August 6, 2020

Text: Quinn Halman

Lissoni & Partners Wins Honorable Mention at SKYHIVE Skyscraper Challenge with Sustainable Vision

The overall design and architecture of the structure provides a harmonious balance of nature and modernism. Rendering courtesy of Lissoni & Partners.

The sky’s the limit for architectural firm Lissoni & Partners‘ design for the SKYHIVE 2020 Skyscraper Challenge, organized by Bee Breeders and now in its third year. Adding to Hall-of-Famer Piero Lissoni‘s accolades, the “Skylines” project, which offers Lissoni’s interpretation of an all-in-one community and sustainability-oriented building, won an honorable mention at the international competition. 

The ground view from the center of the building gives a clear visual of the suspended floors and live cables. Rendering courtesy of Lissoni & Partners.

A tree trunk and its branches inspire the aesthetic and functional details of the proposed skyscraper; a veritable ecosystem, which integrates architecture and nature, absorbs rainwater like a tree and collects energy from the sun and wind transforming it into electricity to be used inside the building. Platforms designed just above the lower levels of the building feature communal vegetable gardens that use a soilless cultivation system to reduce the level of heavy metal contamination in the food grown. 

The proposed building makes a grand statement on New York City’s skyline. Rendering courtesy of Lissoni & Partners.

The greenery continues throughout the building, making an appearance in each amenity space. From commercial spaces to residential units, schools to hospitals, plus the usual media and sport rooms, this urban forest also acts a social hub. The envisioned self-sufficient skyscraper aims to solve the weaknesses in community and infrastructure the global pandemic made glaringly clear, with significant attention on sustainable practices. 

The design of the structure incorporates rainwater recovery systems, solar control, and an interior/exterior ecosystem with the goal to generate a vertical urban forest that creates a different biodiversity that also provides energy autonomy for the tenants. Illustration courtesy of Lissoni & Partners. 

For more on sustainability, including expert perspectives, specification resources, and free webinars, visit the Metropolis Sustainability Lab at www.metropolismag.com/lab.

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