs are setting up (some are already operational), furniture has been moved in, and offices are being transitioned. Assuming continued progress in controlling the virus, it will be open to students in the Fall of 2021. Join us for a look inside the new SEC – one of the most innovative, healthiest and energy-efficient buildings in the world!