Green Tower in Moscow by Foster + Partners
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.19.08
Can a 2,000 foot high tower be green? Lord Foster is trying hard with the new Russia Tower. The architect says that "The building continues the practice’s investigation into the nature of the tower, taking structural, functional, environmental and urban logic to a new dimension."
The triangular plan is efficient (that's why it was used in Toronto's CN Tower, until recently the world's tallest freestanding structure)- "the vertical city is a powerful triumvirate of three ‘arms’ that meet at a central green spine running the full height of the tower. Wider at the base and tapering towards the top, the pyramidal form is elegant and slender in profile, and benefits from a highly efficient composition to achieve the maximum stability with the minimum structure, as well as the most effective distribution of space."
It is a mixed use building with both offices and residential; while offices generally create excess heat and need air conditioning even in winter, residential does not. They have developed an "energy cycle" system using water and heat pumps to redistribute the heat to where it is needed from where it is not.
"Mixed-use presents a strong case for energy balance, dependent on the residential components using energy at different times to office and retail.
By harnessing the heat created by the offices in winter and the cooling properties of the ground in summer, the energy cycle is a hot water circuit that runs through the building, distributing the energy to regulate the temperature and heat water throughout the day and the year."
"At the summit, a publicly accessible viewing deck with cafes and bars creates a magnetic new attraction for both visitors and residents of Moscow." ::Foster + Partners via ::Jetson Green
"Can a 2,000 ft tower be green?"
Yes! It's probably greener than almost any other building, because it encourages very dense living, and has enough funding to incorporate some green features that might cost a decent amount extra. Also, it puts the technology into use on a large scale.
And what is that green stuff in the middle of the building, on the third picture?
What is it about oil and gas money that makes people want to build giant steel and glass penises? Someone ought to do a study.
"What is it about [oil and gas] money that makes people want to build giant steel and glass penises? Someone ought to do a study."
Umm, human nature?
What is it about smug self-righteous commenters that makes them see a penis in any vertical structure? Hopefully no one will waste money on a study.
oh my gosh this is the most georgus building i think i have ever seen in my life and doing the research on it is incretable aswell and it amazes me how wonderful we humans can make something to plane look so fabulas i only have one word for this building and that is *FAB-U-LUS*