Jaunted

Jean Nouvel

Paris to Get Spiffy New Skyscraper

June 3, 2008 at 1:19 PM | 0 Comments

Architect Jean Nouvel just won a contest to build a new skyscraper in La Défense, a district of Paris. Nouvel's design beat out plans from British Gherkin mastermind Norman Foster and Daniel Libeskind--who came up with the atrocious original design for New York's "Freedom Tower."

At 71 stories, Nouvel's building will be seventy-five feet shorter than the Eiffel Tower, but in a city where skyscrapers are few and far between, Nouvel's "Signal Tower" is sure to have a dramatic effect on the skyline. Echoing this sentiment, one of the jurors who selected the design said it would be the

Most important architectural act since the Eiffel Tower.

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Buildings

Adventures of Link: Building Big in Moscow

December 27, 2007 at 5:17 PM | 0 Comments

It's been far too long since we've covered any ridiculous new buildings around here, but Russia has come to the rescue. Construction is booming in Moscow, and the newest plan calls for this monstrosity: Crystal Island.

The insanely large project--which would be the largest building on Earth when finished--calls for 900 apartments, 3,000 hotel rooms, a school, a cinema, a museum and, of course, shopping. Also part of the plan is a giant plaza overlooking the city's skyline.

Architect Lord Norman Foster says it's the right time for such an audacious project. The president of the Moscow Architectural Institute had a slightly different take:

Everyone's first impression of this was, "What is it--a Christmas tree?"

Related Stories:
· Foster Plans World's Biggest Building [UK Times]
· Foster + Partners: Crystal Island [Official Site]
· World's Biggest Building Coming to Moscow [Inhabitat, via]
· China Gets a New Tallest Building [Jaunted]
· The Incredible Morphing Skyscraper [Jaunted]